Adventurers Guild

Light seeps through as chirping birds fly around, some of the snow melting in an overlay of rain drops, the ground painted with the dark mint and the colourless snow. My eyes slowly creeped open, the resplendent sun depriving me of my sight, my eye lids swollen heavy and red with veins popping in my eyes. My cardinal eyes swelled with grief and sadness with barely any light reflecting off of them, almost like a dead corpse. My hand, spilled in front of me, clenched, strangling the modest amount of snow in my reach.

"Brother." My lips moved in the motion of the words, but my voice barely came out in an unusually hoarse voice compared to usual.

I tried to rouse myself up of the cold floor using all the remaining strength I had. My pale hair dangling down in front of my eyes, my iris now hiding from the radiance of the climbing daylight, my hands slumped by my sides and my body contoured in a slouched position. My fur coat slowly slipped of my back and my shirt was left in tatters filled with holes where the cold air would infiltrate and attack my skin from. My breath smoked as I resumed my pursuit of reaching the original town we were supposed to hunt in.

"Guess I have to get moving. Too bad you can't hunt with me. What am I saying? I don't even know how to hunt. Without you I'm worthless, Krill." With my words of the depressing truth being left behind, I wasted no more time, got up and started walking forwards.

My sedate pace certainly extended the time it took for me to get to the town of Hagg, but I still managed to arrive at the entrance of the town in half an hour or so. My face searched the area, peaking at the the surroundings. It was very much the little town me and Krill heard about. Small wooden homes spaced around the woods, enclosed by a brick wall that didn't span very high up and a gate that was made out of wood. Though the wood gate was rather decaying from age and environmental harshness over the years.

The gate itself was opened wide, with only two guards on either side of it. They didn't were any imposing armour or anything of the sort, but just leather clothing with some parts being reinforced with metal sheets that could have only been 2 to 3 centimetre's thick. Apart from that they were equipped with a one handed sword attached to heir hip. The two guards mostly stood their as a lookout and to intercept any shady looking people from going in, or from people who wanted to import certain items into the town.

I managed to get in without a problem, but the two guards eyes both followed me even after my back had been turned away from them as I passed through the gate. Their eyes gave of a leaking sense of empathy directed towards me as they gazed upon my appearance and my face which resembled that of a ghosts. Thin and frail. Still, they spoke no words to me and simply carried on their duty.

Soon after entering the town, more and more people appeared especially the closer I got to the food market. People were shopping, going to the adventures guild, or even just commuting outside of the village. The mood was overall pleasant, well apart from when the towns people looked at me. Both elf's and humans alike tried to look away from my site, ignoring me, not one person lending me a single hand. They all just looked at me with pity and moved on like I was just a pebble on the side of the road.

I continued stumbling around the food stalls, my stomach roaring like a fierce beast that hasn't been fed for weeks. My head was down and my eyes looked only towards the floor. My eyes dry and red, and my nose snotty. Yet, I could still smell all the incredible food. The meat, the freshly baked bread, it all made me drool but at the same time made me feel disgusted with myself. I had somehow stolen my brothers die and stole his chance at a life, yet all I could think about was food.

My hunger continued. I had no strength to steal, let alone any idea as to how I'd be able to steal without getting caught. When Krill was alive, he'd format those kinds of plans for us. I sighed, my warm breath clashing with the cold air creating a smoke like effect.

RING! RING! RING!

A bell gently rung 3 times. The sound soothing and calm. It's sound vibrated towards me with no troubles, now that I had got out of the congested parts of the market and was now on the outskirts of it, with not many people around. I turned to focus my attention to where the ringing noise came from. And there, an old man sat in a wooden chair running a stand with bread. His face aged with wrinkles and his hair almost completely gone with only a couple of hairs standing atop his head. Still, he wore a big kind smile. Directed towards me as he waved a loaf of bread in his hand my way.

"Hey! You kid! Take this!" The old man shouted in my direction.

Confused, I pointed at myself whilst looking around making sure nobody else was around me, as to not make of fool of myself.

"Yes you! Come, you look starved child!" He says as he gestures to come over to him. I did just that, garnering all remaining strength I had left in this body. The old man picked me up and sat me on his lap as he proceeded to get a loaf of bread for me.

"Here, eat." A big smile comes across the mans face as he spoke to me, his voice gentle and calming.

I wasted no time and snatched the bread from his hand, scarfing it down my mouth at a dangerous pace, as I get handed another slice.

"Easy tiger. You don't wanna choke now, do you?" He said playfully as a stupendous cackle comes from him.

After I had eaten my full, I had got off the old mas lap and bowed down, a perfect 90 degrees as to express my gratitude. "Thank you old man!"

"No problem child. It's the least I can do to help a person in need. You should also aim to do the same for others, young one."

"W-w-will do!" I said as cracks started to form in my demeanour. I was once again reminded of Krill. I quickly ran off not looking back as to hide my tears. It would be rude, after all, to show such a thing to someone who has helped you out. I couldn't trouble him anymore.

"I'm sorry, brother. Here I am, in your body, just eating and trying to forget about this. How could I?" Tears fell against the surface of glazed floor. The frost slowly made cracking noises the more my tears fell.

My head tilted upwards as the wind raised my tear in the distant gust, I had found myself in front of Hagg's very own adventurers guild. Just like that, a brilliant idea spawned in my mind.

"Without you Krill, I'm going to have to fend for myself for the time being. That is, until I give you this body back. To you the rightful owner. To the one who should have lived. To the one who wasn't as worthless as the other. I WILL, get you your body back. And I think this is the perfect place to start. Watch over me, brother and pray for my success."

With my new found resolve discovered, I formulated a plan of action. A nervous smile creeped onto my face in excitement. This WILL work.

"Wow." I muttered to myself under my breath. The adventurers guild was something else. The place immediately burst alight as soon as I stepped inside, an incredible contrast to the quiet, peaceful atmosphere outside, that I thought was not possible. Alcohol was thrown around and consumed, gambling games went on, people ate their meals, and some were waiting for others to show up, most likely from their party. As I continued walking further inside, I drew more and more attention of people who looked at me baffled and confused as to what I was doing here. One bald adventurer with a X like scar going across the top oh his head and a longsword attached to his waist called out to me.

"Looking for your father, kid?" He asks in a gruffy voice, as if his voice box was scarred by a cheese grater. I look to him nonchalantly and reply. "No, I don't have a father."

The man seemed to be caught off guard however he continued with his interrogation. Why was he so interested in some random kid anyway. A mischievous smile appeared on his face as he went on. "Then what are you ding here? This isn't some place for kids to wandering around, you know."

I reply swiftly. "I know. But I have a need to be here, so if you could please excuse me mister." I had swiftly moved past him after the ending the conversation in that manner and continued walking to a small booth in the corner with a window between the outsiders and an elven man on the other side.

"Adventurer registration, I suppose?" The elven man looked to me as I said that, his appearance youthful and his face round. His eyes shone a grey pigment which surprisingly sparked bright for such a dull colour.

"Indeed it is young man. Why do you ask?"

"Isn't it obvious? I want to register myself as an adventurer sir." The man looked down at me and sighed, is blond squiggly hair falling flat in front of his eye, to which he blows up at it to clear his vision.

"Kid, at your age you can't be an adventurer. It's against our rules."

"And who are YOU, to assume my age." I reply as I smirk proudly at his defeated face.

The man sighs once more and asks. "Then how old are you?"

I reply confidently, my chest puffed out. "Seve-. Actually, this body would make me eight. Kind sir, I am eight years old!" I shoot another smirk his way as I close my eyes ready for him to accept me.

The man looked confused at me, but ignored my statement about my body. "That's too young kid. How unfortunate for you. Come back in four years time."

I respond without faltering, a strong resolve invading my cardinal eyes as my desire consumed his. "But sir! I need to! It can't wait! I need to start looking for clues and for a way to support myself."

"Clues about what?" He asks.

"I can't really say. But please mister. I beg of you." My voice now hushed to a whisper as I conversed with the elven man.

"Fine. I'll enter you. However! No one here's a word about your age. You are twelve years old! Also... Don't get yourself killed. People underestimate quests that adventurers take... and they end up paying a dear price for it. Finally. Beware of your fellow adventurers more than any beast you encounter during you raids together. Rookies like you are usually met with betrayal and a slow painful death after."

I look at him and nod my head. "Thank you mister!"