Dorms

"It costs how much?!"

I nearly spit out the water I'm drinking.

"It changes a bit based on need, but the ceremony is around 10 gold."

Burch and I are standing in the common space of the guild dorms.

Guild members can stay in the dorms if they don't have the resources to rent their own place.

It still costs money, but it's considerably cheaper than the alternative .

"That's a good chunk of change. That means for everyone to get the ceremony it was...240 gold! That's nearly a Platinum coin!"

"For an organization as powerful as the Guild, that's pocket copper. Besides, you guys have to pay it back and the amount of revenue you'll each pull in is considerable."

We continue talking as I carry my bags to the room my party rented together.

I haven't seen it yet, but hope to the gods that it won't just be one big room.

The wide halls are full of the other new adventurers.

As I turn forward someone enters me peripheral.

I twist away as quickly as I can, but we still end up bumping shoulders.

As I go to apologize, I instantly recognize the mage from the battle.

"Hey, watch it!"

His warrior friend gets in my face, spittle flying from his mouth. Using my hand, I wipe the spit off of my face.

"Next time you decide to yell at someone, swallow first. Now get out of my face."

A vein pops on his forehead and he grabs my shirt. I'm already ready, my bags forgotten on the floor.

A hand comes out from behind him and is placed on his shoulder.

"It's fine. Head to the room."

He scowls at the mage, but begrudgingly lets go of my shirt.

Picking up his bags, he shoots me a glare and walks heavily down the hall.

"Sorry for Haden's rudeness."

I shrug off his apology, not wanting to make a big deal about it.

"It happens. I never caught your name?"

"I never gave it."

I try to be friendly, but his response is cold.

After eyeing him up and down, I pick my bags up off the floor.

"I should get going then. I don't have time for this."

As I go to move past him, his lifts his arm and stops me.

"My apologies. I was just...messing around. I'm Terius. And you are?"

He sticks his hand out, ignoring my unimpressed stare.

With a shrug, shake his hand.

"Kairo. It's a pleasure."

"No, the pleasure's all mine."

He squeezes a little harder than necessary and I react in kind. We stand there until Burch kicks me from behind.

"Lets go! I want to get home and the longer this takes the longer that takes."

"Oh, right."

I can feel Terius's gaze on my back as Burch and I continue down the hallway.

Towards the end of the hallway, we arrive at the dingy door with my room number on in. Taking a deep breath and hoping for the best, I open the door.

I'm greeted by a large room. Fearing the worst, I drop my bags and move further in.

A single door is immediately to the left of the doorway, and right past that is a kitchen.

In the large room there's a table with six chairs surrounding it. Two couches and a coffee table sit behind that, right in front of a window.

On the right wall there are two doors, hopefully to rooms.

"Hey, who left their bags here! Move em' or I will!"

Alcon is standing in the doorway.

Matt's peeking over his shoulder, trying to get a look at the apartment.

Before Alcon can kick my bags out of the way, I scoop them up and he barges into the apartment.

Like a hound, he zero's in on the doors. He quickly disappeared into the first one.

Matt trails in behind him, his brow furrowed lower than I've ever seen.

As he moves past me, I can hear him muttering under his breath.

"Why me? This can't be good for my health..."

Noticing that Burch didn't follow behind Matt, I step out to the hallway.

He's standing, looking at the door in disgust.

"You wanna check out the room before you go?"

"I spent enough time in the dorms. I know the layout like the back of my hand. I also swore to never step into those damn apartments again, so I'll just leave."

My head perks up at this.

"Did something happened?"

"It shall never be spoken of."

I can't help but feel disappointed.

"You should probably get going. Guess I'll see you when I come in for more training."

"It won't necessarily be me teaching you next time. After all, having different teachers is good for you. But I'll see you around town."

After looking up and down the hallway, he gives me a quick hug.

"Listen, the stronger you get the more often you'll see me. So get strong. Now I need to get out of here. The longer I'm here the more I die inside."

With those words, he disappears.

(Seriously, what happened here!)

Vowing to uncover the story at some point, I head back into the apartment.

Alcon and Matt are sitting on the couchest, arguing about something else.

Now I take the chance to see what's in the two rooms.

The first room is definitely for two people at most, so I quickly move onto the next one.

The first thing I notice when I step into the room is the vast difference in size.

This one is at least twice the size and has two bunk beds, one in front of the door and the other on the back wall, where Alcon has taken the top bunk.

Matt has his stuff up in the other top bunk, leaving the two bottom bunks open.

Four wardrobes line the back wall, but that's everything in the room.

With a sigh, I toss my stuff onto the bed under Matt's.

"Guess I get bottom bunk."

<Part 2: Fin>