After finishing dinner, Ellvira and I parted ways with a promise of accepting a quest together in the coming days. The camaraderie shared over the meal had, surprisingly, lightened my spirits.
Determined to make the most of the night, I made my way to the request board. The F-rank quests, marked with simple sketches of crossed swords, caught my eye. Each parchment held the potential for a new adventure and, more importantly, a chance to earn my keep.
Scanning through the available quests, I settled on one labeled "Herb Gathering" It seemed straightforward enough and offered a reward of 7 bronze coins. A quick and simple task, with enough pay to ensure that I would still be able to afford my room at the inn. I hurried to just outside the city walls and quickly began collecting the requested herb, a spindly plant with spikey purple flowers. It was common enough, with most considering it a weed, but the request asked for several bundles. I barely managed to collect enough and slip back through the city gates right before they closed for the night.
The glow of the moon illuminated the cobbled streets as I swiftly made my way back to the Guildhall. Lorna must have already gone home for the day for a different receptionist was manning the counters. Approaching him, I presented the gathered herbs and received the promised reward of 7 bronze coins. Content with the added weight to my purse, I hurried back to the inn.
The next morning, I groaned in discontent as I separated myself from the warm and fluffy bed. I eyed it as I got ready for the day, struggling not to succumb to its comforts. As soon as I finished, I hurried out, locking the door behind me. The smell of stew and fresh bread floated in the air as I made my way downstairs. It was even more delicious than what I had had at the Guild. Once again, I felt ready to take on the day.
When I arrived at the Guild, Miss Lorna wore a tired look. The source of her annoyance seemed to be a small group crowding near the E rank request board. I had barely been able to hear them outside, but now that I had entered the Guild, I could easily make out their squabble. They wanted to take on a request but simply didn't have enough people between the three of them. Ignoring them, I made my way towards my request board, but I stopped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Miss Lorna was wearing a friendly smile, but it made my blood run cold. "We have the perfect request for you today," She said forcefully as she redirected me toward the trio.
I yelped, but her grip was firm enough that I couldn't escape. "If you complete it, you'll be able to make forty-five bronze with just one request." As soon as she said those magic words, I stopped trying to escape. Instead, I straightened up and offered all I could manage in the way of a smile. Disgust coursed through me, but forty-five bronze coins? That's enough for a couple of nights at the inn AND to see about getting new attire. Just as the realization of the potential reward settled in, Ellvira approached, and, much like me, she was also redirected toward the trio. I guess our first quest together is happening sooner than I thought…
As the two of us approached, the trio, seemingly absorbed in their conversation, glanced briefly at us, and their only female member grimaced, making it clear she had reservations about our involvement.
Lorna, darkly chipper, grinned back, "You've been asking for a new temporary member, and look here: two of 'em! You either take them or stop making such a fuss every day and accept a different quest!"
"H-hi… M-my name's Ami. I-if you're looking for a temporary member, I could…" I trailed off as thoughts of how creepy my smile was took over. If I made her that uncomfortable, maybe it'd be best if I didn't come along…
Ellvira offered a curtsey and introduced herself similarly, "I am Ellvira Veersten. We completed our basic training yesterday, so please take care of us."
I glanced back up at Miss Lorna, who was glaring impassively at the trio. "She dual-wields daggers, and she keeps a cool head. Your party needs a support member, so take her with you," She directed. "Ellvira specializes in front-line combat and can even wield some minor healin' magic."
She added, mumbling under her breath, just loud enough for me to hear, "If that's not enough to keep 'em out of trouble…"
"Welcome, Miss Amaris, Miss Ellvira! I am Michael del Esquire! I am ever so pleased to make your acquaintance," A man of roughly average height, blond hair, and bright blue eyes swept forward, taking my hand in his before pressing his lips to it before doing the same to Ellvira.
I blushed before pulling my hand back. I fought off the frown that was rising within me, doing my best to seem friendly. "P-please just call me Ami." Del Esquire though… I looked over the man. While his name was that of a lesser noble family, his bearing was overall crude. There were small indications here and there that he actually was a noble, and not just someone borrowing the name, but…
"I'm the main vanguard of our party, so Ellvira, you'll be towards the front of our formation with me." Ellvira nodded her understanding. "And this is Loreth. He excels with a spear," Sir Esquire continued on.
Loreth didn't speak, instead watching me. His dark hair was in a state of disarray and shadowed his face, but despite that, his eyes seemed to glow a pale lavender, with patches of a muted crimson. Eyes such as his were not natural, and they were likely the result of a magical mishap or perhaps human experimentation. As if spellbound, I took a step towards him, Miss Lorna's hand dropping from my shoulders.
"Your eyes…" Though it was just barely noticeable, Loreth jerked back before turning his head away from me. "They're beautiful."
The young lady of their party stepped between us, and suddenly I was aware that I had just become enraptured by the eyes of a man I had just met. My face grew even hotter.
"My name is Chelsea Du'monte," She proudly proclaimed one hand on her chest as she shot me a hostile look. Oh… They must be a couple… I felt somehow dirty under her eyes. Yet another noble… Unlike Michael, hers was the proper bearing for one of a noble house, though perhaps a bit too prideful. Long brown hair fell about her in carefully arranged waves, but her piercing green eyes gave her a haughty air.
Is a party like this really going to be okay? I don't think I can get along with these people.
Miss Du'monte continued on, her voice never faltering, "I wield Divine magic, allowing me to heal Michael and Loreth or provide blessings as needed to change the flow of the battle." She gave a pointed look towards Ellvira, perhaps because of her slight ability to heal.
Magic was broken up into several categories. Some require an affinity with certain attributes. For example, someone with a high affinity for fire would be able to cast a stronger fire spell while expending less of their innate aether than someone with an affinity for it. On the other hand, Divine magic is thought to be gifted to outstanding individuals by the Divine Beings who guide our world. Anyone who is proficient in it is gladly accepted into the Church, but more often than naught, someone with the ability to wield Divine magic without a noble patron, and a high-ranking one at that, is forced into the Church. Without an affinity for it, one is unable to cast Divine magic.
That isn't to say that healers are rare. Most commonly, healers use an advanced and specialized form of water magic, but there are some who heal using spirit magic as well. Coincidentally, spirit magic is even rarer than Divine magic. At least, it is in the races of humanity. At age six, children are supposed to be brought to the Church to discover their affinities. An affinity wasn't only useful for those seeking to wield magic; it has a multitude of applications outside of that. For instance, someone gifted with a fire affinity is less likely to get burned working a forge. Those with a water affinity might become sailors or fishermen. Simply living is enough to cast small spells unknowingly, as life is made up of aether. It was likely that Ellvira was capable of water magic, and she had learned to heal that way through a lot of practice. Honestly, knowing she can heal kind of increases my respect for her. I've heard it's a really hard discipline for water magic users to learn.
Sir Esquire explained the request they were trying to accept to us, with Miss Du'monte interrupting him to pitch in every now and then. Along with it, Sir Esquire gave us a brief rundown of his family affairs for some reason. His father is the lord of this domain, with the city of Dalton being the capital. He's the second son, but for some reason, he seems convinced that he will be named his father's heir instead of his older brother. I'm not really sure why he took the time to explain this to us. It was none of my business, but maybe it's important to Ellvira, since she's also from a noble family. Hesitantly, I redirected him back to the request.
