Once Morris had the requisite paperwork completed, and Mike felt strong enough for the walk back to town, the pair left the village. So long as they avoided any mishaps, they should be able to make it back to Mayde by later afternoon.
"Almost forgot to mention. Here." Morris commented as they were a little ways down the road. He handed Mike a sack with a heavy round object the size of a child's skull.
"What is it?" Mike asked while peeking inside.
"It's the vargul's heart."
"Blergh! Why would you give me that?!"
Morris laughed, "It's the only really valuable component of the vargul. Much like other kinds of vampires, their bodies tend to break down after death, leaving only their heart which crystallizes. Vargul heart is a potent alchemical ingredient which can be used to make a number of products. Although the one we fought was probably a particularly young one, its heart should still net us somewhere in the region of 20-30 gold. That'd be enough to replace your weapons and armor."
Mike glanced down at the sword he still wore at his side. The fight with the vargul had twisted it out of shape, to the point it barely fit back into the sheath. His leather armor that he had gotten from the Order was almost completely tattered beyond salvaging. So, with the exception of the bracers and greaves which were still functional, he sold the remaining scraps to the local leather worker.
"We can get you something basic once we get to Mayde, but if you want to make it as an Adventurer, you were going to have to upgrade eventually anyway. Wyrport has some of the best markets in the country, so we should be able to find you some good stuff."
"Fair enough. What do you want to do with your share?"
Morris blinked, "No, no, no. This was your kill. I don't mind taking half of the reward money for the request, since I certainly identified the threat, but I didn't do anything to help kill it."
"Look, as far as I'm concerned, we're partners. If it wasn't for your insight and knowledge, I wouldn't have stood a chance against that monster. You contributed just as much as I did, so it's only fair that we split the loot."
Morris didn't look convinced, so Mike continued. "I know you've been feeling a little useless since you lost your arm. I can't imagine what it must be like to go through that, but if it wasn't for your help and support I'd be lost. Your experience and knowledge and wisdom have made this trip easy…., well, easier than it would have been otherwise. You can offer so much more than the strength of your arm, and I for one am proud to call you my friend."
The older man looked away, obviously a little overcome with emotion. Eventually he looked back. "Alright, you win. I'll take your money, but I'm buying the first round when we get back to town."
It was Mike's turn to laugh, "Fair enough. Hey, if you want, I'd even be willing to let you cover another night at the Fanciful Maiden."
"Don't push it. Do I look like I'm made of money?"
The pair chatted amicably about various things for the rest of the trip back. They made good time and were able to stop by the Adventurer's Guild before it closed for the day.
Don, the guild receptionist seemed surprised to see them. "I didn't think you would survive. I guess congratulations are in order." Without changing his perpetually bored expression, he pulled a lever on the wall behind him. With a click, a banner unfurled from the ceiling emblazoned with 'Congratulations, New Adventurer!'
"The manager makes me do that for all the newbies who successfully complete their first request." He drawled. "Speaking of which, the manager needs to verify your placement." He got up and slowly shuffled into the corridor leading up to the manager/guildmaster's office.
After a short wait, Mike was invited to head upstairs.
An exuberant Anton welcomed him into the office. "Don tells me you've completed your request. Do you happen to have the form with you?"
Mike handed him the paper.
"Hm, yes I see. Full marks from the client with a bonus thrown in too. You seem to have gone above and beyond this time my boy, well done."
Mike wondered what other times he was talking about.
He paused after reaching a particular point, and looked up at Mike in astonishment. "A Vargul?! You actually killed a vargul? In its lair? At night?"
Mike nodded, but couldn't get any words out before Anton replied, "Ridiculous! It would at least take a Rank 6 adventurer like myself to that. Do you have any proof?"
Mike silently dumped the varugl heart on Anton's desk. It sat there, glistening in the light, looking to all the world like a fist sized chunk of red crystal. One that vaguely resembled a human heart.
The guild manager stared at it for a good minute, disbelief written on his features, before he sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking older than he did when Mike first walked in. He motioned for Mike to place the heart back into the sack while quietly muttering to himself. Mike barely caught the words, "Kids these days," and decided it wasn't worth trying to listen closer.
Anton continued to glance over the document for a few minutes before placing it on a pile on his desk. "It seems you have some talent as an adventurer, so I see no reason why you can't start at Rank 3. It's the highest rank I'm allowed to start you at, so don't complain to me about it being too low." He murmured in a tired voice while rubbing his eyes, as if fighting a headache.
"I'm fine with that."
"Place your hand on the orb again, and I'll update your rank." He said while setting up the strange box device on his desk.
After completing the simple task, Anton unexpectedly livened up again. "Say, I don't suppose you are looking to sell that heart? While this is only a branch office, so we don't have access to the full material trading services of larger guild halls, I think I can work something out on my end. What do you say to five golden wrens for it?"
Mike found himself at a loss for words at the blatant greed exhibited by the so called guildmaster.
[Hopefully, he is not representative of the rest of the guild, otherwise I might have made a mistake in joining.]
"A trusted acquaintance of mine told me I shouldn't part with it for less than 30."
"Bah, there's no way that thing is worth 30, you would be lucky to get 10 for it in Wyrport. Fortunately, I happen to know a few alchemists who would pay well for a fresh sample. To celebrate your completed request, I can offer you 15 gold, which is about as much as I would make from selling it to them."
"That's a fine offer, but I wouldn't want you to go through the trouble. After all, you've done so much to help me since I got here. Why don't you point me in the direction of the alchemists, and I'll meet them directly."
"Grr, fine. I'll give you 20 and not a coin more."
Mike felt a familiar click inside of him. "Make it 25 and it's a deal."
Anton looked ready to throttle the young man, but finally relented and accepted the offer. "Now get out of here, you reprobate!" He said as he tossed a bag full of gold at Mike.
The newly minted Rank 3 adventurer grinned and caught the bag, and after counting it out, went back downstairs. He remembered to pick up his request reward of four silver before he left.
The pair briefly went shopping. They managed to find Mike a decent sword for 2 gold, but decided to wait until Wyrport to look for a good set of armor.
As they head towards the inn for the night, Mike couldn't help but feel optimistic. He had money in his pocket, a good friend by his side, and a life of adventure ahead of him. What could go wrong?
- - - - - - - - - - -
The shack looked empty, disuse evident in unkempt and decaying exterior. Bergis, the dwarf Seraphina had always called her uncle, had been missing for weeks, and she started to fear the worst. From her vantage in the wood line, it didn't look like a trap, but she couldn't be sure unless she got closer.
She had finally managed to lose her tail outside of Goldspear. She hadn't slept in days, but she knew that if she stopped for any length of time her pursuers would catch up.
After conning her way into a merchant caravan heading down the coast, she disappeared in the middle of the night when it got close to her destination. Now she squatted next to a tree, watching the shack, and hoping against all hope that her mother would suddenly show up. Despite her skill, she was still only fourteen, and there was little she wouldn't give to have her mother back.
After a few hours of careful observation, she couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. Finally, impatience got the best of her, and she cautiously made her way up to the shack.
The door was hanging open revealing a torn apart interior. She was initially worried for her mother's safety, but after looking things over, she decided that the vandalism must have occurred a long time ago. After a quick scan of the shacks contents, it became evident that nothing living resided within, so she checked the loose floorboard in the corner. Her mother had made sure she remembered it in the event they needed to pass messages. Under the board she found a letter, yellowed with age. She opened with trembling hands and began to read.
My Dearest Sera,
If you are reading this, then my efforts to evade the Cabal have failed. By now I am either captured or more probably, dead. I know-
Seraphina had to stop. Tears spilled uncontrollably from her eyes. Some part of her had known that it would be this way, but she had hoped otherwise. After a few minutes she regained enough control to continue reading.
I know how hard this must be for you. I am sorry that I had to lie to you, but it was the only way for me to ensure your future. In all the future's I have foreseen, there was never any hope for me. I was doomed from the start, so please don't blame yourself.
I am afraid that you don't have time to grieve. In a short while the Cabal will catch up to you. I don't know how, but they will. You only have one chance, one possible future where they don't win. You must travel to the city of Wyrport. There you will meet a man with the power to save the world, or perhaps destroy it. One who wields Destiny like a weapon, yet remains unbound by it. You will have to guide him on his path, lest he be consumed in darkness.
I know you can do this, Sera. You are stronger than I ever was. My only regret is that I won't be able to watch you grow into amazing young woman I have seen in my dreams. Now go, before all hope is lost.
Know that I will always love you,
Mom
Despite the dire warnings of the letter, Seraphina couldn't help but sob uncontrollably for a few minutes, clutching the letter to her chest. It finally donned on her, that she was utterly alone in this world. She felt a crushing despair that threatened to overwhelm her.
At that moment, she simply wanted to lay down and die. However, some fundamental part of her flared with anger. Anger at the Cabal for taking her mother, anger at the gods for allowing it to happen, anger at herself for not being able to stop, and even anger at her mother for lying to her.
She stood and crumpled the letter in her fist, but couldn't bring herself to throw it away. She stuff the mangled paper into her pocket and left the shack. By now the last of her tears had dried, revealing eyes filled with determination. She turned to the northwest, towards the city of Wyrport. She would find that man, and use his power to make the Cabal pay, to destroy their plans and lay waste to everything they held dear.