I have to eventually stop by the guild for the reward. Apparently that was the wrong thing to do. I have to go to a brothel not far from here and meet up with the person who requested the mission. Does this really officially make me an adventurer? It doesn't even feel real. What am I worrying about right now? They know where Izzi, Max, and Zack are heading, so that should be my top priority, right? Except that it isn't.
Truly, I still only want to leave this place behind. It's not even my business and she made it clear that she doesn't want me around. What would happen if I found her anyway? What am I thinking with this idea that she could forgive me or even listen to me at all?
I shake my head to myself. Am I being too hard on myself? That may be the case here, so I don't bother too much more on the subject. I doubt she needs my help anyway, especially if she's been on the run a whole week now. As for the others, I wouldn't know. They had to have left at the same time as she did.
What happened to not staying on that subject, Gracie? I silently shut myself up.
I make it to the brothel in a decent enough amount of time. I'm really starting to get a handle of the town's layout.
I'm not sure who I'm looking for but apparently this specific man is a red headed Feraad. Supposedly, he has a tail and ears hidden in his pants and under his hair. I should expect someone small but intimidating. Eventually, after roaming around the brothel for a few minutes, I see someone who fits the description perfectly. There is also one other person who fits that description and after a moment of disbelief, I realize that they are twins. Which one is the guy I'm looking for? I wonder quietly.
It doesn't matter because they both notice me staring at them while looking like a fool and wave me over. Maybe they're friendly. I don't hesitate and I walk their direction until I am between the two of them.
"Here for the guild reward?" Surprised, I nod and one of them shakes my hand. "The name is Tom. This ugly fellow here is Jeffrey. What did you find?"
Well, that was straight to the point. Somehow, I find that to be refreshing. "I—" I stutter, trying to find the right words. Usually, the words just come to me in writing form, but now I'm at a loss.
Jeffrey offers me a seat and they both sit along with me. How they know I came for the reward, I have no idea. I eventually figure out my words and reply. "I heard a Feraad escaped a week ago and is coming this direction. Um... one of the King's consorts was chosen, but I'm not sure who and... and..." I'm trying to remember what else I had heard from Kumbers. Something that I hadn't heard crosses my mind. I remember writing it before I passed out. "And one of the consorts betrayed the King and called rebel Feraad to attack the palace during the wedding. That's probably why not many people know about it. They kept the story on lockdown so nobody is left to believe that the palace walls have been breached." I am so proud of myself for remembering that I look up at the two men before me. One of them reaches behind him and pulls out a small pack. It clinks on the table, and they both get up and leave.
Curious, I grab the small bag and look inside. It's full of gold coins, not a single silver or copper in sight. I look up, bewildered. A red headed man looks at me. Something small flutters on the top of his head: ears, I notice. Yeah, this is the right person.
"You gave me more information than the mission required. You earned it, girl." Turning away, he said. "Good day."
It wasn't until much later that I realized this was the first time Jeffrey had spoken to me. The other was Tom. I could tell the difference in them simply with how they spoke. Jeffrey was much more proper with his words and Tom was so casual and almost charming. However, they both have a serious aura about them that proves they mean business even as small Feraad. Maybe that is what makes them so intimidating? I may have to ask for some tips in that department later.
I find a shop on the way out and find a few things that I noticed casual adventurers wearing.
I choose something light that's easy to move around in and find a small dagger as a weapon. I also found a carry-on bag and found a journal and a pen to put in it. The dagger laid on my hip. It couldn't be seen because a light green cloak blocked my body from any eyes that looked too closely. The undergarments are laced closely against my body with tougher stitches in the most vulnerable of places. My back carried the most toughness and was almost indestructible. It was an odd material; almost like a bulletproof cloth, but there are no bullets in this world. There are plates of armor against me too, made of the same bulletproof cloth but much thicker. In fact, it was the exact thing on my back. In this world, this whole outfit must have costed a lot. I have already used up a good quarter of what was given to me just buying this stuff. Another point five percent was used to buy food. I used more of it to buy a horse and saddle. Later, if I ever came across desert, I would consider a camel. I packed as much food as I could in the bags against the horse. As long as there was hay around everywhere, the horse could naw on it. I also carried a few cartoons of water. At one point, I was afraid the water would be too much for the horse, but he's a real strong one and held out much better than I had first imagined. After a quick visit to the guild for a mission, I talked with Chandra outside. She told me there are many other headquarters for this particular guild that I could find.
She told me that the two men came to her that afternoon and asked for a rank up on my part, and she agreed. When she was told exactly how well I did, she bumped me up a whole two ranks, saying that putting me in Class F was only to test my strength anyway. I'm now in Class D. She also said that she would understand if I chose a different guild as they were all ranked and hers didn't even reach the top 100 so I could never gain fame. "It's a good thing I'm not doing this for fame then." I told her, smiling. I had picked up a mission from the Class D.
CLASS D
Missions:
-Street gang terrorizing citizens in Parkway. Help keep the peace. Reward: 1,000 gold coins
-Unknown man kidnapping babies. Find information. Afterwards, give the mission up to a Class C adventurer to capture and imprison. Reward: 1,200
That one sounded real scary and very mysterious so I tried to find one that was closer to the capital. Sure, that's not where Izzi and the others are headed, but if I went and followed them, I would only be leading people to them. Anyway, the capital should be much more populated and there has got to be someone who knows what's happened to me. I spot a very interesting sounding one.
-Brothel woman stealing from her customers in the capital. Find and jail. Alive, please. Reward: 1,200 gold coins.
I laugh a little at the ending before the reward. I find it strange that the reward here is on the paper but in Class F, it's not even shown. Maybe it all depended on how well the job was done. It made sense considering I got so much. I think I may have gotten around 50,000 gold coins for that one. Maybe it's kind of like a starter pack in most video games: a big beginning bonus.
After I left Chandra behind, I returned to the stables where I left the horse. After riding the horse in a few circles trying to get accustomed to the feel of it instead of a car like I'm used to, I ride off toward the capital. I should have known better than to start right before sundown.