Xavier made his way through the castle and glanced into the feast hall to see if his group was there. Not noticing anyone he knew he walked down towards the library hoping to find them there. Along the way, he saw a group running towards him and overheard a bit of a conversation they were having. "Did you hear the news?" A guy asked the group and a girl responded. "Yeah, that guy who was shouting the first night has already joined the guild and gotten his first quest." The guy spoke again. "Apparently his group is getting their blessing from the king to go. Let's hurry and try to see them leave." The group turned the corner and Xavier being curious decided to chase after them.
Xavier followed the group and ended up going out of the castle's doors meeting a large group of people. Everyone was watching a group of six in full gear descend the stairs leading to the city and someone shouted down to them. "Good luck out there!" Someone else joined in. "Don't get yourselves killed in on your first quest." The group of six turned around and waved and Xavier heard the same voice from the first night shout up to the group. "You blokes better at least come out quick. If ye don't I'll be miffed at all you."
With that, they continued their descent and everyone watched until they passed through the gates at the bottom of the stairs. With that everyone split into their separate groups and began to talk and plan out the future of their groups. Xavier once again began to make his way towards the library and was happy to find his group there in full when he arrived. Taking a seat at the table by them he began to tell the group what had just happened. Sintarra shot up and slammed her hands on the table shouting. "People have already left for a quest?" Before anyone could even tell her to quiet down the librarian had hit her in the forehead with a large book and she fell back into her seat. "Sorry ma'am, I'll be quieter from now on." She rubbed the spot where she was hit tenderly and pouted looking at the table.
"Yeah, it was that guy who was shouting for answers the first night we showed up. I'm a bit surprised that it all happened within less than a week. I just hope they are safe out there at the least and that nobody rushes off because of this." The group nodded and conversed in agreement and Xavier then grabbed a book about the monsters of I'llgard and opened the notebook he had started before. As the day passed everyone studied what they needed to. Some like Xavier studied monsters and creatures from bestiaries, and some studied magic or artifacts from tomes within the library. After a few hours had passed Ethan asked the group. "Is anyone else getting a bit hungry now?" Xavier and Tyler raised their hands and before Rachel could comment on it Devi spoke up.
"I'm getting pretty hungry. I think we should all take a break and get some lunch before we decide what to do next." Rachel kept her mouth closed and as everyone got up to head to the feast hall she rushed all the books over to the return desk so she could trail behind the group a bit embarrassed about what had happened. As the group walked down the halls of the castle they kept hearing murmurs and whispers while passing people. Everyone was talking about the group that had left and was trying to figure out everyone that was in the group. From what Xavier could hear he determined that the group was indeed comprised of the two brothers from the first night and a boy named
James Richards. Xavier could remember hearing the name but couldn't remember who the boy was.
The group entered the feast hall and surprisingly found the quartermaster there and joined him at the main table. As they talked he let them in on his thoughts about the ones who had left. "Blasted idiots I think they are. Who willingly leaves to do something so dangerous in less than a week of coming to a new world. I know I wouldn't have and I wouldn't have dragged my brother with me like that fool with the arrogance of a dwarf that lead them. I pity the soldiers and apprentice bishops that got stuck with that squad." The man angrily ate some meat off his plate holding a slab of it by the bone like a cartoonish barbarian. Rachel spoke up against the quartermaster "I think that makes them brave if you ask me. I'm certain lord Rosewall wouldn't dare let them leave with his blessing if he didn't find them capable enough to survive. If you want to criticize anyone it should be yourself for doubting the king."
The man looked up with a powerful stern gaze and locked eyes with Rachel. As Archvald was about to lecture the girl he looked quickly to Xavier and Tyler beside him. His face softened and he relaxed back into his chair and looked down for a moment before looking back up. "You're right Rachel I should trust the judgment of my king. I just don't wanna see such young kids be overconfident in themselves and die. Out there the world is unforgiving and takes the life away from those who aren't ready to die yet." Rachel calmed down and apologized to the man for backlashing him. "I'm sorry to sir I just don't see why they should have to wait here if they feel ready. I'm sure the adventurers or hunters guilds won't give them any hard quests to begin with anyway." She pushed a piece of pie across the table and smiled awkwardly yet humbly towards the quartermaster.
The man accepted the peace offering from her and are the pie. Everyone tried their best not to laugh as the man struggled to finish it and as he forced the last bite down his pipe he asked Rachel. "So kid tells me. What flavour pie was that anyway it was very..." The man paused for nearly a minute trying to think of a kind word to use and Rachel gave him an answer before he could ask. "It's cherry rhubarb. Isn't it delicious?" She smirked waiting for his response and he just didn't answer. "So kids who wants to join me in the town to visit the pub? It's my day off and I planned to visit my friend." Xavier and Tyler looked at each other and then back at the man Tyler asking the question on both their minds. "Are we allowed to enter a pub sir?"
The man began to laugh and slapped the table getting up and walking to lead the way before he even answered them. "Guess that's a yes if I heard one." Tyler got up and followed the man and Xavier followed him as soon the whole group did. Ethan caught up to them and explained. "Anyone is allowed to enter a pub so long as they don't pursue legal action if anything happens in it. They are rowdy and brawls often break out but are great for information regarding black market deals and rare monsters or items. underaged patrons aren't permitted anything more than one ale a day though."
As the group left the castle again they were greeted by guards who weren't there last time and they bowed to the group. "May her radiance protect you." Devi, Rachel, Archvald, Sintarra and Ethan all bowed back and spoke in unison like all the times before. "May her radiance guide us." This time Sara, Tyler and Xavier joined them afterwards and spoke awkwardly stumbling their words together. "May her radiance guide us." They looked up and we're a bit surprised to see the guards smiling at them and they nodded as the group walked past. Xavier could hear the guards in the distance once they had started to descend the steps.
"Did you see that the woken actually spoke to us? And it was three of them I mean how lucky could we have gotten?" The first asked and the second began to respond but Xavier was unable to hear their conversation any further. As the group passed through the gates they smiled seeing the festival still going on and Devi waved to a small girl and a man as they passed by a stall. "That was my husband and child. He's manning a stall to sell pastries and she wanted to join him. Although I think she just wanted to eat whatever isn't sold at the end of the day." Devi chuckled softly and they continued on their way.
As Xavier took in the sites he couldn't help but be amazed by the town and all the people celebrating down every block they passed along the way. Xavier tried to keep track of where they went along the way but eventually couldn't remember the way back to the castle based off the streets. As they turned a corner Xavier noticed a large stone wall and realized they were at the edge of the city and nuzzled against the wall sat a building with a sign in the shape of a flagon. Archvald raised a hand towards it and smiled proudly. "Welcome kiddies to the flying chair."