Ash thanked the receptionist at the front of the medical ward, exiting and stepping onto the bright stone avenue that reflected the sunlight. He took a deep breath, taking advantage of the momentary silence that had settled on the area, a rare delicacy during peak hours.
A small pain in Ash's upper arm caught his attention. He looked over and noticed a bandage wrapped around him tightly. Ash touched the bandage, feeling no sense of pain from the contact.
He shrugged it off as a random jolt of pain, focusing his attention on the building in the distance: the Guild Hall. Surrounded by its many extensions, the Guild Hall was the main building of the Adventurer's Guild - an organization that oversaw the protection of the surface from the Dungeon.
Zane spent the majority of his days dealing with requests regarding the safety of Elyon. If Ash was going to find him, that was the best place to look.
Ash was already beginning to feel amazed at the energy of the city after only walking for a few seconds. Your eyes had to constantly check where you were putting your feet, afraid that you might step on another's shoes or the frail tail of a Lupo.
Bodies collided with one another, carts passed that caused a stop in the wave of people, and conversations took place that slowed the pace of everyone around. No matter how Ash tried to advance hastily, he knew it would take a while before he reached his destination.
The boy decided to step to the side a bit, his stature was not fit to be wrestling his way towards the Guild Hall.
"You an adventurer, young man?" asked a voice. Ash turned his head to the side, noticing an elderly Lupo sitting on a wooden crate. Another man dragging a cart arrived beside them as he began to unload more cargo. The elder ignored the man's grumbles as he checked his logs and counted the remaining crates. He remained completely focused on Ash.
"Well, not a great one," answered Ash truthfully. He was ashamed of his performance in the Dungeon, and even if he was naturally powerless against the overwhelming strength of the Shadow, he felt empty at his inability to do anything.
"Hm, I see," muttered the Lupo, the fluffy ears atop his head twitching at the creaking sound of wooden wheels being dragged along the main road. "Do you have a mark of the gods?"
"I don't…"
Ash looked down, a natural reaction of embarrassment.
"Why do you lower your head, young man?" asked the Lupo. His question surprised the young adventurer.
"Well, I haven't been recognized by the Gods. Doesn't that mean I'm weak?"
"Let me tell you something, kid. The mark of the gods is not some wondrous power up."
"Doesn't it give you the ability to use magic? I thought one could only sense essence around them and manipulate it into a spell if they had the mark."
"On that, you are correct, young one."
The Lupo brought forth his palm, igniting a small flame and gently moving his fingers as the spark danced around his hand. Ash's world centered around the energetic spark as the sound around him was silenced.
"I can conjure this flame through my use of magic, however, the ability to control fire has always been inside of me. Everyone in this world is born with innate magical techniques, and the mark only serves as a key to unlocking them. Every mark serves as the same key."
"So that means that the specific god that recognizes you-"
"Doesn't matter," concluded the Lupo. "The only thing different marks give you is reputation. Listen here, young one, while your disappointment is understandable given your injuries and your lack of a mark, I want you to understand that you are not weak. I'm sure that great power is hidden within you, waiting to be discovered. All you have to do is believe in yourself, and one day, a God will believe in you too."
Ash smiled, looking at the Lupo's eyes for the first time. Their greyness was filled with wisdom, and the warmth that radiated from his expression gave the boy courage.
"Thank you, sir."
The elder said nothing. He let out a little chuckle, nodding as Ash made his way back onto the main avenue with a weird sense of pride. He was still as weak as before he had met the mysterious Lupo, but his perception had changed.
Ash ran. He felt an excitement within him that hadn't been there before. He still had his doubts, but the random discussion had helped him regain his footing. Even if he was weak, the only thing he could do was move forward.
"Crazy how one conversation can change someone's mood like that," said a man with long brown hair as he emerged from a small alley, placing himself beside the elderly Lupo.
"Everyone needs a push from time to time, Atlas. If I can make a difference, even off the battlefield, I will."
"That boy's not just anyone," answered Atlas. His gaze locked on the boy's small silhouette pushing through the crowd, causing vendors to cry out in frustration.
"Well, it so happened that he was the one in need of a push. Is what I said wrong, son of Poseidon?"
"Not at all. These marks are nothing but illusions of power for normal adventurers, though the same doesn't apply to us demigods. I must say, I'm interested in seeing where Ash Moon will be in a few months."
"As am I."
——
Ash arrived at the main entrance, a large flight of stairs standing in his way before he could enter the building. He cursed at the existence of stairs before running up, ignoring the glances of adventurers from around.
Ash's energy was not shared amongst his fellow adventurers. Everyone here was tainted by the atrocities that lay within the Dungeon, unable to reacquire the innocence that those who lived on the surface possessed.
"Is Zane Naso here?" asked Ash at the reception. The Elf behind the counter looked up from her paperwork, dipped her feather back into the ink elegantly, and took a deep breath. She probably had to deal with dozens of fanboys every day.
She tucked her short blonde hair behind her ear as she took out a separate piece of parchment.
"Zane Naso is currently busy. I'll let him know you dropped by. May I have your name please?"
"Ash Moon."
The Elf's eyes glanced up as her feather came to a halt, the shining spectacles resting on her face glowing from the sunlight that emanated through the windows. Ash was grinning from ear to ear, aware that the Elf was messing with him. She enjoyed pretending she didn't know the boy.
"Yeah, yeah, up you go Ash. He's in his office. You get too much special treatment, you know?"
"I know. Thanks, Angela!"
Ash ran up the flight of stairs that were located to the left of the reception, opposite the common area. He had almost forgotten about the reason behind his visit when the words flashed before his eyes again, reminding him of the dark nature behind his presence in the Guild Hall.
He took a more serious tone, a sense of unease starting to build within him. He was near-certain this was no longer a hallucination. The only explanation he could think of was that this was the after-effects of some disorienting spell.
He walked through the wide corridor that led to the offices of the Three, each of them given a set of rooms that they could use however they wanted. Ash paced past the first two signs that read Atlas Pax and Enya Ignis, finally coming to a halt in front of the final one: Zane Naso.
"Come in," said the voice from behind the door. Ash stood bewildered at the fact that he hadn't made a sound, but then realized who he was talking to.
The door creaked open, revealing the spacious room that was decorated in a simplistic and minimalistic manner. Zane was standing on the balcony that opened up to the giant backyard of the Guild Hall. His eyes watched intently as adventurers and staff mingled together.
"Zane, I was hoping you could help me with something," said Ash, advancing.
"With a weird message?"
"Huh?"
Ash stopped in his tracks, perplexed. How did Zane know? Was he able to see the message? Julius wasn't able to see it when it was right in front of him…
"How do you know?" murmured Ash with a worried face.
"I don't. All I know is that your parents got the same message the day they encountered the Shadows for the first time as well…"