I've been in Maemont for quite a while now, opting to stay at a local inn. It's quite affordable at only 20 silver per day, as that doesn't even make a dent in my savings from all my jobs I did back in Azalea. I decided to spend my time getting to know the place before heading over to the guild, however today is the day that I'll go and see how the guild here compares to the one back in Azalea.
Entering the guild, the first thing I realized that it was a lot larger than the other guild. With the front room filled to the brim with adventurers. Walking in, I see many of these people turning around, looking at me, with a couple of them giving me disgusting looks, looking up and down my body. "Creeps" I think to myself as I let them be, continuing to walk into the guild with the constant stares focusing on me.
Woman at Desk: "Hi there, welcome to Maemont Adventurer's Guild, my name is Sky. Are you already registered?"
Kaede: "Yes"
I display my guild card to her, before she inspects it. The card was a magical device that record all your completed jobs, which keeps track of the persons adventurer's name, age, rank, equipment, magic and status.
Sky: "Kaede... You're the adventurer from Azalea right? I've heard rumors about you. Would you like to have a look at the jobs we have here?"
Kaede: "Thanks, but maybe later, I arrived here not too long ago, and want to take my time to look around."
Sky: "Sure thing. Just stop on by whenever you like. We always have jobs available even with the amount of adventurers we have"
She gives me back my guild card before I turn back around. The stares from before had disappeared as the people were back to drinking and eating with one another. My stomach grumbling at the sight of all these people. "Too many people here..."
Kaede: "Uhm. On second thought, I'll take a job. Something that I can hunt please."
Sky: "Yes, we have plenty of those. Hmmm. You are nearly B rank so maybe you'd like to hunt a band of Kobolds? They are quite far away down south, but completing this job should put you to B rank."
Kobolds... Never heard of creatures like that before. In Azalea there was mainly goblins, wolves, ogres, and rare cases trolls. So different towns have different problems, interesting.
Kaede: "I'll take that job please."
Sky: "Excellent, and will this be by yourself or with a party?"
Kaede: "Just me"
Sky: "Okay. I've registered the job for you. Bringing back 12 kobold horns will complete the job. Stay safe~"
Kaede: "Will do, thank you."
In a hurried fashion, I make my way out of the densely populated guild. "That was close." breathing a sigh of relief as the pain in my stomach subsided. I wonder what kobolds are like? I should of asked that lady what they looked like, but at least I know that they are somewhere south.
?: "H-Hey. You're that adventurer from Azalea right? I overheard your conversation with Sky. My name is Nickolas, D rank adventurer."
Kaede: "Oh uhh. Hi... My name is Kaede, C rank"
Suddenly someone had followed me out of the guild. He seemed well built with short brown hair. Reminds me of Yui's father in a way.
Nickolas: "Never would of thought the rumors were true. A young girl like yourself out ranking me hurts a little haha"
Kaede: "I'm sure you'll catch up to me one day"
Nickolas: "Well speaking of that. Would you mind if I tagged along?"
Kaede: "Sorry, I've already registered myself to do it alone."
Nickolas: "Ah, don't worry. You can have the job rewards, anything extra we can share. Sounds fair?"
Kaede: "Sorry no thanks. I... can't party up with someone. Maybe another time?"
Nickolas: "Okay I understand. Sorry to inconvenience you. Good luck out there!"
Kaede: "Thank you. You too"
He made his way back inside the guild, leaving me once again alone outside. He seemed quite friendly, but that was all the more reason for me to decline his offer. I don't want to hurt anyone again.
Making my way south all alone on the path, I had no idea where I was going to find these kobolds, or how far exactly were they, but after 40 minutes of travelling south, the smell of blood entered my body. I start heading towards the smell, moving more quieter as I move off of the dirt path and into the forest towards the smell.
Moving through the forest for several minutes, I finally see what looked to be a cave entrance with what appears to be 2 lizard-like humans, with horns on their head. "Is that a Kobold?" It had a horn, so I'll have to assume this is what I'm hunting. The smell coming from the cave was delicious as I got closer to it. There doesn't seemed to be any other creatures around except for those 2. So, readying myself, I position my arms like I were drawing a bow, as magic started to gather around me, forming a light bow and arrow in my hands before firing off the light arrow, straight into one of the kobold's chest. Before the other could even react, I used the blood from the Kobold I just hit to spear the other into a nearby tree. "So even a kobold can't endure this much..."
I make my way to the bodies making myself known, as the one that was pinned to the tree with their friends blood was still alive... barely. The Kobold looked at me in fear, like I was some sort of monster.
Kaede: "I'm sorry"
I say to the kobold before plunging my hand into his chest, easily piercing his scales as he dies shortly after. Taking my hand out, I look at the blood covering my hand before giving it a taste test.
Kaede: "This could work"
The taste to my liking, maybe even on par with wolves, however I also haven't had the taste of wolves in a while, but for now I think kobolds will satiate my hunger in the meantime.
Once more, I could smell that delicious smell that's coming from the cave. I quickly use my dagger to severe the 2 horns on the kobolds before making my way inside. If I was a normal human this place would be impossible to navigate, but I could see clearly; the cold darkness enveloping my body as I proceeded deeper into the cave.
After a couple minutes of walking, I saw no sign of any more kobolds, as the smell only grew stronger, until finally, an opening came into sight. Masking my presence behind nearby rocks, I notice several kobolds crowding each other, eating away at some sort of vegetables, with one of the kobolds who was bigger and what looked to have 3 horns was eating away at... a human.
My eyes were focused on the sight of a human, my heart pumping away at my stomach started to feel painful, just like before I killed Silas. "This feeling..." I couldn't wait any longer as I come out from behind the rock, instantly swiping my arms in a horizontal direction, sending a blade of light straight into the bellies of a few kobolds, the blade cutting past all 3 of them as it separates their upper body from their lower body, collapsing them to the ground; blood going everywhere.
The rest of the Kobolds reacted as they put down their food before taking a defensive formation, readying themselves with their weapons as the larger kobold, who I'll assume is their leader shouted out to the rest. I couldn't understand what he was saying, but judging from the other kobolds moving behind him, he probably wanted to protect them.
Kaede: "You're next then"
Not letting him make his next move, I use the blood from the kobolds I had just killed to create one big spear, before sending it straight into the side of his chest with extreme force. Even I could feel that it took quite a bit of force to pierce through this kobold's scales. Seeing their leader pierced in place, they all swarmed me, trying to save him. I use my paralysis magic, to instantly stop their assault as they all collapse to the ground, allowing me to finish off the big guy.
With the spear still inside him, I turn the spear back into blood as I have all of it enter inside him, before creating several smaller blood spears coming from within him, making him collapse in his place. I wanted to try that before, but could never find something to test it on. "Sorry big guy." I move into the opening where the kobolds were before firing off light beams into the foreheads of the rest of the paralyzed kobolds.
Kaede: "Well. They are definitely stronger than a troll..."
Especially that big kobold, even taking that large blood spear didn't kill him. I go to collect the rest of the horns, bring my count to 14 just from the small ones. With the big guy, I decide to be extra careful as I remove the 2 horns on his head, along with the 1 on his snout. His horns were a lot darker than the rest and felt heavier before putting them into my bag with the rest.
My eyes drifted to that smell once more. The smell drowned out the smell of the dead kobolds as I make my way to the left overs of the human. I collapse to my knees as my mouth drools as the blood coming from it before finally. I sink my teeth into the corpse. "This taste..." I couldn't stop myself, just like with Silas. I continued to drink away until nothing was left, only this time I was in control, fully aware of what I was doing, embracing the fact that I'm indeed a monster.