The soft hum of conversation and the occasional shuffle of footsteps on the polished stone floor filled the air. The room was warmer than usual, a result of the midday sun streaming through the glass ceiling, casting light onto rows of cots and narrow beds. The quiet murmur of healers and patients gave the place a feeling of subdued urgency.
Avi, still wearing the signs of fatigue from the past few days, stood at the center of it all. His eyes, sharp yet burdened, searched Ryan's face for any trace of discomfort after telling him his side of the story. The young warrior lay back against his pillow, the bandages around his torso a testament to the battle he'd fought. The mess of dark hair that fell over his eyes did nothing to diminish the serious expression on his face.
"Ryan," Avi said, his voice soft but firm. "I need you to listen up. I want you to update Alex about everything that's happened—about you and Ken, about Tyler, the fight with the guardian snake, and the village." He paused, letting Ryan absorb the gravity of what he was saying. "Use the Comrade System. Tell Alex he needs to know what's going on. He's our leader, after all."
Ryan let out a pained smile, his lips twitching. "Avi, you're too serious. Where's the Avi I know who tells jokes even at times like these. You're making me feel like we fought with a dragon."
"Close enough," Avi quipped, raising an eyebrow. "Just without the fire-breathing part. Speaking of which," he glanced at Eleanor, who stood by the bed with an anxious frown, "Ellie, I need you to look after our patient here. He's still not at full strength, so I'm assigning captain Ellie to be in charge."
Eleanor's dark eyes widened. She stepped forward, gripping the hem of her hood. "But… but Ellie wants to stay with big brother. Are you leaving Ellie?"
Avi's grin was mischievous as he leaned over Ryan's bed, whispering, "Hey, Ryan, I think she needs some incentive. How about I promise to buy her all the snacks she wants if she helps you out?"
Ryan's tired eyes met Avi's with a weak chuckle. Eleanor looked between them, her small mouth hesitating. Then, her eyes lit up with understanding, and a bright smile blossomed on her face. "You promise?" she demanded, her voice trembling with a mix of hope and mischief.
"Promise." Avi nodded, winking at Ryan.
Eleanor's expression softened, and she nodded. "Okay, Ellie will do it." She glanced at Ryan, who looked amused despite his weakened state. "Be sure to be back soon, big brother."
"Good. Now, take care of him, Ellie," Avi said, straightening and brushing past the thin curtain that divided the medical ward from the rest of the guildhall.
The guild hall was abuzz with activity. Adventurers rushed past, sharing tales of their exploits, gathering in cliques, or haggling with merchants over newly acquired treasures. The air was tinged with a mix of the sweet scent of ink from quest boards and the earthy, musty notes of leather armor and metal weapons.
Avi made his way through the bustling hall, noting the odd stares from those who caught sight of him. Some were curious, others fearful, and a few held a glint of awe in their eyes, as if they were staring at an enigma they couldn't decipher.
He felt the weight of their gazes but brushed it off with practiced ease. "To be fair," he joked to himself, "I do look a little badass with my armor and daggers. I think I'm starting to like the attention."
He approached the reception desk, noticing the new receptionist who looked up at him with wide eyes and a timid smile. A young woman with light curls and a worried look behind her eager expression.
"Are you looking for Guildmaster Tharlon, sir?" she asked, her voice quivering a little as she reached for a scroll.
"Yeah. Tell him I'm here. It's urgent," he replied, keeping his tone even.
The receptionist nodded quickly and darted down the hallway, leaving Avi to watch the shadows flicker on the walls. His mind wandered back to the events leading up to this moment—Tyler's battered body in Eleanor's cabin, the pack of spirit wolves closing in, the fight with the alpha wolf and finally finding his friends. He could still feel the reverberations in his bones.
Before long, the receptionist returned, ushering him down a narrow corridor into a room at the far end of the guildhall. The door was carved with intricate patterns, deep mahogany with iron studs, signaling that Tharlon's office was not just a place of work—it was a testament to his authority.
Tharlon was seated behind a desk that seemed almost too large for the room. The office had a dark, masculine feel, with bookshelves full of worn tomes, maps pinned to the wall, and the subtle scent of aged paper mingling with the scent of pine from the open window. The tall, broad-shouldered man turned his head, his rough features hardening as he took in Avi's form.
Syra, standing by the edge of the desk, looked pale and weary. Her eyes darted to Avi, then back to Tharlon, the weight of unspoken words pressing between them.
"Is it true that you younglings managed to encounter a guardian being and survived?" Tharlon's voice, deep and gravelly, cut through the silence. His eyes were fixed on Avi, brows furrowed with disbelief.
Avi crossed his arms and met the guildmaster's gaze without flinching. "Yeah. Twice now. The first time, we ran into a guardian bear—three meters tall, earthen spikes down its back, blue flame at its chest. We managed to distract it and escape. It didn't pursue us, luckily. The second time, I think Syra's already told you about it."
Tharlon's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he regained his composure, a fleeting moment of astonishment. He leaned back, the chair creaking under his weight. "A guardian being is rare," he said, his voice quieter now, almost reverent. "In my lifetime, I've barely caught a glimpse of one. In the stories, they're deemed catastrophes—creatures powerful enough to raze cities. They're intelligent, cunning, and, most importantly, dangerous. Even the strongest adventurers in this town never seek one out, let alone fight one. That's how perilous they are."
Avi raised an eyebrow, irritation brimming just below the surface. "Didn't your guild save my friends that day?"
Tharlon's brow tightened. "We did. But not from beasts nor guardians. Some of my adventurers, who were on a mission nearby, found the aftermath of the battle and called for reinforcements to rescue those they could. No guardians were seen. Your friend must have been hallucinating."
Avi's jaw clenched, his fingers curling into fists as he pushed the anger down. "Hallucinating? Do you think I'd be able to tell you the details of the bear if I hadn't seen it myself? And besides, Ryan and Tyler have aligned stories. If it was a hallucination, there would be discrepancies. You don't think that matters?"
Tharlon's eyes were sharp, like the blade of a sword. He let out a breath, the tension in the room palpable. "You have a point. But this means our town is in danger. Two guardian beings were spotted in the forest near the outskirts. I don't want panic to spread in a place that's known for its peace, even if these stories are unconfirmed."
Avi leaned forward, his voice low but unwavering. "I don't care what happens to this town. We are not even from here, and truth be told, I'm not going to start caring about a place that bullied a little kid just because of her hair. But if what you say about these guardians is true, I'm not sure I can stomach the death of hundreds of innocents. It's better to be scared and ready than oblivious and dead."
Tharlon's face shifted, the hard lines softening ever so slightly as he considered Avi's words. The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken truths.
Finally, Tharlon broke the silence. "How are your friends? What are your plans? I know you're not from here, nor this country. Am I right?"
Avi ran a hand through his dark, tousled hair. "We were transported to the forest by magic. We'll stay in the town until everyone's healed. Once they're back to full strength, we'll head back to our base. If things align, we might be able to work with the town, but we'll need to talk with Alex and Lucas first. They're the brains of our group."
Tharlon nodded, a trace of respect flickering in his eyes. "Understood. But make a promise, young one: don't disrupt the town's peace. If you do, you'll be chased out."
Avi met his eyes, a rare hint of humor flickering in his expression. "Noted. And before I go, I need to discuss something. The treatment costs? How deep in debt are we?"
Tharlon's expression turned bright at the mention of compensations. "Two silver per person. You have at least thirty friends under care. I hope you lots have deep pockets."
Avi's lips tightened. "Understood. We'll talk it over and figure out a way to pay."
As he left the room, the first rays of twilight began to scatter across the sky, hinting at the struggle ahead, but also a glimmer of hope, as uncertain as it was.