"Hey."
The word drifted through the fog of my dreams like a distant echo, dissolving into nothingness before another followed.
"Hey."
And then—
"HEY!"
My eyes snapped open to find a hulking woman looming over us, her face twisted in irritation. She wore a food-stained apron over her clothes and brandished a broom like a weapon. As I blinked away sleep, I caught glimpses of Maya and Rowan stirring on either side of me, their own peaceful slumber disturbed by our unwelcome wake-up call. The rough stone wall behind us had left an aching reminder of our first night sleeping on the streets.
Before any of us could fully process what was happening, the woman began swatting at us with her broom. "You can't sleep here! Go bum around somewhere else!" Her face grew redder with each swing, the color creeping down her neck like spilled wine. The straw bristles stung where they connected, more humiliating than truly painful.
"I-I'm so sorry! We'll b-be leaving!" I stammered between swats, scrambling to my feet alongside Maya and Rowan. We retreated from the alley behind the restaurant where we'd spent the night, our hasty exit punctuated by the whistle of the broom through the air. The smell of last night's cooking still lingered in the narrow space, making my empty stomach growl in protest.
The narrow alley opened onto a street that had transformed completely from the quiet thoroughfare we'd seen the night before. Wagons laden with produce rolled past, their wheels clattering against the cobblestones. Workers hustled to their morning shifts, shoppers browsed outdoor stalls, and adventurers strode purposefully through the crowd, their weapons and armor glinting in the morning sun. Horse-drawn carts added to the organized chaos, their drivers shouting directions and warnings to pedestrians. A group of children darted between the legs of passersby, their laughter mixing with the general din of the awakening city.
After months in the woods, the bustling city scene before us was almost overwhelming. The sights, sounds, and smells of urban life assaulted my senses – fresh bread from the bakeries, manure from the horses, the calls of street vendors hawking their wares. A nearby fish merchant's shouts about his "fresh catch" competed with a fruit seller's sing-song advertising of "sweet apples, ripe pears!"
"Sooo..." Maya's uncertain voice pulled me from my observations. "Which way to the adventurer's guild?" She was trying to brush off the dirt from sleeping in the alley, but only managed to spread it around more on her already travel-worn clothes.
Reality crashed back in as I realized Smith's directions suddenly seemed woefully inadequate. The town was much larger than it had appeared in the darkness, and "center of town" could mean almost anywhere. The morning sun offered little help, as the tall buildings cast confusing shadows across the unfamiliar streets.
"Um, I guess we should ask someone," I suggested, trying to sound more confident than I felt. We managed to flag down a passing woman who provided clearer directions, and we set off through the morning crowd. Her pitying look at our disheveled appearance wasn't lost on me.
As we walked along the cobblestone road, Rowan spoke up, his voice tight with worry. "Y-you really think we can trust those guys?."
I considered his question carefully before responding. "No, at least not yet. But we can't survive without help right now, so we don't have much choice." Rowan gave me a subtle nod, though the concern didn't leave his eyes. He was right to be cautious – trust was a luxury we couldn't afford to give away freely anymore.
When we finally reached the guild hall, I understood why Smith had said it would be easy to find. The building dominated the town square, rising three stories into the sky and sprawling outward like a sleeping giant. Its stone walls and wooden roof stood in stark contrast to the surrounding buildings, making it impossible to miss. Elaborate carvings decorated the façade, depicting scenes of heroic battles and legendary monsters. A steady stream of adventurers flowed in and out through massive wooden double doors, their voices and footsteps creating a constant background hum. The doors themselves were impressive works of art, carved with intricate patterns and reinforced with bands of polished metal.
We spotted Smith's group standing just to the right of the entrance. Or rather, Smith spotted us first, his face breaking into a broad grin as he waved enthusiastically in our direction. Lilia matched his welcoming expression, but Cecilia's crossed arms and pronounced frown made her feelings clear. Earston maintained his usual stoic expression, though I suspected his coldness had little to do with our presence. The morning light caught their well-maintained equipment, making it clear these were experienced adventurers who knew what they were doing.
"Hey, you guys made it!" Smith's voice boomed across the square, despite us being only a few feet away. His enthusiasm drew a few curious glances from passing guild members.
"Yeah, of course we did," I replied, injecting confidence into my voice. "We're serious about this, after all." I straightened my back, trying to look more like someone who belonged here and less like a kid who'd just been chased out of an alley with a broom.
"Alright then, let's not waste any more time." Smith turned toward the entrance, gesturing for us to follow. "Follow us." The way he said it suggested he'd done this before – helped other newcomers find their footing in the adventuring world.
As we approached the towering doors, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were about to cross a threshold that would change our lives forever. Whether that change would be for better or worse remained to be seen, but there was no turning back now. The weight of our decision pressed down on me like a physical thing, but I forced myself to keep walking forward. Behind me, I could hear Maya's nervous breathing and Rowan's measured footsteps – we were in this together, whatever came next.
The morning sun cast our shadows long and dark against the guild hall's stone walls as we followed Smith and his group inside, stepping into whatever destiny awaited us. The sound of the heavy doors creaking open seemed to echo with possibility and promise, drawing us forward into our new lives as adventurers.