"Are you ready?" Godwin raised his voice slightly to reach across the platform.
I nodded in response and Erin mirrored me, neither of us taking our eyes off of each other.
"Alright, Go!" Godwin's voice boomed, captured by the barrier surrounding the training quarters, the barrier shook due to the volume of his voice.
But this wasn't the time to be focusing on something like that, I had an opponent in front of me, albeit one of my allies.
She twisted on her back foot and spun in a circle, a move I hadn't seen her do, however she didn't move, she just stayed in place.
A burst of wind hit me half a second after the initial spin, pushing me off balance, with her blade in line with my neck three meters away from me, I could tell she was going for a strike.
I was right, her knife rushed towards my neck with a speed I hadn't seen from Erin before, and I brought my sword up to protect my neck, not having the footing to dodge. The knife never connected with my sword however, instead I felt a pain in my back where the knife had come into contact with the light chain-mail I had put on in preparation for the battle.
I didn't even know what had happened, how she had got behind me, the speed mimicking that of the older Soulred warrior, like a teleportation technique where she side stepped behind me.
I was flung forward and lost my footing but I managed to roll forward and spin myself in order to look back at where she should've been, but she wasn't there. Her right blade was along my neck and I could feel the other knife pressed lightly against my back.
"I concede." I said, dropping my sword and throwing my arms up. The knife was brought away from my throat and I turned around to face the girl.
The difference in our heights was more obvious when standing next to each other like this, but even with the difference in height and weight she still managed to completely overwhelm me in battle.
A grin spread across her cheeks as she placed her blades in their respective sheaths and stuck her right hand out towards me. I took her hand and sighed, I knew what would come next. "So, that win earlier, you think you can do that again?" Her teeth shined as her grin widened and she stared into my eyes.
"That's enough Erin, you've shown your strength. Now, we agreed on drinks if i'm correct?" Godwin chimed in.
"The tavern downtown looked quite lively earlier. How about that one?" I asked remembering the tavern I had passed before arriving at the training grounds.
Godwin grunted appreciatively and I jumped down to walk alongside him. The two brothers on the other side of the platform walked over to the exit and we all joined and walked together, Erin catching up once she'd placed her equipment in her storage container.
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The tavern was still lively, there was many people sitting around outside and inside drinking alcohol and smoking what smelled like tobacco.
Godwin was the first to enter and I followed behind him, then the other three after.
It was a busy tavern filled with adventurers. I could tell by the armor they wore and the weapons stored in their sheaths that they were all experienced.
I was quite overwhelmed by the feel of it but I was all for trying new things.
Godwin pointed at an empty table in the right hand corner of the tavern, it was circular with 4 benches laying around it. Enough to fit 12 grown men comfortably. "This is the Desrath's table. Well, mainly mine." He laughed at his own joke and I looked back to see Erin unamused. "You have your own table?" I asked, shocked at the idea.
Why would someone have their own designated table in a local tavern. Erin answered the question with her usual expressionless demeanor she put on when around other people, "Our family funds this tavern. We also fund most places in this city, which does give us a few extra privileges." The younger Soulred chimed in "Did I not tell you that the Desraths own this place?"
"What, the tavern?" I was unsure what he meant but I was quickly answered by a prideful Godwin, "He means this whole city. Our father is the noble lord residing over the city of trials, however when he dies that title will go to none other than myself!" The tall man looked proud at the fact his family was in charge here, but it left me with sour taste in my mouth. I didn't really have a good impression of nobles.
But who was I to judge these adventurers who had been so kind as to help train me, and even offer me accommodation and payed for my food and clothes. But the thought that they were only being kind to me due to my position as one of these 'Soul Lords' lingered in my mind.
The thought was pushed out of my mind as someone collided into my back and I slammed my chest into the side of the table. Within seconds Erin had brandished her knives, pointing them towards the figure that had fallen onto the floor and was resting behind me.
He got up and stood next to me, his breath reeking of alcohol. "So, your the boy huh. You don't look too special." He whispered into my ear and placed a silver coin in front of me and turned away, "Sorry for the inconvenience." He shouted over his shoulder.
His short blonde hair only just covered his delicate eyes as he turned back around one last time to look at me. He was thin and tall, an agile type of fighter. A short axe was strapped to his lower back.
He had an ominous presence to him but I couldn't quite put my finger on why.
"Stop staring at him, forget about it." Erin pulled me back to my senses as she grabbed my chin and twisted it to face towards her, "Ow ow ow, can you let go." I begged quietly, but she didn't. Instead, she took a deep breath and just stared directly into my eyes.
"That's enough you two. Sorry Mercury, she tends to get like this when she even comes close to alcohol." Godwin half yelled to project his voice over the noise of everything going on in the background. Erin proceeded to let go and slumped over the table, her hair falling to the sides of her head and covering the rest of her face.
The two short goblins had been drinking heavily since we had entered to tavern, but it seemed to have no affect on them, like they had a tolerance to alcohol, which I wouldn't be surprised if they had, being hundreds of years old and all.
I grabbed the mug under me and poured it back into my throat, drinking the whole mug in one go. Which wasn't a good idea. A loud burp erupted from my stomach and Godwin let out a stifled laugh in my direction and pointed at me. "How old did you say you were again? I've never seen someone drink like that."
I thought for a moment and then realized, "16." I said shyly, understanding why that wouldn't be a great age to be in a tavern. Godwin stared back at me wide eyed, then they thinned and he grinned, "Oh well, you were gunna start drinking one day."
Erin leapt up from her seat and turned to face me, "Shit I forgot." She looked at Godwin and then back at me. "Brother, father told me to ask Mercury if he could meet him later, for dinner."
Godwin's face went deadpan and he stared at his sister, "And you're telling me that after I've just tried to get both of you drunk." His stern voice made it so I couldn't tell if he was actually annoyed at his sister or just inconvenienced by the new proposal.
"I can make it, but I wouldn't want to show up in these tattered clothes." I was interested in what the father of these two would be like, but more importantly I wanted to meet the man in charge of this city, to see if he had any ulterior motive with me.
"Perfect. I can get you some new clothes too!" Godwin sounded excited by the idea of shopping, a thing I thought would be common among women, not seasoned veterans.
Erin sighed, "I'll go inform father, prepare Mercury. If he shows up looking like a train-wreck, I will cut you down." She informed her brother. Her voice making me sure she wasn't lying, but I guess that's the type of person she is.
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After 4 excruciating hours of cloth shopping, we had finally picked out an outfit ready to see Lord Desrath.
The outfit consisted of a gray buttoned up shirt with a black overcoat that stopped at my hips, straight black trousers, and finally some extra accessories, namely a silver ring on my right hand and a small silver bracelet on the same side.
Godwin had brought me one of his ties, however it didn't suit the outfit so we ditched that idea.
But I was finally ready, physically at least. Mentally I was just now realizing that I was going to meet a noble lord.
I had never been taught noble customs, and I was sure I would slip up and say something rude that might piss off the man who I was picturing as some ancient figure with wrinkles along every part of his face. The sort of person that just waiting to be pissed off by someone.
But I would only be able to tell once I had opened the door in front of me, which took a little bit of a mental work up to do.
My hand went for the door when suddenly it opened, making me tumble forward slightly.
Reaching out with my right hand I stopped myself on a young man in front of me, "Ah sorry, I just tripped a little there. I'm Mercury, uh, I have an appointment with Lord Desrath? Could you take me to him?"
The young man gave me a warm smile and turned to his side and pointed his arm out like an arrow, gesturing me inside. "No problem. That's me, the rest of my family is waiting inside the door to the right up at the end of the hall."
I was relieved that the man was so calm about me falling into him, "Thank you. I'll be on my way now." I chuckled and walked a few steps before turning back around again, "Wait, did you just say you were the Lord?" He laughed at my question, "Yes, that is me. Were you expecting someone older, perhaps with gray hair and wrinkles everywhere?"
Crap, what a wonderful way to greet the man I was here to meet. After all the practice Godwin had made me do on a greeting.
This was going to be an interesting night, that's for sure.