Prologue
Adventure awaits
…
Bland, boring, non-descript. The room was a simple box with wooden paneled walls. The desk was the only furniture. The man standing behind it, the sole occupant. He wasn't aloud to sit. It was part of his punishment. That and the boredom. Constant, unending boredom.
He had no idea how long he'd been doing it, this punishment. It was impossible to keep track of time. No clock. And after the first century time stopped meaning anything anyway.
There was only one escape from the boredom. He hated it though. It just reminded him of what he couldn't do, where he couldn't be. So, when the three teenagers walked in he couldn't help but scowl a little.
"Are you sure you saw him go in here?" asked the bushy haired female.
The one with glasses looked around confused, "I thought this was it."
"Don't look like much" said the gangly ginger next to him.
It took them a moment to even notice his presence behind the desk. Unsurprising, he did blend in with the rest of the room.
"Oh, um, excuse me. Have you seen anyone come through here recently" asked the female.
The man behind the desk stared back blankly. Even if he had, he probably wouldn't have told her. It wasn't going to get rid of them any faster, was it.
"Welcome travelers from a far-off land. Prepare to take your first steps on, adventure."
His speech had been delivered in a perfect deadpan right up to the end where it had turned into a heavy sigh.
"Adventure what? No no no, we just, I mean, we'll just be leaving" the bushy haired girl rambled.
The three turned to escape, only to discover the door they'd come in was gone.
"Harry, where's the door?" asked the ginger.
"Your guess is good as mine" said the green-eyed boy with surprising calm, at least compared to the female who was molesting the wall in search of something that simply wasn't there.
"The door to adventure lies in this direction" the man said, absently gesturing to a door that hadn't been there when they'd come in.
"We don't want adventure, we want to go" said the female a bit shrilly.
Acting as though she hadn't spoken, "Now, step forward and choose your class" he said like the idea couldn't have bored him more.
A vertical row of shingles behind him shifted, revealing a list of 'classes' for them to choose from.
"What's this then?" asked the ginger.
"Before you begin your adventure you must choose your adventuring class" the man droned, "your personal statistics will affect the classes you may select and how you will grow within that class."
"Don't" said the female, "it must be some sort of trick."
The ginger looked at his companion, then to the man behind the desk. The man saw the gingers eyes go wide in a moment of understanding before he approached the counter despite his companion's protests.
"Class is it? Alright, let's go with, Wizard."
The word on the wall glowed briefly before turning red.
"Denied."
"What! What for?" the ginger demanded.
"Insufficient intelligence."
The ginger gaped until he heard his friend snickering behind his back.
"Aw shut up Harry" he groused, which didn't make the green-eyed teen shut up.
"Fine, no wizard, how bout, Rouge? I'm very roughish."
Apparently not, as the writing once again turned red.
"Insufficient charisma."
The ginger ground his teeth, pretending he couldn't hear his friend chortling.
"Fighter!"
The writing glowed. The ginger glared. There was a ding as the writing turned green and a card popped out of the desk.
"Class accepted, next" the man said, handing Ron his card.
The green-eyed teen came forward after the ginger stepped aside. The female glared suspiciously while her friend considered his options. The man behind the desk knew she was going to be trouble.
"What's a Druid?" the teen asked.
One 'ding' and a card later, "You are" the man said, "next."
The green-eyed teen hung his head in shame, accepting his card and joining the ginger who was trying, not very hard, to hide his own snickering.
"Oh shut up Ron."
The man behind the desk looked at the female. The female glared back.
"Next" he repeated blandly.
"No" she stated firmly, "I don't know what you're playing at here, but I'll have no part of it."
The man behind the desk rolled his eyes, "Just choose a class."
"No, I won't, and you can't make me."
The man shook his head. He hated when they were difficult.
"Please, pick a class."
Nothing.
"Fine" he growled, the first sign of emotion he'd shown since they'd arrived, "Bard!"
Slamming his fist against the wall there was a ding, followed by a card which he threw at her with deadly accuracy.
"Hey now, wait a minute" she protested, trying to peel the card from her coat where it now clung.
"Congratulations brave heroes. Now go forth and take your first step on the road of adventure."
The door by the two boys opened and after a shooing gesture from the man they passed through.
"Well" he said expectantly when the female didn't follow.
"I told you I won…"
Her refusal was cut short by the slightest gesture which sent her flying through the door, closing after her with an ominous boom.
"Finally," the man sighed, "thought they'd never leave."
If there was one thing worse than the boredom it was the reminder of everything he was missing out on. Compared to that the boredom was a balm to his tortured old soul.
Why couldn't he just have an eagle eat out his liver or something? That had to be better than this.
