Trials of Nidhogg
Disclaimer: I do not own the "Etrian Odyssey" franchise, but I own the game. Bwahaha.
Intro
Long ago, the Labyrinth was discovered near the small town of Etria. For a time, people stood at its gates, wondering about it. How was it possible to find a forest underground? How far did it reach? And would someone dare enter it?
Finally, the Radha of Etria made a worldwide declaration inviting any who dared to enter such a place to do so. Shortly thereafter, a group of explorers came from afar and stunned the small community by entering the wood. They were gone for more than a day, and when they came back, they had many tales of monsters, marvels, and phenomena beyond belief.
Soon all sorts of travelers came and marveled at its beauty. The brave entered to explore the depths. Surely there must be some secret to its source. But none ever reached it, no matter how many tried. Lives were made, lost, and forgotten in its strata as new adventurers replaced fallen ones. All the while, Etria was becoming one of the world's richest societies, dedicating their resources towards sustaining the constant flow of travelers.
The forest was suddenly famous, and due to its harsh nature of taking the lives of the unwary, was named the Labyrinth. Few know how the name Yggdrasil was brought about, but it was quickly attached and spread throughout the world.
Thus, the adventures started, and the mystery of the Yggdrasil Labyrinth began…
Chapter 1 – Birth of a Dragon
The town was bustling with activity, as it usually was. Travelers from the world over walked in groups and guilds, discussing plans, strategies, and stories. Some were counting money, or shouting excitedly about an incredible find. Some were pacing, some were arguing. Some were simply enjoying themselves among the crowds.
Some were lost.
Sarless walked slowly through the town centre, wide-eyed in wonder. When he had left his hometown in search of adventure, he had never expected to find that so many others had done the same. He couldn't move without bumping into someone, which made him very uncomfortable, but he continued anyways, because he was drawn to the chaos. He passed by the tall monument that marked the town centre, the Verda Plaza. A group of troubadours had set up and started playing in hopes of receiving donations. Sarless wanted to stop and listen, but the flow of the crowd prevented him from standing still.
He decided to try to find the place where all new travelers were expected to show up - an Explorer's Guild. There, he would find others and form a guild together in order to journey into the depths of the forest; since everyone knew it was suicide to attempt it alone. Sarless was having trouble seeing above the crowds, being shorter than everyone else. It was a gift and a curse, since it helped him in battle, but it came with a price. And so was his present condition.
Looking up, he saw a building with two large, crossed swords. Thinking it might be the explorer's guild he was looking for, he managed to push his way against the current and stop in front of the door of the building.
'It looks like a sort of significant building. I might be in the right place.' Sarless thought, before pushing open the doors.
He wasn't. He quickly figured out that it was a weapons and armour shop. There were quite a few travelers looking at the equipment. There was a group that looked very impressive, with shiny metal armour and very expensive weapons. They walked by Sarless without even glancing at him, and Sarless felt their powerful presence as they passed by him. He suddenly felt afraid of what lay in wait inside the labyrinth. If those explorers needed to be that strong in order to survive, how was he supposed to?
"Ey! Kid! You jus' gonna stand t'ere all day? Or are ya lost?" A voice suddenly cried out. Sarless looked over and immediately blushed, seeing an older girl behind the counter wearing fairly revealing clothes. She looked like a witch doctor from an island tribe, and she was looking in his direction. Sarless looked behind him to see who she was talking to, but there was no one else there.
"Ya you, ya dummie. Come over 'ere." The girl directed. Sarless adjusted his kerchief to hide his blush, and walked over to the girl behind the counter, trying to avoid looking at the revealed skin. But the girl just laughed at his discomfort. Sarless looked at her, slightly confused. She didn't seem upset with him.
"It 'elps sales, ya know." She winked. Sarless' blush deepened and he looked away again. There was bit of a commotion from a group at the other side of the shop, and it caught his eye.
"Pleeeeeeease can I get it James? I really want it, and we can afford it!" a female troubadour pleaded with a guy holding a large shield, who appeared to be the leader of the group.
"I already told you, we don't need to get useless trinkets! Now let's go." James replied, clearly annoyed.
"Aw, just let 'er get it, James," the girl behind the counter called over, "It might just 'elp 'er concentration." James looked over, frowning, and then looked back to the troubadour, who nodded excitedly. He sighed and took the item from the girl, and brought it to the counter. Sarless stood by and watched the quick exchange of money, seeing that the item looked like a sort of instrument. James gave the instrument to the troubadour, and the group followed him out of the shop, the girl gurgling with excitement. Sarless turned back to the girl behind the counter, who smiled back at him.
"T'ey're a good group of people. Anyways, my name's Shilleka, I own t'is shop." Shilleka gave a small gesture to the rest of the room, leaning on her elbows. Sarless nodded and pulled down his kerchief so that he could speak clearly.
"My name's Sarless," he said shyly, "I was um… looking for the Explorer's Guild." Shilleka nodded knowingly.
"Of course ya were." She smiled, "'Ey, turn around and lemme see yer bow." Sarless was surprised for a second, and then looked over his shoulder at his bow, which was slung across his back. He turned around so Shilleka could see it.
"Ah," she continued, "So yer from Beyla, eh? Not a bad area."
Sarless was quietly impressed with Shilleka's skill. It was true that each region had their own style of weaponry, but Sarless had never met someone who could identify them just by looking at them. He turned around again to face Shilleka.
"Are there many of them here?" Sarless asked quietly.
"Nah, not too many aroun' anymore. Looking for someone?" Shilleka asked.
"Sort of…" Sarless trailed off, and shook his head, "Forget about it."
"Well, you better head off to t'Explorer's Guild. It's t'next door o'er, to yer left." She pointed in the direction she was speaking of, and Sarless followed with a quick look. He suddenly felt a little less afraid in this strange town, and more excited. He now had a direction to travel in. He was one step closer to the adventure he'd been searching for.
"Thanks a lot!" He shouted as he rushed towards the door.
"See ya soon. But be careful!" Shilleka called after him.
Outside, Sarless quickly looked up to check the time. The sun was still near the middle of the sky. Just past noon. He was staying close to the building walls, avoiding the rush of the crowds, when he suddenly heard a cry from behind him.
"Look out! Get out of the way!" A strong female voice called from behind the crowds. Everyone looked over to see what the yelling was about, and quickly cleared a path for the traveler. Unfortunately, Sarless didn't realize what was going on, and was given a rough shove by a fearsome-looking girl carrying a gigantic shield. He fell backwards onto the stone road, and quickly shifted himself against the wall of the weapons shop. Sarless watched as a guild rushed past, carrying one of their members. He didn't seem to be in good shape. The girl leading the guild kept yelling at people as she led the others forward. Sarless guessed that the infirmary was further up ahead, and decided to pay more attention, in case there was another group coming. He picked up his cap, adjusting the feather, and put it back on as he got up.
With a little dodging and weaving through the crowds, Sarless was at the door to the Explorer's Guild in no time. He opened the door, and the inside of the building managed to surprise him. He expected to find a large lounge area with many new travelers, discussing and debating; basically where they could meet and get together. Instead, he found himself in a room with a desk centered in the middle. It all seemed quite formal, except for a large wooden black cat sitting on top of a mirror behind the desk. It seemed out of place. As Sarless was studying the room, a man with a large blue cloak slung over his shoulder and an eye-patch covering his left eye walked in. He looked like he had seen his fair share of battles.
"Welcome to Etria, kid," He said in a gruff voice, "You looking for someone in particular, or do you need to find a crew?"
Sarless was once again intimidated by the new person. "I was… uh… t-trying to find some others." He stuttered.
"Heh. I'm the Guildmaster here. I'm one of the few that are still accepting adventurers, so you're in luck. Come with me." He walked into the room behind the desk, and Sarless followed silently. He could hear some people talking as he stepped through the door. So this was the lounge that he had been expecting. They stepped into the room and Sarless saw three others, presumably ones who were also new to Etria. Their conversation ended when they noticed the new entrant. The Guildmaster walked over to the others and introduced them.
"Sarless, this is Cerubois, a landsknecht." He pointed to a figure asleep in a chair, but didn't bother waking him up. "And this is Erika, a medic." He stated, pointing to a girl seated on the couch. She had caring look about her, with long dirty-blonde hair and soft grey eyes. Erika smiled and gave a polite wave as she was named. "And finally, this is Cliff, an alchemist." Cliff nodded quietly, causing his light-blonde hair falling in front of his dark blue eyes. He quickly pushed it away again. The Guildmaster walked back over to Sarless. "Everyone, this is Sarless. He'll be the next member of your guild." Sarless nodded towards the two on the couch, smiling uncomfortably and feeling like an intruder.
"You four are the only recruits I've had so far this week," the Guildmaster continued, "so you'll just have to wait for a fifth member. I highly suggest not going into the Labyrinth with any less than that. Now I'll leave you to get acquainted." He exited into the front room, leaving Sarless with the others.
"Uh… Hi." Sarless said awkwardly.
"Why don't you pull up a chair and introduce yourself? We might as well get to know each other." Erika suggested. Sarless nodded, and moved a chair from the wall towards the two sitting on the couch.
After sitting down, Sarless decided to begin with the basics. "Well, my name is Sarless. I'm from the Beyla region. I'm what you'd call a Survivalist, I guess. I'm pretty good with a bow and strategy's definitely my forte. Um… What about you guys?"
Erika glanced at Cliff before going ahead, "Well, as I was introduced, my name is Erika, and I'm a medic from Hedin," Erika said with a smile, "So, obviously, I'm an expert with medicines and cure spells. Or at least I'd like to be… I'm kind of an amateur right now. But I try." She grinned. She looked at Cliff, signaling that it was his turn.
Cliff shifted uncomfortably from the stares. "I'm Cliff. I'm an alchemist. I'm still training my magic, so don't expect any big feats." He said without looking at the others.
Sarless smirked, "Just being able use magic in the first place seems like quite a feat to me," he said thoughtfully, "Is it your glove that gives you the powers?" He motioned towards the glove that all alchemists could be seen wearing, each with its own rune inscribed into it. Sarless had never met one before.
Cliff gave Sarless an insulted look. "If it were that easy, anybody could do it." He put his hand over his glove and brushed the rune lightly. "It takes a great deal of concentration in order to harness the power of nature," he described in an unreceptive tone, "This glove simply acts as a device to keep the power together. Admitted, without it, it would be difficult to use magic, but it's still possible. Only the greatest alchemists can do it."
Sarless nodded and looked over to Cerubois, who was still asleep in the chair beside the couch. His red armour lay beside it, which matched his blazing red hair. He had a simple sword, which matched one that Sarless had seen in Shilleka's shop. "What about him?" He asked the others.
"Cerubois? He's a landsknecht, as the Guildmaster said," Erika answered. "When he's awake, he's really energetic. He thinks he's the best fighter around, so he's always jumping around and boasting about it," she smiled and shook her head. "The Guildmaster said that kind of attitude is gonna get him killed, but luckily I'll be there to help him along. Besides, he gets worn out pretty fast, so it's not too bad."
Sarless nodded. So these were the people he'd be spending his adventures with. He decided that he'd gotten lucky in being put with a group that seemed capable of working together.
Blam!
Everyone jumped at the sudden noise. It sounded like someone had barged into the building, and Sarless could hear yelling. He looked at the others, who shrugged, and got up to see what was going on. He could make what the people were saying before he even got to the door.
"This is all your fault!"
"Please! I'm sorry!"
"I'm never talking to you again! You've ruined my reputation!"
Sarless realized he recognized that voice, but he couldn't place it. He peered around the doorframe to see into the other room. There stood the girl who had been yelling at the crowd to move earlier, her blue eyes flashing with fury behind her long blonde hair. Behind her was the other member of the guild who had been injured. Apparently he had been healed already, although his face was still sheet-white. The girl looked furious, and Sarless decided not to go further into the room.
"I can't believe I've been kicked out of my own guild!" The girl cried, and the boy behind her flinched noticeably. "Because you made a mistake and nearly got yourself killed! What the hell am I supposed to do now!? You idiot!" She slammed her fist into the table.
"I…" The boy started, but stopped. He was truly speechless, and Sarless couldn't tell whether his face was white out of fatigue or fear. Sarless felt a little sympathetic to him, even though he didn't know the whole story. He noticed that the girl was shaking, her head down. But after seeing a glint fall from her face, he knew it wasn't out of anger. She was crying.
"Ahem," The Guildmaster cleared his throat. Sarless looked around further to see that he was in the corner, holding a book in his hands. "Can I help you?"
The girl sobbed, but wiped her eyes and looked up, glaring at the Guildmaster. "Yes. I've come… to register for a new guild." She managed to choke out. But her tears had stopped, and she was in control again. Sarless walked away from the doorframe and back towards the rest of his guild.
"I think we've found the las-"
"WHAT?! I need to join a newbie guild?!" The girl's voice cried out again. Sarless flinched this time. Perhaps his luck had run out with this new arrival. She didn't seem compatible with anyone. He sighed and sat back down in his chair, trying not to listen to the girl's ranting against the Guildmaster, who remained calm throughout the argument. Erika and Cliff just stared worriedly at Sarless, who tried to give an encouraging smile back at them. Cerubois stirred in his sleep, and started snoring. Cliff pulled out a coin from his pocket and threw it at Cerubois, hitting him on the chin. Cerubois grunted and shifted again. His snoring stopped.
"Cliff!" Erika scolded, "That could have hit his eye! Don't do that!"
Cliff simply smirked, "Well it stopped his snoring." Erika gave him a disapproving glare, and Cliff stopped laughing. "Fine…" He said, defeated.
Just then, the Guildmaster walked in, with the upset girl walking behind, her arms folded inside their thick armour. The Guildmaster was about to do the round of introductions but the girl simply walked past him. She stood in front of the group at the couch and gave them an examining look. Her gaze fell on Cerubois, asleep in the chair, and she snorted in disapproval. She walked back to the Guildmaster.
"They're the only ones?" She asked, annoyed. The Guildmaster nodded. She sighed, relaxing her arms. She seemed to be making a decision. "I suppose they'll do." She finally said, turning to the group. "Alright, you bunch of weaklings, my name is Amy Remella, Holy Protector of Vanlandi, and from now on, I will be the leader of your guild. It will be calle-"
"Hang on a minute." Came an unfamiliar voice. Everyone turned to see that Cerubois had woken up and was sitting up in the chair, an irritated look upon his face. Sarless gave a 'when-did-he-wake-up?' look to the others, who shrugged. Cerubois continued, "Shouldn't we be voting on a leader, instead of self-appointing one? And we should all be deciding on a name. It's fair that way." He said matter-of-factly.
Amy had an even more irritated look on her face when she replied, "Fine. We'll all vote on a leader."
"ME!" Cerubois shouted excitedly as he jumped up, punching the air.
Amy scoffed, "I vote for myself."
"Well… I vote for Sarless." Erika stated happily. Sarless' eyes grew wide. He wasn't expecting to be voted for. He simply didn't want to compete with Amy. But Cliff nodded in agreement with Erika. "Me too." He said quietly.
"Well, Sarless?" The Guildmaster questioned, "It's all up to your vote. If it's a tie, we'll just have to have a tiebreaking vote."
"Yes, Sarless." Amy said spitefully.
Sarless was speechless. He never thought he'd be chosen as a leader. He'd never even considered it on his journey here. His whole life, he'd been the underdog, never the person in charge. He wasn't sure what to do. Would he be a good leader? He decided… He should vote for the person he thought most capable, as the others did.
"I vote…for Erika." He said. Erika cheered and hugged him. Cerubois' jaw dropped, and he sat back down, defeated.
Amy's disappointed expression quickly turned to one of angered indifference. "Fine. Have it your way." She said flatly, leaning against the wall and staring off at nothing.
"Well, it's decided then," the Guildmaster stated, "Sarless is the leader of this guild. Now how about a name?"
"The Cerubois Guild!" Cerubois shouted, jumping up again. Everyone stared at him blankly. He blushed, grinned and sat down again, saying nothing.
"I once heard a tale about Yggdrasil," Cliff spoke up, "It was an ancient story, passed down among the people in an isolated village. A traveler from that village came to our town and told of the great wonders of the Yggdrasil tree, which existed long before the Labyrinth was discovered. He described beasts and Gods and monsters, but one stood out to me the most. There was a dragon that lived at the roots of Yggdrasil. It was called Nidhoggr, or Nidhogg. I think… that would be a good name."
Cliff looked up to see everyone staring at him. He turned away in embarrassment, wishing he'd kept his mouth shut.
"Alright! The Nidhogg Guild! We're goin' down to the roots of Yggdrasil!" Cerubois cried out. Cliff looked back to the group, surprised to see that they were smiling in approval. Everyone but Amy. She was still staring off into the distance. But Cliff felt better, and allowed himself a smile as well.
The Guildmaster nodded. "From now on, you will be known as the Nidhogg Guild. Your guild leader is Sarless. You're now ready to head out on your own. I suggest you take some time exploring Etria before heading into the Labyrinth. Acquaint yourself with the locals, because you'll see them often. And buy some equipment and medicine. You'll need it. I look forward to seeing you all back soon safe and sound. Good luck." He said. He walked into the front room again, leaving the newly-formed group to discuss their first moves.
"Let's go shopping!" Cerubois shouted as he picked up his stuff and ran out of the room. Everyone got up and followed, laughing. Amy stood there a few minutes, until Sarless called her from the other room. She gritted her teeth and sighed, before walking after the group.
-----
The newly-formed guild had pooled what money they had brought with them, and decided that Cliff would carry it with him, since he would be least likely to spend it or lose it. Dropping it in battle wouldn't be an issue, since he wouldn't need to move around as much. Erika had also brought some medicine with her, knowing she'd need it. After finding that they had the essentials in order to venture into the Labyrinth, they decided to find some weapons and armour at Shilleka's Goods. Erika and Cliff desperately needed some protective clothing, and Cerubois wanted to have a look at their weapons. Sarless said that he didn't need anything, but he'd come along. Amy hadn't said anything since the vote, and followed at a distance.
Sarless led the group through the doors to Shilleka's shop, and was immediately welcomed back.
"Ey! That was quick, eh Sarless?" Shilleka called, turning away from her work. She set her tools down and walked back to the counter to greet them, "So who're yer friends?"
Sarless grinned as he introduced his friends, "Shilleka, meet Cliff, Erika, Cerubois, and Amy. Everyone, this is Shilleka."
"Hey."
"Nice to meet you."
"…" ("Cerubois, quit staring!") "Oh, um… heh… Hi."
Shilleka smiled and nodded, and looked around them to see Amy still standing by the door impatiently. "Nice to meetch'all. I seen Amy aroun' before. What's she doin' wit' you guys?"
Sarless hesitated, "Uh, I don't think it's my place to say…"
"Sure it is, leader," Amy cut in, stepping forward, "I'll tell you why I'm with these losers. That stupid kid Niome got me kicked out of my guild. And now I've had to join up with a new one." She said spitefully, and started walking back towards the door, "I'll be at the Labyrinth entrance. Don't keep me waiting." She stepped outside and closed the door firmly behind her.
Shilleka sighed and shook her head, "Don' worry about 'er kids. She can get like t'at sometimes."
Sarless nodded slowly, looking disappointedly at the doors, "Alright guys, let's get our stuff and go."
Shilleka pointed towards a wall of the shop, "T'at's t'place for alchemist an' medic armour." Sarless went with Cliff and Erika to find some appropriate armour. "An' swords are kept in the back." She continued saying to Cerubois, "Got anyt'ing in mind, there Cerubois? P'haps you'd like to see?"
Cerubois laughed hesitantly and swallowed hard. He was obviously uncomfortable with the thought of going into an isolated place with Shilleka. Shilleka noticed this, and smiled, "How 'bout I just bring you somet'ing t'at I t'ink you'll like."
Cerubois smiled nervously and nodded. Shilleka disappeared into the back, and Cerubois looked around the shop. There were many swords hanging behind the counter. Some looked very stylish, while others looked just plain deadly. He couldn't decide which he'd like better. While he was lost in thought, the others returned from their search, carrying two leather vests. They had found some stronger material armour in their search, but it didn't fit their budget at the moment, and they'd left it. Shilleka also came back out, carrying a small sword.
Cerubois looked at the sword she was carrying, and raised an eyebrow, "It's kinda short, isn't it?"
"Ah," Shilleka answered, "But t'is is a very powerful shortsword. It's much better t'an t'one you 'ave right now."
Cerubois seemed convinced, and asked how much it was.
"350 ental," was Shilleka's response, "710 altogether wit' t'armour." Cerubois looked to the others. With their money pooled, they had 1230en. It was more than enough, but Sarless wasn't sure if they should simply spend almost all of it in one go. He resolved that they could always make more if needed, so he nodded, and Cliff got out the pouch that contained their money. He quickly counted out the 710en and handed it to Shilleka, who slipped it into a pouch that she always carried with her.
"Nice doin' business witcha." she said kindly, "Make sure you bring me back lotsa stuff to work wit'. I could use some more hides for t'leather armour, but I'll take anyt'ing you find."
Everyone nodded, and Sarless directed everyone out, thanking Shilleka.
"T'was no problem! Be careful out t'ere!" Shilleka called.
Outside, Sarless had an easier time seeing around the town. The midday crowd had dissipated somewhat as the day closed into late afternoon. The entrance to the Yggdrasil Labyrinth was on the outskirts of town, about a 20-minute walk from where they were. Sarless judged by the time of day that they'd probably be spending some time in the Labyrinth at night. That was just fine with him.
"Hey, Nidhogg Guild! Wait up!" A voice called out to them as they were walking away. The guild looked back to see the Guildmaster waving them over. They looked at each other, and rushed over to see what was up. "I'm glad I caught you," the Guildmaster continued, "I forgot to tell you about the task you're supposed to perform before you're officially considered a guild."
"You mean we're not… actually a guild yet?" Cerubois questioned, deflated.
"No. Not really," the Guildmaster replied, frowning, "You'll need to go to Radha Hall and talk with Subaltern Quinn in order to sign up for the task. It's pretty simple, but it's a requirement for all guilds."
"What is it?" Erika asked.
"You'll find out soon enough," the Guildmaster answered, "There's no reason to worry. I'm sure you can handle it easily enough. Now get going before it's too dark to see."
Sarless was about to argue that point, since his eyesight was better than most, but remembered that the others couldn't say the same. "Alright," he said instead, "Let's go get this over with so we can start exploring." The others agreed, and the left towards the Hall in order to receive their first mission.
"Good luck." The Guildmaster said before disappearing back into the building.
"I wonder what they want us to do to prove ourselves…" Cerubois thought aloud, examining his new shortsword. He turned it over, examining the craftsmanship. Content, he sheathed it in his belt.
Erika shrugged in response to Cerubois' thought, "Well it can't be too hard, guessing by the amount of people here. They all must've passed it."
"I hate trials… We should just be allowed to do what we're able to do." Cliff muttered, remembering his alchemy training. Countless training sessions and tests under a hard-bent instructor had been a three-year nightmare for him.
"But Cliff, remember – it's probably about safety," Erika replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "The Radha doesn't want people to just go out and get themselves killed. They want to make sure that the guild can survive on their own before letting them loose."
"Hmph." Cliff turned away defiantly, "Doesn't change my opinion…" He mumbled.
"Well, we're here." Sarless stated. They stopped at the doors to the magnificent building. It was likely the largest building in town, next to the apothecary, with great dome roofs throughout the structure. Sarless stepped forward and opened the doors, which emitted a slight groan as they swung. The guild walked inside slowly, admiring the beauty of the stonework within the building. They walked along a short hallway, ending up in the main lobby room. The tiled floor extended into many hallways at different angles, and engraved into the back wall of the lobby was a great tree, with a gold disk at the top.
"Yggdrasil," Cliff whispered, "I believe the disk represents a place called Asgard, the home of the Gods."
"But if that thing represents Yggdrasil, and we're at the top of the Yggdrasil Labyrinth, wouldn't that make Etria the home of the Gods?" Cerubois questioned.
The others simply looked at him like he had just leaped across a canyon.
"Haha. Not quite," A new voice said softly, "That engraving is simply a piece of art that the Chieftain admired. Nothing quite as significant as you'd think." Everyone looked over to see who was speaking, and saw a young man with square-rimmed glasses in front of his blue eyes and short flame-orange hair.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Subaltern Quinn. You are new faces here, correct? Would you care to introduce yourselves?"
The guild members stood straighter, in case they would be judged right away.
"My name is Sarless."
"I'm Erika."
"Cliff."
"And I'm Cerubois!"
Quinn looked them over, and nodded in recognition of the adventurers. "Is it just the four of you?" He inquired, a hint of concern in his voice.
"Uh, no, there's another," Sarless answered, "Her name is Amy, she's waiting for us outside."
"I see. And you are a new guild attempting to be officially recognized by the Radha, yes? I'll need your guild name." Quinn said as he walked over to a desk with pile of sheets of parchment.
"Nidhogg." The four answered in unison. Erika giggled.
Quinn stopped writing and turned his head at the answer, "Nidhogg. Interesting… I like it." He turned back to the paper and finished what he was writing. He set the quill down on top of the paper and walked back to the guild members.
"Your task to become an official guild is to map the first floor of the Yggdrasil Labyrinth, as is the requirement for every new guild." Quinn explained formally.
Cerubois' jaw dropped, "That's it? All we need to do is draw a map?"
"Yes," Quinn answered, as if he were asked that question every day, "And when it is complete, you will return here to show me. When I determine the quality of your map, I shall decide if you are fit enough to proceed as a guild."
"That seems… Easy enough." Cliff said.
"Yes, it is fairly easy simply drawing the map, but do not forget about the monsters that dwell in the forest. Do not let your guard down." Quinn lectured.
"Are there any other requirements?" Sarless asked, wanting to know everything ahead of time.
"No, that is all, Sarless. You are free to go explore now. Just don't forget my warning." Quinn answered. "And good luck on your journeys."
Sarless nodded excitedly, "Alright everyone, let's get going!" He beckoned, and ran for the door. The others followed, excitement spreading through all of them. They were on their way to their very own adventure.
Subaltern Quinn sighed to himself at their eagerness to enter the Labyrinth.
'If only they knew… I suppose they'll find out for themselves how cruel the Labyrinth can be…'
In the next Chapter…
The Nidhogg guild begins their exploration of the first floor of the Labyrinth in order to prove themselves worthy of serving Etria. But nothing ever goes to plan, and a new opportunity to test their skills arises. Are they ready for it?
"Cerubois! Help!" She cried, hiding her face behind her arms.
The beast charged mercilessly. There was no stopping it. There seemed only one outcome, and it wasn't the one she wanted.
'Please… Not yet…'
Author's Notes:
-Okay then. As you've hopefully noticed, I'll be referring to the character classes as they are in the game. I'll give a list of what they are for those of you who haven't played the game:
-Landsknecht: Your basic swordsman, can either use swords or axes. (Cerubois)
-Survivalist: An archer, kinda like an elf, but human. (Sarless)
-Protector: Very good defensive character. (Amy)
-Dark Hunter: Uses a whip in combat.
-Medic: Healer. (Like white mage, if you're into FF) (Erika)
-Alchemist: Offensive magic user. (Like black mage, again in FF) (Cliff)
-Troubadour: Musician. (they create stat boosts and such in battle)
-Ronin: A lot like a samurai.
-Hexer: Pretty original character… Looks like a phantom. They curse enemies. Spooky.
-Beyla is the name of an elf from Norse mythology (I figured I'd stick with Norse). And since Survivalists are kinda like elves, I figured I'd make Sarless' region an elfish place.
-Vanlandi (Vanlande) is the name of a Swedish king from Norse Mythology. I just liked the name as a region. No real imagery or anything behind it. :P
-Hedin is the name of a prince from (you guessed it!) Norse Mythology. It sounds kinda like Eden, so it's appropriate, no?