The capital city of Tarpenu sure had an elaborate adventurer's guild.
Marble pillars rising up to the rooftops, a large library at the back, a luxurious looking bar to my left, and a massive fountain behind the front desk.
Felandria was still clinging to me. She was now wearing the Hat of Disguise, which gave her the form of a human girl, but I could still feel her claws digging into my sides. Not painfully, but noticeable.
"Do we need to register here too?" I asked Agnes.
She shook her head. "We should be recognized by every adventurer's guild if our registration went through properly."
We headed to the front desk. A man in his late 50s sat behind it, looking up at us.
"Haven't seen you three around here..." he said, "how can I help you?"
"Howdy," I began, "we just came in all the way from Westray, and we're just looking for work."
"Westray, huh, let me look..." he pulled up a sheet of parchment and looked it over. "Ah, your Anon and Agnes, then?" He said, "we just got your information in yesterday." The man's eyes widened a bit. "Starting at Silver? And look at these abilities..."
He said that a little loud, I felt a little self-conscious as several pairs of eyes fell onto me.
"Well, you certainly won't have any trouble looking for work around here." The man smiled.
"I hope so."
We said goodbye to him and walked towards the bounty board.
Before we could get there, we were stopped in our tracks.
A young lad clad in a white cloak with a hood that obscured most of his face stepped in front of us. He raised his head a bit, and I could see the beginnings of a mustache forming under his nose, and a friendly smile stretched across his face. His eyes were a deep brown, with a mischievous glint in them.
"Excuse me good sir and madams, but I couldn't help but overhear you all are Silver ranked, was it?" He tilted his head.
I looked to Agnes, who nodded.
"Yes sir, we are indeed."
He seemed to search my face, looking for something, before his grin stretched across his face further. What was once a polite smile turned into a warm, albeit slightly pranksterish one.
"Oh please, no need for the formalities! Call me Akil." He gave an elaborate bow.
"Well, I'm Anon, and this is Agnes and Felandria," I said, gesturing to the two of them.
"Ah, Anon, Agnes, and Felandria. What wonderful names, for surely wonderful people. Wonderful people who, of course, wouldn't turn down a job offer from yours truly, no?"
"What kind of job?" Agnes asked, stepping forward.
"Just a little treasure hunting. You see, I've been tasked by a... incredibly important fellow to find an artifact of insane power located in ruins far from the capital." He talked very animatedly, waving his hands around as he spoke, "I could easily sweep in and steal such an artifact quite easily, however-" he leaned in close, his voice almost a whisper "there have been reported sightings of a pack of Gnolls taking refuge near a town neighboring these ruins."
Agnes's face paled, Felandria gave a little squeak.
"Gnolls?" Agnes's voice was now a whisper as well.
I looked at the two of them. "What are Gn-"
"Shhh!" Akil said, "not too loud, my friend. If word got out that even the possibly of a pack of Gnolls was nearby, this town would be up in a ruckus!"
"Gnolls are incredibly dangerous..." Agnes said calmly, her voice hushed and almost up against my ear. My face instinctively flushed.
Akil looked at me, then at her, and his grin grew a bit more mischievous. "Now I could hardly take on such a threat on my own. So I thought to myself 'surely there must be a gang of strong, upstanding gentlemen and ladies who would be able to watch my back.' And it just so happens that I run into you! Now, the pay will be handsome. I promise you 1000 gold pieces, plus anything you can forage from the ruin's treasure trove. But surely, for adventurers as esteemed as you are, to have reached silver so fast, this must be pocket change."
It was most certainly not.
Agnes and I exchanged glances. "Can we talk about this?" I asked Akil.
"But of course! Feel free to take as long as you need."
Felandria and Agnes followed me to a table, and we sat down.
"So... I think 1000 gold pieces would be awesome." I began.
Agnes nodded, "but we're up against Gnolls..." she whispered.
"But how strong are they?" I asked them.
Agnes thought for a second. "I don't know, but adventurers of our level and higher could possibly fight them back... I've only heard stories of Gnoll incursions, though, and most of it is probably just myth..."
"But it's 1000 gold..."
"Indeed..." Agnes and I thought for a moment. Felandria huddled close to me.
"I don't want you seeing them." She said, looking up at me. Her pupil-less eyes peered through her bangs with concern. "They might take you."
"Have you seen a Gnoll before?"
She shook her head. "My eldest sister did. She said they're mean, rude, and unpleasant people to be around. They ate all of mom's fruit when they stayed at mom's cave for a night."
Okay.
Three mugs were set down in front of us, filled with what appeared to be ale.
The waitress nodded over behind us, "from that gentleman over there."
I didn't really need to look to know who it was, but I did anyway.
Akil raised a mug towards us, grinning.
"So... should we take it?" I asked them.
They thought for a second, then nodded. "I think so." Agnes said, "we are almost out of funds anyway."
As if sensing it, Akil slid over to our table with his mug, "so, my good friends, did we come to a decision?"
We nodded. "We'll go with you."
"Excellent!" He raised his mug. "A toast, to a grand partnership!"
I looked around the room, and I began to notice people staring. Not at us, but at him. Not stares of hatred or anything, but more like stares of awe or somewhat disbelief.
He drained his mug and slammed it on the table.
I took a sip, and my face reflexively scrunched up.
Akil laughed at my expression, "what, not to your liking? It's alright. I'll just order you a-" he began to notice the stares around us, looking at him. "Um... actually, it may be best to leave. Like now." He stood up, dusting off his robes as he pulled his hood down, "let's head out tomorrow, shall we?" Meet me at the gates at dawn, and we'll leave then." And with that, he bolted out of the bar, flipping a gold coin at the bartender.
"Was that-?" Whispers around the bar began to start, and Agnes and I exchanged glances.
What was that?
We rented a room at a nearby inn, and I fell onto my mattress. Sleep would be great right about now, in a real bed...
"Hehehehe..."
I woke up, feeling something wrapped around my body.
"Are you awake?" Felandria whispered in my ear, "good. Let's have fun together!"
I had been stripped bare, and my mind raced with thoughts. How did she get in here? How did she escaped Agnes? More importantly, how do I make a light source?
I tried to move my hands, and they caught on something. A small, soft mound.
"Oh? Getting handsy, are we?" Felandria's voice cooed, "that's alright... more fun for the both of us..."
My cheeks flushed, and I heard her chuckle again.
"You're so cute when you're flustered... here, let me-"
I pushed her, and she fell backwards, falling to the floor with a loud thud.
"Ow!" I heard scuttling on the floor, "that hurt!"
I leapt from the bed, reaching for where I left my sword.
"Ah ah ah, looking for this?"
I couldn't see her or what she was holding.
"Oh right. Here, I'm gesturing towards your sword." Felandria said.
Gotcha. I kinda guessed that.
"Honestly, humans are so helpless in the dark... it's so cute!" I heard wings flapping as something slammed into my chest, knocking me against the wall with another loud thud. "It just makes me want to take you all for myself..."
"Please don't do this..." I muttered to her.
"Why not? It'll feel good for both of us... and I've been waiting for sooooo long... it's rude to keep a girl waiting, you know-"
The door slammed open and a burst of bright light filled the room.
Agnes, in her nightgown, was standing at the doorway, holding an orb of light in her hand.
"Agnes! Thank god I-" her face turned red and I realized my boys were hanging out in the open. I covered it quickly and grabbed my clothes, which had been thrown carelessly around the room.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Felandria was now hiding under the bed.
Agnes raised her hand and a bolt of blue energy streaked out and slammed into the ground right in front of Felandria, who squealed and backed away.
"The next time you try something like this, I won't miss." Agnes went under the bed and yanked Felandria out. Felandria was also buck naked, and I turned my back as I put on my trousers.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." the apologizes continued as Agnes drug her back to their room, and left me dazed and confused.
That could have gone better, but it also could've been worse.
