Chapter II.3: Guild of Adventurers

The next day, the three of us got to work. Taking the stone-filled sacks to the furnace, Avilin began to craft gray bricks while telling us about the guild's fall. Though I had seen the fall of Avalon in that mysterious vision, I listened eagerly.

"The guild had a number of contingency plans in the event that the Corruption awoke from dormancy," said Al, crushing stone fragments into mortar with her hammer. "Unfortunately, none of the plans considered the possiblity that chasms might open within the city itself."

With wood and iron, Rose and I built a supply chest, placing it by the fountain. "When the Eater of Worlds attacked our city, it awoke several pockets of Corruption that had been long buried beneath the snow..."

Using the gray bricks, we helped Al to build a fountain on Avalon's focus-point. Rose carried buckets of water between the fountain and the river while I hammered bricks into slopes. "We fought the Corruption for days, but it was spreading too quickly. Soon, the guildmaster ordered us to evacuate."

Rose began to build a house next to the fountain while Avilin and I used the remaining gray bricks to pave over the ground. "By then, the gates were choked with vile thorns. I managed to escape through the chasms, but... I haven't found any other survivors yet."

We stood back to admire our handiwork. "We were fighting a force of nature-and we lost," admitted Avilin, her voice cracking. "There's nothing left of the city now. Whatever didn't crumble was lost to the blizzards..."

She turned to me. "Still, between the three of us, I think we can rebuild the guild."

Was this why I was here? To rebuild that shining city? But I was just a struggling adventurer. Not even someone with skill-just lucky at all the right times, it'd seemed. How could I help fulfill Avilin's request?

Returning, Rose planted a gravestone next to the fountain. "I declare this to be the Land of Tombstones," she said jauntily. "Huzzah! My house is complete."

Rose's house-or at least, the foundations that would become her house-stood between the focus-point and the river. It was also much larger than any house I'd ever built.

Her house was like the things that she'd built on Corundia. The walls of her house, for instance, were made of wooden posts and rope. The roof was made from wooden planks, strung together with more rope. "That's a pretty house, Rosy," remarked Avilin, reaching for the red lumber. "I'll start on mine. You gonna build a house too, Scheil?"

Part of me was worried about what might be happening back home in Corundia. Still, I didn't know when I would be able to return. For now, I might as well set up a semi-permanent shelter. "I... I suppose I will," I answered.

Borrowing some of Avilin's bricks, I built a tiny dwelling next to the outdoor workshop. True to the houses I'd built on Corundia, it was more like a fox's den than a house, with the ground sloping up to the top of the back wall. I was rather proud.

Then, I turned around and saw what Avilin had been working on. It was larger than Rose's house, a wooden building with planked supports and topped with rich mahogany shingles. There was a sign hung above the front door.

A hanging sign, huh? I'd never thought about hanging a sign from a ceiling. "'Avilin's bar,'" I read aloud, holding up a torch so I could read the sign. "'Freshly brewed ale, made with... high-quality potatoes?'"

"What? I like potatoes," said Al, appearing in the doorway, hefting a hot potato in a gloved hand. Inside, I saw the glow of a furnace illuminating a few tables, a worn chest in the corner. Rudimentary... but cozy. More cozy than my house, anyway.

On the gravestone that Rose left by the fountain, I noticed Al had inscribed a name: Falador XVI. "Previous guildmaster," she explained. "Best I can do for him."

Night was falling again; the entire day had slipped away as we erected our houses. Avilin and I retreated to the bar while Rose bounded off in search of loot. "What sort of equipment do you carry?" asked Al.

I showed Al my space gun. "This, a crimtane sword, and a chain-knife."

Blinking, Avilin took the space gun to the counter and peered at it closely. "This gun doesn't use bullets," she said after a moment. "It runs on a mana adapter. Are you a mage?"

I shook my head. I'd never held a magical weapon in my life... or so I had thought. "I just... hooked it up to my suit. I never had a problem with mana."

Al frowned at me for a moment, then grinned. "You have meteor armor under there, I take it? From the way this gun looks, your suit is enough to power this gun. Don't try it with any other guns with mana adapters, though."

Mana adapters. I stared as she handed me back the gun. "So, what's Corundia like?" asked Avilin. "Much jungle there?"

I shook my head. "Lots of desert, lots of snow... and Crimson. Some jungle, I suppose."

"Odd," muttered Al, looking at the floor. "Corundia takes its name from a mythical city in the heart of the jungle. If you believe what the foxes say, anyway."

I shivered. The Crimson. Was Tatiana managing to conduct her research safely? What if the Crimson managed to escape from the glass barrier? "I'm sorry to hear about your guild," I managed to say. "But... I'm kind of grateful that Avalon has Corruption, and not Crimson."

"Really? I think the Crimson looks much better," said Al, amused. "It really gets the blood pumping, wouldn't you agree? Like there's something there to fight against. While the Corruption is just... well... depressing."

I stared at her blankly. Surely, she wouldn't be saying that if the Crimson had swallowed the guild-

A sudden wave of fear swept over us, followed by a deep, familiar growl. Avilin and I raced outside to find Rose standing by the fountain, holding up a supicious looking eyeball to the sky. "Hi there," she called to us, starfury in hand. "The Eye of Cthulhu should be joining us in a moment."

I grimaced-but surely I could handle the Eye now, considering how I'd fared against Skeletron. "Give some warning first," sighed Avilin, loading fresh bullets into her handgun. "Ready, Scheil?"

Crimtane sword raised, I nodded. "Ready."

Staring up at the sky, we watched as the Eye of Cthulhu descended from the stars. And yet, something felt odd; the Eye evoked cold despair, not hot panic.

Avilin started firing as Rose and I leapt up toward the Eye, weapons raised-Rose with a cloudy burst, I with hissing spectre boots. Landing a deep slash across the Eye's iris, I hit the ground, rolling to one knee.

Starry lights fell from the sky as Rose swung her pink blade, flashing around the Eye, Al's bullets streaking around us. Furious, the Eye opened its jaws, the pupil splitting open as it flew just out of sight.

We stared at each other as the Eye circled us from the shadows, snarling furiously, hungrily. "Rose, check the fountain," ordered Al, gun raised, hair flapping. "Scheil, watch from above. I'll-"

"Al! Watch out!" shouted a voice. Avilin whirled around as the Eye came charging at her with a mighty roar. At the same time, a boy with a straw hat and blue shirt leapt forward and tackled her to the ground, just out of harm's way.

"Metatyph! You're alive!" spluttered Al as the Eye rose up into the air again. "What's going on? Why are you here?"

Starfury raised, Rose kept her gaze on the furious Eye overhead while I joined Avilin and the boy. "I've been looking for you, of course," replied the boy, looking her over nervously. "You all right?"

Rubbing her forehead, Avilin got to her feet. "Yeah," she muttered, glancing to Rose and me. "This is my friend, Typh-he was with the guild too. Come on, guys-we've got an Eye to kill. I'll tell you guys more later."

Beneath the fountain, the four of us stood in a ready line-Rose with her pink blade, Avilin with her handgun, Metatyph with a wooden bow, and I with my space gun.

As the Eye dove at us again, we opened fire on the great demon together, blasting it relentlessly. With a shuddering, howling scream, the Eye burst open in a shower of bloody fragments.

Weapons clattering to the pavement, we stared at each other blankly, silently. Overhead, we could hear the low rumble of thunderheads, heavy rainclouds gathering.

I could hear the faint sound of clappng. Slowly, I turned to see a familiar hooded figure in ghostly robes, standing in the fountain.

At last, the spectre had come.