Time for another Special Guest Appearance. You'll most likely know who it is as soon as their name is dropped, or when the contence of the Treasure Chest is revealed.
Married Life
Chapter Eight: Heroes Boon
The doors of the Guild Hall swung open, all eyes turning to see just who it was this time. More than a few gasps could be heard as Lizard Priest and Witch staggered in, supporting a limping Spearman between them. High Elf Archer followed, her left arm in a makeshift sling and her right eye swollen shut. Next came Goblin Slayer, leaning on an obviously improvised crutch, his armour hanging off where the straps had been damaged. In comparison Priestess looked almost normal, with only a couple of mud and soot stains on her vestments, but the almost glazed expression on her face indicated that she had seen far more than she was used to.
The teenager walked up to the front desk while her companions found a table to sit around and placed two sheets of paper on the counter-top.
"Labyrinth mapped." Her voice sounded unusually distant and monotonous, "Drider nest discovered and eliminated."
Having helped Spearman to a seat, Lizard Priest unslung something he'd been carrying over his back and dumped it onto the table. It landed with a loud thud, the table visibly straining under its weight.
"Oh," Priestess added almost as an afterthought, "We found a Relic Weapon we'd like appraised."
All eyes turned to the table and the weapon Lizard Priest had deposited there. It was some kind of massive battle-axe, with one head that of a massive warhammer, while the other looked wickedly sharp. The handle was a long piece of unfinished wood, worn smooth in places where it had been held. Noticeably, the weapon lacked any decorations or adornments; no inlaid jewels or carved inscriptions. It wasn't some decorative piece created to show how rich and powerful its wielder was, but rather it was unmistakably a weapon to be used.
Every Adventurer present instantly started to calculate just how much such a weapon could be worth, many finding that they couldn't count that high.
Guild Girl was possibly the only one more interested in the returning Adventures than their prize. Grabbing the medicine chest from behind the counter, she rushed over to the table. Goblin Slayer waved her off, but she placed a healing and stamina potion before him then turned to attend to High Elf Archer.
"It's just strained." the Rangers indicated her left arm, "Made the mistake of lifting that lump of metal without testing its weight first. Damn near pulled my arm out of its socket."
"I had to use all three of my Miracles against the Driders." Priestess explained apologetically, "it was too late for my Minor Heal to do any good the next day."
"Not your fault." Goblin Slayer assured her.
"That Barrier spell probably saved our lives." Spearman agreed, taking a tankard of water that Padfoot Waitress had brought from the Tavern next-door, "You did good, kid: nothing to be ashamed of."
"Those Driders were indeed most fearsome foes." Lizard Priest nodded in agreement, rubbing the end of his snout like jaw with one hand, "Where it not for the confines of the passageway, their numbers may have overpowered us."
"Pitty." Witch lit her pipe with a wry smile, "I'd been rather enjoying myself up until they showed up."
"You weren't the only one." High Elf Archer winced as her wife applied some soothing ointment to her swollen eye, "Gods damn Driders."
"Would it kill you to look after my equipment for once?" Smith glared at Goblin Slayer as he crossed the room, cleaning his hands on a rag hung from his belt for just such an occasion, "Someone said you had a weapon you wanted me to look at?"
Goblin Slayer simply gestured to the axe in the middle of the night table.
"And what do we have here?" the blacksmith lent forward, pulling a pair of glasses from a pocket and putting them on, "Northern style, exceptional workmanship..." he lifted the weapon, visibly straining, and slowly turned it around, "It's old, possibly even Age of the Gods, but shows no sign of wear. Definitely some kind of enchantment in place, but I can't tell what exactly without running a few tests." he looked at the assembled Adventurers, "Planning on keeping it?"
"No." Goblin Slayer shook his head.
"I'm the only one who can wield it." Lizard Priest explained, "And it is not exactly my style."
"Weapon like this on today's market..." Smith put the axe back down on the table and rubbed his chin, "I'll have to contact a friend of mine in the Capital, but there's a Gold ranked Adventurer who's a fan of battle-axes and warhammers."
"Thunder Warrior?" Guild Girl asked, trying to remember what she'd read about him in the official Guild Guidebook.
"That's the one." Smith nodded, "Weapon like this, Hero like him... I'd say you could easily ask for, say... 6,000 Gold Pieces?"
The room fell deathly silent: 6,000 Gold Pieces was more than many Adventurers could hope to see in their lifetime, and even split six ways, it was more than some large and prosperous parties made in a good year.
Goblin Slayer sat silently, thinking about just how far 1,000 Gold Pieces would go a long way towards securing his families future, and that didn't even take into account High Elf Archer's share. Priestess was simply dumbfounded; 1,000 Gold pieces was more money than she'd ever dreamed of, even if she donated much of it to the temple where she was raised, she could conceivable retire from Adventurering on that kind of windfall. Witch was likewise considering her future, but more towards how 2,000 Gold pieces could buy a nice house in town, with room for a family to grow. She reached over and took Spearmans hand, the look on his face making it clear that he was thinking broadly the same thing.
"Send the message." Goblin Slayer instructed Smith, "Can we keep the axe in your vault for the time being?"
"Aye, I have room for it." the master craftsman nodded, "Give me a chance to write up a full report on it for the Gide."
Officially called the Adventurers Gide To Arms And Armaments, the Gide was an almanac of different weapons, equipment and armour used by Adventurera. Some of the more common pieces could be ordered from a blacksmith, but it also listed more unique items that had been encountered, providing background information on the history and specifications an Adventurer may find useful should they encounter them on a Quest. The opportunity to submit an entry was often a highlight of a smiths professional career, second only to creating something deemed worthy of inclusion. No true Adventurer wasn't at least passingly familiar with its contents, if not able to outright quote entire entries word for word.
And then there was the possibility that a Gold ranked Adventurer might visit Frontier Town! Thunder Warrior was known across the Kingdom and beyond: rumour had it that he was the exiled Prince of some distant land, his rightful throne usurped by his scheming brother, and that his life as an Adventurer was only to hone his skills until the day came when he would return home to reclaim his birthright. Simply to stand in the same room as him was considered an honour among many Adventures, and more than a few of those in the room were already thinking about what they should ware when he arrived, or say should they have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to actually speak to him.
Goblin Slayer held no such illusions: he'd met Gold rank Adventurers in the past, and they were just as mortal as the rest. Sword Maiden had been terrified of goblins, and Lord Paladin, well, he had his own personal demons. Thunder Warrior may have done more than everyone in that particular Guild Hall put together, but he was still just a man. Fortunately a very rich man who may well be willing to spend some of the fortune he had ammased on the weapon they had found.
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A month passed before they received word the Thunder Warrior and his retainer of Silver ranked Adventurers would be arriving to examine the battle-axe. It wasn't long before the whole town was abuzz with the news, with shopkeepers repainting their store fronts and the town guard polishing their armour. The only person who didn't seem to be rushing around like a headless chicken was Goblin Slayer, who reacted to the news by taking a goblin related quest in a nearby village.
Even if Thunder Warrior did purchase the battle-axe, he needed money then and there if he was going to support his family. That wasn't to say he wasn't apprehensive about the impending visit and what it could mean for his family, but rather that he was able to prioritise. One exterminated goblin nest meant another village safe and food on the table for a week. Guild Girls morning sickness seemed to be getting better, but Cow Girl was getting it just as bad if not worse. He'd hated leaving them, but needs must when the Gods of Chaos drive.
The day that Thunder Warrior was due to arrive started with the sound of Cow Girl reaching in the toilet, and High Elf Archer ran through to hold her wife's hair out of the way. Guild Girl looked a little unwell herself, but fortunately she had reached the point where a special blend of herbal tea was sufficient to settle her stomach. Goblin Slayer made two cups of it before going out to perform his daily inspection of the farm, looking for any sign of goblin activity. He returned to find Cow Girl sat at the kitchen table, a blanket round her shoulders, nibbling at some dry biscuits. Guild Girl sat beside her, rubbing her wife's shoulders and reassuring her that it would pass.
"I'm going to stay home today." Guild Girl informed the two Adventurers, "I'm not actually working, and I can be of more worth here."
"You'll miss meeting Thunder Warrior." Cow Girl protested somewhat weakly, "You should go; I'll be fine."
"I met plenty of Gold ranked Adventurers while training in the capital." the young clerk hugged her wife, "You're far more important to me." she turned to Goblin Slayer and High Elf Archer, "You two had better hurry up: you don't want to be late."
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The Guild Hall was packed to capacity, with every Adventurer, member of staff in hanger-on who could find and excuse to be there present. One of the larger tables had been set aside and covered with a velvet table cloth that Goblin Slayer had never actually seen before. In the middle sat the battle-axe, cleaned and polished by Smith until it gleamed in the sunlight that poured in through the freshly cleaned windows.
Every member of the Party that had found the axe was present and dressed in their best. Even Goblin Slayers armour had been cleaned and polished until it look like new, and Cow Girl had sewn him a long, dark green cloak to wear over it. He felt ridiculous, but his wives had been insistent. The only person who looked more uncomfortable was Priestess, who looked almost radiant in crisp, clean vestments provided by the Earth Mother temple so she could properly represent them.
"Someone's coming!" Rookie Warrior called out from where he stood looking out of the window, and Apprentice Cleric pulled him down off th chair he was standing on and made him stand beside her respectfully.
The door opened, and a large man, easily as big as Heavy Swordsman, stepped in. He was dressed in brown leather armour and a cloak made from what looked to be the pelt of a Snow Bear. His face was hidden by a large helmet, behind which only two shimmering silver points of light could be seen.
"The Guardian!" someone in the room hissed, only to be silenced by someone else.
The strange Adventurer looked around the room with the unmistakable stance of someone looking for a potential threat, the massive sword and shield slung across his back indicating that any he saw would not stand for long. Apparently assured that there was no traps or assasins laying in wait, he looked back through the doorway and nodded.
A great shadow fell over the doorway as Thunder Warrior himself entered the Guild Hall.
Tonsay he was tall would have been an understatement. Heavy Swordsman was tall. Lizard Priest was tall. But Thunder Warrior seemed to be built on a completely different scale. Every part of him was perfectly in proportion, from his arms that looked capable of killing a troll with easy to his friendly, smiling face. He had a main of long, flowing blond hair the colour of summer sunshine and a luxurious beard. His bright, blue eyes scanned the room until they settled on the six Adventurers standing around the table that held the battle-axe.
"Well met indeed, noble friends!" his voice was warm and full of merriment, "I presume that it is you we have journeyed so far to meet?"
"We came so you could buy yet another weapon." a tall, slender swords woman with raven-black hair stepped round from behind him.
"It's always business with you." Thunder Warrior frowned mockingly, but dutifully walked over to the table, "May I?"
"My Lord." Spearman bowed and took a step back, allowing the living legend before him to get close enough to lift the axe.
Even in Lizard Priests hands, it had looked massive, but in Thunder Warriors grasp, it seemed the perfect size. The Adventurer examined weapon closely, running his hand across the hammerhead and the edge of the blade. He swung it carefully a few times, then tossed it up in the air. It spun around a few times before it started to fall, but one of his massive hands snatched it out of the air like it was the most natural thing in the world to do. Giving the weapon one last inspection, he nodded.
"I like it." resting the weapon over one shoulder like it weighed nothing, he turned to his companions, "How do I look?"
"Like a fool with more money than sense?" his female companion rolled here eyes and sighed, "It actually really suits you."
"My sister speaks the truth." the man known only as Guardian nodded curtly, his arms folded across his chest.
"Then it's settled." Thunder Warrior slid the handle of the axe into a loop on his belt, then pulled a sheet of parchment from inside his uniform. Walking over to the desk, he handed it to Inspector along with his golden Guild Tag.
"I would like to make a withdrawal from my account for 6,000 Gold pieces." The tall Adventurer looked around the room, "Make it 7,000: I feel like buying everyone a drink or two."
To Be Continued...