Part 4

With mere weeks before the guild wars people began flooding in the guild houses hoping to join in one themselves. The northeastern guild house in Prontera was especially crowded.

"Single file people! Single file! For goodness sake single file you bastard sons of Pecopecos!" shouted Paris out of irritation.

The crowd gathered into a crooked line in front of the sign up desk. Paris sighed it made to make do for now.

"Name, occupation and past experiences," dictated Paris to the next in line

"I am Mudos Hilgad, Knight; I was affiliated with the Sylthereen guild." answered a dark-haired knight flinging back his cape so that his sword could be seen.

"You really were part of Sylthereen? How long were you in the guild and why'd you leave!" enthusiastically asked Paris.

"Well…I wasn't in the guild per say. I was more of the guy who cleaned the stables." said the knight reluctantly while pulling his cape to cover his sword instead.

"Get out of here you wannabe!" shouted Paris after the knight, who ran away immediately "Come back when you actually had experience! You'll be lucky enough to get to clean the stables here!" he hurled the inkbottle from the desk and it hit the knight directly at the back of his head.

Paris fell back on his chair and started rubbing his eyes. Immediately the people started complaining and shot Paris straight up once again.

"Keep your shirts on people! Hey you two, no drawing of weapons!" Paris shouted to a knight and assassin who were pointing their weapons threateningly at each other. "I mean it! Don't make me come their and finish the fight for both of you!"

"How's the recruitment going, Paris" called Rhozen as he walked out of the guild house.

Murmurs went through the crowd as the silver haired wizard walked up to the hunter. Paris would bet his life that those murmurs were about the famous wizard Rhozen, renowned professor in the academy of magic, special mention from the viceroy of Geffen himself and appointed teacher to the princess of Geffen.

"Not as well as I hoped. There's only a thimble full of real fighters in this amateur parade."

Grunts and shouts of disapproval came from the crowds but it was put to halt with one of Rhozen's steely stares, in fact the previously crooked line even straightened out.

"I just went out here to ask your opinion about something." said Rhozen reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small velvet-covered box. Inside the box was a golden ring with a large gemstone affixed on the top.

"So, you're finally popping the big question to Maharet?" said Paris giving a smile that split his face.

"Yeah, I finally had the nerve to ask her but do you think she'll say yes?"

"Of course she will, with a ring like that! Offer me that ring and I'll marry you right now." Joked Paris

Rhozen chuckled nervously and snapped the box shut. Paris noticed that Rhozen really was anxious about asking Maharet to marry him so he decided to stop the humor and give Rhozen as much support as he could.

"Really now Rhozen, she's crazy about you and you with her. All she's been waiting for is for you to ask her."

"You think so?" asked Rhozen uneasily fingering the rim of the box.

Paris would've chuckled at the sight of his usually composed friend if he was a teensy bit more inconsiderate. He thought about how women could mess with the heads of even the most brilliant men. "I know so." he said reassuringly.

Rhozen smiled and patted his friend on the back and Paris did the same.

"Oh come on already! Can we get on with the recruiting!" shouted someone from the crowd and everybody else joined in angry approval.

"Which, brave soul said that!" shouted Paris irritably while slamming his fist down on the table, it made the crowd suddenly quieted down, at least for the time being.

Paris sat down on the chair and picked up the quill. "I'm sorry Rhozen I have to get back to work. Let's just talk later."

"Sure, I didn't mean to bother you." Rhozen went back in the guild house and at the same time Persha came skipping out.

"Hi Paris, how's the recruiting going?" asked the dancer merrily bending to look at the list on the desk.

"It will never finish if everybody comes out and asks that question!" snapped Paris.

"Well somebody has an arrow up his ass today." said Persha folding her arms over her chest, tightening her lips, and looking down her nose at him.

Paris remembered what his dad always said. If a woman folds her arms over her chest then you should be wary, if her lips tightened sleep with a knife under your pillow, if she looks down her nose at you run to the next region and change your name. He gave a silent chuckle at the words but reminded himself just how true they were and that a woman was doing everything right at him. "I'm sorry Persha, what it is you wanted to tell me?" he said as innocently as he could muster.

"I was just wondering if any bard has shown up. You know tall, handsome, straw colored hair and wonderful blue pools for eyes." Said Persha getting lost in her description

"Seems specific," Said Paris sarcastically "But no, no bard has shown up so far. I'll just let you know if any turn up."

"You're so sweet Paris." said Persha kissing the hunter on the cheek.

Persha walked away from the guild house heading to the place she met the bard yesterday hoping that he would turn up again.

Haja watched the dancer from the shadows an alley. He looked at the other side of the street and gave the signal. The assassin on the other side nodded then raised his hand in front of his face. He pushed the top of the large square ring on his finger, revealing a small needle that was hidden underneath. He dipped the needle into a vial of poison and walked casually into the street. He walked up to Persha and pretended to bump into her while he pricked her arm with the ring.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry." Said the assassin

"Oh, its quiet alright." Answered Persha

The assassin nodded his head and continued down the street. Persha rubbed her arm half-mindedly then thought to herself. "An assassin who apologizes? I think they're turning soft." She turned into the alley deciding to cut through the residential areas so she could get to the square quicker.

Her arm started burning as she rubbed it and suddenly she felt a jolt of stabbing pain. She couldn't move her fingers and the pain began creeping up her shoulders.

Two rogues appeared out of nowhere holding long thin bladed knives.

"I knew there was something wrong with an assassin who apologizes!" shouted Persha to the rogues.

She reached for her rapture rose but the pain and paralysis had spread to her other arm as well.

One of the rogues jumped at her and she quickly pivoted narrowly missing the blade. She flung her knee up the rogue's gut and caused him to spur back clutching his stomach. The other rogue aimed for her legs but she performed a back flip while kicking his face. Before she could land the pain spread into her leg and she stumbled on the ground.

The two rogues advanced clutching their daggers tightly from anger. Persha's vision began to cloud and she tried to move or scream for help but all she could do was lie there.

She thought she was finally going to die but she heard one of the rogues shout something muffled then groan loudly before he fell down. She could make out the blurry image of something protruding from his shoulder.

The last thing she saw was someone else arriving before she completely blacked out.