[The ringing of a chime echoes throughout the rowdy guildhall.]
[The clashing of drinks after a toast rains beer on the tile floor.]
Egan and Sarah finally enter the guild hall. the nightmare of trying to get in was finally over. Everyone and their momma were crammed outside to get a table to eat at. The guild hall isn't just a place to get quests for adventurers; it is also a very renowned spot for booze and grub, especially for adventurers who need a way to unwind after a long mission.
It was very overwhelming for poor Egan, the number of smells and noises bellowing through his head were immeasurable. The noise was so immense, Egan couldn't even hear his own thoughts. Sarah, being used to this commotion was navigating this maze of sweaty adventurers and drunk civilians like the back of her hand, while still dragging Egan along, brain-dead as he was in this situation.
They finally manage to reach the front counter of one of the receptionist's desks. Greating them was a tall man, roughly around the same height as Egan, with perfect brown eyes and long shaggy brown hair tied up in a ponytail. He looked down a Sarah while polishing a glass he had thrown on him just moments earlier. Sarah, shocked at the drenched and booze smelled man behind the register, slides him a handkerchief from inside her robe.
"Sarah! It's good to see you again, Liz was worried about you." The receptionist said, taking the generous donation from Sarah and using it on his face.
"It's good to see you, too! Speaking of Liz, have you seen her around? I wanted to grab a drink with her after her shift…"
"You just missed her; she expected you to be back a lot sooner, so expect a scolding when you finally reunite." The receptionist stated, giving a worried expression to the young mage.
Handing back handkerchief he gave her, he looks up, noticing the tall, horned man behind Sarah. The first thing he noticed was the contrast between the two people. Egan was intimidating. A 180 cm, horned man, with a muscular figure and eyes that look like they could pierce right through you at any moment. Who wouldn't be startled at that.
"Uhm... *gulp* Who's the big guy?"
"Hm?"
Sarah, looking behind at the Egan, who was still completely spaced out from the overstimulation, looks back over to the receptionist and points.
"This guy?"
"Dude, who else… He's freaky looking."
"He's an idiot, that's who he is," Sarah scoffed, looking back once again at Egan.
That comment about his intellect shot neurons to his brain, telling him to react. His fear of crowds in that moment have now been overcome!
"What did you say?! Why do you always insult me in front of strangers?! Don't forget I saved your ass!
"Yeah, and almost killed me too! You are an idiot; the sooner you accept it, sooner you can change."
They continue to banter back and forth while the receptionist stares at them. A blank expression plastered on his face.
"Hey, uhm… *Their banter continues* Liz is in the back, if you wanna go get her…"
"Huh!?" The pair said, now beginning to pull at each other's faces.
After finally settling down, the pair begins to maneuver their way around the receptionist, his gaze still following them. Sarah, bows her head apologetically as they pass
***
The guild receptionist hall is grand in size. Opposite of the double door entrance, is where they interacted with the receptionist. It's also the location of all the 4 desks, including one they were just at, that line the back. There is a guild board directly to the left of the desks, and to the right of that are stairs that lead to the GuildMaster's living quarters. Behind the desks is the database where people can put in quests and have them stored for specific clients.
"Liz! Where' you at?" Sarah yelled, her voice ringing in Egan's ears.
While scanning the many shelves that line the back of the guildhall, a young girl in uniform is sitting, crouched down on the ground, sorting through documentation. Her hair, a mess after a long day at work, and bags hanging under her eyes, looks up towards the pair yelling her name.
"Huh…" Liz said, her eyes looking directly at the tall man staring daggers into her.
After a little stare off with Egan, she switches her gaze to Sarah. Her eyes light up with a radiant gloss. She immediately stands up dropping the scrolls she was trying to organize, a large, warm smile beaming from her face. Disregarding her duties, she rushes towards her long-missed friend.
"Sarah!" "Liz!"
They embrace in a big hug as though Sarah's a veteran is reuniting with their family after a deadly war. Their heads banging into each other in the process.
"I was worried sick! What happened? You need to tell me everything!"
"I plan on it! When do you get off?"
"Just now. Actually, I was planning on heading out after sorting those… documents…" Liz looks back, noticing the mess she was trying to organize has gotten a whole lot worse.
"You're kidding…" Liz scoffed, walking back in defeat.
[Quiet footsteps march their way behind Liz]
"Let me help! You'll finish faster."
"Thanks, Sarah! You're the best."
***
[The chimes of a doorbell ring out from within the tavern]
[A saxophone is playing a solo in the corner of the dining hall.]
After a long session of sorting documents, finding papers, and organizing quest forms, they finally finished, and Liz was able to clock out for the day. Soon after, Liz, still not acknowledging Egan tagging along, walks out of the guild hall with the pair to a local tavern that they used to frequent. Egan was still pouting from the fight he had with Sarah earlier, so he wasn't too keen on introductions at the time.
After arriving at the tavern, they sat at a nearby table and ordered drinks to go around. It was Egan's first time having any sort of alcohol, so the taste shocked him.
"What is this garbage?" Egan said, slamming the cup on the counter, demanding an answer, "It's burning my throat."
"It's called alcohol, it's supposed to do that. You'll get used to it." Sarah responded, quite amused by the sight.
Liz, ordering another drink after quickly finishing two, finally looked at Egan, fully acknowledging him.
"So… What's the story with this guy?" Liz said, pointing at him with the beer mug in her hand.
"Oh right! I forgot to introduce you two." Sarah said, a gently smile on her face while doing so, "This, is Egan, we met on my previous quest! It's his first time visiting a big town like this so I thought a change in scenery might do him some good!"
"But why are you still sticking with him?" Liz asked, Egan looking around the tavern, trying to see if they were still being followed.
"Uh… that's complicated-"
"He seems preoccupied with something," Liz said with a little giggle.
[A hard elbow is jammed into Egan's ribcage]
"*Oof* What was that for?!" Egan said, responding to the quick elbow jab Sarah had delivered.
"Don't be rude and introduce yourself!" Sarah demanded, threatening another elbow.
"Fine… I'm sorry, that was rude of me." Egan, standing up from the table and reaching a hand forward to greet Sarah's friend, "My name is Egan, only Egan. Nice to meet you, Sarah has told me a lot about you."
The small smile on his face warmed Liz up to him, if only just a little.
"I'm Elizabeth Bernstein, pleasure! If you don't mind me asking, how did you two meet?"
"Oh, it's a long story… I'll sum it up quickly," Sarah said.
She began to retell the events on her quest. She told Liz about Arieth, and how she needed to fight a ton of sandworms because he lied about what he wanted. And how she was in danger. Egan rescues her. Everything. Except Thaerin. For some odd reason, she felt as though it wasn't for her to mention.
***
"What the hell, Sarah! That is not cool!" Liz shouted, standing up from the table and slamming her hands down.
"I'll put in a request to have any future quests from Arieth banned from RAC," Liz said, stating an ultimatum.
Egan, zoning out from the conversation, picks up on some gossip that another table is talking about. Liz and Sarah, noticing his concentration being lost on them, follows his gaze to where he is focused on. Egan, his eyes meeting theirs, maneuvers his head to point at the table he's listening into. They pick up that he is listening in on a conversation that the table behind theirs is having.
"Yeah, did you hear about the missing people in the village south of here?"
[The trio begins to listen more intently.]
"What was the town's name again? I think I saw a quest slip posted about it in the guild hall a little while ago, rumors say it was taken down on purpose."
"The village is called Westhaven, I think. Apparently, civilians were being abducted at random around the village!"
"I wonder if it really is random. Maybe some secret slave traders found a way to measure someones worth based off essence or something."
"Only people with a special attribute for that can do it. There's no way a group of bandits could have someone that valuable. I'm just hoping Vanitinova ain't next."
"I doubt it, the town's security is way too tight."
Upon hearing this new revelation, Egan immediately knew what was happening in Vanitinova. The sketchy people he was seeing were dangerous after all.
A growing fear intensifies in Egan.
His eyes became like pin-needles, his vertical pupils becoming practically invisible. He should have told Sarah.
'We need to get out of this settlement… Now"
Muffled - "Hey… Egan…"
'We can't stay here. This town is in danger.'
"Egan!" Liz yelled, snaping her fingers in his face. Her expression was one of concern. She could tell something that they overheard got to him, "Don't pay any mind to what those guys said, rumors like that get spread around all the time. Trust me, I do work in a guild after all."
Egan, finally snapping out of it, looks at her, still contemplating taking Sarah and running. But upon seeing the expression on Liz's face, he could tell she meant what she said. A miracle had just happened in Egan's mind. In this moment. there is not just one person he trusts.
For there are now two.
"Here, Egan. Drinks are on me!"
"Thanks, Liz. Let's drink!"
Egan, sharing a toast, notices a young man staring at them from the bar. Their eyes meet for a split second. And in that moment, Egan had noticed,
A smile could be seen on his face.
***
-In a separate part of the tavern-
"Hold my tab, barkeep."
A well-dressed, blonde-haired man was sitting at the bar ahead of the trio. Listening in on the conversation. He was carrying a large rapier on his hip, and a pendant was strewn around from his neck.
"I want to go introduce myself to some nice women…"
***
[Quiet footsteps mark their way towards the trio's table]
Egan, now laughing hysterically along with the two girls, looks up from his drink to notice the same noble-looking man approaching them. Their eyes meet, Egan's staring directly into his. His dark green eyes pierced through him, as Egan's pierced through his. The tension was immediate. Strong. It was as though he stared right into a dark forest, never to return.
Sarah, noticing Egan was again distant from the chat, watches as his gaze turns towards the man approaching them.
The tall nobleman lowered his hand on the table that the trio was sharing. But instead of facing Egan, he stared at Liz, who was sitting opposite him.
"Good evening, ladies. Can I buy you fair maidens a drink?" He said, leaning in now facing Sarah, a sickening, perverted grin plastered on his face. "You both are stunning, truly… and to think that your precious time is wasted on a man like… that."
Egan, still sizing him up, takes this comment head-on and keeps silent, for now.
"Excuse me?" Sarah said, "Who even are you?"
"Oh! How very rude of me. My name is Hadrian S. Vanitinova. A titanium-ranked adventurer employed at this lovely lady's guild."
Liz, shocked at the name-dropping, looks back at Egan. Here eyes were screaming bad news.
"I am also soon to be duke of Vanitinova." A sly grin now encroaching on his face.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance!"