Timmy was safe in the inn with Andrew. Dimitri began to lead the way to the guild house. Nikola had his bow and arrow on his back.
He was still slightly jittery.
He knew that his new skills with the bow were so good that he could hit a target on horseback.
But the problem was, he had not practiced. He doubted that Tangra had given him the muscle memory together with the knowledge.
But it still paid to go around with a bow on one's back. That deterred the locals from speaking to him.
The ones among them who had shifty eyes and sticky fingers.
The Guild House was just open for business when they arrived before it.
Dimitri smiled at the guild mate who was sweeping before the entrance of the guild.
"May we please enter?" The vampire asked.
The maid looked him up and down, then she nodded.
Before long, they were all in the Guild Master's office.
The man stared them down with his one remaining eye. Looking at them so, as if they were just hunks of meat, and not people.
"Two vampires," The guild master said, after the silence stretched too long before them all. "One ghoul and one druid. My intel told me you have a siren with you."
"Andrew doesn't want to fight," Dimitri told the man. "And we respect his decision."
The guild master nodded.
"I guess that if you all want to be a part of the same party, I can arrange it. Even if the parties are normally five guild mates per party."
The old guild master didn't want to risk his human and elven guild mates to creatures who might eat them.
Together with every single drop in their bodies and their soul, to boot.
"Thank you!" Dimitri even did a slight bow in his seat. The man shook his head.
"There is three months' worth of learning period. I expect that you show to the training on time, and that you train until the end of the workday. If you can't hold up to that, then I will have to show you the door."
Nikola blinked. He had three months? That wasn't so bad! He could become a master with the bow in three months!
"We agree!" Dimitri said, as he smiled at the guild master. Nikola relaxed by his side.
Jean looked so, as if someone had taken his favorite toy. Jack was beaming.
"Now, take out a stone, and I will tell you what class you will be best for," a bowl was placed on the desk.
Dimitri was the first to take out a stone.
It was red.
Then the bowl was passed to Nikola, who got out a shining purple stone.
Jean's was a simmering yellow. Jack's was pure black.
The guild master smiled.
"Dimitri is a healer in the making. Nikola is a buffer. You will need to take flute lessons as well. Finally, Jean is a rogue and Jack is a tank! That is what I call a good party!"
Jean was beaming so, as if he wanted to dance. Jack smiled as well. He just needed to learn how to fight with a shield in his hands.
Nikola blinked. Flute lessons?
"Sir, it takes years to learn an instrument!" Not to mention that Nikola was pants at playing music. No matter how much he practiced, it just didn't come easy to him.
"You don't have a year," the old guild master told him with a feral smirk. "You have three months. Now, go down to the office space and get your training schedule!"
All four of them stood up, bowed, and then exited the building.
Nikola felt strange. How was he going to learn an instrument in such a short time?
Dimitri was beaming next to him. If Nikola were a buffer, then he wouldn't need to go up against the monsters, who were surely waiting for someone to snatch.
The office area was empty. There was a blackboard with nailed quests on them. Some were even written in red ink.
Nikola made a mental note to ask why that was.
"Welcome, adventurers!" A kind lady told them in a sing-song voice. "May I see your passes?"
They all took out the stones they had been tested with. Nikola wondered if it wasn't too late to get out of this pickle.
Only to be given the most beautiful flute he had ever seen.
"Now, the weapons I will give you are from other adventurers, who have… retired."
It didn't escape the group that the lady used such a word after making a pause.
"The flute is one of a kind. It teaches you how to play it as soon as you let three drops of blood fall over it."
"Oh, that is great!" Nikola's smile finally returned to his lips.
Dimitri gave his hand a little squeeze.
"Now, you will be late for the first lesson, if you don't head to the training hall right away! Remember, you have just three months."
Dimitri gave Nikola's hand another little squeeze.
Soon, they were heading towards a gym like area.
As soon as they entered it, a couple of the dummies which had been lined to the wall began to make threatening steps before them.
Nikola didn't so much as blink when he cut himself with an arrow and let the blood bleed on the flute.
The melody was energetic. The brunette was trying to make something that was akin to all of them memes.
Jack leapt into the fray. Dimitri prepared a quick heal on the staff.
Jean was still there, behind Nikola, assessing the situation. He didn't need to be told that Nikola and Dimitri were going to be targeted.
The blonde took out a dagger and threw it at a dummy which was getting too close too fast.
Dimitri mirrored him, stepping before Nikola.
The green-eyed man thought about all the times he had let Dimitri protect him. The shame was churning in his stomach.
He stopped playing as soon as his family was buffed properly.
He touched the titanium bow. His hands began to shake.
But as the dummies Jack was fighting against called for reinforcement, Nikola began to lose arrows.
It was said at that time that he had 10 hits out of 100 arrows.
He knew that he had to practice some more.
The fight went on.