The Wielder of Death Magic

Chapter 451: Town of Meke

Dark roads with darker alleyways led outwards of the town. The buildings changed to be lesser well-made than those center-bound. The standard of living seemed unequal. Each time they went past a dim alley, noises of which were mostly screams and sword slashes would be heard. The feeling of caution it gave was palpable. Misna was very much on edge. Aiea, Konne, and the want-to-be hero Arnold walked with the boy in the middle. The trip lasted a few minutes till a building; two floors high, barely away from the slums, made its grand entrance.

“Welcome back, lady Misna,” said a traveling warrior.

“Good luck on your travels,” said she nodding at the pleasant man.

“Before I forget,” The large mess of armor stopped with the metals ringing against one another,”-the guild leader is wanting an audience. Go meet with him, there was a call from the officials at the Azure wall.”

“Will do,” her expression changed as the man moved away. Normally stern and assertive, the tightly close lips relaxed, her fingers mildly jittered against the armored leggings. It gave the sound and impression of galloping horses.

“Lady Misna, is something troubling you?” asked Aiea with great interest.

“No, let us say things have gotten somewhat tedious. Go on, head into the store, and deliver the loot, we need to go to our guild.” Thus, the party dropped the items at a proxy building to allow ease of access back towards the wall. Some of the more expensive and lavish guilds were fortunate enough to buy proxy buildings (imbued with drop-boxes that linked with the central guild) at the outposts. The efficiency meant more time to go back and forth between fighting and saving.

.....

“Where are we going now?” asked the boy with caution.

“To our guild,” added Misna, “-See that building over there?” she pointed to multiple with one standing out by the rotting paint. “That’s our guild, a bit misplaced but hey, time changes without anyone’s intervention.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked him turning to Konne.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he faced away.

“Let me explain,” interjected Aiea, “-our guild, L’Eveneo was once in the top 30 mid-tiered guilds in Oxshield. We were mainly tasked with fighting and being the vanguard in multiple expeditions. The old party was one of the best, until a fateful day...”

“...Never mind that,” her wandering mind returned, “-since that, we’ve dropped in popularity and financial means. What you see is the representation of what it means to survive in an ever-growing market. Our headquarters might be closer to the famed center; however, people aren’t attracted.” The conversation ended as soon as Misna pushed open a rusted iron door.

“I’m back,” her voice echoed with them going one after the other.

“Lady Misna,” replied an elf dressed in a maids outfit, “-the master is waiting in the office,” to which she continued sweeping the floor.

“So big,” voiced the boy.

“Yeah, you could say that,” facepalmed Konne, “-it’s meant to be full of people, not this empty mess of dust and trash.” A dimmer hall headed towards the eastern wing.

“Come on,” interjected Konne, “-let’s go to the training ground,” he pointed with the rifle.

“S-sure,” they soon left the empty hall with a singular maid effortlessly sweeping the floor. Funny thing was that she never moved, her duties were always the path leading into the office.

The training area, a yard at the back hidden by other buildings. Targets for shooting practice, training dummies for swordsmanship, and a running track. “We might not be that consequential, still, the guild has what it had back then,” added Konne with a hint of regret.

The office of the Guild leader was more or less a bar. He who led stood behind a counter and cleaned glasses. “Lady Misna,” smiled he, “-welcome home.”

“Thank you, guild leader,” she took a seat.

“Here,” a glass of ale had her spirit heightened.

“Now,” from casually cleaning to sternly glaring, “-I’ve received a call from the Officials of the walls. They say you have taken in a boy who magically appeared on the battlefield. Care to explain?”

“Forgive my asking,” she interjected, “-I figure young Arnold to do a better job recounting the preceding events.”

“Young Arnold is involved?” he laughed, “-send for him,” the tag flashed Silver.

Minutes turned into hours, the boy remained outside watching the training. Each member took turns going in. Each time one would return, the expression was of utter desperateness. Their bravado all but extinguished without an inkling of rebirth.

“Alright everyone,” the harsh figure of Misna walked into the arena, “-I’ll be taking the boy to the guild. The Leader must have given an idea of what is to come. Don’t regret the decision, saving a life is a noble thought, yet, we need to think of ourselves. Another mouth to feed will but break the balance we so hardly tried to create and maintain.”

No response came as the stances were preoccupied with watching the floor. Only Arnold saw fit to angrily throw axes at the practice targets. The actions had Konne clench his fist and Aiea listlessly watch the cloudy sky.

‘I guess it’s time for me to leave,’ thought the boy standing sharply. “Thank you for having saved me back there. I’ll try my best to repay kindness someday. Goodbye for now!”

‘He knows,’ went across the mind, ‘-he knows we’re going to abandon him. Still, he smiles and doesn’t care, what a strong man.’ And so, as the thoughts of amazement at the boy went from one to another, Misna took him by the hand and leaped to the outside.

The walk that continued was long and silent. “So, do you really not have a name?”

“I might have one,” he replied, “-but I don’t remember.” The passing of adventurers and traders grew denser by the second. The center of town was ever approaching and with it came the masses.

“Is that right,” she soon glanced at the building with ropes attached from one end to the other. Sometimes clothes would be hung, and the other times, underpants. She purposefully took the longer road – a path that went into the residential area before the town-square.

“Listen to me,” said she, “-with nothing to your name, there’s not much you can do.” She stopped shy of a boutique selling antiques, “-look at this flyer, can you read it?”

“Says to come to the guild if one has found a dog.”

“You can read, that alone can get you places. Looking at the frail body, there might not be many people searching for weaklings to do their jobs.”

“Lady Misna,” he voiced with a frown, “-why are you trying so hard for an unknown. I have an idea of what might have happened inside that room. You and the others were shunned for having saved another. You lied to keep their morale up, the story inside and out is utterly different.”

“How did you?” her mouth opened.

“Don’t know,” he shrugged, “-when I sat quietly and watched, I could somewhat get an idea of what was happening. I don’t know how that’s possible, but my mind said that was the case...”

“Look at you,” she laughed and patted his head, “-I guess you’ll be able to survive if left alone. Still, let’s get to the guild. They might have a job or two to get you started.”

Town square, a place of crowds and yells. The town looked on from above was circular. The square was divided into sectors. Four to be exact: Traders, Crafting, Fighting, and Miscellaneous. The centermost was a tall tower with stars and a crescent moon at the highest point.

“Here we are,” said she with a laugh, “-the central guild. Be careful of scams, the traders are here to make money. The center is another fight, a fight of wit and charisma. Nonfighter guilds have it hard to deal as well, their battlefield is even more so troublesome than monsters.”

*Looking for Tier 6 and higher for a trip into the Tower of Aris,* shouted a man with his whole breath.

“Lady Misna,” halted he tugging on her shirt, “-what’s the Tower of Aris?”

“Oh, that?” she frowned, “-that’s a place where only the strong are allowed. The tower of Aris is a never-ending dungeon where a party has to climb and fight the stronger monster. Many have tried, and many more have died. It’s not a good place, people often betray another for the sake of gold. Come on, we’re losing time,” to which she grabbed his arms.

Stairs at the four cardinal points gave access to the guild. From far one might not have noticed, the sheer scale of this tower was preposterous. Stand on the stairs and one couldn’t see the roof. Inside, the center was filled with guild-people welcoming many with smiles. Stairs and elevators left to differing floors. A screen on the right showed the current bounty, quests, and items of interest.

“Come on, don’t get lost now,” said she holding firm. They took the elevator to the 5th floor. No name to indicate the location, the doors opened to an empty corridor. She walked and arrived at a lady dressed rather classily.

“How can I help you?”

“I’m Misna, Tier 5-Ruby adventurer.”

“I see,” the lady lowered her glasses, “-you’ve come to deliver the civilian found on the border?”

“Yes.”

“Very well, please, head down the corridor, Lady Melissa will decide what is to happen next.”

“Where are we?” they ambled across a hallway with paintings and shut windows. It felt long and desperate.

“The Orphaned Child division. Being an adventurer is hard, thus, the guild instated a special unit to take care of the unfortunate children who might lose their parents in the war against the monsters. It’s the best I can do as opposed to leaving a child in the wild.”

“Lady Misna, granted I might not be as tall as you, I do think I’m a teenager at least.”

“Look at you,” she patted his head further, “-it’s not as bad as you think. After all, I was also placed here a few years ago,” the tone came across as reminiscent.

*Knock, knock,*

“Enter,” said a lady with long brown hair.

“Pardon the intrusion,” said Misna.

“Are you?” the lady’s eyes locked with the boy, “-that’s not possible, is it?”

“Lady Melisa, do you perhaps know this boy?” wondered the lady.

“Must be my imagination,” said she, “-please, take a seat.” The awkward exchange had left the trio speechless for a few minutes. She behind the desk couldn’t lift her face from the boy.

“Ahem.”

“Do pardon my rudeness,” her face blushed, “-I’m sorry for gawking. It’s just that you remind me of someone I knew so long ago. I suppose he did change suddenly, still, there’s a certain connection.”

“The man,” voiced he, “-what happened to him?”

“Died around five-years ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” voiced them both.

“No need to apologize,” breathing deep, “-Lady Misna, is that the boy?”

“Yes, tis him.”

“I understand you don’t remember your name as well as how you ended up on that battleground?”

“No, all I know is that a voice said wake up and so I did to be on that field of terror.”

“Understandable, anyone awakened on that mess of a border is bound to be traumatized. Going by looks alone, I’d figure the age to be seventeen. Do you have any skills?”

“No he doesn’t,” voiced Misna, “-the boy can read and is rather talented in the ways of speech.”

“How do you figure?” the brows locked into a battle.

“A gut feeling,” she smiled.

“What about you, boy, what do you want to do?”

“The Tower of Aris,” mumbled he, “-I want to go there one day.”

“Come on,” her voice raised, “-I told you that place is a mess!”

.....

“Lady Misna, please let the boy speak,” a reminiscent feeling came from the way the boy spoke.

“I don’t know why myself. The fight against a monster is scary, the beasts are fearsome. There’s a part of me that wants to jump into the fray and fight.”

“I see,” she smiled, “-normally I’d not recommend this to anyone else, however, why not join the Adventuring academy for 1-2 years. Depending on the capabilities a guild might come to like what thee do. Might I add that the academy isn’t based on battles and fighting, there are other fields of studies.”

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