Enter: The EmberBlade Guild

The guild doors creaked open and the sound hit her first.

Laughter. Yelling. The crashing of mugs against other mugs.

Elysia stepped inside and froze. The place was chaos.

Long tables filled the hall, crowded with men and women in armor, cloaks, or half-ripped shirts, eating and drinking like they hadn’t in days. A group in the corner were arm-wrestling, the table legs groaning under the strain. Two others were arguing over whose sword was sharper, both holding their blades up high, nearly nicking someone carrying a tray of mugs. On the second floor, a handful of archers leaned over the railing, tossing dice into a barrel below while shouting bets.

Baro spread his arms wide, a grin on his face. “Now this…this is my kind of place.”

Elysia flinched as a chair went flying across the room, followed by laughter. Keito caught her arm gently. “Don’t worry. They’re loud, not cruel.”

A heavyset man with a barrel chest stomped out from behind the counter, his bald head gleaming under the lantern light. “Hey! If you’re gonna break the damn chairs, at least pay for them this time!” His shout cut through the room. For a moment, silence. Then someone raised a mug, and the noise roared back even louder.

Baro leaned close to Elysia. “Told you. Perfect.”

They approached the counter. A young woman with bright pink eyes and ink-stained fingers looked up from a ledger. “Welcome to the Emberblade guild…. New recruits?”

Keito nodded. “We’d like to get her registered.”

The woman behind the counter brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Trial requests only. No exceptions.”

She had a round, kind face but her eyes darted around like they missed nothing. Her brown hair was tied into a braid, and a feather quill was tucked behind her ear. A small bronze pin in the shape of a shield gleamed on her collar.

“Name’s Liora,” she said briskly, flipping through the stack of requests. “I keep the records. Don’t worry, I’m nicer than I look. Most of the time.”

Elysia gave her a small nod, clutching the edge of the counter.

Baro leaned on it like he owned the place. “So, Liora, you’ve got a job with our names written all over it, yeah?”

Liora raised an eyebrow. “I’ve got jobs with blood and mud written all over them. You’ll take what I give you.”

That earned a burst of laughter from a nearby table. Someone shouted, “Don’t let him sweet-talk you, Liora! He still owes for the last window he broke!”

Baro slammed his hand against his chest. “That window attacked me first!”

The hall erupted with laughter. A mug of ale slid down the table and Baro snatched it mid-roll, raising it like a victory. “See? Even the drinks know where they belong.” He tipped it back in one go while Keito pinched the bridge of his nose in silence.

Elysia couldn’t help it… her lips twitched.

Liora sighed but smirked all the same. She plucked one parchment free from the pile and laid it on the counter. “This one. Village east of here, water shortage. Wells drying, livestock struggling. They asked for help three weeks ago, but the last party never came back.”

That sobered the mood for a heartbeat.

Keito studied the parchment, his jaw tightening. “Then it’s urgent.”

Baro grabbed it before he could finish. “And perfect! You saw what our girl can do. Splash, swirl, boom!” He slapped the parchment lightly against Elysia’s arm. “If anyone can fix a water problem, it’s her.”

Elysia startled, her cheeks beginning to blush again, stammered... “I…I don’t even know how I did it last night.”

Baro leaned close, grin wide and whispered. “Then this is how you find out.”

Liora tapped her quill against the parchment. “Trial requests aren’t meant to be easy. But if you succeed, you’ll be full members. That means pay, and protection under the guild banner.”

She looked at Elysia directly. “And a place that you may be able to call home.”

Elysia’s shuddered... For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. But then she nodded.

“Alright,” she said softly.

Baro whooped so loudly that someone dropped their mug. “That’s it! We’re in business, boys and girls!” He spun, pointing his axe toward the tables. “First round’s on me when we get back!”

A roar of approval shook the rafters. Half the guild raised their mugs, others clapped the tables in rhythm. Someone even shouted, “Better pay this time, Baro!”

Keito gave Elysia the faintest, gentlest smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep him from promising away his whole purse.”

Baro leaned in. “I heard that.”

By the time they finally left Rynhaven, the sun was already high.

The city gates were crowded with wagons creaking under sacks of grain and fishermen hauling their catches toward the markets. Guards shouted at merchants to clear the path as horses hooves clicked across the stone.

Elysia kept close to Baro and Keito as they pushed through. The moment they passed beyond the gates, the noise dulled. The open road stretched out in front of them, dirt road smooth and nice, and on both sides of it rolling fields of wheat that swayed in the wind.

Baro tipped his head back with a groan. “Damn, it’s hot. Should’ve left in the morning.”

Keito shot him a look. “If you hadn’t gotten into another arm-wrestling contest at the guild, we would have.”

Baro grinned. “Worth it. Won a whole chicken dinner out of that.”

Elysia shook her head, half in disbelief. “You’re impossible.”

“Impossible to beat,” Baro shot back, flashing her a wink.

They walked under the midday sun, the road busy with movement. Farmers carried baskets of vegetables past them, offering polite nods. A group of travelers rattled by in a cart, singing loudly and out of tune. Children splashed in a shallow stream that ran alongside the road, their laughter carrying on the breeze.

Elysia slowed her steps, her eyes tracing every little detail. It was so different from the cramped, heavy life she had known. Even the heat on her skin felt freeing somehow.

Keito noticed her. “It’s your first time seeing Tara outside the city, isn’t it?”

She nodded. “It feels… differet.”

Baro kicked a stone down the path, watching it bounce. “Different and hot. Can’t believe we’ve got a water job when I’m sweating buckets already.”

Elysia let out the smallest laugh.

The fields soon gave way to wildflowers scattered along the roadside. A pair of deer lifted their heads from the tall grass to watch them pass, ears twitching before running away. The air smelled faintly of pine as the road began to move toward a thicker patch of forest.

Baro broke the quiet again. “So, Elysia, you didn’t tell us… what’d you do before all this?”

Her chest tightened. She clenched her hand on the strap of her pack. “I came from far away.”

Keito gave her a sidelong glance but said nothing. Baro opened his mouth, then stopped himself, reading the tension in her face. Instead, he nodded. “Far away, huh? Guess we’ve all got places we’d rather not talk about.”

The moment passed, and surprisingly enough it wasn’t awkward.

Baro smirked as he wiped sweat from his forehead. “I’m just saying, if this village fixed its water problem when we get there, I’m quitting the guild on the spot.”

Keito gave him a sharp look. “You won’t.”

Baro winked at Elysia. “He’s right. I won’t. But I’ll complain the whole way, just so you know.”

Elysia smiled faintly….

The sun was sliding lower when they climbed the last hill.

The village lay below, small and tucked into the folds of the valley. Simple wooden homes sat around a narrow main street. Smoke floated faintly from a handful of chimneys. Chickens pecked near the road, but no chatter filled the air.

Elysia slowed down. “It’s… quiet.”

Baro shifted the axe on his shoulder. “Too quiet.” His voice was low, but the grin he gave her after didn’t reach his eyes.

They followed the dirt road down into the heart of the village. Doors were closed. Curtains twitched as they passed. It wasn’t until they reached the center that someone stepped out.

An older woman, her back bent with age, shuffled from her porch. A shawl was pulled tight around her shoulders, her gray hair in a tight braid. She squinted at them, then her eyes widened at the sight of the guild crest on Baros collar.

“Guild folk?” she asked, her voice rough.

Keito nodded. “We came about the request.”

Relief fell over her face. She waved them quickly toward her home. “Come, come. Best not to stand out here.”

Inside, the house was small but tidy. The scent of herbs hung in the air, dried bundles tied along the rafters. She set cups of water in front of them before easing into a chair by the table.

Baro eyed his cup, then muttered, “Fitting, considering why we’re here.”

The woman gave a tired laugh. “Aye, I suppose.”

Keito leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “Tell us what’s been happening.”

Her eyes dropped to her hands. “The wells have been thinning for months. At first we thought it was the heat. Or bad luck. But then… people started vanishing. First a farmer up by the northern fields. Then two children, one after the other. Each week, someone gone.”

Elysia’s stomach tightened. “Gone? You mean?”

“They don’t come back,” the woman said flatly. “We’ve searched. Nothing.”

Keito’s jaw set. “Has there been anyone new to the village? A traveler, a stranger? Any quarrels with neighbors?”

The old woman shook her head. “No. Nothing like that. We’re simple folk. Most of us have lived here in Everglen our whole lives. The only thing I can tell you is the water. It all runs down from the mountain above. Always has. If there’s trouble, that’s where it’ll be.”

Baro leaned back, crossing his arms. “So, mountain hike it is.”

Keito ignored him, his gaze still steady on the woman. “Thank you. You’ve helped more than you know.”

She gave a weary nod. “If you can fix this… you’ll be saving more than just our water.”

Elysia glanced toward the window, where the last of the light was fading. The quiet of the town seemed more apparent, the empty streets beyond the glass sending a shiver down her spine.

Their first trial was going to be a doozy it seems.

The old woman who later introduced herself as Mara, laid out blankets on the floor by the table…

“It’s not much,” she said, smoothing the fabric with her little hands, “but you’ll have warmth at least.”

Keito bowed his head slightly. “You’ve already given more than we deserve.”

Baro plopped his axe against the wall and dropped down onto the nearest blanket. “Warmth, food, and a roof. Beats sleeping in mud.”

Mara chuckled softly and shuffled off toward the kitchen. When she came back, she set down three wooden bowls on the table. The stew inside was thick and plain, filled with chunks of potato, carrot, and onion. A few strips of meat floated in the broth, the smell earthy but very fragrent. Beside it, she placed a small plate of bread, the crust hard but still warm.

“Eat while it’s hot,” she said. “There’s not much to go around these days, but it’ll keep you sturdy.”

Elysia picked up her spoon carefully. The stew wasn’t rich or spiced, but it was warm and filling. She broke off a piece of bread, dipped it in, and found herself eating faster than she realized.

Baro tore into his portion like he hadn’t eaten in days, grinning through mouthfuls. “Best meal I’ve had all week.”

Keito ate slower, steady as always, though he nodded once in agreement.

Mara’s face softened, “ Haven’t had such a commotion in my home for a while. This is nice.” She sat with turn for a while before turning into bed, and soon the others began to sleep.

Later that night, when the fire had burned low and Baro’s snoring rattled the walls, Elysia slipped outside. The air was cool against her skin. The village was silent, doors shut tight, only the faint rustle of leaves breaking the stillness.

She tilted her head back.

Two moons hung above her, one large and bright, the other smaller. Their light spilled over the rooftops and painted the fields in silver. The stars felt closer here, almost as if she could touch them.

She let out a slow breath.

Her thoughts wandered, uninvited, to her old life. Faces she didn’t want to picture. Voices she didn’t want to hear. The weight of it pressed at the edge of her mind, but she pushed it away.

Instead, she thought of Baro and Keito. How different they were from the brothers she had left behind. Baro was loud, reckless, always joking, but his laughter never felt malicious, it pulled her in. Keito was quiet, composed, watching everything with calm eyes, yet clumsy and when he spoke to her, it carried respect she wasn’t used to.

It felt strange. … but a good strange.

She hugged her arms around herself and glanced back at Mara’s home, where the two of them slept without a care. Somehow, even after only a day, it felt easier to breathe here than it ever had before. Easier to imagine she could belong.

Her hand brushed the gem on her forehead. It glowed faintly under the moons.

“Elysia,” she whispered, as if reminding herself.

The name felt solid in her mouth. Real.

She stood there a while longer, watching the sky, before finally stepping back inside.