Welcome to the Guild of Debt!

"Scarlet Dusk!"

Francisco watched Rolo perform another devastating attack against a group of giant spiders. The attack, much like the rest, showcased a loud crack and the color red. This time, however, there was a brief moment of darkness, almost like a blink, before everything turned red. Francisco rubbed his eyes, watching Rolo strike downward, and then spun his sword around. The inertia drew in the giant spiders and became blenderized.

The giant spiders were the last quest objective on the Crimson Crow's list. So far, the financial advisor has witnessed them defeat goblins, harpies, wolves, a group of bandits, golems, and now giant spiders. In just a couple of hours, Francisco had seen so much in the world thanks to them. After each fight, Francisco was able to talk more with the group. They were a likeable group of individuals. He found it hard to believe how such a promising, strong party could be ranked so low.

As he exchanged laughs and words with the heroes, he started to forget about his near-death experience. It was only hours before he narrowly escaped death at the hands of some goblins. For a moment, he didn't have to worry about financial stress: having enough money to eat or sleep under a roof. He was having a lot of fun watching these guys 'adventure.'

"Well, that does it for all the quests for today. I think we made good enough coin today," Rolo wiped sweat off his forehead.

"We actually made good time, too," Ziv mentioned. "I think we might actually get back to the guild house before dusk. We will need to make a stop by Unity, though, to collect some of the rewards. Garwood, can you make the visit again?"

"Umm, sure. They really hate us, though," Garwood mumbled. "They might take a chunk out of it."

"That's to be expected. It's not worth the hassle, so just let them. Just don't by any means come back with nothing," Catherine scowled.

Francisco gulped, finding his opportunity to speak. He quickly approached Rolo and cleared his throat before speaking. "So I guess we'll be going our own paths. Even though I rented my sword to you, I think I will still owe you, considering the health potion and the food you gave me." The financial advisor blinked a few times. "I'll accept only a small amount of the reward. And I promise to pay it all back— with interest!'

Rolo scratched his beard and smiled. "I don't care if you're interested or not; I don't need you to pay me back."

"Umm, what?" Francisco's head moved back. "No, that's not what it means. What I meant is-"

Rolo patted him on the head. "Francisco Lincoln Alvear, congratulations. You're part of the Crimson Crows."

Francisco blinked, turning his head so his right ear was directly facing Rolo. "I'm sorry. I'm part of the guild?"

"Yep, so no need to even split the reward. It's all going to the guild, to all of us!"

Francisco felt a firm pat on his back, breaking his concentration and rebuttal.

"Congratulations, lad! Welcome to the guild!" Garwood chuckled.

Ziv crossed his arms. "Not much of a congratulations, he didn't do much." Catherine proceeded to elbow him in the ribs. The rogue half-elf groaned and massaged his gut. "My bad, congratulations. You really held those bags fabulously." He kneeled to the ground in pain.

"Way to go, Francisco," Catherine clapped her hands together.

"Umm, thank you. But I think this is a terrible investment. I don't believe I did anything to deserve joining," Francisco clicked his tongue.

Rolo chuckled, "Stop with the self-doubt, rookie! You got tons of fighting spirit!" He placed his hands on Francisco's shoulders. "You've also got a great attitude, a perfect match for the Crimson Crows!" The red-haired captain started to walk away as the others followed.

"C'mon, lad. As a new guildmate, you have to learn that the captain knows best," Garwood chuckled.

Francisco had his jaw open, completely stunned by what had transpired. Was luck on his side? How did he manage to become accepted by such a strong group of adventurers? He closed his mouth and nodded, not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth. The financial advisor had some insecurities tugging at him; he still felt like he hadn't earned his spot in the guild. However, he made sure to make an internal promise. "I'll earn my spot."

 "This is your home?" Francisco stood astonished as he gazed at the Crimson Crow's guild house. Francisco might've been more surprised by the location of the guild house. He walked through a busy street of patrons and found several vendors on the street. There were a variety of stores near the guild home, making everything easy and accessible. The inn where he had previously stayed had barely anything nearby.

Made out of dark timber and weathered stone, the building stood two stories tall. There is no doubt that the guild home has some history and must have been built by the city. The level of craftsmanship on the exterior walls is impressive. A large balcony hung over the central patio. He could see several chairs and tables set up, giving members a clear view of the bustling market street. Above the balcony, a large wooden sign with red and gold coloring read 'Crimson Crows.'

"Well, now it's your home," Ziv retorted, walking up the wooden steps leading to the patio. Francisco followed them, admiring the garden surrounding the patio area. A variety of colorful flowers were planted in several pots and boxes. The patio had a rustic appearance with lanterns hanging from the ceiling of the balcony. The guild home was inviting with its polished wooden floor, chairs, and tables. Rolo pushed through the heavy doors with intricate carvings.

"Hey, Crows. We have a new member! Meet Francisco!" Rolo spread his arms wide open.

Francisco froze in place as he was met with a thunderous cheer. The ambiance within the guild home was inviting yet chaotic. There was noise of conversation and laughter. Looking around, the guild home appeared bigger on the inside than it did on the outside. Several tables were scattered with guild members participating in drinks, arm wrestling, and card games.

He could feel the warmth of a fireplace in the corner, crackling as several members converse casually. Unlike the wooden furniture, sofas and leather chairs were near to offer adventurers a comforting experience after a challenging quest. The back wall mainly consisted of a library of books with a staircase spiraling into the second floor. Francisco could see the balcony of the second floor leading to other rooms. To the left, he noticed another heavy door, but the wall had a large window revealing a spacious kitchen.

"Well, Crows. We have a new member! And it's not even dusk yet! I think it's celebration time!" Rolo shouted. Whistles, applause, and yelling met his declaration for a party.

Francisco nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't really need a party. I think I'm just fine with-"

Catherine nudged his shoulder. "There's no stopping them. Once a party is on their mind, they get kind of uncontrollable."

Slam!

Francisco turned around immediately as someone kicked the doors open to the guild home. Garwood charged inside, holding two big bags of coins in his hands.

"Hey, lads! We got the rewards! I heard we're having a celebration!" Garwood's voice rang through everyone's eardrums. "We're going to buy food! We're going to buy booze! And we're going to buy even more food and booze when we run out!"

"Is it always like this?" Francisco wondered.

"I hope it's always like this," Francisco admitted. He sat at one of the wooden tables with the core four heroes who adopted him. In front of him was a steaming, grilled chicken leg. The entree was served with more meat, surprisingly. A slab of red meat, possibly steak, sizzled on his plate. The warmth almost made him salivate. Months of eating bread brought him to the verge of tears.

He quickly dug in, sinking his teeth into the juicy chicken. The flavors of the seasoned chicken danced on his taste buds. The skin of the chicken burned his tongue, but he hurriedly washed it down with his mug of beer. It didn't take long for Garwood and some other members to bring several barrels of beer and warm food. Francisco continued to eat savagely as the others stared at him. He paused, wiping his mouth. "Sorry."

The other members burst into laughter. "Go ahead and eat your fill, rookie. There's plenty of camaraderie to go around," Rolo insisted.

Francisco nodded, taking another bite of his food. He didn't even notice, but he found himself smiling. The financial advisor honestly couldn't think of the last time he smiled. The past few months of his new life have been terrible. It was a series of bad outcomes, severely damaging his confidence and self-esteem. It kept piling on, which only made his life more challenging. With no strength or magic, he could barely survive, relying only on bread and a cheap bed.

Francisco found himself fortunate to have met such an accepting group of people. All he had to do was gamble on some goblins. He sighed in relief, partaking in another sip of his beer. The financial advisor knew he was going to enjoy himself with this guild.

"Keep drinking, lad! I'm already ten, no, twenty drinks ahead!" Garwood shouted on top of a table.

"Shut up, you drunk idiot! You're going to kill him! Dwarves have a higher metabolism to-" Ziv stopped shouting, putting his forehead against the table. He started hiccupping.

"Ziv, you only drank three drinks! Two more or you're kicked out of the guild!" Garwood declared and chuckled.

"Kick me out. If I even drink another sip, I'm dead," Ziv proclaimed.

"Even Catherine is beating you!" Garwood antagonized.

"Oh, I'm really trying not to compete. Please don't drag me into this. There's such a thing called moderation," Catherine giggled.

"I'll try to keep drinking, but I don't think I can beat you!" Francisco nodded with a smile.

"That's the spirit, lad!" Garwood chugged a full glass of suds instantly. "So how come your lingo is so strange? Interest this? Investment that?"

"Umm, well," Francisco scratched behind his ears. He did do a lot of 'financial' talk during the quests. "I was previously a banker," the financial advisor didn't say the whole truth, as he didn't know if the others would even know what a 'financial advisor' is.

Everyone paused as a loud laugh echoed from near the fireplace. "A banker turned into an adventurer!? That is the funniest thing I have heard!" Rolo held his gut. He stepped onto a table and raised his glass. "Everyone, please raise your glasses! Let us welcome Francisco Lincoln Alvear to the Crimson Crows! The banker turned adventurer!"

Francisco chuckled, raising his glass with everyone and chugging down his beer. Tonight was a glorious night.

Knock! Knock!

Francisco woke up on top of the wooden table. He immediately felt a surge of sickness and pain emanate from his head. Groaning, he blinked a few times to clear his vision. He could taste his hot breath. "Hangover. Great." He rested his head back on the wooden table, wondering if he had enough strength to move to one of the beds on the second floor.

Knock! Knock!

The financial advisor slightly picked up his head, hearing a knock at the wooden door. He looked around and could see most of the guild members sleeping heavily. He was surprised he could sleep through most of the snoring. The financial advisor put his head back on the table, predicting that someone else would wake up to answer the door. Closing his eyes, he tried to fall back asleep.

Knock Knock!

"Oh my god. I'm going to crash out," Francisco snarled. He dragged his body off the table and landed on the floor with a thud. The financial advisor groaned before standing up and walking dazed toward the door. Opening it, he shielded his eyes from the intruding daylight. "What is it?" He asked rudely.

"Are you a member of the Crimson Crows?" A clean, uniformed dwarf questioned, his eyes showing annoyance. He must have been waiting for a while at the door. He had a large satchel over his shoulder and wore a hat with an insignia patched in the front.

"As of yesterday, yes," Francisco answered sarcastically.

"Here you go," the dwarf handed Francisco a letter. "Drunk," he muttered quietly as he left.

"For your information, it was my celebration yesterday!" Francisco yelled, holding his head as the volume of his voice rang through his ears. Walking back inside, he examined the envelope and read 'Urgent: Eviction Notice' on the front. The words were in bright red and weren't hard to miss. He squinted his eyes to make sure his vision wasn't blurry.

Francisco scanned the room. He spotted Ziv with his head down and hurried over to him. The financial advisor remembered the rogue barely drank at all; he must not be that drunk. Francisco began nudging his shoulders. "Hey, Ziv. Wake up. Wake up, Ziv. I have something important."

"Huh, what do you want?" Ziv picked his head up. His face was completely red; he might still have been drunk from last night.

"What do I do with this? It looks like it's important," Francisco slurred, pushing the envelope into Ziv's body.

Ziv opened his eyes wider and grabbed the envelope. As he quickly read it, he groaned obnoxiously and shoved it back to Francisco. "Ugh, that's what you woke me up for? Just go put it in the supply closet in the corner!" The rogue angrily put his head back on the table.

"Okay," Francisco nodded. He walked away, but quickly turned back around. "It's just that it says eviction notice so-"

"It's fine! Just put it in the supply closet!"

Francisco began walking back as Ziv raised his voice. He sighed, understanding that the rogue had been with the guild longer and probably knew how things worked. The financial advisor figured it was nothing to worry about after all. He walked over to the nearby supply closet. It was a smaller wooden door compared to the entrance.

With a slight twist, he opened the door. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Hundreds of envelopes poured out from the closet and were collected at Francisco's feet. There was some fear that Francisco was eventually going to drown in a sea of papercuts. He blinked, dumbfounded, noticing that all of them read 'Urgent: Eviction Notice.' Blinking a few times, he didn't know how to respond.

"Umm, Ziv, there is a lot of eviction letters in this closet! Like an astronomical amount. I feel there should be a little bit of concern," Francisco spoke clearly, his drunkenness wearing off.

Ziv adjusted his head. Drunkenly, he groaned, "Crimson Crows in a lot of debt. Just toss the envelope with the rest, rookie."

Francisco blinked and paused. "Debt!?"

"Welcome to the guild," Ziv burped.