Guild Expedition [1]

I sat there gasping, each breath feeling like broken glass in my chest. 

My hands shook as I fumbled for the healing potion tucked in my belt pouch, a basic one I'd picked up from the guild's supply counter.

The cork came free with a soft pop, and I tilted the small vial back, draining the bitter red liquid in one go. It tasted like copper and herbs, burning slightly as it went down.

Health: 155 / 780 (+150 HP recovered)

The immediate pain dulled to a manageable ache, though my ribs still protested with every movement. 

Basic healing potions were barely better than first aid, they'd stop you from bleeding out, but you still felt like you'd been trampled by a horse.

I leaned back against the splintered fence, letting my breathing slowly return to normal while keeping my eyes on the surrounding area. 

There could be more waiting in the forest.

Wrath's barely visible form flickered as he moved across the pasture. He dragged himself over to the orc's corpse and slumped down on top of it, sitting with one leg draped over the creature's back in a pose of casual dominance.

"Bastard," he rasped, eyes gleaming with savage satisfaction even as his translucent form continued to fade. "Should've... stayed down... the first time."

I closed my eyes briefly, feeling the healing potion work its way through my system. The worst of the damage was patched up, but I'd need proper rest and maybe a better healing potion before I was back to fighting condition.

'And I still haven't found any dire wolves.'

A few minutes later, Rei came sprinting back through the trees, its translucent form flickering with panic as it rushed toward us.

"We need to get out of here!" it shouted, skidding to a stop in front of where I sat against the fence. "The wolves are all dead! There's something else in those woods, something that killed them all! We have to leave right now!"

It stood there panting unnecessarily, waving its arms frantically.

I looked at Rei, then glanced over at Wrath, who was still perched on the orc's corpse like some kind of morbid throne. 

We exchanged a look.

"Wow," I said flatly. "Thanks for the warning."

Rei's translucent face scrunched up in frustration.

 "Why aren't you believing me? I saw it with my own eyes!" Then it paused, really taking in our appearance for the first time. 

"Wait a minute... why do you look like someone smacked your ass?"

Before I could answer...

PAT! PAT!

Wrath loudly slapped his hand against the orc's broad back.

Rei's eyes widened as they fixed on the massive orc corpse. He hurriedly backed away.

"What the hell is that thing?!" He squeaked, looking between me and Wrath with obvious panic.

We both nodded grimly in confirmation.

I shifted against the fence, wincing as my ribs protested the movement. 

"You did a proper job," I said sarcastically to Rei. "This thing wasn't exactly hiding in the bushes when it tried to cave my skull in."

Rei's mouth opened and closed like a fish. "But... But I was scouting! " He jabbed his translucent finger at me. "You told me to check the forest!"

"And while you were off playing hide and seek with some dead wolves, this lovely fellow decided to use me for axe practice." I gestured at the orc's war weapon, still embedded in the ground nearby. 

Wrath snorted from his perch on the corpse. "Should've... stayed to watch... the perimeter," he rasped.

Rei's translucent face flushed with what would have been embarrassment if he was still alive. 

"I didn't know! How was I supposed to know there were orcs hiding around here too?"

"By doing your job," I said flatly. "Which is scouting. All of the area. Not just the parts that look interesting."

Then I pulled myself to my feet. The healing potion had done its work, but I still felt like I'd been put through a mill.

"So what exactly did you see in those woods that has you so spooked?" I asked Rei. "Besides the dead wolves."

Rei's form flickered as it recounted what it had seen. "The wolves were all dead, scattered around this clearing maybe half a mile into the forest. Some of them were... half-eaten. Big chunks torn out of their sides and throats."

It shuddered visibly. 

"And there were marks on the trees, like something with massive claws had been sharpening them. The bark was shredded for maybe eight feet up the trunks."

I considered this information, glancing between the dead orc and the forest edge. "I don't think there are more of them around here."

Wrath raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think that?"

"Simple," I said, kicking at the orc's massive arm. "This thing was hunting alone, set up a perfect ambush position near the village. If there were more orcs in the area, they would have coordinated the attack. Orcs aren't stupid, they know pack tactics."

I gestured toward the forest where Rei had found the dead wolves. "Whatever killed those dire wolves probably moved on after feeding. Most large predators don't stay in one area after a big kill, they gorge themselves and then find somewhere safe to digest."

Wrath nodded slowly from his perch on the corpse. "Makes sense. This bastard was probably waiting for easy prey when we showed up."

I turned my attention back to the fallen orc, pulling out my skinning knife. "We should get its tusks and ears before heading back. Proof of kill, plus orc tusks fetch decent money from alchemists."

The tusks alone would probably be worth more than the original dire wolf job. Sometimes the best paying jobs were the ones you stumbled into by accident.

"Just... try not to get any more blood on you," Rei said nervously. "You already look like you lost a fight with a meat grinder."

I crouched beside the orc's massive head and got to work with my skinning knife. The tusks came free with some effort, thick, yellowed things about as long as my hand. The ears were messier to remove, but orc ears were valuable to the right buyers.

"Ugh, that's disgusting," Rei complained, hovering well away from the blood. "Do you have to be so... thorough?"

"Money's money," I muttered, stuffing the grisly trophies into my belt pouch. "This thing nearly killed me. Least it can do is pay for my medical expenses."

The walk back to Millbrook was uneventful, though I kept glancing over my shoulder. 

Rei's paranoia was starting to rub off on me. 

The carriage ride to Gramwell was smooth, and apparently the driver didn't recognize me this time.

Back at the guild, I dropped the job notice on the clerk's desk. "Dire wolves were already dead. Found this instead." I pulled out one of the tusks.

Her eyes widened. "You killed an orc? Solo?"

"No. It killed itself. I just helped."

She just coughed and handed me the money.

I collected my payment, the original job fee plus a bonus for orc elimination. Not bad for an afternoon's work.

The alchemist shop was my next stop. The old man behind the counter nearly drooled when he saw the tusks and ears.

"Fifteen silver for the lot," he offered.

"Twenty."

"Seventeen."

"Deal."

Then I bought a bit better healing potion, the kind that would actually help regarding my ribs instead of just numbing them. Cost me 30 silver, but my health wasn't something to cheap out on.

Back at the inn, I downed the potion and felt the familiar warmth spread through my chest as broken bones began to knit back together. Then I collapsed onto the bed, finally allowing exhaustion to take over.

I closed my eyes and tried not to think about how many more orcs might be waiting for me along the way.

After a few hours of rest, I dragged myself out of bed. 

The sun was dipping toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. 

'Time for dinner. And I'm not paying for it.'

One of the few perks of having a rare class was the guild's meal privileges. Two free meals a day as long as I stayed active. Considering I'd just blown huge money on a healing potion, I wasn't about to waste my dinner allowance.

When I entered the guild hall, it was busier than usual for evening hours. Groups of adventurers clustered around tables, their conversations more animated than the typical post-job unwinding. I made my way toward the food counter, but fragments of conversation caught my attention.

"...joint expedition next week..."

"...multiple guilds participating..."

"...bigger than anything we've handled locally..."

I slowed my pace, listening more carefully.

"The guild master's calling it a collaborative expedition," one of them was saying, a woman with a bow slung across her back. "Apparently something big enough that they need adventurers from different towns."

Her companion, a heavily armored man, shook his head. "Has to be serious if they're pooling resources like that. When's the last time you heard of guilds working together?"

"What's the target?" asked a third member of their group.

"Don't know yet. They're announcing details tomorrow morning. But word is it's either a major dungeon break or..." The woman lowered her voice. "Something about unusual monster activity in the northern regions."

I reached the food counter and ordered, but my mind was elsewhere. 

A multi-guild expedition meant serious money. And there's no way in the hell I will miss that out.