The Missing Caravan, Escape From the Wolves

Alric walked the streets of Valtheris with awe. The cobblestone roads are lined with lanterns that are hung high on poles, and inside, instead of fire, they have Aether Crystals! The crystals emit a muted white light, indicating that it’s the most common Aether type. The rest of the city is lined with simple stone architecture, some of which have a more modern look, with more steel frames and Aether devices lining the buildings. ​“It’s amazing how the city has so many Aether Lanterns. Are the people not afraid of running out of Aether Stones?” ​Cherry scoffed at the thought, “Bucko, the day Valtheris runs out of Aether Crystals is the day hell freezes over. We have the biggest mines in all of Aetheris, even in the middle of the city, we have a big reserve of crystals!” ​Alric nodded at the explanation. The kingdom of Farhall is one of the most prominent kingdoms in Aetheris, which he already knows. This is mostly due to the sheer number of aether crystals they have, which also means they have many experts on how to use them.​They walked for 5 minutes, Cherry explaining more about the city as they went, until they reached their destination. The Smiling Solari. It’s a modest building, but from the outside, you can hear a bit of a crowd inside. The entrance is lined up with bright red lanterns, indicating Fire Aether Crystals. What took his attention the most, though, was the sign above. The sign is a man lying on his side, bare with the “Smiling Solari” covering his nether regions. He has a flirtatious look on his face, and around his head were portraits of triangles, like it’s supposed to mimic the sun. ​They went in, greeted by the noise and a barmaid. She was of average height and had deep green hair. She was wearing an orange barmaid outfit with yellow outlines, she was pretty cute, Alric thought to himself. ​“Welcome to the Similing Sola- Cherry!” She greeted and jumped up for a hug when she saw Cherry. Cherry skillfully caught her and returned the hug.​"You look beat up! Busy day, huh? Oh! Who's your friend? He's huge!" The girl looked Alric up and down, waving. Alric waved back awkwardly. This girl's energy was something else.​“Alric, this is Soleina, the daughter of the owner. She works there as a barmaid, but you can call her-” ​“Sunny! Everyone here calls me Sunny!” She reached out her hand.​“It’s nice to meet you, Soleina. I’m-” ​“Not my name! Try again, Al.” ​‘Damn, are all of the people in the capital like this?’​Cherry snickered and nudged Alric to try again, “Happy to meet you, Sunny.” ​Sunny clapped her hands in excitement and shook Alric’s hand vigorously. After that colorful introduction, she led the two upstairs to a quieter area, which appeared to be Cherry’s regular spot. Cherry ordered two drinks for them, and the waitress left the two men alone.​“She’s a bit much, I know, but she means very well.” ​Alric nodded, “Reminds me of one of the nuns back home. Really high energy, I could never keep up.”​“You were raised by nuns, you say? Are you from an orphanage? Where are you from, really? I don’t think I asked yet.”​"I grew up on the far northern border, still in Farhall. Left at a monastery as a child, the nuns took me in and raised me," Alric said, tapping the table.​Cherry whispered, ‘You too, huh?’​“What was that?”​“What was her name?”​“Lianne, only 150 nets tall, but whoo boy, she had the energy of 10 men.”​The two shared a laugh over the story, then the quiet returned. It didn’t last long, though, as Sunny came back with their drinks.​“So, what has someone from the northern border gone all the way to the capital?”“I want to become a knight,” Alric said with conviction.​Cherry whistled at his declaration, but Alric paid it no mind.​“Any reason why it had to be the capital? You could be one on Coldahvin too, right?”Scratching his head and looking away in slight shame, Alric mumbled, “The capital makes the best amount of money.”​Cherry actually needed to process that and blew up with a laugh, “Hahahaha! That they do, bucko! Put ‘er here, for money!” He raised his glass and the two toasted.The two talked more about themselves. When their conversation quieted, Cherry began rhythmically tapping his fingertips on the table. He pressed his hand to his forehead and pinched the bridge of his nose. His expression grew focused as he stared intensely at Alric.“Everything okay, Cherry?” He abruptly slammed his hands on the table. “Fuck it! You’ll do!” he declared, then immediately reached for his drink, finishing it in one go before visibly calming down.​“Alric,” Cherry called out in a serious voice.​“What I’m about to tell you is confidential, and I don’t want anyone to hear from it. Can I trust you with this information?” Alric gulped, his hands clenching at his sides. What the fuck. The way Cherry shifted his behaviour was uncanny; right now, it’s like he was talking to a completely different person. Alric nervously nodded his head, eyes darting to Cherry's face, and braced himself. What kind of information was Cherry going to share with him?​“Truth be told, Alric, I’m actually part of the black guard. We’re elite knights who think, with a more discreet approach.” ​After hearing about that, his whole body tensed. He could feel that this might be dangerous information, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop listening. Cherry continued, “Being frank with you, I would like to formally invite you to help me with a mission.”​“What kind of mission-” ​“Shh!” ​Cherry shuhsed him as one man went up to the second floor. He was a tall man dressed in all black with a pale complexion. He had a messy, wild black hair that fell all the way down to his back. He walked to the other end of the floor without so much as a sound; it’s like he was never there. Once he sat down, his once-imposing figure seemed to just disappear into the backdrop of the room. ​Cherry returned to its focus, now with lower volume. He handed Alric a scroll, and it seemed to be a map. The map looks like a fortress, with the entrance, the target, and the exit all marked in red. Seems to be an extraction mission.​“My task is to extract from this vault to the entrance, the reason for this being done can’t be disclosed by me, but with your help, we can reduce the risks of this mission.”​Alric scratched his head. He can’t ask too many questions. ‘What do I get out of this?’​“If you join me, I can guarantee you a spot in the knighthood.” ​Alric’s ears perked up like a dog hearing the word treat. He quickly reached out his hand for Cherry to shake it. The two shook hands, and with that, their partnership was sealed. Cherry let out a breath, tension leaving his body, and it seemed the Cherry from before was back. ​“Man, you’re a real lifesaver! I don’t know how I was gonna do this without someone like you!”​Alric chuckled, but a shiver ran through his spine. He had a feeling he might not have made the right decision with this, but an early entry into knighthood meant he could send money to the monastery faster!​The two finished their drinks and walked down. Alric is being handed a scroll on what he needs to bring, where, and when the mission will take place. When they were walking down, he felt a bit tipsy and bumped into someone.​“Ow!”​A girl's voice came from below. Alric looked down to see a woman of small stature. She was wearing a green robe with a golden lining that looked expensive, and she had shoulder-length silver hair. The one thing that caught his eye the most, though, was her ears; they were long. She was an Elf. ​Elves are Aetherical Beings known for their control of Aether. Most of them are powerful mages, able to cast their magic without a conduit with great precision and power. Aside from their magical prowess, they're also known for their passive, aloof, and non-confrontational nature. ​“Watch it, asshole! Are you BLIND?” The elf yelled.​Apparently, though not this one. Alric reached out his hand to help her up, but she swatted it away and stood up on her own. She locked eyes with the pair, clicked her tongue in annoyance, and then stormed up to the second floor.​Alric frowned at the reaction. It was an honest mistake; he tried to remedy it, but some people are just unreconcilable, he thinks. Cherry pats his back. “Don’t worry about that! She’s a regular, and Sunny says she’s a bit prickly. Nothing personal to you.”​The two left the bar and parted ways. Alric was able to find some lodging thanks to the money Cherry gave him. He spent the night restless as the day he became a knight becomes closer. One mission to greatness was all he needed! What great luck he has!​