A Town at the Edge of The Frontier

The cart reached the cobbled road that led into town, a pleasant change from the uneven and bumpy path they’d been following. The town stretched out before them, split down the middle by the main road, with narrow side streets snaking off into the distance.

No walls surrounded the town, just open farmland whose workers had long since returned to the comfort of their homes. Even the guards were lacking, a side-effect of the over reliance and abundance of adventurers.

A single guard was posted by the main entrance, he paid little attention to the cart as it rolled past, just a simple wave to Maria before turning his attention away again. Past him was a small shack, meant to be the southern-block’s guard house.

Kairan studied the letters carved into a sign hanging from a post by the town’s entrance.

“Ryk,” he muttered quietly. It had taken him longer than usual to remember each letter’s sound. Unfortunately, reading comprehension was the last of his worries.

As the cart continued, many of the town’s inhabitants peered out from their windows at the latest arrival.

“We’ve attracted quite the attention today,” smirked Faelyn, as he gave a fluttery wave to a passing girl, who blushed, before returning it. “Think we will be talk of the town?” he asked.

Garth snorted, “Maybe, until Chase returns.”

The town centre was marked by a large building, not one so grand as the palace in Dyovaris, but still distinct enough that it drew your eye. It was a large three-story U-shaped building, with two balconies flanking each wing. Like many others, it was built primarily of stone, except for the wooden supports and tiled roof.

The second layer was the liveliest. Yellow light bled forth from the windows, illuminating the streets beneath.

The guild, I imagine, Kairan guessed.

As the cart pulled alongside the entrance, Maria jumped out and headed for the door, as she reached it, she turned.

“Don’t let it escape this time,” she said before entering.

Garth followed her inside. Cali shifted her crossbow to face Kairan, while Al and Faelyn climbed out to stretch their legs.

Time slowly passed, and Kairan began to take note of the crowd forming; a mix of ordinary citizens, adventurers and a handful of lazy guards who’d left their posts to see him. Kairan made sure to disappoint and remained as still and boring-looking as he could.

Five minutes later, Maria and Garth returned, following suit, was a short, pompous man dressed in plush clothes with a long but well-kempt beard. The moment he laid eyes on Kairan; his face went from sun touched to stark white and he tripped backward over his own feet.

“Do you plan te kill us all!” yelled the man, his voice was gripped with so much fear it squeaked with the final word. “What’s a bleedin’ death-cap doin’ here!” The man’s hands flew to cover his mouth. Kairan noted how each hand only possessed four fingers.

Due to his outburst, panic surged through the crowd and without heed for each other they began to push and clamber as they tried to back away from Kairan.

Maria looked to Garth for help, who was reluctant at first but quickly gave into her pressuring eyes.

He drew in a deep, raspy breath, the air rumbling over his coarse throat with a guttural growl before he unleashed a bellow that echoed through the town. “Enough!” The force of his voice silenced everyone, putting an abrupt end to their frenzied attempt at escape. Kairan could a feel a shiver run down his back.

Garth had changed, his hair was more reminiscent of fur and had started to spread down the sides of his face, ending just before the chin.

With the frenzied mob coming to a momentary halt, it was Al’s turn. “It’s not a death cap,” he said, mustering the confidence to be as loud as he could, “…They are smaller and,” he began to stutter.

“Alright everyone, calm down. Gentleman, Ladies,” said Faelyn, never one to miss an opportunity he winked at a nearby woman. “There is nothing to be worried about, our esteemed guild master has merely mistaken this myconid for a death cap. After all…” he paused to lean closer to Al, who was thankful someone had taken over from him. “The most telling features of a death cap are that they are short, blind and release lethal gasses. Not only has this one got eyes, but we’d have never gotten into town if it was. Rest assured, this one is safe.”

His words put the crowd’s worries to ease, much to Kairan’s disappointment. He’d been enjoying it, though he made sure not to show it.

The pompous man had already climbed to his feet and brushed himself off pretending nothing had happened. “So then, Maria, what is this thing you’ve brought te me doors?” His voice had returned to its normal level of depth and consistency.

“To you, Arnold, I present the monster that has been terrorizing the forest around Mount Tefraa.” She swung her arms out, like one did when presenting an item of great value to a possible customer.

“Ahem,” he coughed, “unfortunately, it was discovered yesterday that the beast was ‘n fact a rare troll that was capable of learning magic. Meaning ye don’t get the reward…again. And due to the danger of this threat, I personally sent Chase,” said Arnold, who seemed almost apologetic about having to intervene with an accepted quest. Safety had to come first, that was the way he saw it.

Troll? Kairan thought. He’d killed one, it had been a difficult struggle, but if he’d managed why couldn’t they? They’d already bested him.

It was at that moment Kairan took note of a tall figure, clad in heavy armour, standing just behind the crowd. No one else had noticed the man standing there, patiently waiting.

When did he get there? Kairan thought only for the man to immediately lock eyes with him. Kairan felt a chill suddenly embrace him, holding him where he was, beneath the man’s domineering gaze. The golden eyes bore into him with keen interest.

The man had purposefully hidden his presence, it made moving through crowds easier, but he had grown curious of the strange creature being presented by the group of low-rank adventurers for the bounty he’d just been sent to collect.

He’d slain plenty of unique and interesting monsters, but this one stood out. It was unlike any myconid or Sovereign he’d seen, both in appearance and magic. The creature seemed to possess even less mana than the average commoner. Yet, it had still managed to detect him – granted the technique wasn’t perfect, anyone who actively wanted to notice you, would.

Nevertheless, this mutant myconid piqued the man’s interest.

The man turned his attention away from Kairan, and put on a cheerful smile, “Arnold, I have returned,” he said.

The nearby crowd jumped at his sudden appearance before respectfully moving aside for him. Those nearest to him expressed their admiration or gratitude, while a handful tried to strike up conversation and regale facets of their daily lives with him. He was quick to deal with each one, never indulging in more than a couple seconds per person.

“Ah, Chase my boy, you’ve returned sooner than expected. I assume the troll has been dealt with?” asked Arnold.

“Of course,” Chase answered, as he stepped into the light.

He was a young but tall man with jet-black hair and strong facial features. No doubt a single smile would leave any maiden swooning, or those enchanting golden eyes, most could not help but feel drawn into them.

Yet, Kairan’s attention was elsewhere, focused solely on the man’s armour.

Years of adventuring had not tarnished the majesty, only claiming some of the eccentricities. A faded blue regaled the experience and skills he’d honed. Over the years, the onyx accents and ornate carvings were replaced with chips and scratches; every notch had story, a lesson learnt and trial overcome. The summation of it all: indomitable. He was a walking fortress clad in a 100 kilograms of steel and showed no strain in his movements.

To Kairan, this was the image of a true hero. Nothing could disprove that belief. How different would their quest been if this man had accompanied them? Kairan knew the answer, chose not to dwell on it.

After finishing his greeting with the guild master, Chase unhooked a package from his belt. The cloth that covered it was slowly changing colour as something seeped through.

Chase unveiled his package, revealing a large and sickly green decapitated head; its lifeless eyes sat in sunken holes, expressing no emotion over its final moments. Blood leaked from where its neck had once been. Chase held it up by last scraps of hair for all to see.

Definitely a different troll, Kairan thought, seeing its head intact.

“You needn’t fear any longer, the troll has been felled,” he said loudly, so that everyone could hear him.

“Go on in, Sen should be able to prepare your reward shortly,” said Arnold as he began ushering Chase inside.

“Don’t rush yourself, old dwarf, I’m in no hurry. On the matter, give a third of the reward to these folks,” Chase said, giving a small nod to the adventurers who’d captured Kairan.

Arnold frowned for a second before suppressing his thoughts, “Certainly.”

Chase then lowered his voice so that not even the keenest of ears could hear what he had to say. “This wasn’t our beast. It never started those fires, Arnold.”

Arnold’s eyes fixated on Chase, “In my office,” he mouthed.

As Kairan turned the idea of all short people being dwarves over in his head, he caught a snippet of a disheartened conversation on the second floor.

“Didn’t he just finish a year long quest?” Grumbled a patron who sat by the window.

“Ignore it, you’ll make yourself feel more pathetic if you keep dwelling on it,” replied another, grimly.

Seems I need to try my best to avoid Chase in the future, at least these idiots take their bounties back alive. I doubt I’ll survive long against him, Kairan thought.

“Perhaps it was a good fortune we missed this quest…Again, I suppose. At least, we are getting rewarded,” said Faelyn, his expression of disappointment at the loss of such a large bounty was easily readable.

“The great Faelyn, accepting scraps, who’d have thought. What happened to stealing a water serpent’s eye?” Cali responded, cynically.

Faelyn opened his mouth but then chose to sigh instead of responding. Clearly no longer in the mood, he wasn’t the only one. The whole group had lost their spirit.

“Well, now that this misunderstanding has been settled. Untie me, dammit!” Kairan yelled, earning a collective gasp from the crowd.

How are any of you shocked by a talking mushroom? There is plenty of weirder things out there.

Arnold took a step back, though it put little distance between him and Kairan. “I have never heard of a myconid that could verbally speak. Maria where is it you said you found this beast?” he narrowed his eyes and slowly rubbed his chin. A soft sheen passed over his eyes.

It was something Kairan hadn’t seen, despite staring directly into the man’s eyes.

After a brief inspection, Arnold’s face muscles untensed and he looked at Maria for her answer.

“It was in the forest around Mt. Tefraa. We’d seen it slaughter an aardboar in the same manner the reports had described. Bare-handed, might I add.”

“Bare-handed you say, well such a feat is expected of them. Interestingly though, it must have done so without aid from magic. Seems to possess an extraordinary frame and bulk, which could explain the absence of mana but then what of the natural psionics, has it forgone such adaptations? Is it a new species perhaps?”

“Wait, without magic?” questioned Maria, pulling Arnold from his thoughts.

“Yes…Has your mage not mentioned it yet?” he asked, looking at Al.

The boy had gone pale and was desperately trying to tuck himself into his cloak, hoping it would make him disappear, “I forgot to check,” Al stuttered meekly, ready for reprimand.

“It’s your job boy, your party relies on your ability to identify these things,” Arnold reprimanded, though his tone remained gentle. “On another note, what is your plan for it?”

“I’m in favour of letting it go,” Kairan pitched, “Since, you know, I’m obviously not your monster and I mean you no harm.”

“It is rather humorous; I’m sure Sen would love cutting it up. The guild is willing to purchase it from you, Maria. Of course, you can free it, if you want – just follow protocol.”

“Is the guild okay with dissecting sapient creatures?” Maria asked.

“Hold up. If dissection is involved, I should definitely have a say,” said Kairan, unable to keep down the nervous laughter.

“Myconids are classified as monsters, the guild would look past it,” Arnold said, ignoring Kairan’s remark, treating him with indifference. He didn’t exist.

This is bad, Kairan thought and with more fervour than ever, begun struggling against his restraints but nothing gave.

“Excuse me!” interrupted a girl in glasses, as she forced her way between the crowd.

“I’m a researcher, t-that myconid,” she said, pointing at Kairan after clumsily breaking through. “Please, sell it to me.”

It felt as though all sound had been stifled.

“Huh?” Kairan exclaimed, taken aback by the rather daring pipsqueak.

“Seems ye have three options ‘ere Maria,” said Arnold.

“I’ll pay double whatever the guild can!” the girl yelled desperate to acquire Kairan, who wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about the current situation. The guild would end in death, the adventurers would never set him free, and there was no telling what the girl wanted him for.

“Standard price for living specimens of this calibre would be 2 gold,” replied Arnold, setting the floor high for their bargain.

The girl cringed at the price, but with little choice, relented, “4 gold it is,” she decided, saying the value out loud seemingly caused her pain. Such an expense was bound to bring anyone weak legs.

“Does that settle it, Maria?” Arnold asked.

“Of course!” answered Maria, ecstatic with how lucrative Kairan had suddenly become.

For the next few minutes, Kairan sat silently with his jaw hanging on the floor. The researcher and Maria were taken inside to oversee the transfer of possession. It included a lecture about the town’s safety and a recommendation that she make use of the guild’s holding cells, something the researcher was very against.

With the excitement coming to a quick end, and the guild master leaving, the crowd did not hang around for much longer. There was barely anyone left when the end of Kairan’s rope was handed to the girl.

“Take care,” Faelyn said with a wink as he bid the girl farewell, “It can be rather feisty.”

So, with little choice, Kairan followed the girl.