Catpurr 20: Pep Talk

This going to suck. Adam thought, pondering over the events of the meeting with the guild master.

Sitting in a room decorated with a wooden dresser and a bed big enough for a grown adult, Adam waited, looking through the pink tinted glass window that overlooked a massive gilded city outside.

Adam eyed the pedestrians from his position on the fourth floor, watching as the citizens went about their day.

Looking down, it was just like any other city he'd flown over with only one stark difference.

There were only humans.

No delvers, no lizardfolk, and no elves. Only humans. A sight that was odd to Adam who came from a place filled with multi-racial species.

He had noticed the same thing within the tavern. Every being he’d come across had been human.

This might be a problem. Adam frowned to himself, weighing his escape options as he pulled his hood further down.

Adam was no stranger to discrimination, after all, he'd been pursued his whole life just based on his class alone. He could easily imagine the troubles he'd get into as a young demi-child wandering the streets.

A knock at the wooden door turned Adam’s attention away from a family walking hand in hand.

“Hello?” The familiar mage with green hair said, poking her head in to look at Adam.

“Hello.” Adam replied as the pair known as Titania and Sehn cramped his newly acquired living space.

“I’m Titania Nobora, and this is Sehn. We’re adventurers for the guild. Do you have a name?” Titania introduced as Sehn tried to shift his coffin backpack to fit inside the room.

“I’m Adam.” Adam replied, his eyes catching the swift movement of a white-haired maid peeking into his room. Making eye contact, the dark-eyed woman vanished, allowing Ruebella to step inside holding a box.

“Adam.” Titania said, adjusting her dress as she sat down beside him. “Do you know where you are?”

“Uh, no.” He replied truthfully, feeling odd as the scantily clad woman leaned close and put a hand on his lap. Truthfully, Adam never had much of an interest in the meatsuits of other people, yet as he sat there his eyes began to unconsciously drift downwards, making him concerned as he refocused.

“You’re in Vilenciel, the Imperial fortress city of the Western Alinora Plains.”

“Ok.” Adam replied with absolutely no idea where that was, or the significance of the locals. The only thing that stood out, was that he was in a Fortress City, meaning high military presence or a capital of some kind.

“You have no idea where any of that is do you?” Titania said, spying Adam’s blank stare.

“Nope.”

The woman sighed. “And you have no idea what the Abyssal Tower is do you?”

Looking off to the side, Adam eyed his interface, reading over the quest marker in case there was any information he’d missed.

“Nope.” Adam answered with Titania slouching.

Titania gazed down for a moment.

“The Abyssal Tower is a… a bad place.” Titania said with Sehn snorting.

“That’s putting it lightly.” the man interjected, folding his arms as he leaned on the wall and Titania shot a look at him. “Kid, the Abyssal Tower is a hellscape designed to kill you.”

As I thought. Adam sighed to himself.

“SEHN!” Titania snapped.

“What? You can’t coddle him if you expect him to survive.” Sehn shot back, all signs of his nervous portrayal gone as undid his coffin, letting it drop to the floor with a loud thunk as he crouched beside Adam. “How much time do you have lad?”

Taken aback by the man’s hyper focus eyes, Adam took a moment before responding.

[159:36:20]

“Six days.” Adam grimaced, noting the severity of the situation from Sehn's tone. From everyone's earlier expressions back in the guild room he knew he was in for a rough time. This however, was the last nail in the coffin.

"Then we have some time. Listen, the Abyssal Tower is a twisted game show the gods put on to entertain themselves. They offer rewards, skills, abilities, and promises of power." Sehn explained, producing a purple slip of paper with a symbol of a sword and shield and what appeared to have had a dozen holes punched into it. “To enter, you need one of these, an Abyssal Ticket.”

Adam’s eyes dilated, spotting his quest objective he immediately pounced, attempting to swipe the item to complete his quest, yet Sehn expected this, yanking his arm back.

“Not so fast!” Sehn yelled, putting a hand out that caught Adam by the head as he grabbed at the piece of paper the man held aloft. “Each ticket is unique to its owner and soul bounded, meaning you can’t have mine!”

At his words Adam deflated, ceasing his assault. “So where do I get one?”

The pair looked at each other, frowning.

“Do you understand what we’re saying?” Sehn asked, his jaw clenching.

“I do. I am prepared.” Adam said resolutely, making the man flash a look of surprise. "Either I do it and I die, or I don't and I die."

Sehn blinked, the little boy's words catching him off guard.

“At the Temple of the Six Gods. It’s where all tickets are issued.” Titania butted in, explaining as she produced her own ticket that had a symbol of a tree with five holes punched.

Great. More gods. Adam sighed to himself. Lamenting all the woes he’d already suffered through.

“So. Once I get this ticket all I have to do is complete trials right?” Adam asked, examining Titania’s ticket as she held it out. On touch, Adam could tell it was magical in nature, the item akin to silk in his hand as he inspected the light gold engraving of the tree on it.

“It’s not so simple lad.” Sehn said, as Ruebella began taking out what looked to be bits of leather and metal armor. “The trials are hard, even for someone as good looking as me. Fortunately for most, you only have to scale up to the fifth floor to disable the death penalty if you refuse to enter.”

So even after I get a ticket there will be a compulsory death penalty. Adam thought, absorbing all the information the man was spilling out and forming his own conclusions.

“Sadly. Most don’t make it past the first floor.” Titania sighed as Ruebella beckoned for Adam to stand up.

“P-pardon me.” Rubella said, as Adam stood and she began fitting him with leather straps and pieces of metal.

“Whats this for?” Adam asked, wondering why he was suddenly being armored up.

Sehn’s expression quickly morphed, his lips forming into a devious smile.

Oh no.

“Why training of course!” Sehn barked as he patted Adam on the back. “We don’t want you dying immediately! Uncle Sehn is going to teach you how to fight!”