Just one sentence as introduction: „Garro, you da real MVP”

Edited by: KenChi死

The adventure guild was quiet and peaceful. It was almost unnatural for this environment, yet somehow literally nothing happened. A few adventurers were picking up requests from the board (wall), some were finishing their late breakfast, and a few were talking to each other quietly. Marika and Mrogul were out, so no one was cursing; Loki was out, so no one was playing stupid jokes nor saying unfunny jokes; Gisele was ou…

The door was slammed and couple of adventurers walked inside.

“EVERYONE! GUESS WHO’S BACK!”

… Gisele was no longer out. And here the peaceful days hours of the guild had ended. A little commotion started with the halls, in the end, Gisele and her team are the strongest adventurers and quite the celebrities.

The team of Gisele: Giant man, literally a walking mountain of muscles. From heels to ears covered in thick plate armor. Carrying nothing but a tower shield with a few short spikes over its surface. You don’t want this guy to charge at you with this piece of deadly iron.

Another man… or at least everyone thinks he (?) is a men, for his robe was perfectly hiding his body shape and he never took the strange mask off his face. Completely blank white ceramic mask. He (?) also never spoke. Never. He is a magician. So how does he chant spell? He doesn’t.

A woman, elf, yet no dark elf. Her skin was pale, yet not your average ill-looking pale skin, it was almost white. Big gentle eyes, as blue as purest lake, long ears… even too long comparing it to every other kind of elf… and two curved short swords by her belt which directly said what kind of role she hold in the party.

And at the very end Gisele herself. She was no human, she was no elf, she was no demon. The closest thing that could be used to name her was beastkin, but not your average bestkin! Oh, no.

From far away you could mistake her for some Lizard-man, but the truth was much more astonishing. She was a half dragoness.

Wearing a strange hybrid of leather and chain armor, carrying on her back a claymore… that occasionally she wielded with one hand.

Red hair which perfectly matched her red, reptilian eyes, and her gentle smile was an extreme contrast to her confident gaze.

At the very enter to the guild she stretched her body and quietly whispered

“Home… sweet home.”

The adventurers inside the guild, just before running to them, quickly exchanged glances and said to each another.

“No word about him.”

But their effort of keeping information about a certain someone to themselves (for now) was frustrated by a certain girl behind the counter. Certain beastgirl from the cat tribe. Certain someone that loved Gisele, hated that very person, and loooved being entertained.

“Giseeeleee! Answer the c…” “I ain’t going to answer any call silly girl, but nice to see you too! Come’ere and gimme a hug.”

They liked each other, or saying it differently there was no one who would hate Gisele, she was simply the hardworking type that loved to help others, even newbies… of course up to a limit. She definitely was not some kind of pushover.

“Hmm, that’s a sad thing… But I have a news to you… you know that we have a new adventurer? You certainly did not… you just came back…” “Really? The more the merrier! But why are you mentioning him right away? If he here we may just…” “Guild master Jericho took him as his new apprentice.” “…”

Everyone within the guild froze in their position.

Why? Putting it bluntly – Up until now Gisele was the only apprentice of master Jericho. Nothing much… but if you add that she is a very… competitive person… and she had a real dragon temper… and she suffers from chronic lack of sparring partners… Now you see?

Her eyes first lightened up with inner fire, on her face a wide grin appeared… a bit too wide… okay, far, FAR too wide! She actually bared all her sharp teeth; started breathing rapidly.

She was simply struck with a blood rush.

After so many years of training either alone or with master… a partner! A rival! Someone worthy!

Of course our little wonderful Zari was… not exactly worthy right now. He definitely wouldn’t stand a chance against the enthusiastic dragon… even a half dragon counts as a dragon…

Even if she lost the ability to breath actual fire due to her half-form, steam actually started to escape from her mouth.

“Where…” she intended to ask, but what escaped her mouth was more like… a hybrid of a growl and a howl and the sound that tortured chicken would made…

Step one – do not make a dragon enthusiastic. Step two – Don’t. Step three – I told you, fucking don’t… Step four – you did it, didn’t you? No, do not run, it is pointless. Just lay on the ground, show you throat and maybe you will die quickly. Maybe.

“I asked… where…”

In the very next moment half of the guild was trying to overpower and restrain a certain half-dragoness, that with bared sword was running back and forth through the whole guild, looking under tables, breaking doors of every single room screaming something like “Where are you, you little piece of…” And the “…” part was different each time she roared it.

A few floors higher, the guild master was trying to drink tea, yet every time he shortened the distance between cup and his lips, a small… explosion? Could be heard from bellow and the whole building almost jumped each time.

The secretary came in.

“Looks like she is back.” “Apparently… yes.” “And someone was either stupid or envious enough to right away tell her about Zari.” “Once again you are right, my dear.” “And as she gets a little bit calmer, and startes once again thinking rationally… she will come here and ask where did he go…” “That sounds just like her.” “So… what are we going to do?”

Guild master finally stopped his pointless efforts of taking a sip of the tea, put the cup away, looked at Alesia and said.

“We are going to point here to the location… of place laying in the completely opposite location… like he went south?” “Yes, the village that asked for help is Naiaka, laying…” “Then… do we have something laying north, about a day or two of marching away?” “…She will be back at the end of the day…” “But hopefully she would calm herself.” “There is, a small trade-city.” “May the citizens of that city forgive us… We are about to send them an enraged dragon… Oh wait, isn’t Markolm living there?” “… No you didn’t…” “I did what?” “Did you know when Gisele is coming back?” “More or less…” “And YOU were the one who halted THIS quest up to the day of Gisele return…” “Um… yes?” “Jeremy Aloizi Jericho… I will ask you only once… did you actually predict that someone would tell Gisele about the boy, so you convinced Loki and the rest to take him for the guest, just to send Gisele north to have your pitiful revenge on Malkolm?” “… But you can’t say it isn’t funny! He is the damned head of the city guard! Can you imagine his face when he will try to calm down angered Dragoness? BWAHAH! Oh girl! It’s hilarious! “… old like an oak, and stupid like a goat… Jeremy, you hold an important office in the city… please act like the guild master… at least from time to time…”

The door was slammed opened. A red haired dragon terror jumped inside.

She was no longer able to even ask a question. There was only one question in her mad eyes, that actually told what she wanted.

The last time Alesia looked at Jeremy and said

“I can’t believe I am doing this… Gisele, child… have you heard about the small trade-city, laying north from here…?”

I sneezed.

“Bless you. Maybe someone is talking about you?” Loki laughed quietly. “You think so? Knowing my luck somebody must have just paid for my head… Can you please tell me once again when we will be there?” “In he evening we will stay for the night at a local inn, and in the morning we will dive into dungeon!” “Why won’t we walk there right away?” “Zaaarii… please don’t ask dump things.” Marika said turning back to me “The monsters in the dungeons are more dangerous during night. It is nothing more than excessive risk.” “But, won’t we stay for a few night inside the dungeon? What’s the difference? We will get attacked anyway.”

Morgul growled lowly

“That’s the only thing that midget is good for. She can create those… what’ya’callin?...hex bags and talismans…” “Oh, I can make those too…”

Mrogul looked at Marika and with smile that bared his fangs said.

“Now, you are useless.”

Marika just picked a stone up, and throw it at Mrogul, but it was stopped by Loki”

“Now, now, now, now! Calm down all of you! Mrogul, shut your face! And…” But Marika did not calmed down at all “Zari! Mind helping me?”

Eh…

“Marika! Have you ever ridden on a Warg?”

Sometimes they act like kids… but maybe this is why I like them so much?

The village was really small, slightly bigger than the one on the verge of the Forest. Aaand we were greeted as heroes… And I have to admit – it was reeeeally nice. Some kids were waiting at the road, some dressed as warriors, with old towels to imitate cape.

But the faces they made when Marika rode into the village on a Black Warg? Priceless.

The elder of the village gave us rooms inside his own hut, he didn’t even want to hear about us renting room in the inn. His wife also had prepared a full meal for us.

The saying is right – poor men will give you more than any rich one in this world.

We had a nice sleep, but this is not the part that you find interesting, do you? I know about what you want to hear right now.

The entrance of the dungeon was a cave. Nothing much, if not for te skulls of some cattle animals on the sticks.

“Folks around are marking dungeon this way, so you would not accidentally walk inside and get yourself killed… This Dungeon is pretty easy, has 9 floors, at the last one there is a return glyph. Now, are you ready!?”

Natural Dungeon [Lair of NightmareScale]Floors: 10Suggested average level pf party required to clear: 20Cleared: No

“… are you sure it has 9 floors?” “Sure thing, we were here couple of times…” “Does it have a boss?” “Calling him a boss is a bit too much, you know? More like a mini-boss, creatures like him usually are supports for a real Boss in harder dungeons… why do you ask?” “Is he called… perhaps… NightmareScale?” “Hell no! He is but a legend of the folks around here!... wait, you are here for the very first time? How did you know about the legends of…” “I have news to you guyz…” “Good or bad?” “Depends. This dungeon has one more floor, and apparently it was never cleared.” “And how do you know bout’ it?” “Let’s just say… a beast can sense a beast…”