“Indricotherian Camel, Camelus paraceratherium- is the ship of the Titan’s DustBowl. It is a prized creature for those who live in areas with a scarcity of water and vegetation that would otherwise be inhabitable for other beasts of burden or mounts like horses and Alpine goats. It has fur that can be anything between grey or brown and and some specimens have been known to stand at 3.2 mesurs tall at the shoulder. Its bulky body is adapted for storing surplus water and fat. Although this creature cuts an imposing figure, it is a gentle colossus and a very social beast…” from Philiarz Warnerskemander’s Bestiary for Adventurers: ‘Exotic Beasties and Where To Find Them.

Elena was happy. After her request was witnessed by the big man himself, that is to say, Yondouk the dwarf, the overseer had allocated her more shift hours. The young sylvani's coin pouch had never been heavier.

It had only been three days into the job after her shift had been approved and Elena was getting used to the grind. Occasionally her lunch breaks and Hanna's would coincide and they would go out for lunch; on Hanna's tab of course.

Nonetheless, Elena could not turn down the offers because she loved to stuff herself silly. And that was much to the chagrin of her lunch mate who envied her sylvani metabolism.

Well not that you didn't encounter well-endowed sylvani, but those were practically homebodies with non-combat classes. They were very few and far between because the sylvani just had a penchant for moving around.

Sometimes when time was on her side, she would drop by the guild to check on the supplies for the expedition. Though consorting with the Quinten, [Warrior] of Wyvern's Woe left a bitter taste in her mouth, she could not turn down overseeing the evaluation.

Elena hoped that the man would not make things difficult because their promotion to Steel rank was riding on their good behavior. But eh, people rarely changed in the span of two nundines. Some people were just audacious like that. Case in point, Quinten was feigning buying new gear or coming to get some things enchanted just so he could chat up Elena.

Being at work, Elena just took it in stride, she adopted her business-like smile and kept her composure. Her coworkers pitied her of course. But sometimes, they jumped in before things became too much even for onlookers,especially for the female clerks. Oftentimes Elena just wondered how the other members of Wyvern’s Woe put up with Quinten—she would have to ask the team’s captain when they got to their first meeting.

On her off- day from Yondouk’s, Elena got to meet the younger of the Stringsong sisters and her team. They met one afternoon, in one of the guild’s meeting lounges to hash out the details of their evaluation.

Brought along were the rest of Wyvern’s Woe. Elena was acquainted with some of them but not to the point of familiarity. Nonetheless, the Silver rank team was on a meteoric rise no doubt due to Hanaestra’s ambition and many of the desk staff at the guild were already in the know.

The younger of the Stringsong’s sisters was always in the shadow of the elder. The older Stringsong was a Gold rank class adventurer in an equally strong adventuring party.

Hanaestra’s party, the Wyvern’s Woe was made up of a [Mage], a [Ranger], a [Rogue], a [Warrior] and an [Archer], Hanaestra being the archer of their party. As far as compositions went, the party was not a bad fit per se, but their main strength was on long range offense.

Long range being their mainstay was what earned their name. It was suitable for putting down juvenile wyverns who were stranded from their weyrs. The party always played it safe and only went for quarries they knew they could defeat, adult wyverns were above their pay grade unless they were runts.

“I see four of you here. You’re one man short,” observed Elena as she took a seat across from the party. “My name’s Elena, I’ll be the one doing your evaluation for promotion to Steel rank.” She folded her legs and adjusted her skirt as she looked over the documents at hand.

Though she couldn’t have been bothered that Quinten the [Warrior] was not around, it still put a damper on her plans. All the same, it wasn’t her problem as long as they made sure everything was in order before the expedition. There was about a nundine and a couple of days remaining.

Shrugging, Hanaestra gave a curt reply, “What he does with his time when we’re not on the job is none of my business. So long as he shows up and pulls his weight. Name’s Hanaestra, I’m sure I’m well known around or so I like to think I am.”

Elena pursed her lips and looked at the rest of the party. They did not seem all that surprised by the development in fact, they treated it as a given.

“Quinten may somewhat be something of a poor character—,” the mage began as he read his companion’s expressions. Elena arched her eyebrows questioningly. “Oh, my manners escape me sometimes. Many pardons. I am Ralf Wynmenor, a [Mage]. No specializations currently, just a generalist—”

“Mmh.”

“But when it comes to his skill as an adventurer, he is a better vanguard. Therefore, it would be remiss of me to judge him harshly,” the human mage added, putting away his spell tome.

“What about the rest of you?” Elena asked, raring to get the meeting started.

“Heh,” replied the canis-kin ranger, a kind of wolf beastkin. “On the field he follows the plan, so that’s that,” she scratched at her ears which were twitching this way and that while the tail on her lap was as still as tails could be. “Yssinia Wolfhowl, “she added at the end. Like her counterparts, she was rather indifferent about Quinten’s absence.

The last member of the party to introduce himself, the rogue just grunted his name and went silent after shrugging as well. His name was Triston; he was a tiefling but whose human side had won over the fiend-kin side.

The only way you could tell is if you scrutinized his forehead long enough to see the nubs of recessive horns among his bangs. However, he wore a cowl with the hood drawn. Even his complexion was different from other tieflings and could have been mistaken for a human with a darker complexion instead of the gray that most tieflings had.

'Mmh, guess he rarely speaks ‘cause his desert accent might just give him away. Wonder how he’s survived this long,’ mused Elena after looking up the tielfling’s details in the documents she brought.

“Alright then. Since Quinten’s absence seems to be a non-issue.” Elena huffed as placed the pieces of parchment on the table. She folded her hands over her lap as she gathered her thoughts, “We’ll get started with the preliminaries. First off, since you know it’ll be a five-day excursion I presume that you know to get your supplies from the guild. They’re always subsidized for expeditions like these. As for the mounts, well, those you’ll have to rent. Unless you have your own?” the party shook their heads as a negative. Nodding in acknowledgement , she continued, “Then I can put in a request for you if you want, might get a guild discount.”

“Oh, why so early?” the mage asked to which their captain replied. “It’s always good to book in advance, that's simple.”

“I see…” Ralf nodded, rubbing his chin contemplatively.

‘A sheltered mage perhaps, nobles' lastborn? I haven’t heard of a house called Wynmenor. Must be a long way from home…Kingsfell or somewhere else along the sea. He’s not that pale, so a coasterian then.’

“So then, should I put in a request for you? I’ll just leave you to take care of the rest of the things”

“By all means, we’d appreciate it,” said Hanaestra as she looked from her team to Elena.

‘Acts aloof one time and interested in another. Must have something to prove thanks to her sister.’

“Good then, I’ll get a flock of llimus. Should be nimble about the Vale’s terrain.” Elena suggested

“You sure about that? Those mean stubborn birds? You know, big fowl with teeth?” Yssinia fidgeted as she looked to her captain.

“Yes, have a problem with them?” Elena’s brows rose while she thought ‘So, which one of them is the captain? The canis-kin or the sibling?

“Er, not sure about that. Not that I’m complaining but I’d rather get a horse. The fowl don’t seem to like me much.”

“ Okaaay. Llimus are cheaper but fine, we’ll get horses if that’s a problem. The discount might still apply.” That she noted down on her documents.

“Finally, the core of the matter. Your mission is to scout and map the third four of the Fetid Woods dungeon and defeat at least one bone treant. Then gather all the materials as per the bestiary. The dungeon’s already been mapped before so the floor should be manageable for your rank. Also, you should brush up on the monster’s you’re likely to meet.”

“On what basis are we to be evaluated?” Ralf asked inquisitively.

“Let’s see,” said Elena as she retrieved and shuffled the parchments to get the details she wanted. “Mmh, there’s preparedness which includes what gear you have and if it's suited to the delve. Coordination between team members’ offense and defense during the delve. Situational awareness and finally retrieval and preservation of materials,” She quoted.

“Are you participating in the delve? I hope you can protect yourself.”

“Goodness, no. I’ll give you scrying crystals and will be observing from the dungeon’s safe zone. Scrying slates don’t have that big of a range outside dungeons so it’ll have to be nearby.” Elena replied to the mage as she retrieved a quartz-like crystal from her skirt pockets.

The sylvani added that she would receive the scrying slate on the day of the expedition since there were few of them in use. After the participants had discussed the relevant details Elena left them to their own devices as she went to the guild’s front desk

“How was it?” Hana piped up from her work.

“Eh…just so and so.” Elena replied as she got a satchel for her documents.

“But that doesn’t tell me anything. I wish I was as combat capable as you. Even though you don’t have the class you can go to the Vale just fine.”

“Oh? I don’t recall telling you I went to the Vale.”

“A [Socialite] has her secrets,” Hana winked.

“Fine then have it your way, “Elena smirked playfully, slinging the satchel over her shoulder. “Lunch same time next time?”

“Oh yea, sure!” Hana piped,clapping her hands.

Elena left the guild behind and stepped into the afternoon streets of Aldmoor. It was around the fourth bell and she noticed just how fast time had flown while in the meeting. She just had enough time to get to a stable hand that leased mounts to the Guild and the stables were towards the direction of the main gate of the town.

The sylvani woman looked at the walls posed against the shining sun and sighed. It was going to be some walk; she would have gone somewhere nearer but such establishments did not rent mounts out to adventurers because of occupational hazards.

Thus she started strolling along the main thoroughfare, head turning this way and that way as she passed other pedestrians on the streets. Towards the gates were the inns that catered to adventurer’s, including Halen’s inn, the Griffin’s Roost. Perhaps an apt name because it was as noisy as a griffin’s nest especially during late afternoons when most adventurers were looking to unwind.

It spoke to the popularity of Halen’s inn; even though his levels as an innkeeper were below the average for Aldmoor, he could still pull clients because he knew adventurers’ preferences. As she passed through she heard, rather than saw how packed it was courtesy of the noise spilling onto the main street. She shook her head in amusement and got on her way.

The buildings on this side of town were some of the oldest. Almost as old as the wall that faced the port of Riftedge. Some of them had seen generations of the first families to settle in Aldmoor. However, most of them became rentals after the owners became affluent enough to move out to the newest section of the city.

Though old, the houses were still well maintained and some of them had premium prices; it gave rise to something of a mixed neighborhood. Aldmoor did not have the segregation that occurred in towns and cities that had nobles as governors.

The poor were far and few between, and most of them lived around the port of Riftedge where work was plenty for people of their meager skills. You did not simply come to Aldmoor if you did not have the mettle to be there because being a town of adventurers, pioneers and merchants,it was guaranteed only the ones with grit survived.

As she approached the wall, Elena was shaken out of her reverie by the golem by the gate that assisted the Guard to sort out the incoming queues. Something about a sentient being made of rock just unsettled her. She didn’t dwell for long as she turned onto another wide street to arrive at the stablehand’s premises.

The Stables was the name of the establishment. The proprietor was a sylvani woman who got away with the name because she was the first stablehand to start the business. Her stable catered to different mounts; from the flightless beak toothed llimu, to horses and griffins she had them all.

That she was a [Beast Trainer] spoke volumes because her animals were well behaved despite different predilections on what they ate. Horses ate hay, that was a given, the llimu were omnivorous while the griffins were carnivores.

It took a certain degree of finesse to handle such a zoo. There was even a pair of alpine goats; huge woolly herbivores that were domesticated by giants on the scarps of the Hunchback ranges. They towered over the normal breeds of horses. Overall, the stable was a barnyard of neighs, screeches, squawking and throaty bleats.

‘A new addition. I heard there’s a few giant-kin in town,’ thought Elena as she looked at them waringly. They looked like they could crush a pumpkin with one bite, which they were, in their feeding trough.

“Ah, Elena! What brings you here?” said a gray haired woman who seemingly appeared out of nowhere and enveloped her in a hug.

“Mmrphg! Mrs Vylrora You stink of horse.” Elena protested at the invasion of her personal space.

“My, how feisty you have become Elena. You used to cling to my skirts when you were younger,” the stablewoman stepped back all the while cupping her cheek in mock wistfulness.

Elena narrowed her eyes at the sprightly woman, way too active for her age. She was well into her late-100s and yet, well, she could just pass for someone’s mother. Age was just a number on her and the only way you could tell she was one of the oldest people around was her crow’s feet and the laughter lines that creased lightly as she smiled. For some sylvani, the late 100s were just like their late thirties if you were to compare them to humans.

“Well then, tell me. I assume you are here on guild business?” said Vylora as she watched Elena brush off horse hair from her uniform.

“I need six horses for an expedition next nundine. Probably around the last day.”

“Evaluation? “Vylora asked.

“Yea, how’d you know?”

“Orhill passed by earlier in the nundine. Said to help you get what you need since it’s your first evaluation. I’ll have them saddled and ready by then. Only the best for my little Lena.” Her eyes twinkled as she regarded Elena.

“New pets?” Elena asked as she pointed to the Alpine goats.

“Yea, you like them? Some giant-kin sold them off to me for cheap. They had one too many goats to start a farm around these parts.”

“Wait, there’s giant-kin farming around Aldmoor?”

“Mmh? Yea,” Vylora scratched at her chin. “They saw the opportunity, Aldmoor’s growing way too fast, more people need more food than we can ship in and grow on ourselves. Seems like only yesterday when there were a couple of survivors toughing it out in the wilds.”

“I gotta go, “ Elena interrupted the older woman before she devolved into a full-blown case of nostalgia. “ I have to get cleaned up before I help Halen at the inn, I don’t want to go bussing tables smelling like horse manure.”

“Ho, and I thought we’d have tea today,” Vylora cupped her chin again. “Come around sometime. Will you little Lena?” she added as she bounced away.

‘That woman never gets tired!’ Elena thought wistfully, as she turned on her heel and left.