‘Uhhhh, I’m so bored’, Jaret sighed, zoning in and out, continually watching as his newly appointed aid continued to pace around the insides of the large tent that served, for now at least, as both the command centre of the newly created dungeon outpost as well and his sleeping quarters.

“And so in further news we have the guild party, the Black zebra group, they have requested,” His aid said, Jaret continuously zoning in and out even as he continued to talk.

“Sir, sir” A guard suddenly ran into the tent.

‘Finally’ “Yes, what is it?” Jaret asked, turning to the guard.

“Elves!, Huh, Huh” The merc sighingly yelled. Taking in deep long breaths inwards. Having clearly ran at an exceptionally fast pace to get here on time.

“Elves!” Jaret and everyone else in the room yelled, instantly jumping up into the air.

“Yes sir,” The merc guard said.

“Take me to them!” Jaret ordered, immediately moving forwards, his aid rushing to his side as Jaret did a 180-degree turn, his whole body instantly turning forwards to where the large tent’s flaps lay, taking two jump-like steps and quickly reaching them, pushing them aside and exiting the tent without another word. The smell of distant fires suddenly burned through his nose as he did so.

“Yes, SSSSSSSSSSSS, SSIR……..” The guard cracked out, cracking under the pressure. And promptly started to walk. Leading Jaret forwards, in a direction that would hopefully lead them towards these so-called elves.

‘Oh….Lord’s, Ladies of light, I sure hope these are dark elves or were all screwed’ Jaret thought promptly following behind his aid.

‘Hah’ Jaret sighed, walking as fast as his legs could take him.‘We’ve done a lot in 2 days haven't we’, he thought gladly taking in the view as the guard led them past half a dozen or so swamp mud filled tents and trees both.

“So,” Jaret turned to the wide-eyed, young guard who was even now ever swiftly leading them both forwards through a mud shrunken path road that had been hastily put together only yesterday morning.

“Yes sir?” The guard said. abruptly turning a corner between two large red green tents, a tiny marketplace both metal and wood carved stores, carts and wagons that were watch filled to the brim ever appearing as he did so.

“These elves?” Jaret asked, quietly turning the corner, quite impressed by the gigantic market that stood before him.

It had been about 3 days or so since the arrival of the caravan and in that time Jaret had been busy, helping, setting up tents, building roads, planning infrastructure, and just generally attempting to turn this swamp-filled tent city into the thriving dungeon outpost that he envisioned it to be.

But even then he still could not believe the sight of the small bustling marketplace that even now stood out before him.

“Huh…”, Jaret sighed, shaking his head. If he had thought to imagine that this, any of this, would be possible 2 days ago, he would have thought himself mad. But no. No. Somehow they had managed it.

‘We still have an immense way to go, we still barely have 50 people between us, excluding the various mercs and adventurers of course, but still, it only took 2 days to build all this, imagine what we could do with a year’, Jaret thought, unable to believe at all that they had done, and all the things they had yet to do.

“Huh…” ‘And it could all come crashing down if the elves find us before us before we're ready…’ Jaret sighed, taking yet another step forward behind the guard, hoping beyond all hope that these elves turned out to be friends, not foes.

“Yes, sir” The guard, consciously guiding them both through the maze of carts and wagons that even now surrounded them both, waves of merchants shouting offers to the various Mercs and Adventurers, that were spending their various off hours in the marketplace.

“Are you certain, absolutely certain that they are truly elves, not imposters using some skill or ability?” Jaret asked, needing to be certain. They just could not afford for the elves to have discovered them. Not now. ‘We’ve barely had the chance to build a gate or any other fixed defences for that kind, it would be a slaughter ’

“No, sir, but as far as we can tell their elves”. The guard replied.

“Ok, good,” Jaret said. “Now where are they?”

“Not far now sir, not far at all,” The young aid said, turning yet another corner with Jaret following shortly behind. A guard stall post slightly larger than the rest of the caravan’s instantly appeared to Jaret's eyes as they turned the corner.

“Aghh there they are, sir!” The guard said, pointing to the guard post, 4 chained people who couldn't be anything other than humans standing to the side.

“What, surely you must be mistaken, those are no elves!” Ash, suddenly appearing out of nowhere said, almost shouting but not quite getting there as he spoke the words, looking at the guard like the madman that he so clearly was.

‘Yes, right, he’s right, there must be some mistake’ Jaret inwardly muttered, agreeing with Ash all the way. Quickly retching the 2 wagons that served as one of several gatehouses, currently, protecting the camp from any would-be intruders or troublemakers.

“Aghh, what tasty treat have you brought me?” A very chained humanoid girl who must have only just been 14,15 years of age, said, turning her head to stare at Jaret’s eyes, the rest of the other four, well 3 man/1 woman/girl group having all immediately turned in his direction at the sound of her voice.

“Now, now, let’s not be hasty maple.” A man who stood slightly taller than the rest of them said, giving the girl a quick glare before turning to Jaret.

“Sorry, about that, she can be a bit…” The tall towering man said, turning his head for a slight second to the lightly dressed girl in red leather armour, immediately turning back and whispering. “A bit homicidal if you know what I mean…” He whispered.

“, Now you must be Jaret,” The clearly not elf said, filling Jaret with surprise with the use of his name.

“Oh don’t be surprised, we’ve overheard quite a bit about you. You wouldn’t believe what humans say when they think they can’t be overheard, not to say we elves aren’t just as bad, we're just a bit more discreet about it. And yes we are elves, well except for maple, she’s just a little eclectic”, The tall yet otherwise human-looking man said, The girl, seemingly called maple, gave him a look, promising revenge at a later date.

“Anyway, where are my manures, I’m Drell, the leader of this bunch.” The tall man said, confirming to Jaret that he was indeed the leader of the group.

Then here we have Alric!” Drell, the overly tall man, turned and pointed his hand to the left, pointing to where a bulked-out man in full-on plate armour, that he could tell had been made with the help of some sort of scales though Jaret did not recognise the beast in question.

“Hello my lord”, the apparent elf man bowed as he was introduced.

“I’m no lord.” ‘Unlike those Latin lasant nobles, I work for a living’, Jaret said disgusted by the mere suggestion of being anything like those Devines forsaken parasites.

“My mistake, sire,” The bulked-up man said. ‘Ugh, Lady, help me, A knight of all things, great, just great…’ Jaret thought, not needing to excess the man’s status to know his class, the chivalry written as it was all over his face.

“, What should I call you then if you might enquire?” The bulky young Knight adventurer who appeared to be in the early 20,25 age range asked.

“Huh, Jaret, just Jaret,” Jaret said, sighing.

“Of course, sire,” The young knight said, responding in the same standard formal filled tone that all knights no matter their origin seemed to carry.

‘Huh, it going to be one of those days then’, Jaret thought breathing outwards, sighing yet again, standing forwards to listen as Drell, the tall yet frail-looking man, who was so clearly the leader of the group, begin to introduce the rest of the seemingly ordinary all human group.

“Mara,” Drell yet again turned, pointing to his right where a young boy of fourteen curiously stood with Maple the obviously disturbed young teen girl.

“And lastly Maple, whom you've already met”, Drell said, wincing, giving the red pony-tailed girl a fierce glare as he introduced her only for her to glare twice as hard back at him.

“Hi, sorry about earlier, it’s just you look so, Tasty,” The now mouth-watering girl said, a dark gleam in her eyes as she spoke the words.

‘Huh, An energy junkie, haven't seen one of those in a while’, Jaret thought, recognising the signs having seen them many times before.

“You say your elves?” Jaret asked.

“Yes, we are,” Drell said, Jaret scanning his eyes searching for a sign that he might be lying only to see none. “We're using a glamour if that helps.”

‘A glamour, clever’, Jaret thought feeling slightly vexed that he hadn’t thought it out sooner.“Prove it” He said needing to see it for his own 2 eyes. “Guard,” Jaret said, turning to one of the 3 guards who stood to the side. “Unlock his chains.”

“Sir!” The guard stuttered.

“You heard me, unlock his chains!” Jaret said, saying the words in his most commanding voice.

“Yes, sir,” the guard said, putting his hand to his belt, taking a small set of keys and pulling a sword out of his scabbard, slowly approaching the tall brown-eyed chained man as he did so. Quickly retching him and unlocking the chains.

“Agh, that’s better….” The tall man said. Muttering something inconspicuously under his breath. A sudden wave of Dark-brown energy echoed outwards from him as the chains unlocked, His whole body immediately changing before Jaret's eyes into that of an elf.

“Hmm, so you really are an elf,” Jaret muttered. Gripping his hands tight, slowly drawing Lightbringer out

“Yess,” Drell, the tall landed elf said. “Look I know this might look bad, but, just give me a chance to explain…,”

“Ok, let’s go get a drink,” Jaret said, gesturing to the guard to unlock the other 3 elves’ chains.

“I am, I was….” The elf went, sighing, suddenly looking downwards in shame, though if it was real or not Jaret could not tell. “, An agent of the house of Morrow, well more like a slave really but still I was treated well, at least I thought that at times. And 14 years ago,” The elf suddenly turned, a quiet smile upon his face as he turned to stare at maple, the young wide-eyed human girl who was ever so oddly dressed in all red leather.

“I was sent on a mission to the Tarent Iles when suddenly….”

Drell looked down upon the village square, quietly listening to the village chatter as he awaited his mark. It was beautiful this time of the day. The sun was shining. The birds were twerking. The trees were rustling in the wind. Watching the villages going about their daily lives none the wiser that he was there, lurking on the rooftops, awaiting his time to strike.

‘Aghh’, Everything was right in the world. Till suddenly it was not.

“Help!” A young human girl screamed suddenly emerging, running out from the building opposite him, she and a bunch of other young humans having entered the large pyramid building an hour or so before for some purpose unknown to him.

“Help!” The girl screamed again.

‘Well maybe not’ Drell thought suddenly realising that life was suddenly about to become a little less dull as suddenly just moments after the girl his target, wearing a tightly wound suit of steel-enhanced armour, wielding with a sword and shield both, came out rushing at the head of a congregation of fully white clothed humans.

“There she is!” One of the humans in fully white clothed robes, a tiny small amulet indicating him as a priest of one of the local human cults though witch one Drell could not tell at this rage, not that he would know even if he was, humans just had so many religions that it would take an age to catalogue them all. “Get her!” The priest screamed rushing to the forefront, charging headfirst at a very small human girl.

“Aghh…” The human priest screamed, suddenly stopping three feet away from the small, lightly clothed, very human girl, filled with clear terror in his eyes as he looked up upon the small girl, who was clearly as scared as he was. “Heretic!” He muttered out, crying one final time as his head went off his shoulders, reattaching itself to the stone tip floor, dead as could be.

‘What!’ Drell thought stunned, forcing his mouth shut with his right hand, carefully using his left to stay aloof, ‘Did she just…’.

“Aghhh…You monster!” His target, this silvery-lined knight screamed. “You’ll die for that!” He screamed, swerved out, and aimed toward the girl, the so-called heretic, “To me my brothers! To me!” He screamed, his face full of rage, sard at the ready as he rushed the girl, his so-called brothers, the priest following his example, their hands filled with daggers and other random weapons in hand, charging as one.

‘Well looks like I am in luck, maybe she’ll do my job for me’, He thought, watching as they began to rush at her, charging as one towards the tiny little human girl.

‘Then again,’ Drell thought watching as the young girl's face changed from fear and rage to pure terror as the knight and his compatriots got ever closer towards her. ‘, It wouldn’t be very professional of me to let someone else take out a target, especially a human of all things, what would the queen think if she were to learn of this,’ He thought suddenly realising what he needed to do.

And so, Drell rushing up and out from his hiding place jumped, jumping up out into the air and aiming for the nearby rooftop of the building his target had emerged from, what, now that he looked at it properly, looked vaguely like a human chapel.

Rushing through the air, Drell looked down and started to count, calmly watching, like he had a thousand times before, as his target neared him.

“Hhh…”'Four leaves.' , "Hhh…”'Three leaves.'

“Hhhh…”Two leaves.

“Huhhhhhhh….”One leaf.

Then, suddenly before he knew it he was there. His target 1 tree height below him, unaware of him. Drell calmly hanging on a tree branch, looking down and arming his bow.

‘Explosive shot’ Drell, activated his most favourite of skills, the meagre amount of energy that he had at his disposal converting itself to fire energy and going into his bow, and fired his bow.

Bang. The arrow went. Hitting the target. A fury wave of fire instantly emerged outwards as it did so. The blast went outwards. Taking all in its path till finally, none remained but he and the girl. Drell instantly jumped as the arrow hit. Landing at the girl's feet. Looking up and smiling as he did so.

“Come with me if you want to live,” Drell said. Standing. Offering out his hand as he went to get up. The girl after a hesitant second took his offered hand.

“And so you have my story,” Drell said, finishing off his very alcoholic drink with a gulping slirp. “I couldn’t go back, not with a human east and so I ran, and after some time I found these lot and we’ve been running ever since”

“Hmmm,” Jaret said, unsure of himself as he looked at the elf. Unsure of what to do or say.

“So” Drell, the very unselfish elf said. “Will you allow us to stay?”

“I've already said yes haven't I” Jaret unhappily said. Knowing if he had any sense at all that he should be throwing the elf and the rest of his party out from the outpost. Instead, he was sitting here. Quietly listening as the elf recounted one of what Jaret assumed to be many a criminal enterprise.

“We’ll see,” Jaret said, his thoughts in turmoil after hearing the elf’s story.

“Ok, what about the dungeon?”

“One dive,” Jaret said

“What?” The elf said, seeming surprised, so rudely interrupting Jaret as he did so. “One dive! That’s…”

“I wasn’t finished! One dive,” Jaret said, holding up his palm over, even as he continued on, stopping Drell before he could protest. “, One dive and then if you and your party survive then you’ll get a weekly slot in the rotation just like any other non-Guild party will receive”, Jaret said having already the matter through and decided on this format. “Also the girl stays outside”

“What, no!” The elf growled.

Don’t give me that look, you know I can’t have her entering the dungeon, not at her level, not till she’s properly trained at least” Jaret said. “Not all humans are the same, we don’t all hate blood mages”.

“You do, I saw the way you looked when you realised what her class was?” The tall elf growled.

“Yes, but I’m more afraid of her untapped power, not her as a person, but she’s a kid, lords almighty I have kids, who do you think I am, a monster”

“Common your not going a better deal than this I’m afraid, and it’s better than most Guild outposts offer, I’m giving you a good deal here and you know it”

“Besides, Do you want her hogging up all the Exp?" He asked. "No, you don’t”, Jaret said seeing the look of acceptance filling the elf's face.

“Anyway, you don’t have a choice. Either accept my terms and become a member of this grand community we're building here. Or be imprisoned, what’s it going to be?” Jaret said hating it had to come to this. Yet not seeing no other alternatives.

“Alright,” The elf leader turned to his fellow elves who were quietly listening off in the distance. Sitting as they were amongst themselves at the side with Ash on tiny little barrels that had once contained ale but now served as table and chair at this fine little tavern. Turning to them one at a time. Jaret happily watched as they all nodded their heads in turn.

“Alright!” The elf said, turning back to Jaret.

“We agree. We’ll take your deal” The elf, now and forevermore known to Jaret as Drell, said, offering his arm out, Jaret eagerly took his arm in with his, shaking his hand.