(Baila’s POV)

I never knew there was so much theory behind brush strokes, it’s rather painful to have had stayed there for an entire two hours listening to the concepts of brushes, the different ways to use them and to what effect!

Colour me impressed he did not have so much as a breather…but still, I didn’t need 20 minutes being given a correlation between the brushes age and the coarseness of its stroke.

Why would I need to know that? Plus isn’t the point of Stiff paint brushes is that they’re supposed to be replaced? Apparently not according to Spencer.

Agh, let’s throw work into a corner because now it’s time to play!

Logging in, my vision fills with the wooden slates that stop the person above falling onto me, though with all the creaking they’re doing I’m not so convinced about my safety.

Letting out a small yawn, I sit up on the hard mattress, cracking my neck before standing up and shaking my body about a bit.

Ah damn back hurts again. Jeez no wonder Mum constantly whine about back problems; big breasts are quite painful to have.

Stretching out my back a little extra, eventually I decide to head downstairs to begin the day.

*ding*

Hmm who’s sent me a message? Oh it’s to the 100 person group chat which has an absolute ton of messages.

Everyone, let us meet in a week’s time outside the town gates to share skills and knowledge as we all haven’t reached a milestone so no harm sticking together still.

Huh it opens up the chat to the last message I viewed, nifty.

Having a quick scroll down there’s a few dissenters but they were drowned out by the masses pretty quickly.

Guess Joat is slowly learning to love being in charge.

…

..

.

Yeah, I don’t feel that’s the case.

Baila, we’ll meet up at the next meeting, until then just prepare.

Ok Joat, prepare for what exactly? And what happened to us being a party huh? I was hoping to, you know, have a party member to play with.

*Grumble*

“Good morning or well not so good?” The blonde elf at the counter, Rushanne, greets me as I grumble into the room

“Just daily pains” Not sure whether Joat’s the bigger pain…

“Ah” Her eyes glimpse downwards knowingly at the problem, well one of them at least “Well it’s very recommended for people of your situation to get a brace” She gives her side a light tap, a dull clanging responds.

Huh so they’ve actually got something for women. That is going to be necessary if I want to fight (seriously not fun with these things swinging around mid combat).

“I’ll need money, won’t I?”

“Yes” Her pitying tone suggests it’s not cheap.

Well then I’m going to have to do some quests then! Damn, I kind of wanted to just go explore the town but I don’t think I could do it comfortably with this ache.

Thanking her, I head to the large board on one side of the room

…

..

.

And I cannot read a single scrap of paper on here.

“Erm sorry but is there a library in this town?” I ask Rushanne.

“There is one in the Residential district, quite large so it shouldn’t be hard to find”

…So, if I want to learn how to read, I’ll have to go to the library and read a book and proably do work on the subject too

…

..

.

Instead of spending time drooling over a book that will most certainly not be thrilling, I ask Rushanne what quests on the job board are for my rank.

Yes I’m lazy but I’ll be damned if I waste my week learning how to read.

She smiles and happily helps…probably because she has to, but hey I’m not part of her branch so I don’t need any brownie points with her.

In the end, there are only a few Stone rank quests and they are ALL boring ass jobs.

I mean one of them is to cut the Governer’s grass, which I might’ve chosen if it wasn’t a measly 3 coppers.

The quest I take is a simple find a missing cat called Bubushkums…eh it’s 5 coppers and trying to find a cat means I get to explore the city offhandedly so I see no problem taking this quest.

Heading out into the mostly empty square, I head towards the Residential district first.

Having opinions on the lavender smelling open sewers, I cross the bridge into the Residential district.

With only a few steps in there, the houses swallow me up in their irregular streets and non-sensical placements of each house.

Whoever was the architect for this district really did not plan very well. Joat would get on fantastically with them.

“Wendy, I daresay that you are leading me in everlasting circles, see this is the fourth time we’ve traversed passed the Lover’s fountain. If you’d like to have a seat” Speaking of the devil.

“Joat, I’ve only been here a week myself and this is only the second time I’ve been here… Forgive me but I believe we are lost”

Well I can hear them…but where are they? They seem to be on the other side of this building, but how in the name of Aiag can I hear them so clearly?

“I’ve always been lost, ever since I gazed into your chestnut eyes” so this is what you’re doing instead of partying with me? Oh, you and I are going to have a talk when I find you.

“They’re almond”

“Wendy…whoever said they’re almond should get a prescription for some eduction on colours, and a bag of almonds so they can see what almond actually is” Wow Joat only you could try sounding romantic when dissing someone…

“Hey, I think I know what colour my eyes are” She’s starting to sound a little bit pissed off.

“Have you got a piece of paper?” His smooth tone breaks into his usual smarmy ass one.

“What do you need it for?” well that response was less than kind.

“To write you a prescription for some education on colours and if you can give me your address I’ll try my best to send you some almonds” hehe, did not even skip a heartbeat

“Oh!” I hear her stomp off, footsteps fading abruptly.

“Trust me when I tell you it’s a good thing you don’t have almond eyes, trust me and wait up!” Joat too disappears off all too instantly.

…

..

.

So Joat just caused an argument about eye colour, that’s something I did not expect an argument out of, especially as it didn’t sound like it was going that way.

Well deserves him right for dumping me in this town for a week with literally no plan!

Continuing to stomp along the maze of streets, I don’t ever get to this ‘Lover’s fountain’. This place is a literal maze!

“Miaow” That’s a cat!

Quickly looking around for the source of such sound…it’s once again come from a place I cannot see.

“Miaow” I’m coming to find you already, just keep miaowing.

Wandering frantically around the maze, I hear the miaows of the cat echoing closely then far away then closely again.

For all I know it could be just around the corner or on the other side of the district!

Walking into at least the 5th dead end in the past few streets I really want to kill this cat

“Miaow”

Aaaaaaaaaaarrrgh! This is so much more work than it implied and that cat is really starting to get on my nerves along with this whole bloody place!

Screw it, I’m just going to have to climb up to get a better view.

Looking at the house to my left…erm how am I going to climb it?

There are 3 window sills, one for each floor, so I guess I could try jump up them?

Clambering onto the first one, I bend my knees a few times, taking 3 deep breaths before jumping up as much as I can.

Got it!

Huh, this is actually possible and ow the whiplash, well booblash(?) isn’t good for my back.

“Oy what are you playing at?” oh there’s someone here?

Looking down, I see a lean, bald man staring up at me, shaking his head in sync with his tut.

“I’m trying to get out of this bloody maze so I can find a damnable cat that’s been echoing it’s miaows all around me for the past half an hour. So if I could please climb your house”

I may be just slightly angry and this guy staring at me and tutting really isn’t helping my mood.

“Get down from there will you, there’s a better way to get up” He stops his tutting at least.

Fine, only because it is rude of me to climb your house.

Jumping down, I hop to the floor and oh my he’s a lot taller than I first thought: Standing just over 7 foot, the lean man looks down at me with a slightly disapproving look.

“Follow me” He heads down the street, succinctly followed by me.

Turning off almost immediately, I catch up and see him snugly fitted inbetween the two houses, sitting back to one and legs very bent on the other.

“Now walk” He starts literally walking up the side of the house

…

..

.

That’s actually really smart.

Positioning myself like him, I start to walk up, pushing upwards with my back too so all my body goes up.

With still quite a lot of effort but basically no danger, I make it to the rooftop noticing the flat strip in the middle.

“For the last part turn around and raise yourself up with your arms” That sounds pretty dangerous.

Though it isn’t that bad somehow, except for pulling myself up; that’s a pain.

Standing on the flat strip of the roof, I do see that it’s a very good trail, especially as all houses in sight have a flat strip of roof. It’s almost like a makeshift road.

“Now you can walk along the rooftops here, but to get further into the district, it’s the long way round” He points towards what I believe is the town centre.

“Thank you for showing me this, but why did you?” I mean he had no reason to really.

“Well there’s always one idiot who decides the way to go is climbing peoples’ houses. Also my third floor windowsill is greased so I didn’t want you to have an accident on my porch”

Sounds like it’d be devastating to him if I’d died on his porch, not the fact that I’d die or anything. Harsh.

“Thanks for not letting me die I guess”

“Yeah whatever” He backhand waves to me as he disappears down the gap.

Fantastic, now to find that bloody cat.

…

“Miaow” Aha there you are.

Only a few rooftops away there is a white and brown tortoise furred cat perched, miaowing in a sad tone.

Hmm, well it fits the description Rushanne gave me so I hope to Aiag it’s the real one.

Walking calmly towards it, I hop over the rooftop gaps and succinctly make my way towards the poor feline.

Bubushkums (hopefully) looks up at me as I reach its rooftop and begins sprinting away.

You little bugger!

Walking after it, I watch it stop a few rooftops away, Miaowing in my general direction.

I’m not sure whether it’s taunting me or asking me to follow it….

Once again reaching the same rooftop, it runs away a little, to which I continue my calm walk towards it.

“Come here Bubushkums” I call towards it as non-aggressively as I can. All I get is a miaow from it.

And this is why I’m not a cat person; they’re so annoying!

Reaching its roof for a third time, the minute I cross the gap I’m sprinting.

Come here!

Startled, it turns to sprint away but I’m already on top of it by then.

Lunging at it, I feel it flatten under my chest and hear mad, almost hissing, yowls as it tries to wiggle out from under me. Well at least they’re useful for something.

Using my hands to grab its legs tightly, I hoist it up and let it dangle as if from a spit roast.

-3

Ow that bite hurts!

Clenching all 4 legs in one arm, I rip some of my shirt off and struggle to wrap the animals’ legs together, taking it’s bites with a pinch of pain.

A long painful struggle later, I’ve successfully gagged the thing so it can’t bite me anymore and tied its legs up so it truly cannot escape.

“iiiaa” Don’t you take that sad tone with me, you deserve to be tied up. This is your punishment for running away from me multiple times and biting me.

Cradling the thing as it futilely tries to struggle, I walk along the rooftops for a while, until I can smell the lavender.

Descending, the cat doesn’t struggle, but it continues it’s wriggling as I gander towards the Adventurers guild.

“Here you go, one Bubushkums” I plop the cat onto the counter and Rushanne looks at it, then back at me then back at it…

“…5 coppers it is then” She looks passively me at me. What? It’s just tied up for my own safety.

She throws the paper into the small fireplace behind her, and for a moment the flames burn blue.

Handing me a small stack of 5 copper coins, I happily tuck them away.

Quest Complete!

Adventurer Rank 1/100

…I need to do 99 more of those tasks? 99!?! I have a feeling being an adventurer is voluntary slave labour.

Guess no point complaining though, I need the money.

Going over to the quest board, I spot the squirrel-beastlady, Tikari(?), musing over the board with a few others, more well dressed people.

“Can’t read?” She jumps in shock as I speak into her ear.

“Ah Baila, jeez don’t scare me like that” She takes a deep breath to calm down “I can actually read it, but there isn’t anything that interesting right now”

She actually took the effort to learn how to read…also it’s barely 10am ingame…she must’ve spent the night learning, tryhard.

“Sadly I don’t think we get the luxury of choice here”

“True, but to be honest I’m thinking I should start finding out how to learn some magic” Seems like she’s got a plan for this week then “I wanted some money to give me a little security but I guess I can live in debt for a while…” Please don’t mention the debt that is going to begin racking up. 2 copper a meal or drink and 5 to stay the night.

It’s literally the equivalent of slave labour here!

“So are you and Squad Animal splitting up or it is just temporary”

“Temporary” She answers as if it were obvious “it’s fun having a group to play with” Yeah I don’t know the feeling, blimming Joat. “And what about you, are you going to be staying with your group or just Joat?” Her eyebrows wiggle at the mention of that devilsson.

“We’ve all got our own things to do, but I’ll be dragging Joat along with me at some point”

“Ooh romantic questing?”

“It’s not like that!” It’s not like that, he’s just fun to be around.

“Alright it’s a secret between us” Tikari no.

“Bubushkums!” A cracked, elderly voice clatters into the room, disrupting all conversation.

Following such a grated, raspy voice is a hunchbacked, wrinkled hag with squinting eyes and shriveled fingers, holding a cane precariously, each step threatening to be her last.

With an odd haste, the old lady makes it to the counter and grabs her cat out from a small cage (seems like Rushanne untied the thing…probably a good idea), smothering it with her worn cloak.

“Can I thank the deary who found my Bubushkums?” Rushanne blinks but once before pointing over to me.

The old lady stumbles over to me, clasping my hand in gratitude once she’s in range.

“Thank you deary, Bubushkums gets hungry when he isn’t home for supper” Her corpselike stench causes me to gag rather violently, which I hide with a small forced smile.

“My pleasure” I croak out the last of my air, holding my empty lungs together in fear of breathing in death.

Taking a small breath as she turns away, it’s only mostly polluted with such a mortifying stench, but it’s at least bearable.

“Miaow” Bubushkums suddenly jumps out the old lady’s hands sprinting out the semi-open door.

“Bubushkums aren’t you hungry?” The old lady talks to the door, confused and sad.

No wonder that cat doesn’t like living with her, with that breath alone.

But then again, I don’t like seeing old ladies sad and it’ll be another 5 coppers to catch it right?

“Don’t worry, I’ll get it for you, just make a request at the counter” I make sure to keep my nostrils away from her mouth.

“Thank you deary, if you find my Bubushkums, bring him to my house” She passes me a small piece of paper which I have no idea what’s written on it but first things first let’s get that damnable cat.

Sprinting out the door, I just barely spot Bubushkums snaking through the milling crowds of people as they shop at the growing number of market stalls.

Stalking it at a distance, I watch it sit down in the middle of the crowd and just watch people go by.

Just stay right there you little blighter.

Suddenly turning round to look at me, I see it miaow before running off a distance.

“Ooh Goldy look! Bananas!” A black-lion beastman passes in front of me, dragging a gold-bird beastman, Goldy I assume, with him. And completely losing Bubushkums.

Dammit you two!

“Blacky we’re already in debt to the guild, we can’t afford bananas” Goldy stops his friend from dragging him through the crowds with harsh but true words.

“But bananas Goldy, bananas! I haven’t had one of those for so long and you know it. Aren’t you excited about the fresh fish?” He points to the right.

“…fish?” He follows Blacky’s pointed finger with disbelief and I too follow the finger.

…Well hello there Bubushkums.

So it is hungry.

I’m going to go buy some fish.

Walking with purpose up the fishmonger’s stall, I browse his fresh fish.

“Freshest fish from the Verubian sea, caught by myself just this morning miss” The man smells of the sea that’s for sure.

“Hmm, I’d like to have…” I pick up a large, strong smelling fish with one hand and drop it ‘accidentally’ back onto the stall, other hand darting and clamping onto the distracted Bubushkums, who is too busy looking wide eyed at the fish I’m guessing. “This one”

Hoisting the cat into the air by the extra skin on it’s back, it tries to wriggle away but one look from me and it doesn’t bother. It knows it will get tied up again.

“Sorry for the inconvenience” I bow slightly to the fishmonger who’s looking mildly disappointed I didn’t buy any of his fish.

“How much is that fish” Goldy materializes next to me, eyes entranced with a small pink scaled fish.

“That’ll be 6 coppers sir”

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..

.

“Blacky you go mow the Governers lawn, I’ll do deliveries” he tugs at his friend, who longingly looks at the bananas before complying to rush through the crowd.

Well they’re certainly fired up but they seriously don’t have the right priorities. Spending money for food is too much of a waste right now. Plus, it’s more expensive than the Guild’s ration food.

Walking through the crowds, cat dangling in front of me, I get back to the Guild in good time.

That was barely 20 minutes to get that cat again and I got to see a stall or two on the way back too.

All the stalls were food which made my stomach growl somewhat, but I’ll survive until dinner. I only need one meal to function if I have to.

*growl*

Hmm, maybe I should buy a ration at the Guild…

Entering, the place is pretty much dead by now as everyone’s up and at it, well all except a few well armoured people, sitting hushed and peering over a large parchment.

Rushanne looks at the cat, then at me then at the cat again before I produce the piece of paper and ask her to read it for me.

“12th house outer ring in the Residential district” The houses are in rings?

Thanking Rushanne, I head over to the Residential district, dodging an overly energetic Goldy who’s sprinting for dear life.

Ok, so after walk-climbing (much harder with one hand) up to the rooftops, I do see that the maze of houses is vaguely in ring shapes.

And if it’s 12th on the outer ring in which I believe I am, it’s only a few doors down.

“I’m so lost!!” And Goldy’s been completely screwed by the maze.

I could help him…but if I take delivery quests I could definitely do them faster...and let’s face it, my need for money much outweighs his.

Sorry Goldy but it looks like you’re going to have to get your fish another way.

Heading back down, I find the supposedly correct house and knock on the door, excited to get down to delivery business soon.

“Come in” The ragged croaking creaks through the door.

Opening the door, I walk into a dusty old room, which looks like it hasn’t been used in years.

Feeling the hairs on the back of my neck raising, I duck to the floor, dropping Bubushkums unceremoniously in the process.

A foot plants onto my back, holding me to the ground and a cold steel knife placed gently on the back of my neck stops any struggling.

“Good, good, you have good instincts indeed. Not only that but a talent for subtlety too…” The voice is young, whispering, deadly.

“Who are you?”

The only response I get is a sudden release of pressure and steel from my body.

Scrambling up, I turn towards the exit and see who else but the old decrepit hag staring at me with eyes a lot younger and livelier than should be.

“I, youngling, am Rassin” The old hag speaks in a voice that shouldn’t be possible for one of her age.

Standing up, her hunchback disappears along with the cloak and before me stands a hag, but a tall one and although decrepit looking, her gait suggests a youthful vigour.

Producing a knife from an extensive belt wrapped tightly around her body, she tosses it lightly at me and I catch it at the hilt.

“Training begins now”