I followed the direction of the others towards the adventurer’s guild. The adventurers guild was located 2 buildings short of the fiery fountain. Based on the layout of the town I could tell that this town did not have the standard bon fire, it used a fountain of fire instead for its hearth. I went to the fountain and prayed to Hestia.

you have received the protection of HestiaUntil you leave the city you will be under the protection of Hestia as a friend of the city

Completing my ritual when entering the city, I head back the adventurer’s guild in order to report my quest progress. The adventurer’s guild had the same layout as the one from Stormbridge, except it reflected the style of the city by having fire dancing around on the walls.

I walked up to the receptionist, a young elven woman around 16 years of age wearing leather armour and having a long bow strapped to her back. I showed her the evidence of my quest being completed.

“Oh, you must be with the others who just came before. They said you would be coming.”

Quest completed: Protect the caravanyou protected the caravan as it made its way from Stormbridge to Heaton. Although it took the lives of two adventurers, you still managed to keep the goods safe.

Reward: 5 silver

Fame +20

The receptionist handed over five silver coins and said “it looks like you have managed to complete two quests successfully. The guild is pleased to announce that your reputation has increased to E. with this you can now access the second floor and take quests from the board designed for E reputation quests.”

“Thank you, I will be back at a later time to look at the available quests” I said stiffly before leaving.

Looking out towards the east end of town, I could see a tall white building with pillars at the front. It was a dead giveaway to be the temple of the titan goddess Hecate. I made my way through the city to the temple and stared up at it.

The temple was approximately 20 metres tall. From the inside, it had three solid polished white stone walls, and the entrance I came through was made of tall white columns leaving the temple wide open for anyone to enter at any time. The room was completely empty except for at the rear wall, there was one of the biggest statues I have ever seen. Standing approximately fifteen metres tall was a statue of what I assume to be Hecate. Hecate was seated on a throne with beads wrapped around her head as if she were wearing a necklace around her head. She wore a single dress of Gregorian fashion reaching down to her feet on which you could see sandals. Her posture was completely open as if she was welcoming you to enter.

In the temple were many people bowing down the statue, and a few priests waiting nearby. I walked up to the closest priest, a young girl with short blonde hair, wearing a white hooded robe.

“Hello, I was told my friend would be around her somewhere, she said if she wasn’t here that someone would know.” I said.

“Ah you must be talking about Rosetta. She is probably in the tea house down the road, here take this map it will show you where to go.” she took out a map and drew a mark where the tea house is before handing it to me.

“Thank you for your help.”

“No problem, a friend of Rosetta’s is a friend of ours. May Hecate protect you?”

I left the temple and went to the tea house where Vanessa, or should I say Rosetta was. The tea house was open to let the breeze flow through, there were small ferns growing inside and beautiful small pink carnations decorating the building.

As I entered the building I immediately saw Vanessa sitting down. She had barely changed her appearance at all. She kept her signature medium length wavy blonde hair, although it seems she changed her eyes to be green. She kept her height the same being just a little taller than me still. She was wearing the same white robe the girl at the temple wore, and sitting on the table next to her was a brown leather bound book with gold leaf pages. Vanessa was sitting at the table drinking a tea with a piece of chocolate sponge cake in front of her. Vanessa loved chocolate more than anything.

I walked up to Vanessa and called her name.

“Alicia, is that you?” she said.

“You look so cute!” she squealed.

Her compliment made me blush and a message popped up in front of me.

Attractiveness has permanently raised by 1

“WHAT!” I shouted.

“Huh? what’s wrong are you not Alicia?” Vanessa queried

“Oh it’s me or should I say I’m Elyssa here. It’s just when you complimented me I gained 1 to my attractiveness stat.” I started calming down.

Vanessa had a grin on her face and I immediately regretted telling her. Faster than I could see her move, she ran up behind me and locked her right leg around mine and wrapped her left arm around my waist pinning me in a spot. I felt her finger gently run up the back of my spine causing me to shudder and inadvertently let out a squeal.

Attractiveness has permanently raised by 1

Vanessa then blew on the back of my neck and proceeded to nibble on my ear causing a moan to escape my lips.

Attractiveness has permanently raised by 1

Vanessa then moved her hands to my breasts and proceeded to fondle them vigorously causing me to completely freak out. Everyone in the vicinity started staring at me. The men had slack grins and the woman showed pity in their eyes. I felt like me temperature raised tenfold and I thrust my elbow sharply back into Vanessa’s ribs launching her off me.

Attractiveness has permanently raised by 1

Attractiveness has permanently raised by 1

Attractiveness has permanently raised by 1

Attractiveness has permanently raised by 1

“Ouch! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist, you're just so cute.” Vanessa apologised clutching her ribs.

“Humph” I said turning my head still being angry about my humiliation. I knew I would forgive her almost immediately like I always did but, I wanted to at least tease her a little in return.

“Come on Alicia, I’m really sorry here, I won’t do it again” she said with a huge grin on her face.

“Oh fine but, you need to call me Elyssa here”

“No you will be Eli”

“Ok R-o-s-i-e” I said stressing every letter

She lifted her eyebrow at that comment.

“I don’t remember telling you my name”

“The girl at the temple told me.”

We sat down at the table, I ordered strawberry cheesecake, and a rose tea. We sat and talked for hours, catching up on all we had done and gossiping about the people and things we had seen.

You have sent a friend request to Rosetta

You and Rosetta are now friends

Having caught up we decided to go to the adventurer’s guild to find a quest to do.

Entering the guild, we walked to the left at the stair where the guard was and I displayed my job list. “Show job list.”

Job listJobRankReputationAdventurerRedE

The guard let us up to the second floor. The second floor had three separate boards, one on the left wall which was for reputation E, one on the back wall for Reputation D, and one on the right wall for Reputation C. Other than Rosie and I, there were two other people in the room standing at the board to the left. We walked up to the board and I recognised one of the two men at the board.

“Zach?” I said before thinking.

Zach turned and looked at me. “Oh Elyssa, fancy meeting you here. Come to find a quest?”

“Yes, I came with my friend Rosie here” I said turning around and poking my tongue out at Rosetta. I wasn’t quite over the humiliation in the tea house yet.

“Oh? Who is this?” Rosetta asked grinning from ear to ear.

“This is Zach, I told you about him, we came on the caravan here.”

“Hmm Zach huh.” Rosetta muttered examining Zach.

Zach backed away looking uncomfortable.

“He passes!” Rosetta exclaimed “Zach would you like to do a quest with us?”

“What?” I shouted.

“Sure” Zach said.

Oh great, another person.

Vanessa quickly leapt forward towards the other person in the room and grabbed his arm. The other person looked at Rosetta with a slight scowl. He was wearing a bronze breastplate, a bronze helmet with red horse hair sticking out of the top in a sort of fan. He had a bronze plate skirt, and bronze greaves. In his left hand was an aspis shield, and his right was a doru; a three metre long wooden spear with a leaf shaped spearhead. On his waist was an iron short sword.

The Spearman said “if I must”

“Not very friendly are you” Rosetta pouted “well you must.”

Rosetta quickly took a flyer from the board and without looking at it said “We are doing this”

Rosetta dragged us down to the counter and signed us up for her quest.

Quest Accepted: Clear the abandoned mineThe nearby iron mine has been abandoned for the past five years and scorpions have made it their home. Enter the mine and retake it so that mining operations can begin once more.

Rewards: 50 silver

Failure: someone else clears the mine before you

“RO-ZE-TA” I stressed poking her for each syllable. “You took a dungeon clear quest, how are we meant to do that?”

“I dunno, we just will?” she said looking worried.

Zach, the other guy, and I sighed simultaneously. Now that we had accepted the quest, we couldn’t cancel it without losing a rank from our reputation with the adventurer’s guild. We had no choice but to go along with Rosetta’s whims.

As we were heading towards the mine, we did introductions.

“Rosetta but, you can call me Rosie. Level 15 Acolyte of Hecate, basically a healer who can make illusions”

“Zach, level 18 mage with lightning specialisation.”

“Elyssa, level 16 blade dancer”

“No she is Eli” Rosetta commented

“Kairen level 17 hoplite.”

After walking for two hours we arrived at the entrance to the mine

you have discovered an abandoned iron mineYou are the first ones to discover this mine.

+2 luck

+50 fame

Sorry the chapter was late, been kind of busy today.

Vanessa is so much easier to write for than Alicia.

I decided on scorpions instead of kobolds because I thought kobolds are too boring for creatures in a mine. hope nobody mind me using abnormal creatures.

thank you to all who rated, and commented.