Suran flung open the window, letting a crisp breeze roll into the room. Light radiated from the partly cloudy sky down onto the bustling streets. It would have been the start to a perfect day if it weren’t for Natalya’s snoring keeping him awake all night. He would get his retribution, but now was not the time.

Instead, he fascinated himself with the small bathroom attached to his room. Inside was a small sink and toilet complete with flowing, clean water. It struck him as odd that a world where swords were common would somehow engineer a functioning plumbing system, but he didn’t complain. Rather, he found the technological disparity between fields fascinating.

Snapping back to reality, he washed his face and cleaned himself before lumbering over Natalya. She was sprawled out on the bed, snoring like a beast. He called out her name, trying to wake her up, but the women did not stir in response. Next, he gave her a hard shove to jostle her awake. Instead of waking up, her body fell back into place, causing her arm to fling out and smack Suran in the face. He had enough wasting time. He obtained a small wash bucket from the bathroom, filled it halfway with water, then doused Natalya in water without a shred of remorse.

“BYLARGRALGAL,” Natalya sprang up from the bed, spitting out water. She shook her head, flinging water off her head like a wet dog.

“What the fuck was that for?!” She shouted at Suran, gasping from shock and shivering from the cold.

“You weren’t waking up.”

“So instead of waking me up like a normal person like shouting at me or pushing me, you decided to toss a bucket of water on me?”

“Would you believe me if I said I tried?”

“Nope.”

“Then yes. Yes, I did.”

“You are one evil man,” Natalya scolded Suran, crossing her arms and glaring at him, her clothes soaking wet. She rummaged through her bags and pulled out a spare set of clothes and then marched off to the bathroom. Moments later she reemerged wearing a frown along with her new set of clothes.

“So what’s the plan now that I was so rudely woken up?” Natalya commented, clearly angry.

Suran looked down at his garb, “First, I’ll need some clothes.” Currently, he still was dressed in the clothes he had looted. His shoes were two sizes too large, and the loose shirts and pants were caked in dirt and blood. The dirt brown colors were not his taste as well.

“Shopping is okay…” Disappointment filled her eyes as if that was not the answer she was waiting for.

Suran thought about why she would respond like that before finding his answer, “…We can get breakfast first, if you want.”

She let out a sigh of relief, “Don't mind if I do!”

The two exited the room and headed downstairs where Suran asked the inn keeper where they could obtain food. He found out that two meals each day were included in the room fare, and breakfast was currently being served.

Adjacent to the inn lobby was a small lounge area stocked with tables. Of the ten tables present, half of them were occupied, mostly by older, gruff men. There was no talk, only clangs of silverware, chewing of food, and the gulping of drinks.

Suran hung a left at the entrance, situating himself on a table at the corner, situating his back to the wall and the entire dining area in front of him. Plopping down in the opposite chair, Natalya obscuring part of the view. A moment later, a middle-aged woman came out asking what we wanted to eat. Natalya went first, asking for a scrambled omelet with cheese and onions, strips of bacon, and bread, but she continued to list item after item, much to the behest of the server.

Instead of listening to Natalya ramble off her gluttonous meal, Suran tuned her out and quietly observed the room. He found satisfaction in watching the patrons go about their activities, wondering who they were, how they got here, what they did, and what they will do. To him, they were unimportant; they were merely background characters in his life. But that did not stop that person from being important to someone or something else; Everyone lived their own lives with their own goals and dreams and plans, and that captivated Suran.

He was broken out of his trance by the waitress waving her hand in front of him since Natalya had finished ordering. All he asked for was bread and a cup of team. For some reason, he just wasn’t hungry. While his food came out quickly, it took much longer for Natalya’s to be prepared. She slouched over and rested her head on the table, shaking her leg and burrowing her head in her arms, waiting for her food to come. When it did come, it came in waves with plate after plate. It made Suran wonder how the inn would allow someone to order this much food.

While Natalya tore apart her bacon and eggs, Suran sipped on his scalding hot tea, munching on his simple piece of bread. She scarfed down the food faster than Suran could even finish his tea. Natalya being ready to go was a rare opportunity, so he left the rest of his tea and lead her out. It was growing cold anyways; he had no more desire to drink it.

On his way out, he stopped by the inn keeper.

“Excuse me?” He called out.

The man in the chair gingerly got up, the chair creaking underneath him, “Hmm?”

“I’m new to town and wanted some information. Could you help?”

He placed both hands on the table, leaning forward. Shifting his eyes left and right, he asked, “What do you want to know?”

Suran’s first question was on the adventurer’s guild; he wanted to know what exactly it was. The man, who told him his name was Jerin, informed Suran that the adventurer’s guild was an organization that operates as a hub for its members, allowing them to accept quests, trade goods, and exchange information. Typical work would involve transporting goods or people, eliminating monsters, gathering resources, clearing ruins, and more. As Suran understood it, adventuring is a profession that acts as a catch-all for tasks in society.

But that did not include all the tasks a city would need done, so Suran inquired further about the work found and done in the city. Beyond the adventurer’s guild. Jerin clarified, exists multiple niche organizations, like the blacksmiths guild, mage's college, and so on and so forth that specialize in certain tasks. Then there are free companies that can fill in gaps that exist in the economy or provide competition in the market. The one unique attribute that the adventurer’s guild has – save for select few companies and organizations– is that they are the only truly international organization, establishing and operating branches in all major cities on the continent. Other guilds like a blacksmiths or tailoring guild would vary from city to city in their management and offerings, not typically being linked to other establishments.

With that in mind, Suran confirmed that he would join the adventures guild. He was not exactly proficient in any of those specialized tasks, but with adventuring, he could freely accept any job he felt capable of completing. Before he left, he obtained directions for the guild and where he could purchase clothing. Thanking Jerin for his information, he departed with Natalya into the streets of Valcadia.

In broad daylight, he could clearly see the architecture of the city as he followed the directions Jerin gave him. The buildings were structured with wooden beams and the walls filled in with dark stone. Topped with pointy roofs, each house was defined with large windows and pointed arches, occasionally accompanied with buttresses that were fashioned into covered walkways . Even though the street was wide, the clustered arrangements of the imposing buildings created a claustrophobic atmosphere. No space was wasted in this Gothic design; each inch treated as a precious commodity.

As he traveled deeper into the city, towering walls standing dozens of feet tall separated portions of the city. The walls indicated the city was not only extremely old, but continued to expand as time went on, pushing the walls further out to meet the needs of its citizens. When he came across the marketing venue, it too was enclosed by titanic walls. A massive, pointed arch lined with ornate dark gray stone stood as the entrance. Men of all shapes and colors flocked in and out of the gates. Natalya stuck close to Suran to avoid being separated in the throngs of people as they entered into the market.

Unlike the dense city streets, the market sprawled out like a bazaar. The street widened out, opening up the entire middle to be packed with rows of stalls. Lined on each side were proper storefronts with wide windows with a lighter touch of gray stone lining to be a favored choice.

With 13 silver coins in his pocket, he began the tedious work of shopping.

One by one, he browsed through the storefronts, avoiding the stalls, examining the available clothing and taking note of pricing. There were no price tags listed, so each time he found something he would have to ask the storekeeper for a price check. Through doing that several times, he was able to get a clear idea on how much apparel costed. Light cloth shirts ran at 30 copper whereas heavier fabric shirts like wool would go for anywhere between 40 and 50. Pants ran a little bit more at 60 and the smaller items like gloves and socks averaged at 20. On top of that, he browsed boots and other shoes, finding normal wear shoes to be 80 copper and work boots to be 1 silver. Lastly, underwear and undershirts were around 30.

Natalya was silently tagging along, and after the fourth store Suran asked if she wanted to purchase anything as well. She denied, stating she would rather save her money for something more important. After rejecting the selection of eight different stores, he finally found an establishment that had suitable clothing. All the other stores carried simple, plain clothing that was rather dull.

He promised himself he would limit his spending, but, when it was all said and done, he spent a tad more than he had hoped. Tossing out his ragged, stained clothes immediately, he dawned on his favorite purchase: a light off-white, long-sleeved shirt, lined with blood-red buttons down the middle, navy blue pants, a coal-black, wool coat, and a velvet red, silk scarf. It was not nearly cold enough for the coat or scarf, but he enjoyed their warmth and comfort too much to care. As for extras, he picked up a few extra sets of simple shirts, pants, and undergarments, topping it off with a sturdy pair of boots. Seeing as he could not carry all the clothing, he also took the liberty of purchasing a drawstring sack to store them in.

Suran left satisfied with four silver coins left to his name.

“Took you long enough,” Natalya chided him.

“How do I look?” Suran asked, ignoring her remark.

“Who cares?”

“Looks are important, you know.”

“Again, who cares? Just get something that’s comfortable and be done with it.”

“But it is comfortable! It’s functional yet stylish,” Suran argued, trying to seek validation in his purchases.

“If you say so,” Natalya shrugged it off, “So what’s next?”

“Next we actually get to business and swing by the adventure’s guild. Registration comes first, then after that we can see how things develop.”

“Finally we get to do something interesting. Lead the way!”

The pair exited the market center and continued down the main road they were on. Jerin had told them that many of the major roads led to the city center, Alexander’s Circle. It was there the adventure’s guild was situated.

It was a long walk, but eventually Suran and Natalya reached the circle. Alexander’s Circle was a huge roundabout with roads branching off to all sides. At the center stood a massive figure in a heroic pose, water flowing out of the statue’s base into a marble fountain. Four additional, smaller statues were placed equidistant on the edge of the fountain, all in crafted with absurd attention to detail.

On the opposite side of the Circle was a massive building that stood at least five to six stories tall, crafted with a brighter, light brown brick compared to the dreary slabsused throughout the city. At the top of its roof was a metallic pole waving the symbol of the adventure’s guild, a fiery phoenix clutching a sword in its claws.

Hurrying across the street, he approached the large wooden doors of the guild, ready to get to work. A huge foyer with an assortment of chairs, sofas, and tables furnished the entrance. On the right was a dining area, a cafe type establishment constructed into the wall. Large marble stairs on the left connected the various floors of the building. Directly in front of Suran was a large counter that spanned almost the entire width of the guild hall. Scattered throughout were a variety of individuals garbed from armor to simple cloth, carrying swords, staves, shields, and bows. Lining the counter were guild workers wearing a red, vest-like uniform over a white undershirt accompanied with black pants.

Suran found an open consultant and approached the counter. He was greeted by a young lady with a soft, vibrant face. Her wide smile was glowing as her golden hair was tied back.

“Welcome to the Adventure’s Guild! My name is Jeanne Gagnon, and I will be your consultant!” She bowed her head, speaking with a cheery, upbeat voice.

“I am Suran Ibrahim and behind me is Natalya Korsakova. I am new to the area and out of work, so I would like to enlist with the guild and possibly obtain some jobs.”

“Understood, Mr. Ibrahim! To use our guild services such as accepting quests, you first must register with the guild. You can either register with an individual license, or establish a free company – a service we can provide her as well – and register said company as a guild associate. For an individual license, it will be 25 silver coins per person. Creating a free company and registering with the guild is one gold, an offer we provide at a special discounted rate that includes forming the company, registering the company to the guild, and registering its members under our registers all at once. Past that for free companies, registering company members comes at ten silver versus the individual membership of 25.”

Suran clicked his tongue upon hearing the numbers. To get funds needed for the registration would require working, and to get work he would need to register. An unfortunate situation unless he found offerings outside the guild.

“Isn’t that a bit much? Perhaps it could be lowered?” Suran went straight to bargaining.

“Unfortunately it can not. We use our membership registration and our annual fees to provide valuable services to our members such as the handling of mail, quest rewards, selling and buying, and more. By principle, we can not lower the prices. Sorry!”

“That is unfortunate… Then to attain the funds, do you have any suggestion on work I could take?

“Certainly! Currently, there is a heavier demand for slaves than usual, so slave traders have been scrambling for extra hands in acquiring products. On the same vein, extra guards for transportation are also needed. If that is not your cup of tea, then the Valeryian Army has enlisting large numbers at a variety of jobs with great pay and benefits.”

“I see… Are you sure there is no other way to lower the price?”

“I’m sorry but – “

“Jeanne, you are forgetting the referral!”

Someone from way down the counter shouted at her. Jeanne’s face turned red in embarrassment.

“O-oh yes, of course! I neglected to mention that the start-up fees can be waived or discounted provided there is a verifiable review from a qualified individual of the community. A referral gives us insurance that a new member will contribute to the guild such that waiving the fees are acceptable.”

“Now that is helpful information,” Suran mused. If he could contact Greyson, he was sure that he would give him a recommendation, but he had no idea how to do it, let alone if he was even reachable anymore. “Thank you for your time. I will be back later.”

“Pleasure to be of service!” Jeanne bowed again.

In this vast city, a post office of sorts must exist. Especially since Greyson was a part of the military, it could be easier sending him a letter through those channels. Natalya seemed bored out of her mind as they left the guild. He figured he would drop off his clothing at the inn and ask Jerin where he could send out mail.

Casually, Suran began to travel back up the road, towards the inn. As he was walking with Natalya, from the corner of his eye he noticed a peculiar hooded figure keeping up with him, several paces behind him. His attire was strange, yet he brushed it off as coincidence. Natalya had not noticed so he wanted to think that it was just his own mind playing tricks on him. He continued traveling, but the man in the black cloak persisted in his purist.

“Natalya, keep close. We are going to be making a detour.”

“What for?” She asked, disinterested in the ongoings.

“We are being followed.”

“The hell? Who would follow some no-name like you?”

“That’s what bothers me.”

Suran grabbed her hand, and sped up the pace, zigzagging through the crowd. Sure enough, the cloaked individual pushed through the crowd, keeping up. Scanning up ahead, Suran noticed an alley way and lead Natalya into it. It was dark, obscured from the light with smaller passages branching off ahead. He pulled her along, and ducked behind the second entrance, taking cover behind some loose bricks and wood.

Keeping his breathing and movement to a minimum to avoid making noise, he perked his ears up, listening for any change to his environment. A moment later, the click clack of shoes echoed through the alley. Clutching his sword, he prepared himself to pounce as soon as the man came into view. A shadow appeared on the floor, and Suran began to inch forward, ready to strike.

The man stepped into view, and Suran sprang out, ramming the man into the wall with his shoulder before jumping back and drawing his sword at him.

“Why were you following us?”

The hood fell down and a pale, gaunt face of an older man was revealed.

“P-p-please put the sword down! I mean no harm!” The man whimpered putting his hands up.

“Throw off the cloak,” Suran instructed, not trusting the man at all. The cloak was large, allowing for weapons to be concealed.

The man slowly got up and unfastened the cloak, letting it drop to the grown. His skinny frame held no weapons.

Keeping his sword up, “What do you want?” Suran questioned.

“Please, I need to help of an adventure! My daughter was kidnapped, a-and I have no where else to turn!”

“Then why don’t you make a request at the guild?” Suran was not buying what he was saying.

“I-i-it’s complicated… I am in a very dangerous situation right now. I’m being watched, had to sneak out of my own home. If they knew I went to the guild for help, m-my poor daughter…” his voice trailed off, almost breaking into a sob.

Suran reluctantly sheathed his sword, “Then what do you want me to do?”

“P-please, find my daughter!” The man was practically on his knees, begging for Suran to help. Something seemed off to Suran, but he could not tell what. He needed more information.

“That is a difficult situation…” Suran remarked, intentionally trying to act non-committal.

“T-then you will help?!”

“I am willing to listen to what you have to say.”

“Oh, thank God!” Tears rolled down the man’s cheek, “Please, come with me. We can discuss properly on my estate.”

“Very well.” Suran replied, still uneasy about the situation.

Leaving the ground, he dawned his cloak and ushered Suran and Natalya out of the alley.