5 Chapter 5: Getting A Pair Of Gauntlets

Dana woke up the next morning earlier than usual. She wondered why. She walked towards the chair where her clothes lay and put them on before heading off to Father Alexander. She remembered what she had to do now: In her tiredness yesterday she forgot to go to the Adverturer Guild to ask for a pair of training gauntlets.

Upon arriving at his office, she nocked and waited for an answer. When she heared a muffled "Come in" she opened the door and found him behind his desk, working on paperwork as always. He looked up.

"Oh? Good morning Dana. Did you need something from me?" he asked.

"I wanted to inform you that I was planning to visit the Adventurer's Guild and to ask you permission to excuse me from morning duty to visit them at that hour."

"Any particular reason why you need to go now?"

"Yes, he asked me to go yesterday so I can start training with them today but I was too tired to do so and fell asleep after supper."

"I see. Very well then, I'll inform the other Sisters. Are you going alone?"

" I was planning to but maybe Mary or Melissa want to go with."

"Alright, if they are missing from morning duty I'll note they are with you. Is that alright?"

"Yes, thank you Father."

With that she left the office and Father Alxander continued being buried in his paperwork.

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When Dana arrived at the sleeping quarters, she informed not girls of her plans and asked if they wanted to come with. Melissa accepted while Mary declined, saying she was still too stiff from yesterday's training.

The two girls first ate breakfast and then set off towards the Guild. The orphanage is located on the outskirts of town but still within the town wall. Well, it's called a wall but the word 'palisade' is better. It consists of around two-and-a -half meter long tree trunks secured into the ground and then bound together by a rope.

Along the way, they pass a few other Adventurers on the main road that has most of the shops situated along it. Dana doesn't really go out of the orphanage that much so she looks around in wonder about the many things around her.

Eventually, they arrive at the center town's center and can see the Town Hall and the Guild Building. They were both made out of stone but the Town Hall seemed to be the older one was built out of a more crude stone while the Guild was made out of a more smooth stone. They were both gray, though. The Guild building seemed to resemble a small fortress and would be able to withstand a siege or a monster attack.

They continued inside and it seemed that there was both a bar and dinery at one side of the building and a reception-like desk at the other side with a request board at the side side. It was a rather large hall, with the floor and ceiling made of wooden planks. There were a few simple, iron chandeliers hanging on the ceiling. On both sides of the building people, presumably Adventurers, where eating and drinking or where standing in front of the request board, seemingly deliberating what request to take.

They walked up to the receptionist and waited for a few minutes until the person in front of them was done with his business.

When he was done, he walked over to the bar and ordered a drink and let the two girls speak to her.

"Welcome to the Adventurere-'s Guild, my name is Anna. What can I help you with today?" she began.

"Good moring miss, I was sent here by Bratt, an instructor assigned to the orphanage to request training gauntlets." Dana told her.

"Oh, Bratt sent you. One moment please." And with that she left the desk and opened a door behind her. A few moments later, she came back with a rather large, bald man who seemed to be a warrior by the amount of muscles. She walked back to the desk and left them alone with the man after saying goodbye to them.

"So, Bratt sent you? My name is Alan and I'm a Pugilist just like you. Now, if you would follow me, I'll lead you the armoury where the training gear is being stored."

He walked to the back of the hall and opened a heavy-looking studded, wooden door. They continued inside and saw rows of weapons on stands and in tables. He walked up to a table full of gauntlets made of different materials like leather but also metals and picked a leather one, held it in his hands as if to weigh it and then gave it to Dana.

"Try it on." he said.

She did as he said and they seemed to fir her albeit a bit light for her preferences.

"They seem to fit you. Any remarks?" he asked.

"Yes, they seem to be rather light. Do you have anything heavier?" she said while taking the gauntlets off again.

He raised an eyebrow but did as she asked and took them back and went back to searching for a suitable type. After a few minutes, he turned back to her to with a pair of leather gauntlets but this time studded with metal studs.

"Here", he said, "try these."

She took them from him and she adjusted the belts to fit her before throwing a few light jabs in the air before her. She crunched her eyebrows.

"Something not to your liking?" Alex asked.

She turned to him with an apologetic look on her face before opening her mouth and spoke with uncertainty, "Well..."

This time, he raised both his eyebrows and had a look of disbelief on his face. "Don't tell me they are still too light for you? They would be suited for some adult Pugilists that focused on speed, let alone a young girl like you."

"Sorry..." she began.

He sighed and took the gauntlets back before closing his eyes and scrunched his eyebrows, seemingly in thought. Then he suddenly turned around and walked to another closet, opened it and took out a pair of shiny, black metal gauntlets.

"These were originally made for a dwarven adventurer but she fell in battle before she could collect them so the Guild purchased them instead but they aren't really suited for anyone as they are too heavy for children and too small for adults to wear."

Dana accepted them and quickly put them on, eager to try them out. They were a pair of black metal gauntlets that reached until just over her elbow. They were made out of some sort of dark leather, plated with black metal and studs of the same material covering the knuckles.

"Woow..." she exclaimed in awe at the gauntlets on her arms. She instantly fell in love. They felt just right for her. They had just the right weight and she could still adjust them a little bit in size in the future.

"I take it you like them?" he remarked.

"I love them!" she immediately responded.

"Normally, I wouldn't be allowed to give them to you, but I'll make an exception for a fellow Pugilist and one who I think will have quite a big name in the future. You do owe me one though kid." he continued.

"Thank you!" she looked towards him with a goofy grin plastered on her face and thanked him.

"Now off you go. Go train with Bratt and if you have questions he can't answer you, come to me and I'll try to help you as well." he said with a slight smile.

"I will, thanks!" she practically yelled and stormed out of the Guild Hall, leaving a bewildered Melissa behind who quickly got out of her stupor and quickly thanked him as well before running after her.

Neither of them noticed a figure at the bar that observed Dana running of with gauntlets before muttering "Interesting...".

After that, the figure continued drinking and the day continued with its normal pace.