Chapter 7

The city of Pivoton had finally come into view after nearly a full day of riding in the wagon driven by its city guard. This beautiful ancient city had multiple walled districts that had organically developed over time as the needs of the city changed, creating a city that seemed to have no real flow or intention to its layout, and yet one that perfectly met the needs of its people. Entering the city through a large, well-guarded, ancient wooden gate, the adventurers noticed the level of security that other people were forced to pass through before gaining entry to the city.

"Has something happened? Security wasn't this high when we left this city only three weeks ago!" asked Riegert of the wagon driver.

"We've had a sudden influx of radicals from that Church of Xechegan in the past few days. They don't seem to like any God other than their own being worshipped."

"I didn't know they were being viewed as radicals. I mean I know that it's been said that there is something strange about their teachings, but no one has called them radicals before."

"Three days ago, they invaded a Church of Mythus in The Old Quarter and attempted to burn it down, claiming that it was a pagan faith that needed to be 'cleansed.' That was the third such attack in as many days. The Margrave was forced to outlaw the religion as a result. A decision that, as you can imagine, has not gone down well with its followers."

"I've never heard of any religion being outlawed in Xenendoria before?" said Calvin. "What will The Queen say when she finds out?"

"As I understand it, we are not the first to take this stance on this religion. Most of the Southern cities have done the same. It is clear to those of us who still value the old ways that something is not right with that religion's teachings. I mean, why would anyone willingly follow a faith that spreads hatred among living beings?"

"That's a question I would like to see answered as well!" exclaimed Fellaroth without thinking.

"Really Fell? From what the villagers said happened in the church, I understood that you were certainly religious and that Mythus even saw fit to grant you some of his divine power, but I didn't take you for some sort of religious paladin." Asked Jackson, intrigued by Fellaroth's statement.

"I'm nothing of the sort, I just have my own reasons for wanting to discover the origins of this Xechegan religion."

"Is your reason one that you care to share with the rest of us?" asked Riegert.

"I'd prefer not to… would that be an issue?"

"As long as it doesn't interfere with party business, or bring our names into disrepute, then no."

"Well then, for the time being at least, I would like to keep my reasons to myself."

"Very well, Fell, just please don't let us live to regret this." Said Riegert, as the wagon came to a halt at the steps of The Adventurer's Guild.

"We will see to it that those bandits see justice!" said the guard, indicating with a twitch of his head to the second wagon that had followed their own and had walls of solid wood instead of cloth.

"Thank you for allowing us to ride with you into town!" said Riegert.

"Least I could do, considering how long we've been trying to track this lot down, and you were able to take down their leader too! Things in the countryside should settle down for a while thanks to you!" said the guard as the two carriages moved off.

Entering the guildhall alongside his party members, Fellaroth was hit with a wave of nostalgia, as he remembered having walked through this very hall many years ago, with people whose faces he could no longer recall. At the centre of the large building was an enormous hexagonal pillar, one that was three metres in diameter, and held up the ceiling three storeys above their heads. Around this central pillar was a counter, from which the guild receptionists could assist its members. All walls other than the front, bore balconies on each of the building's two upper floors, with each balcony being lined with a number of doors. Two staircases, one on the right wall and at the front of the building and another on the left wall and at the rear of the building allowed access to the second floor. Each of the many doors on the walls of the second and third floors was a room that could be rented by adventurers at a fair rate from the guild, ensuring that local inns couldn't extort adventurers who were not locals of the city.

Looking around, Fellaroth was surprised to see that aside from a few workers doing paperwork behind the central counters, and a handful of people walking on the balconies, the hall was almost completely deserted. "Welcome back, Hidden Fury!" said a friendly guild receptionist as they approached her counter.

"Hidden Fury?" asked Fellaroth, seeing his fellow party members trying to ignore the name.

"It's our party's name!" answered Riegert, after a long pause. "You see, it's a long-running tradition of The Adventurer's Guild to have inexperienced parties named by more experienced parties who have seen them in action. A party can only name themselves once they have reached C-rank."

"Alright, I can understand that part, but how did you earn the name?"

"That would be because of a fight that broke out when we first formed our party. A group of adventurers were passing through Brightwatch on the day we were registering. They passed some comments about our Baron and how adventurers from such a small barony would never be able to amount to much. Well, you've faced our three-pronged attack, it's almost impossible to defend against, and they found that out the hard way. As it turned out, they were an A-ranked party from The Capital, they said that we had some Hidden Fury, and the name just stuck!" answered Jackson, appearing to be embarrassed by the story.

"It sounds to me like your party earned the respect of a high-ranking party that day, do you happen to remember their name?" asked the guild receptionist.

"The silver chariot or golden chariot? Something like that, it was years ago, I can't remember anymore."

"You don't mean, The Warriors of The Golden Chalice, do you?" exclaimed the woman so loudly that it drew the attention of the other receptionists.

"Yes, that sounds right, why is that important though?"

"What do you mean? The symbol of Her Royal Majesty's house is a golden chalice with two dragons facing each other over its lip with their tails wrapped around its stem. Which means, your party was named by The Prince's party!"

"Oh, wow, I don't know why we never figured that out." Said Riegert, looking more embarrassed than he did just moments ago.

"They also happen to be our country's highest-ranked party, being the only party in almost a century to reach Triple S-rank! You should be proud to be quite possibly the only party to have ever been named by The Prince, apart from his own obviously."

"Well, when you put it like that, the name doesn't seem quite so bad anymore!" said Calvin, in a tone that Fellaroth wasn't quite sure was honest.

"That's better!" said the receptionist before continuing. "Now, Hidden Fury, what can I do for you today? Have you completed the request that was made by that small farming village?"

"We have yes!" answered Riegert.

"Fantastic, how many goblins were you able to kill?"

"There were thirty-seven in total, one of them was a shaman."

"And you have proof of this?" she asked sceptically.

"We do!" answered Riegert, placing two bags that bore magic runes on the counter.

"Very well, would one of you please accompany Julia here while she inspects your proof?" said the receptionist, gesturing to the woman beside her with her hand. "Julia, could you please inspect this party's proof for me?"

"Of course, Miss Andria, it would be my pleasure!" she said, taking the two bags and heading for a door at the far end of the guildhall while Calvin followed.

"I'm sure you can understand that we prefer to verify goblin kills outside, where the smell won't fill our hall." Added Andria, turning back to the paperwork Julia had left behind.

"I'm sorry, Miss Andria, could I disturb you for one more thing?" asked Riegert.

"Absolutely, how can I be of assistance?"

"My friend Fell here, would like to register as an adventurer. He's a magic user who can use healing magic and he would like to join our party."

"Is that so? You realise that this is a very unusual request, don't you? Most people join the guild at thirteen. You don't appear to be thirteen."

"I am not, I am twenty-seven years old!" answered Fellaroth, trying to place himself in the same age group as the rest of his party.

"Really, you look closer to thirty-two to me. Besides, with the way you're dressed, I would have pegged you as more of a merchant than an adventurer."

"I get that a lot."

"Very well, please wait here while I inform The Guild Master, in situations like these he likes to conduct the registrations himself." Said Andria, turning around and walking through a door in the central pillar that was not noticeable until she opened it, and subsequently seemed to vanish from view as she closed it behind herself.