14 Guild

The sun stood up high, blinding him despite the shadows cast by the surrounding buildings.

Holding up his healthy arm, shielding himself and following Roberts back, Bronto circling him and bumping into his legs every so often, nearly knocking him off his feet.

"What does this branch do?" Mikael asked. "Is it only for exchanging things?"

"Just wait till we get there. You see for yourself then. And no, it functions as a gathering point for many needs. You see that roof over there?"

Her finger following pointing at the sunbeam that hit his eye, he could make out a high up roof, fitted with slate plates and making for quite a sight.

The outside was whitewashed and the dark brown beams supporting the structure reached up two stories, being easily the tallest building in the surroundings.

"Wow" it escaped him. The shadow of this big house soon blocked the sun, making it a bit cooler than before, raising a shudder. They walked past the wall, and through some crude glass windows which were tinted green and had slight bulges came light and soft sounds from the inside.

"What is that?" Mikael tipped on the glass, surprised how something like that can show whats is inside, without being open. The clean delicate tone produced was something he only heard when metal very softly hits other metal.

"Seriously, what do you know? How limited is your world?" Robert said, looking at Mikael in wonder when he touched the glass.

"You forget he is just ten, Rob. Where were you at ten years of age?"

"Out getting my first game, a hare if I remember correctly. A good catch, but a bit too lean..." he remembered, but waving his hand, away with the memories.

"I get it, you must barely have seen anything outside your small hamlet. But come now, or we have to wait far to long inside."

"By the way," Diana said, answering Mikaels question as the went towards the front of the building," that is glass, a product of alchemy made of sand. The better the production method, the clearer the result. But also more expensive. This here is plenty already, showing of the wealth of the Guild."

"How much does that cost?" He wondered.

"No clue." She admitted. " The costs always change, but if I had to guess, I'd guess around 10-15 gold per m²."

"Holy. But with so many windows, all around the building, that is..." he tried to calculate, even when not too sure what a m² is, so he assumed per window.

He opened his fingers one by one, trying to come up with a number, but when it reached a hundred, he gave up. "... a lot of money."

"Wow, that what came out from your calculation? Calm down Pythagoras." Robert joked, even bringing Diana to chuckle.

"Anyway, shut up for now, we are here. Look and be amazed!"

They made Bronto stay outside, binding him with a leash on a stand meant for horses.

They stood before a 2.2 meter double door, on the right side a big sign in different writing styles, but not one of them made sense for Mikael.

By Roberts last words the door opened, and a mixture of different smells, sounds and all kind of first impressions rushed at Mikael, leaving him in a daze for a moment.

Diana and him already went in, and Mikael awoke from hize stupor when a burly man, bald and with arms as thick as his torso walked past him, gently pushing him aside with a fast: "'cuse me, got business, little guy."

The casualness made it look like he often did that, but that big guy brushing past him left Mikael wide eyed, for no apparent reason.

Maybe the sight inside with the wide variety of people made him air headed, but he still didn't move.

In a corner was a stage, right now only occupied by a woman in simple but thick looking clothes, under which stuck out the end of chainmail and her hip hosted a thin but sharp sword without an entire sheath.

She played a instrument with many keys, producing a clear, even sound pleasant to every ear. She played not fast, concentrating on each push and her left moved faster than her right, but the melody was cheerful and filled the hall with a joyous tune.

Another corner had a wide bar with many shelf's, many with entire barrels and a logo of a sail ship on it. The guy behind the counter just handed over the apron over to the man that just walked past Mikael, vanishing in a room and leaving it in the care of that burly man.

A simple counter occupying the entire left side of the room, that was already wider than anything that he saw before, had a long line of different people standing there. Mikael even thought to have seen a tail on a person, but on a second look it was just the weapon that waggled due to the movements.

Behind the counter smoke lightly came from a window, and the scent he smelled came from that place. Some of them came back with plates full of food he never saw before, soups, meat or pasta in all shapes and forms.

These people ate on rectangular tables all round the right side, talking loudly with their companions, silently enjoying the food or just sitting there, holding conversations or reading papers.

"Just like a tavern." Mikael said, walking forward through the room towards the urging Robert that already waited by wide stairs, leading up to the first floor.

"Who are all these people?"

"Who knows. Adventurers searching for work, Hunters, Farmers, Soldiers. You call it. They come here for all sorts of things, be it food, company or a drink. What they will find on the first floor you see soon. That's where our stop is.

Following them, some people also came down from the upper floor, dressed in different gear, with backpacks and weapons, happily chatting.

"The Ogre we hunted got us quite the haul." A guy from that group said.

"Not only the Ogre, but its hoarded goods, too. The ware that deceased merchant had were of decent quality.

"Thank the Mother we..." The voices traveled, not minding the envious looks they gathered, as well from Robert and Diana.

"An Ogre. Damn, they have to be at least a upper copper rank party to make that job."

"But still, they shouldn't boast too openly, or they attract unwanted trouble" Diana said, also having the look of longing in her eyes.

"Is copper good?"

"Quite." Robert answered, without his usual disdain for Mikaels questions. "We are only Stone rank, still a bit away from metal."

He sighed, taking the last step on the stairs onto the first floor. "But you also don't know of the ranks of Hunters, right? Different from Adventurers ranks, that work similar, our ranks are divided by seven. Wood, Stone, Metal, Copper, Silver, Gold and Platinum. They don't really show your strength, even if many like to use it for that, but more your experience, success rate of quests and task as well your ability's in a group or alone. Mostly used to show others in one go how likely you are to fulfill a contract."

He pointed at a wide wooden board, on which many different papers of varying origins hang. Some Man and woman stood there, reading through them.

"There are hung out quests, some 'bout hunting, clearing areas, helping with tasks or so on. Once someone wanted a person to clean their dumpster for him, and weirder is, another one took it." He shook his head, and another guy standing near the board laughed in his fist, as if he remembered something.

"Anyway, depending on your rank, you can only get these quests, as the employer want someone with that reputation. On the other they also ensure your safety."

He left Mikael, walking towards a counter that filled out the right side of the room. 4 Areas each with three staffed were working on processing papers, giving out small token or handing out money, valuating hides and providing information.

Robert walked up to a counter, leaving him and Diana alone, and she dragged him over to a table to sit down and wait till he's done.

"He is handing in our game, as well to hand in our completed task."

"Was it to kill those Goblins?"

"Nah, that is only a bonus. We had to scout around that perimeter for suspicious happenings, and write a report about our search. We included your friends death and you as well, but more in that way you told us about all that weird things that were going on."

"Is that not some people just wanting to rob us, catch some as slaves and get the wealth of others? Even if their approach was weird."

"See, even you think it was weird. A small hamlet with no history on the lands of a lord just getting raided and hunted down like that? Pretty suspicious, if not complete bullshit."

Their talk was interrupted by Robert who put down a small satchel on the table, making a sound of coins hitting each other.

"2 silver and 5 big copper. Not bad, and the ears added a bit, too."

"Over two silvers? Wasn't the reward only around 1 Silver 15 copper?"

Robert shrugged his shoulders, leaning down on the table. "The information we provided seemed to be more in dept and detailed so they raised it. Maybe notice already reached here of the massacre, raising the rank requirement. Anyway, here."

Robert opened the satchel, taking out 7 big copper coins and handing them to Mikael.

On his questioning look he said:" You gave us many infos, and killed a Goblin, so only fair to share. I already deducted money for escort and housing, so we are clear. We can part way then"

"Then I'm good to go now? Just like that?"

The suddenness off that statement confused Mikael. Just arriving in that strange place, with many new impressions and people, he was overloaded."

"What do you expect from us then?" Robert said, now taking time to make sure so Mikael could understand.," Should you follow us for ever then? We adopting you or make a party? Sorry Mikael, but as I said, you are barely more than a stranger, and we, or I for my part think, did enough for you, don't you agree?"

He patted his shoulder, and also Diana gave him an apologetic look.

"I agree with him. I'd like to keep you around us, but Rob and I talked this morning. We should part here."