The First Job

Asher was considered an F class adventurer, and not a very good one at that. He was assigned to receive any jobs dealing with rats and pests of that nature.

As disheartened as Asher was, he knew he could improve his standing if he was given enough time to prove himself. It was only a matter of time before he would show the guild what he was truly made of.

His mind was set on becoming better than the warrior who had thrashed him so severely. He was more than a little bitter and determined to enhance his skills to where he could beat Edgar in single combat one day. His first step was working whatever odd jobs the guild had set up for him in the meantime.

As an F class adventurer, he was given a job to deal with rats. It was dirty work that he would have preferred not having to do, but if he was going to climb the ranks, he needed coin.

It wasn't much of a payout, but it was better than nothing. He had free room and board at the guild as well, allowing him to keep every coin he would collect from the job.

With that in mind, he reluctantly trudged down the street towards a desolate shack that was in true shambles. "They must have figured the infestation would spread if someone didn't deal with it," he muttered to himself. "Too bad they sent me to do it."

He clutched a rusty iron blade that looked ready to break. The guild didn't provide quality equipment for just anyone. Asher would have to pay for it himself. He had no armor, as they figured he was expendable and was also on the lowest level missions. He would show them.

As he got closer to the structure he could already hear the squeaks coming from inside. The nails digging into the floorboards and the teeth gnawing deep within. It sent a shudder down his spine. He had always hated rats and now it was his job to exterminate them.

There was a fear lurking in the back of his mind telling him to turn back, not knowing what lay inside. He had images of giant rats and spiders in his mind. Every instinct told his body to run away, but his stubbornness won in the end. He opened the door with a deep creaking sound that resonated through the large open interior.

Asher struck a flint and steel over a torch and felt his heart nearly stop at what he saw. There were at least two dozen eyes staring at him from the dark. They were all the size of small dogs. He gripped his rusty sword tightly, trying to calm himself.

The rats made the first move, rushing at him all at once. Asher swung over and over with blood flying through the air with each swing. Eventually his sword snapped and he continued to stab over and over with the broken shaft.

When it was all said and done, he had been bitten all over. His clothes were in tatters and blood was running down his legs. He had succeeded in his first job. It was a hard fight that left him breathless. He had a mental image of Edgar at that moment.

Edgar hadn't even been the slightest bit strained during their match. This was the same situation. Asher was covered in sweat, only this time there was blood mixed in as well. It was beyond frustrating. Rats had given him the same amount of trouble as a seasoned warrior.

As he left the house, he took a couple of their teeth as proof of a job done. He turned it in to the burly secretary who grunted his approval at the trophies on his desk. The secretary muttered, "That'll be fifteen bronze coins for the job completion."

Asher was aghast at the amount. When he had fled his Lord's manor as a child, even a mere baron had sacks of gold. Asher had left the manor with more than a hundred gold coins and lived what felt like a king's life for a month or two before the money ran out. Fifteen bronze coins was a pittance compared to that. It didn't even compare. One hundred bronze coins would equal to one silver and then one hundred silver would equal to one gold.

Asher felt cheated, but in the end he didn't have a choice. A life of crime hadn't fared well for him, this was his last real chance. He grudgingly took the money.

The secretary pointed at Asher's broken hilt and said, "Do you need that replaced?"

"Yes," Asher replied quickly.

"Hand me back the coins, I'll get you a good deal on your new one. I'll get you one in better shape at least."

Asher was surprised by the sudden generosity from the secretary and also somewhat suspicious. As he handed the coins to the burly man he asked, "What's the catch?"

"No catch. You're one of us now. Your first job solidified it. I'll do what I can within my power to make sure you don't die on us. You did better than most on your first job. The majority either die or leave at your rank. I think if you do a few more jobs successfully, you may be promoted before long."

Asher was astounded and almost euphoric hearing that. In all the time he had been on his own after Matilda had died, no one had even seemed to care about his well-being. He waited for the secretary to run a quick errand.

When the secretary came back, he was holding an iron sword almost identical to what he had before, but it had no rust. It was still a little dinged up, but it wasn't missing chunks out of the blade like the last one was. Asher muttered, "He really meant what he said."

Asher looked the blade over thoroughly. It was a short sword like the last one, about a foot and a half in length. It was made of brittle iron, so it was practically useless other than for animals. The first time it hit another blade, it would likely shatter. As Asher looked away from the blade, he asked the secretary, "What's next?"