Chapter 1

In a a tall building of an upper floor there is a bald older man. His face is wrinkled with a long white beard and shriveled mustache showing that maybe he should should've retired years ago. Sitting on a chair next to a table he is wearing greens robes with ornaments and two long white straps. One of these ornaments being a platinum badge it's design being a open book with a sword diagonal on the book. On his table are sheets of paper, a ink with quill, and lastly a green scholars hat with similar ornaments to his robe.

*Knock* *knock* The sounds of wood being knocked and the sound of a muffled voice says. "Excuse me. Guild Master."

The old man who is apparently the Guild Master here was working on some papers at his desk looks at the door and responds with a calm but gruff voice. "Enter."

Opening the door an average size man with dark spiky hair and tan skin is wearing a dark green suite with a tie walks in. Holding papers in one hand, and the other holding small hand size pouch sack. He says in a neutral tone "Excuse my interruption Guild Master the 'task' has been completed."

Placing the papers on the Guild Master desk along with the the small pouch sack makes a sound of a couple 'cling' noises. Hearing the 'cling' noise the old man looks away from the document he had at hand. Staring at the pouch for a second with a raised eyebrow he looks back at the spiky haired man "Keo? These are?"

The spiky haired man named Keo points at the pouch with a flat hand nods. "I'm sorry to report, but sadly another group has been charged and found guilty of quest fraud and rank fraud." Taking out four white cards from his suit pocket he presents them to the old men. "Unfortunately there is also more bad news. A different group of mid rank adventures from our guild have been selling monster parts to our lowest rank." Placing the cards on the table shows pictures of four young adult males wearing black clothes over there faces.

"Monster parts?" Picking up the top paper that Keo placed on his table. He reads how the guilty group had there adventures license revoked along with having to pay a heft fine. The clinging from the pouch is the fine that some in the guilty group have already paid off. Picking another paper shows the details of the guilty along with a records of 'completed' quest. Skimming through the records he picks up the last paper on the table reading 'Contamination'.

Keo seeing the Guild Master focused on the last paper turns his head to the door. There is an average size woman with tan skin, short dark hair and is wearing similar clothes to Keo. Actually they almost look alike? She is holding a glass case that has what looks like stained bones with rotted flesh. Next to her is is a slightly tall man wearing white robes that has a hood covering his head, with brown leathers gloves, leather boots, and a white cloth covering his nose and mouth.

Keo signaled the two at the door by nodding his head to enter. The Guild Master finishes reading the last paper with a worried look. With a hand on his forehead and exhaling a deep breath he does a shooing motion on his two employees.

Keo leaves with the female employee closing the doors behind him. Walking away from the door he sliglty loosens his tie to let him breath. Letting out a tired breath he fixes his wild spiky hair. Slumping his shoulders down he sighs while walking next to the female employee. The female looks at Keo with a slide glance but saying nothing. Why? Women intuition.

...

Back at the Guild Master office the white robed man removes his hood and cloth from his face. Taking out his glove from the right hand he shakes his hand with the Guild Master while introducing. "Hello Guild Master Khrom, my name is Rhanes. I'm a cleric who has been position to the lord of this land."

"A cleric?" The old Guild Master named Khrom looks at the paper on his table then at glass case on a table that is left in the center. Motion his hand to one of the empty sofas in the room the cleric sits on the opposite side while the Guild Master sits on the other sofa. Looking at the glass case the Guild Master says in a gruff voice. "How serious is the situation."

"..." The cleric looks at the old man pointing at his clothes, boots, gloves, and unfolds the cloth that he was using to cover his mouth. In the cloth is charcoal, herbs, and spices wrapped in another cloth. Pointing at the glass case the Cleric holds his hand out near the glass cases. A magic circle appears on the surface of the cases with a sound of shatter the magic circle breaks and fades.

Inside the case the stained bones begins to degrade slowly but fast enough to be noticed. Cracks begin forming and with each crack the bones stained white color begins changing brown. The rotted flesh similar to the bones begins to degrade with the flesh skin slipping off the surface and the color going a sickly greenish brown.

The cleric still having his eyes on the old man khrom says in a serious neutral tone. "I know what you maybe thinking. You're probably thinking if this is all." The clerics hand that is near the case begins to glow white. Then a small magic circle appears inside the case.

The bone begins to break apart bit by bit, the flesh begins to secrete liquid that dries the rotted flesh. in less than a couple seconds both the bones and the flesh turn into a small white powder layer inside the bottom of the case. However inside the glass case the top has a haze that is slightly visible with a purplish tone that is moving almost alive.

"What is this!" the old man says scared he jolts up from the sofa almost falling because of his old legs. Seeing the phantom like swirls he leans in to take a closer look with shakiness all over his body. The cleric seeing the old man hunched he puts a hand out to stop the old man from getting any closer. khrom in his old voice says stuttered and scared. "This...can't be...right...please...tell me... tell me I'm just a senile old fool."

the Claret looks at the old man his eyes showing disbelief and delusion as if to tell him that his is crazy. The cleric looks at the ground shaking his head he looks back at the case. Putting back his hood over his head, cloth over his mouth, a glove over his hand and a cloth over the glass case. He gets up from the sofa carrying the coverd case heading to the door he stops and looks at the old man. He says in his neutral tone "I'm sorry, im afraid you aren't crazy Guild Master khrom."

The old man shakily sits down back at the sofa his eyes still showing shock. The cleric continues saying. "There have been cases of Adventures caring the miasma on them. most from the injured parties seeking help from our church or those that require emergency healing spells. Unfortunately this hasn't been happening for awhile, it's been going for almost a month maybe even longer, we are aren't sure."

Looking at the old man in the eyes he says. "The church around here does not have the power to enforce countermeasures or has enough influence to ask help from neighboring bishop. I hope you can take this contamination seriously the Lord here cares more about gold and his seat of power than his own people." mentioning the lord he feels a deep anger that caused his neutral tone to change. Feeling his anger he takes a deep breath breath and goes outside the room.

When he was about to close the door without looking at the Guild Master says. "Please, as the Guild Master that holds the second power around here...Please enforce counter measures or find a way to convince those capable of find a solution." Putting his head down where you can't see his eyes ends with a sentence. "Farewell, I just hope the next time we meet it is in good, good terms or maybe when you finally retire...Grandpa." Closing the door behind him the sounds of heavy boots tapping the floor echo fade at a distance.

The old man doesn't react to cleric that might have been his grandson leaving. Still trying to digest the information his grandson left him he gets up from the sofa and heads to his table. reaching for the contamination paper and the pictures of adventures he sits back on his chair while looking at the glass window. Seeing the view of the city, districts, homes, and the people living there he lets out a sigh. Going through one of his drawers he takes out silver bell with a green ribbon and an old almost crumpled picture.

Seeing the picture saddens him thinking to himself 'Your son has changed. Whether that change is good or not I do not know. What I do know is that you would still be proud of him.' The picture shows a young woman laughing with a middle aged man by her side at a young man with a worried face holding a sleeping baby bundled in cloth

Chuckling to himself he says "I don't know how much time I have left. Even so." Raising the bell he dangles it. "Let these old bones to one last job. Maybe we'll meet again someday but today I have a job to do." Shaking the bell a no sound comes out a couple seconds later. The man known as Kero runs in with sweat going down his face and a tie lose which does not look like he's prepared or is in any way professional. Seeing how Kero looks the old man couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh"

"Guild Master! What has happened has there been a war!" While answering to the Guild Master Kero tries to fix his hair, tidy his clothes, and attempts to breathe normally.

Shaking his head the Guild Master smiles saying "No, get ready Kero because after today and maybe even a couple days. This will be my last couple days of being the Guild Master once I finish this job I will officially retire and you will be the next Guild Master and Kara will later take your role of guild assistant."

Kero hearing this gave him cluster of emotions such as being happy, stunned, saddened, and confused. Trying to figure out if the old man is messing with him or he's finally lost it. "Guild Master?

The Guild Master picks up the pictures of the adventures on his table and says to Kero "Have the ones in these pictures been detained yet? Or are they still on the lose?"

Kero putting the Guild Master behavior to the back of his head says in a professional manner. "No. These adventures have left to resupply there monster part merchandise. They are likely heading to the monster invested swamps that is east of here. Although there is also a chance that they are also heading to forest in the same direction. Our reports added the their parts from goblins, wolves, and apparently minotaur. With any luck maybe they will be captured by the border patrols."

Hearing the report the old man nods his head and then turns to look at Kero. "Good notify me when they are detained." Getting up from his chair he looks at the window to the outside districts. Looking at a distance he sees a grand manner estate up on a hill. Taking a deep breath he grabs his scholars hat putting it on his head then he thinks to himself. 'What's the worst thing that can happen? lose my life? I've lived my time. When I'm gone,...I'll leave with regrets. Even so atleast I won't regret making what may be my last decision.'

...

In another location there are five people shrouded in robes and cloth mask with big bags rummaging through. What can only be described as a rotting decomposing flesh pit. If you were to look at this at a distance you will see just mounds of rotting flesh with bones and trickle of blood. However if you were in the middle of all this you would see a different gross description.

The bodies of monsters such as goblins, two headed wolves, orcs, giant spiders and even rare ones such as giant worms and minotaurs. Many of these dead monsters are either with decapitated heads, missing intestines, tearing of fur, cutting off flesh, as well as lack of hands or paws from the bodies.

One of these people scavenging through the pit is a small person? This one looks like a 8 year child digging through with a leather bag in one hand and a small dagger with another. Digging through the dead one of the other shrouded people let a scream.

"What happened?!"

"Are we under Attack?!

"Everyone shut up!"

"This...This...This is..."

*Rattle* *Rattle* *Rattle*

"Shit, we've been found out. Everyone group together there coming."