After we get our introductions out of the way, our conversation flows quickly as I let her speak and explain her situation. She is actually an adventurer from a guild in Shalrune known as Silver Roar. She's calm and soft-spoken as she explains that she was on a job to take down a chimera in this forest, which she apparently did, so good for her. But the fight roughed her up quite a bit, and she lost her medical supplies in the scuffle. She was trying to make her way back to Shalrune when the orcs started attacking her.
Once she finishes her explanation, I offer medical assistance. I take out some first aid from my bag and, without even asking, start treating her wounds. She is hesitant at first, but once I finish, she thanks me for helping her. As she examines the bandages around her forehead and arms, I begin to tell her my story, simple as it is. My story of how I've been training hard for most of my life to leave my hometown and become a mighty adventurer and all the other yackity yack you already know.
"So, you're a lightning mage looking for a guild? With strength like that, I'm sure you can get into Silver Roar. I could put in a good word for you, but you'd still probably have to pass the test," Trinn suggests as we start walking toward the path out of the woods.
I eagerly accept her offer, of course. Man, I thought it might be tough to find a guild, yet here's an opportunity falling right into my lap. According to her, they test everyone in a sparring match against one of the more senior guild members. She got lucky, she says, since she was tested by one of the more manageable members, but it really depends on who you get. There are some real powerhouses in Silver Roar, and a person's chances of getting in can drop fast depending on who they wind up facing. This all sounds very exciting to me personally. I kind of hope I get a powerhouse I can test my mettle against.
As we make our way out of the woods and onto a clear path toward the city, we exchange a bit of small talk during the journey. In these conversations I learn a bit about our lady Trinn Vega here. She came from a small town and didn't enjoy her responsibilities back home, so she set out to become an adventurer after training and becoming strong enough to make it into a guild.
Her magic isn't actually fire magic like I guessed. It's weapon-summoning magic. The blade she had was an enchanted weapon that produces flames by filtering the user's magic, which explains why the flames looked a bit pitiful when I found her. The power of the enchanted weapons relies solely on the user's magical energy stores, and she was almost completely out.
She even goes so far as to show me two more of her weapons, despawning the others one at a time. Apparently swords are her thing, because she also has one that lets her conjure smoke, a great tool for quick escapes, and a second sword with major elasticity that can stretch and change size and shape like rubber.
We eventually close in and arrive at Shalrune. I've only been here once before, way back when, and it's even more impressive than I remember. I practically gawk at everything there is to gawk at. Every building, every stand, every statue, even the water beneath the bridges we cross as we make our way through the city. Trinn can't help but be caught off guard by my endless enthusiasm, finally realizing I really am just a farmboy from the sticks exploring the world for the first time.
All of a sudden, as I'm gawking, I stop dead in my tracks. A serious look forms on my face as I turn toward Trinn.
"What is it, Kaine? Is something going on?" Trinn asks with a cautious expression as she pokes her head around, looking for potential danger or threats.
"I smell FOOD!" I say with joyous enthusiasm as I follow the scent my nose picked up, glee in my eyes and drool practically dripping from my mouth like a waterfall.
She follows behind me with a dumbfounded expression and some clear secondhand embarrassment, given that my particularly loud outburst draws a few eyes. We arrive at a stand selling some amazing-looking beef on a stick. I buy a couple and immediately stuff my face, barely taking a second to breathe. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention... I'm a bit of a glutton, to be honest. With all my training over the years, I burned so many calories that I had to eat an insane amount of food every day.
After I finish filling up and do a little more gawking, much to Trinn's dismay, it becomes clear that my personality can get a bit grating on more serious types. But what do I care? Anyway, we finally arrive in front of the Silver Roar guild. It's a huge building near the city center, and my eyes widen at the sight. There's a big gate surrounding the property, and a giant silver lion's head stands above the main entrance. It looks so cool. This must be their symbol or something.
We head in through a side entrance, which Trinn opens by using her guild card. She shows me inside and leads me to the main hall of the guild. It's absolutely packed with tough-looking adventurers going about their day as I walk in beside her. This is it, baby. This is my shot to join an honest-to-god adventurers guild, and I know I won't screw it up.
Bring on whatever tests you want. You want me to fight some powerhouse? Cool, alright then, I'll take them down, because my name is Kaine Stavvros, and I will become the world's strongest adventurer.