Thankfully, the mayor had only gone upstairs to retrieve Hunter’s rewards. As the tiefling trundled down the stairs, a shrieking cacophony accompanied him. Confused, Hunter stood from his seat and wearily studied the approaching official.

In one hand, he carried a burlap sack filled with clinking metal. Hunter immediately dismissed the bag, assuming it was the one hundred silver he had been promised. Besides, Hunter was more interested in the other items. Clutched awkwardly in the same hand, James held a reinforced black leather bracer. There were golden plates protecting the top and bottom of the forearm, a piece that covered the back of the hand, and molded leather knuckle guards capped in gold. Hunter frowned at the equipment. He had been promised a weapon, and this didn’t appear to be a weapon.

Dismissing the item, for now, he focused on the source of the wild noises. In James’ left hand, he carried a large golden cage. Inside, a brown eagle thrashed against the bars of its prison. Its eyes were crazed, and its feathers ruffled as it tried to bite and claw at the mayor’s hand. James wasn’t stupid enough to let the bird get a hold of his flesh. He held the cage by a small ring on top. Despite the frenzied struggle from the animal, James was smiling.

He walked over to the bar and took a second to relish in Hunter’s evident alarm before placing the cage on top of the bar. The eagle stopped trying to bite the tiefling, but it still made hissing sounds as it threw its beak against the bars and tried to bend them into submission.

“Isn’t she a beauty,” the mayor said before guffawing.

Hunter gave the bird a sidelong glance.

“What the fuck am I going to do with that?”

James explained while he set the bracer and the sack of coin next to the cage. “Don’t know, don’t care. I was going to eat it, but every time I try to open the cage, I almost lose a finger. I was going to wait until it starved, but when you showed up with your grandfather, I thought it could be put to better use.”

Ignoring the eagle, for now, Hunter opened the bag. He took a quick count and saw that his grandfather’s share had already been deducted.

The greedy bastard probably collected it as soon as the mayor told him the quest had been completed.

Hunter closed the drawstring on the sack and picked up the gauntlet. It wasn’t much to look at; there had been plenty like it in the Sanctuary armory.

“I thought you were giving me it a weapon?”

“Look closer,” the tiefling snidely replied.

Sighing, Hunter concentrated on the bracer, and its description popped up.

The Hidden Hand of Avarice (Lvl 10): This common-tier gauntlet has three throwing spikes hidden below its plating. When one of the spikes pierces a target, Flames of Avarice billow from the tip. In addition to causing fire damage, Flames of Avarice have the ability to bypass some of the target’s defense to steal energy. Overuse of this item will escalate demonic corruption. Due to its demonic origin, familiarity with this item will not precipitate skill growth.

Seeing the last sentence, Hunter was reminded that he wasn’t under the sway of demonic influence any longer. As a result, demonic weapons wouldn’t allow him to level his skills. Curious, Hunter looked at the bottom of the braver and found three black spikes stored in hidden sheathes. It was an interesting weapon, but it was a right-handed gauntlet. Hunter could use either hand with his staff, but he preferred his left. With the gauntlet on his right hand, he would have to switch before drawing a throwing spike. It wasn’t an insurmountable task, more a minor inconvenience than anything, but it would require practice before Hunter could get the hang of the weapon.

Hunter took a breath and looked back at the tiefling. The mayor’s face was annoyingly smug. The teenager realized that the man had good reason to be. The money for completing the quest wasn’t much, the ‘weapon’ was subpar, and the bird was useless. Overall, Hunter didn’t get anything he really wanted.

“These rewards suck,” he said plainly.

“They’re what I’ve got.”

The mayor’s face was too pleased by half.

“I doubt that. Throw in a Ring of Holding, or I’m not going to accept the second quest.”

A frown crossed the tieflings face before a smile replaced the sun breaking through a dark cloud.

“Don’t you want more rewards? Why wouldn’t you take the second quest?”

Hunter thought furiously. He needed to frame his reasoning in a way that the greed tiefling would understand. He couldn’t believe that Hunter’s motivations were different than his own. It was likely that the mayor had expected Hunter to ask for more—it’s what James would’ve done.

“Why would I risk my neck for such shitty rewards? You’re going to have to sweeten the pot, or I’ll just go back to surviving in the wilderness. I don’t need this shit.”

The mayor rubbed his chin. “You do understand that you’re implying the Great One is stingy?”

Hunter drew his mouth into a firm line and raised his eyebrows. He wasn’t going to malign the Rift boss out loud for anyone to hear. However, his expression communicated his sentiments flawlessly.

“Alright, fine,” Jame scowled before reaching behind the bar. He grabbed something from a shelf and slapped it on the table.

“Take your little trinket and get out of my sight.”

Congratulations! You have been offered the quest: Clear the Rift II

Clear the Rift II: The Rift boss has ordered that the Rift be cleared before he’s done deepening the Rift. If his followers successfully clear the Rift, he’ll reward them with more power. If they don’t, he’s promised to put them to the sword. Help the tieflings clear the Rift to collect your own share of the spoils.

Hunter snatched up the small gold ring of holding and slid it on his finger. He picked up the sack of coin and the bracer and put them inside his new storage. He didn’t want to carry around the money, and he didn’t want to use the item until he had converted it with his Progenitor of the Black Wind skill.

He turned to leave, but the mayor’s words stopped him.

“You seem to have forgotten something, boy.”

Hunter turned while sighing. The eagle was still desperately trying to escape its cage. The young warrior reached over and picked up the cage. The eagle’s fighting ceased as if it had been doused in cold water. It tilted its head and studied Hunter just as the human was looking at it. There was a gleam of intelligence in its eyes that Hunter found intimidating.

“That’s weird,” James dryly noted. “That hellspawn has been in a rage since he was gifted to me.”

Hunter didn’t comment on the irony of a tiefling calling another animal a hellspawn. Instead, he concentrated on the bird’s description.

Golden Eagle Lvl: 5

Oh well, I just let the bird out when we leave the Outpost. Hopefully, it doesn’t hold a grudge.

Hunter left the mayor’s building without a backward glance. He had hunting to do before the sun went down.