I woke up with my body and mind still remembering the horror of the duo-devils torment. I have been broken both physically and mentally and the dreamless night did not bring me any comfort, even more, through this whole time I was waiting for the continuation of my suffering. Driving with Giselle, studying with Lanele, could it be something worse?

Girls were already awake, walking across our tiny camp picking equipment and readying for the journey ahead. Today we were supposed to enter yet another city.

Ok. Let's put being overdramatic to the side (which will be a rather extremely difficult task as I simply love being overdramatic). I am actually quite used to the inconvenience of traveling with "Giselle behind the wheel", and priestess despite being a very demanding teacher, was very good in teaching. Seriously, she always ended part of a lecture by giving practical uses for the formula, mentioned expectations and pointed out most common mistakes. Damn, if only lessons were just a bit shorter I would be actually looking forward for more! Unfortunately, lessons ended when Lanele decided so, which, in most cases meant a few hours after I have had enough.

Still, studying with her was simply worth it. Why am I saying so? Trust me, I didn't have just some random urge to praise someone in my thoughts, there actually was a reason for my state of amazement!

You have obtained a skill [ [High] Elvish Langauge - beginner] Level 1

Elvish Langauge allows you to communicate better with creatures of [Elf-kin]

You will be able to automatically read/write/speak and listen to the conversation of Elvish language - the higher rank and level of skill the more accurate the translation will be.

You need to remember, that every sub-race of [Elf-kin] uses bit different variation of Language, but as they all originated from the same ancient language, you will be able to understand one another with just a small misunderstanding.

A higher level of any of the [Elf-kin] languages, the faster it will be to learn other variations.

If you would study all [Elf-kin] languages variations, the skills will merge into [???] skill

[Elf-kin] languages learned:

[High] - learned

[Wood] - missing

[Blood] - missing

[Dark] - missing

[????] - languge unknown

You have learned a new language!!! Thanks to memorizing new vocabulary you have successfully raised your brain performances! WIS +1 You have learned a new langauge!!! [Elvish] is a very tricky langauge! It forces you to constantly think about new ways of constructing sentences.

You are now more likely to create new [Spell-structures]!

INT +1

You have learned a new language!!!

Because [Elvish] origins from [???] langauge, some spirits are more likely to respond to you /// favor you if you would adress them in this particular langauge.

Ps.: Try casting a spell in [Elvish]

^_^

SPI +1

THAT'S WHY!

Sweet baby jesus! Look at this! I can obtain simiar effects by meditating, but because I have raised it's level quite a alot, I would have to spend weeks on meditating before it would level up, not to mention rising my stats. I am actually waaay more eager to study with Lana! Will i gain more stats from leveing this skill?... i highly doubt that, more likely that I would gain some if I would rank it up. For now, I wonder how this auto-translation works like... Let's check it!

[ [High] Elvish Language - begginer] - Level 1; is now toggled [ON/OFF]

- "Lanele, would you mind saying to me anything in Elvish?" I asked looking in her direction.

- "Ce'rai? T'arvec seq T'ais un-marufh ver akiin?"

HOLY SHIT! It's working! It's like two Laneles are talking to me at the exact same time, yet that comepltely doesn't bother me not disturb my understanding! The translation is completely out of place but I can more or less understand what she meant! She used the simplest gramatical form and most common words, this is why autotranslation worked so well, let's check the other way around.

I looked at her at opened my mouth in response.

- "More or less. Mind saying something more difficult?"

Priestess eyes widened

- "You commited a terrible crime of rape upon my langauge... but that was actually quite understandable. Gradation of adjectives is still out of your reach... but that was rather clever. Joining prefix from that meant the peak of skill with meaning difficulty to create more-difficult? That's not how you make it... but... I must say it. Really good job I... I thought it would take you much more time to... Woah." she nodded few times "...the principle was used correctly, the only reason you made that mistake was simply that you didn't know the right prefix nor the correct way of gradation. But I am sure everyone would undersatnd what you meant. Oh, back to your question. I doubt you would understand anything, but here it goes..."

For a second or two Elfish beauty gathere thoughts before smiling and saying on one breath:

- "M'yalla, mirala miyeli Majar, Matafa un marka zeytuli M'yjak;

Masteya, Maffiella mateyii ett Miyar, malleki mateffi mufyarri mak mar;

Vellosz ma..."

Ventured, ???? ??? ??? ?????. where ??? shadow ??? sleep,

And then ???...>

- "ENOUGHT!!!" I yelled covering my ears "... tongue twisters? Are you nuts!?"

- "You wanted something more difficult..." she fluttered her eyes in an innocent matter, as if saying

- "If you want to kill a cockroach you use your shoes - not shoot it from a ballista." I said pouting

- "Anyway, did you understand something?" she smilled

Curses upon that smile! She is mocking me! Stupid sow! I am speaking your language for 5 god-damnes minutes! If you would start making potions I wouldn't bully you for wasting ingridients!!!... Wait, I totaly would.

- "Just some words out of context. Definitely not anything that would make sense."

- "Weeell? Say what you understood."

- "Something about sweet Majar... or maybe beautiful Majar, that together with her brother M'yjak and someone else ventured somewhere where shadow sleeps or something like that."

- "Close... Well, not really, but for someone that start studying recently..." she was... dissapointed? Like if I was progressing too fast? That's one way to boost my condifence! "... that's a rhymed story for children, it uses many alussions and twisted sentences, you know - something that because of two or three words at the end completely changes the meaning. It's a story of a group of brave elves that went into the dark land to defeat the bad-lord that noone saw, who is big, scary, has huge teeth and claws and is very mean to everyone, just to discover at the end of the story that the bad Lord was a very small girl that everyone was bullying, so she started wearing a dark cloak and was scaring people from afar. This story is used to teach kids many things, one - that very often scary things only appear to be scarry - or in other words, that weakest people often try to pretend being scary... and that if you are mean to someone, that someone would seek revenge..." she stopped talking. Froze in place, as if letting her mind start daydreaming. Her eyes were gazing somewhere deep into the horizon - to the deep South-West, where her kingdom was located.

She shook her head getting rid of tiresome thoughts and focused back on me.

- "We have still few more hours before reaching the city. Do you want to study or..."

- "I would love to, buuut... I think I would change Giselle on cartman's spot. She looks tired after whole day of driving."

- "Nonsense!..." dragoness noticed that we started talking about her "... I am well rested and ready to..."

- "Oh no!..." Priestess covered her mouth with a theatrical gesture "... she is even raveing! That may be a fever. She will have to rest!"

- "I am telling you, I am fine!" Gis really wanted to keep driving. Our pained bottoms rejected this crazy idea on the spot.

- "No, Gis, Jeircho kept telling you this - rest is important! This is why you will nicely sit on the barrel at the back of the cart."

- "But..."

- "Giselle! Two priests are telling you that you have to rest! Or maybe you have better knowledge about healing than the two of us!" Lanele said with a harsh tone

- "What? No, that's not what I mean..." dragoness was completely lost. She had no idea what was going on.

- "Good that we agreed on that particualr matter. Now, as your medic - I command you. Get in the cart so I can check you."

- "W-well. Fine, I guess?" And just like this my not-so-celver love was once again forced to sit on the back of the cart - far from the cartman's spot where she DOES NOT belong.

With combined efforts, we managed to place still confused dragoness at the back of the cart where she more or less peacefully sat for the next few hours of the journey. Every now and then she reminded us how very bored she is, but nonetheless, we managed to peacefully reach our next destination - the city of Stottergert, called also as Merchant's Stronghold.

There was a reason for that - Stottergert was the biggest city in whole Neira - it was built a few dozen decades ago on the crossroad of traveling routes. There was endless desert of nomadic tribes to the South, kingdom of elves to the South-West (from which our lil’ priestess hails from); the Red Mountains of dwarves bit to the North and further to the West and across the mountains chain to the North there was infamous pirates bay - from which smugglers brough exotic and not exactly legal goods.

But that wasn't the only reason for Stottergert state of wealthiness - it was surrounded by fertile soil - especially close to the swamps, forests were full of animals and many dungeons appeared all around it, being a real mine of magical cores.

But, you can't have only good sides of such a situation, can you? Swamps were habituated by creatures that weren't very happy that humans kept drying swamps to her more land for farms. Animals in forests lured predators that learned how to skilfully avoid human hunters (thus to avoid detection and later being reported to the guild, nothenless, their existance was rather well known); and dungeons... well I believe that I don't need to remind you how important is regular purification of those? That's is unless you don't want monsters to leave their liars and roam roads close to nearest villages. It's never wise to let crazy magical monsters roam free.

City guards couldn't take care of all the threats (they were too busy getting bribed by merchants) and mercaneries worked as private bodyguards or evetnually bouncers at the merchant's guilds, so naturally another proffession bloomed... and I am not speaking about hookers. Once again! That doesn't mean there were no hookers! Quite the opposite! But right now I am speaking about adventurers. The branch of the guild in Stottergert despite being so very young and thus "with no history, tradition and barely any time to get founds for investments and growth" was rather spectacular. Bah, it could compete with Neira's in term of size and majesty (also because Jericho kept wasting huge % of income on alcohole and gambles).

At the gates we faced the regular inspection (regular for adventurers) - for the huge queue of visitors waited in a single line as we have completely skipped it and entered via gate for VIPs. Oh, the hate the in eyes of people that watched us gave me chills. Few even tried to bribe us to hide on our cart. Of course, we refused, if we were caught we would face... well, maybe not consequences, but it would definitely be a pain in the ass.

- "Do you have anything for taxation?" the guard asked skipping dozens of things he was supposed to check from the list

- "No. We have potions and herbs, but that's for personal use." I answered bored. Hearing "potions and herbs" his eyebrow twitched, yet he quickly scribed soemthing down and get back to

- "Any danerous objects to report?"

- "Brother, we are adventurers... OF COURSE, WE HAVE DANGEROUS OBJECTS!" I was slowly losing my patience "... Name them! Swords! Daggers! Bows! Magical equipment! Scrolls! That's our bloody profession!"

- "Calm down, sir, I beg you, I would also rather spend this time in the inn drinking ale." Man looked at me wan ith exhausted expression.

- "Y-yes, I am sorry. Long days of traveling. Please, carry on." my outburst was silly and unjustified. Shouldn't yell at man that could order detailed inspection that could last for hours.

- "No offense taken." the man nodded few times, asked few more questions and let us in , yet was rather nice enought to inform us about a few additional things.

- "As far as I know all rooms in your guild are occupied. If you need a place to stay I suggest you to check the . Their prices are ridiculous, but beds are warm and insect-free and what Katherine does in kitches is witchcraft in the purest form. Food to die for."

- "Well, thank you, my I ask you name?"

- "It's Solyon, sir, may I ask the reason for your question?" he answered and asked bit confused

- "After your shift will be over there will be a mug of ale waiting for you in the inn you have yust mentioned. As both apology and thanks."

He blinked twice, smiled and thanked us. After that, we parted our ways.

Kindness for kindness - not to forget that it's always good to have postive relations with memebers of city guards. Just in case.

Finding recomenced inn was a rather easy task - it was located two streets away from city market - close enought to get anything you need in a jiffy, far enought so the noise of hundred people negotiating prices wouldn't bother you. Well, it wouldn't bother you if you were a human, thanks to the curse of enhanced hearing I quickly learned that 20 iron bits for salted salmon is a ridiculous price.

The owner of was a huge, very chubby woman with motherly aprance - a person that would give you a hug and feed you even if you were a totoal stranger. We quickly paied for two rooms for a week; paid in advance for mug of ale for certain city guard (after mentioning the name of the guard owner quickly nodded twice saying she knew him).

With most vital needs satisifed and leaving our equipemnt in rooms, we headed toward the guild.

Guild like guild - crowded, noisy, smelling like sweat and booze. And like alwayses - dominated by warriors. All kind of shieldsmen, spearmen and axemen were occupying most of the tables, few rogues carrying daggers or shorter blades (few with bows - which wasn't really an adventuirer's weapon) and two or three mages. The regular.

And the quest-board. I have never seen this many quests in my entire life. Many quests notes were hidden under another. Every few seconds another quest was being taken, but just in the moment you thought that the number of quests is about to be reduced to reasonable quantity, a guild staff came with the box full of new just to nail more.

It was a universal law - the bigger and richer the city was the more problems it had.

- "New adventurers?" lady from behind a counter asked "... praise the goddesses! We have more work than you will be able to handle... but there may be a problem with your cantomnemt, we are full where is comes to rooms but..."

- "We already have rooms in one of the local inns." Lanele calmed the busy woman

- "You were truly send by angels!" tensed muscles of staff member relaxed. I am sure that in her mind she was already readying for another quarell trying to explain why they can't give us rooms "... in this case I only have to register you. Your badges, please."

We quickly passed our guild tokens that were put by the crystal shard.

- "You are Zariel B rank, Lanele B rank and Giselle S rank, is that rig... wait. THAT Giselle and THAT Zariel!?" She quickly raised her eyes from the crystal-screen.

- "I think I now know why Giselle is boasting so much. it certainly is nice to be recognizible." I sighed pleased "... I believe that it would be us, I mean, Giselle as Giselle, but I have never met another Zariel in my whole life so..."

- "You have qualifications for higer tier quests! Please! NO - I BEG YOU! There are mostly C and B ranks here! Few As and literally one S rank! We can't keep us with requests!"

- "W-well, we certainly can take a quest or two..." Gis got back into the mood

- "One or two?! NO! WE HAVE OVER TWENTY! PLEASE! SAAAAVE UUUS!" The woman started crying. "... you have no idea what are we going throught! Merchants just don't want to understand that we can't deal with their requests! When they gave us another S-rank quest and we tried to tell them we are lacking people with qualifications they just told us to send more lower-rank adventureres!" she was massaging her temple.

This is when I noticed it - she had huge shadows under her eyes and her skin had unntaural colors. She was lacking propers sleep and rest.

- "You should have tell them them that next time they would be struggling in negotations they should just send more negotiators..."

- "Would love to, unfotrtuantely, we are not really in a position to... talk back to them."

- "I thought guild was neutral and noone have control over it." Lanele wshipered, yet loud enough to be heared

- "Oh, we are independent... just not financially. We are still too young to act proudly and refuse the quests. Not just yet."

I see.

- "Well, I guess we can take a quest..." Giselle looked at us looking for aproval

- "I hoped we could rest for a day or two. We were quite busy on our way here. Three moons ritual, bandit's castle, werewolf..." Lanal pouted. We were not in the best condition either. To be honest I also hoped for a day in a bathhouse.

Girls looked at me waiting for my final decision - all three of them.

- "Well, nobody tells us to work as a team. Lana, if you want to, you can rest for a day, two, or as long as you please, in the meantime, I and Gis will take quest..."

- "QuestS!" lady from administration put a very strong accent on plural version. For a moment or two, I battled with idea of showing her where is her place by saying that it's only up to us how many quests we would take but... just look at those eyes! As a fellow adventurer, I felt a strong need to help her.

Not to mention that it was a great opportunity to train and raise rank.

- "... or quests." I agreed

- "Are you sure?" Priestess asked with a concerned expression "... I don't want to leave with you tasks to do."

- "I am fine with that. Aaand to be honest, I would like to take two or three solo quests. Zari has been slowing me down quite a lot lately!" She smiled mockingly at me, I knew that she didn't mean that

- "That's understandable, just don't forget to come to me running after seeing a spider or two." I paid her back wtih the same smile

- "THAT WAS A WHOLE HORDE OF SPIDERS WHICH WERE AS BIG AS DOGS AND..."

- "Riiight..." I shiften my gaze back on receptionist "... so, what do you have for us?"

- "Well, miss Redwing is free to pick whichever quests she wants, I mean - she is an S rank... as for you, I think I will bend the rules as let you take A's..."

- "Give him S." Giselle, for the first time ever actually spoke higly about me in public "... that's something that papa Jericho would say - he is more than competent to be called S rank too. The only reason why he is refused the badge is that he didn't meet quests quota. If you have problems with a number of higher tier quests, feel free to give him hardest."

- "I don't know if I can do that..." Skipping one rank is one thing, skipping two completely different - someone that only about me may not be convinced.

- "Love, I have been hunting Temple-Hydra when I was blinded. I have survived on the 50-ish floor of Tower of Despair for a week - even saved her ass there..." I pointed on dragoness, which wanted to say something, but eventually just shook her head and pouted. She couldn't deny that "... a few days ago we battled with wwerewolf and won. I am sorry, but if you need any other proof to test my strenght, then tell me which exactly, beacuse maybe I did that too."

- "W-well, I doubt that you could follow S rank on hardest quests if you were inccompetent... I will trust you, I think. Ok, for next few days if you would pick S-rank quest I would forget to check your badge... Oh, one more thing."

- "Yes?" I asked preparing for more troubles

- "I just wanted to say... thank you for saving my ass." as if someone took a huge burden ofh her shoulder.

- "No problem. We will check equipment, take the quest and who knows, maybe we will deal with some most urgent matter today." Giselle stretched her muscles.

- "I will check library and book stores. Will see if there is something about art." she smiled in my direction before leaving. Together with Gis we approached the quest-board, to be precise the section on which in the bottom right corner of every document there was a red stamp with "S".

- "What did you take?" I asked Gisele that within minute took one of the documents

- "A Bogger is attacking farm-fields."

I hissed

- "You sure you don't need help with this one? Bogger on the swamps is one annoying cunt."

- "Will be fine. Killed few of those already. They only look tough, if you would manage to force them into open combat they are pretty much done for."

- "Boggers don't just approach you and challange for an honorable duel. They prefer poisoning you and finishing when you are already dying. And fuckers tend to be rather fast in bogs... well, they are named Bogger for a reason."

- "I am a half-dragon. I am not afraid of poisons." she smiled porudly

- "Just be careful babe." I said after picking document myself

- "And what did you take?" Gis looked with curiosity

You have obtained [The Mystery of Southen Cave] quest

People started vanishing in the forest to the South. After scouting the area a new Cave has been spotted.

Is that a dungeon? A warlock hideout? No one knows. Three squads of B rankd and one squad of A rank adventuers go in, only one peson came back.

That person only managed to say "burn this unholy place" before dying.

It is your duty to scout the area, evaluate the danger and report back.

You are free to take any action you would deem necesery.

Rewards:

- EXP [Depending on performaces and quality of raport]

- Money [Depending on performaces and quality of raport, no less than 01g50s]

- "Something annoying." I said and looked back on her "... don't wait with supper for me."