Chapter 105

The Guild branch had been busier than ever since the ‘Flux’ had started, with quests ranging all across the borderlands and nearby mountains. More resources and the threat of monsters and beasts attacking settlements had meant that business was booming for the Guild. Conversely, quests to the Wilds had been severely limited.

Making his way through the crowd to the Notice Board, Wil was forced to look over the heads of the other adventurers who were also examining the quest notices. The board, already full when he had arrived at Ur, was absolutely packed with Quests, so much so that they were forced to extend it to another wall.

Red notices, those that indicated a Quest required travel to the Wilds, were much fewer in number, and almost exclusively for higher ranked, large parties and teams.

With Astrid indisposed, and his own unwillingness to commit to a new team, Wil looked for solo quests that were around Rank 5 or 6. His magic’s growing unreliability made him wary of accepting anything more dangerous. The Guild had been taking that into account for its assessments of new Quests, but even they were prone to errors.

Staring at the notices, he was interrupted by a faint pulsation of mana from his bag of holding. Subtly reaching down, he gripped the emerald containing the Earth Elemental. Leaving the notice board, he weaved through the crowd, making his way to the nearest counter to speak with a Guild Employee.

“I need a training area, preferably outside, and private.” Wil said, not even waiting to greet the person before making his request. As one of the highest ranked adventurers in Ur, he had become rather well known in the few months that he had been here. The young woman, nodding vigorously, quickly led him to a door at the back of the room.

“Right over here. Normally we would require a reservation, but we do have an opening.” The young woman said, passing through a corridor and ignoring the greetings of her fellow employees in her rush to serve him.

“I hope this will be suitable” she said, leading him through another passage and out to a snow-covered training ground. High stone walls blocked it from any observers, and Wil could sense the subtle enchantments laid on the area, protecting the surroundings from any mishaps that could occur.

“Perfect. Thank you.” Wil said, subtly handing her a small stack of gold coins and hinting that he would like to be left alone.

“Please let me know if I can be of any more assistance.” she said, tucking the coins in her pocket and giving him a small bow before she left.

Alone, Wil waited for the door leading to the training grounds to close, and the enchantments to cover the entrance, before digging out the emerald and channeling his mana into it. Thankfully, artifacts and items seemed to be unaffected by the ‘Flux’, something that made him somewhat jealous of Astrid’s equipment.

“You have something?” Wil said to the emerging Elemental. Towering over twelve feet high, its earthen body was still covered in snow from the ground that formed it.

“Betrayer.” It responded, its voice rumbled, seeming to come from the earth beneath Wil’s feet, rather than the humanoid elemental in front of him.

“Where? Do you have his trail?” Wil asked, eager to accomplish this task. The pact between them required that he find the elemental’s previous master’s betrayer. But more than that, the longer Wil spent in the Guild, the more he felt obligated to hunt him down, regardless of his agreement.

Guild members relied on each other while questing, a trust between them to protect and work together. Someone who would murder their comrade for profit or gain deserved to be brought to justice.

“No. Trail muddled. Feel mana. There.” It said, pointing to the Northwest, directly towards the Wilds.

“How far?” Wil asked, thinking about how difficult it would be to even get to the Wilds, with the new restrictions. On top of that, the farther they traveled, the more the ‘Flux’ would affect his mana.

“Far. Very Far.” It said simply, waiting for Wil’s response. It knew enough of what was happening to know that traveling through the Wilds would be perilous. It wanted to know if Wil would keep to their pact. It only had to wait a moment for its new master’s response.

“I’ll get us to the Wilds.” Wil said, already planning his next steps. The elemental observed him for a moment longer, before slowly sinking back beneath the ground. Scooping up the emerald, Wil tucked it into his bag before leaving the training ground.

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Tarlin had officially retired from the Guild years ago. A rank 3, he hadn’t been able to advance beyond it, no matter how many quests he went on. Compounded by injuries, he had decided to retire, taking his earnings, and buying a small estate in Ur.

He still enjoyed visiting the Guild Branch, chatting with friends, hearing the gossip, and advising the newcomers. Over time, he began to be a staple at the Guild, his hunched form and long grey beard always present in the hall.

Once his funds began to dwindle, and his peers grew older, falling on quests or retiring to simpler lives, the information he had to share became more valuable. Each Guild Branch had someone like Tarlin, an information broker, a man who could make things happen, for a price.

If any of the Guild higher ups ever had a problem with private dealings at the Guild Hall, they never made it known, and Tarlin or people like him, became a fixture of every Branch.

This day found him the same as every other, enjoying a glass of strong ale, listening to the gossip with several other long-time patrons. It was just when his drink was running low that someone placed a fresh one in front of him, along with a tall stack of gold coins.

Looking up, he recognized the face immediately. A rank 10 Illyrian, newly moved to Ur only a few months ago, and incredibly close to the City Lord’s daughter. Wil Brookmoor was becoming a celebrity in the Guild, with a mentor like Amora and enough strength that he was in the upper ranks of adventurers at the Branch.

Counting the coins idly, Tarlin waited for the young man to take a seat across from him. Finishing his ale, he pulled the newly offered glass next to him before Wil spoke.

“I heard you’re the one to talk to if I need a hand with something.” Wil stated, not bothering with formalities.

Tarlin liked him already.

“Aye. What do you want?” He replied, equally simple. He despised beating around the bush. If you wanted something, just say it outright, why bother tip toeing around it.

“I need to go to the Wilds, but I’m not part of a team and I’ve no interest in joining one. Do you know anyone that would let me tag along?” Wil asked, leaning forward intently.

This was one of the simpler requests Tarlin had heard. A Rank 10? Of course, there were people willing to let him join, even just for a single quest! Most of the adventurers here were Rank 5 or 6, making up for quality with quantity when it came to the Wilds.

“Aye, I can think of a few. Shouldn’t be hard, not with your reputation and Rank.” Tarlin replied, curious why the lad was even seeking him out. He could just stand up and shout what he needed to the groups here and someone would snatch him up in an instant!

“It needs to be a High Rank quest, something that goes deep into the Wilds.”

‘Ah, that explains it then. Not many groups went deep, and certainly not with someone they hadn’t worked with before. An outsider was a risk, and you needed a well-functioning team for quests in the Wilds.

“That’s a tricky one. I might have something, but it will take a few days, maybe a week. Not many going deep with everything that’s happening.” Tarlin admitted, draining his glass. Wil reached into his bag, pulling out another stack of coins, this one much larger.

“Can you make it a priority?” Wil asked, placing the coins in the center of the table. Tarlin licked his lips, thinking furiously, until a solution presented itself.

“I know someone…but you would need to be discrete. It’s not…official.” Tarlin admitted, eyeing Wil’s reaction. Seeing him nod immediately, not caring that it could be illegal, he knew that whatever Wil desired to do in the Wilds, it needed to be done soon, regardless of how he got there.

Motivated, Tarlin stood up from the table and scooped up the coins. Placing them in his pocket, he slung his cloak over his shoulders.

“Two days. I can’t guarantee that they’ll take you, but I’ll get you a meeting.” Tarlin said, nodding at the young man and leaving. He knew just who to see.