Several days have passed after the Academy’s graduation ceremony. This is a period of holidays for the kingdom of Erast, for those who have plans for their future, other than becoming Adventurer that is. For Erevos and his group of friends this is the perfect period to train and bond much stronger as comrades and synchronize their skills and special moves. Not to mention they have sceduled to visit the Guild this day.

And so, Erevos’s morning routine began with him having a breakfast with his family. Always sitting at the edge of the table having his father on the other side of the table and his little sister besides him on his left. He ate, as usual, very quickly, a very nutritious meal and went off his way to meet his friends.

Meeting at the lake

The meeting point was the lake’s bridge and of course, like always he was on-time, with Diana being there already. Alex and Gorgo came quickly after as well. Unlike Lugous who always was the last to arrive; at some point the others started to think that he was doing it on purpose.

“How is it every time, you are the one always being late, Lugous?”

“Well, today I had to rescue a cat which was stuck on a tree, so I could impress her owner, a very stunning young lady.” He said with a proud smile on his face.

“Why do I find it so hard to believe…”

“I wonder why…” Gorgo and Alex commented ironically.

“Nevertheless, I have to be last to arrive to make a dramatic entrance as the star of this group!” Lugous seemed like he wanted to keep this conversation floating, about himself.

“You are indeed one of your kind, Lugous”

“Ahhh, Thank you Diana!”

Didn’t say that for a compliment…”

“Ha Ha, very funny! Ever since, I graduated as the best ranged Martial Artist, I have to inform you that I’ve become quite popular! Especially around the girls” Said with a smuggling face “So, Jokes on You!”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes! Really…”

“What does Caitlyn say about it?”

Lugous blushed for a second as Caitlyn was his academy crush with only Diana knowing about it.

The others questioned but quickly followed through

“What does Cait had to do with that?”

“Ohhh, so Cait is the ‘special girl’ right Lugous?”

Gorgo started to enjoy this conversation. But Lugous felt kind of betrayed at the moment… So he sought for revenge

“Well, you are no better Diana, considering your crush is…”

Before finishing his sentence Lugous felt a tense presence behind him; it was one of Diana’s spells.

Lugous didn’t finish and what was followed was an awkward silence…

A ‘question’ for another day

Until Erevos reminded them their task for today. They had to visit the Headquarters of the Adventurer Guild, so they could make their team official.

And so, they started moving, with Diana aggressively in the front, followed by Erevos and Lugous and in the back Gorgo and Alex, discussing what just happened quietly.

“Never have seen this sight of Diana…”

“Same, one is certain; We do not discuss about Diana’s crush, whoever that is…”

“Yeah, but who could it be?”

“Whoever he is, he must be either really lucky or pretty doomed.”

“With that, I have to agree… But are we certain her crush is ‘he’ and not ‘she’?”

“Alex,come on man… When did out company with Lugous affect you too?”   

“I’m just joking Gorgo, hehehe”

 Adventurers in the course of time

The gang arrived at the Adventurers Guild Headquarters. The building was impressively huge even though Adventurers weren’t really that popular, as they used to be in past years.

‘Long ago before the Four Human Kingdoms were formed, before the humans were the dominant force in the World; In a time when non-human creatures, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs and demonic monsters ruled the world, the human race was weak. Humans had to be content with small lands and villages inside the elven realms. Adventurers were the only ones that dared to explore the outside, for humans, world. Quests that soon led to the expansion of the Human domain. Every Kingdom has its own theory on the origin of the Human expansion. Only Handful Creatures now the true story…’

But after the humans had settled down and formed their actual Kingdoms, Adventurers tasks seemed to have decreased. The last Decades they were working as explorers in ruins of old civilizations of other races; mostly Elven structures, sometimes Dwarven mines, and the most dangerous when they are asked to travel to the non-human lands where all the other races have been living after the Great World War.

A North Continent where the remaining Elves and Dwarves have been immigrated. Where it is rumored that the few last dark creatures still live in hiding…

Entering the Guild

As the friends enter the building, they sensed a tense atmosphere; like the whole place was abandoned or something. There was not a lot of noise inside the building. Unlike his size where it would be expected to have a lot of work, this one had not. They headed to the reception.

Erevos was the one doing the talking. He requested an audience with the guild masters, as they had already booked an appointment. In order to formally start being Adventurers, they had to discuss with the Guild they want to belong, to start giving them requests and tasks to do. The guild works like the middle man in order the one having in need of an Adventurer could easily get into contact with the ones suitable for the job. They waited for the meeting to do the final talking…

The reception told them that the Guild masters would be informed of their arrival and in the meantime, they could go wait in the meeting room on the first floor. And that’s what they did. They walked on the buildings first Floor, to where the meeting Room was held.

The friends could sense that something was off.

“Man, it is kinda creepy here…” Lugous commented.

“Yeah, seems like an abandoned business to me.” Added Gorgo, who was anxious about something, he was sweating a lot, like he had something to get off his chest but couldn’t find the opportunity.

Tense situation

They entered the Meeting Room. In front of them, a big circled table was in the middle with enormous chairs around it. They all sat and waited for the Guild Masters to arrive.

“At least the chairs are comfy! Ha haha”

“That is… at least something, Lugous; You are correct” pointed out Alex who then turned to everyone else “So, we are doing this after all”

“Yep”

“Come on, Gorgo chin up a little! It’s not like we are going to live in this building… We will finish the paperwork and we will be on our way”

“I know Alex! This is not what eats me… Haven’t you guys heard about the news?”

“Oh… That about the Petraborne Kingdom? That the peace between the Human Kingdoms will end?” Said Lugous with an ironical tone “Come on man, you don’t actually believe in this crap, do you?”

“It is not a small matter! Possible war is not for joke!”

“Relax, it is a political matter. It is out of our influence and power anyways” noted calmly Erevos

A thing we must be worried about

“I agree with you, but as future Adventurers we should be worrying…”

“Why is that?”

“Do not tell me you haven’t done your research… As Adventurers. The lands we will most likely be asked to explore would be those of the non-humans and the places near ‘the Lake of Runes’ which, as you know are located in Petraborne Kingdom!!!”

Gorgo was really anxious about this recent turn of events and worried.

The others tried to calm him down. Alex especially, who was his close friend apart from the rest of them tried to put some reason into his words.

“Relax,” he said “Remember, we can always decline requests and contracts that would seem to be dangerous and risky!”

On the other side of the table was Lugous who all this time was inner-struggling on whether trying to reply by joking or actually be serious on this conversation.

Unexpectedly he chose the latter, and put some sense into his words.

“Assuming, first the war is going to happen; It is a tradition and law, that Adventurers do not take sides in a war. So, basically it does not affect our position.”

An unfortunate turn of events

Out of the blue, the Guild Masters secretary entered the room and with an apologizing tone said to them

“I am deeply sorry, but we have to cancel your today meeting and postpone it for the next week. The Guild Masters were suddenly requested by the King and the Army for a crucial meeting.

The friends didn’t know hot to react at first but then Erevos stood up

“Thank you, for letting us know. We will look forward for our next meeting then. But, do you know why the King requested the Guild masters? I mean what could they want from an Adventurers Guild?”

Diana gave him a quick hit on his head

“Aagh… That hurt!” he whined

“You can’t possibly be asking why the King has requested them, could be classified!” she noted

But the secretary with a calm smile, was going to let them know

“Oh, it is not a secret, there will be on the newspapers most likely in the next days. And you as possible future adventurers have all the right to know…”

“See?!” Erevos said with a tone to Diana, and let the secretary continue…

“It is going to be discussed on whether Adventurers are going to take part in the war, if its going to take place after all.

Everyone did not say a word… The silence that was followed couldn’t be found anywhere. It was like no one was in the room.

Then Lugous was on the edge of laughing, but he turned to the others and said:

“Guys, scratch what I said before… I might have jinxed us!”

An awkward silence was followed until Gorgo passed out! All the others rushed to see if he is ok, while Lugous couldn’t hold his laughter on the whole situation.