Rising before dawn and making himself ready for the day, John leaves his room. Descending the stairs, he's treated to the smell of a fresh breakfast wafting from the kitchen, and after a moment of consideration he follows his nose. Sa'vinni and a woman he doesn't recognize move about the kitchen, fetching ingredients and tending bubbling pots.
"I see you're an early riser, John," Sa'vinni says, her words clearly startling the woman assisting her. He hadn't gone out of his way to make his presence known but he certainly hadn't crept up on them either. Perhaps sensing his confusion, Sa'vinni chuckles a bit. "I told you yesterday I was a Mithril ranked adventurer. There's no need to be so surprised."
"We don't have adventurer's or Boons where I come from," John tells her. "No magic, either."
"Oh, that's right! Everi mentioned you were a Wayfarer." Sa'vinni finally turns to face him with a smile. "Since you're here, how about giving us a hand? All you have to do is stir." Approaching, he takes the spoon from her hand and does as asked, stirring whatever dish is bubbling away in the pot. She crosses the kitchen, gathering several strange looking vegetables before placing them on a counter to dice them. "Did you sleep well?"
"Well enough."
"I can't begin to imagine how much of an adjustment it must be."
"Part of me was hoping it was a dream. That I would just wake up delirious in my cot because I'd caught something and it was all just a fever dream." He stares off into the distance, hand idly stirring at the bubbling pot in front of him. "But when I woke up, I was here. When I was 'selected' I had a feeling; actually, more like an intrusive thought. I do not belong to my world anymore. I remember everything, and I should feel a strong pull to go back but I don't."
"You know, when I first began adventuring I happened across a Wayfarer." He turns his attention to Sa'vinni who makes deft use of the knife in her hand with a speed that would make any chef jealous. "He told me much the same thing. Of course, I met him in a tavern so I thought perhaps it was just the drink doing the talking."
"What happened to him?"
"He died."
"Good story."
"You asked, John." Sa'vinni gathers the diced vegetables and tosses them into a small pot before wiping her hands on her apron. "If I could give you some advice? I don't know if you could ever return to your old life but you can certainly begin a new one here. In fact, most people view acquiring a Boon as a new start to their lives; whether that's as an adventurer or simply a way into a new line of work." An acrid smell causes John to curl his nose and he glances down at the pot before releasing a string of curses as his hand rapidly moves to stir the contents. His panic draws a round of laughter from Sa'vinni and the woman assisting her while John lifts the pot from the source of the heat with a sigh. John spots a fist sized red stone fixed into place where a burner might have been on a gas stove.
"This is why I ate at the DFAC."
"These things happen, John." Sa'vinni approaches and waves a hand over the stone. He watches with no small amount of interest as the glow recedes until it finally disappears completely, leaving behind only a dull gray stone. "I think we can cross chef off the list of new starts, though."
"I would agree. Adventuring sounds more interesting anyway."
"It can be if you're willing to take the risks." John places the pot back on the burner, and turns to face her fully. "If that is the path you want to take, then you need to decide what kind of adventurer you want to be. In the Guild there are two types of adventurers: the 'divers' and the true adventurers. Both have their pros and cons."
"What's the difference?"
"Well, it depends on who you ask. In my opinion, divers aren't real adventurer's. They're only interested in dungeons, and what they can pull out of them. If you want a chance to make a lot of money very quickly then dungeon diving is your best bet, especially if your Boon grants you a looting ability. True adventurer's take contracts posted in the Guild. Truthfully, the pay is usually awful and the risk is high but you will grow your Boon far faster on the road than you will in dungeons. You're also looked more favorably upon by the Guild if you decide you want to work for them."
"I can see why someone might favor one over the other when you put it like that. So, how would one go about joining the Guild? Are there membership fees I have to worry about?"
"No, nothing like that," laughs Sa'vinni. "Admission to the Guild is fairly simple: you apply for membership, then complete the first contract assigned to you. After that, you'll be issued your Adventurer's tag, and you're free to do as you please from there."
"Just like that? I would have expected some obligation to the Guild."
"Adventurer's seldom enjoy being tied down and the Guild understands that. The only exception to that rule are what's known as Emergency Contracts but those are generally only assigned to Gold rank and above. Those contracts are not negotiable, the Guild expects you to drop what you're doing and get to work immediately."
"What constitutes an Emergency Contract?"
"A dungeon break in a populated area, a hoard of monsters descending upon a town or an exceptionally powerful monster leaving it's roost can trigger an Emergency Contract. Although, if it's a single monster powerful enough to force a contract that will handed off to an Adamantine Rank, so you don't have to worry about it."
"I assume a dungeon break is when something that shouldn't be outside of a dungeon crawls it's way out."
"Yes. If a dungeon is not cleared for several months then a break can occur. A hoard of monsters native to the dungeon will surge out and attack everything in their path. After a while, the hoard will go feral and even begin to attack and kill one another. Dungeon breaks in wilds are normally left to run that course without an emergency contract."
"Why would they go feral?"
"It's been theorized that it has something to do with the lowered ambient Mana as compared to dungeons. Monsters within dungeons are composed almost entirely of Mana, it sustains their entire being. Even in areas with a high saturation of ambient Mana it will still be lower than those of dungeons in the area so a good rule of thumb to use is 'One Above'. A dungeon will always be one rank above the ambient Mana level." Sa'vinni takes the pot from the stove, and approaches a sink to pour the burnt contents down the drain. "On the other hand, monsters you'll encounter in the wilds have varying levels of Mana composition depending on the ambient Mana."
"What does that affect?"
"To put it in simpler terms, the higher the rank of a monster the tougher it is. That applies to those who possess a Boon as well. Organ's aren't as much of a vital point as they used to be when you reach Gold and by the time you've reached Mithral they've become completely redundant. A stab to the heart is little more than a mild annoyance by that point." John's brow furrows as he turns her words over in his mind. He struggles to wrap his mind around it. If a heart or head shot couldn't taken down someone at Mithral rank, then exactly what does it take to put one down? Beyond that, if the organs are redundant then do bodily functions matter? Would he need to eat, sleep or breathe at that rank?
"If the organs don't matter, then how does the body function? Actually, putting that aside for a moment, are you telling me you don't have organs anymore?"
"Of course, I do! They're just not necessary." A silence falls over the kitchen as John waits for her to elaborate, and after several long moments it becomes clear she has no intention of answering his initial question. Perhaps sensing his disappointment, Sa'vinni chuckles. "I can't hand you every answer. There are some things you need to experience for yourself." Clicking his tongue in displeasure she laughs once more. "Be patient. You're young, and you have plenty of time."
"I'm thirty-two. I'm not exactly 'young' anymore."
"My people are very long lived, John. By our standards, you'd still very much be a child." He opens his mouth, and immediately clamps it shut as his mind catches up. Once more her ability to read him seems far too good for his liking as she speaks, "Good man. A gentleman never asks a lady her age. Now, be a dear, and give me a hand with breakfast." Following her lead, or more accurately, attempting to do so he very quickly proves to be more of a hinderance than a help and is quickly relagated to tending pots and staying out of the way. By the time Everi has descended to the common room, she finds John watching Sa'vinni and the woman he'd learned is named Jess as they flit about the kitchen.
"You're an early riser, I see," Everi says, watching him jump slightly and quickly snap around to face her. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you."
"Its fine," John assures her. "Sleep well?"
"Yes. You?"
"No complaints." A silence falls between the two, and after a few moments Everi eventually clears her throat.
"Have you given any thought to what you might want to do?"
"Yes. I'm going to join the Adventurer's Guild." Her face lights up in response, her golden eyes seemingly glowing all the brighter.
"That's great news! If we leave now we can avoid the morning rush, and get you scheduled for an examination."
"Hold a moment!" Sa'vinni calls from the kitchen. "If you're going to the Guild it's not going to be on an empty stomach..."
- - -
Although John had seen some of the city during the wall to the Drake's Roost, it had not prepared him for a city alive with early morning commute. Individuals glide over head, propelled by Boon's he imagine manipulate wind or weight, others are ushered through the streets in carriages drawn by scaled creatures reminiscent of tigers though scaled up to the size of a draft horse, and yet others seem to blink into the space before their destination. Amongst the crowd he spots Draconid's standing head and shoulders above, individuals with tapered ears and a grace of movement far more fluid than any Human and myriad of other races going about their lives in spite of the magic taking place around them. He realizes, of course, that this must all be common place for them.
"Ressfield is a city of wonders," Everi tells him. "People come from all across the world to experience it."
"I can see why," John murmurs, engrossed in the magnificent architecture surrounding him. "Earth has nothing like this."
"'Earth' is the name of the world you come from, right?" Rayfeld asks. "What's it like there?"
"I imagine the same as here; people of different cultures and races trying to survive." He reaches up to scratch at the stubble along his jaw, making a mental note to purchase some personal hygiene products on his way back to the Drake's Roost in addition to some new cloths. The locals seem to favor brightly colored and loose fitting styles but perhaps he could find something a bit more subdued. "What do you call this planet?"
"Ordevir," answers Zaveri with a yawn. "Can I ask why we're all going to the Guild? Especially so early in the morning?"
"I have some things I need to buy, and I still have to collect the auction fee from our last dungeon," Rayfeld tells her simply. "While Everi helps him through the process of enrolling, you and I are going to take care of that." Zaveri huffs in response but continues on their way through the maze of streets. Following Everi's lead through the streets, John occasionally slows to observe a storefront or a street vendor peddling their wares. Eventually, their journey reaches it's end and while he wasn't sure what exactly to expect it certainly wasn't a building that seemed to dominate an entire block of the city. Massive banners of brilliant yellow bearing a familiar insignia of a shield with crossed sword and quill hang on either side of a large set of doors. "Looks like we beat the rush."
"We should hurry inside," Everi adds, climbing the stairs to the doors with the others trailing behind. The exterior of the building does not do the size of the Guild justice, and as they pass through the doors, John cranes his neck to stare at the vaulted ceiling. Issuing a whistle of appreciation, he turns his attention to the massive room he now faces. Long tables with chairs on either side surround them, clearly intended to be used as a gathering place for Adventurer's, a massive countertop runs the length of one side of the hall with numerous people and what he assumes to be filing cabinates behind it. On the opposite side of the hall, a large stage stands empty with a trio of boards covered in bits of paper nearby. "We'll meet back here when we've finished. It shouldn't take too long."
"Alright. We'll see you in a bit then." With that Rayfeld walks past with Zaveri trailing, heading towards another large set of doors that John had missed. Turning his attention back to Everi he follows after her towards the counter, and a very clearly overworked man rifling through a filing cabinate. "Hello, Jorge." The man jumps in surprise at the sudden voice, nearly slamming his fingers in the drawer as he closes it quickly.
"Everi!" gasps the man, placing a hand on his chest. "Don't sneak up on me like that."
"Sorry about that."
"Are you here for a contract? I thought you were going to be raiding the Crypt."
"No. I'm here for a registration," Everi says, motioning to John who steps forward. The man looks John over, clearly finding his clothing as strange as the others had when they'd first encountered him. Perhaps sensing Jorge's confusion, Everi tells him quickly, "He's not from around here. John is a Wayfarer."
"A Wayfarer?!" John quickly finds himself the center of attention as those within earshot turn to observe the situation. "I never thought I'd actually get an opportunity to meet one!" He thrusts a hand out in John's direction. "Jorge Marran at your service! Tell me, where do you come from? What's it like there?"
"Same as here, I imagine," John tells him, making no move to shake the man's hand. After a few moments he lowers it but does not seem deterred by it.
"I see. So, what is your culture--"
"Jorge," interrupts Everi. "The registration?"
"Oh! Right. My apologies." He opens the cabinet, finding a form with practiced ease and placing it on the counter with a smile. "If you can write, please fill this out to the best of your ability. If you cannot read or write, I can assist you."
"Got a pen?" John asks, stepping up to the counter. Jorge places a fountain pen on the counter beside the form. The information requested from the paper is rather straight forward with a few differances; namely it requests one to identify their species rather than ethnicity, and has the addition of scale color and a description of one's Boon. Noticing John's pause at the request for his Boon's name, Everi leans forward.
"It's not necessary to name your Boon," Everi whispers. "Although, it's seen as a gesture of goodwill to do so." Considering her words for a few moments, he decides that if he is truly going to make an attempt at this then transparency is going to be the best option, and so he completes the form before sliding it back to Jorge.
"Alright, let's have a look," Jorge says, looking it over his brow furrowing as he nears the bottom. "'Boon of the Warlord'...I can't say I've heard of that one before."
"Is that going to be a problem?"
"Of course not. There are countless Boons out there. Now that you've been registered, we can assign you a contract. Would you prefer a dungeon contract or a field contract?"
"What's the difference?"
"Well, a dungeon contract is fairly simple; you just have to make it to the 'boss' room and defeat it. Naturally, you'll be paired with a team of aspiring adventurer's like yourself. Field contracts on the other hand usually will generally see you sent to exterminate some nuisance monsters. They're usually posted by the farmers who work the lands outside of the city. In either case, you'll be paired with a team of aspiring adventurers like yourself and a Guild Representitive will oversee the contract to ensure everyone is safe in the event of unforeseen circumstances."
"I see." Although they were framing sending a representitive along as a safety measure, John had no doubt that their secondary task was evaluation. The Guild would want a first hand account of the capabilities of any potential new recruits. "I'll take the Field Contract."
"Excellent," Jorge tells him, and turns to open place the paper on top of the cabinet with a small stack. "It will take some time to process your registration and request. Please return tomorrow for the full details."
"Understood..."
- - -
"You're going to die," Sa'vinni tells him plainly.
"Mother!" Everi shouts, staring aghast at the much taller Draconid.
"She's not wrong," adds Zaveri.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," John mutters, leaning forward in his chair. Things had been going well, Zaveri and Rayfeld had collected whatever money they were due after their auction, John had managed to pick up some necessities from around the city including a new wardrobe; he'd managed to find some clothing more his style settling for a dark button up and some lighter colored pants. He'd nearly given the poor shopkeeper a heart-attack when he'd made use of his Inventory. According to Everi, it was quite a rare ability amongst Boon users. After returning to the Roost and settling into the common room, Sa'vinni had inquired about John's registration and the date of his first contract. Clearly, it was less than good news in her opinion.
"Would you prefer I lie?" questions Sa'vinni.
"No. A bitter truth is better than a sweet lie." He rests his elbows on his knees, meeting her gaze.
"More importantly, how can I change that?"
"Do you understand the 'Cycle'?"
"No. Never heard of it before."
"Do you know how to circulate your Mana?"
"Again, no."
"Do you have an understanding of your Boon?"
"No."
"Then you can't change that fact. Most people spend a year or more after acquiring their Boon training before registering with the Guild. Everything you do at later ranks will be built on the foundation you create at Copper. Trial by fire can help you acheive a break through but more often than not it ends in death." Sa'vinni sighs and takes a seat at the table. The chair, clearly not meant for a Draconid, groans slightly under her weight. He'd not just had a chance to inquire about the size difference between the twins and their mother, and to be frank, he wasn't sure if he should. Some subjects aren't meant to be touched on by a stranger getting by purely through the good graces of their host.
"Full disclosure, I have no clue what I'm doing, Sa'vinni."
"An unknown window of time before the contract, and you'll be taking it on with a team," Sa'vinni says, clearly more to herself than any one else as her eyes drift closed. "We'll have to start from scratch. Luckily, you haven't picked up any bad habits." Her eyes open, and she stares intently at John. "We'll begin in the morning."
"We can begin now."
"Aren't you eager?" She shifts in her chair, holding his gaze as a predatory smile begins to spread across her face. "Very well. I'll retreive a few things we'll need. Meet me out back." She stands and stretches her arms skyward with a light grunt before turning away. Sa'vinni manages only a few steps before stopping and snapping her fingers loudly, as if remembering something. "Oh! John? You should change into something you don't mind getting dirty." With that cryptic statement, she heads for the stairs.
"You did it now, pal," Zaveri laughs, reclining in her chair with a grin. "Should've signed up for assistance at the Guild."
"What does that mean?" John asks them.
"It won't be that bad," Everi assures him. "Still...maybe I should be on standby."
"Standby for what?"
"Healing," Rayfeld tells him bluntly.
"I have some Lesser Healing Potions." All three look at him in confusion as John opens his Inventory with a thought, and retreives a small potion before placing it on the table in front of him. "When I looted the creatures in that dungeon I received a few potions." The three stare at the vial of dull red liquid intently, and he glances between their expressions. "Something wrong?"
"Of course not! Healing potions are just very expensive. Most Adventurer's rely on those with Boons that can heal or get treatment from a Priestess of the Goddess of Life. Its even more difficult for a commoner to find a way to treat serious injuries." Rayfeld reaches across the table and picks up the small vial carefully. "Even if it's the lowest grade, a healing potion can fetch a price of a gold coin depending on where you sell them. Here in Ressfield they're fairly common but you could still probably auction it off for a few silver." John retreives two more from his Inventory and places them on the table.
"I've got a few more. Take one each. It's the least I could do." Zaveri and Rayfeld don't need to hear any more than that. While Rayfeld carefully tucks the potion away, Zaveri leans across the table and retreives a vial quickly. Everi hesitates before reaching out and taking a vial.
"Thank you, John," Everi tells him. "I'll use it judiciously." Hearing heavy footsteps descending the stairs, John turns to spot Sa'vinni descending with a large sack under either arm.
"Not changing, then?" Sa'vinni questions. "Have it your way. Let's get a move on..."
- - -
John had given twelve years of his life to the United States Army. He'd enlisted just before his twentith birthday, taken his training at Benning and then gone to RASP. He'd never once picked the easy path in his career, and he'd never chaffed under the hardship of his chosen profession...but now he was beginning to wonder if perhaps the easy way might be the right way. Sweat rolls off of his body, and his shirt has long since been soaked as a result. His arms burn and he gulps down great lungsful of air as he once more pushes the weights skywards.
"Until failure, John," Sa'vinni reminds him.
"I know that!" grunts John, the weights slipping from his grip. His body moves before his mind can catch up, stepping back as the weights crash loudly to the ground. Shaking his hands with a grimace, he stares at the weights. By appearance alone neither of them shoulder weigh close to what they feel like, and certainly he shouldn't be able to lift them one handed, either. This, Sa'vinni had explained to him, was the result of gaining his Boon. Although he currently occupied the lowest rung on the ladder, the raw physicality of a Copper Rank is still far above what is capable as a commoner.
"Looks like that's all you can manage. Not bad for your first time. Did you exercise often before you came here?"
"Twice a day. Sometimes more."
"Good. That means we don't need a conditioning phase." Sa'vinni motions him in her direction, and he approaches only to find himself suddenly spun around to face away. "Sit down." He sits down on the grass, and finds himself twisted and pulled into a strange but comfortable cross-legged pose. "Through training and fighting, you grow. Through meditation, you reach understanding." She circles around to stand in front of him, and he cranes his neck to meet her gaze. "Meditation helps clear your mind, and allows you to absorb what you learned. It is through meditation that you will also reach a deeper understanding of your Boon, its strengths and its limitations."
"Like reading an after action report."
"I haven't a clue what that is but I'll take your word for it."
"It's a report that--"
"Close your eyes," Sa'vinni interrupts. John does as instructed, closing his eyes. "Clear your mind, and relax your body. Inhale deeply...exhale slowly." Once more, he does as instructed under her watchful gaze. Unfortunately, he finds that is one of those things that is easier said than done. Try as he might, he simply cannot get his mind to shut off. Regardless, he sits as still as possible, focusing on his breathing and relaxing his body. He's not quite sure when he'd actually fallen into whatever trance he was seeking, only that he'd been quite startled by the sudden arrival of a System message and his concentration breaks as his eyes snap open.
[Your understanding of the 'Boon of the Warlord' has deepened. "Rallying Cry". 'Rallying Cry': Unleash a call to arms that bolsters the Strength and Vitality of nearby allies. Mana Cost: High. Cooldown: Ninty Seconds. Rank: Copper (E).]
John closes the window, and looks around quickly surprised to find the sun beginning to set. Although Sa'vinni is nowhere to be found, she'd gone through the trouble of cleaning up the small backyard behind the Roost. More importantly than that, however, is the sudden and acute fact that his entire body both feels and smells disgusting, and his legs are completely asleep. No sooner has that thought crossed his mind than they begin to tingle with pain, and he flops onto his back, numbly attempting to stretch them.
"Uh...Sa'vinni? Everi? Anyone?" Receiving no response to his words, he grumbles under his breath as he stares at the sky with the sounds of the city surrounding him...