"Sier!"
The young man in question looked over at a crowd of guards from Alagon. It wasn't hard to recognize the figure that pushed her way to the front of the pack, even if she was wearing a full body of armor. She took off her helmet, revealing herself as a woman sharing features with Sier. It was the person he wanted to see the most, and also the person who he dreaded having to explain himself to.
The woman, named Aurelia Kallahan, wasn't much shorter than the young man. Her dark indigo hair was cut short, free flowing and a bit unkempt. Her eyes were more of an auburn color compared to Sier's velvety red. Her skin was silky smooth and a bit lighter in color than her brother's, likely due to being in a full set or armor more often. It was obvious, even to the ones who didn't remember Sier all too well, that they were related.
"Hey, Ari-"
Before Sier could even get a full sentence out, he was tackled into a hug by his sister.
"I'm so happy to see you again! I've missed you so much!"
It took all he had to keep from falling over. And it took even more than that to resist being crushed by Ari's embrace.
"G-Glad to see ya', too. C-Can you loosen up? P-Please?"
Ari quickly let go, allowing Sier to breathe. Her expression became one of distress as she steadied her brother by grasping his shoulders.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"
"Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine, just be more careful, alright?"
Ari nodded quickly with an embarrassed blush.
"Right. 'Course."
Sier dusted himself off as Ari stepped to the side. When he looked up, he saw the bewildered faces of the six other guards standing around their own table. Trying to regain her composure, Ari cleared her throat. She put on her regular, more serious voice as she spoke.
"We'll figure out post assignments and rotations when I get back."
The six other guards nodded wordlessly. Ari, clearly still flustered, turned away and dragged Sier out the door with her.
She sighed deeply while running a hand through her hair.
"Sorry you had to see that."
Sier grinned.
"Pretty sure you should be sayin' that to them instead."
Ari pouted as she looked away.
"It's not my fault. It's been so long since I've seen you, I couldn't help it."
Sier nodded along.
"I know. Did you get my letters?"
Ari instantly turned her frown upside down.
"Aye, I did! Still got 'em all back home. Kade was gettin' on to me about the clutter, though."
The young man let out a quick laugh, easily imagining the scene in his head.
"Not that I'm not happy to see you back, but why're you home all of a sudden? Could've given me a heads up, y'know."
Sier scratched the back of his head.
"Sorry 'bout that. Went through some troubles recently..."
This made Ari raise an eyebrow. Upon further inspection, she noticed a distinct lack of something, or rather someone, rather important. Instantly assuming the worst, she grew worried.
"Sier, where's Yorrin?"
He sighed in response, moving to lean up against the wall of the tavern.
"Got kicked out. For my own good. My words, not theirs."
Sier almost flinched when a hand was placed on his shoulder. The air around the two siblings began to heat up a bit.
"I believe I'll be gettin' a full explanation 'fore I have to put a molten metal boot up a particular Elf's ass. Am I right in assumin' that?"
Sier had no choice but to nod, seeing the positively infernal look on his sister's face. He explained quickly, not wanting her anger to grow any hotter. After all, there was a reason she was called Alagon's "Blazing Paladin".
"I couldn't keep up with the quests we had to go on anymore. If we kept goin' like we were, either I would've gotten hurt or one of 'em would've gotten hurt tryin' to protect me. Hell, that's almost what happened on the last quest. So, please, don't be mad at them."
Ari stared hard into Sier's eyes, desperately trying to find even a hint of a lie. She sighed and the heat quelled when she found only the usual honesty in her brother's gaze.
"They weren't... They weren't bein' rude to you, were they?"
Sier raised an eyebrow in response while crossing his arms.
"What? Mad you couldn't get in on a group hug with us?"
Ari quickly shook her head.
"No, Sier-... Look, I just wanna make sure things between you guys didn't end on a bad note. I'd hate to see my baby brother's friends turn on him like that."
Sier shook his head. The two siblings grew silent, simply staring out across the town. After a few seconds, the young man remembered why he was even there.
"Did a squad run by you? Should be one aimin' for that dungeon that popped up."
"Aye. Three kids, up restin' in the tavern. Was quite a hassle gettin' 'em to settle down after arrivin'."
Ari breathed out a chuckle.
"Shoulda seen 'em when they got here. All haggard like they'd been trampled by a whole stampede."
Sier cocked a grin.
"Might've been what happened. Took down a rust boar on the way over. Any idea what rank they are?"
Ari shrugged, her battle worn armor clinking together from the action.
"Mmm... High up in the F-Rank, maybe? Hard to say 'thout seein' 'em in action. They seem great friends, so their teamwork shouldn't be too bad. Might even bump 'em up to E-Rank."
She looked over at her brother, putting a hand on his shoulder. Her tone became a bit more serious as she spoke up.
"Keep an eye on them, Sier. They're a bright bunch. Don't need them gettin' offed in their first dungeon."
Sier looked his sister in the eyes as he nodded.
"Aye. I'll keep them safe. Promise."
The two siblings smiled at each other. Ari let go of the young man's shoulder, her mind going to another topic.
"Still got some time 'fore my team should finish up. How's... progress?"
Sier looked down, keeping his arms crossed. He lifted his right index finger, igniting a small flame at the tip.
"I can make it appear, at least. Nothin' great just yet."
Ari stared at the odd flame with furrowed brows.
"You didn't find anyone who could help out?"
Sier shook his head.
"Visited just about every library in the country. No luck. If there was any chance I'd find anythin', it would've probably been with one of the royal families. And that's if they'd even give us the time of day."
Ari's face scrunched up as she perfectly recalled how the so called "royals" acted. One family visited Alagon for a vacation not long after she joined the guard. The stories her superiors told her of that week were ones of pure horror.
All of a sudden, the door to the tavern burst open and three young teens walked out.
"-the boss of us! This is our quest, not yours!"
It was a group of one Human boy and twin Wood Elf girls, based on how almost perfectly identical they were.
The boy was a little older looking than his squad mates, which was only natural given the difference in aging processes. Elves as a whole grow a little slower than humans. Once they reach the physical maturity of a young adult, it slows to an almost unnoticeable crawl. Mila, for example, is nearly two hundred years old, but she doesn't look much older than Ari.
The boy fixed his combed back, dirty blonde hair as he slammed the door to the tavern shut. His grey-ish blue eyes shifted, seeing Ari and Sier.
"Sorry about that, Miss Kallahan. They tried keepin' us back, but we feel good as new. We're goin' on ahead."
Behind him, the two twins nodded in agreement. They each had ginger brown hair tied in one long braid at the back, their faces framed by their bangs. The girl on the left had piercing, deep blue eyes while the girl on the right had a soft, emerald gaze. Though, there was an almost unnoticeable hint of uncertainty that Sier could see within them.
Ari stepped up with a hand on her hip.
"S'that right?"
The boy smiled.
"Aye! We're gonna go take that dungeon down 'fore you even know we're gone!"
She sighed in response, getting a frown from the three young Guild members. The twins spoke up, almost perfectly in sync.
"What's wrong, Miss Kallahan?"
Ari shook her head before motioning to Sier as he stepped up next to her.
"This is my brother, Sier. He'll be taggin' along to make sure everythin' goes well."
For what appeared a rowdy bunch, the three teens were rather polite in their introduction to the young man.
"Sier, this is Eric. The two behind him are Claudia on the left and Yvonne on the right."
Sier put on a friendly smile, walking up and putting a hand out for Eric to shake.
"Lookin' forward to divin' in a dungeon with you three. I'll try not to cause too much trouble."
Eric took the young man's hand.
"Aye. Maybe it'll go smooth with an extra diver."
X
Luckily, the hike up to the dungeon was already made before, getting rid of the need for a search. Though, it would still be a bit of a walk to get there. Sier trailed behind the squad, keeping tabs on their surroundings.
"Say, Mister Sier..."
Sier put a hand up, cutting Claudia short.
"Just Sier's fine, Claudia."
She nodded, continuing with her question after hopping over a large tree root.
"How long have you been away from Alagon? Miss Kallahan never mentioned you."
Sier hummed.
"That'd be about... Seven years, in a few weeks."
Yvonne spoke next.
"Weird. Our parents didn't let us start until we turned fourteen last year."
Sier nodded, moving a bit of the brush out of the way with his arm.
"They made the right call. Dangerous place out there. But, if you got all the way to Holleon with just the three of you, I'd say you have better odds than I ever did."
The three teens smiled at the compliment and Sier chuckled a bit.
"So, do you have Fire Magic like Miss Kallahan?"
This made Sier pause for a second.
"W-Well... I do have Fire Magic but it's not particularly... strong... like Ari's."
The twins spoke in sync.
"Really?"
The young man scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Aye. I've been able to manage, though."
Eric hummed his sympathy.
"Mm. Can't imagine havin' a sister like her to live up to."
Sier looked down, not really denying that fact. Indeed, sharing blood with someone known even outside of the Firespring Mountains was a... disheartening experience.
"Say, how d'you three know Ari?"
Sier looked back up to the three teens who smiled amongst one another.
"Who in Alagon doesn't know about her?"
Sier grinned.
"You know what I meant."
Eric nodded, his smile becoming a bit nostalgic.
"What can we say? She's a Hero."
Claudia looked down as she recounted the story.
"Eric's parents are good friends with our mum. Me, Yvonne, and mum were moving to Alagon five years back. Eric's family met up with us and hopped on the carriage back at Greyvend."
Yvonne continued the tale.
"We were attacked by Viper Orcs on the way to Holleon. We almost made it to the edge of town before the wheels broke. Mister Kade and his team were helping guard the gates at the time."
Eric spoke with admiration in his voice, finishing the story.
"Miss Kallahan was the first to reach us. She drove those bastards off and came back 'thout a knick in her armor. Then, she went back into the forest for round two. Shoulda seen it. She drove 'em all the way outta the Firespring Mountains all by herself."
As Sier listened, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. Sure enough, Ari had kept her promise she made so long ago.
"I swear, all the fun stuff happens the moment I'm not around to watch."
The four of them laughed aloud, enjoying the moment. Claudia spoke again.
"Oh, so you share her luck as well, Sier."
Sier couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in intrigue.
"Oh? Come on, I've gotta know more."
The twins looked between each other deviously, speaking at the same time.
"Well, if you insist..."
X
After a relatively quick but pleasent journey, Sier and the squad, who he learned called themselves the "Goldmakers", finally reached the entrance to the dungeon. It was an opening that was luckily more than big enough for a few people to enter. Though, they couldn't exactly see much past that.
"I'll watch the flank, make sure nothin' sneaks up on us. Stay close and on guard."
Eric's eyebrows furrowed.
"Shouldn't you be at the front in case we're attacked?"
Sier shook his head, his face becoming a little more serious.
"We don't know what kind of monsters we'll be dealin' with in there. If they're more intelligent, like Undead, they'll try an ambush. If it's more like an animal, we'll all see it comin'."
The three teens nodded along, gladly taking the advice. Seeing not much else to do, Eric motioned for everyone to follow after him, beginning their dive.
Seeing how they would otherwise be bumbling along in the dark, Eric stopped for a second. He snapped his fingers, producing a flickering orange flame at the tip of his index finger. The flame slowly grew in size, becoming big enough to fit in his palm while lighting up the cave around them.
"You've got Fire Magic as well?"
Eric nodded back to Sier.
"Only the basic kind, but I'm workin' on makin' it stronger."
The young man smiled. These three kids seemed like they were going places.
X
They hadn't encountered much danger in the dungeon. Only a few scares from a local Breeze Bat population was their issue. It took a bit of time, but the walls shifted from crude earth to seemingly man-made brick as they delved deeper. There were even torches that Eric lit as they passed.
While dungeons themselves aren't made by any individuals, they often resemble the realm's architecture. Some speculate it could be something created by the Gods, while others say it is just mana taking the shape of a place long forgotten.
Dungeons come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, making research more difficult. Some dungeons, such as the famed "Euralkan Crypt", even come back from time to time. These reemerging dungeons always appear in the same exact place, though they vary in rankings with each appearance. For most of these types of dungeons, civilizations are built around them, making use of everything they can provide.
A few dungeons have even been reported as having no rank. There are no dangers, there are no monsters, there is just a place that one wouldn't expect to be there.
As Sier was recounting such information, the four of them stumbled upon a small chamber halfway down a narrow corridor. Lighting another torch, they began looking around the room. There wasn't much to see, though. It looked like an old study room with a desk and bookcases, though a fair bit of the books had been removed. Off to the side sat a small chest.
Eric put out the flame in his hand and stepped towards the dusty chest. Before he could inspect it, however, Claudia put a hand up to stop him. The boy looked back with a hint of confusion.
"Somethin' wrong?"
Claudia's gaze focused on the chest.
"It could be a Mimic. We need to be careful."
Sier nodded along.
"Good eye. Mimics are pretty common in dungeons. Especially in the lower ranks. Luckily, I've got a way of figurin' out if they are one."
Yvonne tilted her head slightly.
"How so?"
Sier grinned, motioning for the three of them to step back. In his outstretched right palm appeared a small orb of indigo and black fire. Without warning, he hurled it the chest, much to the surprise of his juniors.
Just as they figured it might, the chest came to life. It opened its maw and screeched as it was seemingly lit on fire, only for the flames to dissipate without causing any harm. Just as everyone realized this fact, however, it was run through by Sier's sword without a second thought.
"Works every time."
The three teens watched as the dead mimic began to dissolve into light blue particles that soon disappeared into the air, leaving behind only a small key. Sier crouched down and picked it up, taking a second to inspect it.
"What just happened?"
Sier looked back over at Eric.
"Monsters in dungeons work different than ones out in the wild. When they die, they turn back into mana and-"
"I mean your fire. Why didn't it do anythin'?"
Sier paused and stood back up. He let out a soft sigh as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Wish I knew, kid."
The young man walked past the three teens, heading over to the desk in front of the bookcases.
"Let's see if this unlocks anythin'. You three see if any of those books look interestin'. You'd be surprised what kinds of stuff can appear in these places."
While the three teens looked around, Sier began testing the key on the unopened desk drawers. The three on the right had already been unlocked and didn't contain anything. The top left drawer had a book in it titled as an herbal encyclopedia, having no author. Yvonne gently picked it up and dusted it off. After taking a quick peek through some of the pages, she stashed it in her shoulder strapped travel bag.
The middle left drawer contained nothing, just as the ones on the right. The bottom left, however, couldn't be opened. Figuring he'd found as good a place as any, Sier inserted the old key and turned it. It clicked, signaling it had been unlocked, which made the four of them grin a bit in anticipation.
Opening the drawer, the four Guild members laid eyes on a rolled up scroll that looked much more pristine than they would have expected. This made Sier smile.
"It's a skill scroll. Whatever's on here will instantly be added to your skill list, along with the knowledge of what it does an' how to use it."
The three teens gave it a more intense look after hearing what it does. Sier untied the string and unraveled the scroll to read it.
"Are you going to use it?"
Yvonne looked up to Sier. He smiled as he shook his head, offering it up for the three of them to see.
"I think it'll be better in one of you three's hands."
Looking at the contents of the scroll, their eyes lit up. The skill that was listed was something called "Woodspeak".
"That's a skill that Wood Elves use, isn't it? The one where you talk with animals?"
Claudia and Yvonne nodded to Eric who looked to them for an answer.
"Mum taught us how to use it a few years back. Every Wood Elf is born with it."
Eric smiled as he looked back down at the scroll, then back up at Sier.
"How do I use it?"
Sier smiled and pointed a finger at the skill name.
"Just channel some mana into the writing here for a second and it'll be added to your skill list."
Eric looked back down at the writing and did as instructed, closing his eyes to better focus. Exactly as stated, it only took a few seconds for the words to begin glowing a light blue. Moments later, the shine faded along with the scroll itself, disappearing into nothing.
Eric grunted as he felt something begin flowing into his head.
"So, how d'you feel?"
Sier smirked as Eric opened his eyes and groaned.
"Could've told me I'd be stuck with a headache."
The young man nodded, his face becoming a bit more serious.
"Aye. It's information bein' forcefully put in your head with mana. If it's ever a pleasent experience, then you'll know somethin's wrong. C'mon, it'll wear off in a few minutes."
Sier motioned back towards the door, beginning to head back out. Eric sent the twins a reassuring nod before the three of them followed after their senior.