I followed Thorek through the massive double doors, and my senses were immediately assaulted by a physical blast-wave of sound. Imagine the chaotic roar of a high school cafeteria, multiply it by the energy of a sports arena on game night, and then set the whole thing inside a massive, open-concept pub.
To my right, the hall opened up into a sprawling tavern area. There was a live stage, a massive wrap-around bar, and—unless my eyes were deceiving me—an active, mid-air bar fight between two tiny, aggressively glowing male fairies. A rowdy crowd of mercenaries and their Spirit Beasts formed a ring below them, slamming heavy tankards on tables and cheering them on. I shook my head in utter bafflement.
The left side of the hall was a jarringly tame contrast. It looked like a vast, open-air library, with towering bookshelves lining the stone walls. Long wooden tables and benches were packed with Ascenders and their resting beasts, quietly pouring over massive leather-bound tomes and glowing topographical maps.
Anchoring the absolute center of the room was a massive, semi-circular wooden reception desk. A small army of clerks and receptionists were frantically managing the chaos—handing out bounties, advising adventuring parties, and, in one highly memorable case, aggressively beating a heavily armored knight over the head with a rolled-up piece of parchment.
"Welcome to the Guild, lad!" Thorek roared over the din, flashing a massive, gap-toothed grin before marching toward the center desk. Our silent Beast-Man escort didn't say a word, simply offering a crisp salute before splitting off and melting into the crowd heading for the bar.
"Um... excuse me."
A small voice squeaked from right behind me. I spun around, suddenly realizing I was standing dead center in the entryway, blocking traffic like a stunned tourist. It was the young human squire from our rescue party. She was clutching a satchel to her chest, her face bright red as she stared at the floor.
"Oh, sorry. My bad," I mumbled, stepping aside and awkwardly pulling my oversized, scratchy wool cloak tighter around my shoulders.
She gave a quick, stiff bow and immediately scurried off toward the library section, disappearing between the towering bookshelves.
Snow gracefully hopped out of my arms, landing silently on the polished stone floor.
"Strange one, she is," the cat mused in my head, her two starlight tails swishing as she began to strut toward the reception desk like she owned the building.
"Says the glowing, telepathic cat," I muttered under my breath, shaking my head as I hurried to follow her.
"ADDA, MY LOVE!" Thorek bellowed, his voice somehow cutting through the chaotic din of the entire Guild Hall. "I have returned to you!"
I looked up and practically strained my neck. Emerging from behind the massive wooden desk was the tallest, most absurdly well-built woman I had ever seen in my life.
She looked like she had just stepped out of a high-end magitech garage. She wore form-fitting canvas overalls smeared with dark grease, but the top half was rolled down and tied around her waist. That left her in a tight black tank top featuring a cartoonishly cute bear cub on the front. But the shirt was entirely eclipsed by the fact that she was absolutely ripped. I mean, comic-book superhero stacked. She had short-cropped brown hair, and poking out from the messy strands were two small, round, fuzzy ears.
An Ursine Beast-Man.
Before I could do more than widen my eyes at the sheer physical difference between her and the Dwarf, she crossed her massive, muscular arms and leveled a glare at Thorek.
"You cheap bastard," she growled, her voice a rich, commanding baritone. "Pay your tab, or you're banned from the house ale for a month."
"You wound me, my fair maiden!" Thorek gasped dramatically, clutching a hand to his runic armor. "But I come bearing a distraction! This is Noah. Tragic victim of denim-theft wizardry, and his lovely bond, Snow. I found him near the site of the energy disturbance."
The Dwarf gestured toward me like I was a prize-winning pumpkin. "He's a newly Awakened. A natural one, as far as I can tell. Seems harmless, but his energy feels... strange. So, I brought him straight to you, Guild Master. Figured you'd sort him out."
I blinked. She's the Guild Master? My anime-addled brain had completely prepared me for a wizened old man with a long white beard, a staff, and a quest-giving complex. Pop culture had lied to me.
Adda looked me up and down, her dark eyes lingering on my oversized linen pants and the two-tailed cat currently judging the room from my side.
"How did Mara react to him?" she asked Thorek, her tone shifting from annoyed bartender to deadly serious commander.
"It was the darnedest thing," Thorek chuckled, stroking his ruby-braided beard. "The girl went bright red and clammed right up. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was fancying the boy."
"Well, enough of that," Adda sighed, waving a heavy, grease-stained hand. "With Mara's abilities and her bond, if he was malicious or Void-Touched in any way, she would have known immediately. She's a walking lie-detector."
So that's why they trusted the naked guy in the crater, I realized. The blushing squire wasn't just easily embarrassed; she had some kind of empathy or truth-sensing magic.
Adda turned her intense gaze back to me. "Well, follow me, 'Noah.' Let's hear your story and get you sorted."
"I like her," Snow chimed into my mind as Adda turned around. "She appreciates the value of physical intimidation and cute bear apparel. A complex ruler."
I shook my head, silently agreeing, and followed Adda. She led us around the massive reception desk and toward the back of the hall. We bypassed a grand set of stairs leading to an upper level and instead headed straight for a single, heavy, reinforced oak door set into the back wall.