Chapter 20: Ch. 20: First Quest

They booked a room at the inn, and Yasu took them shopping. They had precious little to sell or barter with left, but Io still insisted it was a good learning opportunity. So Kate hung back and watched the brothers cajole and barter with shopkeepers for the best deal they could get. It was definitely educational; she got a sense of pricing and how to haggle and still be polite about it. She also got an idea of what bartering without money was like, something she'd heard about in books but never seen done before in a store.

You won't have as much luck bartering for simple supplies, Io warned. Shopkeepers know Heroes earn gold for killing monsters, and that's what they'll expect you to offer. You'll have more luck bartering with rare items, but save it for something you know is less or equal in value that you really need, like an enchanted artifact.

Kate glanced at her ring. Now that she knew how effective it was, she could definitely see bartering away some priceless treasure for some glittery doo-dad that would keep her a little safer.

It is still good to know how to respectfully haggle and barter, Io continued. You may be able to get a better deal than a fellow Hero if you know how to get on the shopkeeper's good side by dealing with them as a Giltarian would.

By the time they were finished and the brothers were more or less satisfied with the results, it was near supper time. “We'll get something hot to eat at the inn,” Sethi declared, flipping a five bud in the air and catching it again. “It sure will be nice to sleep in a bed tonight.”

When they arrived at the long building with the sign of the bed hanging over the door, a man in a guard uniform was waiting for them on the porch.

“I heard you have a proposition for me,” he said in a deep voice the second Kate was close enough to hear.

She stopped, looking him up and down. His red and yellow tunic was starched and pressed, and his long silver hair was pulled back in a tight braid. He stood ramrod straight, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of the sword at his hip, and he was studying her just as closely.

“You must be the Captain,” she guessed. “I'm Kate.”

He inclined his head. “Captain Thedon. So you're a healer. I suppose that does make it unlikely you could take on a pack of goblins single-handed. But your offer to escort us and lend us your healing is... not without merit.” He glanced past her, watching citizens move past on the narrow street. “The creatures have been getting more and more restless and bold lately, even far out here. Not unusual right before a culling, but it's been a long time. Few alive in town have memories of the last time. Everyone's nervous. These goblins aren't a world-shaking threat, but the people don't feel safe here. It's my job to keep them safe. So I find your proposal acceptable.”

“And what will Kate get in return for her help?” Yasu asked. “She still has to get to Yelkston after this.”

“We can pay,” the Captain promised. He presented a piece of parchment with a small flourish. “It's my understanding that hiring the services of a Hero requires a written declaration of intent.”

In other words, a clearly outlined quest, Kate thought, taking the parchment. It was thicker than the paper she was used to back home, and felt slightly fibrous under her fingertips.

Before she could even read it, however, a window popped up in front of it. It looked shorter than whatever was written; perhaps the System summarized quests with just the relevant bits.

New Quest offer!

Goblins have been harassing the village of

Ganstown. The local guardsmen have requested the aid of

a Support Hero to accompany them as they wipe the vermin out.

Rec'd Level: 2-3

Reward: 50 roses, 50 XP

Accept? Y/N

My first official quest. Kate wasn't sure whether to be excited or nervous. Mentally she selected “yes” and the window vanished. Fifty roses, that wasn't too bad. That was half a silver. Not fantastic, but she wouldn't be the one doing all the fighting. And maybe such a small guard force had a small budget to match. She glanced up at the Captain. “I assume you want to do this as soon as possible.”

He nodded. “Tonight. After you've eaten, please come meet me at the guard house.” He pointed up the street to a narrow building with a gold and red flag flapping over the door. “I'll gather a small force and we'll go over the plan.”

After he'd marched off, Kate explained the details and Sethi gripped Kate's shoulder in excitement. “Fifty roses just for tagging along and healing goblin bites! Not bad, Kate. They must be desperate.”

Kate blinked at him, surprised. She'd been thinking of all the money she'd need to get to Yelkston, so it hadn't seemed like a lot to her.

“Granny Yala used to say Heroes always got paid well.” Yasu grinned, ushering them inside. “I guess she was right.”

“Is it really that much?” she muttered to Io as they found empty spaces at one of the long tables and waited for the barmaid to come take take their order.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

For the simplicity of the job, it is a bit more than expected, especially for a fledgling untried Hero, Io said. However, Yasu is correct. Quest rewards do tend to be generous, especially the more dangerous they get. A fetch quest that would earn a Giltarian boy from the street a pat on the head and five roses might offer five times that for a Hero to complete it.

“But why?”

It started from necessity; Heroes are in high demand, especially in areas with more monsters. Easier to pay a Hero to go out and run your errand and kill any monsters on the way than risk your own neck. After that it became tradition. It's just how things were done. Even in areas not as infested with monsters, such as this place, it would be considered an insult to offer a Hero a pittance for their time.

“Good to know. Make sure to let me know if I'm ever getting fleeced.” She considered the quest again, frowning. “That reminds me, I didn't notice any wards around the village. Does that mean this isn't a safe area?”

“Ganstown's wards failed a couple years ago, and they haven't been able to afford to get all of them recharged,” Yasu explained. “Until recently, creatures probably weren't enough of a threat for them to justify the expense. They'll regret it now. They should have hired a new Mage Hero. Now the price tag will go up as the Heroes get stronger.”

“Does Yelkston have wards?”

“I don't think so. Again, it's quite the expense, and Yelkston's so large it would take gods know how many to circle the place. But they've got more guards and I hear their inn is warded.”

They all ordered the stew, but Kate had to specify she wanted water to drink. The brothers seemed to enjoy the acrid-smelling ale, but she had never been a fan of beer and somehow doubted there was any white wine available. The soup was hot and savory, but Kate missed the home cooking she'd enjoyed at the Peltins'. Once she was done, with well wishes from the brothers, she hurried down the street to the guard house.

She dithered outside a few moments, unsure if she was supposed to knock. Finally she knocked once and pushed the door open. She nearly gagged.

The air was filled with smoke. The smell reminded her sharply of her uncle's old pipe. One of the narrow windows had been propped open, but there wasn't much of a breeze outside, so it wasn't doing much to disperse the cloud. Clapping a hand over her nose, she looked around with smarting eyes.

Directly to her left was a man seated at a desk, and he was the one puffing away at a long-stemmed pipe. It was her first time seeing a Giltarian smoke, and she caught herself staring at him.

Smogleaf, Io explained a bit distastefully. Probably a bit too pricey for anyone in the Peltin family to afford. Or perhaps they just decided not to indulge the habit around so many children. This one has never understood why mortals will willingly inhale smoke into their lungs.

The rest of the small building reminded her a bit of a cramped police building. There were a few desks shoved up against the walls and near the back she could see bars, though no one seemed to be locked up. Every desk had a guard at it, and at least half a dozen more guards were crowded around, all of them talking at once.

The man at the front desk seemed to notice her for the first time. He looked up from the stack of parchments he was rifling through, his pale eyes bloodshot from his own smoke. He sat up straight in his chair in surprise. “Oh. The Hero.” He lifted his voice. “Hero's here!”

Captain Thedon pushed his way through his men to greet her. “Ah, good, you're here. We'll start the brief.” He stood beside her and turned to face the room. He raised his voice to an impressive volume that made her jump. “Listen up! This is the healer we've hired to help us stomp down those goblins. You'll be respectful towards her, or I'll string you up by your earlobes, got it?”

“Yes, sir,” came the hasty chorus.

“Good. Here's the plan. We know the goblins keep sneaking in from the marshes, so we're going to meet them halfway. We'll march out and lay low and ambush the little bastards. Slaughter every goblin you can get your hands on. I want the grass slick with goblin blood, you got that?”

Kate grimaced, but everyone shouted in the affirmative.

“Kate here will be hanging near the back. She won't be participating in the fighting. She's there for healing only. Bels, Tora.” He pointed out a man and a woman. “You hang back with her. Keep her safe. Don't let any goblins get through to her, and if she needs to get to someone to heal them, escort her. You're officially Hero bodyguards, got it?”

“Got it, boss,” the woman drawled. The man beside her nodded, puffing up slightly at being given such an important task.

Thedon turned to Kate. “Any cooldowns we should know about?” At her surprised look, he explained, “All guards are briefed on Heroes, even in places unlikely to see them like this one. I know some healers and mages have cooldowns on their spells.”

“Um, yes. Usually I need at least a minute between spells.”

“Hear that?” His eyes swiveled around the room. “Don't go hassling her for healing if you know she just healed someone else ten seconds ago. Grab your gear and let's go.” He turned his back on the bustling crowd of guards, lowering his voice for Kate's ears only. “I don't expect this to go too badly. We can handle a dozen goblins. So long as they don't swarm, the fight should last ten minutes tops. But if the worst should happen, don't be afraid to triage. Help those who need it most first. Those with simple bites can wait.”

“Got it.” Kate pulled her gauntlet out of her inventory and equipped it. “Um, just how big are goblins, anyway? I've never seen one.”

He made a downward-pushing gesture with his hand to indicate something small. “They're runts. Little green bastards no taller than your knee. Their strength is in their speed and their numbers. So far the group that's been raiding the village hasn't been more than a dozen or so. They're cocky. They're only truly dangerous if they swarm into a horde. Then they can win by sheer numbers. If by some bad twist of luck they should approach in force tonight, we'll fall back. It's more defensible here and I can rally more men.”

“All right.”

A guard handed the Captain a lantern and he held it high to get everyone's attention. “Let's head out.”

Altogether there were eleven of them, not including Kate. They marched grimly through the village, though some of the guards couldn't seem to help but smile when a few people leaned out of their doors to wish them luck. Within fifteen minutes they'd passed through the entire village and struck east down the King's Road. Kate glanced back as the village slowly fell behind. It really was small; no wonder it wasn't worth the Heroes' time.

They didn't stick to the road long; Captain Thedon cut off into the grass and led his fighters steadily onwards as it got darker and darker. “The marshes are about three miles this way,” he said quietly to Kate, who had to jog to keep up with his long legs. “We're only trying to meet them halfway, so we'll be setting up our ambush soon. Fall back with Bels and Tora. And once we've settled in, tuck that Guardian away or it'll give away our position.”

Kate nodded and slowed her pace until she was lagging at the rear. Her two bodyguards instantly shortened their stride to keep abreast on either side of her.

“So, um, thanks for watching out for me,” Kate said a little awkwardly.

Tora, the woman, barely glanced at her, holding her lantern high to light the way. She actually looked bored, as if this was just another Tuesday. Her hair was cropped short, barely reaching her chin. Kate tried not to stare. She hadn't seen any Giltarian women so far with hair that short, and she was also wearing pants like the other guards. “Yeah, well, kind of standard to keep the healer safe. Guess it had to fall to someone.”

“Don't mind Tor,” Bels said, grinning cheerfully. “She was just itching for a fight and now she's afraid she won't be close enough to the action. We'll watch your back, Hero, don't worry.”