A Soldier's Life - 260 - Guild Rewards

Chapter 260: Guild Rewards

Although my appearance remained calm, my heart raced. The guards waited expectantly as Maveith complied with their request, emptying everything in his pockets, which was not much. Did they find it odd that we were not carrying large packs—only entering the country with the clothes on our backs? Maveith’s pack was in my dimensional space as well as both our armors.

My biggest uncertainty was if they were aware I had a dimensional space. If they could detect it somehow, would I be denied entrance to Esenhem if I didn’t empty it of everything? I thought it was improbable that they knew about it, but the uncertainty nagged at me. And if they did know, they must have no idea how large it was by this pair of average-appearing guards searching us. I concluded I would have been detained immediately if they knew I was carrying four people inside my dimensional space.

Dee had advised me that customs was just a formality for adventurers, but this seemed anything but. I waited while the guards inspected everything Maveith placed on the table. They ran their hands over the items but did not touch them. They were curious about the major strength essence, but they didn’t confiscate it and just talked to each other in Elvish, hypothesizing what creature or dungeon it might have come from. When they finished, they indicated it was my turn.

I started by emptying my belt pouches, and they immediately had me pause. “What are these?” He pointed at a pile of pellets his hand had just passed over.

“Blindness pellets,” I replied unfazed. I assumed they would not be unusual for adventurers to have.

The elf guard chewed on his cheek. “Made from myconid spores?” He finally asked. I nodded, and he indicated that I should proceed. Then he questioned me about the smoke pellets and sneezing pellets since their shells were a different color. I skipped over the blood compass for now, as it was an artifact I had not declared.

Instead, I moved it into my dimensional space. I started stacking large amounts of silver coins on the table, and with each handful, their surprise widened. He held his hand up to stop me, “First time? We just need to check for poison, parasites, insects, and diseases you could be carrying.”

Now it made more sense why the myconid pellets caused them some consternation. These guards must have a spell form similar to Konstantin’s. The nature of my expansive belt pouches had been revealed so I didn’t backtrack. There were several surprises for them as I continued with the orc Pathfinder potions, two dungeon potions of levitation and one of fire resistance that I kept in my belt, a jar of oblivion pills, and a jar of minty mouthwash.

My manticore pouch was also produced and had two lesser constitution essences in it. I had consumed the other minor essences in my possession, and besides these two constitution essences, all I had remaining were the three apex water essences, but they were in my dimensional space. Maveith, who had been watching from beside me, proudly noted the origin of the pouch. “I made that for him from a massive manticore bull’s scrotum that we slew together. It was easily over a thousand pounds.” The two elves nodded in appreciation as it was clearly not a boast by the size of the pouch.

“Is that all?” The guard asked as I seemed to have concluded from pulling endless things from my magical belt. Even I was surprised at how much junk I was carrying around on my waist. I could only imagine their reaction if I started pulling things out of thin air from my dimensional space. The pair were much more alert than when we had started, and I had been good entertainment.

“Just a crate of dungeon apples,” I replied offhandedly.

“Are they still on your ship? Nothing else was delivered for inspection.” The elf asked, confused. It was the response I had hoped for. Their response hinted that they were unaware of my dimensional space; still, a crate of apples appeared on the table, causing both guards to step back.

“I was told they were out of season, and I could get a few silvers for each,” I replied to the dumbfounded guards.

After a moment of shock, one of the guards stepped forward and passed his hands over the crate. I had only volunteered the apples because I had placed them in the old crate I used for my legion supplies. The guard squinted a little as he inspected the contents, “You said dungeon apples?”

“Yes, I was considering selling them in your capital,” I repeated.

The other guard, who had remained quiet for most of the inspection, spoke, “Don’t take less than ten silver each. Don’t know of any dungeons that produce apples, and the wealthy nobles will pay that or more in Artiria.” The other guard nodded in agreement at his partner’s advice.

“See Master Daesac on your way out to have your guild medallion emblazoned.” The two guards left me to put everything back into my belt. The fact that I had volunteered the existence of my dimensional space rankled me a little, but I had already revealed its existence on the Shorebreaker, and there was a risk the crew might talk, so it was for the best.

“Are all customs that extreme?” I asked Maveith as I tried to remember where everything went.

Maveith thought on the question before responding. “Some are more severe. I have seen artifacts identified and confiscated with no remuneration, men arrested after being questioned, and men stripped of their wealth for debts they had in other lands. The elves here seem to rely on people volunteering what they are bringing into the country.” I guess I just didn’t like my secrets being in the open after working for so long to hide them.

The old elf was still seated in the entry room even though it was late into the night. “I trust all is well?” He smiled at us and held out his hand. I retrieved my medallion and handed it over. He turned it over in his hand and pressed his thumb on the tree. A brief metallic scent stung my nose, and when he removed his thumb, a silver bird reaching for the sun was left behind. “As long as you obey our laws, this will get you quickly past future customs.”

He turned to the Goliath, “Friend goliath, return with your adventurer's medallion in the morning, and I will press our seal upon it. Now, it is late, and my ancient bones need some time on a softer surface.”

The aged elf rose and walked gingerly out a back door. A much younger elf entered to take his place, and asked “Do you require me to summon someone to escort you in the city?”

“Thank you. We are looking to find our way to the Adventurer’s Guild Hall,” I replied.

“Your Elvish is surprisingly good. I will return in a moment.” He left and came back with a guard in the drab green uniform of the city guard. It was a fairly long walk through the city and the streets were lit with soft white glowstones. Elves had better low-light vision, than humans and goliaths so they did not require much light. I tried to use my new night vision, but the overall effect was only a mild improvement due to the short range of the spell form and the filtering of most of the color.

Even in the lower city, elves moved about the meticulously cleaned streets without fear or trepidation. At such a late hour, doing so in a Telhian city would be putting yourself at risk from unscrupulous people. Maveith’s focus was elsewhere, “All the stonework was completed with the shape stone spell form. Much more detailed work than I could have done.”

“I would still take your cozy abode over city life, Maveith. All it takes is practice to improve if you want to mimic these buildings.” I reassured my friend as Ginger’s hooves echoed behind us.

“I don’t have the aether for such creations. It took me years to hollow out the stone for my cabin.” His hand brushed a corner curve on a building. “The stone here even resists my effort to shape it. It takes a skilled stoneshaper to do that. Someone who has learned over hundreds of years. I don’t have that kind of time,” he said resignedly.

His statement pained me as I did have that kind of time. How was I going to spend my centuries upon centuries? My thoughts were interrupted as our guide paused outside a building. The weathered sign had the Adventurer’s Guild symbol, a tree with branches covered in leaves, mirrored by a root system below. The interior was bright, and soft music played within. I thanked the guard with a silver which surprised him.

There were stables around the back of the Guild Hal, and we got Ginger settled before entering. I also ordered one month of hay and grain to be delivered in the morning. The young elf woman must have thought we were staying in the city long term and would probably be surprised when it disappeared when we left.

The large, ornate common room of the Guild Hall felt quite somber and was extremely warm. I noted that Desdemona’s remaining crew occupied a few tables and were well on their way to drunkenness. A number of elves, a few humans, and a pair of halflings I didn’t recognize were scattered throughout the room. Just like at the elven customs office, Maveith drew the most attention. Isaak held up a mug to salute us, “Join us to remember our fallen!” He was clearly drunk with his slurred speech, and two of the crew stumbled to another table to give us their seats.

As we sat, an elven waitress placed two frothy mugs in front of us. She was rail thin, and her almond-colored hair was plastered to her face with sweat. I guessed she was the only one working tonight and was being kept busy by the unexpected crowd of heavy drinkers. “Already paid for by the Captain,” Leoch said, saluting me from another table.

I sipped the elven ale and found it cold, strong, aromatic, and mildly sweet. The cold beverage made taking large sips all too easy. Maveith drained his own mug, and the serving woman quickly refilled it. “Where is Desdemona?” I asked as I nursed my drink, enjoying the taste more than the alcohol’s effects.

“She should be back around soon,” Isaak said with a slur. “Dee, Vodoma, and the local Guildmaster were off to send a message about the sahuagin attack and the new dungeon in the Telhian Empire. Some of the locals are watching the Shorebreaker so we can properly mourn our comrades.” He filled his mug from a pitcher before the waitress could, surprisingly spilling very little.

“Some of us mourn faster than others,” Leoch indicated Isaak, who seemed the most drunk of the group.

“Do we have to wait for the Guildmaster to return to get Maveith his guild medallion?” I asked as the overworked server placed food in front of us. I dropped a silver on her tray even though the food was already paid for as well.

“Dee took care of it. Maveith needs to fill out the paperwork in the morning.” Isaak said as he hiccupped. He tried to stand and nearly fell over. He had trouble searching his pockets but eventually found two keys and stared at them, trying to remember. He then handed one to Maveith and the other to me. “With the compliments of Guildmaster Theodas. He even offered to purchase your sahuagin prizes.” He leaned on the table to get close, his breath heavy with the sweet alcohol. “You should accept it. He is paying more than what you get as a thank you. Dee talked up your battle prowess.”

Leoch at the other table laughed, “If I wasn’t there, I would have thought Eryk single-handedly held back a sahuagin hive by the way she told it.”

Another of the Shorebreaker’s sailors interjected, “Oh!? She was talking about the battle! I thought she had been describing what happened in her cabin after the battle!” Everyone was so drunk that they broke into raucous laughter at my expense.

Maveith, who was on his third mug, joined the ribbing with his boisterous deep voice, “I was concerned for Dee’s safety and almost went to check on her the first night.”

Rather than be the target of the night’s jokes, I took my room key and found my room. The room smelled of lavender and sweet citrus oil. The mattress was firm but slightly spongy. I pulled out my griffin pillow and stripped before lying down. I killed my light buzz with my purify self spell form, removing my intoxification completely.

The blood compass appeared in my hand and I was hesitant to use it. If Castile had died fighting the Emperor, then her blood would have decayed by now, and I would feel nothing. I pulsed aether into the device, and there was a slight pull, and I released a relieved sigh. It took time to orient myself, but I think the compass was pulling almost straight south—toward Bartiradian lands. Was she captured or making her way to Gramney through enemy territory?

I slept a little restlessly that night. I didn’t use the amulet or an oblivion pill as guilt gnawed at me for not trying to help Castile and the others escape. I was up extremely early and checked on Ginger. The stable hand apparently slept in the loft and came down to help me. She hadn’t gone out for the hay and grain yet, so I tasked her with getting me a saddle and tack for Ginger. I didn’t want a new saddle to break in. Just a quality used saddle so Ginger could start earning her keep.

Maveith came down to the common room in severe discomfort with a splitting headache, and I almost wanted him to suffer. Instead, I handed him a Morning Glory stem to alleviate his hangover. He was unfamiliar with the remedy so I explained that he was to crush the stem and suck the sap out.

His deep voice rumbled across the common room, “Ugh. I never consumed such a tasty ale before. I thought it would be disrespectful to not drink with them. But I did get this last night!” Maveith proudly produced his bronze guild medallion and handed it to me. It had a shiny luster to it displaying his name, Maveith of the Stoneskin Clan. Underneath his name was his guild number, 49-6954.

“Nice, Maveith. Do you want me to head to the customs office with you?” I asked, handing it back.

“I can manage. I think Dee wanted to talk to you before we left.” He leaned in conspiratorially, “She came into my room last night thinking I was you.” I cursed in my head. Damn it, Issak, you gave me the wrong key! I had missed her parting farewell.

After Maveith got a large breakfast, he left with a guide to get his medallion inscribed. Desdemona came down and sat at my table. Her hair was askew, and I think there was some dried vomit on her shirt, so maybe it was a good thing she hadn’t found me last night. I handed her the Morning Glory, and she immediately knew what it was. Crushing it in her hand, she sucked loudly and let out a satisfied sigh.

“You are more useful than you look, legionnaire,” she said with a smile.

“Did you enjoy Maveith’s company last night?” I returned.

She laughed, “No. And Isaak was passed out, and I couldn’t remember the other room’s number.” She got a little more serious. “The Guild has decided to reward you for your efforts. You are being promoted to the silver rank for saving the Shorebreaker.” She produced a silver guild medallion with my name and guild number. My surprise had her smirk. “Well, it was either this or pay you three hundred gold. This was cheaper for the Guild.” She gestured for my bronze amulet, and I handed it to her and it disappeared into her pocket.

“I didn’t have a say??” I asked, but I didn’t know how valuable a silver guild rank was either. It also already had the Esenhem bird on it.

“You still get your gold, legionnaire. Guildmaster Theodas has purchased your sahuagin treasures for seventy-six gold, almost twice what they are worth. She dropped a heavy pouch on the table with a thud. He is also negotiating on your behalf for passage through the portals as we speak. You should be leaving for Artiria, and then onto Gramney to carry this Guild missive.” She placed a scroll on the table. “It just details the sahuagin attack and more of an excuse for him to pay your way to Gramney.”

“Will it include Maveith and Ginger?” I asked, taking the pouch and scroll.

“Yes, the goliath and horse are included.” She said irritably, probably expecting a thank you.

“So, I have half a day before I have to leave. Maybe there are private baths in the city?” I said suggestively.

Her expression changed to disappointment, “Maybe next time we meet, legionnaire. I need to recruit replacement crew and provision my ship. I have been ordered to sail as soon as possible to retrieve guild negotiators and deliver them to the Telhian Capital.” Desdemona stood, locked eyes with me for a moment, and said, “Thank you.” She then spun and left the Guild Hall. It felt more like a goodbye than I hope to see you again.

I waited for Maveith to return, and he smiled, showing off his stamped medallion. He didn’t need to see my new silver medallion. “What now, Eryk?”

“We leave for the Elven capital this evening, but first we find a bathhouse!” I patted my friend on the shoulder and led the way out of the Guild Hall.

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