Chapter 7: The Adventuring Guild in the Chrysler Building

Chapter 7: The Adventuring Guild in the Chrysler Building

The guards backed off after I talked to the man in the bathrobe. Perhaps he was an important person or something. He was allowed to walk around in underwear in a place of business, after all. The elevator was just as fancy as the rest of the building, with meticulous designs etched into the door. Inside, I paused, looking over the buttons. There had been a directory outside somewhere. I was just about to step out and look for it when a man in a fancy suit asked the same question I’d heard earlier. “Are you lost?” “Um, I’m looking for the, um, Adventurer’s…” I stammered. He frowned. “Are you sure you’re supposed to know about that?” I nodded. “I am! There’s something I need to find there.” The frown deepened. “Do you have any money?” My hand instinctively found its way into my pocket even though I already knew I spent all of my money on candy. Still, I lied. “I have plenty.” The man looked me up and down again, obviously noting the ragged state of my clothes, and sighed. “Whatever, it’s not my job to keep people out. Besides, he sent you in.” The man slid a key into the panel next to a nondescript button and turned it. When he pressed the button, the elevator lurched into motion and shot upwards. It was a strange sensation rocketing up. I’d been in an elevator once before and thought it would have been quicker to walk up the stairs. Now, I felt like being shot out of a rocket. I was just starting to fear getting splattered against the ceiling when it decelerated smoothly. “Welcome to the seventy-eighth floor,” the man announced, motioning me off the elevator with a flourish. “The Adventurer’s Guild.”

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It felt like another world. I stepped out of the elevator, and into a large hall bustling with activity. I rubbed my eyes and it still didn’t make any sense. I knew how big the building was on the outside but the room I saw was way too big to fit. Not just by a little bit either, it was at least three times larger than the tower in every direction. To top it off, the vaulted ceiling was so high that it could have spanned five floors all by itself. That wasn’t all, either. Doors lining the walls led me to believe they were either for decoration or the floor was even wider. “This is impossible,” I mumbled under my breath. “No,” said a girl, giggling. “This is The Adventurer’s Guild where anything is possible.” I turned to see who spoke and was surprised to find a girl maybe a few years older than me wearing what would only be described as leather armor. She gave me a playful smile and sauntered over. “You are new, aren’t you? Did you come by yourself or is one of your parents with you?” “No, I’m all alone,” I admitted. There was no point lying about it. Especially if I wanted to talk someone into helping me. “Oh, Goodie,” she chirped, taking my hand and dragging me toward a desk. “Allow me to show you around. My name is Leslie.”

Leslie Berkshire Class: Archer Level: 19 Age: 17 Weight: 129 Lbs Height 5’6

My eyes automagically Analyzed Leslie as I checked her out. She had silky brown hair that shone in the light flooding the room through the skylight up above. Her figure was hidden beneath the leather armor but I had the feeling she was well endowed by the way it puffed out in front. It also caught my attention that the armor wasn’t made to fit her. Last, she had a bow slung behind her back. Fitting for an Archer. “Come on,” she said when I hesitated for a moment too long. “Everyone has to register.” “Register?” I asked as I let myself be dragged to the desk. “What’s this, Leslie?” A kind-looking woman behind the desk asked. “Fresh meat, I think,” Leslie announced. “This is, oh, I never got your name.” “O-Oliver,” I replied, feeling nervous with the beautiful girl holding my hand. “Well, Oliver,” she said with a smirk. “It’s time to see what you’re made of.” A test? I hadn’t counted on that. What could I do? Analyze someone? That wasn’t very useful, was it? The woman behind the counter reached under the table and came back with an extremely thick magnifying glass. When she looked through it, her eye appeared huge.

Crude Magi-Scope Item Grade: D Magic identification device (MID). Displays basic characteristics of an item or person.

I looked at it with sudden interest. It was the first time I’d come across something affiliated with magic.

Suggestion: Infuse glass with prismatic powder for a holographic display. Replace glass with Mana Diamond.

“Hmm,” she began, leaning over the table to get a better look at me through the device. “I see. Yes, he is awakened but only just so. Already level two though. That’s a good sign.” “What class is he?” Leslie asked, looking me up and down. “First things first,” the woman said. “State your name.” “Oliver Evans,” I said, wondering what was going on. She smiled. “Welcome Mr. Evans. Your identification card will be ready in a week. In the meantime, you will have to check in daily to get a temporary pass.” “Thanks,” I replied, still marveling over the magnifying glass. “How do I get my hands on one of those Magi-Scopes?” The lady behind the counter blinked one enormous eye at me through the glass. “You’ve heard of these? Impressive. Unfortunately, they are quite expensive. The guild uses them to appraise members and magic items. If you wish to use one, I suggest you apply for a job. Perhaps you can man this desk in ten years or so.” “Ten years?” I asked, feeling my heart sink. Was it that hard to get a job working with magic items? “What class is he?” Leslie repeated the question, tapping her foot impatiently. “If you want to know, you’ll have to ask him,” the receptionist said, putting the Magi-Scope again. Leslie turned her attention back to me. “Well? What are you?” I sighed. “Well, it isn’t anything cool like Archer. I’m just a Craftsman.” “What’s that?” Leslie asked, looking confused. “And how do you know I’m an archer?” “The bow,” I said, pointing to her back. “Oh, right,” she said, looking at it over her shoulder. “I’ve never heard of the Craftsman Class,” the receptionist admitted with a shrug. “Perhaps ask the Crafter’s Association.” “A crafter, eh?” Leslie asked, appraising me for what felt like the tenth time. “Well, come on. I’ll give you the tour.”

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“Why are you doing this?” I asked as I let Leslie frog march me through the guild hall. “I mean, I appreciate it and all but don’t you have better things to do with your time?” She sighed. “The truth is, most of the other kids around here have groups already. I’m new to town, so I was hoping you were an adventurer. I don’t know much about crafting other than the fact that they have an office here.” “They do?” I asked, looking around hopefully. “We’ll get to that,” she replied, guiding me over to a bulletin board. “First, let me show you around. This is the quest board. This is where quests get posted when someone needs something done. Unfortunately, the only public ones are D or F ranked. I’m F rank and you probably will be too. Almost everyone starts there. Except for the prodigies. Some people either join the guild late or are just super powerful right out of the gate. I’m neither, so I need to find a good group so I can rank up.” I looked at the slips of paper on the board. They were simple tasks.

Quest: Parcel Delivery Quest Rank: F Task: Deliver a sealed package to 1125 Crescent Avenue Reward: 5 Copper

“This one doesn’t sound so bad,” I said, plucking the ticket off of the board. “That one’s terrible,” Leslie said, snatching the quest out of my hands. “It hardly pays anything at all, and it’s just busy work.” I looked at the other quests on the board. “Hey! All of the F ranks pay about the same. What’s so bad about this one?” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it. You won’t get any experience at all. It’s just grunt work, and not worth the five copper. Now this one, on the other hand, outta get you plenty of experience, and the reward is doubled.”

Quest: New York Rat Problem Quest Rank: F Task: Kill 5 Rats in the sewer. Bring back tails as proof. Reward: 9 Copper

I’d seen rats in the subway before. They were huge, and not something I’d want to try to fight. Not without a baseball bat in any case. “I don’t know,” I began, reaching for the safer delivery quest. She knocked my hand away. “Oh, come on. Do this one with me. It will be fun.” I sighed, trying to negotiate. “Can we do both?” “Ugh,” she groaned. “I suppose.” Armed with a pair of quests, she continued the tour. “This majority of the main hall is a lounge where adventurers congregate as they prepare for quests. Anyone can sit at the tables, but the booths are reserved for established groups of rank C or higher.” “How do you establish a group?” I asked, wondering if it was just a play on words. Leslie pointed at another counter. “Once you have four or more adventurers, you can register as a group. Once your group reaches ten members, you are required to register as a guild. The fun part is that you get to name your group.” “Why is that fun?” I asked, wondering what I’d call my group. Ambitious Orphans? I was busy chuckling at my inside joke when Leslie replied. “I don’t know. It’s how groups get famous though. Everybody’s heard of Leila’s Lackeys and Bob’s Big Boys. They are famous around here.” “I haven’t heard of either of them,” I admitted, wondering if they were seated in one of the booths. “Hey, I have an idea. If we make a group, we should call it The Rat Pack.” “What? Why?” Leslie asked, looking scandalized. “That’s a terrible name.” I laughed. “We are going to kill rats, aren’t we?” “Not forever!” Leslie shot back. “One of these days, I’m going to take out a triple S ranked monster all by myself. Maybe a Dragon or a Sphinx.” “Wow,” was all I could think to say. While I’d read about dragons, I was having a hard time believing they were real. She giggled. “Well, it’s my dream.” “Excuse me,” a gruff voice called from behind. “You there, boy with the injury. Can I have a moment?” “Are you talking about me?” I asked, turning to face the man. He had a girl with him about my age. She was bigger than me and obviously well-fed. “Yes, you,” he replied, looking at my hand with interest. “Will you allow my apprentice here to practice on your hand? I’ll give you a potion if she fails.” I blinked in confusion. “Um, what?” “He wants her to heal you,” Leslie translated, elbowing me in the ribs. “Let her. It’s good practice for healers.” I Analyzed the pair.

Rudolph Grim Class: Paladin Level: 42 Age: 51 Weight: 227 Lbs Height 6’2

Cassandra Claire Class: Cleric Level: 9 Age: 12 Weight: 111 Lbs Height 5’4

I nodded dumbly and let the girl take my hand. She hunched over it and closed her eyes, muttering something under her breath. A warm sensation filled my hand and it started to glow. There was a sharp pinch for a moment before a sense of rushing relief flooded the area. My hand tingled and she let me go. “Very good, Cass,” Rudolph praised the girl. “Thank you very much for letting her practice.” “Yes, thank you,” Cassandra said, blushing profusely. “Come along now,” Rudolph said, taking her hand and guiding her off. “You’re welcome,” I said to no one in particular. “Moving on with the tour,” Leslie said, clearing her throat. “You can get food over here.” The smells that assaulted my nostrils made me weak in the knees. Several restaurants all bunched together stood in one corner of the wide-open area. I saw a sign that read, “Lunch Special: 5 copper,” which made me want to complete that delivery quest just to eat. When my stomach growled a little too loudly, Leslie elbowed me. “Want to get some breakfast? Mishun’s Southern Grill makes a mean catfish.” I sighed, trying to ignore the painful reminder that I’d skipped breakfast. “I can’t. I don’t have any money.” “Hmm,” she replied, staring at the menu and licking her lips. “Fine. I’ll spot you. However, you better help me kill rats and pay me back.” “I don’t know how much help I’ll be,” I admitted. “But you’ve got a deal.”