He reached the guildhouse with the assistance of many locals.
GODDAMN IT! I missed a single turn and a whole hour—WASTED!
He let out a silent whistle, then a few more.
But... Here I am. Let's go in.
He pushed the heavy doors open. The warm, smoky air of the guildhouse—carrying scents of spiced ale, roasted meat, and old parchment—washed over him, a stark contrast to the crisp night outside.
He was greeted by a mix of races and classes—knights, mages, clerks, archers, and more—sitting around circular tables scattered throughout. Their conversation paused for a moment—a single, curious glance fell on him—then the chatter resumed.
There—receptionist.
He walked toward it.
A knight, an archer, and... is that a healer? And they're all different races, too. Huh. Very inclusive.
He stood before the reception desk. The receptionist—a woman in a green dress with yellow sleeves and collar—gave him a friendly smile.
"Welcome, what can I do for you?"
He produced a brown card from his cloak. "I'd like to do a quest of my current level."
"Certainly! A moment, please."
The receptionist bent down and produced a stack of white papers. She shuffled through the papers with practiced efficiency, her eyes darting across lines of indecipherable script. Finally, she stopped.
"Ah, here." She held the request up and read it. "You are tasked with cleaning a dam that supplies water to a nearby village through the forest. To reach the location, depart from the kingdom's western exit and follow the pathway until you observe a red bush. At that point, proceed to cut through the forest; the dam should be situated in that vicinity."
After her explanation, she extended the paper forward and he took it, his eyes going uselessly over the alien glyphs. I... do not understand a thing. He buried the request in his cloak and gave a competent nod.
"Understood, it will be done."
He left the guildhouse, the heavy door thudding shut behind him—the directions looping in his mind.
West gate. Path. Red bush. Cut through. Dam. West gate. Path. Red bush...
He set off, the directions repeating for the twentieth time.
* * *
"Oh, sweet forest!"
He placed his hand on the kingdom gate's arch, his head hanging low. The two guards posted at the gate looked at him with tilted heads.
"Oh! Hey guards. Don't mind me, just... losing another hour and a half because of a missed turn—AGAIN!" He shook his fist in the air, then ran his hand across his face. "I'm gonna go ahead now."
He left the guards behind, shaking his head in disappointment.
"He's definitely from the Southmarch; crazy as they all are down there. Only they'd wear a cloak in the breezeless night."
"Y'kidding?! He's gotta be northern, even his getup says so."
Oswald continued his trek along the pathway at the forest's edge.
"Red bush... red bush... RED BUSH!"
He ran toward it. "She wasn't kidding when she said that—the leaves and branches are literally red."
He looked toward the forest's edge, where light from lanterns hung along the castle wall barely pierced the treeline.
"Now to go straight through, toward the dam—it better damn be there."
He trudged through the forest—the distant hoot of an owl, leaves spiraling down before him, and every crack of a twig beneath his sandals sounding ten times louder in the deepening quiet.
An hour into his trek, he ducked under a branch. "Hold on..."
He heard the sound of rushing water in the distance. "There! Holy— The water's leaking out!"
A line of troughs snaked through the forest, water overflowing from a build-up of mud.
"Shoot! Gotta start!"
He jumped in the trough and began digging out the mud with his hand.
"Times like these..." He let out a raspy exhale. "A shovel would be so useful... or a broadsword. Where is Cloud when you need him."
He let out an exasperated sigh, settling into the mud-filled rhythm. After what felt like a hundred gritty scoops, he felt his ankles dip into the flowing water.
"Nice! We're making progress."
He climbed out of the trough and scooped out the last bit of mud just before the water rushed the rest away. He used both wrists to wipe the sweat off.
"Phew! A job well done!"
He bent down and washed himself with cool water.
"Alrighty, time to get my easy money." He turned around. "Now, where did I come from agai—"
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Men's screams interrupted him, his head shooting in the direction of the shriek.
"W-What's going on?! I-I gotta check."
He sprinted in the general direction of the scream, the dam drowning his distancing footsteps.
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