"You never told me your grandfather is the Guild Master," Adonis said, his voice slightly strained as they walked through the crowded streets toward the guild board.
Elora puffed her cheeks and turned away. "Boo, so what? That old man's always been nosy. I don't want to talk about it."
Seeing her shut down so quickly, Adonis sighed and let it go. Fine, not worth pushing. Still can't believe I walked into that mess.
"So," he changed the topic, "what quest do you want to take?"
"That one." Elora pointed enthusiastically at a parchment nailed slightly crooked on the quest board.
Adonis stepped forward and read aloud:
C-Rank Mission – Darknot Village Lord's RequestDetails: Twenty people have gone missing from the village over the past month. Suspected cause unknown.Objective: Investigate and return any missing villagers alive.Reward: 40 silver coins.
Adonis blinked. "Forty silver? That's a lot. Why hasn't anyone taken it?"
Before Elora could speak, Miranda, who had quietly walked over, answered, folding her arms.
"Two reasons," she said flatly. "First, the quest has been posted for over a month now. Every group that accepted it… never came back. And second, people say the village is cursed."
She lowered her voice slightly. "Some claim shadows whisper there. Others say the villagers were never taken… but changed."
Adonis frowned. "So it's haunted. Great."
Elora's eyes sparkled. "That's exactly why we should take it."
Miranda's eyebrows shot up. "Were you even listening to me?"
"Yes," Elora said proudly. "That's why I want to take it. A few adventurers dying is tragic, sure, but if an entire village is in danger, someone has to help."
Adonis gave her a long stare. "Oh my heroic maiden, you do realize people vanished, right? We don't even know what we're walking into. I don't want us to end up as spooky bedtime stories."
Elora puffed out her chest. "Boo. Don't be a scaredy cat. We'll be fine. I totally have a backup plan. Trust me this time!"
Adonis narrowed his eyes. "You said that last time and we got chased by a swarm of bees."
"That was part of the plan!" Elora protested.
"Uh-huh."
Despite himself, Adonis found the corner of his mouth twitching. He sighed and shook his head. "Fine. Let's take the quest before I change my mind."
Miranda glanced between them with concern. "At least stock up well. Whatever's going on in Darknot Village… it's not normal."
Later – The Marketplace
The pair wandered through the bustling central market, packed with stall vendors shouting over each other, the scent of roasted meat and herbs thick in the air.
Strangely no rumors about him flying by
"Guild master sure works fast" he thought
Elora darted between shops like an excited fox. "We'll need monster repellent, dried food, two bedrolls, a new lantern… ooh, and extra mana crystals!"
Adonis followed behind, comparing prices and mentally counting their remaining funds. "You sure we need that much chalk?"
"I like chalk," Elora said flatly, dumping three more boxes into his arms.
He sighed, arms full, watching her skip off toward a weapon smith. How did I get dragged into this again?
Then, without turning, Elora called back, "Because I'm cute and persuasive!"
"…And telepathic now?" Adonis muttered.
But despite his complaints, he was looking forward to their mission, he wanted to test his strength on more powerful opponents.