The sun beat down on the cobblestone streets of Oakhaven, a bustling town nestled on the fringes of the Grand Imperium, far from the brooding shadows of the Demonic Palace or the echoing halls where the brute-skinned barbarians crafted their strange, formidable weapons. To most, Oakhaven was a peaceful, if somewhat dusty, starting point for aspiring adventurers. To Liam, it was the threshold of destiny.
Liam, with his bright, earnest eyes and a sword almost comically too large for his current skill level, beamed. **_This is it. My journey begins. The hero's path! Just like in the legends!_** He clutched his worn, leather-bound adventurer's guide, its pages detailing everything from goblin weaknesses to the proper etiquette for addressing a dragon. He was finally standing before the local Adventurer's Guild, a stout building that smelled faintly of stale ale and ambition. He adjusted his flimsy, newly purchased adventurer's cape. **_Today, I join the ranks. Today, I start saving the world!_**
He pushed open the heavy wooden doors, a determined glint in his eye. Inside, the main hall was... quieter than he expected. A few grizzled veterans nursed drinks at the bar, their armor gleaming dully. A notice board was plastered with quests: "Retrieve Lost Cat (Reward: 5 Silver)," "Clear Rat Infestation in Cellar (Reward: 10 Silver)," "Escort Merchant Caravan (Reward: 5 Gold, Experienced Adventurers ONLY)." Liam's heart swelled. He was ready for a caravan, perhaps even a dragon, if they were short-staffed.
Behind a high, polished counter sat a woman. She had fiery red hair, tied back in a no-nonsense braid, and eyes the color of emeralds that seemed to miss nothing. Her posture was straight, confident, and a small, almost imperceptible frown was etched between her brows. Her name, as per the small plaque, was **Kaelen**. Guild Master Kaelen.
Liam took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and approached the counter. "Good morning, Guild Master Kaelen! I am Liam, and I've come to join the Adventurer's Guild!"
Kaelen slowly raised an eyebrow, her gaze sweeping over Liam's oversized sword and ridiculously bright cape. A faint, almost imperceptible smirk touched her lips. "Another one, huh? Fill this out." She slid a parchment and a quill towards him.
Before Liam could grab it, a loud, exasperated sigh came from a nearby table. "Liam! There you are, you slowpoke!"
Liam turned, his face lighting up. There they were. His new guildmates! The ones he'd met just yesterday, right after arriving in Oakhaven. There was **Roric**, a hulking brute of a man with a perpetually bored expression, polishing a rather dull axe. Beside him, **Lysandra**, slender and graceful, picking at a loose thread on her surprisingly mundane robe, her eyes darting nervously around the room. Across from her, **Finnian**, a rogue-looking fellow, was trying to pick a crumb off his tooth with a very tiny, very sharp dagger. And finally, **Zelda**, a petite girl with enormous, round glasses perched on her nose, meticulously counting copper coins in her palm.
"Ah, you guys made it!" Liam exclaimed, his enthusiasm undimmed. "Ready for our first quest?"
Roric grunted. "Quest? Right. We're ready, kid. Just waiting for the formalities." He winked conspiratorially, but Liam missed the slight tremor in Roric's hand.
Kaelen watched the interaction, her emerald eyes narrowing slightly. "Oh, *you're* with *them*." Her gaze hardened as she looked at the group. "Lysandra. Roric. Finnian. Zelda. Did you manage to scrounge up the **rent** for the guild lodging, or are you still planning on 'borrowing' from the roof?"
Lysandra flinched, pulling at her robe thread even harder. Finnian quickly put away his dagger. Roric cleared his throat, trying to look intimidating but mostly just looking constipated. Zelda dropped a coin with a faint *clink*.
Liam frowned. "Rent? What rent?"
Roric slapped Liam heartily on the back, almost sending him sprawling. "Just a formality, kid! Guild stuff! You wouldn't understand."
**_Hmm. Guild stuff. I guess heroes don't need to worry about mundane things like rent. We're above it!_** Liam nodded sagely, feeling a surge of pride that his new guildmates were so experienced.
Kaelen sighed, a long, weary sound that spoke of eons of dealing with utter incompetence. "Look, I'll be honest, kid. These four… they're trouble. I'm one step away from kicking them back to their respective hovels. They're a guild in name only, and they haven't paid their dues in… well, let's just say a long time." She eyed Liam, a flicker of something almost like concern in her gaze. "You sure you want to be associated with this lot?"
Liam's eyes widened. "But… but they're my friends! And they're so strong! Roric can chop down trees with one swing! Lysandra can cast powerful fireballs! Finnian is super stealthy! And Zelda knows all about ancient runes!" He gestured wildly, recounting the exaggerated tales his new friends had told him over cheap ale just last night.
Roric actually managed to look slightly embarrassed. Lysandra looked down at her feet. Finnian subtly whistled, pretending to study the ceiling. Zelda just kept counting her copper coins.
Kaelen's expression softened, a tiny, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips. **_He's so earnest. So… naive. It's almost adorable. Almost._** "Roric, dear, your axe is duller than a butter knife. Lysandra, the last 'fireball' you cast nearly set fire to the outhouse. Finnian, your stealth is so bad, even a blind gnome could track you. And Zelda, darling, you still can't tell a rune from a regular rock." Her voice was calm, almost bored, but each word was a precisely aimed arrow.
Roric finally found his voice. "Hey! That's not fair, Guild Master! We're just… resting our skills! Keeping a low profile! And Liam here, he's got potential! We're gonna mold him into a true hero!" He puffed out his chest, looking more like a disgruntled pigeon than a mighty warrior.
**_Potential! She sees it! Kaelen sees my potential!_** Liam practically vibrated with excitement. He looked at Kaelen, his face flushed. Her red hair seemed to shimmer in the tavern's dim light, and her emerald eyes, though stern, had a captivating depth. **_Wow. She's… really pretty. And strong. A true leader._** He felt a heat creeping up his neck, a familiar blush taking over his cheeks.
Kaelen watched his reaction, her eyebrow raising again. A slight twitch at the corner of her mouth. **_Oh, boy. Another one of *those*. He's definitely a soft-headed hero. This is going to be a long year._** She sighed again, but this time, there was a hint of resignation mixed with amusement. "Alright, fine. Liam. You fill out that form. I'll… consider your application. And the rest of you," she glared at the other four, "you have until sundown to secure a quest – a *paying* quest – or you're sleeping in the stables. And no more lies to the new recruit, you hear me?"
"Yes, Guild Master!" the four chorused, surprisingly in sync, their faces a mixture of relief and renewed panic.
As Liam painstakingly filled out his form, his mind raced with images of glorious battles, daring rescues, and the cheers of grateful villagers. He was a hero, joining a legendary guild. He didn't notice Finnian trying to pickpocket a passing, unsuspecting merchant, nor Lysandra subtly trying to "borrow" a loaf of bread from the counter, nor Zelda actually managing to count her copper coins into an impressive little tower. He certainly didn't notice Roric whispering to his companions, "Okay, plan B. We *actually* have to take a quest. Anyone seen the 'Lost Cat' notice?"
The world of Oakhaven, with its grand empires and terrifying demon lords, felt vast and exciting to Liam. He was ready for anything. He was ready to fight. He was ready to be a hero. He just wasn't quite ready for his new friends, or the endless, embarrassing shenanigans that came with them. And Kaelen, watching the earnest, blushing boy, knew deep down that despite herself, she might just have a soft spot for this particular brand of innocent idiocy. The adventures, she mused, were certainly never boring with these types around.