Tales of the Pearly Kingdom (Pearly Tales Vol. 2)

154. Losing Patience with Stupidity

Meanwhile down at the Verdant Oathkeepers guild. A strange man walked in the front door and spun around marveling at everything. From the training area and students in uniform standing around watching a pair of students sparing with a blonde Valkyrie. One of the students that was sparing was a dark elf who was missing a hand but it didn't slow him down while he worked together with a winged girl to hold their ground against the much more experienced warrior woman.

Everything was so much more amazing than it had been before. So much magic. He wasn't oblivious to the stares he'd been getting, but he was just so fascinated to see so much magic casually utilized. Everything around was just too fascinating and fantastic. No other cities were like this and no other places were like this city or this guild. Creatures, monsters, elves, orc, elementals.

He was some kind of anomaly himself since he was wearing a full plate mail set of armor. Well... mostly... he had the greaves on and some gauntlets, but he was more or less shirtless with a tattered cape that was made for a smaller and more feminine frame. Even though they were part of a set the greaves looked like they were simply thrown together. His gauntlets were also mismatched with one being of much better quality compared to both the greaves and other gauntlet.

Among his equipment there was one item that stood out even more than his shabby armor selection and that was the truly unique sword strapped to his waist. It was a mid-length sword in a rich auburn colored sheath that looked as new as the day it was made that had silver Celtic knotwork and runes along it. The hilt of the sword was an anomaly. There wasn't a discernable guard to speak of. Instead, the blade was made to look like it was turning into roots that intricately connected it a wooden handle. It curled to the end, forming a pommel that looked like a "T" made of leaf-covered tree limbs.

"Excuse me, sir...?" A large breasted Waspkin woman asked him from a long counter at the far end of the room from the entrance. "If you have a request or would like to sign up as an adventurer, I'd love to be able to help you." she said. She was sincere and earnest but also had the disposition of someone who had been practicing for a length of time and was desperately waiting for a chance to recite her speech.

"Um sure, I'm new in town and would like to sign up." He said and approached the desk. He looked around and then asked. "Is there a quest board or...?"

The waspkin flinched and then sighed sadly. "The Guildmaster has suspended all quests until further notice. All the adventurers are either taking shifts in the café or teaching until things calm down." She had short black hair and pulled it out of her eyes with one hand while she clutched a clipboard to her chest. Then she reluctantly set it down in front of him with the untouched sign up form. "I suppose that means you won't sign up or leave a request either..."

He couldn't bare to see her look so down and gladly accepted the clipboard. "I didn't say that." He grinned.

The waspkin was surprised and looked flustered but happy. "Oh then um..." she looked under the counter for something. "... I know I put a pen here somewhere. Forgive me, I'm new. The waspkin just recently swore fealty to the Queen of Calphian and were finally let in the City of Perils. After fearing the adventurers from the stories that I was told, it's a little surreal to be working for them. Ah! Found them." She reached for a pen and just barely handed it to him when a disturbance stopped him from writing more than his name.

"I can't believe you all are still here? Holding out in your hovel like the skittering rats that you are." A superior looking elf walked in with some lackeys. They all looked like they were looking for a fight. "Ah a new face!" the elf said looking at the half-dressed pale man standing at the counter with a clipboard.