Quest search

The guild was bustling with adventurers when I walked in, the room filled with their boisterous chatter and the clatter of equipment. At the reception desk, I was greeted by a familiar face. June, a woman with a friendly smile and a head full of curly hair, had been handling my paperwork and quests for five years now. June embodies striking beauty with her chestnut brown hair, heart-shaped face, and warm honey-colored eyes. Despite her desk-bound days, her toned, athletic build and elegant gestures reflect her adventurous past. Clad in a form-fitting uniform, the golden guild emblem on her chest symbolizes her dedication and status.

“Jasper! How have you been?” she asked, her smile warm as she looked up from her paperwork.

“It's been... quite the trip these past few days,” I confessed, running a hand through my hair.

I turned my attention to the quest board, my eyes scanning over the listings. Much to my disappointment, the quests were of a much lower caliber than usual.

June noticed my dissatisfaction, her brows furrowing in concern. “Ah, about that... The Guild has put a temporary lock on high-level quests. Apparently, someone snuck into a legendary-level dungeon and the Guild master wants to ensure no one was hurt before the normal quest circulation resumes.”

I felt a wave of guilt wash over me, my heart pounding in my chest. I nodded, swallowing hard. “That's… That's unfortunate.”

In an attempt to lighten the mood, I put on a brave face. “Anything else I can take on, June? I've been feeling… well, complacent.”

She gave me a sympathetic smile, reaching under her desk to pull out a scroll. “We do have a subjugation quest… It involves a local mob boss causing trouble.”

I cringed at the idea, not being one who enjoyed conflicts with people. Yet the lack of activity was gnawing at me, and I didn't want to lose the progress I'd made in my training.

“Alright, I'll take it,” I said finally, reaching for the scroll. I thanked June and made my way out of the guild.

As I left the guild, the bustling marketplace caught my eye. Among the various stalls of fruits, vegetables, meats, and textiles, one stood out like a sore thumb. It was a booth that looked like it belonged to a dwarf, cluttered with intricate gadgets and intricate devices. But behind the counter wasn't a dwarf, but Vestele.

“Jasper! You old dog!” Vestele called out, his light eyes sparkling with mischief. His face, while delicate and undeniably elven, bore an expression of unadulterated cheekiness.

Vestele was a high elf, but standing at a mere five feet, he was petite, with features so delicate and feminine that he was often mistaken for a woman. Not that he seemed to mind. He had a knack for kicking any disrespectful suitors in the nuts and swearing like a sailor while he did it.

“Vestele!” I greeted, approaching his booth. “Didn't expect to see you in Ardglass.”

“Well, the road takes me where it will, and today it seems it has led me to you,” he replied, a sly grin playing on his lips.

His booth was a fascinating amalgamation of odds and ends. Trinkets, gizmos, and doodads of every shape, size, and purpose were strewn about. They weren't typically the kind of items an elf would peddle.

“So, what brings you to my humble booth, Jasper?” he asked, leaning on the counter and arching an eyebrow at me. “Looking for something to impress the ladies or a new gizmo to give you an edge in your adventures?”

“Just seeing what you've got, Vestele,” I answered, my eyes scanning his wares. “You always have something interesting.”

He chuckled. “Well, take your time. See if anything tickles your fancy.”

We bantered back and forth, discussing his travels, the state of the guild, and the fascinating contraptions he had gathered. Vestele was crude and brash, but there was a genuine warmth to him that made him easy to like.

As the sun began to set, I thanked him for the conversation and promised to visit his booth again before he moved on. With a quick wave, I left, heading back to camp with a smile on my face and a renewed sense of vigor.

“Hey, have you heard about the latest hoo-ha?” Vestele asked, his voice oozing with playful mischief as he leaned against his booth. “Some bloody daredevil has only gone and cleared the legendary dungeon in the Moonlight Grove. Vanished into thin air, mate. A proper ghostly escapade, I tell ya.”

My face flushed with a mix of excitement and nerves, my heart thumping in my chest. The news had already spread like wildfire, igniting the flames of curiosity within me. Should I reveal the truth? Should I confess that it was I who had embarked on that audacious journey? I glanced at Vestele, his eyes gleaming with intrigue. He reveled in the rumors, relishing in the thrill and the enigma of it all.

“Uh, Vestele, that… that was me,” I stuttered, my voice barely a whisper.

His eyebrows shot up, and he let out a boisterous laugh, throwing his head back and slapping his thigh with gusto. “Jasper, you bloody idiot!” he bellowed, his amusement filling the air. “You've always had a flair for the dramatics, haven't you?”

I sighed, my hand running through my hair in a mix of embarrassment and relief. “I didn't mean to cause such a ruckus. It just… it just happened. One moment, Esther and I were back at camp, and the next, we found ourselves irresistibly drawn into the depths of that dungeon.”

Vestele leaned in closer, the laughter subsiding, replaced by genuine curiosity. “So, it was you and the sweet little healer, huh? Mate, you've got to spill the juicy details.”

With a twinkle in my eye, I regaled him with the daring exploits of our dungeon exploration. From the mysterious smoke that greeted us at the entrance, to the eerie corridors that seemed to twist and turn without rhyme or reason. I described the alchemist's study, the rooms that held secrets and dangers, and the momentary panic when I lost sight of Esther, only to find her alive and well. I painted vivid images of the open stone chest, the glistening golden door, and the tantalizing treasures we uncovered.

Throughout my narrative, Vestele hung on to every word, captivated by the unfolding adventure. He interjected with gasps and chuckles, occasionally raising an eyebrow or posing a question. As I concluded my tale, he whistled softly, a mix of awe and admiration in his eyes. “Jasper, my friend, you and Esther have stumbled upon an adventure of a lifetime,” he murmured, his voice tinged with a hint of envy.

“Vestele, I'm still trying to process what happened in there, to be honest,” I confessed, my gaze wandering over his collection of oddities. As my eyes landed on a stack of old parchment, my heart skipped a beat. The handwriting… it was the same as the notes we found in the dungeon. “Hey, Vestele, what are these?” I pointed at the documents.

He glanced down, then shrugged. “Those? Found 'em near the dungeon site. Seems they're notes from some alchemist named Cyrus. Bugger all if I know who that is.”

Cyrus? The name rang no bells, but the circumstances were too strange to be a coincidence. “Most of the alchemists from the old days were purged by the kingdom, weren't they?” I asked, trying to recall what little history I knew about the realm's tumultuous past.

“That's the truth of it,” Vestele agreed with a nod. “That's probably why there isn't much record of this Cyrus chap. The kingdom didn't leave many stones unturned in their purge.”

My mind was whirling. Could these notes hold the key to understanding what happened in the dungeon? “How much for the lot?” I asked, my hand already reaching for my coin pouch.

Vestele looked at the sack of documents, then back at me, his eyes twinkling. “For you, Jasper? One silver. I'm sure you can make better use of 'em than I can.”

I handed him the silver coin without hesitation, gathering the documents and tucking them safely into my adventurer's bag. “Thanks, Vestele. I need to get these back to Esther.”

He waved me off with a grin. “Good luck, you crazy bastard. And keep me posted on any more legendary dungeon explorations, will ya?”

With a nod and a wave, I headed back to camp, the weight of the documents in my bag a reminder of the unresolved mystery still looming over us.