I didn’t know what to expect when approaching the hunters guild, a myriad of possibilities crossed my mind on the way there but…the sight in front of me was both a disappointment and somehow entirely expected.

  The game didn’t talk about the empire’s guilds much, just tidbits of optional lore through journal entries and NPC’s fleeing a fallen land. I knew more from my time in this world than from my memories of the game, so needless to say, I didn’t know much of shit. There were hunters, and what they hunted was monsters, that was about it.

  They might’ve had entrance exams, perhaps they had kill requirements, or they might accept any dumbfuck that stepped into their halls. Padding their numbers was a legitimate strategy! Especially in such a volatile profession, though letting anyone participate would probably make that deathcount skyrocket.

  Did I mind being in the crosshairs of death? Well, yes, but I kind of already was. Everyone was, and this was safer than what was coming, so I wasn’t too bothered.

  So long as I got stronger.

  Haste kills, it’s true, but I needed to stop being a bitch and start running. I didn’t know when the End was coming, just that it wasn’t in the next year. That wasn’t enough of a cushion to take things all lackadaisical.

  So fighting, it was all about fighting.

  That was how I’d get stronger, that was how I’d survive. I just needed to take a step forward. I was standing on a decently populated street, facing the building that would mark my future for the next whoever knew how long, or it might not. I didn’t care. I just had to grow stronger and in growing stronger I’d survive.

  The guild was made of pure wood, unlike the common limestone surrounding the building. It looked like the natural evolution of a vacant lodge, nestled in the northern corner of the city, close to the gate for convenience’s sake. There were other branches in other parts of the city but…well this was where the guards told me the best hunters gathered. I was a bit of a vain bitch, but no one needed to know that.

  The gates were wide open, and in front of me was the sight that has me wanting to let out a heavy sigh. It resembled a tavern more than anything organized. Lots of people drinking their ale in merriment and singing to the minstrels tune. How stereotypical.

  Whatever, I wasn’t there for a performance review.

  I walked closer to the guillotine of my future, only a little more certainly infused in my steps than when I was wandering aimlessly. I crossed the threshold, and the blessed dampening of the walls for my ethereal senses vanished entirely, leaving me a victim to a disgusting amount of joy laced with fear laced with pride laced with condescension laced with—

  Calm, deep breaths. I could manage.

  The overload of information left me paralyzed for long enough that an impatient cunt bodied past me, causing me to stumble to the side. I turned to scowl at the man, but he paid no attention to me as he headed towards…what looked to be the clerk. Or perhaps the bartender? Could’ve been both. Probably both.

  I shrugged and followed behind, keeping a hand on my pommel and another floating by my coin purse.

  “Yikrin!” The clerk/bartender(?) said to the man who pushed me aside. “What a pleasure and a joy it is to see you alive. Catch anything worth noting? Come, come! Tell me all about it so I don’t have to deal with the child behind you.”

  I scowled hard, but neither seemed to care. Yikrin took a seat and started chatting away as I waited, some inane bullshit about catching a Terak-Kro. I knew his mouth was spewing bullshit because those things were basically elephant people, and they didn’t live in this part of the empire. Still, the man named Yikrin seemed determined to convince his fellows that he managed to bag something that could squash him flat.

  I tapped my foot against the wooden floor as I waited for this conversation to end. They thought I couldn’t be patient? I was the most patient! And the most stubborn! Those cunts didn’t know who they were dealing with. If all I had to do was wait then I’d stand there for the whole fucking—

  Something whispered, and the hairs on my neck rose in mammalian instinct. I whipped my head to the side to find a woman reaching a hand for my shoulder.

  The woman pulled back and gave me a sheepish smile. “You’re certainly observant. Didn’t expect that.”

  “What do you want?” I said, a little brusque but I didn’t care for being approached like that.

  “Not very polite either,” the woman hummed. “I’m Aira, and I’m guessing you’re waiting for good old’ Trakas to finish his conversation with that hunter? Word to the wise, don’t hold your breath, he’ll engage in any inane conversation to escape doing his job.”

  I scrunched my brow. “How am I supposed to join if I can’t even talk to the clerk?”

  “You want to join?” Aira blinked at me, saying the word like it was a spell on her tongue.

  We stood in awkward…well not silence, there was plenty of tavern shit to fill the background, but it certainly felt like silence. To a degree.

  “Yes?” I said.

  Aira stared incredulously at me for altogether too long. “Where are your parents? You need their approval for something like this.”

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  “They’re dead.”

  “Bullshit!” Trakas yelled from the background. “Heard that excuse too many times to count, go home to your safe little bed and leave the hunters guild to proper hunters.”

  I turned to face the man, who was now distinctly not talking to Yikrin, letting the man enjoy whatever drink he ordered.

  “I’m not fucking lying.” I snarled at him. “They died to the horde a month ago.”

  Trakas rolled his eyes and waved me off. “Sure sure, now kindly fuck off?”

  “Trakas!” Ali admonished. “Be nice, what if she’s telling the truth?”

  “Then she can go find an orphanage. Bet she doesn’t even know how to wield the sword she’s carrying, fucking kids thinking they can come in here and ask to be a fucking apprentice, honestly.”

  I scowled, then rummaged through my sack to drop a handful of goblin ears. “I know enough, dickface.”

  “Oooh, you killed some gobs, good for you.” Trakas clapped like a goddamn jackass.

  My temper flared, even my demon was a little pissed at how Trakas was acting, which was a surprise to say the least. Unfortunately, I wasn’t stupid, and could see a losing battle when it was presented to me. I clearly wasn’t going to get admission with that cockgobbler at the helm. I turned, only to find Aira standing arms crossed, a mighty scowl directed at Trakas.

  “Do I need to get the guildmaster down here Trakas?” she said.

  Trakas rolled his eyes. “Go ahead, not like his answer’ll be any different.”

  Aira nodded and turned to look at me, giving me a nauseatingly soft smile. “Wait here for a bit, okay? Try not to stab Trakas?”

  “I won’t?” I blinked.

  “Good, good. I’ll be right back!”

  I was pretty good at glaring.

  Necessary skill I picked up in my village, considering the amount of people who’d laugh at my predictions of the end. It communicated so much without actually using words, like how little respect you had for the person you were giving eyes to. But most importantly, it encapsulated how you felt about what they were saying.

  In one simple look I could communicate defiance, disrespect, and denigration.

  It did little to endear me to a person, but I didn’t give a shit. Not with people like Trakas. To his credit he matched my glare with equal intensity, contempt radiating off his form whenever he got the opportunity to be free from his ale-serving duties.

  “Well, she certainly has the countenance of a hunter,” a gruff voice said from behind me. I turned to find a man wearing a dapper toga, stroking his beard slowly as he stared down at me with eyes of blue. “Please tell me you didn’t interrupt my work to deal with a petulant child because they’re an elf?”

  “I was hoping to take her as my apprentice, guildmaster,” Aira said.

  “I’m sure you are,” the guildmaster snorted.

  “She’s a victim of the goblin horde, and she’s clearly capable of killing a few monsters, though they are lesser. Having her assist wouldn’t harm the guild's reputation.”

  “Reputation,” the guildmaster said, chewing on the word like it was an offence to his sensibilities. “What matters is capability, and I won’t have one of my more experienced hunters nurse a fool because of their bleeding heart.”

  I maintained my glare as I leveled my gaze at the bureaucrat. “I don’t need a nurse. I’ve travelled plenty on my own and I’m just fine.”

  “Of course I only have your word to verify that claim, and a few goblin ears,” the guildmaster drolled. “Look around you girl, do you see any children here? The only apprentices we take are of decent age and capacity compared to you. Come back with the head of a Muri-Ursi and perhaps I’ll allow it.”

  My eyebrow twitched.

  “Fine,” I growled.

  “Wait!” Aira said as I started to walk out of the guild.

  I didn’t pay her any mind as I stomped out of the guild, indignation pushing me forward to the new goal. Aira didn’t follow, and I assumed that was the guildmasters fault, but I didn't care.

  I had a Muri-Ursi to hunt…as soon as I figured out what the fuck that was.

  So it turned out Muri-Ursis were local to the city of Anik. Some sort of giant rat with slick black fur that called the sewer its home, which was nice. Smelled like shit down there but at least I didn’t have to deal with all the clamour present topside. Besides, decaying corpses smelled plenty worse, in my humble opinion, so I’d deal.

  I’d seen enough of those for a few lifetimes. But I’d see plenty more so who cared? I needed to focus on the adventure! Yay?

  I was finding it hard to muster the enthusiasm Jiso might have had for this kind of bullshit…I was sure he’d barely even notice all the waste in favour of dispatching an overgrown rat, with Uria pestering him all the while like some doting mother. Would’ve been nice to watch.

  Best not to think about that.

  The sewers were dark, so I had to waste a few copper pennies on a torch. The fire didn’t seem natural, not like the torches from home. Redder than it should be but it worked, so I didn’t care for the distinction

  The fire’s song was a little interesting though, but I wasn’t so proficient in communicating with the World that I could tell what it was saying. Just strange. Fire was normally fiery, this was calmer, almost sedated.

  I continued my walk down the sewers, passing by plenty of normal rats. But nothing like the description of a Muri-Ursi. Why’d they call it a Muri-Ursi anyway? Strange name for a rodent.

  Like calling a canine a torrinka or some shit, it was just a random string of syllables that didn’t have anything to do with the origin. There was probably some juicy lore behind the name.

  I’d continue my meandering but I heard something. Like a deep series of chitters just around the corner. I unsheathed my blade slowly, the sliding of steel on leather making a slight sound in the darkness, but whatever was there didn't seem to react. I took quiet steps forward, and turned the corner.

  The chitters were punctuated by grotesque chewing, but I still couldn't see anything.

  I walked forward until the fire’s light washed over whatever it was. Not five meters ahead of me was a rat the size of a fucking bear feasting on the corpse of some kind of…goblin? It looked similar but there were distinct differences, like the cracked stone shell covering its skin, and the strange glow from its eyes.

  The rat stopped its meal, letting out a chitter that reverberated much farther than should be possible as large beady eyes turned to look at me.

  I readied my blade and stared at the thing, pointing it towards the rat.

  It chittered some more, and for some reason I got the impression that it was trying to…communicate? That couldn’t be right.

  Sleek black fur stood on end as the rat stood on its hind legs, easily towering to ten feet. It stared down at me, tilting its head a few times before it…shrugged?

  Then it landed on all fours and charged me.