Chapter 16: Iron Ranks

  The sharp, ringing clatter of the brass wake-up bell echoed mercilessly through the cavernous wooden beams of the communal sleeping hall. Zeno’s amber eyes snapped open instantly. He sat up, stretching his arms high above his head and letting out a loud, completely unbothered yawn. Despite the incredibly hard wooden cot, his body felt entirely rested and perfectly limber. He looked down at his hands; the dark Mountain Bear wraps were still perfectly secured, feeling like a natural extension of his own skin.

  Lyra was already awake, sitting on the edge of her cot and meticulously tightening the leather straps of her green armor. Her short crimson hair was slightly messy from sleep, but her emerald green eyes were sharp and entirely focused. She tossed a small, wrapped bundle of flatbread toward Zeno, which he caught effortlessly with one hand.

  "Breakfast," Lyra announced, standing up and checking the smooth draw of her twin daggers from their sheaths. "Eat it on the walk. We need to hit the Guild boards early today. The best, most lucrative long-term escorts and subjugations are snatched up by the veteran parties before the sun even fully clears the walls."

  "I am ready for a massive adventure!" Zeno cheered, tearing into the flatbread with his usual ferocious enthusiasm. He strapped his heavy leather backpack over his shoulders.

  They left the drafty hall and stepped out into the crisp, foggy morning air of Oakhaven. The streets were already bustling with the heavy, rhythmic sounds of a waking city. Blacksmiths were striking their anvils, merchants were shouting their daily prices, and heavily armed men and women were marching purposefully toward the central plaza.

  When Zeno and Lyra pushed open the heavy double doors of the Adventurer’s Guild, the atmosphere was a chaotic sea of noise and latent Tena. The cavernous stone hall was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with hundreds of adventurers forming parties, negotiating contracts, and boasting about their latest exploits. The air hummed with dozens of different auras—sharp reds, flowing blues, and grounded browns.

  Lyra led the way, slipping through the dense crowd with the fluid grace of a wind scout. Zeno followed closely, his wide amber eyes taking in the incredible diversity of the people around him. He saw warriors clad in heavy, overlapping plate armor that clanked loudly with every step. He saw specialized trackers wearing lightweight, camouflage cloaks made from the shifting leaves of the deep forests.

  As they approached the massive corkboards at the far wall, the crowd thinned out slightly. The veterans usually claimed the space directly in front of the Rank C and Rank B boards, forming an unspoken hierarchy based entirely on proven power and combat experience.

  Lyra walked confidently up to the middle board, her eyes scanning the freshly posted parchment. Before she could pull a promising request from the cork, a massive shadow fell over her.

  "Lyra, haven't you realized yet that the stench of the lower alleys drives high-paying clients away from this board?" a deep, incredibly arrogant voice echoed above them.

  Lyra froze, her shoulders stiffening instantly. Her hand drifted unconsciously toward the hilt of her dagger, though she forced herself to keep her grip loose. She turned around slowly, her emerald eyes narrowing into an icy glare.

  Standing behind them was a towering man, easily a full head taller than Zeno. He wore an immaculate, highly polished suit of heavy steel armor that gleamed arrogantly in the morning light. A heavy, two-handed broadsword rested casually against his massive shoulder. He had long, perfectly straight silver hair that cascaded down his back, and piercing, predatory sapphire blue eyes that looked down at Lyra with absolute, elitist contempt.

  This was Kaelen, a Rank C Vanguard. He was widely known in Oakhaven for his brutal efficiency in combat and his utterly insufferable, mercenary personality.

  "Kaelen," Lyra said, her voice dropping to a cold, flat monotone. "I see you haven't managed to get yourself eaten by a Wyvern yet. A tragedy for the entire Guild."

  Kaelen laughed, a harsh, booming sound that drew the attention of several nearby adventurers. His sapphire eyes flicked over Lyra’s worn green leather armor, completely dismissing her. Then, his gaze shifted to Zeno. He took in the boy's simple white tunic, his messy jet-black hair, and his bright, completely unbothered smile.

  "And who is this scrawny peasant?" Kaelen sneered, stepping closer and using his massive physical presence to try and intimidate the boy. "Did you hire a baggage carrier, Lyra? Or did you finally realize your wind blades are useless and decided to bring a human shield to your next pathetic gathering quest?"

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  Kaelen’s eyes dropped to Zeno’s hands. He noticed the dark, high-quality Mountain Bear leather wraps. A flicker of genuine surprise crossed his arrogant features, followed immediately by a scowl. "Those are Master-grade Pugilist wraps. You stole those, didn't you, boy? A Rank F novice wearing Silas's custom work is an insult to real professionals."

  Zeno blinked his large amber eyes, tilting his head to the side. He didn't feel intimidated in the slightest. Compared to Master Shifu's silent, crushing aura of authority, Kaelen just felt like a very loud, very shiny bird.

  "I did not steal them," Zeno replied earnestly, offering the massive Vanguard a bright grin. "I bought them with the silver I got from smashing the big iron bugs yesterday. They are my second stomach for my fists. And Lyra is very strong. Her needles are much sharper than your big, slow sword."

  The surrounding adventurers fell utterly silent. The sheer audacity of a Rank F novice insulting the weapon of a Rank C veteran was practically suicidal.

  Kaelen’s face flushed a deep, angry crimson. The veins in his thick neck bulged. He gripped the hilt of his massive broadsword, a violent, jagged red aura of fire-attribute Tena beginning to leak from his armor, heating the air around them.

  "You little street trash," Kaelen hissed, his sapphire eyes burning with genuine malice. "I will teach you respect. I challenge you to a sanctioned duel in the courtyard. Right now."

  Lyra stepped quickly in front of Zeno, her own pale green aura flaring to life defensively around her hands. "Back off, Kaelen! He is a novice! The Guild master will strip your rank if you force a duel on a Rank F!"

  Zeno gently placed a dark-wrapped hand on Lyra’s shoulder and stepped around her. He wasn't smiling anymore. His amber eyes were entirely calm, focused, and completely devoid of fear. He looked up at the towering, armored man.

  "I do not want to duel you," Zeno said quietly, his voice carrying clearly through the silent hall. "You are very angry for no reason. Anger makes the mind cloudy. Master Shifu says fighting a cloudy mind is a waste of good energy. Please move out of our way. We are looking for a quest."

  Kaelen let out a furious roar, raising his massive, gauntleted hand to shove the boy backward by the collar.

  Before Kaelen’s heavy steel glove could even travel halfway across the distance, Zeno moved. He didn't use a punch. He simply remembered the rushing waters of the Silver Stream, the way the current effortlessly bypassed stubborn rocks by simply shifting its weight.

  Zeno stepped smoothly to the side, his Agility allowing him to perfectly evade the clumsy shove. As Kaelen leaned heavily forward, his center of gravity completely committed to the attack, Zeno raised his hands. He grabbed Kaelen’s thick, armored forearm. He didn't try to crush the steel; he simply used Kaelen’s own massive momentum against him.

  With a perfectly timed, fluid twist of his hips, Zeno pulled Kaelen’s arm forward and downward, redirecting the heavy flow of the Vanguard’s massive weight.

  Kaelen had absolutely no time to correct his footing. The heavy steel armor that was supposed to protect him suddenly became an anchor dragging him down. The massive Rank C warrior tripped over his own boots and crashed face-first into the solid stone floor of the Guild hall with a deafening, ringing CLANG that echoed across the entire room.

  The heavy thud shook the floorboards. Kaelen lay there, sprawled entirely on his stomach, completely humiliated and stunned by the sudden lack of friction. His heavy broadsword clattered uselessly away from him.

  The silence in the hall stretched for another long, heavy second, before the surrounding adventurers slowly turned back to their business, breaking into hushed, amused whispers.

  "Did you see that?" a nearby archer muttered to his friend. "The kid is fast. That was a perfect slip-and-throw technique. Kaelen is getting too slow in that heavy plate."

  Lyra stared at Zeno, her jaw slightly open. She looked at his dark wraps, then at the groaning form of the Rank C veteran on the floor. She let out a long, shaky breath, running a hand through her spiky crimson hair. Zeno hadn't used an ounce of his monstrous strength; he had simply used the man's own arrogance to defeat him.

  "You... you just flipped a fully armored Vanguard with an Aikido throw," Lyra whispered, her emerald eyes wide.

  "I redirected the river," Zeno grinned brightly, the calm intensity vanishing instantly, replaced by his usual, goofy cheerfulness. "Now, what is on the board? I want to go on a long trip!"

  Lyra shook her head, deciding once again to simply accept the absolute absurdity of her partner. She turned back to the corkboard, scanning the higher-paying requests. Her eyes caught a thick, heavy piece of parchment stamped with a royal blue wax seal.

  "Here," Lyra said, pulling the parchment down. Her voice grew serious, tracing the elegant, sweeping handwriting. "This is a long-distance escort mission. An envoy requires protection traveling through the Whispering Woods, past the northern plains, all the way to the border of Zephyria, the Wind Kingdom. The route goes through the Howling Canyons, which are infested with Rock Serpents."

  Zeno tilted his head, his eyes sparking with pure excitement. "The Wind Kingdom? Are the birds very fast there? Do Rock Serpents taste like rocks?"

  "They taste terrible, and their scales are sharper than my daggers," Lyra corrected him, though she couldn't suppress a smile. "But the pay is incredible. One hundred silver coins for the party upon safe arrival at the border outpost."

  Lyra looked at Zeno, her emerald eyes shining with a fierce, adventurous light, but also carrying a clear warning. "It's a very long journey, Zeno. We will be living in the wild for at least two weeks. We will be camping on the dirt road, rationing our food, and fighting off constant ambushes. The power scaling out there is much higher than giant bugs. It won't be a simple slice of life on a farm. Are you ready for a real hike?"

  Zeno adjusted his heavy backpack, tightening the straps over his shoulders. He punched his dark-wrapped fists together, a tiny, perfectly controlled spark of blue Tena flashing between his knuckles.

  "I am ready," Zeno cheered loudly, pointing his hand toward the massive Guild doors. "I have enough energy to walk over a hundred mountains! To the Wind Kingdom!"