The paved streets of Gemport were always busy no matter the hour, but this morning the streets around the Adventurers Guild were overflowing like a noon day festival. Workers from a dozen different Guilds had been working overnight preparing the caravan that would depart later today for Desinagh get the caravan ready to depart. Despite it being hours until the caravan departed, a crowd of onlookers was already forming.
Samuel pushed past a small line of these onlookers and crossed the cobbled square in front of the Guild's main entrance, winding his way past the wagons. Gemport’s Adventurers Guild was the regional hub for the Guild like Gemport the city itself was for the surrounding area. The Guild owned an entire city block with stables, warehouses, bunk rooms, training yards and the other hundred things they needed to support the thousands of Adventurers of the region. The Adventurers Guild spanned most of the world and this one's main building looked more like an Abigail castle, then it did any Kimber building because the Adventurers Guild had started in Abigail.
The Keep-like main building doors that faced the square were almost twenty feet tall and rarely closed. The large reinforced enchanted doors could withstand days of siege if needed and had in the past when riots took the streets. There were two lines of waiting people at the door, one stretching from inside the Guild to well out the door and looked to be made up of adventurers while another much shorter line formed at the doors themselves. Samuel saw the young attendant approaching him. A young Kimber girl her fur a dark amber color and her eyes looked as if she had been working all night. Her third hand idly scratched at her bill.
“Welcome to the Gemport Adventurers Guild Sir, are you here about the Caravan to Desanigh?” She said in a routine but polite tone.
“No Mis, but I do have a friend that was injured in the discovery of the lost city. He sent me a message last night saying he was here being cared for and to visit as soon as I could. He said he lost a leg.” Samuel said to the girl, taking off his tricorn hat and holding it in his worn fingerless gloved hands. His eyes cast down to the stone steps.
The attendant trilled in sympathy. “Oh yes sir, I’m sorry about your friend. They got in late late last night. Please follow me” she said using both her left arms to beckon him to follow as she turned.
Samuel put his hat back on and pulled his cloak back showing that he had no weapon on but a belt knife as he followed the attendant through the massive doors and past the two waiting lines. The smaller of which was for normal Guild business and the larger for more fools lining up to kill themselves in forgotten places.
She led him into the massive main hall where at least a hundred round tables with chairs were surrounded by three walls of countertops where dozens of attendants worked. All doing Guild business. All the tables this early hour were full of Adventurers and their gear. Bags and even trunks cluttered most of the table tops. Banners and monster trophies hung from the walls and wood rafters as the permanent glow orb lanterns provided a steady and bright light to the room.
The noise of the place was near deafening but each station seemed to have its own muffle spell up. There was a constant line of adventurers heading in and out of another set of doors in the back where food was being served, as those coming out the door had plates or bowls of food.
“Just this way sir, I’m sorry about all this this. I’ve never seen the Guild this busy before. The entire city is excited about the discovery” the girl half yelled to be heard in the noise as they quickly moved to the left as they entered the hall proper and went past a large staircase leading to the second floor and entered into a hallway that soon became quiet as they passed through a set of doors.
“Oh that's better. Just this way sir sir. I’m taking you to our Healer’s quarters. They can help you there”
“Thank you.” Samuel said, also glad to be out of that racket. He might be near level 30 himself but he was still an old man. The second floor of the main building was for Silver ranked or better teams and were much nicer. Samuel had spent a few years of his youth as an adventurer himself here more than twenty-five years ago and had enjoyed his time in Gemport. And for those sins he had been the Crown's agent in Gemport for the last two years.
Away from his family and dealing with problems like this. They passed offices and storerooms which all seemed busy this early hour. With Guild attendants or adventurers moving through the hallway. Samuel wondered if the workers here hated this discovery as much as he did. She led him through another set of doors and into a moderately sized waiting room. Where one slightly pudgy Kimber attendant sat behind a desk in an apprentice Healer's robe. He stood as they entered.
“Hi Tallow, this man says he’s friends with one of the wounded that came in last night and got a message from him to come see him.” She said,
Tallow nodded, stood and sighed “Let me get Healer Fairday.”
It only took a moment for the Healer to walk into the waiting room. She was a tall older woman, late forties, human and looked very tired.
“I’ll be quick, Mistress,.” Samuel said as he took off his tricorn hat and nodded at her.
“My name is Samuel Aitken, and Thomas Lex sent me this letter asking me to come visit. He lost his leg when they opened up the Dungeon” he pulled the message from the front pocket of his shirt to show her.
She looked at it, briefly reading a few lines and then handed it back to him. “Wait here sir and I'll check with Thomas. It is very early.”
“Thank you Mistress,.” Samuel said, bowing his head in thanks again.
He disliked this Master and Mistress business but Gemport was a Guild city so he played by their rules and boy did Guilds like their rules, even if two Guilds that worked daily with each other had rules that conflicted, didn't matter. The Guild was always right. Both attendants still waited with him so he played the meek foreigner. His time as an adventurer here in Gemport had allowed him to come as himself when he was given this assignment which was nice in his line of work.
Just an older man setting up some trade and business for his up and coming family. All his trade and money were from the Crown of course and one of the many fronts they had kept up in Gemport over the centuries. It took a few minutes for her to return but she held the door open to the back when she did.
“Mr Atkin, he is in room nine on the left. Please remember that the other patients are sleeping”.
Room nine was small but clean. A simple bed in the middle with a dresser and a wash stand against the far wall in the room with two chairs opposite the bed. Nice finished woodwork and a small open window just now showing the hint of dawn light. Samuel closed the door behind him after taking the room in with a glance.
Thomas sat up in his bed, dressed but with blankets covering his lower half. Samuel held up his hand to stop Thomas from talking and walked over and closed the window and did a quick search of the room for any listening enchantments or enchanted items. When he was done he pulled a chair over to the bed next to Thomas and took a ring out of his pocket and put it on. Activating the Muffled Sound Enchantment. It was a small one that would just cover a few feet around him.
“Thomas, how are you man?” Samuel said sitting comfortably, legs crossed in the Abigail style.
Thomas looked gaunt and tired. When he last saw the man, no more than a month ago he looked the proper image of a young man in his health. Twenty-two, fit, tall, dark of skin and a level 10 Squire. Well on his way to becoming a Knight in the service of House Young.
“Sir, I am doing much better. The Healer's apprentice with us said I caught a terrible fever and sickness a day out of that village but I don't remember much between the fight and two days ago when my fever broke. Since then I could eat and I’m trying to get used to my situation.”
“I know, son.” Samuel said, patting Thomas on his forearm.
“Losing a limb is hard, but Lord Young has assured me this morning that you will be taken care of no matter what you decide. Now please tell me what you know of Franco and Eloise.” Samuel asked.
“The Expedition is not keeping it secret per say but their priorities are not about helping Franco right now. So all I know is what was told to me these last two days on the road. Lady Eloise and her Guardian Dame Garcia are dead and their bodies burned to prevent them turning. Their gear on them was given to Franco who they are saying lived after his head was caved in by a punch of a stone golem but has now lost all memory before waking up in that village after the fight. All of the young Lords and Ladies' goods were stolen from their camp after it was assumed their team had died.”
Samuel sighed and sat back in the chair. This was a disaster and it was only growing worse. He rubbed the bridge of his nose in thought. Thomas, uncomfortable in the silence, fidgeted. Samuel saw this and lowered his hand.
“What else?” Samuel said.
“Well sir what I just said is what was told to me and I believe it only because everyone there did and acted like it was common knowledge even if they don't know who Franco or Eloise were but this is pure rumor that I heard last night when we got here.”
Thomas took a breath and rubbed the stubble growing on his chin.
“They were saying that a huge discovery happened yesterday, a new way into the dungeon and that the Expedition leader's son’s team discovered it with the help of Franco. They fought hundreds of Undead and slew half a dozen Bone Giants in battle that saw them all level twice and walk out with ancient Desanigh artifacts.” Thomas sighed and grabbed his short hair with his hand in frustration.
“Sir, help me get something that works with my stump and and, and, help me resupply myself and I can return today. They said Franco took his head wound as he fought his way out, dragging me to safety.” Thomas sat back as if all his nervous energy had just fled him.
“After I lost it to a giant Stone Scarab.” He pulled back the blankets and there was his wrapped stump. Cut just above the knee.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Samuel just shook his head softly and patted Thomas’s forearm again.
“No son this is not your fault, it's mine and Lord Franco’s. He was planning to go as soon as they announced the Expedition but I could have stopped him. I should have with Eloise, but she was not going to leave his side during their Sabbatical together. I wanted eyes on that sight and with them going as just Coppers. No, I will see you moved to one of our houses and see you taken care of here and find out what Lord Young would have you do. Were you able to get anyone on that caravan to send messages for you?” to spy is what Samuel was asking. Thomes shook his head no.
“They had been talking, the young Lords, especially there at the village, about marriage. They were cute together, sir. She dearly loved him and had for years I would say.” Thomas said emotion in his throat as tears glimmered in his eyes.
“Should I say or write anything about that to their families?” Thomas asked softly, his head in his hands. Samuel took several minutes to think about it. There were so many things at play with this, and this was too much, especially if the lad had truly lost his memories.
“No, I would not. For both their sacks. If he has lost his memories then he will never express the emotion he should about her. No, do not add to that day when he confronts her parents and siblings and they meet a stranger, oh and his family.” Samuel said the full situation coming to life for him as he spoke. Thomas looked in shock at the thought. The sudden realization and implications if the rumors were only half true.
Samuel himself couldn't go, he would be too noticed but he could set up a few wagons. An adventuring team or two as a business venture with the Expedition but that would take time, maybe weeks to get the right people in line and to bribe or pay his way to the front of the next caravan, but one was leaving in hours and poor newborn Franco was apparently still dungeon diving after his team got wiped out.
Was it some kind of coping factor to help him with the fact that he had gotten Eloise killed? It didn't matter his business venture was a good idea to make sure the Crown’s interests were seen to and gather information but he needed to get someone there in this caravan today that could befriend the boy again and take care of him. Who?
“Thomas, can you think of anyone who might be in Gemport who's below Silver rank that we can trust and who could befriend Franco or be able to do so again if they need to. Someone to help him and hopefully get him out of there.” Samuel asked.
He was racking his mind and could not think of any assets he had that could go today. In a week yes, and he will but not today. Thomas raised his head at the question in thought.
“Lord Dillon was meant to meet us here but got delayed” he suggested.
Samuel shook his head no in regret. “No he left with young Lady Madison about ten days ago. They decided not to wait for Franco.”
They sat there in silence for another five minutes until Thomas’s head shot up in a smile.
“I know who could and will if asked. Lady Summer and Lady Autumn of House Skye. Small noble family but they have run in the same circles as Lord Franco. Talented young Ladies who were in the same year as Franco and Eloise at the Scholaria. When we got here they had just left to go to the Sailwood Forest and left a note that they were planning on spending the rest of their Sabbatical here in Gemport.” Thomas smiled as he spoke.
“High praise, I did not think of them but I was informed they were still here just three days ago. The Twins, yes they could work. Good, I will need to read up on them and move quickly before this caravan leaves. Thomas I will see you again today when you are settled into your new rooms. I will send a Kimber woman named Hazel to see that done. Also remember our last conversation about my cover story. Oh and do not write to Lord Franco until I speak to you again, this will need to be handled carefully.” Samuel said, looking at the boy's stump one last time before he turned off his enchanted ring and put it away before walking out the door. All his own damn fault, he thought.
He knocked at their door an hour later. They were renting a small city home for two months by Gemports Academy. A modest place for Ladies from a Nobel House of Abigail, even a small one but it showed how shrewd the twins were. Young women their age with their interest could not find a better spot in the city. His reports on them were glowing and marked them as people to watch. Ladies who would soon marry and likely start to influence or run whatever High Lords House they married into. A short older man in his forties answered. Bald and slightly overweight the man's wrinkled clothes and confused look sold the picture that this was a hapless servant of the young Ladies.
Samuel wondered if he had not just read the report on this man if he would have picked up the threat he was sensing now from him. Allen Mills, former Gold ranked adventurer and now Knight of House Skye, who was reported to be past level 25 and dangerous.
“Sir Mill.” Samuel tipped his hat towards the man. Allen narrowed his eyes and saw that Samuel was alone and let him in.
“Good morning sir, a bit early to be visiting me or is it the young Ladies ye wish to speak to. Is everything alright?”
“No Sir Mills it is not. I need to speak to young Summer and Autumn now and you will need to get them packed and ready to go soon, I hope.” Samuel said as soon as the door closed behind him. Allen immediately changed auras somehow. Going from a mess of a servant to a menacing Knight. He whistled and a tall younger woman in her late twenties with a warhammer on her hip came out a door down the hallway in three seconds and joined them in the little sitting room they waited in.
“Kara get the girls up and out here as soon as you can. Sir Atkin in the King's service needs to speak to them on a matter of urgency. After that, start getting packed to depart immediately. Kara nodded and quickly turned back to get her charges. “May I get you anything sir?” Allen asked.
“No need, I am well.” Samuel said as he sat in a very comfortable looking chair. Sir Mills stood by the front door in silence. Arms behind his back. The two Ladies entered the front sitting room together no more then five minutes later with Kara behind them. The twin sisters were 20 years old, maybe 5’2 with thick light brown hair down to their shoulders, thin framed and fair skinned. Their face’s held just a hint of elfin sharpness. While they were identical twins it was easy to tell which was Summer and which was Autumn.
Summer was wearing simple dark blue canvas travel pants whose tight legs ended just past her knees with a loose fitting black blouse with her hair back in a tight bun and a thick silver hair band holding it down. While Autumn wore a simple off white dress, her hair loose around her head. Samuel stood when they entered and offered them a swift nod as they curtsied or bowed in turn.
“Thank you for your haste and I do apologize for the hour but needs must as they say. I am Samuel Atkin in service to the King of Abigail and I’m their chief servant here in Gemport. Here is my seal and a note from the King himself asking that you listen.” Samuel handed the documents to Kara who stepped forward to check them. They stood there for a few minutes, both young Ladies looking at ease as if they did not care about anything while their eyes were piercing and demanding answers.
Kara handed the papers back to him and nodded to her charges before she left the room to start packing he assumed. He had only spoken the truth so he had passed their hidden truth spell while the papers also passed Kara’s close inspection.
“Well then no time to wait, sit please.” Samuel asked and waved for them and all three of them did sit at the same time. The two sisters faced him on a small couch while he sat in a large single chair.
“You have heard of the discovery of what they are calling the Desanigh Dungeon.” Samuel asked.
“We have,.” Summer quickly answered.
“And you both personally know Lord Franco Albert Young.” He asked. The twins’s eyes flashed a glance at each other and Samuel was sure an entire conversation had just occurred. Twins and their strange powers.
“We do, we are attending the Scholaria together and have many of the same classes, and were in fact meant to meet up with him and Lady Eloise here in Gemport.” Autumn said, eyes narrowing.
Samuel looked at both Ladies gravely. “Lord Franco signed up to join the Expedition to find Desanigh as soon as he heard about it and has spent the last month or so there. Lady Eloise and their Guardians went with them as a Copper ranked team. Seven days ago as far as we can tell when the dungeon was opened for the first time. Lady Eloise and her Guardian were killed in the battle while Sir Thomas, Franco’s Guardian, lost a leg.” Samuel said as both young Ladies gasped at the news.
“Not Eloise,.” Autumn said in a soft, sad voice.
Samuel pushed on, they didn't have time.
“Lord Franco is said to have saved Thomas’s life in an heroic act but took what should have been a fatal blow to his head. Somehow Lord Franco survived but if the rumors and official reports from the Expedition are true he has lost all his memories of his life only remembering from the day he recovered from the injury. He is able to read and write and act as a normal Copper ranked adventurer but with no past. I can not confirm any of this but the Expedition has reached out to our ambassador to try and find out this man's identity. The King thinks of Franco, his cousin as a dear friend and House Young of course wants their son back. I do not have any agents in place to get there as soon as you can. In the next few hours the first caravan since announcing the discovery of Desanigh to the world is leaving from the Adventurers Guild. I can get you on it and it is the only way to enter the campsite at the dungeon. This includes your man Sir Allen as well. Now, at the request of the King, I am asking you Ladies of Abigail to take up your adventuring personas and find out what is happening with Franco, help and protect him and when possible bring him back home.” Samuel said. The twins had stayed quiet, their eyes never leaving him as he talked. Now they turned to look at each other for just two seconds before Autumn and her sister stood.
“Yes, what else should we know?” Autumn said as she stayed standing perfectly still while Summer and Sir Mills left the sitting room to start packing.
“Sir Mills is being added on as a solo Gold rank, as I think it will be easier for you to approach Franco. Who, according to the latest rumors just hours ago has joined the Expedition leader's son’s party. Found a new entrance into the dungeon, fought legions of Undead and found artifacts of Desanigh. Once again we have no way of confirming this news so setting up a secure messaging route for communications is key. Also I will leave it up to you and your sister to decide how best to approach Franco. If he really has lost all memory from his past, convincing him to leave could prove difficult when an ancient and secret city of legends is in front of him. How to approach him I leave to you. Go in first as your true selves, or go in as your personas and try to partner with him, till you have the trust built to tell him the truth and get him to come home. All that like I said, I will leave to you. Now when you get to the Adventuring Guild it will be a mad house but ask an attendant to take you to one Simon Fillbrek, he works at the Guild and will have you down as your personas. He will get you to your wagon and will have four small travel chests for you. They will each have food,water and 300 gold along with 6 health potions. Anything else?” Samuel tapped the tip of his nose in thought.
They had so little time and he was trying to give them as much information as he could. He tried to think of anything else and then he remembered and pulled out a small piece of paper from his jacket pocket and handed it to Autumn.
“Ah yes, here is a list of open contacts, codewords and passwords. I’m setting up a follow up team of Crown Agents but the next convoy is at least 3 weeks out from the rumors.” Samuel said.
She returned the small paper with keywords and contacts after looking at it for a few seconds. He was impressed by her confidence at memorizing it.
“I would like to emphasize that you are not expected to put your lives at risk past what a Copper rank adventurer would but that this is a dangerous undertaking and you will be rewarded. Help him if you can. Secondly, and I mean secondly let us know any information about the dungeon itself and any major events or moves by foreign powers at the site” he said.
“We understand,.” Autumn replied. Before nodding her head in farewell and leaving the room as Summer walked in. She had added brown calf high boots. A thin looking Gambeson and a chainmail shirt over it. Her full Adventurer‘s belt with its usual assortment of items and twin shortswords that were more across the small of her back then on her hips. A large old faded tricorn hat that had once been black in color sat on her head. As did her sunglasses. Summer waved Samuel off “No need to repeat yourself, anything else for us sir before we step off”
“Good luck and keep me apprised.” Samuel said as he shook her hand and saw himself out. A block down the road he stopped at the corner of a busy cross street and took his hat off and then looking confused turned left. Samuel saw his man, an old Kimber across the street out of the corner of his eye turn around and head back to the Adventurers Guild to set this damn show in motion. Some days he disliked his job.
