Chapter 1: Back from the Hunt
Into the local tavern enters a distraught adventurer with torn clothes equipped with a bow and 2 daggers, one seeming to be chipped.
“I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT QUEST POST. THAT MONSTER WAS DOUBLE THE SIZE THAN IT ADVERTISED PLUS THERE WAS NO MENTION OF IT’S ABILITY TO SUMMON WOLVES, THEY CHEWED THROUGH MY PARTY MEMBERS LIKE ROASTED HOGS, ARMOR AND ALL! THAT WAS NO ORDINARY WOLF PACK, THEY WERE LED BY SOMETHING MORE POWERFUL!”
The distraught adventurer takes a seat at the bar chugging down the local ale out of a wooden mug shortly after demanding a refill.
“WHERE IS THE IDIOT WHO MADE THIS QUEST POST!!!???”
Out from the corner of the bar stumbles a hobbit, his glasses laid crooked on his red drunken face as he approaches the adventurer.
“E-E-Eliesa please understand I….”
“I DON’T WANT ANY EXCUSES STEPHEN, MY PARTY TOOK THAT QUEST BECAUSE YOU WROTE THAT IT WAS A CLASS B REQUEST, JUST AN AVERAGE WOLFPACK GETTING TOO CLOSE TO THE LIVE STOCK. YOU MENTIONED NOTHING ABOUT THE LEADERS SIZE!”
“W-e-ell I was standing above a cliff when I saw the pack so I might have misjudged the leader's size. It was an honest mistak….”
“HONEST MISTAKE? YOUR HONEST MISTAKE COSTED THE LIVES OF MY PARTY MEMBERS! SOPHIE, BRYAN…….ANDY. ALL TORN TO PIECES IN FRONT OF MY EYES! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO NOW? HOW AM I GOING TO SURVIVE OUT HERE ON MY OWN? THEY WERE ALL I HAD!!!!!!!!”
Sitting next to the commotion a lonely traveler with a notebook sketching while enjoying a bowl of beef stew and a mug of cold ale turns to interject in the argument.”
“Pardon me for interrupting but did the wolf happen to look anything like this?”
The lone traveler rips a page from his notebook and hands it to the distraught adventurer. Just as the page was torn another page magically replaced it.
“Ye-y-y…..”
Unable to finish her reply Eliesa breaks down into tears over her fallen comrades”
"I was afraid of this, I have been tracking this beast for 3 days now and it led me to this town. This particular wolf is especially vicious, are you okay?"
“I’m sorry, it’s just your drawing is so accurate it took me back to that horrific scene. I don’t think that I will ever be able to forget that wolf, my only regret is that I could not see it be killed….. I want to avenge my fallen party members but I am just a Rouge. I stand no chance against a regular wolf pack let alone one being led by a wolf that size.”
“It seems you are in a bind, by any chance do you know who owns this tavern? I’m no adventurer per say but I believe that I can find a party to take down this wolf pack and it’s leader.”
“Sure, it’s Ellen, she’s the bartender but she also acts as an ambassador to the adventurers guild and I know where you are going with this. I’ll ask her to put up your sketch as the official quest post for this hunt. It would be better if we have a more accurate image of this beast so that no one will underestimate this request like my party did. By the way, thank you for being here, I was scared I was going to have to take this on alone. I know going after the pack by myself is suicide so it gives me relief that you will help find a new party to take down this beast.”
The lone traveler takes a long sip from his mug before replying.
“Look, that’s nice and all but I am only here for the reward from taking down this beast and any information I can get about a Scarlet Hair Knight wielding a GreatSword. Everything else is just a means to an end meaning I am looking out for me. If things get too dangerous to handle I will be the first one to leave, I have someone I need to find and I can not get caught up in someone else’s problems….. I have enough of my own.”
The two continued to drink in silence
“So what is your name anyways, I think you already heard but my name is Eliesa.”
“I’m Simon”
“Where do you come from Simon?”
“Everywhere, all my life I’ve been on the move, going from place to place, camp to camp, never really settling down, never really having a home. I guess you can say I’m a nomad.”
The two continue to drink in silence until their mugs ran dry. Simon notices a wound on Eliesa’s side as the blood drips from Eliesa’s leg onto the wooden floor.
“You’re bleeding?.... YOU’RE BLEEDING AND YOUR FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO COME GET A DRINK!!!???”
In a frustrated fit Simon grabs Eliesa by the hand and brings her to a corner of the tavern with better lighting to tend to her wound. Reaching into his satchel he grabs some herbs and grinds them into a paste applying it to the open wound before bandaging and wrapping it up.
“HEY DON’T BE SO ROUGH!!!! Honestly I’m fine. This rouge is as tough as they come, all I need to recharge is a couple more pints and a good night’s sleep. I will be back on my feet in the morning. ELLEN ANOTHER ROUND FOR SIMON AND I!!!”
“That is a pretty nasty cut. This will help stop the bleeding and make sure that it doesn’t get infected. You’re very lucky, any deeper and you might have been holding onto your intestines.”
“Jeez Simon, talk about lack of bedside manner. Honestly….. The only reason why I’m still here is because of Andy. He risked his life to save mine by distracting the Leader. It had me pinned to a corner and I couldn't escape. It took a swing at me grazing my side and knocking me down. Just as it was going to finish me off Andy shot an arrow at it’s eye, while it chased him down he yelled for me to run away….. I saw that bastard Wolf eat Andy right in front of me while the rest of my party was hunted down by the rest of the pack. I will kill that Leader……. I swear.”
“Well to do that we are going to need a strategy and some new party members. Why do you go up to my room and get ready for bed, I will be up in a moment.”
“WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I AM GOING TO SLEEP WITH YOU???? I AM NOT THAT TYPE OF GIRL YOU PERVERT!!!!”
“W-W-W A I T!!!!! I didn’t mean it like that. I was just thinking you might be tired after all you went through that’s all. I was going to set up a spot in the corner for you to…..”
“WHAT!!!! I’M THE INJURED ONE IF ANYTHING I SHOULD BE SLEEPING ON THE BED AND YOU ON THE FLOOR!!!!! Regardless it doesn’t matter, I have my own money and can pay for my own room so I will see you in the morning. Jeez… I didn’t take you for a pervert…. Ellen, i’ll be taking this mug upstairs with me.”
“No problem sweety, have a good night. Simon, about the quest post, I just need to make a few adjustments. Being that this beast has defeated basically an entire party due to the inaccuracy of the previous post I deem this posting to be raised to a Class A Request. However, it has been underestimated before. I suggest making a post for a reconnaissance mission. If you are able to determine the full scale and abilities of this wolf it might even be worth raising this to a Class S Request which the reward for completion starts at 50,000 gold.”
Alarmed by the amount Simon chokes on his ale.
“50,000 GOLD!!!!!??? Wow, you guys sure pay a lot more than the last city I visited, they were barely shoving out 500 Gold for an A Class Request.”
“Well…. This is a different circumstance. To be honest word around the different guild houses across the kingdom of Gardinea is that monsters have been emerging in places where they previously have never ventured before, almost as if they are trying to expand their own territories. Ambassadors to the Adventurers Guild such as myself have been requesting adventurers to look into these phenomenon to see what is driving these monsters closer to us when they have never done so before. So far there hasn't been any real updates.”
"I have been noticing an increase of monster sightings in my travels lately which is why i decided to stay here for the night, it's safer to travel during the day. By the way, you wouldn't happen to see a Scarlet Hair Knight wielding a GreatSword? She is a part of the Pursuers”
“Not many people can say they have had the pleasure of meeting someone from The Pursuers, myself included unfortunately, however in the next kingdom over, the kingdom of Vauxhall, there is another ambassador to the Adventurers Guild who like myself over looks the local tavern Naomie. She has been dispatching some adventurers for reconnaissance missions so maybe she'd know more.”
“I will be going up to my room now. Thank you for the information.”
Simon put some silver coins on the counter to show his appreciation to Ellen before heading upstairs to his room. He is met by Eliesa.
“Hey Eliesa one thing try not to move around too much when you sleep tonight or you might agitate the wound. When I wake up I will reapply some of the herb paste before we head out.”
“You just want to touch me again don’t you pervert?”
“Ughhh…… is this really going to be a thing? I told you I meant nothing by inviting you into my room. It was completely innocent.”
“I am just teasing you Simon, I appreciate all that you are doing for me, you are a pretty good guy….. For a pervert hehe.”
Eliesa closes the door to her room and Simon goes into his room. As he gets ready for bed he holds an emblem that hangs around his neck.
“I’m getting close Mai, i’ll find you soon….”
Simon lies on the bed and falls asleep.
ENDING NOTES
I really appreciate you taking the time to read the first chapter of my first ever light novel Quest Request, how did you like it? I got to be honest I am kind of making the story up as I go along but I do have a general premise that I am following for the main plot so I hope that I can construct a well thought out and entertaining story. I really want to tap into the dynamic between Eliesa and Simon as although he doesn't realize it yet Eliesa is going to become one of Simon's greatest partner and companion. I plan to hopefully drop chapters every month but I will post as often as I can create the chapters. The ultimate goal is to create 10 chapters and then release a first volume of this book via amazon so you can buy paper back copies. I am currently searching for different illustrators to help create covers and mid chapter art work as I want to put in some art between every 3 chapters of the physical copy. I also plan on releasing an audio version of this but that is way down the line once I have enough material to even release a physical paper back book. Quest Request is something that came about during quarantine and although I am currently only 1 chapter in, I am excited to bring this world to life.
- Red Sclera
Chapter 2 - THE MAGE AND THE ARCHER