Blood and Gold

Sanctuary

I dragged my feet as I entered the cave. I pushed the heavy metal door open and almost collapsed. I was debating whether to eat or sleep while I was drinking a tankard of cold water when Felix and another assassin a bit older than her walked past. The dagger and shortsword on Felix's belt led me to believe that they were on their way to a mission.

"How was it?" She stopped at the kitchen to grab a flaky pastry with chocolate bits inside.

"Exhausting." I answered, staring longingly at the pastry.

She ripped it in half and set it on the counter in front of me. "Get some rest, You'll need to report to Hawthorne tomorrow morning, then to Colby right after that."

I nodded my thanks as she smacked the shoulder of the boy waiting patiently behind her. "See you." He said to me, giving me what I'd come to understand was the Bloodhood salute.

I did the same, dragging the side of my thumb from the tip of my nose to the bottom of my chin.

I scarfed down the pastry and drank the rest of the tankard of water before stepping into the kitchen. Darin, the lead chef, was smiling and held a plate of food. It was 10:00, so he had already made breakfast for the rest of the guild. Three eggs, two bacon strips, two sausage links, two pancakes, and a bowl of fruit. I took it eagerly before thanking him and sitting at the nearest table spot. He hobbled out, setting a tankard of water beside a cup of juice.

"Don't eat too fast." He ordered before turning and limping back into the kitchen.

I'd heard many stories about the chef's missing foot, though none of them had been proven. I pushed the questions away as I turned to my breakfast. The pancakes were first, they'd been drizzled in maple syrup after being smeared in butter.

I was halfway through my fruit bowl when Elvira entered the dining hall. She cast a glance at me, I watched her as she walked into the kitchen to get her own serving. She emerged with nothing but a bowl of fruit and a cup of water. I stared at her, hoping she'd take the hint that I wanted her to sit next to me. She didn't.

I listened as the two mages and older assassin I'd sat beside the night prior spoke about their current assignments. The assassin was on a mission to take down a drug dealer in Rosewood, one mage was off to fight a monster that was undamaged by physical weapons, so magic was the only solution. The other mage was being sent to a temple in Newham to heal and hopefully end the sickness that had spread across a few of the farmers.

They asked about my watch, I told them how uneventful it was. They all muttered about how their experiences had been equally mind-numbing. I told them about the coyotes that I'd watched chase down what I assumed was a rabbit. They laughed.

"The Bone Sanctuary is so well hidden that literally nothing happens." The assassin, who's name was Harlan muttered.

"Well, I watched two Newham guards chase down a thief on the main road during mine." The healer, Hale, had added, before sneaking in, "At least it wasn't raining." That got him a smack to the back of the head by Slaine, the mage fighter beside him.

"It was freezing." She snarled at him.

I watched them bicker for a moment before they switched topics. After a short while, they each dismissed themselves to head off to complete their missions.

I sat at the table for a moment after I'd finished my food. Only when the couple of mages she'd been eating with left, Elvira sat across from me. "How was it?"

I paused for a second, unsure of why I was actually upset. "Exhausting." I repeated the answer I'd given Felix.

"Boring, I bet." I nodded, she smiled. "You can rest in my room, it's quieter than the commonspace."