Useless Bones

Life of an Adventure

The building I enter smells of metal and booze with people clad in armor in groups, talking amongst themselves and boards posted throughout the large room with papers pinned on them.

There is what looks to be a reception with a few people talking with them. Up to a lady at the reception desk and ask.

"How can I make some money around here?"

The lady startles in shock as she is met with a cloaked figure before her.

"Are there dungeons around here?"

I say, and she finally responds to me.

"There is one down the road to the capital. But that's the only one around here. You can make money here by signing up for the adventures guild and doing posted quests."

She gestures across the room to all the boards people gather around.

"How do I join?" I ask

"I can just sign you up now; I just need your name."

I better not use my real name in case anyone hears it. It is a unique name for this world and would be a reason to investigate me. It's also strange that all they need to do is quests in your name.

"My name is Skelett."

She grabs something that looks similar to a copper dog tag. She casts some kind of magic and places it on the table, and I can see the name imprinted into it.

I walk up to the counter and swipe the tag when no one is looking. I browse the requests to one of the less crowded boards.

None of the requests limit anyone from doing a high-ranking quest. Most requests are for quelling riots, which I think is rather strange. I would rather not show my face, and I want something nearby. I find one to kill a pack of killer wolves terrorizing farms.

I quickly rip it off the board and rush out of the brightly lit adventures guild building. I hear a squeak from inside my head out in the dark street with even fewer vendors. I feel the rat sleeping in my head, now scurrying down my rib cage and jumping to the ground.

It runs off into an alleyway. It must have had enough of adventuring with me. I hope it doesn't cause chaos because it's from a dungeon. I pull out the slip of paper and read that the wolf pack is apparently. to the East of the village in a cave on the side of a mountain.

I see a mountain off in the distance and figure it must be the one they are talking about. I start down a small footpath heading in that direction.

The wind blows, and I feel a cold breeze whistle through my bones. I notice that I don't feel cold from the breeze, just that its a fact. I also think back to when I came back alive, and all I felt when I woke up was an engulfing anger at the world burning where my heart would be.

I felt anger at myself for not being strong enough to do anything and anger at those who put me in this situation. I keep thinking over everything I could have done, and the only point I could come to is that I am Useless if I had been more thoughtful, if I had more strength.

I won't let that happen again. I will become stronger so that people will acknowledge me, and I can decide my own path. No one following a stupid fake god made up by someone long ago can choose it for myself. I feel the fire grow into hot blue flame as I feel the urge to grow stronger; I'd kill monsters and humans alike.

I reach a large cave in a mountain, feeling ready for whatever I am about to face. A deep growling echoes from the cave, and I draw my sword and prepare to lunge at a giant wolf.