Shapeless Hero

36 - Inquisitive Elf

As I enter the adventurer's guild, I adjust my hold on my humanoid catch and check his condition. I healed him just enough to not bleed out, so any resistance of his should be short-lived. I decided to drink the rest of his potions on the way here to see, how many of them it takes to heal myself. To my disappointment and surprise, I don't feel much better after guzzling all nine of them.

I scan the inside of the guild hall, while the doors slowly shut behind me. Their creaking announces my arrival to Kella, Rev and the commander. This is not the usual time for adventurers to mingle, so every new visitor stands out. I can see the commander shuffle cards and Rev enjoying his wine, his cheeks and pointy ears matching the beverage's red color by now. Besides them, only a handful adventurers remain in the hall, tending to their own matters in silence.

As I walk towards the trio, Kella stands up and gestures me over to their table. "Ah, back so soon?"

"I thought you might want to ask the chap some questions first.", I say, nodding towards my living cargo.

"You brought him alive? Fantastic!" She rubs her hands in anticipation. I'm sure this man has quite the tea regarding Clint.

I tip my tricorn with a free hand. The scene of spilling this man's guts with my bare fist replays in my head. "Glad to be of service. Where should I put him?"

Kella directs me to a free table. All the while, Rev somehow manages to not only bring ropes in his tipsy state, but also skillfully tie the man down on the aforementioned table. His feet might be wobbly but his hands certainly are not.

"That should do the trick", Rev declares as he ties the last knot. He slurs his words, but they have yet to become unintelligible. Rotating on the ball of his foot, he turns to me with hands on hips. "Alright, Mister. You're close to lady Fylka, right?" He points at me with a finger. "How the hells did you get to know her? What's her deal?", he asks. "I can't find shit on her, you know?"

"That is for lady Fylka to tell you.", I answer. This is the first time, I heard him swear, I think.

"Oh come on!", he shouts, raising his arms in exasperation.

"Rev, that's enough.", Kella interjects. "How about you take the goods, this fine gentleman brought back, and store them away for Clint until next morning?"

Rev grumbles for a few seconds, before responding with a barely audible "Fine". Kella loosens her grip on his shoulder at that response. The commander's gaze returns to her deck of cards.

"Much appreciated." I pass the sack. With deliberate steps, Rev vanishes through the door behind the counter.

"So...", Kella starts, "That's beyond what was asked. Sounds like a bonus is due."

I pause, before the first word of my declination escapes. Why would I ever let such a chance pass? "How about a proper meal for a job well done? I could go for something meaty right now."

"That's it?"

"Aye."

After a brief pause, Kella's hearty laugh fills the hall. "A man after my taste! We have a deal, hunter!"

#

Rev passes shelf after shelf in the storage. "I was certain, we still had some empty chests somewhere..." Countless objects of all shapes and sizes are awaiting their use or retrieval: Weapons, armor, crystals, animal- or monster parts... some of it is guild property, some of it are quest rewards. The more valuable items are sectioned off with defense- and alarm magic, of course. Rev's magic, that is.

As he makes his way further into the storage, the noise from the main hall fades. He stops. It's only now that he notices a faint humming. He casts his eyes on the shelves around him. Nothing.

Rev's pointy ears twitch and he closes his eyes. "From... b-below?" He looks down to the sack he's carrying. He shifts the weight of the sack onto one hand, as to rummage inside it with the other. A few heartbeats later, a humming amulet lays in his hand, its middle glowing red. "Arcane trackers? Didn't know, those were still around. But what for?" Rev runs his thumb around the glowing marble in the middle twice, before flipping the amulet.

The sack hits the ground. The elf clutches the amulet with both trembling hands. His mind races for an explanation. None of the adventurers registered with the guild here are of the three, exotic species listed on it. Is one of them a dragon or vampire, feigning to be an adventurer long dead?

As he ponders the possibilities, the humming weakens, slowly transitioning into an irregular staccato of clicks. "Shit." He moves the amulet around in big, horizontal motions to determine, in which direction the detected creature is going. Rev's ears twitch again. The frequency of clicks increases, when he moves the amulet towards... the guild hall.

Rev barges through the door leading into the main hall, startling Kella in the process, as she prepares a meal. "By the gods, Rev! The door has seen enough battle already!", she shouts.

His gaze is fixed on the far side of the hall. The amulet is turning silent, whilst the main entrance doors shut close. He reaches for a notepad in his breast pocket, but his fingers grab nothing but air. A weak laugh escapes him. How did that old habit remain, after all those years? These uniforms don't even have such pockets.

The guild master only needs a glance to notice the elf's expression. "Don't worry about the paperwork. The hunter will be back for his meal, then you can finalize it.", she says in an attempt to calm him.

The elf takes a deep breath. "R-Right..."

"The goods are safely stored now?"

"Ah, not quite. A-Apologies."

"Eh, 'tis fine, you had a bit of wine."

Rev makes his way back through the storage room. He looks at his palm, recalling the weight and feel of a long gone notepad. How long has it been? Ten years? Thirty years?

Maybe the amulet is just malfunctioning. It's an old gadget after all-from a time, when shapeshifters still roamed the lands, going by the three words on its back. But as a former investigator, the prospect of locating any of the listed creatures is... exciting.

Rev shelves Clint's belongings, including the now inactive amulet and attaches a hand-written label to it. "I should get a notepad—maybe even splurge some coin on a nicer pen...", he mumbles, as his mental shopping list grows. Finally, a way to spice up his paperwork-ridden lifestyle.