The Unknown Divinity

A New Start

Astraeus looks off into the distance as Tiko's carriage goes over the horizon, his final thoughts wishing to have spent more time with his mentor. He sighs to himself, "He didn't tell me where to find the mercenary guild building..." He takes a look around and realizes that he doesn't know anything about the place he was just left in. His confusion soon catches the attention of a local guard who approaches with a soft smile, "Hello little man, did you lose your mommy or daddy?"
He stares at the guard and says, "I'm fifteen..." The guard then looks shocked while saying, "Oh... Sorry mister, I mistook you for a lost child." The guard attempts to leave but Astraeus says, "I'm not a kid but I am lost. Can you please give me directions to the mercenary guild?" The guard stops dead in his tracks and turns back to Astraeus, "Why would you want to go there? Place is full of nothing but lowlifes and you don't look the type? Are you looking to register a quest?"
The boy sighs, "I just need a job and my master told me I should start there for cash and hopefully a place to stay." The guard replies, "Alright... Place is hard to miss, you just need to head towards the central plaza of the town and look for the building with a large sigil of a sword that kind of looks like an eagle. It also has a bar so you will see lots of rough characters outside drinking their worries away."

Astraeus gives the guard his thanks and the man replies, "No problem, if things don't work out try applying to the garrison. We could always use young blood." The two say farewell and Astraeus follows the guard's instructions. Soon he arrives at what appears to be a tavern but with a large sigil hanging above it of a sword that looks like an eagle.

Before he even enters, he notices a drunk man passed out on the table having his pockets rooted through. He was about to say something but someone stopped him. A large yet kind-looking man with a giant axe on his back says, "Wouldn't want to play hero kid. Those guys don't play fair and could slice your hands off before you could reach for that little sword of yours." Astraeus says back, "But he's being robbed? Shouldn't someone stop them?" The man snickers, "Maybe back wherever you're from. But here in Bridgeford, stuff like this happens all the time, especially when it comes to our little mercenary club. You'd live longer if you just kept to yourself and kept anything shiny out of sight and mind."

They watch as the man's valuables are looted and Astraeus can't hold still. He approaches the group and they stare at him in awe, to them a small boy just walked up to them with what seems to be something on his mind. But Astraeus is frozen in fear, the eyes of these men were similar to those of Ark. They had killed before and didn't seem hesitant to kill again. One of them chimed in, "Oi, is this the sod's kid?" Another one replies to his comrade, "No? Maybe? I don't think Ol' Jakob ever had a woman in his life touch his sorry little sausage."

Astraeus tries to say, "Get your hands off him" or "Leave him alone" but the only words that left his mouth were, "Uhhh... Leave.... Get... Hands.... Alone..." The group bursts out laughing, "Would you look at the balls on this kid!? Let us leave get hands alone!" The others start laughing harder until the leader says, "I like ya kid, how about this? Give us whatever you have in your pockets and that cute bag of yours and we will leave get hands alone."

Their laughter starts to pierce his head. The world around him started to swirl and he could barely stand straight. The group attempted to take Astraeus' gear but before they could even get within an inch of him, a large axe came between them and nearly chopped the leader's hand off. He says, "Oi, he's just a kid you onion-smelling ingrates. Back off or you'll end up missing those dexterous hands of yours." The ingrate replies in shock, "I was just playing, no need to get antsy Labrys." The group backs away in fear and goes off in a different direction with what they had stolen from the drunkard.

The boy looks up at the man and tries to say thank you but is stopped, "Kid, I don't need to be thanked. I just didn't want to have my pretty wife be forced to clean up your blood. You should go back home, mercenary work isn't cut out for whiny brats who can't even look their enemies in the eyes." Astraeus almost takes the man's words into his heart but they are stopped by Tiko's words. He says, "No, my master told me I should start here. I won't let myself be scared off so easily." The man sighs, "Don't expect me to come to your funeral then." He then goes inside and Astraeus follows suit.