This Game Called Life

[51] It's a small world...

The inside of the public guild hall was no less rowdy then a public tavern. The moment all of stepped through the door, a dozen pair of eyes turned towards us, with looks of various spectrum of disdain. And as we walked further, several players hooted and whistled in our direction, no doubt because of the girls...

"Let's get this quickly over with." Rima sighed and held up 4 fingers. "We will split up into 4 groups for each corner. Riga...pair up with Enju. Piphra with Eziel. Sioux and I will each take a corner ourselves."

"Wait!" Sioux exclaimed. "I want to be partners with Enju! And why do I have to take a corner by myself?"

"Because out of all 6 of us, you are the most socially active." Rima sighed and explained. "If I pair you up with another person, that person will only get in your way right?"

"Eee, you're right..." Sioux scratched her cheek with a nervous smile.

"Now," Rima clapped her hands together, as a malicious smile crept up her face. "Let's get to work everyone."

Oh crap...How am I going to do this? Seriously, I hate those social occasions...

Since my social skills has been dead in the water for years, more so when it comes to strangers. I could only rely on Enju for this one. And to be honest, I did feel quite bad for her...

As we approached our corner, I caught view of a figure in crusader armour, sitting on the floor against the corner, with the sign in front of him that read: 

Poor and Guildless 

PLEASE SEND HELP!

God bless you

Feeling kind of bad, I took a second look at him, and that's when he looked in our direction. And at once, he shot up from his spot like a rocket, I got onto one knee before us:

"Ave Maria!" he said with a muffled voice, as he gestured with one hand towards Enju.

Dafuq?

"Thy form as pure as aqua, thy face as pale as angels, with soul as holy as Maria!" the crusader guy went on zealously, as he looked to lean forward to kiss Enju's hand, who rapidly shot her hand away with a look of cringe on her face. And as my eyes stuck to the crusader, a sense of familiarity began to grow within me...

"Wait!" I put up a hand. "I think I met you before!" I blurted out.

"Ah! The young face of a lord!" he bowed down.

"Ahhh! You don't ne-" I face palmed. "Ah whatever, what's your name?"

"Sull1van my young lord." he said, as he continued to bow on one knee.

"Just stand up please." I wavered my hand.

"Many graces my young lord." he stood up, and at full height in armour, he was about the same height as me. 

"Ughhh..." I covered one side my face with one hand and turned. "I am not a lord, don't call me that. Just call me Riga."

"If that is what you wish." he bowed with one hand over his heart. 

"Alright," I gestured a hand forward. "I felt like we have meet before. Like about 3 weeks ago when we fought the Catoblepas, you were there as well right?"

"You are correct young lord, I mean Riga. Apologies sir." he bowed again.

"Ok, you don't need to bow now." I said with thinned lips.

"Understood, my young lord, I mean Riga."

"Alright..." I took in a deep breath, as I have the feel that this was getting to nowhere. "I saw you with the cross brotherhood at that time, right?"

"That is indeed correct." his great armoured creaked as he nodded.

"Then how come you're...you're here right now?"

Sull1van turned and let out a great sigh.

"I haven't told anyone this. But I am only trusting you with this information." he cleared his throat then spoke in a deep voice: "I was the commander of the party, during the great battle of Catoblepas. But at the end of the battle, I lost 8 men, and didn't do a single scratch to the beast. And I was exiled from the brotherhood on the basis of incompetence. And ever since my exile, I have been wandering the 4 corners of the world all by my own, and my pocket was digging holes due to high maintenance cost of my armour."

It was evident that, what was once a shinning gleaming white armour, now had paint scraped here and there, as well as a few dents and several tiny holes in the side.

"Wait, can't you just join other guilds?" I blurted out.

"I tried. But outside the brotherhood it's self, no other guilds are willing to accept a former member from it. And once exiled from the brotherhood, it's impossible to reapply again." Sull1van slowly cocked his head back to us again.

Enju and I turned and looked at one another, and after a brief silent exchange, I turned back to him and asked:

"Umm, we're actually looking for members for our new guild."

"REALLY?" his voice was barely able to contain the excitement, and I can just already picture his eyes budging from behind his helmet.

"Yeah...Umm, what just asking, what's your level and class?"

"I really haven't been levelling since my exile, and right now, my class is crusader, level 222."

"222? Nice! That's exactly what we need!" I said cheerfully. 

"Wait." A deep voice called out, as a figure clad in a dark knight's armour joined in from the side.

"That man is not to be trusted." the dark knight guy went on. "His guild slaughters innocent low level players, and claims their property in the name of holy."

"That's in the past! Now state your name and show your face foe!" Sull1van yelled.

"Hmph." the dark knight grunted, as he took off his helmet and I could already feel the gasp escaping the 3 of us. Her skin was a sweet tone of dark chocolate, and had eyes dark like obsidian, hard and beautiful as one. As she turned her head sideways, her long silk black hair fell back smoothly. 

"My name is Celeste. And I challenge you to a duel."

Q: What would be your opening line, when you challenge someone to a duel?