The Gray Tower (Being Rewritten as The Erstwhile Druid)

Chapter 19: Hero/ine, I Choose You!

Some things never change, Luke thought. Bickering, and more bickering.

Shouting filled Vana's Chamber of Commerce. The level of noise shook the stained glass windows, rattling them in their sills. Light shining through the multi-colored glass cast a variety of hues throughout the cavernous chamber. Above, the ceiling soared skyward as if reaching for an unknown destination. Rafters on the second and third floors were filled with spectators, NPCs and players chatting amongst themselves. Luke could see his own face from the reflection of the washed marble walls. He didn't look happy. Not at all.

Vana lay smoldering, a third of the city reduced to wreckage. Instead of cleaning up the destruction, players fought over the scraps that remained. Law and order was required, but no one was willing to compromise or make the necessary sacrifices. They sat, spinning their wheels in place. There was a distinct lack of forward progress. Things were moving backwards. Logic was regressing, and the council was in a complete deadlock.

Luke sat impatiently at the round table, arms folded across his chest. Noelle was to his right, Tetsu to his left. Kaguya was further down, near the opposite side of the table.

The druid watched, unimpressed as the guild leaders and merchants of Vana argued with one another, fists slamming on the table's ivory surface.

Luke closed his eyes, trying to tune out the meeting. To his chagrin, the chamber's acoustics were superlative, each sound rocking with ambiance. Peace and quiet. Can't the Vana I know and love return? Why are we talking about revenge when we haven't even rebuilt the town yet?

Luke shared a look with Tetsu and Noelle, as all three of them rolled their eyes. He was glad to see they felt the same way. Talk about a complete waste of time.

There were a few other familiar faces. Mayday, the leader of the Blue Riders — the largest guild in Vana — remained motionless, a silver staff perched on her shoulder. Adorned by a hovering black sphere, the weapon was a mystery. No one had ever seen it in action. An azure cowl covered her face, leaving only her mouth and a few strands of red hair visible.

Directly across from Mayday was Jan, mercenary general of Relentless — a band of players who hired out their services to the highest bidder. His blonde shock of hair and sharp cheekbones gave him a gentlemanly appearance. Luke had worked with the spellsword before, on a two-man mission against bandits praying on newbies. He was reliable, a good sword to have by one's side. But when Jan wasn't around to instill order, Relentless had a reputation for volatility. Beer, women, and chaos. That was the guild's motto, which they fulfilled to an extent.

Luke silently thanked the gods that the two weren't chiming in. The duo would only add to the chaos, especially with the weight they held in the community.

"I object." A high voice pierced the cacaphony, silencing other sounds of dissent.

Luke's eyes were drawn by the familiar voice. Jill. Her face was red with anger, emerald eyes glinting like fire. Auburn hair was swept up in a ponytail, a similar style to Noelle's. A new set of chainmail and the reliable mace she held were both presents from Noelle. Now she looked the part of a true cleric, ready to support her party through thick and thin.

"We must rebuild," Jill said. "If we don't, what are we fighting for? Are we just going — "

A voice interrupted. "And what will we do if whatever forces are out there return to finish the job?"

Another voice chimed in. "We need to draft an army, hit those monsters back at their base."

The meeting descended into chaos again.