The team followed the alleyway past the food carts. It was the city's shortcut to the guild hall, clean cut straight through the bustle of town.
"Think they'll have any exciting quests?" Elena asked, her voice vibrating with excitement. "I can't wait to get back into that dungeon."
"We still have a few days before the next dungeon dive," Luke said. "At most, they'll have some fetch quest or a poor farmer needing help clearing out pests."
"As long as I get to wipe out some monsters, I'll be happy," she replied.
They entered the guild hall and headed toward the job board, only to be intercepted by the same receptionist from the day before.
"I'm so glad you two showed up," she said. "The guild master needs to speak with you urgently." She hesitated before adding, "That hobgoblin sighting has led to the guild masters freaking out, they wish to speak with you."
Luke's stomach dropped.
He had known the hobgoblin was wrong, but talking to the guild master directly was something else entirely. His steps slowed his heart beginning to race.
"Please, follow me," the receptionist said, already turning away.
"I'm scared, Elena," Luke muttered as they walked. "Authority makes my skin crawl. It's like all I feel is their judgment."
"You've got this," Elena cut in mid-sentence. "You're the one who made the right call in there." She smiled at him. "That was way harder than talking to some big head honcho."
Luke let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "I guess… when you put it that way, you're right," he said, clenching his fists once before forcing them to relax.
They followed the woman to a room tucked far in the back of the guild hall, hidden away from plain view.
As they approached, raised voices spilled through the door.
"The dungeon can't be dying, it doesn't make any sense," one voice snapped.
The room fell silent the moment they stepped inside.
Every face turned toward them, alert but not yet alarmed.
"Have a seat," a large man said from behind the table.
"You say you and this woman spotted a hobgoblin on the second floor? Is there anything else you could tell us?"
Jax swallowed loudly before replying. He explained to the room just how massive and mutilated it was. The room was dead silent as he continued to explain.
"That's not possible," the woman to their right barked.
Fingers started twitching and expressions turning toward fear.
The smaller man leaned forward, fingers steepled. "Isn't that enough for you to understand," he said quietly, "that we may not be talking about a myth anymore?"
"We believe you two may have stumbled on something very dangerous." "When the next dive happens in two days. We have a team prepared to lead the way." The guildmaster said.
"So it's not normal then." Elena cut in. "What going on." She asked.
"The dungeon has been showing signs of weakening." The guildmaster said.
"Norman, are you sure you should be saying this in front of fledgling adventures." The man on the left asked.
"The only reason we have this information is thanks to them, Eli." "Thanks to that stubborn girl over there."
That earned Norman a fast glance from Elena.
"Who are you calling stubborn." She snapped quick as ever.
This made the guildmaster clear his throat with an audible chuckle. "Sorry. Thanks to your tenacity. We've been warned."
"Warned of what. You still haven't explained." Luke said quietly. "Please finish." "I need to know what I saw."
At those words Norman cleared his throat again and continued. "There is a myth that has been passed down from generation to generation. One where demons, monsters and gods roamed the earth." He said.
"So you're saying Luke's report is some kind of prophecy." Elena interjected.
"In these myths they spoke of great deities and terrible demons scouring the lands bringing about death and destruction." Eli spoke next. "All shown flooding out of towers that look like dungeons."
"These myths closely resemble what your report and others have said." "It's just never been this close to the surface before." Norman explained. "It all starts with something,"
"Wait… other reports." "You guys have gotten more than one report and are just now deciding to move." Elena asked clearly flustered.
"The last collapse wasn't that long ago," Norman said. "We're still rebuilding."
Elena sat back in her seat after hear that. She looked irritated. "So what do we do now then?"
"You explore." Norman said with a wave of his hands. "Let us figure this out." "Eli is probably right. We shouldn't have told you everything."
"In between dungeon dives don't forget to do some field work for the guild." "Keep training and get stronger." Norman exclaimed loudly his voice vibrating through the room.
Elena and Luke were escorted back to the main guild hall. Whispering to each other the whole way.
"You two know I can hear you." The receptionist said. "Do not cause trouble for Norman." "Doing so would have direct implications on your status as adventurers."
"We uh, weren't talking about anything like that." Luke said.
As they entered the central area Luke noticed the guild board. Riddled with quests. Some extremely dangerous. Some mundane.
"Let's go pick our next quest Elena." Luke said walking toward the board. "If we don't work we don't eat." "We also don't get to buy flaming swords if we don't work."
Elena's ear perked up at those words. She followed tightly behind Luke to the board. After a short look over Luke reached out and grabbed a sheet of paper.
"This one will do." Luke said. "It's easy enough and not far." "The pay is also pretty decent."
The duo looked over the quest and decided it was the right one.
After they received there instructions they went back to the inn for the evening. Ate dinner and went to bed.
Tomorrow they would work.
Tonight Luke lay awake, staring at the ceiling, Norman's words looping in his mind.
Elena slept peacefully beside him.
Luke wondered how long that would last.