Rise of the Nightmare Crestmaster

After those words the light of one of the moss lamps focused on a stage at the center of the hall.

A gentleman who looked to be in his late twenties walked to the stage. He was wearing a navy blue suit and a top hat and had well groomed full beard.

He had a gentle smile and his presence was mild but all around there was pin-drop silence. The people around held their breaths at no one's command and yet they all did.

"Ah, I am sorry to interrupt your conversations. My name is, Varth Elmer and I just hopped to say a few words to those of you who aim to join our guild."

His voice calm and peaceful but it spread to everyone clearly, if the attention on him before was surprising then, at this moment it was astounding.

"I wanted to say, surpass your limits."

"There has been no shortage of critics or mockery from pseudo-intellectuals, our entrance is exam is brutal, barbaric and many other words that I wouldn't say in any respectful company.

And I say yes, it is. That's right. Many casualties result from this exam, many young and spirited people die. Even in the first quest people have already died."

The atmosphere began to turn dark and depressing. Aldrich understood why, Kip and Kate were clueless and they didn't have to die but they did anyway.

"Their deaths are tragic and painful to us and to who were left behind. But… this is the risk that they had decided to take, life is like that. This is the greatest guild in all of Vorian!"

That's true, everyone who participated in the exam had already signed away their life when they applied for the exam.

"If you want to be part of it you better not do your best because that's not enough! Do better, surpass your limits, do the unthinkable!

Once you do, you will be taken care of in the guild, we have connections all over the world. We can get you any Wondrous item, any custom made armor, any mount, anything. Tickets to restricted dungeons? Easy!

If your debt to your noble sponsors is bothering you, we can delay payments for you. If you lack housing, we will get you the best deals, if you want a loan from the bank but couldn't get one, we will get it for you!

So long as it exists in this world we can get it for you! As long as you prove yourself of course. So long as you are a rising Crestmaster of our guild nothing is impossible!"

As these words echoed in the area there was a moment of oppressive silence and soon Aldrich could feel his blood boiling at these words his heart was beating faster and faster.

Varth Elmer then gave a sweeping glance at the entire audience one table after another, when it was Aldrich's turn he felt that Varth's gaze may have lingered a bit longer than the rest.

But that was probably his imagination, everyone else probably felt the same way he did.

"So you better be prepared to die for that opportunity."

After saying that Varth took to the stairs to the second floor and entered one of the rooms.

"Whoo, that was intense!" Cole exhaled the moment Varth left.

"Tell me about it," Emma, Frank's sweetheart said, "I thought my heart was going to pop out of my chest."

She looked flushed and breathed in long gulps like she just went through a marathon. That may be a bit of an exaggeration.

But all the rest in the hall were not much better, perhaps for some those words may have seemed cruel but the people here have all signed away their lives!

To them it was either their ambitions were realized or they were better off dead. Regardless of their talent, origin or race they were here at this moment putting their lives on the line.

"Oh, where's Nathan?" Aldrich asked since he just now noticed his absence.

Cole looked around, "oh, he said he needed to take a dump right when the speech started so he took off. He's late."

Right when they were talking about him, Nathan walked back in from one of the side doors in a hurry.

"What? Did I miss it?"

"Man, you don't even know what you missed!" Cole gloated.

"Damn it! That was the worst timing!"

Right then an employee came over and left two envelopes on the table, they were marked as numbers: 2 and 3. These were the last two quests.

If they passed then they would become official members of the Knights of last Sustar guild.

"Hey, you guys had lunch yet? Why don't we check these out and make preparations and plans while we eat?"

Aldrich wanted to lay out the plans and roles as soon as possible. The time limit for each quest was only two weeks.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Frank said.

****

After a grand lunch of roasted horned rabbit and black snapper soup the group opened the first envelope which had the number 2 marked on it.

"Bandit extermination? Tsk, bad luck. We got a harder than normal quest, the Zurn woods? Not too far. They are estimated to be between twenty and thirty."

Frank read the quest out loud so everyone can hear.

"Let me see this." Aldrich took the papers and started reading, "hey, at least the guild has an assistant who will guid us to their approximate hideout location."

"I've got some stuff that might help us in getting rid of these scum." Nathan had a dark gleam in his eyes.

"Since we have some time to spare why don't we make a more detailed plan after seeing the place and conditions in person." Helen suggested.

"That makes sense. Let's see what the third quest is about."

Aldrich paid close attention and great focus to school his expression when Cole started reading the third and final quest.

"Ebrict? Never heard of it. Ghost exorcism? I don't know how to feel about this one…"

"That's weird," Emma held the papers closely, "this quest is… lacking so much information. Where's this Ebrict anyway? Doesn't sound like any nearby town?"

"Ebrict! Oh, I know," before Aldrich could chime in he was beat by Nathan who exclaimed, "Ebrict, as in the Umbra monastery!"

But after he excitedly exclaimed everyone on the table had blank looks.

"No way, you guys don't even know about the Umbra monastery? Oh my god this is so embarrassing!"

"Stop talking to yourself and tell us what you know!" Cole snapped. "Tsk, do you have to boast every time?"

"Well, first let me ask, have you guys heard of the age of Dread?" Nathan asked sarcastically.

"Nathan, I swear to god this is NOT THE TIME." Helen snapped.

"Jeez fine, I was just making sure. In the age of Dread the Empire was fractured and outside of Ashphim the settlements either held on, fled or held up. Right?"

"Right, we know this already go on."

"However there are actually settlements that came to be in that time, one such settlement was actually established in the age of Dread by scholars in Umbra island which is facing Ebrict. Right next to it, in fact."

"Go on." Aldrich said as it seemed that Nathan paused for dramatic effect.

"This establishment was called the Umbra monastery and it was established by scholars to create a place where people can still seek knowledge even in an age of darkness, now here's the shocking part, it is said that the monastery had once repelled the attack of a Dreadlord."

"That's bullshit!" Cole cursed.

"Well, let me continue, the monastery is a legend today, while many records exist and state that such a place had once existed there is no evidence of that on the island. No structures, nothing to indicate that such a place once existed."

"That's weird." Frank stated the obvious once again.

"Of course. In the past it was a hot attraction for adventurers seeking to unearth whatever secrets may lie there. There are even rumors that the citadel was interested, unfortunately the legend was just that in the end, a legend."

"Soo, I hate to interrupt but what does this have to do with our quest?"

"Ah," Nathan snapped back to reality, "it means that we will have to think of a really cleaver way to reach Ebrict before the time limit."

"It's that far?"

"Since its a fishing hamlet why don't we take a ship, that wouldn't take too long."

"It's no use the waters of the southwest coast are infested with pirates, only a warship may take us there, if you could get one."

"Is this not unfair? This is an automatic fail. This can't be right…"

"Guys, I have an idea," Aldrich who was silent until now spoke up and everyone looked at him.

"We can finish the bandit quest first, the Zurn woods are not far from a village called Rathoa."

"And?"

"From there we get supplies and take the ancient land bridge while we send a guild assistant to report us clearing the second quest which will buy us time to reach Ebrict and complete the quest."