"I'm going to kill you, you bastard!"
While a massively built man was shouting, he grabbed one of the wooden chairs near him and smashed it to pieces over another man.
"You... You! Son bitch!!! I... You kill, NOW!"
Drops of blood fell from the other man as he swayed back and forth.
All this scene unfolded before Auriel's indifferent eyes as he sat at the counter, facing the guild steward Jade.
She sighed in despair.
"That's the third time this month..."
Auriel looked at her silently for a moment before smiling.
"You owe me a drink."
Without wasting any time, he pushed his stool back with one leg, then stood up and walked over to where the fight was raging.
"Get out of here, Auriel, it's none of your business! That bastard stole from the group's coffers!"
The so-called thief had already received three punches and was lying in a small pool of blood, his mouth bleeding.
"You misunderstand me; you can kill him or slit his throat, it's none of my business, teddy bear. However, you just broke guild property. It's every guild member's responsibility to protect it." He extended the palm of his right hand towards the massive man and continued. "Cough up the money, idiot."
The bear stared at Auriel, confused, for a few seconds.
"Do you want to die?"
He raised his arm and threw it at Auriel. Without wasting a moment, Auriel grabbed his wrist, twisted it 180 degrees, and finally took a step forward, positioning himself on the massive man's right side.
Boom!
The man fell forward onto the ground and slammed his hand hard against the stone slabs.
Furious and bleeding from his chin, he struggled to get back on his back, and as he looked up at the young teenager, the blade that Auriel had held at his waist since the beginning of the fight moved gently diagonally across his throat.
Without even looking at him, Auriel turned indifferently toward one of the group members.
"Thirty deniers."
"You want to steal from us? You know the guild forbids it..."
The blade pressed harder against his throat.
"Thirty deniers," he repeated coldly.
"ASHADB!"
After a few moments of hesitation, the man took out three dimes and kept them in his hands. Auriel smiled without replying.
Lowering his head toward the human bear, he whispered, "If I draw my blade, you'll attack me immediately, won't you?"
He looked at him with a troubled and slightly frightened expression. "You..."
Without waiting, Auriel struck the man in the face with a terrible knee, then stood up. He approached the group.
"What do you want from us?!"
His smile grew larger, and he replied calmly. "You owe me thirty; have you already forgotten?"
Enraged, the man handed over the money, and Auriel took a few steps toward the nearest waitress. She looked at him, frightened, but Auriel's smile hadn't disappeared. Placing the coins on the table next to her, he gave her a slight nod.
"Tip." "Have a good day, Miss."
Then, without waiting, he headed for the exit under the frozen stares of the other mercenaries and clients.
"You'll pay for what you did to the Dark Beast!"
Auriel immediately turned his head and glared at the person who had just spoken.
"Are these threats?"
The man trembled and didn't reply.
"Let me be clear, from today onward, I'll slice and dice every asshole who fights here. If you have something to settle, get out and do it somewhere else, you fucking animals." He continued outside, pushing open the main door with one hand and descending the few steps to the town's central square.
[There are two hours left before departure. I had planned to stay at the guild for a while longer but oh well, whatever. Jade should be able to relax about this for a while.]
Being still morning, the farmers' market was still bustling in the square. Dozens of stalls were open, and people were haggling everywhere. Some were selling fruits, vegetables, and eggs. Others were selling exotic spices and ready-made meals.
Two young children ran past Auriel, nearly bumping into him. Just then, a mother came over to apologize before continuing to chase after the two rascals.
Nostalgia appeared in his eyes as he continued walking, much more relaxed.
After navigating aimlessly, he arrived about thirty minutes later near the main gate. A queue had formed for several dozen meters while the guards busily and seriously inspected the carts and other passengers.
In the distance, some members of the group, Lyra, Sirine, and Kael, had already arrived before him and were waiting silently in a corner of the entrance.
"Hi everyone!"
"Hello Auriel, did you rest well?" replied Lyra.
Auriel nodded his head.
"Aren't you taking anything with you on the trip? Tornreach is still more than a month's drive from Ravenspire by horse-drawn cart."
Glancing at the blade at his belt, Auriel said firmly, "I already have everything I need. I gave my bag to Jade earlier before leaving." With a sly grin, he continued, "I'm not used to working in a group, but I believe the unwritten rule is that the group provides the meal, isn't it?"
She sighed in exasperation.
"Yes, don't worry, Malconte and I will take care of the food."
"Speaking of Malconte, where is he?" Auriel asked, sounding doubtful.
"It seems to me that darling and Aldric left to meet the client earlier this morning to help with loading. They shouldn't take long to arrive. Once we're all here, we'll have the joint meeting in the cart while we wait for the queue to pass."
Confirming with a nod, Auriel joined Kael and Sirine to the side and waited silently, controlling his breathing.
An hour passed quickly like this.
Calmly observing the crowd, Auriel froze when he saw a very old acquaintance.
A woman in her fifties, adorned with a fox-skin coat dyed russet and black. Her few white hairs and her constant smile couldn't hide the vicious glint in her eyes.
"Sorry I'm late!"
Three people approached the group.
"Ma'am Dolgen," Lyra bowed respectfully to the woman next to Aldric.
She turned her head over the rest of the group before settling on Auriel, greeting him with a nod.
Two years earlier, he had taken on a rather risky mission for her.
That was the last time he had seen her.
Despite his numerous requests to the guild, Ma'am Dolgen very rarely sought the help of a lone mercenary, preferring instead organized teams that were much better suited to his needs.
"You've grown up, Auriel."
"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you. You haven't changed at all."
She smiled but didn't reply further.
Malconte turned to him, curious.
"Do you know each other?"
"A little. Would you like me to take the cart to the queue? It'll probably save us a few precious minutes." Auriel subtly changed the subject.
"Haha, I wouldn't say no. Thanks."
...
"This is how we're going to organize ourselves."
Under the veil at the rear, Lyra began discussing the group procedure.
Auriel was at the front with Ma'am Dolgen to his left, holding the reins of the horses.
"I didn't expect to see you hanging out with a group after all these years, Auriel." She said, turning her face with a slightly chilling smile.
His facial expression didn't change an inch, even as he turned his head towards her with the same expression.
"I guess people change with time."
She replied immediately in a colder voice.
"Are you sure? I've never really felt that way. People certainly change, but only partially. The past doesn't necessarily disappear."
Haha.
"You're always funny, Ma'am. Indeed, you should be right. I definitely don't notice any change in you. Just curious, what is your merchandise?"
"You should concentrate on the road; it's dangerous to look away for too long."
"I agree, Ma'am. I intend to follow your advice for the rest of the journey. Could you hold the reins? I'll join my companions in the back during the meeting."
"Please do."