Mistaken for a Returnee

It didn't take a body language expert to figure out the GM was pissed about the Ogre attack.

The attack was almost unprecedented; the city hadn't seen an attack of such severity since he'd taken over the position of Guild Master fifteen years ago. However, it wasn't his perfect record breaking that angered him.

No, it was the loss of civilian life.

The guild was solely responsible for defending the city from dungeons and the monsters that dwelled within. That was its whole purpose, failing in that… What good was it?

Why would the city continue sending them money if they failed to do their duty?

Why were the hunters paid so well if they weren't able to do their jobs properly?

Why had he spent so much time begging the larger branches for more resources, if the guild failed to properly use what it already had?

With his rant over, the GM let out an exhausted sigh and asked the hunters a single question- "Which dungeon did it come from?"

The hunters all looked taken aback by the question… It took him barely a minute to realize no one had an answer.

"We don't know where it came from, sir." Eli said, stepping up to fulfil his duty.

As captain of the first closing team, and the person who'd been with the guild the longest, it was Eli's responsibility to do so- Even so, Eli couldn't help but flinch at the rage-filled eyes of the GM.

Right now, he wanted nothing more than to disappear from here.

"Captain Valdove, you're not seriously suggesting we have a potential Dungeon break on our hands, and WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS!?" He shouted; his voice loud enough to make everyone's ears ring. "That's not what you're telling me right now. It's these old ears of mine; they misheard you, right?" The GM asked. He looked sad- no, remorseful while he stared holes through Eli.

"I'm sorry, sir. But we really don't know where it came from. None of the dungeons within the city have shown signs of breaking. We've stuck to the usual bi-weekly clear to maintain the dungeon's population, and we haven't seen any abnormalities inside any of them."

"Sir," A mousy looking halfling woman muttered while raising her hand like a school age kid trying to get the teacher's attention. "My name is-"

"I know who you are, Ellie Underlake- You're the seventh member of the third scouting team." The GM interrupted. He looked as if his energy levels were being drained by the second. "If you have something to add, I'm all ears."

Ellie made a startled sound at the GM remembering her. "Oh! I didn't expect you to-"

"Ellie." The GM sighed. "Please."

"Sorry." She glanced down at her feet. "I was just going to suggest it may have come from outside the city. None of the scouting teams have been sent beyond the walls in forty-seven days."

The GM's body tensed as if he'd been struck. "Did your captain tell you not to venture outside the city or did someone else issue that order?" He asked; It was obvious to everyone he'd wanted to shout, but had held it in.

Ellie wasn't high enough in the guild to decide something like that on her own, so shouting at her would get him nothing but the Ire of the other hunters.

A dark-skinned elf stepped forward and placed himself beside Ellie. "I'm sure the same thing happened to the other scout captains, so I don't mind speaking for them. I received an order from my division commander to prioritize exploration of the dungeons within our walls, and passed the order along to my team, sir."

"I see…" The GM nodded and trailed off. There was a moment where Sulika wondered if he would ignore the captain's words and still place the blame on the scouting teams… "I thank you all for your honesty." He said after a long moment. "I was supposed to leave again tomorrow, but after everything that's happened, it doesn't look like that's still the case. All of you have my word; I'll not be leaving until the Auris hunters guild is back on track. You're dismissed, get back to your duties- Oh, except you, Captain Wysarie." He said while staring directly at Sulika.

She waited for the other hunters to depart before approaching the Guild Master. "I'd appreciate it if you'd follow me to my office." The GM said while looking up at her. "There's something we need to discuss."

"Of course, sir." She replied, nodding her agreement despite her nerves eating away at her. She looked around the training room one last time before following the GM out of the room…

She didn't notice the multiple pairs of eyes observing her as she left

Inside the GM's office, on the highest floor of the hunter's guild, Sulika sat in a plush leather chair with a high back.

The room she was in wasn't overly large or decorated. The GM had kept the office as barebones as possible due to the office being abandoned more often than not.

Still, for those rare times he was in office, the GM allowed himself a few small amenities to make it feel more like home; A leather chair fitted perfectly to his small frame, a custom desk made especially for him, a few large bookshelves filled to the brim with monster manuals, spell books, survival guides, and a few personal novels to be enjoyed in his private time.

And to top it all of; the skull of a level 73 crimson drake was mounted on the wall behind his desk.

Drakes were within the dragon family, but distantly- something like the third cousin most people forget they're related to.

Drakes were wingless, draconic wolves that hunted in packs of up to twelve members. They stood around eight feet tall at the shoulder, could grow to over fifteen feet long, and the crimson specimen mounted over his desk had weighed nearly six thousand pounds.

Size differences aside; Drakes also had a unique physiology amongst dragons. They had four eyes, where most dragons possessed only two. And breathed not through their nostrils, but through the pair of gills on either side of their neck.

Drakes also lacked the ability to use a breath attack, which almost every other dragon type could use with impunity. But in return, drakes possessed an extraordinary toxic bite that could melt steel in seconds.

The skull was one of the GM's proudest possessions, and slaying the creature was the main reason he'd been asked to take over the position of the Auris Guild Master.

And now, Sulika's eyes were fixated on the skull like it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

Seeing her awed expression made the GM a little happy- After all, it wasn't everyday he got to talk with someone who wasn't interested in the skull for the money it could make them or the status it brought.

Those people always had a certain air about them. He likened them to honor hounds; due to the way they chased status and honor like it was a commodity to be traded.

But despite his current feelings, he really didn't have the time to sit around and chat.

There was too much work to be done, and he was only now starting to realize just how little help he had.

He'd already tried to contact Edward again- he'd done so before his rant earlier and again he was ignored.

To make matters worse, now he had to set aside even more time he didn't have to speak with the three division commanders to ensure they were all on the same page.

The GM pushed all of that aside to focus on the situation at hand. "If you have anything to say, now would be the time." He told her while withdrawing a large brown folder from the lowermost drawer of his desk.

Sulika glanced down at her lap for a second to gather her thoughts. "Before that, I'd like to apologize to you, specifically. And since this might be my last chance to do so, I wanted to do it right." She said before taking a deep breath to steady her nerves.

"I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused the guild recently. I realize actions have consequences and mine… Well, mine have painted the guild in a bad way. While I believe I made the best choice I could, in the time I had. I'll probably spend the rest of my life wondering if I made the wrong choice." She finished and glanced back at the GM… Who was staring at her with wide eyes.

"I didn't realize you were sick. Was it because of guild duties?" He asked before reaching into his desk and retrieving a second large folder. "I have the guild's health representative's number in here somewhere." He muttered and flipped it open. "You should give them a call when you leave here, they'll help you organize a treatment plan- Oh, and don't worry about the expenses. The guild will cover all of it-"

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"Sir!" Sulika said, interrupting him before the misunderstanding could get out of hand.

The GM looked up from the folder with a confused look on his face. "I'm not sure what I said that gave you the wrong impression, but I'm not sick. The Vice-Master fired me and my team yesterday… Which is actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Fired you?" The GM exclaimed incredulously. He slammed the folder shut and shoved it to the side of his desk without caring how close it came to sliding off onto the floor.

"As far as I know you haven't been issued any demerits on your record. Nor have I heard of you, or any of your team, being troublesome employees. To fire the entire team without notice seems like an extreme reaction; I'm going to need you to explain it to this old man."

Sulika had to swallow her nerves at the sight of the GM staring a hole through her with his lone eye, studying her for any sign of deceit.

Because he was right, firing them all was an extreme reaction. But it was also 100% the truth, and she knew that.

She took a steadying breath and began to explain the events leading up to her conversation with Edward, leaving nothing out.

She'd already received Faeyra's permission to say she was the oracle who gave the prophecy, so that's where she started.

Explaining the prophecy led to talking about how she'd reported the warning to the guild- and their subsequent ignoring of it- A low growl filled the room, stopping Sulika's explanation in its tracks.

The GM's teeth were exposed, and he was practically vibrating with anger.

She saw him visibly wrestle down his emotions until his body stopped shaking and the growling had ceased, which left the room in an uncomfortable silence.

"I apologize." The GM said through gritted teeth. It took him a few more seconds to calm down enough to speak normally. "I understand Edward's decision-" He held up his hand to stop Sulika from interrupting. "Not saying I agree with it. Personally, I think all reports of a new dungeon should be investigated- no matter the source of the information… But I also know how stretched thin we are." He sighed.

"Most islands the size of Azuris have eight closing teams, ten scouting teams, and between fifteen and twenty mining teams. The teams also have more members than what we have. Between Auris, Ventihold, Impercall, and Starfall alone- not counting the hamlets outside the cities. Azuris Island has a population of 130,000 souls living here- Yet we're expected to protect it with only a few dozen hunters?" He was ranting rather than asking a question that required an answer.

"It's a fact that we're sorely lacking in manpower right now, and if he thinks we couldn't spare the teams to investigate the- admittedly dubious- claim, then he's probably right." The GM admitted.

"I understand that sir." Sulika quietly replied. "That's why I'm not fighting my firing. I know I messed up, but my team were just following orders when they helped me raid that warehouse-"

The GM lifted his hand again, causing her to go silent. "You did what now?" He asked, prompting Sulika to expound.

She explained how her team took turns watching the warehouse during their personal time. How they collected evidence, took photographs, and watched the warehouse every night for multiple weeks before finally bringing it back to the guild.

"So… You investigated it yourselves; while completing your own duties- I checked your files when I arrived this morning, and there weren't any reported absences." He asked, attempting to clarify everything he'd just been told- to which Sulika replied by nodding. "And, do you still have this evidence?" He asked.

"Yes, sir. Should still be inside the team office. Want me to go get it?" She asked and moved to stand- but the GM shook his head.

"No, I'll look for it myself once we're done here. What happened next?" He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.

She explained what they found inside the warehouse. How they fought off the cultists outside the portal and, worrying it could break at any time, dived into the unknown dungeon-

"Are you suicidal or just stupid?" He said, his voice hitting Sulika's ears like an explosive. "What possessed you to enter the portal without waiting for the guild?"

Sulika was quiet for a second before saying- "The dungeon was supposed to break immediately after opening and release death upon Iolara. That's what Faeyra saw in her vision, so… I didn't think we had time to wait for reinforcements that may never come?" She said, though she sounded unsure even to her own ears.

Sulika's eyes widened as she watched his hands curl into white-knuckled fists. His slender fingers gouged deep lines into the top of his desk, though he either didn't notice or didn't care about the damage he was causing to his own furniture.

After a long moment of silence, he relaxed his hands and shook the splinters and wood chips off of his fingers.

He slowly exhaled to calm himself and nodded for Sulika to continue.

Sulika hesitated for a moment, debating whether to tell him about Aldritch or not… Eventually, she acquiesced and just told him everything that's happened since she first saw Aldritch.

She left out the private conversations, of course. They had nothing to do with the guild or her place within it.

By the end of her tale, the GM was sitting with his elbows on his desk and his head held between his palms.

"Are you okay, sir?" Sulika asked, genuinely concerned for the GM's health. She had no idea how much stress he was under until this conversation.

"My head hurts." He admitted with a sigh. "I need to have a talk with Edward." He muttered while slowly rubbing his temples. "I'm sorry he accused you of embezzling the guild's funds with so little evidence.

I haven't seen any letters about your team come across my desk- Hells, I haven't seen him at all. But I'll find out what's going on with him.

Regardless, I don't want to lose you or your team. After this is over, if you still want to be a part of the guild, the job remains yours."

Butterflies. Sulika felt dozens of the little creatures battling to the death inside her stomach.

She could keep her job. Just like that? What was she waiting for? Of course, the answer was "Yes! A thousand times, yes!" ... Wasn't it? Wasn't that what she wanted?

"Do you think we'll be able to form a guild as we are now?" Aldritch had asked them that question just last night.

Sulika realized then she was looking forward to it; the long nights, the struggles… the freedom.

Yes, it would be an outrageous amount of work to run a guild. And there was no guarantee that it would work out once all was said and done.

But at the end of the day- did she really want to continue working for a place like this?

The truth was no; she didn't.

She'd rather risk it all by starting a guild of her own than allow the Vice Master to continue holding her employment hostage… She did feel bad for the GM, though.

It was obvious he loved the guild, and he took his job very seriously. She wondered how much her leaving would burden him-

"Don't stay out of pity." He said, interrupting Sulika's thoughts and confusing her. "That look in your eyes; I recognize it." He explained, his voice going a bit quieter as he spoke.

"You've made your decision, but something's holding you back. Don't let it. If you want to leave, then leave. If you want to stay, then stay. The guild will survive either way, as it always has." He said and looked directly into her eyes.

"What do you want to do, Captain Wysarie… Or would you prefer Sulika?"

Sulika met his gaze for a second before dropping her eyes to her lap while she thought it over… "I think…" She took a calming breath and looked up, focusing her gaze directly onto the GM. "No, I do prefer Sulika." She replied, a refreshing smile on her face.

"Well, then." The GM hopped out of his chair and walked around to stand in front of her.

He held out a single, heavily calloused hand for her to shake. "Let me be the first to wish you luck on your next endeavor; Sulika Wysarie."

Sulika's smile grew even bigger, and she stood up to properly shake his hand. "Thanks, Guild Master-" Her words were cut off by the GM's raised hand.

"Civilians don't have to call me Guild Master, so neither do you." He explained, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Then what do I call you?" She asked, and realized she'd never actually known the GM's name.

As the highest member of the guild branch, everyone called him by his title of 'Guild Master' as a sign of respect. But it was true the civilians didn't have to follow that rule, though most still did to show they also respected him.

The GM thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "Just call me Max."

"Oh, well then, nice to meet you, Max-" Sulika replied and showed Max a bright smile-

"Don't ruin the moment by getting all excited." Max replied, his voice completely deadpan. "Knowing my name doesn't make us friends."

"Right… Sorry." Sulika replied, laughing awkwardly. "Thanks for everything, sir." She said before departing the office and practically running down the stairs to get out of the building.

Once Sulika was gone, Max smiled. Despite losing a powerful sorceress, and one of his few team leaders, Max was happy she was about to forge her own path… He wished more hunters had the opportunity to do so.

He looked up at the skull hanging over his desk and let out another sigh.

He hated that he seemed to be doing that more often than he ever had before.

He used to never sigh- after all, what was the point?

It accomplished nothing, sounded irritating, and was pointless once you realized you could've just changed whatever made you sigh in the first place… But now; he felt like the weight on his shoulders grew larger every day.

Max was suffocating little by little, and there was very little he could do about it until the other branches stopped stealing potential recruits right out from under them.

His mind then went to Edward… Now that- that was something he could do something about.

Sulika made it to the lobby in record time and made a beeline for the door- But then she slid to a stop, cursing under her breath.

She'd almost forgotten her sword.

She quickly turned around and started heading back towards the staircase when a voice reached her ears.

"Sulika!" Abby called, getting her attention.

Sulika glanced over at Abby- and froze on the spot; Aldritch was behind the service desk, kneeling directly beside her while she typed something onto her terminal.

For her part, Abby didn't look too nervous to be standing beside the giant- though her face was slightly flushed, and she was wearing a strange smile.

Sulika watched the two of them for a moment before understanding settled in; Aldritch must've been bugging her with questions so much her body flushed with annoyance.

"Hey, Aldritch." Sulika called, stealing the giant's attention from the terminal. "Want to check out the training area while I pick up my sword?"

Aldritch answered her by smiling and standing to his full height.

He turned to Abby and bowed his head so he could look upon her eyes, "Lady Abbigale, thank you so much for entertaining my questions. Twas only a fleeting moment, but I enjoyed my time all the same." He said quietly.

Abby's face turned a deeper shade of red, and she nodded. "Anytime."

Aldritch leapt over the counter with surprising ease for someone his size and moved to Sulika's side.

Abby watched the two of them disappear around the corner before sighing and dropping back into her chair. "It's no wonder Sulika was glowing this morning… I wonder if he has a brother?"