Chapter 131: Quickfall Team

Sudden Plate City, cobblestone road, wooden benches, a teeming city composed mostly of hunters, nobles, and merchants. Almost, if not all, every block was composed of merchants and freeborns. Hunters, as a collective, tend to stay usually in taverns rather than have their own house bought inside the Sudden Plate City.

The reason was simple, Hunters do not stay in one place. Where there were magical beasts expect hunters to gather. It was a norm, in order to survive, hunters hunt, break parts, sell, earn. The cycle goes on.

The Association organized all the Hunters in every region. From Hunter's exam, Questing, Ranking, Bounty Hunting, even Hunters went rouge, all were under the Hunter's Guild Association.

To keep the system running, even the simplest of quests a hunter must take. A simple quest like escorting merchants, mining, and gathering resources like the herb exclusive only in the land of Bogblot: the Olive Zest Herb. A kind of herb that grows in a cool, and wet climate.

As to why the Olive Zest Herb quests filled the questing board? Simply because, the Olive Zest Herb was the basic ingredient for creating the basic healing potion (the healing potion works depending on the wound, a small cut will take less time to heal; faster if the healing potion was administered at first sight of the wound).

Hollows would take weeks to heal a cut not longer than an inch long. Seconds, if magic capable would take healing potions.

Ned examined the quests. The Olive Zest Herb was a long and thin herb with leaves in every stem like that of a fern. They grew at the edges of the Outer area of the forests, some parts on the Middle, and abundant in the Inner Area of the Du'kki Forests.

Quickfall party was also looking for other Companions.

Ned arrived at the fountain under the heat of the high noon sun. Almost, hundreds of people circled the fountain, not to stroll but to check quests in the questing board fixed at every nook of the circular plaza.

Ned was looking for the party leader. A man named Sidric, a copper rank hunter. According to the Hunter's Association ranking system, which was plastered in every questing board, the rank goes as follows: Wood, being the lowest; Iron, Copper, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. After Gold rank was Diamond (a rank so rare their number dwindled to a handful in every region).

A rumor occurred that someone; somewhere in the capital of the Kingdom of Griffith, a hunter reached Platinum rank a decade of being in Diamond.

Ned circled the fountain and stopped when he saw a man with a bastard sword (a two-handed sword with cruciform hilt with a straight double-edged blade) clipped behind his half-naked body by brown leather straps. Short and brownish hair, a square jaw, and leather belts coiled around his waist that kept on clutching his moldy green pants.

Three more members sat at the edges of the slabbed fountain. Sidric stood while he talked with his members. Two of the member sat cross-legged. While the other one, a lady, sat with legs clipped and looking at Sidric with pure admiration.

"Quickfall?" Ned said approaching the party, bag strapped behind. Boom, the short-sword, hang against his left waist; to his right the pouch. Ned walked black and black under the sun.

Sidric spun hearing Ned's word. He started. "And you are?"

Tough. Ned thought hearing Sidric's voice. "Porter for your quests," Ned said introducing himself. "Ned of House Sskat."

Sidric cocked a brow. "A porter," he said with a low breath. "With a House, not bad. You looked too young to have a House."

"Leave the kid, Sidric," said the man sitting cross-legged, black hood hung behind his neck, black dagger gleamed against the sun while an iron necklace hung around his neck. Thin eyes looking at Ned as if he was being peeled. "He will be our porter, our income will depend on how much weight he can carry back at the Association."

"How many can you carry, Ned of House Sskat?" It was Sidric. Trying to say in a loud voice against the crowd running here and there. "The quest will end at twenty kilos."

Twenty kilos, Ned thought.

[Ned. You can carry approximately the same as your weight.]

Twenty isn't that heavy. Ned let go of his thoughts. "Twenty is fine," he said.

Sidric nodded. "I'm Sidric," he said. "I'm sure you knew it by now, but, for formalities sake. Rickart our Rouge; Darwyn our Knight, and Keesha our mage. Careful, she's a wind mage. She topped Rosebud Academy after she graduated last year."

Rickart, the rouge who rebutted Sidric: thin and narrowed eyes under his dark shoulder-length hair tucked behind for ease of movement purposes. His figure was light under his black sleeves.

Darwyn, the Knight. Ned couldn't let go of the thought that he was a noble of some prestigious House because of his blonde hair combed as if he was courting someone. Must be a knight trait. Ned thought as he eyed Darwyn. His eyes were blue same as his ocean blue armor that covered his body aside from his head; a helmet might bother his hair. His sword was blue, it looked expensive. A necklace tucked inside his armor for that reason Ned couldn't distinguish his rank.

Keesha the Wind mage, her clothing was confusing: a rough headband helped her fade curly hair tucked to avoid overstressing her eyes, green long sleeves, and furry coat tied on her waist, she got the sense of wardrobe malfunction. But, she wasn't bothered by how he dresses. Her twinkling eyes were directed toward Sidric.

"So, you've been a Quickfall for a year?" Ned said. Depending on their answer, he could determine how the party would go; if they were organized or overly cautious, or scattered in front of the unknown.

"I and Sidric started the party," it was Keesha, she must have the fill staring at Sidric since she retracted her gaze away from the warrior. "Rickart for six months and the Knight started tagging with us a month after Rickart."

Fairly new. Ned thought as he nodded toward Keesha.

"Five minutes we'll leave," Sidric said. Looking at the Knight dryly. Darwyn was crossing his arms against his bluish chest plate. "I send Malik and Erin—our Runner and Looter—to gather extra items for our quest."

Malik the Runner returned with a set of tin boxes, it was stacked neatly. Inside was their rations. The food was good for three days. As a Runner, Malik wore comfortable fitting clothes, and was older than Ned by almost a year or two, thin but with some muscles lining his legs. He must be with the group for a long time. Ned thought.

"Malik was my brother," Sidric said as if reading Ned's eyes. "He will be attending Rosebud Academy next year. For now—"

"I enjoy being a Runner, Sid," Malik said. "He may look like it, but my brother's a good lead." Poking Ned with his elbow.

"We'll leave after Erin—ah, there he is."

A kid, again, a little older than Ned ran across the streets of crowded people. He reached the team carrying a pouch, a little bigger than Ned's pouch. Erin was a kid with probing eyes. Ned let out a sigh learning that he wasn't the only new to the group.

"Erin joined our team just today," Sidric said. Reaching for the pouch from Erin. "Good," he said opening the pouch. Inside were vials of healing potions counted six. "I can only give healing potions if necessary. For now, we will try to avoid reckless fights with territorial monsters."

"I'd rather not," Darwyn interjected.