The horse-drawn carriage came to a halt, the majestic clatter of his feet dancing as steam rose from the carriage, violently cooling the engine.
Mr. Aurelia and Ethan, dressed in the prestigious black uniform, stepped out onto the wide street in the village of Sahel Laqrafa, which looked more like a small town. Its concrete floor was stained gray around the arteries of the intersecting roads.
Aurelia wouldn't have to pay much to the driver as a fare, were it not for the presence of a guest who was strictly forbidden on such vehicles. Nachtwolf's size was quite large, yet he still managed to find room for himself in the carriage despite its cramped conditions.
Ethan took half the fare, and though Aurelia tried to refuse at first, she eventually succumbed to his insistence.
As the two began to wander through the alleys of the small village, with its factories shooting gray steam into the sky, their destination was clear: Meeting Arthur. Aurelia knew the agreed-upon location, and Ethan could only follow silently, marveling at the sights and smells of honey-roasted meat and incense that wafted through the old market lane.
The noise was getting louder, with people's voices in their different coarse languages clashing in the open space of the market.
Ethan tried to calm the enthusiasm of the giant wolf Nachtwolf, who was already annoying and even frightening passersby, with his enormous size, his devilish reddish-black color, and those horns on his head.
But despite its appearance, it was not hostile... Just curious, just annoying.
Aurelia, who wore an indigo blue cloak, looked confident, like a teacher who knew the directions. She told Ethan that she knew Arthur's place well since he had been expelled from the academy, never ceasing to gossip about how much he enjoyed drinking and sleeping when the academy doors closed late at night.
She told him the place was called the Cat's Tail Pub, a bar that the talkative Arthur had always fawned over.
She mentioned that she had only been there once, and was harassed by some low-ranking adventurers.
She told him how much she disliked the commoners, and even openly loathed them.
Ethan, while agreeing with her at first, did not share this unjustified hatred.
He was a nobleman, the son of a noble family, but he didn't look down on the commoners. He genuinely liked them, and had many friends from this class, whether in his family's province... or even here, at the academy.
Aurelia was impressed by Ethan's spontaneity and the sincerity of his words... But he had to finish when she declared - in a calm, confident tone - that she was of the commoner class, perhaps even lower.
It was a rare moment, a small glimpse of a past she usually tries to ignore.
She grew up in Blackwood, a hometown that was never her favorite, though it was never far from her memory.
The area was known for its ancient magical roots, with its inhabitants utilizing the arts of very ancient magic - one that predated even sacred runic wands and copper engraved with symbols.
But it was also famous for dark forbidden magic...
The kind that didn't make it into books, nor was its name uttered in the presence of nobles or academics.
She didn't want to discuss her hometown too much. It bothered her, stirring up something strange inside her that she didn't like to name.
There was no time to think.
They came to an intersection between the bottom and the top of Republic Street.
They chose to head upwards, up towards the higher areas, where the air was less polluted and the buildings were older.
Ethan tried to make sure that Nachtwolf wouldn't cause more unnecessary chaos.
But the energetic wolf was his usual self, seeing everything around him as an opportunity to climb, leaping with excessive enthusiasm, with a lightness unbefitting his size...
A lightness that was absurdly exaggerated.
They only had to climb a little bit, although the road was rather exhausting. Aurelia complained as she silently carried Ethan; she was used to it.
The buildings looked old, and children came running down in droves, excitedly chattering that some witch was casting forbidden magic in a nearby forest, and that she would be executed in a small square... or postponed. Or postponed.
Aurelia stated that such an event hadn't happened in five years, when something similar happened near the academy.
"Forbidden magic..." - she felt pity for the witch, and when she looked at Ethan, she felt pity for him too, she didn't know why or if she did, but she could feel something deep inside him... something sad.
Their footsteps stopped in front of the old Cat's Tail tavern. Inside, drunken adventurers were scattered here and there, and Ethan didn't feel comfortable with the scene.
They finally arrived, thanks to an old man's question that refreshed Aurelia's almost lost memory.
She didn't want to go inside; the street looked chaotic and full of shady adventurers and pickpockets. Staying outside was a better option - perhaps.
Ethan thought to himself, since he liked seeing adventurers, even if their appearances were disappointing to most people.
They bore a look of despair, their bodies covered in scars and scratches.
Ethan got a little nervous, especially after he noticed Nachtwolf's enthusiasm and energy increase exponentially when he climbed the Cat's Tail Tavern building. No one was exaggerating when they said he climbed it in a matter of seconds, you could count them on one hand.
Aurelia didn't like the meeting location. She didn't know where else to go, and she didn't have a choice.
Ethan stood next to her, eyes full of hope for these "promising adventurers" as he saw them.
But Aurelia recognized that familiar giggle and the sound of heavy footsteps.
She knew him... She never liked him years ago, especially after he tried to tease her and get close to her. She had never been afraid of him, not when she met him, not even when Arthur saved her without her permission.
The intruder was an adventurer with a bad reputation named Eric, nicknamed "The Scream" among his companions.
He leaned over the beautiful Aurelia as he approached her with coarse sentences that he thought were enough to flirt with a pretty lady.
Ethan didn't like it. Deciding to draw his sword slowly and hesitantly, Scream gave his opinion sarcastically: "It's not a good idea to draw your sword in front of four adventurers who are complete bastards... Perhaps I'll consider pardoning you... if this lovely young lady agrees to a little date."
Ethan was truly furious, right down to his marrow. He shuddered inwardly as the heavy laughter of the adventurers surrounded them.
No one intervened... as usual.
Aurelia looked frozen, her features cold and disgusted; she hated to cross paths with these types of scum.
When she tried to end it, she pulled out her crimson-red stone necklace and prepared to cast a spell to drive away Eric the Screamer and his companions.
But she didn't expect... And neither did Ethan... that Nachtwolf hates this kind of nuisance.
He descended from the ceiling of the Cat's Tail Tavern like a black bear, clutching his giant jaw, shattering Scream's cheap, cold-steel sword.
Scream was shocked and horrified when he saw the black, horned mountain wolf knock him down.
He terrified his followers, who fled in submission and adulation... As if they had not just moments ago been bullies.
Crushed beneath Nachtwolf, who could have - rightly - crushed his head with a single bite if he had wanted to, but refrained when Ethan, who had seen the wolf known for the danger of being labeled "Red Star Wednesday," prevented him from doing so.
Aurelia grumbled and cursed the bastard who escaped.
Then she apologized - sincerely - to Ethan, who was not supposed to be outside the academy.
But his insistence was clear, and he even felt it necessary to meet with Arthur, if the latter wished to do so.
After this situation, she didn't think much of it and thought it would be best to go inside.
As they entered, they were greeted by the aroma of incense and hot wine.
The seats were old and worn, but the place looked tidy and full of young adventurers, and even a few old people.
They found a place to sit near the bartender, and when he asked why they were there, they said they were waiting for Arthur.
He would have thrown them out if he hadn't checked their sincerity and realized that they were indeed acquaintances of Arthur, the man whose voice often rang through the tavern.
They only sat for ten minutes before Nachtwolf barked and ran forward madly, then returned to play with a large dog.
Ethan backed away lightly, realizing that it was not a dog, but a horned wolf.
A familiar voice called out to him: " Grimbold!"
Ethan recognized him, and so did Aurelia.
Nachtwolf greeted the other wolf warmly, then seemed to remember - belatedly - that it was his sister, with fur as silver as steel, who had grown so large that she had almost outgrown him.
Arthur wondered why Nachtwolf was here, until he realized why, and entered the tavern as usual, noisily announcing his presence to the world.
Ethan greeted him enthusiastically, expressing how much he had missed that face, and Arthur returned the gesture with his yellow-orange eyes.
Then Arthur caught a glimpse of Aurelia, who greeted him coldly, even though she had come to meet him.
No one thought he would be greeted like this, especially after returning from an arduous mission in a nearby forest, where he had to catch a huge lizard, with the help of Kelder, Ternog, and some new guys.
Arthur introduced them with a quick summary:
Isolda, a seasoned witch with two silver stars and an ancient staff made of copper and sacred wood, studded with symbols.
Hilda, the young and dangerous assassin.
Soren, the heavy axe wielder and steampunk armor.
Hilda shamelessly stated that she did not know that Arthur had a beautiful and noble mistress or lover, and then pointed to Aurelia.
Hilda leaned in and whispered to Aurelia that Arthur had cheated on her last night, with the lovely Isolde, on a long and passionate night.
Although Aurelia shrugged, she made it clear that her relationship with Arthur is strictly business.
She was here to deliver a payment, and it wasn't a bad idea to check on him, if necessary - and she did.
Arthur had a lot of explaining to do to Ethan, who seemed to have the attention of Arthur's group, along with his wolf Nachtwolf, who bore a striking resemblance to Grimbold.
Arthur explained the details of the attack and the theft of a device from Stranger Hell, suggesting that a professional - and possibly hired - group might be behind it. He tried to stop them, but failed, and was heavily blamed.
Arthur bore most of the responsibility to the Academy's board of directors, and was promptly expelled from the Academy's walls, though he bore no real grudge against the decision.
He noticed that Ethan had been given the honor of joining the "Black Disciplinary Elite," and he rejoiced, loudly congratulating him without hesitation.
Later, Aurelia explained to him what he could do next.
During the drinking session, Arthur told them that, perhaps a week from now, he and his new group would be moving to the Iron Plateau, where bigger and more important tasks awaited them than the small, repetitive ones here.
Aurelia was not about to stop him, though she expressed that she missed his exaggerated annoyance, which - somehow - made everything less boring.
As for the tasks? She expressed, if she were to characterize anyone, that almost no one could replace Arthur's place.
She handed him the money owed to him, though she didn't want to, and then asked him, if possible, to stay for a little while in order to settle some orders she needed him for.
She knew he would refuse - she was used to it - but this time he noticed something different... He noticed their arrival here, and settled on agreeing, albeit reluctantly.
Despite Aurelia's dry reaction, he took the small piece of paper with her requests from her, certain that the amount would be substantial - a benefit to him, no doubt.
He said with a sideways smile that there was no harm in staying a month or even two and a half, for even though the village was small, the tasks were plentiful and the income was good.
Ethan was pleased, and Aurelia was pleased - though she didn't show it openly - and it was, in a way, a nice thing for both of them.