Reward

Closing his eyes he tried to remember what he felt before falling asleep.

But no matter how much he concentrated, it didn't want to repeat.

'This can only mean something good, no?'

Not dwelling on that for too long, Mikael looked outside his small window, the cold fresh air brushing past his face, the sun not yet having risen.

'At least I'm not too late. Don't need another day starting on the floor.'

Grabbing his now dried clothes and wearing all his stuff, he felt whole again, the weight of all his equipment calming him surprisingly down.

'That I feel vulnerable and naked without protection is once again a weird feeling. Having adapted to it that fast... am I still the same normal person just a month ago? Guess not, too much happened...'

He walked down, seeing how Emily was working on some dough in their kitchen from the open door.

"Up early, aren't we? Sorry but I can't offer breakfast yet, that is scheduled for an hour from now."

Ann said, cleaning her dusty hands on her apron.

"I'm even more amazed you two are awake so soon."

"Every. Day." Emily responded as she turned the dough, kneeding it using all her strength.

Mikael wished them a good day, wanting to move his sore body to lessen the pain.

Not many people were already awake, only few chimneys emitting smoke, most from the direction where the shops are located.

After he toured around a bit, greeting Beron who came from his night shift and walking past some shops that showed their goods behind metal bars.

As the sun rose, he made his way towards the Guild, many others also walking inside.

Some were staff members, identifiable by their emblems.

More people tho had a similar or better equipment like Mikael, one man even had four swords on different lengths all around his body.

'Are they all coming to hand in or get a quest? Guess they use the early time to do business, spending the rest on completing their mission.'

He thought, glancing at a party that wore clothes with burnt parts and a lot of bandaged up bits.

'Maybe they also fought against a dangerous creature. At least more difficult than ours.'

Feeling their pain inwardly, he made his way to the first floor.

"I want to exchange these proof of subjugation." he simply said at the questioning look the female employee gave him as he put the bundle of ears and teeth on her counter.

Her looking at the child in front made her hesitant, maybe he had stolen this and was now trying to let it vanish here.

But on a second look she saw his weapons, his gear and the subtle scars on his exposed hands and face.

"Do you have maybe an ID?"

As if waiting for that, Mikael showed her his card, making it illuminate.

Without a comment, she brought out a purse, and after counting the huge amount of cut ears and teeth, a couple of silver were laid on the counter.

"I have looked up on your profile, seeing how you took on a mission with hunter Sophia to investigate a Goblin den. Are these from that mission?"

"That's right, we were against more enemies than anticipated, but ultimately got the mission done. I'll later hand in our completed quest together with her."

"Then I have to keep at least half of the money here, as we have to wait until she personally comes and retrieves it."

Mikael nodded, understanding that him getting all of it would be unreasonable and complicate things.

Taking his share, his pouch rejoiced at the coins that twinkled as he pocketed it.

His eyes glanced at the stairwell that led upwards a floor.

'Should I see the Guild Master? After all he said he'd like to groom me, said I might got a chance to learn magic.'

But quickly he forgot about his intend.

'Mr. Simon said I'd have to pass his test first, and that'd be after the Tusk Stalker hunt. I wonder what kind of people will show up. They should be stronger than Leon and Sophia. And these two are already quite skilled from what I saw. How are they not yet a higher rank?'

He wandered down again, sitting an empty table. Ordering a beer, despite the early morning, he glanced at the piano that stood there lonely on the stage.

Thinking back how Sophia played that piece after they survived Nodan, came back and rescued Leon's life.

'Will she play again something, inspired by our mission. Thrilling enough it was for sure.' His thoughts drifted as he sipped his drink.

'Maybe I can play an instrument like her. But nothing that big, my fingers would never reach the many different keys. Something smaller, a flute or string instrument.'

He heard in the distance a bell ringing, and soon enough the person he waited for entered.

Her clothes were different, as her old ones were damaged and dirty beyond acceptance. Her shirt and pants were fluffy, something a man would wear, and over her shoulders a cape with a hood in a dark green color was worn.

Her face no longer got covered by rows of bandages, replaced by a brown piece that stuck only over the damaged parts of her skin.

She quickly crossed the distance between her and Mikael, greeting with a short 'lo before getting right on topic.

"I have here our trophy, what do you say. How much more are we gonna get when presenting this piece of shit." her tone was quite angry as she held up a dirty cloth in which Mikael guessed the head was.

"I was pissed as I saw what he did to me. Lucky for it it's already dead, else I'd have drawn the time out to torture him."

"I never thought you would care so much about appearance." Mikael admitted.

"Why shouldn't I? No matter what, I see myself as a pretty woman and want to remain one. Scars on the body are one thing, but this bastard had to fire his shity spell right past my face."

She hit the bundle on the table, drawing quite some looks towards them. Mikael from his position could see how some female hunters nodded slightly, and men gazed at Sophia which didn't hid herself with her hood, her dark red hair and fair profile showing.

"Anyway, I already exchanged the ears, but you have to get your share yourselves. And how do we even explain that this Goblin was a evolved creature?" he questioned.

"They got their methods. Other than its obvious different color, there are other differences we might not see right now. That's why we took the whole head. Just let the staff here do their work. They aren't known to scam poor hunters, got a reputation to protect."

"How can you drink already that early in the morning? Aren't you just 11 or so?"

"Yes, but I quite like it, nothing wrong doing it, no?" He simply answered, not understanding why he couldn't have a beer right now.

He gulped down the last bit, leaving together with Sophia for the second floor.

They stood in queue by the same employee Mikael was before, and after a while it was their turn.

Sophia retrieved her share of the money, identifying herself with a piece of hide on which something was written. Before Mikael could get a glimpse she had already rolled it back up, pocketing it safely in her bag.

"Our next matter is about our quest. We have successfully investigate the Goblin cave, eliminated all the inhabitants",

'Not all of them' Mikael added inwardly, "and got surprised by this fellow here."

They handed over the medal each hunter got when accepting a quest, Sophia also placing her packet on the counter.

Before reveling the content, the employee asked with a raised eybrow:" There is a head in it. Right?"

Not waiting for a answer, she upended the cloth, emitting a audible sigh.

"Can you give me the story behind this?" she questioned as if she was wasted.

Mikael retold in Sophia's stead how they encountered and fought the Goblin, the woman's eyes gaining interest as the words -magic- and -evolved- were said.

"One moment, we got an expert for that.

Taking the bundle, she vanished behind another door, a room next to the one Mikael got his card.

Shortly after she came back, looking at Mikael as if she had now more respect towards him.

"First thank you for completing the quest. Here is your reward and your profile will be updated accordingly.

You can take place for now, our prober will show his result in a few minutes."

"Won't the reward be bigger when it shows that this thing was a lot more dangerous than the mission described?" Mikael asked, still already satisfied with the Silver and Copper that piled up before him.

"If it turns out positive, then yes. The rank will most likely not increase as it was already stone, but the content of the report changes, with it your profile and evaluation. And money of course. The head of that Goblin may hold a crystal, and is valuable for research purposes. It shouldn't be less than this reward here."

"Well if these aren't good news. Sadly we won't get any money for additionally wiping out a group of roaming Kobolds."

Sophia said as she laid onto the table, not caring that another female hunter gave her a disapproving gaze.

"Isn't this already enough? Double the reward and the money from the ears. I'm quite happy with it."

"You also didn't get your face injured. I need some medicine to fix this mess."

'Isn't this more a reason to be proud of?' Mikael thought. He saw scars as something to show of, to tell a story.

'But what can I understand how she feels about it.'

After 20 minutes, their names got called from a voice that sounded like it belonged to a man that worked in a mine.

A short but sturdy elderly woman with long gray hair waved them over, her eyes showing excitement that didn't fit with her call from before.

"I got good news for you." she began as the door closed behind Mikael, the head of the Goblin with a cut open skull on the near table.

What was interesting to Mikael, on a small pillow, an object laid not bigger than his finger, emitting a very subtle sensation he felt on occasion.