Trials

Arjuna and Alanis walked into the city of Dawn with small grins on their faces. Arjuna wasn't paying any attention to the affinity gauge he had with Alanis all that he was focusing on was that he had found a new partner for his future adventures.

As the two walked through the city gates, Alanis felt some people's gazes on him as they walked through. Most of them seemed to come from woman that seemed to watch Alanis specifically, the people that watched her varied from random innkeepers looking out from the windows of their inn to a few passing rich noblewomen taking their morning stroll.

Alanis even though she was wearing a hood that covered her face and most of her defining features felt an intuitive sense of danger from those people. But they didn't emit any bloodlust so she didn't attack them, yet.

The two leisurely walked through the streets with Arjuna occasionally stopping to greet back to a few random adventurers that he knew from his days of gathering herbs to a person a disciple in the dawn alchemists.

Arjuna wasn't good at initiating any conversations, he was on the more introverted side, but that didn't mean he didn't want companions and friends, on the contrary, he probably wanted them even more than his brother Perseus.

Thankfully Arjuna didn't need to approach anyone or start to become more social. People started to gather around, from adventures to the elf girl that was walking next to him. They all approached him out of their volition, Arjuna was fine with one to one conversations but big events intimidated him, he much preferred escaping to the vast plains outside following wherever the wind lead him, then in a cramped space with lots of people.

Arjuna walked down the wide streets of the city of dawn. The cobblestone streets with bits of fallen leaves littered around it. Wooden houses with colorful banners of blue, green, red, and brown were spread over the houses, sometimes they stretched over the street.

Small stalls filled with fresh fruits and veggies were sprinkled here and there, with their stall keepers constantly shouting aloud to bring more customers. Arjuna saw small patches of pink and purple flowers being set out on the balcony of a two-storied building and wondered what type of flower they were.

The bright blue sky along with the bustling groups of people moving through the city gave the city a cherry atmosphere.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the archery guild. Arjuna looked up at it, before he was too tired to even look at his surroundings he was just busying completing all of the tasks he was given in an almost deadpan way. But now after his recent little "excursion" he now could look around in the world of WOW and enjoy the world.

The archery guild hall rose in front of them towering over the rest of the two and even three-story buildings.

It wasn't one complete building like the adventures guild, but instead, it was sectioned into multiple buildings all interconnected on the second floor with what seemed to be small hallways that lead into each one. Arjuna could see through the windows on those small hallways and could see many rangers and archers passing through them.

The roofs of the archery guild were a darkish green, that reminded Arjuna of the color of the forest. Large stones made up the walls of the guild along with large brown wooden beams. The emblem of the archer guild a simple bow outstretched with an arrow in it. Was displayed proudly at the front of the guild where many people walked in and out of the guild entrance.

Arjuna and Alanis walked in, Arjuna noticed the dark green color like the one on the roof was also displayed in the interior of the guild. A dark green carpet ran through the middle of the wooden-floored building.

Of course, the tables that Arjuna always passed by were there, and at the very back was the receptionist table and a bulletin board filled with quests and more was on its right. A set of mounted lanterns illuminated the surroundings along with the light streaming through the windows of the guild that were placed all around the guild.

On the left of the receptionist table was a set of stairs that led up to the second floor, where many people were walking down from. The second floor served as a hub for more private discussions with lots of private rooms along with lots of space for people to rest in. Classrooms in the other part of the guild and the training ground behind the archery guild were again crowded.

A loud gruff voice sounded from the balcony of the second floor

"oi, you two, back so early?"

Both of them looked up to see the gnome archery master Sninkkaakac looking at them. Arjuna with his sharp eyes noticed a smile momentarily pass through his face only for the gnome to suppress it quickly.

Arjuna looked back at the gnome and gave a small wave, slightly mocking the gnome though he would never say that out loud.

The gnome master shook his head and muttered to himself

"annoying brats"

and slammed his hand onto the railing accidentally creating a large crack. Thankfully only a few noticed the loud noise Sninkkaakac had made over the loud din in the archery guild. The gnome motioned to the two and walked into a private room.

Arjuna looked at Alanis who shook her head at Arjuna's smug attitude and followed Arjuna as he walked up the stairs to where the gnome waited. Or more specifically the Nightfall Archer that they were striving to become the successor of.

Arjuna pushed the door open with a thrust and strode into the private room with Alanis treading behind him gently.

Sninkkaakac was already waiting for them seating on one side of the wooden table. He was sitting in a simple wooden chair, and he waited for Arjuna and Alanis to walk over to the couch.

Arjuna walked over and sat down, staring back at Sninkkaakac who was giving him a hard glare. While Alanis gave a small blush and sat down next to Arjuna inadvertently brushing her legs up to his.

Sninkkaakac said one word when they had both sat down.

"proof"

And within seconds Arjuna had already brought out the fangs of the two giant snakes and had tossed them onto the wooden table.

Sninkkaakac reached his hand out and held on of them in his hands,

"interesting," he said to himself with a small smirk on his face

After a bit, he set down the fang and said to Arjuna seriously

"Arjuna, I would recommend you to give up on your quest, it's impossible for you"

Arjuna responded quickly

"but i just finished your quest"

Sninkkaakac replied

"That was only the first mission you will have many more ahead of you if you continue to try"

Arjuna pointed to the fangs on the desk.

"theirs your answer, now give me the next quest"

Sninkkaakac sighed. Arjuna truly was a prized student, probably one of his best, he was attentive, hardworking a genius in almost anything he picked up. Sninkkaakac had been thinking of making Arjuna his successor in his archery abilities. But now he wanted something more. Something much more dangerous.

He had already tried to discourage them but asking them to take down two leader ranked monsters in a week. Most people would run away after hearing that task. But those two returned within 5 days.

Speaking of two, Sninkkaakac looked at Alanis, who had taken off her hood and was nervously looking at both Arjuna and him.

Sninkkaakac didn't remember her. He really tried too, he remembered a lot, from the time he and his comrades decided to go into exile to when they used to traverse the world. He could remember saving a few elven villages from orc raids, and he even remembered scaring a few elven people with his attire. But a little elven girl?

Sninkkaakac narrowed his eyes as he looked at Alanis, she could be pretending to get closer to him. But Sninkkaakac checked himself before he did anything rash. He trusted Arjuna's decision his current favorite disciple, Besides she had shown lots of talent from what he had gleaned from her training at the training center behind the guild. But still, he would keep an eye on her.

Sninkkaakac wondered to himself

"But how could she have elements of the enchanted forests elves technique?"

Arjuna interrupted Sninkkaakac's thoughts with a confused expression.

"sooooo, what are we doing?"

Sninkkaakac could see Alanis facepalming from the corner of his eye as Arjuna said that. He looked at Arjuna one more time. Diligent brown eyes that gave off an innocent and earnest glow, raven black hair, and a well-built figure. Though he was a bit blunt at times, he was a diligent disciple for the rest of it.

Perhaps, he would just follow the succession steps to see how far he would go. After all, he would be much easier to teach once he knew his limits and boundaries as a human. Sninkkaakac looked at Arjuna and with a sharp glint in his eyes answered

"fine, you finished your quest, your next one will take you a while so listen well"