Chapter 5: Test

Arawn and his friends returned to the inn, their hearts pounding in their chests. They had all seen the figure in the grey hood, and they all knew that it was something sinister.

They sat down in a corner of the common room, away from the other patrons. They spoke in hushed tones, afraid that anyone might be listening.

"Who was that?" Elora asked, her voice trembling.

"I don't know," Arawn replied. "But I have a bad feeling about him."

"Me too," Zephyr said. "He was definitely not a good person."

"What do you think he wanted?" Eira asked.

"I don't know," Arawn said."But I think he's targeting us, and that scares the hell out of me."

"The old man at the guild said that the malevolent spirit is drawn to the negative emotions of people," Elora said. "Maybe the figure is trying to feed the malevolent spirit by causing fear and chaos."

"That's a possibility," Arawn said. "But it's also possible that he has some other goal."

They sat in silence for a few moments, each of them lost in their thoughts. Finally, Arawn spoke.

"We need to be careful," he said.

"We need to stay close together and watch our backs," Zephyr said.

"We need to figure out whether the figure in the hood is related to the malevolent spirit and the curse, or if he has some other goal," Eira said. "We can't defeat the malevolent spirit if we don't know who we're facing."

Arawn nodded in agreement, but then he realized something. He had no idea what he was doing. He had never been on an adventure before, and his only experience in fighting was the basic swordsmanship that Zephyr had taught him. He didn't know how to navigate the wilderness, and he didn't know anything about the malevolent spirit or the curse.

"I'm not sure I'm qualified to do this," he said.

Elora smiled. "Don't worry, Arawn," she said. "We'll help you. And besides, the guild can teach you the basics of adventuring. Why don't you go back to the guild and take the adventurer test? It will give you a good foundation to build on."

Arawn thought about it for a moment. Elora was right. He needed to learn more about adventuring before he could hope to defeat the malevolent spirit.

"Okay," he said. "I'll do it."

The next morning, Arawn went back to the guild. He went straight to the reception desk and was greeted by a friendly young woman.

"Good morning, Arawn," the receptionist said. "How may I help you?"

"I'd like to take the adventurer test," Arawn replied.

"Sure, just fill out this form," the receptionist said, handing him a piece of paper.

Arawn took the form and began to fill it out. He filled in his basic information, but when he got to the section on magic, he paused. He wasn't sure if he had any magic powers.

"Excuse me," he said to the receptionist. "How do I fill out the magic section? I don't know if I have magic powers."

"For that, you'll need to see a magic instructor," the receptionist said. "Unfortunately, the magic instructor is out of town today. But we can still test your theoretical and combat skills."

Arawn nodded and handed the form back to the receptionist. She gave him a handbook.

"Here, take this," she said. "It should help you understand the basics."

Then she led Arawn to the training area in the back of the building.

Arawn followed Sarah to the training area, where he saw a few other candidates preparing for the adventurer test. In the centre of the room stood a tall, bald man with a giant wooden sword on his back.

"Sir Liam," Sarah said to the bald man. "I bring you another disciple."

Arawn realized that this must be the instructor. He bowed his head respectfully.

"Hello, Sir Liam," he said. "My name is Arawn."

"Hmmm," Liam said, nodding.

"Sir Liam, please do not break the training area again," Sarah said sternly. "The guild master will be furious."

Arawn raised an eyebrow. It seemed that Liam had a history of being destructive.

"I'll try my best," Liam said with a mischievous grin.

"I'm sure you will," Sarah said dryly.

She turned to Arawn. "Good luck with the test, Arawn," she said. "I know you'll do great."

"Thank you, Sarah," Arawn said.

Sarah left, and Arawn turned to Liam.

"So, what's the first test?" he asked.

Liam smiled. "Let's find out," he said.

He led Arawn to a sparring ring and handed him a wooden sword.

"En garde," he said.

Arawn took a deep breath and raised his sword. He was ready to begin.

Arawn lunged at Sir Liam, his wooden sword raised high. Sir Liam easily dodged the blow, his body moving with practised grace. Arawn steadied himself and launched into a series of attacks, using the swordsmanship that Zephyr had taught him.

Sir Liam met Arawn's attacks with his bare hands. He was a skilled unarmed combatant, and he easily deflected Arawn's blows. Arawn was pushed back, his breath coming in short gasps. He was starting to lose.

Sir Liam saw that Arawn was on the last step. He decided to finish the sparring with a last blow. He raised his hand and brought it down in a powerful punch.

Arawn swung his sword upright at the last moment, targeting a small opening in Sir Liam's attack. Sir Liam was caught off guard. He reflexively used his giant wooden sword on his back as a shield.

Arawn's sword struck Sir Liam's giant sword with a loud clang. The force of the impact sent Arawn reeling back, but he managed to stay on his feet.

Sir Liam lowered his hand, his eyes wide with surprise. "You're inexperienced," he said. "Your moves are crude, but you have sharp instincts."

Arawn grinned. "Thanks," he said. "I'm still learning."

Sir Liam smiled back. "You'll be a great adventurer someday," he said.

But the sparring was not over yet.

Sir Liam's eyes narrowed, and his expression hardened. He knew that Arawn was a dangerous opponent, even with his lack of experience.

Sir Liam drew his giant sword from his back. The blade was massive, and it gleamed in the light of the torches.

Arawn raised his wooden sword, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew that this was the real test.

Sir Liam charged at Arawn, his giant sword raised high. Arawn met his charge head-on, his wooden sword held in a two-handed grip.

The two swords clashed together with a deafening clang. Arawn was forced back by the force of the impact, but he held his ground.

Sir Liam attacked again and again, his giant sword swinging like a pendulum. Arawn parried and dodged, his wooden sword flashing like lightning.

The two of them danced around the training ring, their swords clanging against each other. The air was thick with the smell of sweat and excitement.

The other candidates for the adventurer test watched in awe, their mouths agape. They had never seen anything like it.

Arawn knew that he couldn't keep this up forever. He was starting to tire.

Sir Liam saw Arawn's weakness, and he pressed his attack. He swung his giant sword with all his might, forcing Arawn back.

Arawn stumbled, and Sir Liam saw his chance. He raised his sword for the killing blow.

But Arawn was not ready to give up. He gathered the last of his strength and lunged at Sir Liam. His wooden sword pierced the air, heading straight for Sir Liam's heart.

Sir Liam's eyes widened in surprise. He tried to raise his sword to block, but it was too late.

Arawn's sword struck Sir Liam in the shoulder. Sir Liam staggered backwards, his sword falling to the ground.

Arawn lowered his sword, his chest heaving. He had won.

Sir Liam looked at Arawn, his eyes filled with respect. "You are a worthy opponent," he said. "I am glad that you are on our side."

Arawn smiled. "Thank you, Sir Liam," he said. "I have a lot to learn, but I am determined to become a great adventurer."

The other candidates for the adventurer test erupted into applause.

After the combat exam, Arawn took the theoretical exam with Sarah.

He learned a lot about the Adventurer's job, including the different types of quests that adventurers can take on. He also learned about the Rushdia country, its geography, and its capital city, Lumina.

After the exam, Sarah took Arawn to the Adventurer's Guild headquarters, which was a large and bustling building. Arawn was amazed by the number of people inside. There were adventurers of all ages and races, all dressed in different types of armour and carrying different types of weapons.

Sarah led Arawn to a desk where a receptionist was sitting. The receptionist smiled at them. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes," Sarah said. "This is Arawn. He has just passed the Adventurer's exam, and he's here to register as an adventurer."

The receptionist nodded. "Okay," she said. "Just fill out this form." She handed Arawn a piece of paper.

Arawn filled out the form with his basic information. When he got to the section on his skills and experience, he hesitated. He didn't have much experience, but he did know how to use a sword.

"What should I put here?" he asked Sarah.

"Well," Sarah said, "you know how to use a sword, right?"

Arawn nodded. "Yes."

"So put that," Sarah said. "You can also put that you have some experience in tracking and survival."

Arawn nodded and filled out the rest of the form. He handed it back to the receptionist.

"Thank you," the receptionist said. "Here is your Adventurer's Guild card. It proves that you are a registered adventurer." She handed Arawn a small metal card.

Arawn took the card and smiled. "Thank you," he said.

"Now," the receptionist said, "you can start taking quests. There are quests for all levels of experience, so don't be afraid to start small. And if you ever need any help, just come back to the guild and we'll be happy to assist you."

Arawn thanked the receptionist again and then he and Sarah left the building.

Arawn thanked Sarah and then he went back to the inn to meet Zephyr, Elora, and Eira. They were all excited to hear that he had passed the Adventurer's exam.

"Congratulations, Arawn!" Zephyr said. "We're so proud of you."

"Thanks," Arawn said. "I couldn't have done it without your help."

"Now, let's celebrate!" Elora said.

They all ate and drank and talked about Arawn's future as an adventurer.

"What kind of quests do you want to take on?" Eira asked.

"I don't know," Arawn said. "I'm open to anything."

"Maybe you could start with some simple quests," Zephyr said. "Like hunting monsters or gathering herbs."

"Once you've gained some experience, you can start taking on more challenging quests," Elora said.

"Yeah," Arawn said. "That sounds good."

They finished their meal and then they went outside to sit by the campfire. They talked for hours about their hopes and dreams for the future.

Arawn was grateful for his friends. He knew that he couldn't have done this without them. He was excited to start his new career as an adventurer, and he knew that he could always count on his friends to support him.