The Observer and a party

The market district was quiet as the last light of day faded behind the towering buildings. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of freshly baked bread and iron from the nearby smithies. Bear Paw Shop stood at the corner, its sign hanging loosely with the word CLOSED boldly displayed for all to see. Inside, the glow of the forge dimmed as Orm sat, a heavy cigar dangling from his lips, his calloused hands working on a piece of armor, the rhythmic scrape-scrape of metal against stone filling the otherwise silent room.

As he worked, his thoughts were elsewhere, his mind occupied with the weight of the weapon he was forging—an order from the mysterious leader. Orm's patience was thin tonight, his brow furrowed in irritation. Another kid... he thought bitterly. Why is it always the damn kids who end up in this mess?

The door creaked open suddenly, interrupting his solitude. Orm didn't even look up, his voice low and irritated. "The shop is closed, you read the damn sign."

But the voice that responded wasn't one Orm expected. It was smooth, cloaked in an unnerving calmness. "Did you give it to the boy?"

Orm froze, his hand halting mid-polish, cigar smoke curling lazily from his lips. The voice—deep and ominous—belonged to a figure that appeared from the shadows of the doorway, a cloaked figure whose presence made the room feel colder.

"Not yet," Orm muttered, his irritation replaced by a hint of unease. "He's not ready."

The cloaked figure took a step forward, the faint rustling of fabric punctuating the air. "Sure he is. You haven't seen it yet, but that boy can progress faster than you can strike your hammer to a golem."

Orm's eyebrows shot up, a rare hint of surprise crossing his face. He set down the armor piece, giving the stranger a skeptical look. "How so?"

The cloaked figure stepped closer, his eyes gleaming faintly from beneath the hood. "We've tested him. He can remember anything after seeing it just once."

Orm's grip on the armor tightened as he processed the words. "Perfect memory, huh?" He chuckled, but it lacked humor. "That's impressive. But what's that got to do with anything?"

"Everything," the cloaked figure replied. "The leader planted a picture book in the library—dual weapon arts, and close-combat defensive techniques. The boy doesn't know it yet, but his memory is flawless. He just needs someone to teach him how to use it well."

Orm's thoughts churned. A boy who could memorize anything. Hell, sounds like a blessing… or a curse. He rubbed the back of his neck, staring at the cloaked figure in silence.

After a moment, Orm grimaced. "If what you're saying is true, his body won't hold up if he tries to use that memory. He needs training, a lot of it. His body needs to keep up with that mind of his, or it'll break him."

The cloaked figure gave a cold chuckle. "That's the problem. The leader wants you to find the Fool and get them acquainted. That's the only way. You know how stubborn the boy can be, and his parents might catch on otherwise."

Orm was taken aback. "That damn person's crazy," he muttered under his breath. "You want me to find someone, teach this kid how to fight with two weapons, how to use all that information he's hoarding, and he might break doing it?"

The cloaked figure didn't flinch at Orm's harsh tone. "It's not your concern, Orm. Finish the weapon as ordered by the leader. We'll deal with the boy's limits later."

Orm stared at the figure for a long moment, the silence thick between them. He wasn't happy about this. He wasn't happy about the leader's plan, nor about how the kid would handle all this pressure. But it wasn't like he had much of a choice.

"Tsk, fine," Orm grumbled, grabbing a freshly forged piece of metal from the anvil and inspecting it closely. "I'll find the Fool and relay the message, but you better not come back to me crying when that boy cracks under the weight of his own mind."

The cloaked figure said nothing, but Orm felt its cold gaze on him for a moment longer than was comfortable. Then, without another word, the figure turned and left, disappearing into the shadows.

As the door closed behind the cloaked figure, Orm let out a long sigh. He glanced at the weapon on his workbench, his hands instinctively returning to it. Don't overwork yourself, lad, he muttered softly, almost to himself.

He picked up his cigar again, lighting it with the faint flicker of a nearby flame. The smoke curled up into the air, filling the small room with a pungent scent. Orm's eyes narrowed as he stared into the glowing embers of the forge, his mind heavy with the knowledge of what lay ahead.

There was no turning back now.

*********

As we finished collecting the loot from the fallen goblins, the dungeon's eerie silence hung in the air, broken only by the faint rustling of our movements. I bent down, my fingers brushing over the smooth surface of a gem, feeling the coolness of the blue crystal against my skin. The dim light of the dungeon gave the gems an ethereal glow, making them almost seem alive. A few more moments passed in silence, both of us picking through the remains of the battle, organizing our spoils.

Then, Elise's voice cut through the quiet. "You're new, non-magical, and not an academy graduate," she said, her tone thoughtful. "Yet, you fight like you've trained for years. You handle yourself like you've done this kind of thing multiple times before."

I paused, unsure how to answer at first. Her question caught me off guard. I scratched my head, pondering her words. "Me?" I chuckled awkwardly, the weight of the axes on my back a reminder of how I had fought through the entire ordeal. "Well, I'm a smart one, you see. I used to work at the public library, so no magic or fancy training for me. But I've read plenty of books on combat tactics, you know, simple stuff like—when an opponent dashes at you, guard up, strike them before they reach you. That way, you stop their momentum and stagger them to create an opening. Plus, since I was a kid, I've been chopping wood, so swinging these axes... well, it's pretty easy for me."

Elise seemed to mull over my words, her expression thoughtful as if she wasn't entirely convinced. "Was it really that easy?" she seemed to wonder to herself, though she didn't voice it. Her brow furrowed, but she didn't say anything further.

I glanced at the pile of loot we had gathered and then asked, "How do we split this stuff?"

She raised an eyebrow, looking at the precious gems we had collected, and then glanced over at me. "You know," she said casually, "you can have those bigger gems. I think I'll take the smaller ones."

I looked at her in surprise, my mouth opening slightly as if i was about to protest. But then i closed it, I gave a small nod, conceding, "Alright. Thanks, Elise."

She smiled and shrugged. "No big deal. Besides, it's not like I could've taken on those elites without you."

After divvying up the loot and taking our respective shares, I turned to Elise, suddenly feeling a bit more at ease. "Hey, um, when are we diving again? You know, if it doesn't bother you... could I tag along with you next time?"

Elise's eyes widened in surprise. She blinked a few times, and her thoughts seemed to swirl for a moment. Wait, I saved you, and you killed the goblin elites—shouldn't I be the one asking you to tag along? Her thoughts seemed to be in turmoil, but she quickly composed herself, letting out a sigh. "You want to team up?" She seemed uncertain, but there was a flicker of interest in her voice. "I dive almost every day... I suppose I could use some help."

I grinned, the prospect of diving together exciting me. "Then it's a deal," I said confidently. "I'll wait for you tomorrow morning by the entrance. We'll tackle the dungeon together."

Elise's face softened, and she gave me a nod. "Alright, it's a deal. We'll meet up then."

With that settled, we both started to gather our things, preparing to leave the dungeon for the day. The air outside felt crisp as we stepped out into the daylight, the sounds of the bustling city filling my ears. The walk back to the guild was relatively quiet, save for a few brief exchanges as we shared stories of our past dives. Elise was clearly more experienced, but I could tell she appreciated the help.

We parted ways at the entrance of the Dungeon Diver Guild, both of us heading in to exchange our loot for guild credits and to replenish our potions. As I stood in line, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. Tomorrow was another chance—another challenge. With Elise by my side, maybe I'd even make it further into the dungeon than I ever had before.

"See you tomorrow, Kael," Elise called out to me as she left, her figure disappearing into the bustling crowd.

"Yeah," I muttered under my breath, a grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Tomorrow."