Harkin walked around the rest of the courtyard flexing his fingers, still half-stunned by what his body could now do. But then his stomach growled loud and angry.
When was the last time I ate…?
He thought. Harkin walked towards the interior of the Guild post.
Inside, torchlight bathed the interior hall in gold. The dining commons was busy but hushed — long tables, benches, and iron chandeliers swaying slightly from the draft.
"There it is," Harkin muttered, hunger gleaming in his eyes. Harkin grabbed countless pieces of the meat slabs and sticks chewing into them like a starved wolf. Bone cracked. Grease dripped from his chin.
"You dirty animal what do you think your doing." A snobby sort of voice spoke.
Harkin turned, mouth full still chewing. A wiry man in the crimson-and-black uniform of the Guild stood there, face twisted in disgust. His eyes had that upper-class gleam
"Do you think this is some sort of charity tavern? Show some damn decorum. You're just a wanderer - you don't get to waltz in and help yourself to our rations."
Harkin sucked meat from a bone, then casually spat it on the floor. "You talk too much." Harkin said Yawning.
The man's jaw clenched as he reached behind his back. A long, slender spear began sliding from its sheath.
"I will teach you some manners, outsider"
[On the other side of the Guild Post]
"Heinris what brings you here?" The voice was ancient, thick with age and wisdom.
Hienris bowed slightly. "I encountered someone. Not just another rogue. He's one of those marked ones. He obliterated a training beast.
"A training beast? Really is that it." The voice spoke again.
"No, Guildmaster.... you don't understand," Hienris said, voice low. "That wasn't some trained killer showing off."
He stepped closer into the lamplight.
"That was his first time. The way he moved, the way he looked at his own hands afterward — it wasn't controlled. It wasn't learned. It was raw. Like he didn't even know what he was capable of." "Guildmaster… you're not grasping it. That wasn't just instinct — he looked shocked by himself. I swear on my badge, that was the first time he's ever used the Mark."
The Guildmaster didn't speak. The room seemed to grow colder.
"Newly marked," Hienris continued. "Fresh. Untrained. Untouched by guild doctrine or ritual."
The Guildmaster's fingers tapped the wood. Once. Twice. Then stopped.
"That kind of power... uncontrolled..."
He leaned forward.
"It's the most dangerous kind."
"Keep a watch of him."
With a final nod to the Guildmaster, Heinris stepped out of the warmly lit room, shadows trailing him as the door creaked softly shut behind.
[Dining hall]
The spear was pressed right near Harkin's throat the Guild member looked visibly angry.
"You scumbag." The Guild member said pressing the spear at Harkin's throat.
"Get that away from my face you fucker." Harkin growled
"Hey, hey, hey, break it up," a voice slurred — thick with ale and authority.
Then, without warning, the air turned heavy, crushing down on Harkin like the weight of a collapsing mountain. His knees buckled instinctively, spine stiffening under the invisible force that flooded the room.
Harin turned to look at the figure as he saw the Guild member already on his knees from the random pressure.
The man staring at them was built like a war-boar—broad, solid, and unnervingly dense, as if he'd been carved from stone rather than born. His shoulders stretched his cloak to its limits, and every inch of his frame looked like it had been carved by a drunk sculptor A wild, tangled beard covered most of his face with the exception of a long drawn out scar on the right side of his face , and his straw-like hair stuck out in every direction like he'd slept in a ditch and liked it. He was guzzling from a bottle of ale, the liquid spilling down his chin as he watched them with half-lidded eyes and a grin that didn't quite reach sanity.
"Mighty Bjorn." The Guild member said trembling from the pressure but looking at the drunkyard with utmost respect. "Bow down you travelling fuck."
"Why the fuck wou-" Harkin got stopped abruptly. "Thats The Staggering Boar of Craigspine."
"He's the only person in our guild and countless others to take on more then two Umbrolox's at the same time and defeat them."
"Oho explaining my legends eh." Bjorn slurred. "It was actually nine Umbrolox's but hey it wasn't me counting." Bjorn laughed loud.
Harkin seemed impressed he could already tell Bjorn was no joke from being able to freeze Harkin with his aura alone but to defeat nine Umbrolox's by yourself was basically humanly impossible.
"So how many torches did you bring with you?" Harkin asked him.Everyone knew the best way to defeat Umbrolox's was to bring an abundance of torches Umbrolox's where only almost invincible in pure darkness.
"Torches why the fuck would I have brought that with me that ruins the fun" Bjorn said as he poured a large amount of his ale onto a meat slab and started chewing on it.
Harkin stared at him in both horror and awe. An Umbrolox in pitch darkness was just inhumane they could clone themselves in the dark their six legs had enough power to crush terrains and their ability to travel with the dark itself and defeating nine of them that was diabolical.
"Maybe you do deserve my bow." Harkin said. Bowing down respectfully at Bjorn.
"Woah Woah there's no need especially not from someone else whose been given a rune." Bjorn answered embarrassed
"Runes? What in the fuck is that?" Harkin asked confused.
"Oh yeah never mind,I meant your a marked one aren't you?"
"How did yo-"
"Your marked" the guild member looked at Harkin incredulously.
"You just got recently marked haven't you" Bjorn said his voice booming across the entire dining area.
"How the fuck do you kno-" Harkin asked.
"I can sense it thats how" Bjorn responded.
Bjorn took Harkin and walked away, "Have they tried recruiting you yet buck" Bjorn asked slurring his words.
"Yeah they ha-" Harkin started answering.
"Well don't let em snatch you up believe me you still got a lot of time and potential before you should retire into a Guild."
"Uh alright then." Harkin said nodding.
Bjorn walked away humming some drunkard tune, Harkin walked back to the room he had awoken from and he saw Barek and Aylin start packing up.
"Where are you lot going?" Harkin asked.
"Oh we stayed up our time here we only ever came here to submit you here when we found you in the forest we're planning on heading to the main city of Craigspine Court." Barek answered.
Harkin nodded before looking at Aylin.
"Dont forget about me when your Brewery becomes a major business." He teased.
"Hey!" she said smiling. playfully hitting his arm.
"Ow." she said easing the pain on her fist.
"Your built like a gate you know that you big meanie." She scoffed.
Harkin grinned "Well I guess I cant help it." he said apologetically.
Barek and Aylin left the room with a farewell, Aylin waved at Harkin madly and he started laughing. A couple minutes later Harkin decided to take a bath. When he came back he realised that Aylin had left her brewery kit behind.