Part 2:

“So, er, Star,” Illaeara said, swirling her tea and leaning back in the tavern stool, “you have work for us?”

Starflower nodded, a grin splitting her face. “Yeah! It’s important, world-saving work, too!”

Illaeara glanced back at Danie and Esthaenie, both of whom were giving Starflower incredulous looks. “Yes, well, you could be more specific,” Illaeara said, pushing a stumbling and tipsy Eris away, “what is this threat you speak of? I’m not sure if we can accept a risky job…”

“Well, I’ll be coming with,” Starflower said, “and anyway, it’s not that risky. You probably--probably--wouldn’t meet a terrible and untimely death. And it’s only the fate of the world that hangs in the balance, not the fate of the entire universe.”

“Ah, yes, my fears are put completely at ease,” said Illaeara, the lights that represented her eyes flickering scarlet in irritation.

“Great!” said Starflower, her face glowing with happiness, “so you’ll-”

“I don’t think she understood that you were being sarcastic,” said Esthaenie, glowering from behind the purple rims of her glasses.

“Sarcastic?” said Starflower, deflating, “Ah. I see. Your humor is very subtle.”

“Honey, as sarcasm goes, Illaeara’s is about as subtle as a brick to the face,” Danie said, running a hand through neon green hair, “anyways, this mission is way too large-scale. We’ve collected the bounty for saving this town from orcs. Our job is over. You can even have a couple thousand gold pieces, if Westward is okay with it, because you saved-”

“We accept your offer.”

The party whirled to see Westward, who was grinning at Starflower with unusual enthusiasm. Illaeara stood and folded her arms, dress and gloves rustling. “Pardon me?”

“Speaking as a lawful good,” Westward said, smiling at Starflower, “I can’t refuse help to a gir-a person in need. Anyway, if it’s true that the entire world’s fate hangs in the balance, it concerns all of our safety.”

He smiled back at his party. The smile faltered on his face as he met Danie’s incredulous stare, Esthaenie’s doubtful grimace, and Illaeara’s two lights in the dark of her hood, slanted in annoyance. “So our opinions don’t matter, then?” Esthaenie said, “We haven’t even heard what the threat is, specifically. It could be a god or titan. This could be completely out of our league.”

“I agree with the avariel,” Illaeara said, “we aren’t prepared to defend the entire world.”

“Wha-?” Eris said, grinning at all of them and downing another ale. She promptly passed out.

“One, we’re paying you two,” Westward indicated Danie and Esthaenie, “so you answer to me. Two, Eris hasn’t said anything against us, and three, Illaeara is outvoted.”

“We don’t have to work for you,” said Danie, her attempt at a cool snub ruined by her darting eyes and fidgeting.

“No, you don’t. And fine, Westward, let’s hear this complete stranger out. I’m sure that we’ll be fully convinced to join because of her morals and cute little puppy dog eyes. And the fact that she is a very beautiful wood elf helps! That helps you a lot.”

“I’m not that shallow, you shadowy little-”

“Three billion gold pieces apiece.”

Danie spit out her ale and Illaeara’s eye-lights turned white with pure shock. Westward gasped and Esthaenie looked ready to jump out of her chair. Eris lifted her head from the table, completely sober, and shouted, “I’M IN!”

Esthaenie jumped in her chair and swatted Eris with a cloaked wing. Eris smirked at Esthaenie before turning back to Starflower. “Look, whatever you want me to do, I’m in. When can we start?”

Illaeara rolled her eye-lights at Eris’s sudden interest and turned back to Starflower, stiff with shock. “How do you… how do you have that sort of money?”

She watched Starflower’s face for any sort of deception, but there was none that she could discern. The druid gave her a coy smile and said, “My benefactor has taken an interest in your adventures. Join me on my quest, and she’ll reward you with kings’ ransoms.”

“I’m in,” Illaeara heard Danie say. Esthaenie nodded with a hesitant jerk of her head, flexing her hand over the hilt of her sword. Illaeara huffed at Westward’s self-satisfied smirk.

The rest of her party turned to her, and Illaeara glared back. “Please tell me you aren’t taking her claims seriously.”

Esthaenie shrugged. “Well, I’m still suspicious, true, but if she truly does have the funds… I could start fresh.”

The others, to Illaeara’s irritation, didn’t seem to question Starflower’s offer. Illaeara pulled the avariel aside.

“This druid is likely to be unhinged,” muttered Illaeara, glaring sidelong at the beautiful wood elf, “we need to see proof at the very least.”

“Agreed,” Esthaenie said, “but if she does somehow have the funds…”

“I understand,” Illaeara said, “I’m glad you’re here. I’m usually alone in my suspicions.”

“If we have proof-” Estaenie began, before Starflower’s lilt interrupted.

“Ale is on me! Open a tab!” Star called to the bartender. Illaeara snorted in disbelief as greedy villagers rushed to order ales.

“Perhaps we do,” Illaeara smiled. 

Part 3 of the story comes tomorrow!

I say! That was exceptional Brooke! Exceptional!

Here it is!
Part 3:

Esthaenie was the last downstairs in the morning, to her disappointment. Warriors didn’t oversleep. She ran a hand through her deep red hair to comb out the snarls and descended the staircase, wings tucked under her violet cloak.

“Hey, look, featherface finally decided to join us,” Eris said, sipping her morning ale.

“One, only I get to make up insulting nicknames for our feathered friend here,” Danie said, “and two, you really shouldn’t be drinking ale right now. It’s 9 o’clock.”

“How much ale did you drink last night? Heavens, I’m afraid to ask,” Esthaenie said.

“Ten.”

Esthaenie went pale. Westward groaned and put his head in his hands. “Ten-you drank TEN pints of ale?”

“Ten QUARTS, law-bro. I’m no lightweight.”

Esthaenie shook her head in disbelief. Illaeara muttered, “By all laws of nature you should be dead. Then again, as a wizard, I learned to disregard the laws of nature almost completely. You should, however, stop drinking ale, if only to give your liver time to cry alone in the corner. I-why are you ordering another round?”

Esthaenie put her face in her hands as Eris downed another ale. Danie snickered.

A finely shaped hand flew out and knocked over the rest of the drink. “If I may?” Starflower said, “I was speaking.”

Eris scowled at her. “That was a perfectly good ale!”

“She’s paying for ‘em,” Danie pointed out. Eris punched Danie in the arm. Danie looked down at the unbruised place where Eris had attempted to punch her, muttering, “Ow?” Esthaenie nearly laughed, before remembering herself.

Starflower cleared her throat. “Fine, flower power, go ahead.” said Eris.

“The Vakashards are being hunted.”

Esthaenie gasped. Illaeara clenched her hand around her tea, nearly breaking the handle. Danie sat up in her chair and put a hand on Esthaenie’s shoulder to steady herself. Westward shook his head. Even Eris looked a bit nervous.

“That is impossible,” Illaeara said, “even if the ones in Verineth, Vilimount, and Varisol fell, the one in Vosikoth is buried under hundreds of miles of runes and rock. No mortal could break them. This quest is useless.”

“Well, the one in Varisol is so high it is unreachable even by avariel. It is protected by our best sorcerers. I doubt the dark elves are so skilled.” Esthaenie said, defensive of her homeland despite her runaway status.

Illaeara shrugged. “Well, the skill of the various elven races is debateable. The safety of the shards, however, are not. They are in the four most magically protected places in the world. There is no way that any person could possibly attain them.”

“The man hunting them has already taken the one from the molten core of the Vilimount Mountain. He could do more,” Starflower said, eyes grim. Danie rubbed her temples, setting her dagger on the table. A shiver ran down Esthaenie’s spine.

“Hold on,” Danie said, “this man… the “Hunstman”... he broke into the Vilimount chamber?”

Starflower nodded. “Yes. And I need your group’s help.”

“We are happy to do anything you ask,” Westward said, taking Starflower’s hands in his. Starflower gave him a pearly smile. Westward blushed crimson. Illaeara swatted their hands apart.

“Sorry, but our… ‘guild’, if it can even be called that, is hardly capable of battling a man capable of breaking into the fourth most magically protected place in the world.” Illaeara said. Esthaenie nodded, nudging at Danie to do the same.

“Even I have to agree with Spooky McHoodface,” Eris said, tuning her lute, “this is out of our league.”

Westward scowled back at them. “Really? You’re simply going to give up? After all of the threats we’ve successfully faced before?”

“Exactly,” Danie said, “look, if you want to get yourself killed, go ahead. Me? I’m a rogue. I look out for myself and those close to me. And I’m close to no one.” She said the last bit quickly, glancing at Esthaenie from under a shock of neon green hair. Esthaenie told herself it was nothing.

“Yes, Westward, we are. We will die if we attempt this. And we all know why you’re so eager to be helping the druidess,” Esthaenie said, sneering at him for a moment before regaining her composure.

“That is preposterous. I am not swayed by something so shallow as looks,” Westward snapped. Starflower was off in her own world, playing with two butterflies fluttering around her head. Eris had taken notice and was swatting at them with a passion until Illaeara grabbed her hands and forced her to turn to Westward.

“Yeah, sorry, West. I’m out unless I am 100% sure I’m not going to end up in a dark sorcerer’s crime scene. The money is great, but… I’m not sure she has it. And anyway, we’d be too dead to use it.” Eris said.

“Oh, but you should stay!” Starflower said, snapped out of her reverie, “There’s a prophecy to fulfill!”

Illaeara looked up from her tea, one eyelight notched in an incredulous stare. “A prophecy? Of course.”

“Please. Even I could have come up with something more convincing,” said Esthaenie.

Starflower folded her arms. “Ever heard of the Draconica?”

No reaction came from any but Illaeara. Illaeara looked like she was about to start screaming. “You think that we are the Guild the Draconica speaks of?”

“Precisely. Think about it,” Starflower said, her innocent smile offset by the smug twinkle in her eyes. Esthaenie suddenly wanted to punch it off her face. No! Esthaenie was an honorable warrior. No needless violence.

“Sorry, what’s this Draconica about?” asked Danie.

Illaeara’s yellow-white eyelights regained a bit of their natural silver color. “Th-the Draconica is an ancient text written by the greatest elven wizards of each subrace. The book details many epic-level spells, and a prophecy concerning a guild. And now that I am reminded of it, our guild does bear a striking resemblance to the one in the prophecy…”

“How so?” said Esthaenie, adjusting her glasses.

“A rogue in green and ebony,” Illaeara said, indicating Danie.

“A cleric of the Northern gods,” Illaeara said, pointing to Westward.

“An avariel warrior,” she pointed to Esthaenie.

“A wood elf druidess,” she indicated Starflower, whose grin had only grown wider.

“A half-halfling bard full of rage,” said Illaeara. Eris nodded, satisfied.

“And a… a figure who must wear a hood.” she said, eye-lights darting about with self-consciousness.

There was a silence over the group. Starflower broke it. “Well?” she asked, looking around for reactions.

No response. Esthaenie chewed her lip.

“Look,” Starflower sighed, “there are three Vakashards that haven’t been stolen, and I’m giving each of you three billion. How about you come with me to Verineth, and after we’re done with that I’ll give you the first billion gold pieces? Then you can see if you’re willing to stick with this… quest.”

There was another pause, then slow nodding from Danie and Westward. Illaeara sighed and raised a hand in acceptance. Eris shrugged, grinning at Starflower. Esthaenie muttered a hesitant, “Alright.”

“Okay!” Starflower cheered, “Verineth, here we come! We’ll go through Brinnavith Forest.”

“That’s a… dangerous route to take,” Esthaenie said, wringing her hands and trying to keep a steely mask of calm.

Starflower was about to say something when she was interrupted by a blonde halfling man clearing his throat. A woman with pale leopard ears and another with fox ears stood behind him, flanking him. Esthaenie took note of each of their weapons, preparing for a fight.

“Sorry,” he said, indicating two women with animal traits behind him, “I’m Esquin O’Roan, and these are Cloud and Killim. We heard that you need a guide through Brinnavith Forest.” 

Your writing is wounderful Brooke! Cant wait to see what is next.

Oh uh... I forgot to tell you Im a girl. But its tottaly fine ither way! No sweat, just wanted to let you know.