That next morning, the Vale guild was alive with activity. Customers moved throughout the giant hall, carrying papers, supplies, vestiges and equipment. Some adventurers, challengers, were returning from jobs. Others were preparing to leave right away.
At the center of it all stood a massive wooden board covered in papers. Requests, bounties, escort missions, lost items. Dozens upon dozens of jobs awaiting.
Skysin stood in front of it with his arms crossed, "hmmm…"
He squinted, "hmmmm…"
The young man thought even harder, "HMMMM…"
From the desk nearby, Elaine peeked over, "what're you doing, Sin?"
Skysin pointed to the board, eyes still on the papers, "learning." He turned to her, "yo, 'Laine. What is this stuff?"
Elaine smiled, walking over, arms behind her back, "That's the job board." She stepped beside him, "it's where people submit requests and offer payment."
Elaine's finger moved across several postings: "Protection. Monster subjugation. Supply deliveries. Missing people. Escorting missions. Basically, anything someone needs help with."
Skysin thoughtfully nodded, "interesting… Never seen this before." He stroked his chin, as if he discovered a profound truth.
Elaine went on, "wandering challengers who're not part of a coalition usually take these jobs when they come through Tayon."
"Easy way to make cash, huh?"
Elaine nodded, "rovers can take missions too, but there are limits."
Skysin raised a brow, "how come?"
"Well, rovers travel. Whether it's themselves, other people, goods, info. Even help connect information between the Dimensional Highway." Elaine looked over to Skysin, "challengers are considered specialists in this criterion. Their primary purpose and job is taking dangerous quests, after all."
"Ah… so the 'coo-coo' people…"
"…Basically." Elaine giggled, poking her own cheek, "though you're not far from it."
Crim suddenly wandered into the hall, holding a toolbox. He glanced at the board, then Skysin. Alarm bells were already ringing in his head, "oh great."
"What?"
Crim pointed, "you're looking at missions. You plus a mission… equals not so good."
Skysin nearly gasped, "what the hell man?! Why am I considered the chaotic one?"
At that exact moment, Ai Mei walked past carrying paperwork, "because statistically speaking, you are."
"HEY!"
Elaine giggled as Crim nodded.
Skysin's eyes went back onto the board and then suddenly smiled manically. They knew that whatever Skysin was cooking wasn't going to be good.
The boy was pleading with the sisters to let him get a job. He needed some kind of excitement, anything!
Ai Mei eventually gave up.
Skysin wasn't the type of person who could sit still anyway. If there was ground beneath his feet, he's going to run on it. If there's a mountain, Skysin would scale it. If there was danger, he would probably be the first sprinting towards it.
Ai Mei stepped beside him, pointing at one of the papers, "see this?"
The paper showed a rough sketch of a horned beast.
[MISSING LIVESTOCK: Suspected beast Activity. Reward: 500 Ruphes.]
"This would be considered a Class-One Mission."
"Meaning?"
Skysin was really clueless to this stuff.
Ai Mei sighed, placing a hand on her wide hips. She flipped a hand out, "meaning it isn't considered much of a threat." She tapped the paper, "Most Class-One jobs are things like missing beasts, small monster sightings, deliveries, or basic protection requests."
Ai Mei moved her finger toward another section of the board, "the more dangerous the mission becomes, the higher the class. There are ten classes total."
"Ten??"
"Yep. Ten."
"What the hell…"
Ai Mei chuckled, "because the difference between them are huge."
Elaine joined in the explanation, "A Class-Two mission might involve a more dangerous beast. A Class-Three could involve multiple. Class-Four might require fighting a beast capable of destroying a town or village."
Skysin scratched the back of his head, "that's a pretty big jump…"
Elaine nodded, "which is why Rovers have limits. Normally, the highest mission a rover can accept is class-four."
Skysin chuckled lightly, scratching his cheek, "so…what if a rover is like, really strong?"
Ai Mei crossed her arms, smirking, "then exceptions can be made. If the guild or person requesting the mission believes the Rover could handle something above a class four, then permission can be granted."
With a plain expression, Skysin pointed to himself, "like me."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because you asked too fast."
Crim and Elaine laughed, all while Skysin gave a small glare, squinting his eyes at Ai Mei. But the half-fellen looked to requests with dark red seals, "most guilds and all Challenger coalitions have ranking systems. Makes sure that no one too weak dies."
Skysin raised a finger, but Ai Mei cut him off, sighing, "no, I'm not saying you're weak, dum-dum. But there are rules to these things too. Unless you ever decide to become a Challenger, more doors are open for you."
"Noted."
Skysin had eventually found a job for him. Of course, the boy wanted to take a dangerous one. He lived for the exhilaration. Still, it wouldn't hurt to at least get his feet wet while taking missions.
[CLASS-TWO HOGGAN BEAST ACTIVITY. Location: Geyser Region: Frosh Village. Reward: 1,000 Ruphes.]
Skysin unclipped the paper, "I'll take this one then."
Ai Mei nodded, "alrighty." She walked over to the desk, digging in the drawer, and took out a small silver and green emblem. The crest of the Vale Guild. A pair of wings wrapped around a circular gem. Ai Mei handed it to Skysin, "whenever you go on a mission, keep this on you."
Skysin looked down to the crest he held in his palm, "what is it?"
"Identification. The requester needs to know you're legitimate."
Crim took out a wrench, messing with it, "and that if you do something stupid, they know who to complain to."
Ai Mei nodded, "mhm."
Skysin flipped Crim off, and clipped the sigil onto his shirt. But something clicked in his brain, "where the hell is Geyser?"
Elaine giggled and went to the back. Just a moment later she returned with a massive map. Sitting it onto a table, unfolding it across the entire thing.
Skysin blinked, "damn." The young man was a bit surprised with just how ginormous the world was. Skysin could easily traverse the planet, but getting a perspective of this just made him understand that these worlds are absolutely humongous.
Ai Mei slid her finger toward the western side of Vallorey. A massive lake dominated the entire region. It looked like an entirely different world compared to where the teens are located. "Here's Geyser. Most of the people there are Phibians."
Elaine smiled, "they're actually really nice too. Me and Mei Mei visited a couple of times for business."
"One of the friendliest people you'll meet," Ai Mei added. That was until she noticed Skysin's expression. The color draining from his face. That grin evaporated like water in the sun. It looked like his poor soul was leaving his body.
Ai Mei raised a brow, crossing her arms, "Sin…are you afraid of water…?"
Crim immediately snorted, loudly. He knew all too well how scared Skysin is of water. "Dude."
"Nope!"
And that was all it took for Ai Mei and Elaine to understand that Skysin was indeed fearful of H₂O. Elaine quickly turned away as her shoulders bounced. Ai Mei exploded into a hearty laugh, " oh my MALERENZ!! You're like, so scared of water!"
It wasn't long until the three all laughed away at the boy. Skysin just stood there like some kid with a propeller hat that got clowned by his friends.
Skysin pointed to them, "None of you understand the fear I have, NONE OF YOUU!!" Skysin disappeared in an instant, running to the back to find a smaller map. Yet all the boy could hear was the three still laughing.
Ai Mei called out, "Sin, wait!! Get back over here!"
Elaine spoke up, her tone sweet, "I promise I won't laugh, Sin! We just have to know why!"
"NO!! Screw you guys!" Once Skysin found a map, he folded it up. "I'm outta here, LOSERS!" The boy took off, already on the run to the western side of Vallorey, Geyser.
The moment Skysin made it to the refugee camp, he was gone. A gust of wind swept across the ground and through the tents.
Several people blinked.
"Was that him?"
"I think so."
"Looked faster than yesterday."
Skysin raced across the plains of Vallorey, the world becoming a blur around him. Yet the boy kept an aggravated expression, "those big-headed jerks. Makin' fun of my fear."—Skysin looked to the sky, pondering.—"it's not that weird…is it?"
Skysin kept his speedy pace as the golden grass rippled beneath the afternoon sun. Wildflowers painted pretty patches of the landscape in blue, violet, and yellow.
Small herds of beasts scattering as he zipped past them. Airborne creatures and birds taking flight from nearby trees.
As annoyed Skysin was, he couldn't help but smile as the wind whipped through his hair. This is what he loved, after all. This endless feeling that the world stretched forever before him.
The movement.
The freedom.
Just him and the road of the wind.
Skysin picked up the pace. The ground blurred under his feet, hills rolled by, and small ponds and lakes flashed by. Forests transformed into yellow and orange smudges.
A few seconds later, he slowed atop a rocky cliff overlooking the western region of Vallorey. Then immediately regretted taking this mission.
"…oh goddammit."
Below is Geyser. A colossal lake shimmering from the benevolent sun. The water seemed to be endless. It was closer to an ocean if anything. Smaller lakes branched from it like veins. Rivers wound throughout the countryside. Waterfalls cascading from distant cliffs.
The region was absolutely beautiful and wondrous.
But to Skysin.
This place was a nightmare.
Skysin's eye twitched, as he swallowed, "that's a lot of water…" Just as the boy was about to take a step back. His friend's laughter echoed in his head. Along with the fact that this is a Class-Two mission.
Skysin groaned, "shit…"
Determined like an idiot marching to his execution, Skysin descended toward Geyser. Of course, he made sure to stay on shore. Running on water came with too many risks after all.
One obvious reason is because Skysin cannot swim to save his life.
How convenient.
As he drew closer, signs of civilization finally appeared. Wooden homes sitting atop giant stilts. Bridges connected clusters of buildings just barely above the water. Fishing boats made of giant, orange lily pads lazily drifted across the lake.
Everywhere Skysin looked were Phibians. Green skin, webbed hands, wide eyes. Some were short and stocky. Others are tall and lean. And the children splashed near the shoreline or swam with their parents.
Several of them waved at Skysin when they took notice of the boy.
"Traveler!"
"Welcome!"
"Good afternoon!!"
Skysin blinked, "Mei Mei and 'Laine were right, huh…?"
One elderly phibian smiled, "first time in Geyser, I'd assume?"
"It's that obvious?"
The old frogman gave a light chuckle, "you've been staring at the water like it's plotting your murder and funeral."
Skysin squinted his eyes, watching the small waves dance within the water, "…it might be…"
The old man laughed, "you're quite the funny lad!"
"No sir…" Skysin looked at the lake once more, then back to the man, "I'm completely serious."
The old phibian only laughed harder as Skysin glared at the water.
Hopefully the young man overcomes such a challenge.