Today was a new day, a new opportunity to build both his power and renown if he were ever to achieve his father’s dream. Shortly after his arrival in Orchidia, Xerxes had been informed of the importance of Guilds in these parts. Tribes and armies were likely the closest thing Desierto had to Guilds so he was fascinated with the concept. To his delight, he discovered that Orchidia had a guild that had a creed which strongly resonated with him. A guild that valued power, the pursuit of such power, and the freedom it gave. To stand at a such a pinnacle that no one would be below them. Exactly the values instilled in Xerxes all those years ago by his father. Immediately, he sought out the guild and joined. Unfortunately, despite living at the Guild’s headquarters, he had never met any of his other guildmates as for the past two years, it had been largely quiet. He joined after certain events fractured the guild and now most of them did their own things. Xerxes did not mind it all too much, he knew that if they were as their guild’s creed insinuated, he would meet them somewhere down the line. After getting dressed and retrieving his spear, Xerxes began his trip inside in the city. The previous evening, the guild had received a request from one of the wealthy land owners in the area. The details of it were scarce but the mission was said to involve combat. Xerxes relished the opportunity as it had been some time since he last got into a fight. Training could only go so far. He needed to continue honing his skills through combat if the dream was going to be realized.
After a short jaunt, Xerxes had come to the meeting site where he saw the land owner speak to some employees in front of an old and crumbling building. As soon as the man saw the spear affixed on Xerxes’ back, he instantly knew who it was. “Ah, so you must be one of the Sleeping Calamity guild members who accepted my request. Thank you.” He says warmly. Xerxes, as benefitting of a future ruler, smiles and shakes the man’s hand before the two begin to discuss the quest parameters. The building in front of them had been abandoned for some time due to a rather large infestation of giant rats. The rats, driven by an insatiable hunger and the desire to spread, have consumed the building entirely and have attacked all who have dared to venture inside. Some reports say that they’ve briefly seen the visage of a rat even larger than the others roaming through every once in a while. Just based on the description, Xerxes knew that there was no way he’d come out of this with clean hands which didn’t bother him. This would just be a stepping stone to what would eventually come for him. After agreeing to the man’s terms in regards to his reward, Xerxes starts to depart inside the building but is quickly stopped by the man’s words. “I almost forgot, another one of your guildmates will be joining you. When I had my secretary place the request, she ran into someone personally. I personally don’t mind it. The more the merrier just as long as those vermin are dealt with.” A smile forms across Xerxes’ face as he would finally be able to meet with someone else within the guild. With renewed vigor, the man enters the back of the building.
As soon as he steps inside, the putrid smell of feces and decay entered his lungs. A multitude of beady red eyes peered at him from within the darkness. Slowly, the man reaches behind him and withdraws his spear. It was a weapon that was simplistic in design, just enough to get the job done. He wanted to gain his renown through force and this was the way to do it. The rats, sensing danger was approaching, immediately began to charge the man in front of them, streaks of blood, feces, and who knows what is trailing behind them. With a surprising level of grace and fluidity, Xerxes points the tip of his spear towards the rats and charges forward. The sound of splattered blood accompanies each strike, painting both the area and Xerxes himself in a dazzling spray. Xerxes strikes with an emotionless stare on his face, showing no sense of sympathy or remorse. The smell was almost overpowering but the man paid it no mind. He had a job to accomplish. Between strikes, he could faintly hear the all too familiar sounds of steel ripping into flesh with the death screeches of rats following closely afterward coming from deeper into the building. “Oh…they must be here.” Xerxes says as his strikes become faster and more direct. He wanted to finish up and meet this person, whoever they may be. A few minutes pass and Xerxes finds himself standing in the middle of a pile of dead rats, his body covered in their blood. He gives his weapon a forceful shake, splattering off a majority of blood from its tip. Quickly sheathing the weapon, he moves even deeper into the building towards the faint sounds he heard earlier. Eventually, he comes across a hole in the side of the building where, inside, the putrid smell of the rats increased. He correctly surmises that this may be where the rats first gained entry into the building. It was likely a small opening that grew into the massive hole that stood before him thanks to repeated entry from larger and larger rats. Deciding that this would be the perfect place to wait, Xerxes out a sharpening tool and begins to sharpen the tip of the spear as he awaits the arrival of his guildmate.
WC: 1,177
TWC: 1,177
Last edited by Sharyar Xerxes II on Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:42 pm; edited 2 times in total (Reason for editing : Adding Color)