Chapter 2: A Hunter without a guild
The city of Eryndral always smelled faintly of smoke and steel.
Kael limped through the outer gates at dawn, his battered cloak dragging against the cobblestones. The watchmen at the gate gawked at him—bloodied, exhausted, carrying no trophies. Survivors of dungeon collapses were rare enough. Survivors who walked out alone were even rarer.
At his heel padded the black wolf pup, tail wagging proudly as though it had slain the dungeon itself. The guards whispered, half in awe, half in suspicion.
Kael ignored them. His only thought was: Food. Bed. Maybe both at once.
---
Inside the Guild Hall, the air was thick with the stench of sweat and ale. Hunters lounged around, boasting of victories, trading loot. The moment Kael entered, silence followed him like a creeping shadow.
The receptionist blinked at him.
Receptionist: “Kael Draven? Weren’t you assigned to the Ironfang raid party?”
Kael’s jaw clenched. He remembered their screams, the way the dungeon had devoured them.
Kael (flat): “They didn’t make it.”
Murmurs rippled through the hall. Suspicion. Fear. Hunters glanced at him like he was cursed.
Receptionist: “…And the core?”
Kael dropped a cracked shard of obsidian onto the counter. The wolf pup immediately jumped up, tried to snatch it, and nearly toppled the ledger.
Kael: “Don’t even think about it.”
The pup whined and sat down, ears flat, pretending to be the most innocent creature alive. A few hunters chuckled nervously.
But the Guildmaster’s booming voice cut through.
Guildmaster: “Draven. My office. Now.”
---
The Guildmaster was a mountain of a man, scarred and stern. His eyes scanned Kael like one might study a blade that was sharp but unstable.
Guildmaster: “A whole raid party dead. And you come back alive. With… a dog.”
The wolf barked indignantly, as if deeply offended by the term.
Kael (dry): “He’s house-trained. Mostly.”
The Guildmaster wasn’t amused.
Guildmaster: “You expect me to believe you had nothing to do with their deaths? That you aren’t harboring some forbidden power?”
Kael’s fists clenched, but before he could retort—
The office door creaked open.
---
She stepped in like dawn cutting through a storm: Seraphine Vale, the Guild’s resident healer. Auburn hair tied neatly, soft green eyes sharper than they appeared, carrying a satchel of herbs.
Seraphine (calm): “Guildmaster, if you’re done accusing half-dead men, perhaps I should do my job?”
Her gaze landed on Kael. For a moment, it lingered.
Then she knelt beside him without hesitation, hands glowing faintly as she inspected his injuries.
Seraphine (softly): “You’re burning up. How long have you been walking?”
Kael blinked, caught off-guard. Most hunters looked at him with suspicion. She looked at him with… concern.
Kael (gruff): “Since last night.”
Seraphine (arching a brow): “And you didn’t think to stop and rest? Or at least find water?”
Kael: “…Dungeon collapses don’t come with tea breaks.”
She gave him a look. A look that said she was very close to smacking him with her satchel.
---
As she worked, Kael felt heat rise to his cheeks—not from her healing magic, but from the closeness. He hadn’t been touched gently in years.
Shade, apparently jealous, climbed onto Kael’s lap and stared right at Seraphine, growling faintly.
Seraphine (smiling faintly): “Is this little one always this protective?”
Kael (muttering): “He’s usually too busy stealing food to care.”
The wolf sneezed, showering Kael’s tunic in dust.
Seraphine laughed—a clear, warm sound that filled the cold office like sunlight.
Kael looked away quickly, pretending to scowl.
---
When she finished, she rose gracefully.
Seraphine (to Guildmaster): “He’s injured, but alive. If you’re going to question him, let him eat first. Or do you want him collapsing mid-sentence?”
The Guildmaster grumbled but waved them off.
Kael stood, awkwardly adjusting his cloak.
Kael (gruff, to Seraphine): “…Thanks.”
She smiled, just a hint.
Seraphine: “Try not to make a habit of nearly dying. It’ll make my work much easier.”
Her words were teasing, but her eyes… they lingered on him a heartbeat longer than necessary.
Kael didn’t know it then, but that moment would root itself deep inside him, a fragile warmth fighting against the abyss that had claimed his soul.
---
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