Quinn leaned against the cool stone wall of the Guild Hall, his brow furrowed in thought. The past two weeks had been nothing short of a crazy whirlwind. It had started with his disastrous attempt to brew a simple healing potion, which had ended with an explosion that covered him in glittering blue goo. Then there was the time he had accidentally challenged a group of senior students to a duel, though originally he just wanted a reason to test out just how much his magic had grown since his last encounter with the Darkling. However, the result? A bruised ego and a few embarrassing memories of being knocked flat on his back in front of the entire guild.
There was something that he grew to understand.
His magic was becoming stronger, and so was he.
It was changing him in ways he didn't wish to be noticed.
To top it all off, Quinn had also managed to lose his enchanted dagger during a particularly tricky training session in the forest. He bought the dagger with the main purpose to help him channel his magic, but instead, it had likely ended up in the mouth of a rather large and very hungry wolf.
Now, as he stood beside Lilith, he couldn't help but feel a mixture of apprehension and other strange feelings. They were staring at the mission board, which was plastered with colorful flyers detailing various quests that ranged from the E rank up to B ranked.
The missions were always screened first, and those that were less deadly were the ones that kept being thrown at their faces. On the other hand, Quinn knew just exactly why they were being given these missions. Why Ares was so desperate to bring as many quests as possible.
He was prepaying them for something, and he could just feel that something was very very close. Something that was dangerous, something that needed him at full power.
But another thought kept reminding him that one day, he was going to have to make a choice and that choice involved the destruction of the human kingdom. Gran'le was supposed to crumble beneath his feet, and he only prayed his attachment to it wouldn't get in the way.
"Do you think we should try the goblin clearing mission?" Lilith asked, her voice breaking through his thoughts. She brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "It says they're hoarding treasure in the old caves. We could use some extra gold for supplies."
Quinn squinted at the flyer, which depicted a rather menacing goblin holding a bag overflowing with gold coins. "Yeah, but it also says they're known for setting traps and ambushing intruders," he replied, clearly seeing just how weak they were against his growing power. "I'm not exactly feeling lucky after the last few weeks I've had."
Lilith chuckled, nudging him playfully. "Come on, Quinn! What's the worst that could happen? You'll just end up covered in more glittering goo!"
He groaned and crossed his arms. "Don't remind me. I'm still finding it in my hair."
She laughed again, the sound infectious, and he couldn't help but crack a smile despite his concerns. For some reason, he just couldn't understand why she volunteered to be tag with him, when everyone else wasn't interested. "Alright, alright. Maybe we can look for something a little less… explosive?"
They scanned the board, taking note of the various missions. There was a request for help with a rogue enchanted beast that had been causing trouble in the nearby village, a fetch quest for rare herbs in the Scarlet Hills, and even a plea for assistance in rebuilding a bridge that had been washed away by a storm.
"Look at this one," Lilith pointed to a flyer that advertised a quest to find a lost magical artifact in the Cold Woods. "It says it's worth a good amount of gold, and it could really boost our standing in the guild!"
Quinn raised an eyebrow. "Cold Woods? Isn't that where the last group went missing?"
There had been reports of other students from one of the few guilds that had gone missing during a mission. A search party had been sent, and for the past few days, nothing good had yet come to their ears. He wondered what could have done something like that.
"Exactly!" she said, her enthusiasm unchanging. "That means it's an adventure! Besides, we've got each other's backs, right?"
Quinn took a deep breath, clearly not interested in her soft presence. Lilith was a bitch, and he knew it. A crazy bitch who could have killed Emilia without a second thought. He was half he managed to intervene before anything of that sort could happen. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."
Her eyes cocked a bit. "What? You can't possibly expect me to believe that you're still terrified after we were attacked by the Darkling?"
Quinn was silent, holding back the urge to tell her the truth about what happened two weeks ago. Ares had told the other students that he was the one who defeated the Darkling long before it could hurt anyone else. As much as Quinn hated it, he also thought it was a good way to keep his status low, not until he had reached a certain mark.Quinn turned, looking back into her eyes with a smirk plastering itself on his face. "Do I look like I'm afraid of anything?"
Lilith's eyes sparkled with amusement, but Quinn could see a hint of curiosity behind them. She raised an eyebrow, her gaze never changing from his. Quinn took a step closer to her, his eyes never leaving hers. He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I think we're looking for something a little more... exciting."
A thought floated in her mind, and she pictured herself lying down on the bed...her fingers sprawling through Quinn's blond hair....his lips pressed against her, her free hand pinned above her head. Lilith's cheeks flushed, and she looked away, trying to hide her heat that painted her thoughts. Quinn's smirk grew as he watched her reaction.
"Exciting?" she exclaimed.
"Yes." He said, still absorbing her features. "Did you have anything in mind?"
Lilith's eyes darted back to his, and she hesitated, her voice barely above a a whisper. "A-Anything....like what?"
Quinn leaned in a little bit closer, his voice taking on a teasing tone. "Well, that's for you to decide, isn't it?" He turned away from her, his eyes scanning the mission board once more. His gaze landed on a B-ranked mission that caught his attention.
"Hey, look at this one," he said, pointing to the flyer. "Vandalized coaches on the Silverbrook Route. Someone's been causing trouble, and they are offering a decent reward to put a stop to it."
Lilith's eyes followed his finger, and she looked at the flyer for a moment, taking in the details. There were many dangers that followed, not when she knew that this had something to do with bandits. "That's not a good idea."
"Why not?" He asked.
Lilith's eyes widened as she glanced at the flyer. "Quinn, I really don't think this is a good idea," she replied, concern evident in her tone. "Missions like this usually take more than just two baby mages to handle. We're not ready for bandits, let alone the trouble they bring!"
"What's the matter, Lilith? You scared?" Quinn shot back, crossing his arms. "If you're such a chicken, maybe you should just stay back while I handle it myself."
"This isn't about being scared, Quinn!" she exclaimed, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "It's a suicide mission! You're underestimating how dangerous bandits can be. They don't play nice!"
"Maybe that's what I need," he retorted, clearly finding her irritating. With that, he pulled away from her grasp and continued towards the exit. Lilith hesitated for a moment before following him, her heart racing.
"Quinn, wait!" She called out again.
But he was already gone.