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| - "Whoa" Zane said closing the gates behind him as he and Sparky looked around. "Oi!" a Guard yelled. "Oh! Uh me?" Zane said. "You're new here, aren't you?" the Guard said. "Well yeah I guess-" "We have some rules around here that you need to know about." "I'm listening" Zane said. "Bowerstone is a peaceful town- I will have to confiscate your weapons for now." "What?! But what of-" Zane began before the Guard spoke again. "There are shops, inns, lots of different people games, all kinds of things, why not pay the tavern a visit first? It's the building in front of you, just up the road from here. Oh and keep an eye open for Lady Grey treat her with respect. She is the Mayor after all. Have a look around and enjoy your stay in Bowerstone." "Great, thanks" Zane said before heading up the road with Sparky, "do you believe that? Took my sword and bow too bad he has no control over will" he smirked as Sparky barked. "Over here" Maze said standing in front of the Tavern. "Master Maze" Zane said approaching. "Been enjoying all the attention, have you?" Maze asked with crossed arms. "Well I'd be lying if I wasn't, you heard what happen at the Picnic Area?" Zane chuckled scratching the back of his head. "Yes, I heard about your encounter with the Wasp Queen. Most of Bowerstone is talking about it. But you shouldn't let that thing go to your head." "Okay Maze" Zane said. "Anyway, that's not why I called you here. You see there are dark forces gathering that put your giant insect to shame." "Really?" Zane said petting Sparky head before following Maze down the road. "Tell me, how much do you remember the night I took you to the Guild? Of the raid on Oakvale?" "Not much I wager. A most terrible night." "Most of it's a blur I still have nightmare" Zane said. "I'd thought those bandits had killed your whole family and that you were going to be next but it seems there may have been another survivor." "Really? Who?" Zane asked. "Your sister." "Theresa?! She alive?!" Zane said. "I'm afraid it's only a rumor, and there's no way to be certain yet but I thought you should know and for pity sake, boy! Make sure you replace that basic equipment while you're here!" Maze said before disappearing in blue light. "Theresa could be alive? Looks like we better look into this rumor Sparky" Zane said. "Come back to the Guild for more quests." "Quick!" a little blonde girl said pulling on Zane shirt, "follow me!" "Whoa! Okay easy" Zane said letting her lead him to a small house and inside Zane could see a sick boy on a bed. "Oh woe is me, my son is poorly!" the mother said. "What's wrong ma'am?" Zane asked. "It's my boy, my poor little boy. We were on a picnic at Lookout Point when he found theses...theses strange mushrooms. The witch in Bowerstone Quay says we shouldn't worry, but she needs more of the mushrooms before she can cure him, I would find them myself, but I need to look after Aldy. Please could you help us?" "I will go and gather those mushrooms" Zane said before leaving as a Quest Card appeared in his hand. "Looks like we need to speak with the Witch in Bowerstone Quays" Zane said heading up the road to Quays before spotting the witch stirring a spoon in a large pot. "Excuse me?" Zane said. "No, don't tell me. You were sent here by an irritating young lady, the one with the comatose kid" the Witch said. "How did you-" Zane asked as she looked up at him. "Don't look so surprised. I am a witch you know, I read tea leaves on Thursdays besides you're not the first fool she's sent my way. Fine me four blue mushrooms and I can brew up an antidote, but there's no hurry, the stuff won't kill him haha the little tyke's probably having the time of his life." "Okay..." Zane said slowly walking away, "note to self don't make her mad." Later Zane approached a man on a bench wearing glasses. "Hello" Zane greeted. "Hello there. I don't think you've met my daughter, have you? She's a rather lovely, if I say so myself though a bit fussy she's keen to meet strong handsome men like you." "Really? What exactly do you want me to do?" Zane asked. "Would you like to meet her?" Beardly Baldy asked. "Uh sure?" Zane said. "Ah that's good news. I think she was starting to get a bit lonely. Thing is she only liked men whose hair looks like the picture on this card" he said handing a style card as Zane took it and raised an eyebrow at the Pudding Basin hairstyle. "Maybe if you looked like that, she'd let me introduce you to her. Come and find me when you're ready. I won't be far away." "Okay?" Zane said about to walk away as a hooded white dressed Assassin approached. "Are you at it again Beardly?" he asked. "Uh no!" the man said. "Hey did he talk you into meeting his daughter?" the Assassin asked with a heavy Spanish accent. "Yeah?" Zane asked. "Beardly! What did I say about messing with the tourist?!" the Assassin growled "Just have a bit of fun" he said. "Well that fun could end up with a knife to your head gringo! Sorry man you were fooled Beardly here has no daughter he just likes to mess with the tourist making them look stupid." "Thanks for the heads up uh...aren't you a uh?" Zane asked. "An asesino? Yes I am a member of the Assassin Brotherhood I am Leo" he said pulling off his hood to reveal a black haired assassin man with brown eyes and tan skin with assorted weapons on him. "I'm Zane and this is Sparky. How come you have your weapons?" Zane asked. "Simple I snuck into town. Assassins are not welcomed you see not even my Brotherhood who serves to protect Albion." "So what bring you here? Came to plunge a knife in someone heart?" Zane asked. "Actually I left my Brotherhood to go on my own. I will still take out those who are a threat to the people but I am pursing a goal." "A goal?" Zane asked as the two took a seat on a bench. "I came to this country for a dream. I come from the Southern Brotherhood for an opportunity here my country could not have." "What is that?" Zane asked. "Para ser un héroe" he spoke as Zane looked at him with a blank expression as Leo chuckled, "to be a hero gringo." "Oh! Really? I am on my way to doing that too" Zane said. "Are you now?" Leo said looking at Sparky "just you and a perro?" "Well we check back into the Heroes Guild for missions but yeah I am on my way to being a hero" Zane said. "Hmmm" Leo said thinking. "What you thinking?" Zane asked. "May I accompany you in your quests?" Leo asked. "You want to join me?" "Se! You see me alone people will be timed but if I join you I could be praised a hero like you will." "Hmm it would be nice to have company well okay! Me and Sparky could have another friend the more the merrier!" Zane said. "Ah! This will be exciting! Where will we go?" Leo asked. "Well my current mission is to find four blue mushrooms for a sick boy for his antidote" Zane said. "Ah blue mushrooms; I see some in caves they glow like fireflies in the night." "Perfect, let's get to it then" Zane said getting up, "how long you been here?" "A month, been sticking around listening for ways to be a hero helped out the guards a few times...then they tried to arrest me thinking I'm here for Lady Grey life." "Life of an Assassin must be hard" Zane said. "Se, but it's the life of an Assassin." "Hmm seems to be a quest in here" Zane said walking in on a class as all the students and teachers looked up at the two. "Uh hi?" Zane said. "What? Oh, hello! Forgive me, I'm Mr. Gout, the headmaster of the school here, not that it's much of a school these days, the way Lady Grey keeps slashing our funding. Can you believe she sold half our library? As if mansions were more important than the education of our children. Anyway if you could donate any suitable books you find on your travels you'd be doing us a great favor." "Okay so we look for mushrooms and books" Zane said leaving. "Sounds easy" Leo said. "An important mission has turned up hero" the Guild Master spoke. "Important mission?" Leo said. "If he says it is it must be" Zane said as they took the Cullis Gate back to the Heroes Guild. "Oh!" Leo groaned as they reached the room. "Yeah you get used to that" Zane said as he approached the map table. "What is the important quest?" Leo asked. "Protect Orchard Farm, looks like the guards need help protect this place from bandits" Zane said. "Sounds like a plan" Leo said as Zane took the card and the two left for the new mission. As they left the Heroes Guild they saw two men talking. "Hey...hey! If you keep reeeeally still I can see your skeleton. Far out, man." "Someone baked" Leo said. "You're from the Guild aren't you? Man, what a place. Hey, if you go back there, maybe you can find our mushroom. I was standing on those stepping stone in that pool where the door talks. Man, it just flew right out of my hand." "Okay?" Zane said as the two kept walking, "man they're high." "No kidding" Leo said as they entered Greatwood and through the entrance they saw Whisper waiting. "Whisper" Zane said. "So you're going to be doing some work down at Orchard Farm, are you? I knew that was your true calling." "Hahaha very funny" Zane said. "I saw Lady Grey set the opposite Quest in the Guild yesterday. Maybe I should pick it up" Whisper said. "Or I will kick your ass if you try" Zane smirked. "I hope you've been practicing. You'll need all the experience you can get to beat me! See you later, farmboy!" she said running up ahead. "Farmboy?" Leo said. "Used to live on a farm she a nice girl but that brother of her ugh what a piece of work" Zane said. "Lady Grey was the one who sent the Quest for someone to help the bandits? Hmm I am starting to see her for what she is now" Leo said. "What do you mean?" Zane asked as they walked down the road. "Before she was in power her sister would have been next but her sister went missing then from there Lady Grey been living it up in high class while Bowerstone suffers little each day" Leo said spotting wasps ahead. "Wasps" Zane said drawing his weapon. "Annoying pests" Leo said drawing a sword as the two slashed through and ran up slaying the wasps before hurrying to Greatwood Lake. "Bandits" Leo said spotting the bandits ahead. "They'll be easy" Zane said as the two rushed in. "HA!" a bandit yelled swinging his sword at Zane who blocked his swing before kicking him in the gut then slashed his sword across the bandit. "Wasps" Leo said pulling out a bow and began to shoot arrows into the wasps they passed. "There the farm" Zane said pointing to the gate to the Orchard Farm. "There will be more bandits there be on your guard" Leo said as the two went up the hill and reached the farm. "Thank Avo you're here! I though no one would answer our Guild request!" a farmer said. "What do you need?" Zane asked. "I've arranged some more security to back you up, but there are so many bandits...they'll tear my farm apart! I wish we'd never found those damn stones. They've brought us nothing but trouble." "Stones?" Leo said. "What stones?" Zane asked. "My wife Jenna won't let them anywhere near the house, so we've left them in some crates in the barn they must be worth a fortune. They say Lady Grey wants them. I've already lost three farmhands in these raids!" he said before they heard a loud crash. "The hell was that?" Leo asked as Sparky growled. "That must be them now! I'd better go inside and look after my wife. She's terrified" the farmer said running inside. "So that's why Lady Grey sent that request but what are the stones?" Leo asked. "Good question, first we deal with these bandit scum then we find out what those stones are!" Zane said. "Here they come!" Leo said as guards join them and Bandits began to rush them. "Ha! Rah!" Zane yelled taking out two. "Ha! Hn!" Leo grunted tacking a bandit and punched him across the jaw knocking him out. "Some more bandits are approaching!" a guard yelled. "Bows ready" Leo said as he and Zane pulled out their bows and fired arrows at the approaching bandits. "Look out! More bandits!" "Hn!" Zane grunted taking out another one as Zane spotted a hodded Whisper approaching. "So, you've learned some new moves, have you? Well you're not the only one" Whisper said. "What do you want?" Zane asked. "I hope you learned how to flourish, because that's the only way you're going to get close to me! Go on try to hit me with a flourish" Whisper said. "Now? You want to spar now? Fine if that will get your cocky attitude down fine" Zane said pulling out his weapon as he and Whisper collided weapons ad Zane jumped back and swung his sword using an unlockable attack knocking Whisper over. "Ugh! So you can do it" she said jumping back to her feet as Zane attacked again, "Ng! Ah!" she grunted as Zane knocked her weapon out and pointed his sword at her neck. "So you done?" Zane asked. "Damn! You bear me! Again! I suppose this quest is yours then but you can't stay lucky forever, farmboy. We're bound to meet again and I'll be ready" Whisper said before disappearing using her seal. "She likes you" Leo said. "Shut up Leo" Zane said as the two approached the farmer house. "You did it! I can't tell you how grateful we are! Someone should be round to pick up the boxes soon, so we shouldn't have any more problems. Can't see why there's been so much fuss about those stones-be glad to see the back of them myself, must be worth plenty of money to someone though. I'll make sure to tell everyone about you two. We need heroes like you around." "Thank you" Zane smiled before looking to the ground and picked up a brooch, "this is Whispers, must have dropped it in our fight." "You can give it to her later" Leo said counting their reward money. "Check the Guild for more quest" the Guildmaster spoke. "Let's get to it" Zane said using his seal to teleport them back to the guild. "We got three Quest Cards here a 'Trader Escort' reward 2000 or a 'Hobbe Killing Contest' reward 900" Leo said. "The Hobbe one closer so we'll take that" Zane said. "Okay Hobbe killing it is" Leo said taking the card off the map table.
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