Rynth: Four Beats

| 6th of Teryusin — Year 362 of the Cycle of Synthesis, Grand Cycle ??? |

‘Kroc & Co. Driving Offices’. That was the name plastered on the strikingly ostentatious neon signs hung atop the see-through glass door just a few inches from the part of the street that curved into its sibling avenue. Said sign flickered and blinked in erratic flashes, serving it more as an eyesore that would undoubtedly draw away potential customers than invite them in.

Standing just a few feet shy of the foggy glass window with a combined display of clear confusion on their faces were the figures of Raoul, Idri, Avil, and Calliope.

“Is… is this supposed to be the location?” asked Avil, shooting Raoul a doubtful look. He hoisted the lone jet black duffle bag along his shoulder and mustered another tentative glance at the blurry office inside. “Doesn’t look like it’s been touched in years.”

Idri pasted herself against the window and trailed a finger along the surface, ‘ooh-ing’ in response to the condensation. Cali followed her the next moment, retrieving a small handkerchief from one of her many pockets and used it to wipe away a sizable patch of moisture—just enough to peer her gaze inside.

A single wooden desk, dusty as dusty could be. A reclining office chair, equally as dusty. Opposite the desk were a few neatly-placed, one-seat polyester sofa-cushions of gray; intended to be for guests who waited to be called into the room at the far end. A door, aptly labeled with a sticker detailing ‘Krocko’s Office’, stood closed and just as unswept as the rest of the room.

“It is empty, Master Avil.” Cali commented. She pulled back and began wiping away at the rest of the fog with the ‘chief with mindblowing speed and precision. In a few short seconds, the window was near-spotless and glinting in the light. “There is an office with Krocko’s name inside.”

“Thank you, Cali.”

Raoul furrowed his brows and consulted the GPS on his phone. “Yeah, this should be the place. Maps say so, as well. He did say to come when we’d all gathered.”

Idri gasped, raising a finger to interject. “Ah, maybe he’s asleep!”

“Could be, but also couldn’t.” replied Raoul. He pocketed his phone and faced off the glass door. Beside it, there was a small console affixed to the wall, with an obvious mic-piece and camera that maintained a small apple-red light. Unlike the inside of the office, it showed signs of use from the fingerprints planted on the buttons. His hand moved to the glass door and knocked. When no response arrived after a few seconds, he returned to the console and pressed on the button closest to the mic. “Hello? Krocko? Are you there? It’s me, Raoul. I’ve brought everyone.”

Again there was no response. The four of them exchanged shrugs. Just as they were considering trying again tomorrow, a loud crash sounded from the inside. Following that, hurried steps tip-tapped from the inside of the office. Slam! The door pushed itself open, and Krocko’s frazzled figure, covered only in a wet bathrobe, paced over to the glass and twisted the lock open.

“Hells,” he huffed, hunched over. The bathrobe did little to hide his toned body. Muscles boasted themselves from the cracks in his loose clothing, and from a cursory glance Raoul caught sight of numerous intricate tattoos plastered on his chest, left arm, and heart. The contingency wards he had spoken of, no doubt. “I really should get the speaker system fixed. It has a mind of its own. Chooses to blast voices either soft or loud depending on its mood. I almost slipped when I heard your voice while I was singing in the shower.”

Raoul couldn’t help but physically ‘ugh’ at his state. His hair was a mess—still wet and half-dripping water onto the floor, and his stubble still reeked of dollar-store aftershave.

“I’m going to report you for public indecency to minors.”

“Shut it,” replied Krocko, finally steadying himself upright. “You ain’t a minor, anyway.”

“Idri is.”

“Oh, yeah? And she ain’t using her eyes, is she? Far as she’s concerned, I’m just a walking hunk of a manly voice and blatant charisma.”

In response, Idri tilted her head. “I don’t know… You sound like a middle-aged senior who hasn’t run in decades.”

“Ouch. Cruel. I can see why you’re buddies.” He pulled away from Raoul and scanned the rest of the three, taking in their appearances. “So you’re Raoul’s buddies, huh? I've only seen your faces through a screen, so it’s a bit different in person. Come in. Since you’re all here, we can proceed on to the next part.”

With a wave, he ushered them all inside and flicked on the light from the switch by the threshold. Then, he walked past the reception desk and kicked the door to his office open.

Contrary to the rest of the front area, Krocko’s office was much more homey and customized. Scores of posters—all depicting various wandering bard troupes well-known across Rynth—lined the walls in differently placed angles, the idea of being stuck upright and in the same orientation unappealing to Krocko’s inner designer. Two controllers left on the ground connected to a TV screen displaying a retro adventure game. A few bags of chips laid open on the ground, and even more packs of biscuits and cookies also. An entire microwaveable pizza found its place atop the lone stained couch in the corner, taking up two cushions with its meaty, cheesy self.

“Oh wow. Look at that,” Avil quickly found himself in front of the television, his eyes firmly stuck onto the game. “You’ve got “Edmiri’s Adventure: Return of the Dragon King”? I thought all copies of these were wiped from Rynth…!”

“Perks of being all over the place and knowing the right people.” He responded, crossing his arms and nodding. “I had to pull a lot of favors to get my hands on the beauty. Feel free to mess around with it. Just don’t brick my save by going into the cave.”

“What? There’s an exploit inside, isn’t there? Kill three goblins, use their clubs to whack at the third pole, and it gets buffed to be a god-stick.”

“Stick exploit’s old news, kid,” Krocko chuckled. “I don’t use it unless I’m really not in the mood for killing goblins. I’m talking about the hidden triggers. The moment you enter the cave, it progresses Feyri’s and Dothaer’s questlines, and the entire starter village gets razed by dragons. Not a fun time. I’m on Honorable Mode, so I can’t reload a save if I make a mistake or die.”

“I see…”

“Old habits die hard.” observed Raoul. Avil always did have a certain fondness for gaming. It was one of his favorite ways to pass the time. “Anyway, Krocko.”

The bathrobed-man shifted back, making a full one-eighty degree turn and pace to a gaming chair, all the while re-tying the rope belt around his robe. “Yeah, I got you. Since you’re all here, the next step before you can officially be granted permission to leave Cias Buril is to become an official pioneering party.”

“What’s a pioneer?” asked Idri, chewing. She had made herself comfortable on the only free cushion on the couch and had taken a slice of piping hot pizza for herself.

“A Pioneer’s an adventurer. They’re kinda the same thing. Big fancy title for people who explore the world, uncovering secrets, treasures, dungeons, all that stuff. If you find an artifact, dungeon, or anything you feel Rynth might not know of yet, you’re encouraged to report your findings to any Pioneering association. You’ll get paid handsomely.”

Krocko continued. “Though, I doubt you’ll find much this close to civilization. I’m sure I told this to Raoul when we first met, but I’ll reiterate it again. A hell lot of Rynth’s been explored. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a plot of land not mapped, a dungeon not cleared, or extended stretches not known to the rest of the world. That’s just how it is, ‘cause we’re this far into the Grand Cycle.” He paused, gauging their reactions to the revelation. “Still, knowing that, you guys still plan on pioneering, huh?”

Their gazes all fell to the floor. Raoul was the first to lift his head. “Yeah, I am. I’ve said it enough times that I’m getting sick of hearing it, but I won’t find my true self inside these white walls. Somewhere out there, I just know it, there’s adventure to be found.”

His words seemed to have an effect on the other three.

Idri stood up. “Yeah, Raoul’s right. Maybe I’ll find out about my past along the way. But even if we don’t, I’m the happiest I’ve been in years, now that we’re all here.”

Avil was next. “I lost a duel, so I gotta follow Raoul. I might not have a goal like these other two, but at least I’ll be away from that place.”

Cali was last. “It is within my duty from birth to always care for Master Avil, so I am obliged to join. Nonetheless, I believe it will be a journey of worth.”

“Eh, you make me sound like a child, Cali.”

“I confess I do not see the difference sometimes, Master Avil.”

He raised an accusatory finger. “Ah, ah! I’m not a child. I can function perfectly fine.”

Krocko chuckled at the display, hints of surprise evident in his face. “Made up your minds, then? Good. Take that conviction with you. Being recognized as an official pioneering party is simple. You just need someone who is a Pioneer and connected to a pioneering guild to list you down a party name and something that can be used to tie you all together. Usually, it’s a sigil, insignia, or something of the like.”

“What was yours, Krocko?”

Raoul noticed the slight hesitation overtaking his face at his question. It was quickly hidden, as if he knew that Raoul was looking.

“...Nothing major, really. We went the ‘reputation’ route. If enough people know you, then you don’t need some flimsy tinpiece or name. Just being known as “the party that found the Invaernus Amrita dungeon” or “the party that made it rain daggers over Hast Agur for a day” is infinitely better than any material item.”

He continued. “Main issue’s with the lack of pioneers. The practice has died down over the course of the current Grand Cycle, so it’s difficult to find one. That is, unless you weren’t me. I’ve got some connections.”

“You always seem to. It’s been very helpful.” Raoul nodded in agreement. “May I ask who this connection is?”

“Just an old party member. She works as a corpo now. Her name’s Jhestine Marrow.”