Novel Sample

This is a small sample of the first chapter of a fantasy novel I'm writing.

Chapter 1

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m sorry to say I am.”

“But when we set out for this job the reward was-”

“And now it’s not.”

The woman at the counter looked the man up and down. He was filthy, tired, and very clearly on his last nerve, or whatever was left of it. This was the third (Maybe fourth? She had lost track.) time this shortchanging had happened to this particular adventuring group. It had been happening more and more often over the past few months, on jobs the guild posted which were just far enough away from the city that news wouldn’t reach a traveling party for a few days until whatever event caused the reward to decrease had left popular gossip. It was technically legal, but frustrating for everyone lower down the chain. The woman had gotten especially tired of this depressing routine. She’d post a job on the board in her tavern, some hapless group would pick it up, then whatever noble they had to escort would already have an armed escort courtesy of the king by the time they arrived at his hold.

She didn’t really care about that part. She hated dealing with the fallout. She and the adventurers both knew that there was nothing the barmaid could do about the situation, yet the same song and dance played out again and again. She had considered removing the job board altogether, and be done with the annoyances, but the guild paid her a good deal of coin each month to keep it up, and the frustration hadn’t quite outweighed the holes in her purse just yet.

“Fine, just give me the money.” The man made a big show of sighing as he said this. Victor was always far too dramatic, as most mages were. Something about the magical professions gave everyone who could cast even the simplest of spells a big head.

“Here you are, 100 gold. Don’t spend it all in one place.”

“Sure, like that’s possible.” The man mumbled as he shambled back to his table. His companions were waiting for him, much less distraught than he was. The two women had come to expect this outcome. Sparrow was already deep into her first cup, while Grace’s eyes had firmly been locked to the bag of coin. Her gambling habits had saved them from cold nights out on the streets more than once, but those same habits had also put them there just as often. The risk would unfortunately be necessary tonight.

“So how’d it go?” Sparrow said without looking up from a small stain on the table. She was always surly, even with close friends.

“Exactly as you’d suspect,” replied Victor. “We trek a week out of town to clear out some beasts on an important trade route. Three days into our journey, another path – somehow both shorter and safer – magically appears out of thin air. Despite services rendered, said services were no longer needed, and thus…” He dropped the sack on the table, making the most pitiful, quiet jingle.

“It was good exercise at least. And you got to try out that new fireball thing you came up with.”

“It’s not- ugh, the explosion was an unintended side effect. It was supposed to convince the beasts that winter had come early—remove the head from the air, create a chill to safely and bloodlessly moving them away from the road. Not… set them all on fire.” Victor cradled his head in his arms, clearly he had not expected the magic to fail so catastrophically. He made a mental note to adjust the spell in his book, make it more explicit as to where the removed heat would actually go and what form it would take.

“Eh, tell that to my hair.” She tousled her long, red hair, now charred and uneven. He had never understood why Sparrow kept her hair so long, it seemed to get in the way more often than not. She normally kept her distance in combat, taking down targets with precisely aimed crossbow bolts. When push came to shove, however, she’d defend herself with a large sword. Big enough to give an enemy pause when wielded in two hands, but small enough to still be comfortably used one handed. This versatility had gotten the three of them out of more than a few jams, but would occasionally cause a bit of trouble like it had with their previous excursion.

It was then that the pair finally noticed that Grace had silently made off with the reward money. She did this often enough that it wasn’t a surprise, but for a woman in full plate armor she was inordinately stealthy. She would be back in due time, either grinning ear to ear with good news or nigh inconsolable over the loss; there was no in between. While they waited for their companion, the two took stock of their situation. They had enough money left for two nights at the inn, provided they didn’t eat. They could head out of the city to hunt for meals and sell the excess, but none of the surrounding wildlife was particularly appetizing to most citizens. With luck, they might run into some deer, it wasn’t unheard of to see them during this season, but their luck was in short supply lately. No, another job would be much more lucrative, even if they got scammed again. It was, at the very least, more stable work than any other options available to them. Better to avoid risks and wait for the tides to change – a phrase mostly used ironically in this city, given the view.

Suddenly, Grace burst through the tavern door. It had started to rain, but the massive, frozen wave that loomed over Lailengate was still visible in the distance. No one alive remembered how it had come to be, some assumed it was the remnant of a barely averted disaster, while others believed it to be a symbol of mankind’s triumph over the elements, still more believed it was a threat from the royal family, that if their bloodline were to end they would take the city with them. Most, however, saw it as a portent of doom. No matter your station in Lailengate, doom will eventually come for you, looming like the headsman’s axe.

Despite the twinkling in her eye, Grace had brought a similar doom to the party. They would not know it for a while yet, but an end – of a sort – was coming for them. For everyone.

The trio had moved to a more secluded table to discuss the fruits of Grace’s labor. Tonight’s haul was different, not a sack of coin but a contract. A new job with an urgent deadline – midnight. The moon had not yet reached its zenith, so while they had some time to deliberate a decision needed to be reached sooner rather than later.

“Who did you get this from again?” Asked Sparrow after she finished reading.

“A man in a black cloak by the market. He wouldn’t show his face, yet I felt no ill intent from him. He seemed more desperate than anything.” repeated Grace. This was the most serious the mouse-kin had appeared in quite some time. After being ousted from the Paladin Order long ago, Grace had been itching to find a worthy cause for her blade, something greater than herself. The party had been burned before by this urge, but being good natured folks her companions always supported her in these endeavors. It was clear she had already elected to take the job, and getting the go ahead from her companions was more of a formality. They all knew this, but chose to think it through nonetheless. Another song and dance to go with the tavern’s musical guest tonight.

“This is absurd,” interjected Victor, “we’re to, and I quote, ‘enter the city sewers’ – yuck – ‘from the entrance near the east gate and slay a beast that resides within.’ No information on what kind of monster, I may add. ‘Then, await a compatriot who will speak the phase “I will go where the wild rose blooms”’ – how trite, - ‘escort them out of the sewers, and receive a payment of-’ Zounds! That’s more money than I’ve ever seen in my life!”

“Indeed.” Grace looked quite pleased with herself. The storm clouds were finally parting over their misfortunes, she just knew it. She was always the optimist. The desperation in the cloaked man’s eyes told her that he truly needed help, a hero, and come hell or sewer water, she’d be that hero.

A few moments of silence passed over the group. Well, relative silence, as the bar was quite busy tonight. Not every seat was filled, but there were enough patrons to fill the room with the sounds of several different conversations happening at once. Some spoke of the workday’s woes, others engaged in the latest gossip, and two patrons were even debating the nature of a higher power in a way that only those who would not remember the night could. The drunken ramblings were accompanied by an off-key bard, who had the heart but maybe not the dexterity to properly play a lute.

Victor continued, “The money may be good, but the job seems deceptively easy for such a paycheck. Do we even know if they have the money, or are they just going to rob us?”

Grace replied, “I haven’t seen the coin, no, but he did show me a jewel encrusted, golden goblet. In fact, he gave it to me as incentive.” She plopped the cup on the table, seemingly out of nowhere. Sure enough, it was solid gold – as far as they could tell without chipping off a piece. It alone could set them up with a cozy room at this very inn for a month or more if they found the right buyer.

It seems this proof was enough for Sparrow, “If we’re going to do this, we should get moving. I’ll grab my bow… and the sword, just in case. Have a feeling we’re in for a long night.”

She got up from the table and walked over to the bar across the room, where the proprietress stored any of her patron’s weapons. To keep any fights that broke out mostly bloodless. It didn’t really work, but it certainly made her feel better in a legal sense.

“Bu- Don’t be so hasty,” said Victor as Sparrow went about her business, “We haven’t actually decided to accept this offer yet, have we? We could track down the client first at least! To ask him a few questions, verify that he actually has this admittedly ridiculous amount of money to pay us, perhaps get some of it in advance?”

Victor was thinking about what the group could do with all that gold now. They could be a bit more selective about their work with a safety net like that, take only jobs that they knew would pay out. Heck, with that much money and a bit of planning, they might never have to work again if they played their cards right. Victor could finally focus on his studies, to find an alternative magic source to the very limited and seemingly unknowable Well. His legacy would be set in stone, future generations would remember him as the wizard who changed magic forever. He always knew he was destined for greatness. All it would take is a small leap of faith. A trifle, really, to a mage as great as he.

Grace watched him as he imagined this future for himself. “I see you’ve convinced yourself of the merits of this task. A shame, I was quite looking forward to another spirited debate. Shall we be off then, or would you like to daydream a bit more?” Grace got up from their table and headed towards the door, alongside Sparrow. The paladin had no need to collect her gear, as she could still summon a sword and shield with just a bit of concentration. She may have been excommunicated, but her god hadn’t entirely abandoned her just yet.

He shook himself out of this reverie. If Sparrow wasn’t going to be the realist tonight, it’d have to be him. He noticed Sparrow and Grace were already halfway out the door. “I- What about- Ohhhhh, fine then! But if we get scammed again, let it be known that I was right!”

“Step lively now!” She called as she crossed the threshold. There was much work to be done, but come morning, perhaps their troubles would finally be over.