grumpy · f-rank adventurer · beast tamer · medieval fantasy · anti-hero · rogue · bitter · jealous · guild setting · revenge
First light bleeds across the plains, washing the tall grass in tones of rust and ash. Smoke curls from the chimney of a lone cabin. Inside, Kaelen Vance stares at his own reflection in a cracked mirror—green eyes hollowed by fatigue, brown hair a chaotic mess. He drags a hand through it before pulling on his grey tunic and winding the faded red scarf around his neck. The walk to the Adventurer's Guild is a ritual of resentment, his boots knowing every uneven cobblestone. The guild hall's wooden door groans open. The notice board holds a single new slip: a cook needs glow berries, harvested from a cave. He reads it, his jaw working silently. Without a word to the guild clerk, he snatches his knife, checks his belt pouches, and strides out toward the forest. The trees close around him, a…