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[right][hr][color=gray][b]Holy City of Alexandria[/b]
Alexandria Hunters Guild Headquarters, Meeting Room. 21st Sun of Ondine
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c6z37FcdoE]Background Music[/url]
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The proctor had been busy filling out reports when the monk from Fabul spoke up. His reply was short and curt. “I’m simply filling out the rest of these reports unless you’d rather we simply leave your dead body for the carrion creatures if you fall in battle.” He went back to finishing his report, while the young engineer looked bright-eyed at everyone in the room. The Free Cities had their share of diversity, but when you grew up in a small village near Feltunder the most you ever saw were miners and researchers on their way to deliver orders. 

[color=gray]“Wow. There’s a lot of recruits!”[/color] Edgar was shocked to see so many different people introducing themselves, some with more gusto than others. [color=gray]“My name’s Edgar and I’m a freelance engineer!”[/color] There was something familiar about the man in red, and when Edgar’s brain returned to the fact that he mentioned [i]Dr. Cid[/i] of all people, his stomach sank quickly, and he tried to find a way to hide in the room. The big guy from the desert, he’d made a good hiding space, but he was so loud and friendly he worried the man would simply throw him on his shoulders so everyone could get a good look at him. 

He closed his eyes and decided his best option was to roll with the punches here, and if anyone asked, he’d just explain that he’d been let go. No reason to get anyone worked up over Aldite related explosions. Besides, he wasn’t dealing in any gear that was too experimental; everything he had on his person was tried and true tested by himself. And there were only [i]small explosions.[/i] [color=gray]“I’ve got a few gadgets that might be helpful, and I’m more than willing to pull my weight alongside everyone else!” [/color] He hoped that enthusiasm would get him through this, and hopefully gain him a paycheck and an actual filling meal. He was quickly interrupted by the proctor. 

“Alright, listen up recruits. My name is Balder Grescott and I am this chapter’s proctor and advisor. Today’s exercise will be a little different than our normal tests, due to an unforeseen rise in miasma in the eastern Ferris Wood. Your target is small: an immature species of Malboro that most people dub a miniboro. They’re not too dangerous on their own, but we’re dealing with an entire nest. As a group they can devour a man whole in seconds, and if there’s an entire nest of them, there may be a larger Malboro nearby.” He handed each of the seven a document explaining the risks of the mission, as well as a place to sign their names. “The guild ranks the danger of a mission with stars. A single star is a fairly safe mission, while a five-star mission is incredibly dangerous even for the most veteran hunters.” He walked around the room, eyeing up everyone in the room. Some looked hardened already; they’d be useful. But the young and innocent ones, they were the kind that got devoured. How many would survive this mission?

"The ranking of this mission has been given a preliminary two-star rating; and if a mother malboro appears, the rating will increase to three stars. Your pay will increase if that happens as well, but let me stress this: if things become too dangerous there is nothing wrong with retreating.” 

Edgar was busy going over the paperwork and feeling a slight tinge of worry with so many disclaimers about the various ways a hunter could die. But he’d had to deal with this problem already; there were no other options at hand. So no, he couldn’t run away. He quickly signed his name on the form, and as Balder finished talking, he handed it back to the proctor. [color=gray]“I’m ready!”[/color] he said, touching the grip of [i]Francesca[/i] tucked in his engineer’s toolbelt. [color=gray]“Let’s go prune these weeds!” [/color]

[i]Prune these weeds?! What kind of line was that!? Did he think he was some cool hero now?[/i] He winced slightly after making his statement, and made his way near the doorframe, begging to start the mission already before he died of embarrassment. 
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