Divine Journey

As dawn broke, the group, who had been waiting outside the "White Ravens" guildhall, walked inside. Finding the person in charge of awarding bounties was not difficult – he was in a separate room, not far from the quest board. They unloaded the charred heads of the hydra onto a table and told the man about the attack they had suffered, some showing their burns, and others showing the marks of the hydra's attacks. After listening carefully, the man said that it would be better if they told the leader about it, and that he would bring him here. At that moment, the owner of the local inn entered the room and said that he wanted to claim the bounty for killing the hydra, and that he also had an important letter for the leader of the "Ravens." This man was well-known in the city, so he could not have been the one who attacked the group of travelers, which puzzled the bounty master. He placed the bag of eyes on the table next to the heads, took the letter, and told everyone, including the innkeeper, to stay there, and then headed to the leader. He climbed to the second floor, opened the door, and entered. A man in his sixties was sitting in a chair, very tall and strong for his age. It seemed that time had not weakened either his body or his spirit. Long, gray hair, the same color as his thick beard, hid most of his face. Confidence and a hint of sadness could be seen in his gray eyes. His wrinkled forehead was the only "intact" part of the man's face: his straight nose, as well as his sunken cheeks, were covered with battle scars. The absence of his right arm below the elbow was also striking. "Sir! An... unusual situation has occurred." "Does it require my intervention?" "Indeed! The thing is, some time ago, a group of people reported that during the execution of one of the quests on the quest board, namely the destruction of a hydra, someone set off an explosion, which caused serious injuries to the group. As proof, they brought the monster's heads, and some of them also have burns and bite marks. But then the owner of the 'Cozy Home' appears and presents a bag of hydra eyes, and also a letter addressed to you," the man handed the letter to the leader, who opened it and read: "To the head of the monster hunter guild, the 'White Ravens,' or whoever is acting in their place. This letter, delivered to you by the innkeeper, is a request for help and the last hope of honest warriors who have expressed a desire to help your great cause. The author of this message is Hostor, whose name was recorded in your friends' ledger yesterday after a conversation with the most honorable Lady Ariel. During the hunt for the hydra in the Black Forest, our group of honest hunters was attacked. When the creature was defeated, and the monster's eyes were taken as trophies, several bandits of a rather strange appearance attacked us. To avoid the death of my comrades, I was forced to use my mastery of fire magic, which caused a powerful explosion. Our group scattered. I managed to avoid meeting the bandits, thanks to which I arrived in the city earlier than my comrades. I returned to my room in the inn, where I healed my wounds with a magical potion. At the moment, I fear that the scoundrels want to claim the bounty instead of us, presenting other evidence from the monster we left behind. For this reason, I believe that my life and the lives of my friends are in danger. Knowing you as valiant and just knights, I ask for help in apprehending the scoundrels. With sincere hope, Hostor." "An interesting situation, no doubt," the leader of the Ravens murmured. "Should I check the ledger?" "The author of the letter knew what he was writing, without a doubt, and it is unlikely that his name will not be in it, but it does not hurt to check." A few minutes later, both men went down to the bounty room, and the leader introduced himself: "Greetings, gentlemen. I am the leader of this small organization; you can call me Tangeiser. I assume you know why you are here, and I must immediately clarify one point. The 'White Ravens' operate independently of the state, so investigating crimes is not within our competence. But, nevertheless, we are obliged to pay the established amount to the brave warriors who destroyed the monster. Therefore, I am ready to listen to you from this position." The bounty master also reported on the counter-accusations against them and the position of the other side.