Atty finished up at the cafe and headed to the bulletin board, where he saw the cat, Jewel, at her station. He was met with seductive eyes and a warm smile. "Morning, cutie," she greeted. She took note of the red sash around his neck. "I see you've made it into the guild. Congratulations."
"Thanks." He smiled back. "Mind if I have a look at the board?"
"Help yourself," she stated. She went back to what she was doing as the wolf approached the board. He wondered what type of job he should do for his first. Maybe something simple, like a delivery. He grabbed a blue envelope and opened it up. It read 'I need someone to deliver a package in town. See me at the Lunawolf General Store for more details. Warm regards, Ariel.' Ariel? That name rang a bell. He remembered Valentine mentioning her.
"She's the one that runs the store," he thought to himself. He looked over towards the east side of the manor and could see the shop from where he was standing. He stored the letter and went over. He made it to the counter. He saw a lot of goods on the shelves, including food, tools, and luxury items, but didn't see the owner anywhere. He could see a room in the back, possibly a storage area. There was a bell on the counter, possibly there to get the owner's attention if they were busy. He rang it.
"Be right there!" a voice answered. He waited patiently for a moment until a figure came out from the back room. She was an otter, blue in color with a cream chest, and aquamarine eyes. She looked at Atty and gave a warm smile. "Hello there. You must be the new recruit. I'm Ariel. What can I do for you, handsome?" Atty took out the letter and laid it on the counter.
"I'm answering your request. Something about a package. Figured it would be a good way to start my career in the guild."
"And you picked me to be your first client? I'm flattered." She giggled. "Yes, I do need some help with a delivery. I'd do it myself, but I'm really busy right now. Wait here." The otter went back into the store room, and after a moment, came back out with a package in hand. "Take this to Honey Oaks Boulevard. The address is on the package. It's for a bear named Bjorn." She laid a small sack of coins down as well. "Here's half the payment up front. You'll get the other half when the job is done."
"Sounds fair," the wolf answered. "So how do I get to Honey Oaks?"
"Oh, that's right. You're not yet familiar with our town, are you?" She looked around for a moment and placed something else down on the counter." Here's a map layout of our little town. It should help you find your way."
"Okay, thanks." He took the package, money, and map, and placed it in his satchel, and bidded the otter farewell.
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He wandered about town for a bit trying to find his destination with the map as his guide. Atty eventually found his way, looking at a sign that said 'Honey Oaks Boulevard'. It had a cute picture of a bee under the name. He ventured down the road, looking for the address labeled on the package. He noticed it had mostly farm houses, with large acres of crops, fruit trees, and bee boxes. He finally stumbled upon the address he was looking for. The house was quite impressive in size, suitable for a bear to live in. He approached the door and gave it a knock. He waited a moment for a response. The door finally opened, and he was greeted by a ruffled and elderly looking grizzly bear. He was intimidated at first by the size of the beast. The bear took note of the wolf's sash, and immediately recognized the emblem. "You must be new to the guild. What can I do for you?"
Atty took a moment to compose himself. Once he felt more comfortable enough, he spoke up. "Are you Bjorn?"
"I am."
Atty reached into his satchel and pulled out the package. "I have a delivery for you, from Ariel."
"Ah, finally. Been waiting on this. It's for a special recipe I'm working on. I'm sure Ariel will accommodate you for your troubles, but I'd like you to have something as a token of my gratitude." The bear went back inside for a moment, and came back out with a jar in hand, and gave it to Atty. The wolf stared at it briefly.
"A jar of honey?"
"Yes. I run a bee farm, you see. We bears are very resilient to bee stings, so that makes us the perfect beekeepers. If you won't accept it as payment, consider it a gift."
"Okay. Thanks, Bjorn. So how'd you get into beekeeping in the first place?"
"It's nothing new among bears. Most of us who enter retirement turn to farming honey as a way to pass the time and make a bit of extra coin."
"What did you do before?"
"I was a warrior of the clan Ursa Major. Served and fought for many years. But eventually got too old to keep going. Decades of fighting and defending sooner or later takes its toll on you. Now I live a more relaxed life taking care of bees and selling my honey." He gave a sigh. "Well anyway, why don't you come visit sometime. I'd be happy to whip up my special recipe and share it with you. Honey roasted, jelly filled biscuits."
"I'll be sure to do that. Thanks, Bjorn."
"You're quite welcome. You take care now." Bjorn bid the wolf farewell and closed the door. Atty looked at the jar of honey for a moment, then stored it in his satchel.
"Well, that wasn't too difficult. Guess it's time to head back."
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Atty left Honey Oaks and began to make his way back to Lunawolf Manor. It was easier getting back than it was finding the address to his first job. He would occasionally stop and look at the jar of honey he was given. He wasn't even sure if he liked the stuff, so he likely had no use for it. He thought to himself for a moment. He remembered something he learned growing up. Honey has its own healing properties. Perhaps Juniper would have a use for it. He eventually returned to the manor, and went straight to the general store. He didn't see the otter at first, and rang the bell at the counter. "One sec! Be right with you!" he heard a familiar voice call out. He waited, figuring Ariel was busy in the back room. She eventually came out and noticed the wolf waiting for her at the counter. "Oh good, you're back. How'd that delivery go?"
"Quite well. Bjorn is pretty friendly. Even gave me a little something for the trouble."
"Bjorn is pretty generous. He makes sure to let no good deed go unrewarded." She gave a smile. "I appreciate the footwork. Saved me a lot of trouble. Here's the other half of your pay, as promised." She laid down a small sack of coins for the wolf to accept. "I can always use help with deliveries, so if you're ever looking for more easy work, feel free to stop by."
"Will do." Atty smiled back, and took the small sack and stored it in his satchel. "I guess I'd better donate half of this to the guild." He thought to himself. He went over to the reception desk where Jewel was stationed. The cat looked like she was in the middle of something, but noticed him approaching and smiled.
"Hey there, Atty. How'd your first job go?"
"Pretty well. But now I have a question. Where do I donate my earnings?"
"The deposit box is right here." She pointed to the front of the desk, where a box was hanging, made out of redwood with gold hinges, and the Lunawolf emblem on the lid. "Nina comes down at the end of the day to collect it. Just put your share of the earnings in it, and you're done." He nodded, and opened the slot on the front of the box, put his share of the profits into it, and closed it. "That's all there is to it. Pretty simple, yes?"
"What is the money used for?"
"Taxes and essentials for the guild's members mostly. Some of it's also set aside for emergencies as well."
"Ah. That makes sense." Atty thought to himself for a moment. Another question then came to mind. "Do you have any idea where I can find the Blue Dragon?"
"You mean the restaurant? I've never been there myself, but I know how to get there. But, you're not thinking of going there alone, are you? If you're going to the Blue Dragon, it should be as a couple."
"No. Juniper brought it up. She's very eager to go. I just wanted to check it out for myself."
"Oh. Well, do you have a map?" Atty nodded and pulled out the map Ariel gave him, and laid it on the desk. Jewel looked at it for a moment, scouring it for the location of the restaurant. "Right around here." She marked the area for Atemis. "It has a large blue, Asian dragon as its sign. You can't miss it."
"Thank you, Jewel." He put the map away.
"You're welcome." She sighed. "I really envy Juniper. I think she really scored a good one with you."
"What makes you say that?" the wolf said sheepishly.
"I have a good sense for people. I can look you in the eyes and tell much about you. They are the gateway to the soul, after all."
"And what do you see when you look into my eyes?"
"Hmm..." she gazed into his piercing red eyes for a moment, and seemed to get lost in them briefly. "You're a strong and brave soul, as any warrior should be, but you also have a gentle and soft side to you. You despise evil, and you're not afraid to stand up for the ones you care about."
"You can tell all that just by looking into my eyes?"
"And so much more." The cat giggled. "Anyways, I've heard a lot of good things about the Blue Dragon. I'm certain you and June won't be disappointed."
"I'm looking forward to seeing it. Thanks again for the directions."
"No problem, Atty."
"I'll be back later for some more work," Atty proclaimed. "See you again soon."
"Goodbye for now, Atty-bear." The wolf stopped in his tracks when she called him that, blushing slightly and getting a tingling feeling down his spine, then continuing on.
Atty followed the directions on the map towards his destination, the Blue Dragon. It was practically around the corner, according to Jewel's directions. He looked around the indicated street for the dragon sign. It didn't take long for him to find it. The building's size was quite impressive, as was the huge eastern blue dragon that hung above its entrance. Many couples could be seen through the windows, as well as some entering and leaving. Some of the couples were even interspecies relationships. From what he could tell, it was a Chinese style restaurant, given some of the interior decorations and Chinese lanterns hanging around. In the back, there was a window with a view of the nearby river, and a waterfall. There were some small plants around as well, a bunch of decorative cherry blossom bonsai trees that really seemed to bring the place to life. He slipped inside, passing a few animals as he made his way to the front desk. He was greeted by a red panda with green eyes.
"Hello there. Welcome to the Blue Dragon." He stared at the wolf for a moment, pondering a bit. "I don't believe we've ever met. Are you new in town? You must be. I'd definitely remember a set of eyes like yours." He chuckled. "My name's Chang. Pleasure to meet you."
"Atemis," the wolf replied. The red panda gazed at his sash.
"Are you a new recruit to Lunawolf?" He nodded. "Always a pleasure to meet the newest members. We have a special discount for the guild. Are you here alone?"
"Yes, but I'm only here to check the place out. So far, it looks quite lovely, though."
"Nothing but the best for the loving couples of our quiet little town. The scenery is breathtaking, the food's to die for, most importantly, our prices are fair. Would you like a copy of our menu? They're free. We like for our customers to have an idea of what they want before they come in." Atty nodded. The red panda grabbed a copy and handed it to the wolf. It had a picture of a blue Asian dragon on the cover. He opened it and scrolled through the dishes, and took note of the prices.
"Not as bad as I thought they'd be," he thought to himself. He looked at Chang for a moment. "Thank you for this. I'll take my leave now."
"Of course, my friend. I look forward to seeing you again soon."
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Atemis spent the rest of the day doing more jobs on the board, mostly deliveries for Ariel, as well as other general errands that the clients seemed too busy to do themselves. He worked until the sun was starting to set, and felt quite tired from all the back and forth walking he was doing. He felt like he got his steps in, and made quite a bit of coin doing it. He decided to call it a night, and began leaving the general goods store. "I think I'm going to retire for the night, Ariel," he said, "Good night."
"Sleep well, Atemis," the otter replied, "See you tomorrow, I hope." She gave a wave and a warm smile as she began to close up shop. Atty passed by Jewel as she was getting ready to call it a day as well. He also noticed the weasel, Nina, had come down to collect the daily profits. She looked at the wolf and smiled.
"Hello again, Atemis. You seem to be doing well. How'd your first day go?"
"I think it went well. Though, I'm awfully tired from all the running around."
"Been doing a lot of the blue and white jobs, have you?" She chuckled, "Don't worry, it gets easier with time. From what I've heard, you've made quite a profit today. Your ambition and energy is admirable, but you mustn't overexert yourself."
"Noted," he replied. "I'm gonna head to my dorm now, and get some shut eye."
"Of course, Atemis." The weasel bowed respectfully, "Sorry for holding you up." He returned the bow, and walked by, but stopped in his tracks when he heard Jewel speak up.
"Good night, Atty-bear. See you in the morning." The cat purred. He blushed.
"There's that tingly feeling again," he thought to himself as he shuddered. He left without looking back or speaking.
He made it back to the residential floor, and was walking along the hallway on his way to his dorm. He wasn't really looking where he was going as his mind started to wander. His attention was grabbed when he felt a thud and heard an 'oof'. He looked down to see the uniquely colored fox, Juniper lying on the ground and rubbing her head. "Are you okay June?" he asked as he helped her up. She found herself brushed up against him, their snouts just inches from each other. They looked into each other's eyes, and blushed in unison.
"Yes, I'm fine," she answered sheepishly, "That's twice I've bumped into you so far." She managed to let out a giggle. "We simply must stop meeting like this, don't you think?" He chuckled.
"I don't know, it seems to be working for me. I get to see you, at least."
"Perhaps there's a more convenient and less forceful way to do that?" She huffed. "Oh, by the way, how was your first day? Nothing too strenuous, I hope."
"Nah, nothing crazy, just a bunch of errands for people. I'm exhausted, but I made some good coin doing it, so I guess you could say I had a productive day."
"That's good to hear." Something then occurred to Atty.
"That reminds me, I have one more delivery to make." He reached into his satchel and pulled out the jar of honey. "This was given to me as a gift during one of my runs, but I have no use for it. Perhaps you do?"
"Oh!" She took the jar from his paws. "I was running low on this stuff. I was planning on buying some from the general store some time this week. You just saved me a trip. How can I repay you for this?"
"No repayment needed," the wolf said, "this one's on me." He smiled. She returned it.
"Well, at least accept this." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. He blushed hard, his ears and tail perked up for a second. The fox giggled at his reaction. "I'm gonna head on to bed now. You might want to as well."
"Yeah, good idea," the wolf replied. "I hope I see you in the morning."
"So do I, Atemis. Good night, and thanks again for the honey." She blew a kiss to him and went into her dorm for the night, her tail being the last thing he saw before the door closed. He stood there for a long moment and smiled, before finally retreating to his own dorm.
