Chapter One

            At what point was one considered a failure?

            Was it after the first fault? The fifth? The hundredth? Was failure destined, or could its ire be tricked away? Was its absence the true sign of something special?

            There was something to be said for those who were raised believing that they were special. There was a pride that came from being held up as the shining example to one’s peers and receiving praise from those who stood above. It was almost intoxicating, in its way, yet heavy, leaving souls knowing that they must always continue to excel if they wanted to receive the next batch of validation. Each day of their lives- doomed to strive to maintain the badge of being “special”.

            So, what happened, then, when they were not anymore?

            “Keep your wits or the next projectile is going to be launched at your head, Noa!”

            Kevza had failed, once, and while his life as part of an alchemy guild certainly wasn’t like that of the Magus he’d hoped for as a child, watching Noa, half of the newest pair to join his team, dive for cover behind the sword rack was an experience that he couldn’t help but be fond of. The boy was young yet, he would learn to stand his ground. Eventually.

            With a chuckle, Kevza twitched a splash of magical energy through one of his fingers, knocking the stand over and sparking off a training bomb right next to the young man, where it detonated, splattering him with a light gray powder.

            “That wasn’t fair!” Noa yelled, wiping the dust out of his eyes.

            With a tsk tsk, Kevza turned to the rest of their group. “We should have already covered this in class, but since a couple of you are still new, we can have a refresher. Trainees, what is the first rule of fighting a humanoid opponent with arcane skill?”

            “Never expect an arcanist to play fair,” came the chorus from the more experienced members of the group.

            “Especially if it’s Kevza,” Captain Danae muttered, earning laughs from her comrades and a look of betrayal from the magic-wielder.

            “Attacked in my own home!” he fawned dramatically. “Darling, you really are too cruel.”

            “Who are you callin’ darling, eh? I’ll cut your tongue out for it next!”

            “All these years and you’re still so mean to me!”

            “Aye, seven years, and I’m thinking it’s a penance for some cosmic sin!”

            Despite the strong words, there wasn’t much heat behind them, even as the new members began to whisper amongst themselves. Danae’s teasing was actually one of the highlights of Kevza’s days, seeing what new creative ways they could playfully harass each other. After all, seven years was an accurate number, and it was quite a while to settle into a groove, one he and Danae had been building a rhythm to from the moment Bores brought them together and into the Guild. At this point, it was like second nature.

            “Alright, alright, that’s enough from the lot of you,” an older voice cut in, and, speak of the devil, Kevza turned to see the older man standing at the top of the stairs to the training grounds. “If you’re done terrorizing the recruits, the Guild Master wants to see the two of you during handouts.” He looked over the mess of the training field. “I’d suggest grabbing a shower beforehand.”

            “Oh, Noa gets off easy today,” Kevza teased with a smile, looking over his shoulder to where the boy continued to grumble and wipe the mess off of his clothes.

            “Nah, I have him on the roster for after dinner as well,” Danae cackled. “I’ll be whippin’ him into shape, you’ll see.”

            “Oof, double field day,” Kevza thought. “Ouch.”

            “Alright, alright,” he said, flicking the dust from his clothes. “Go through forms two more turns, then hit the baths and get to your studies!”

            The recruits, as normal, set about jabbing at each other as the two captains walked away. Although there were a few barbed remarks, Kevza could hear quite a bit of chattering intended to help Noa improve over the afternoon. Good. He would need it if the gleam in Danae’s eye was anything to go by.

            He couldn’t help the buzz of excitement that stirred as he got cleaned up and changed into a fresh set of clothes for the meeting. It had been a while since their team had been selected for a handout, given that Pasha had been recovering from a particularly nasty run-in with a poisonous rock snake and the additional time taken out of rotation to train Noa and his twin brother Nidi in the basics. They’d only just been placed back on the roster for fieldwork, and he was eager to see what the Guild Master had for them.

            The Faren Guild Hall was no small place, and it lacked no beauty to fill its halls with either. He admired the almost picturesque way the sunlight from the golden hour outside streamed through the tall stained-glass windows, painting their colors along the smooth stone walls with their green and cream flags and crests. The bustle of the training section gave way to the quiet murmur of lectures spilling out from various study rooms, and then the near-silent shuffling of organization in the administrative section.

            He hadn’t had the chance to come to this part of the guild hall in a while, but the few receptionists and file workers who were out and about on errands still smiled and gave him little nods and waves.

            “Master Barius is expecting you,” the head receptionist smiled as he arrived at his desk. “Go on in, the handouts should be starting soon.”

Handouts, the fun name the admin section had taken to calling receiving fieldwork, was the ultimate goal of the guild. People all over the continent would send in their reports of beasts and other creatures affected by the magic of the Ether, and they would be filed away into the guilds, quickly shifted and shared until they reached the hands of someone capable enough to handle the issue. At that point, they would be dispatched with any team members they might have, the threat would be dealt with, and the guild (and subsequently the alchemists) would be paid a small fee for their help, enabling the guild to run and produce more alchemists for the future. And so, the cycle of helping the helpless would be able to continue.

Faren’s guild was easily the largest, taking in anyone with even the slightest affinity for the job and rearing them up into at least a passible alchemist. Kevza had been a more than welcome addition, with his prior magic training putting him years ahead of other fresh recruits, easily landing him a spot as an arcane assistant on a squad, and later helping him rise up to his current rank of co-captain.

            The other half of his command unit was already in the office, her dark, wavy hair a blotch against the pale walls where she stood slightly apart from the other squad leaders.

            “Danae,” he greeted with a cheery grin, receiving a huff in return. “What do you think we’ll get?”

            “We’ll get whatever Master Marthak is willin’ to give us, and we’ll take it without a fuss.”

            “You say that like I’d complain about it,” he teased, bumping her shoulder. “Admit it, you’re excited to get back in on the action.”

            “If I say yes, will you calm down? You’re riled like a puppy.”

            “It’s exciting! This will be the twins’ first real time out in action, seeing things up close and personal!”

            “Then I guess we best be hopin’ the lads remember their wits. I won’t be acceptin’ any excuses for shoddy work. Now hush up, the meeting’s starting.”

            Guild Master Barius Marthak was a large man, in both stature and presence, but his otherwise serious look was offset by the genial smile ever gracing his features. As he settled in the large wing-backed chair behind his sprawling desk, the captains dutifully fell into line, quietly awaiting their orders.

            “Thank you all for coming in today, especially those of you who were given the short notice,” Barius grinned, arranging a few stacks of papers on his desk. “Let’s get down to it, shall we?”

            The stacks of cases began to diminish as they were passed around at the Guild Master’s discretion. A few from the research teams were sent to harvesting areas, a few from the fighting forces to small skirmishes, and finally, Danae was handed a thicker file for their team.

            “Squad fifteen, advanced control unit,” the Guild Master grinned. “Excited to be back on the roster?”

            “Yes, sir,” Kevza answered with a grin while Danae flipped through the file.

            “Well good,” the other man chuckled. “I’m sending you lot to Hawthgrove to help Guild Master Fairgreene with some particularly stiff residual activity from the Ether.”

            “We’ll handle it in no time, sir.” Danae snapped the file closed. “We’ve recently gone up in skill with the new addition of a second arcanist.”

            “I leave it to you then,” he nodded before addressing the room at large. “You have your tasks; I want them all put at the top of your priorities starting first thing tomorrow. That will be all.”

***