CHAPTER ONE: GUILDS AND THE GIRL FROM THE MOUNTAINS

She drew in the room, people would say after having met Kaira. Just a few seconds were enough for her beauty to enchant. Stunning diamond eyes that contrasted perfectly with her long jet black hair that dropped to her waist, she had long dark lashes and pale soft skin. It was often said that beautiful people had tarnished hearts, but Kaira had a witty and refreshing personality to boost her charm. If she hadn't been a troublemaker to the core, marriage proposals would have filled her home.

"Hello there, dear, are you here to post a request, or are you here for guild registration?" an old woman possibly in her mid-sixties asked. The woman wore a bright and warm smile. Kaira figured it was probably her job to smile, but it did make her feel at ease. The woman was seated on the opposite side with a glass window blocking excess contact.

"Oh uh, guild registration, please," Kaira replied. The woman eyed her, then let out a sigh, and her warm smile turned cold.

-Seriously?!-  Kaira thought. -How could a person's expression change just like that?-

*Anger.*

"How old are you? Shouldn't you be in school? Are you here with your parents?" the flood of questions poured from the woman. One would think she put off retirement to lecture aspiring guild applicants.

As if this event was expected, a young man with silver-white hair dressed in formal clothing consisting of a red shirt, a white undercoat, black pants, and a practiced smile appeared beside Kaira.

"That is not the right booth for guild registration, this way, please." The man said, then curtly directed her to the other side.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure she asked if I wanted to join a guild."

-So…shouldn't you be telling her that it's none of her bee's wax where my parents are!?-

"I'm sure she did." The man said.

Kaira expected him to carry on and explain, but he didn't. He didn't even turn to address her when they reached the 'correct' counter, which had a hideously long cue.

'Shoot!' Kaira swore internally. If only she hadn't been tricked by that old coot's question earlier, she would have been way ahead of the queue!

Had the old woman purposefully asked that question loudly to each of the previous customers so that she would confuse people who were applying for their first time?

"You may go next, as a way to compensate you for your lost time."

"Seriously!? Yes, please!" Kaira agreed wholeheartedly when loud unanimous groans filled the room in protest.

"It's not our fault that she fell for the old bags trick!" a loud voice protested at the back.

"Yeah! Why the hell are we being inconvenienced?" another person joined, but Kaira paid no mind. After all, what could she say?

‘You snooze you lose?’ or maybe ‘Sorry, but I'm not sorry?' there was nothing she could say to make them sympathize or care about her situation so, her best bet was silence.

Kaira had understood immediately; that the second she would start defending her actions would be the second she would lose. Initiating a conversation or apologizing had no part to play here. After all, wasn’t it just her luck?

Kaira joined the queue as the second in line, and the roaring protests intensified. The white-haired man seemed to have no interest in defending her honor. He turned and left her in the lion's den with tired and cranky lions.

-Haaah!…such is life.-

"We all have places to be!"

"Why the hell is this our problem?!"

"Is she still in the queue?"

“My gods! She is!”

"Kids these days, they all think they can join guilds!"

"Paul, that's not the issue at hand…." The voices grew more distant, or maybe she had turned them off, Kaira wasn't sure.

"Don't mind them." a female voice said. Kaira turned to the voices’ source and then smiled when she saw the girl behind her had a friendly look.

"My, you are breathtaking!" the girl said.

*Envy.*

"Thank you, but I'm a little concerned about being duped."

The girl had ruby eyes and long red hair clipped in pigtails. She looked far younger than Kaira, but something didn't sit right with Kaira about her.

Why were her feelings and facial expressions a mismatch?

"Duped?" the girl tilted her head sideways, causing her pigtails to sway slightly. "Oh, you mean, Roe?! Ah! Don't mind her. She lost her son, who was in a weaker guild. He was pretty young, around fifteen, sixteen thereabouts."

"Fifteen, sixteen? How old are you?" Kaira frowned, she looked twelve at most, but she seemed to know a lot more about the place than she did.

The building they were in was designed solely for guild affairs, but it was still magnificent, from the cooling marble stones downright to the center's fountain. Right now, registration took priority, but once registration ended and you happen to be accepted, they would create an account for you. After you complete a quest, the money gets deposited in your account. You can only access the funds with your guild card. There were many buildings like this one around the continent, especially near guild bases. Sadly there was only one in Skala, all thanks to Phthalo niche, the first and only guild on the island.

"I'm eighteen, but I have been here before. This is my second time: last spring and this one. I guess you could say that Roe does that every time during this grand season. If the manager hadn't arrived, she'd still be lecturing you right now and considering that today is the last day of registration..."

"Why is she still working here?" Kaira asked.

"She isn't a bad employee. Other than this period, she has always been 'Employee of the season.' At least that's what people say. "

"Still…isn't this a bit extreme." Kaira gestured to the continuing queue. "Will all of them register or rather get registered?"

"The guild recruitments happen once every four seasons. It's actually a shocker that these are the only people to show up." The girl said with a charming smile. "As for who gets chosen, hardly anyone gets into a stronger guild, but weaker guilds…almost anyone can enter."

*Superiority.*

Kaira could have understood if the girl had used the phrase, 'The qualifications for joining a weaker guild are less than that of a stronger one.' but to blatantly say that 'anyone' could get into a weaker guild, wasn't she just looking down on weaker guilds, or were they just that bad?

Other than the corrupt Phthalo, Skala had no other guilds. People often came to Sienna and her for help. They ran an 'odd jobs' from their little cabin. Kaira didn't understand why Sienna suddenly insisted that she join a guild, so much so that she was willing to kick Kaira out. Who would help the people of Skala, if they weren't there?

"Well, it's been like that since eight springs ago, when they allowed people to test themselves without necessarily having to join a guild." The girl continued, jolting Kaira from her thoughts.

"You said you were here last spring. Why?" Kaira asked.

*Discomfort.*

"W-well obviously to test my strength."

"Couldn't you have done that during another season, you know when there isn't a queue?"

*Discomfort.*

"Huh? We don't all have the same schedule-"

"I'm sorry, I overstepped. I'm Kaira, by the way."

"Ari." The girl said, visibly relaxing. "So…which guild do you hope to join?"

"Oh, I…I'm not sure maybe Crimson Lilies. I have a friend who was once there?"

"Oh! Me too! I hear the entry exams are tough!" Ari said. "But that's the best stronger guild for you."

'Exams!? Sienna hadn't mentioned exams!?' Kaira frowned.

Exams with her power? What if the exams were strictly magical? Was she supposed to sit and talk about feelings in the arena?

- What good is my ability? Why is Sienna so insistent that I join a guild?

-This is a tragedy! I want to go home?!-

"Hah...right?" Kaira was starting to lose her nerve. "Ex...E…Exams."

"Next!" a voice called out after the man that was in front of them left. He was grumbling, but that was no reason for Kaira to feel anxious, right? It was now or never.

"Hello, name and receipt, please?" A young woman with short black hair working behind a white marble desk asked. She laid out a new paper and grabbed a feathered fountain pen dipped in black ink.

Kaira presented her receipt stamp written '17' with deep mauve ink. The stamp on the receipt had cost her five thousand iches. While the receipt itself had cost her one thousand iches.

That was a whole assignments worth-

"Name?" the woman interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh, right, Kaira." She said.

'Strange.' Kaira thought. She couldn't seem to read the woman's emotions. At all, almost as if...

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"What species are you?"

"Human."

"Have you manifested your familiar?"

"Not yet."

"Have you manifested your grimoire?"

"Not yet."

"What is your magical ability?"

"Uh…Emotions?"

"Emotions?" the woman quirked her brow. "Kindly explain."

Kaira cleared her throat. The woman hadn't dismissed her. That had to be a good sign, right?

Purple eyes, Kaira noticed. The woman had deep purple eyes, a gentle heart-shaped face with no blemish on her skin. Her straight black hair fell loosely around her face, yet despite her heads' sway, her hair didn't get messy, almost like Sienna's. She had an aura around her. Kaira thought.

"Oh, right! I can tell what another person is feeling."

"Sounds useful, maybe during interrogations or, you know, in life."

"Yes, it's easily dismissible, but it is useful."

-I just wish I had a power that made me stronger.-

"Well…I guess the next question won't fit for you." The woman jotted a few things down.

"The next question? Just ask!" Maybe she could redeem herself, Kaira thought.

"What elemental category does your magical ability fall into?"

-Well…shit.-

"What is your combat type, if any?"

"Assasi- I mean dual daggers."

"Right, Kira, was it?"

-Had she already forgotten my name? I mean, she has my file?!-

"It's Kaira."

"You have two options, get a refund of one hundred and seventy iches or measure your ability on the whip net crystal."

"Oh…uh, do you present everybody with such a bountiful offer?"

-Or are you just looking down on me?-

"No, but you have to understand…your power is…"

Useless. Kaira didn't need her to finish to understand. Yes, her ability was rare, so rare that she hadn't known that she had had it until two summer's past.

"It doesn't fit into either defensive or offensive categories, so no matter how much magical potential you have… I mean, if wars could be fought with words…"

"I get it," Kaira said. Truly she did. Even she didn't get her power, the ability to tell others emotions? Emotions? Surely, what was one supposed to do with that power? Be a village elder?! A shaman?

Kaira always thought that the angel that had blessed her with her powers was a closeted comedian, closeted because who the hell would laugh at such unfunny jokes!

"If I take the iches, and I mean 'if,' will it affect my guild selection?"

"No. but…"

"But?"

"You are automatically exempted from joining the stronger guilds."

That god damn angel…