To outsiders, it might look like an employer discussing an employee with a colleague. But for those who truly knew Abbie and Lira, it was simply two friends sharing concern about someone they cared about.

  “Do you really think she’d go for it?” Lira asked, her fingers curled around her tea mug as she watched Abbie contemplate the dessert tray.

  “Probably,” Abbie replied, selecting a slice of cake. “Katherine seems to thrive in chaos—even if the weapons she chooses are a little… unconventional.”

  Lira’s gaze drifted, her worry written across her face. “You didn’t see what happened during that illusion. Katherine trapped herself with that odd staff—metal and some kind of plastic. She fought like she always does, but there was a moment… I saw something in her eyes, like she was lost in it. That’s what makes me nervous about her recovery. The way her soul still flinches from old scars.”

  Abbie paused, halfway through a soft brownie-like cookie, her expression turning thoughtful. “You care about her, don’t you?” she asked gently. “Not just because you’re her supervisor.”

  Lira nodded, her voice quiet. “She tries so hard to act tough, but there’s a vulnerability she hides. I asked Eli to check on her, to measure how badly she was shaken. He still refuses to go near her after what happened in the bathhouse, and Katherine didn’t take kindly to his attempt. I think he tried to use one of his stealth spells and it backfired spectacularly.”

  Abbie snorted, recalling the story. “You know she threatened to castrate him, right?”

  Lira grinned. “And I threatened to curse him if I caught him snooping again. Sometimes I wonder how Eli manages to survive around us.”

  Abbie chuckled, her amusement warming the air between them. “He’s lucky Shade is afraid of water—or our panther might have tried to eat him by now.” She leaned in, sincerity softening her tone. “I just want Katherine to get what she deserves—a fair shot, good pay, and a chance to heal, even if it takes time.”

  Lira smiled, her tension easing just a little. “She doesn’t have to worry about being cheated out of her wages. No, she only needs to watch out for Shade begging the clients for treats.”

  Abbie grinned, their laughter mingling with a shared hope for their friend’s future, the bond between them stronger than any workplace tie.

  ...

  The guild receptionist glanced up, her smile practiced but friendly. “How can I help you today?”

  Katherine returned the expression, forcing her lips into a polite curve. “I’d like to join, if possible.”

  “Of course. Just a bit of paperwork to get started,” the receptionist said, reaching behind the counter and producing a stack of forms.

  The questions were straightforward: name, age, relevant skills. Katherine hesitated, her pen hovering over the blank spaces. What else was she supposed to put—monster slayer? Cultist hunter? She bit her lip, hoping her sparse answers wouldn’t get her rejected. She didn’t have a reliable frame of reference, aside from her experience killing monsters and cultists.

  She did her best to fill out the forms, but the pages still looked almost empty to her.

  “I think you might need more information, but I filled out what I could confidently,” Katherine said, handing the papers back with a sheepish shrug.

  The receptionist skimmed the paperwork, nodding in understanding. “Don’t worry about that section. We’ve got ways to fill in the gaps accurately, and you can update your file later if you want. For now, if you plan to bring your familiars along on contracts, they’ll need to be here when we do your examination.”

  Katherine was brought into a room with an official. The room was like an interrogation room. A singular table with a few chairs. Pressed into the walls were gems providing light to the room. Off to the side was a smaller table with a pitcher and a few glasses. In the center of the main table was a head-sized orb on a stand to keep it from rolling. Luckily, the chairs were at least moderately comfortable incase this meeting went longer than expected.

  “Please place your hand on the orb,” the official asked.

  Katherine did as instructed. What looked like a character sheet popped up on either side to let both read the information. Then came a second, and a third most likely making the skill trees visible

  Name: Katherine Monroe, Level 13

  Skill Tree [Combat]

  Dual Presence [Aura]

  Manipulates aura to show others perceive self.

  Sense Threat [Perception]

  Allows users to detect what may cause harm to self or others around you within a curtain radius.

  Minor Weapon Proficiency [Passive]

  Can use simple weapons like: Clubs, Knives, and other weapons that do not require special techniques to be used. This does not include magical equivalents. If a magical weapon in this category uses the same affinity provided by [Skill Tree: Magic] This skill can apply.

  Ranged Weapon Proficiency [Passive]

  Can use ranged weapons like: Bows, Throwing Knives, and other simple ranged weapons. If a ranged weapon uses the affinity as the user, the damage caused by the weapon has an increased effect. This does not include weapons that require techniques to use, such as some types of Throwing knives.

  “Throwing knives have techniques?” Katherine asked perplexed by the condition.

  “Not usually, but there are some exceptions like if the knives in question are used for a martial arts style, but those have different ideologies on how throwing knives are used. The skill mainly refers to archery, but as some knives can be considered as ranged weapons, they fall under the same skill,” the official explained as he continued reading and jotting down notes on Katherine’s Skills. “That’s unusual”

  Primal Rage [Enhancement] [Active]

  Can increase [Strength] and [Agility] at the cost of increased [Stamina] use.

  “How did you get that?” the official asked. “Ope, never mind.”

  A fourth screen populated showing him Katherine’s title

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Soul Bound Protector [Title]

  Unlocks Skill [Guardian's Veil] Allies within user’s aura feel a sense of safety and are emboldened to stand their ground. Enemies sense a subtle barrier making direct attacks less effective. [Note: This skill overlaps with Dual Presence]

  “How does my title explain how I have a skill like ‘Primal Rage’?” Katherine asked.

  This time, the official actually looked up from the screens, studying her for the first time since she’d placed her hand on the orb. “No one really knows the criteria for how titles are handed out by the system,” he admitted. “But, like with those throwing knives, there are plenty of exceptions. I see you have ‘Taming and Husbandry’ in your profession tree. I’m guessing you were protecting your familiars?” He hesitated as his eyes scanned the list of affinities, clearly puzzled by the imbalance with her actual spells.

  “I only had one familiar at the time,” Katherine said, her tone more guarded. “Now I have three, but I’ll only bring two along for contracts.”

  The official nodded, then asked, “So, you suffered… damage that should have been fatal, but you pulled through regardless?” His voice turned careful, probing for more.

  Katherine stood and lifted the right side of her shirt, revealing a massive crescent-shaped scar that ran along her ribs, the mark dipping between each rib where bone had needed mending. The wound shimmered faintly in the gem light, haunting in its severity.

  “Holy—!” The official recoiled, visibly shaken. “What could have done that?”

  “A lesser forest drake,” Katherine replied, letting her shirt fall back into place as she sat down. “I went after it with a kitchen knife.” She let out a short breath, then added, “Lady Lira Wynford was there—she’s Duke Osric’s daughter. Roland, their beast master, saw it too. And the healers, Arnold and Abbeth, they were the ones who patched me up.” She met the official’s gaze, letting the weight of her words settle between them. “If you need confirmation, you can ask any of them. Lady Lira was the one who finished off the drake after they got me and my familiar out.”

  The official swallowed, now much paler than before, and turned back to the screens, clearly unsettled by both the mention of a lesser drake and the involvement of the city’s highest-ranking nobles and their staff.

  “Let’s move on to your profession skill tree next,” he said after a moment regaining composure.

  Taming and Husbandry [Profession]

  Soul Contract [Familiar] [Active] [Aura]

  Using the user’s aura to create a soul contract to make a creature a familiar.

  Primal Language [Passive]

  Allows user to communicate with familiars.

  Primal Language II [Passive]

  Allows intelligent familiars to create telepathic links in an understandable speech relative to who is speaking through the bond.

  Katherine wasn’t sure when that skill upgraded, but she had a guess that it happened when she bonded with Luna, as she had spoken to Luna mentally before they were bonded. It wasn’t often, as Luna hated Katherine in the beginning.

  “This one is odd,” the official remarked.

  Wild Call [Active]

  Skill has combined with a different skill. This skill has been lost

  Call of the Hunt [Active]

  Use your familiars as beacons to summon allied or subservient within a certain radius as support

  “It’s not every day that you see someone losing a skill,” the official remarked, rubbing his chin.

  “I believe it did the same thing as the ‘Call of the Hunt’. Just less effectively,” Katherine suggested. “I haven’t used most of those skills. With exceptions of ‘Soul Contract’, ‘Primal Language’, and ‘Monster Lore’.”

  “Ah, I see it, that looks like a good one.”

  Monster Lore [Passive]

  With every encounter of a hostile beast learn the creature’s anatomy, weaknesses, and behaviors of monsters and beasts.

  “It is alright as I don’t go on monster hunts except for that on time,” Katherine said reluctantly with a shrug. “It does have some benefits to the study of monster hunting if the same information is confirmed in other sources.”

  The official gave a facial expression that said only a single expression. Neat. “Alright, Miss Monroe, let’s move on to your magical skills.”

  [Skill Tree:Magic]

  Shadowstalking [Skill: Teleportation] [Dark] [Dimension]

  Track a target and travel using shadows as a conduit.

  Double Trouble [Spell] [Illusion]

  Create life-like double of a person that you have met.

  Mimicry [Spell] [Illusion]

  Create life-like illusion the illusions do not need to be visible.

  ...

  In another part of the guild, a young woman named Sage Ulfric underwent the same process in a private room.

  “Alright, Miss Ulfric, here is your temporary proof of membership to the Adventurer’s Guild,” the official said, handing her a wooden plate about the size of her hand. He hesitated, giving her a questioning look. “Are you sure you want to keep your combatant information out of your file?”

  Sage sat quietly, her posture shrinking into the oversized chair. Her loose, earth-toned clothing swallowed her small frame as she kept her head bowed, avoiding the official’s gaze. The mismatched blue and amber of her eyes flickered downward, making her easy to overlook even in the quiet room.

  Fidgeting with the edge of the wooden plate, Sage’s fingers trembled slightly as she answered, “I’m sure. I don’t really like violence.”

  The official paused, noticing her unease, and offered a gentle, reassuring smile. “A bit unusual for a job like this, but understandable,” he said, his tone softening. He knew some people joined the guild hoping to bring a little more good into the world.

  As Sage exited the guild, she caught a whiff of a familiar scent—a distinctive musk drifting through the air. Her nostrils flared. Not here, she thought, rummaging through the satchel she always carried at her side. She pulled out a jar of dried flowers, quickly opened it, and breathed in the aroma of aetherblossom. Only when she felt composed enough to pursue the musk did she close the jar. Hurrying from the guild, she accidentally bumped into an olive-skinned fighter accompanied by a large cat, who was also leaving after her own interview.

  ...

  Katherine gently rubbed behind Shade’s ears, her fingers working in slow, soothing circles. The big cat’s muscles remained taut beneath her touch, his ears flicking back and forth as if tuned to a frequency she couldn’t hear. He prowled in small, restless arcs at her feet, his nose twitching and eyes darting toward shadowy corners of the bustling hall. Katherine’s brow furrowed in concern. What are you picking up on that I’m missing, Shade? she wondered, feeling a prickle of unease at the nape of her neck. She tried to keep him occupied, hoping the familiar motion of affection would ground him—and herself.

  Suddenly, Shade let out a sharp, unexpected sneeze, startling her. That wasn’t like him at all. Katherine glanced around, trying to locate the source of his agitation, but all she noticed was the swirl of earthy scents—spilled ale, sweat, roasted meat, and the faint tang of damp stone that clung to the old tavern’s walls. “It was probably just a draft,” she murmured, more to herself than to Shade. Just then, someone in loose, earth-toned clothing brushed past her, murmuring a timid apology without meeting her eyes. Katherine barely registered the encounter, her focus still on calming Shade, who remained tense, his tail lashing.

  A voice pulled Katherine from her anxious thoughts. Lira, who had arrived after her, approached with a tentative smile, her arms folded across her chest. She glanced at Shade, concern flickering in her eyes at the animal’s vigilant posture. “Everything okay?” Lira asked, her tone gentle but probing as she slid into the seat across from Katherine. She leaned forward, lowering her voice beneath the babble of patrons and the clatter of mugs. “He looks like he’s on the hunt for something.” Lira hesitated, her gaze softening with worry. “When is your assessment?”

  Katherine took a steadying breath, her senses momentarily drawn to the hearth’s warmth and the heady aroma of spiced cider drifting through the crowded tavern. She pulled a battered toy from her satchel and dangled it in front of Shade, hoping to distract him. “At the end of the month,” she replied, her voice casual but tinted with uncertainty. She offered a half-shrug, her lips quirking in a wry smile. “Surprisingly, they won’t tell me what’s in the assessment. I keep thinking Shade knows something I don’t—he’s never this jumpy.” She cast an uneasy glance toward the doorway, the din of laughter and the scrape of chairs making her feel exposed, as if danger might slip in unnoticed.

  Lira’s expression softened with understanding. She rested her elbows on the worn wooden table, fingers threading together as she considered Katherine’s words. “That’s normal,” she said, her tone reassuring yet edged with a nervous chuckle. “It’s because some contracts have so little information—or the wrong information entirely. They’ll probably drop you and your team in some monster-infested forest and see how long you last before someone steps in.” Lira’s lips pressed together, and she offered an apologetic smile, her eyes darting briefly to Shade, whose ears still hadn’t settled.

  Realizing her words might have sounded harsher than intended, Lira quickly added, “It won’t be as bad as I made it sound, I promise.” She reached over, her hand hovering for a moment as if to offer comfort, before pulling it back to her side. The tavern’s warm glow flickered across her face, softening the anxious lines that had creased her brow.