Page 5

five

Morai

M orai frowned at her friend, who had tears in her eyes as she doubled over with laughter at Morai's failure. She hid a smile, this was good. At least it took her mind off last night. Luka had not responded to her message, maybe she should have sent the message with a question of her own to keep the conversation going. Morai sighed.

“I’m sorry,” Neoni said, wiping tears from her eyes as she straightened. “It’s just that, I’ve never heard of you failing before.” Morai rolled her eyes, deciding to put last night behind her. Neoni started laughing again. Neoni belonged to an information guild, and was considered one of the top candidates to inherit the guild once the owner retired. While she was considered a candidate, Neoni had other plans, she wanted to work at the research institute of magic in the capital city, so if she did get the job, the information guild will go to someone else. Neoni was quite the character, she loved to change her hair color whenever she wished. Today, her hair was neon blue. And she wore a blue dress to match. The bell to the inn jingled and Morai smiled, as Neoni waved at Fida, a hunter from the adventurer's guild. Fida waved back and headed straight to them.

“Sorry I’m late,” Fida said, her armor clanged as she sat down at the table. She once had long black hair, but she’d cut it into a bob once she became an adventurer. While most of the mana stones used throughout the kingdom were obtained by miners, Fida, along with a party of adventurers, often went into dungeons or hunted magical creatures when the need arose. But mostly it was to eradicate whatever creature lived in the dungeon so the miners could continue their work.

As it was a tradition for them to meet every time either of them completed a job, Morai retold the story of her failing her assignment. Fida tried not to laugh, which made her look constipated.

“It’s okay to laugh. Neoni already had her fill,” Morai said, folding her arms across her chest when Fida laughed boisterously. Morai couldn’t help the smile that came to her face.

“It’s not funny,” she said, trying to wipe the smile off her face but failing.

“Oh, it is,” Fida said, gulping down a mug of cider. “You were always so smug about not failing anything and now…it just feels really good.” Morai grunted.

“Please continue to laugh at my downfall,” she said.

“Stop being dramatic, it’s just one fall.” Fida assured her.

“So what now? Will you be taking smaller jobs again? This was going to be your big break, wasn’t it?” Neoni asked.

“That’s the plan.” Morai’s shoulders slumped. “I even had my presentation ready and everything.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Neoni said. Fida nodded in agreement, too busy chewing to speak.

“Morai?” The innkeeper, a plump man that always seemed to be in a good mood, walked towards them.

“You have been summoned to the mage tower.” Morai’s heart lurched. Was she in trouble? Did the head mage find out it was she who’d been in the mage tower?

“Looks like you’re in trouble,” Fida said. Morai rolled her eyes, grabbing her still full cup of cider, and taking a drink.

“Aren’t you going?” Fida asked.

“I will when I’m done with this.” The innkeeper smiled mischievously.

“You better hurry then. They also summoned Luka.” Morai cursed, shooting out of her chair, and out the door, drink forgotten and her friends hollering behind her. She’d be damned if he got there before her.

***

Morai paused in front of the closed door, trying to catch her breath before she rapped on the door.

“Enter,” a muffled voice said. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stopped short. Both her parents were there, and Luka’s as well. She was in more trouble than she thought.“Um, hello,” she said tentatively, stepping into the room. Luka’s mother, a petite woman with the same hair color as her son, gave her the evil eye. Before rolling them in a huff and looking away. His father gave her a small smile before turning away. They stood on either side of their chair, and her parents stood on the other. Neither of them were willing to sit before the other did. The head mage was the only one sitting, scribbling something on his desk. He hadn’t looked up when Morai entered, and still didn’t look up as Morai made her way to stand next to her parents. The head mage had waist length white hair that had nothing to do with his age. He also had pointy ears, which meant he was an elf, but his red eyes meant he was only half-elven. She’d heard he was a vampire as well, but with the large floor to ceiling windows that let the sunlight in, Morai wasn’t certain. This was her first time meeting the head mage after all.

“I am both,” the head mage said, finally looking up. His red eyes had a hint of amusement in them. “But thanks to my ancestors, the sunlight does not affect me as much.” Morai opened her mouth to ask how he knew what she was thinking, but a nudge from her father had her clamping her mouth shut. The head mage smiled and went back to scribbling.

“Surely you’ve met some of my kind to not guess where my red eyes come from,” he continued, not looking up from whatever he was scribbling.

“Uh, that’s true. I just didn’t want to come off as offensive,” Morai said. In truth, she’d only met a half vampire, half human only once. Vampire hybrids weren't rare, and most, not all, held prominent positions within the kingdom due to their exorbitant amount of mana, which made them rarely seen. She was yet to meet a full-blooded vampire though. Most of them preferred to live in the mountainous kingdoms with the dwarves.

“It is not offensive at all.” Silence fell, and the only sound was the scratches the quill pen made on paper.

“What did you do?” her father, Poloren, whispered. A man of few words, her father was a bulky man with brown hair, and gray eyes, and the guild master of the thieving guild until he retired and handed the reins first to Morai who after learning everything she could, handed it to their second oldest. She was, after all, planning to open her own guild. Now her father spent most of his time in the farmlands. Morai was about to answer when the door burst open, and her traitorous heart did a little flutter, and her breath hitched a little, when Luka walked in. His hair was wet, like he’d just finished with his bath, he was still buttoning up his shirt as he walked to his parents. His woodsy spicy scent was even more pronounced. It was an effort not to stare, her mother clearing her throat next to her had Morai whipping her head around to find her mother studying her with an unreadable expression.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said, rushing to his parents without glancing at her. The head mage stopped scribbling.

“Now that we’re all here, shall we begin?”