Thank you so much for reading!


Call it any name you need

Call it your 2.0, your rebirth, whatever –

So long as you can feel it all

So long as all your doors are flung wide

Call it your day number 1 in the rest of forever

~ Level Up - Vienna Teng ~


~March 18th, x800~


The world comes alive as the morning light begins to peek over the top of the Obsidian Mountain. For a moment, Catrina Cinerus watches as orange, red, pink, and blue clouds blend before her eyes into a lovely painted sky. She breathes in the chilly air around her; the smell of bread from the bakery reaches the edge of Nightshade Forest, and she savors it before entering the woods. There's a quiet chirping as birds begin to awaken. It's as black as pitch at this time of day, but this is a path Catie knows well. Her feet never trip or stumble.

The light ahead calls to her. As she breaks into a clearing, the sun's fresh rays warm her pale, freckled skin, and she stretches like a cat. She brushes aside morning dew from her long blonde hair while her pale blue eyes light upon the cobblestoned path greeting her. The walkway is lined with a variety of wildflowers in red, purple, and gold. The blooms are starting to open to the morning light, and a breeze wafts their delicate scent to her nose. She'll need to water them today.

Catie follows the path to the red brick building at its end; it's a single-story, with the Phoenix Refuge symbol etched into the stone archway over the door. The grass is beginning to overtake the doorway. The bay windows are shuttered for now, but she just knows they're due for a washing. Some of the paint on the frames is chipping. It seems her day will be filled with maintenance.

An iron-wrought key beats against her chest as the wind picks up more. She rests her hand against the archway, right over the imprint of her concrete handprint. She's grown over the eight years since its completion, but only slightly. Evander and Ria's handprints bookend hers; it's hard to imagine they were ever so small.

Catie unlocks the oak doors of the guild, swinging them open. Flower petals flow in behind her. She claps her hands three times, and one by one, the ceiling lights flicker on. Well, all but the one smack dab in the middle. She scowls up at it, but it fails to turn on still. She surveys the rest of the main room with a sigh: four red linoleum tables are spread out without any care, with their chairs distributed unevenly amongst them. She does her best to rearrange them, but one of the chairs is missing. That's the third one in as many months. Where they go, she doubts she'll ever know.

She unshutters the windows. The sunlight adds much-needed warmth to the room. A bundle of letters is awaiting her in the guild's dropbox. Some are addressed to various members, some are mission requests, two are bills, and of course, Ajax's personal mail takes up the majority.

Catie makes quick work of separating what she knows Ajax will read from what he might throw away out of spite (she'll save those for herself.) She organizes everyone else's mail into their various slots, and the minor requests she sticks to the mission board at the guild's back, which is just a simple recycled corkscrew board. It's become overrun with colorful flyers and posters. Only half of them are guild related.

Above the board hangs the portrait of a woman with bright green eyes and a smile that rivals the sun. Lotus flowers and forget-me-nots surround her in the background. The frame she sits in is engraved as such:

Phoenix Refuge's First Guild Master: Lina Cinerus.

Catie traces her fingers over the lettering and smiles.

"Good morning Mama Lina," she whispers. "Thank you for looking after us again today."

The portrait doesn't answer, as usual, but Catie pretends Lina's smile grows wider.

Besides the board and portrait is a heavy, black door with a golden handle. A light shines from the crack at the bottom, and Catie shakes her head before knocking.

"Come in," calls a gruff voice.

Catie pushes the door open, and it gets snagged on the plush purple carpet, taking up most of the floor space. The guild's crest is woven into the center in gold. She glares at the offending rug, not for the first time imagining herself ripping it to shreds and tossing it in the garbage.

"You've got some mail, Dad," Catie says, stomping the carpet flat again. Ajax doesn't even like it, but it was a gift, and he takes gifts seriously.

He looks up from his paperwork, black eyes bloodshot, and grey streaked red hair falling into his face. His desk can't be seen from the skew of files and papers overtaking the surface. He blinks, then looks out his window. His eyebrows rise as he notices the dawn for the first time.

"It's morning already?" He asks.

"Yup. You stayed here all night. Again." Catie pulls half of Ajax's paperwork out of his hands. "I'm telling Apolla."

He groans.

"Please don't. She'll make me drink another strange potion."

"She wouldn't have to if you took proper care of yourself." Catie grabs even more of his paperwork from the pile on his desk. "I told you I'd help, didn't I? Stop trying to do everything on your own. Here. Read your mail and take a nap before the others come in. If you do as you're told, I'll ask Apolla to make you some coffee with those fancy beans you like."

Ajax barks a laugh, and Catie smiles at him. The bags under his eyes seem lighter already.

"Thank you for your help, Catie. As always."

"That's what I'm here for." Catie brushes a kiss to his temple, plucking even more paperwork out of his grip. "If you need me, I'll be taking inventory in the pantry."

Once she's gone, Ajax stares down at his almost empty desk.

She's got some quick fingers on her, he muses as he goes through his mail. There are only three letters. He supposes Catie must have sorted them for him again. What would he do without her? Die of bullshit and bureaucracy, most likely.

He turns to the small photo of Lina on his desk and grins at her.

"I swear that girl of yours is the only thing keeping us afloat. She should just take over my job and call herself the guild master already."

Shut up and do as you were told, Old Man. He imagines Lina's response. With a chuckle, he checks his letters.

The first envelope has no return address or sender, but Ajax recognizes the elegant script spelling his name. This could be very serious, or nothing at all. He never knows with Donovin. He's tempted to throw it away.

With hesitant fingers, he breaks the gaudy wax seal.

Only two lines are written on the ivory paper.

Snakes in the daffodils.

Sirens in open waters.

Ice shoots up his spine. His hands spark, and Ajax burns the letter, dusting the ash into his potted sword lily. He leans back with a deep breath. His hands find his hair, and he pushes it back from his face.

"Shit," he says. "Shit. Shit. Shit."

Eight years. Eight goddamn years without so much as a trace, and Donovin's finally got a hit on the ship. Ajax had given up on ever getting answers as to what happened that night. It can't be a coincidence. Not with a new Cycle on the brink of beginning.

And what does he mean by the snake? Is he talking about the Rune Knights? Or was he trying to warn Ajax about someone in the guild?

He needs more info. He'll need to organize a meeting with Donovin as soon as he can. For now, though, there's nothing he can do.

He moves on to his next letter.

This one is from the Magic Council.

Now that can't be a coincidence.

Truly feeling his exhaustion now, Ajax breaks it open.

To The Phoenix Refuge Guild Master and Former Captain Ajax Cinerus,

On the fifteenth of March, x800, Nobleman Julius Gaius was murdered in the streets of his hometown of Hemlock. Despite the time of death being midday, and the murder occurring in the middle of town, the residents claim no knowledge of what happened.

The Magic Council requests that you send a small team to conduct a subtle investigation into Hemlock's town and people. This information is, of course, to be kept quiet until an official statement can be made. Should information on this case be leaked, your guild will be held responsible accordingly. We look forward to your swift response.

Captain Sebastien Achilles

Ajax scratches his beard, and his fingers get a bit tangled. He reminds himself to shave later. From what he can recall, Julius Gaius was a prominent member of the Nobleman Society and a frequent benefactor to the Magic Council before its reformation. Even so, the Magic Council does not typically concern themselves with matters outside of guilds and mages, so what about Nobleman Gaius were they interested in? Obviously, it's a delicate matter, and they must feel that his status as a former Rune Knight is enough to trust him with this. Vague threats in the letter aside. The current Magic Council would not be familiar with him, though. He must have been recommended.

Donovin's name is written all over this.

"What is it you want me to know?" He mumbles to himself even as he rolls over to his filing cabinet and pulls out his notes on the guild members. He'll need them to determine who will be the best fit for this case.


Less than ten yards from the back of guildhall sits a shed the size of a barn. Half of it is made of glass, and various plants can be seen from the outside. The other half is made of hickory and has been turned into a workshop, inside which can be found an array of tools, machines, and a thirty-six-year-old man named Henry Garneau.

A burn scar can be seen traveling down Henry's neck and disappearing below his white denim button-up, the right sleeve of which is cut off to expose his mechanical arm. A brown leather vest with several pockets adorns his shirt, and he wears a thick pair of brown pants with matching leather steel-toed cowboy boots. His dark red hair is pulled back in a ponytail, and he has a short beard. A pair of tinted welding goggles obscure his eyes as he sits at his workbench. Sparks fly around him while the stick of a lollipop peeks out of his mouth.

Evander Cinerus stands a respectable distance away, twitching and flinching with every spark. Despite his discomfort, he keeps his green eyes glued to Henry's back, trying to determine his progress from the set of his shoulders. Absently, Evander tugs on his short mahogany curls. He takes three steps forward, jumping back two when a spark nearly lands on his jacket.

Evander has just worked up the courage to try to peer over Henry's shoulder again when the man suddenly turns his welder off and raises his goggles. Henry's green eyes narrow as he scowls. On his table is a pair of gauntlets with black cracked lacrima embedded in the palms.

"They're busted," he announces.

"Okay," says Evander. "You can fix them, right?"

Henry grunts, yanking the lacrima out of the gauntlets. They release a whir like a bee bumping into a window, and Evander winces.

"There's a complex amalgamation of magic and mechanics going on in these," Henry explains. "I can fix them no problem, but if you want them to work like they always have, then you're gonna need an identical pair of lacrima. That neighbor of yours, Calliope-"

"Calypso." Evander corrects. Henry waves him off.

"Ask her where she got 'em from, and I can order replacement parts." He points at Evander with his lollipop. "But you're paying for them, Kid. I'm tired of fixing your crap pro bono."

"Whatever you say, Henry," Evander says, already halfway out the door. "You better not turn them into scrap metal while I'm gone."

"Don't tempt me, Brat!" Henry yells after him, but Evander's already gone. With a grumble, he flips his goggles down and pulls what looks like a mess of wires and metal in front of him.

As sparks surround Henry once more, Evander runs back to town. The sun has risen completely now, it's light shining through the canopy, and Evander takes advantage of the increased visibility to use a shortcut. He ducks beneath branches. He hurtles over rocks and roots. He nearly gets taken out by a Thornberry bush, but somehow he makes it to Barberry in half the time, only a little breathless and slightly worse for wear.

He sprints to Calypso's house, a small cottage with a tiled roof, and knocks on her door. She doesn't answer. He knocks again. She still doesn't answer. He rings her doorbell. No answer. He rings her doorbell over and over and over and over and over and over, over, over, over, overoverovervoverov-

"You can cut that out now! I'm in the garden, Evander!" Calypso shouts, her tone laced with annoyance.

He chuckles as he hops her fence.

And is almost immediately ensnared by a viper vine.

"Woah!" He yelps and falls into a nearby shrub

"Perfect timing." Calypso pulls him to his feet. "Help me wrangle this. Valerie's throwing a temper tantrum."

"You named it Valerie?!" Evander asks, but Calypso ignores him.

The vine swings towards him, hissing and trying to sting him with its poison thorns. Evander leaps over it. Valerie doubles back and knocks him down. If not for his jacket, he would be writhing on the ground in pain. Valerie doesn't give him time to think. It slams its full weight down. He rolls out of the way, narrowly saving his face from becoming a pincushion. The vine shrieks as it tries to yank itself out of the dirt.

Evander takes the chance to jump on top of it. It's hard for him to keep a good grip on Valerie while avoiding her thorns. The vine thrashes and shrieks until it finally pulls itself out of the dirt. It flails about but can't quite shake Evander off. He bites his tongue in the struggle. Still, he holds on, and eventually, Valerie tires itself out and goes limp. Breathless, Evander releases it.

"You poor thing," Calypso says as she gathers up the vine. "Your leaves are bruised, and you've broken off some thorns. See, this is what happens when you act out."

Valerie gives a pitiful attempt at a hiss as Calypso ties it back onto its trellis.

"Yes, I know. You're a big, scary vine." Calypso places a kiss on one of Valerie's leaves, then turns to Evander. She holds back a laugh at his rumpled appearance. "Come on then. Let's get you cleaned up."

They go inside, and Calypso brews them some tea. She settles into her armchair and takes a sip with her eyes closed.

"Now," she says, "what can I help you with?"

Evander downs his tea in one gulp. "You know my gauntlets?"

Calypso raises a single brow. "Yes?"

"I broke them."

"Evander! How?!"

"Not important. I need to know where you bought them from."

Calypso sighs. "I didn't buy them. I made them."

"Really?" Evander asks.

"Yes. I did look into buying something similar, but you needed them custom made to work with your… limitations."

"You wouldn't happen to have a pair of extra lacrima lying around, would you?"

"No, but I can get more. I extracted them from the Obsidian Mountain's peak. It's a dormant volcano, Evander. Residual magic forms fire-based lacrima out of dormant volcanoes all the time. I'm nearly certain I've explained this to you before."

"If you did, I don't remember!" Evander stands. "Let's go! If we leave now, we can make it back just after sunset."

"Not so fast, Evander!" Calypso holds up her hand. "The spring equinox is almost upon us. I have to make preparations for my garden. I can't leave until it's over."

"I'm supposed to go on a mission with Ria tomorrow! I can't wait."

"I'm afraid you'll have to. Besides, it's your fault for breaking them. Come back in two days, and I'll take you to harvest them. If you bother me before then, I'll make you wait longer."

Calypso pushes him out her door before he can protest and locks it behind him. Evander starts spamming her doorbell again, but she disables it. He tries to pound on the door, but she's cast some sort of spell that doesn't allow him to make contact.

"Dammit." He kicks a nearby rock and considers his options. He has half a mind to camp on Calypso's porch until she agrees, but he has a feeling she'll find a way to get him off anyway.

I know where they are. I can just go myself, he thinks. It'll probably be faster if someone can help me, though.

The lightbulb that appears above his head is visible within a five-mile radius. Once more, he runs through the woods, this time in search of Catie.


Back in Barberry, Victoria Cinerus watches an indigo beetle crawling under a clear, plastic cup while its antennae test the edges and search for a way out. She checks the watch on her wrist and sighs. She touches the side of the cup with a single finger, and small drops of water condense inside. The beetle takes a few more laps around the cup but eventually notices the water and drinks it.

"What are you doing?"

Ria screams and jumps. With a frown and furrowed brow, she turns to the speaker, a fourteen-year-old by the name of Razi Bharx.

He stares at her with wide eyes, the left red and the right green, a stark contrast to his pale skin. A loaf of half-eaten bread is clutched in his hands. Despite the rising heat of fast-approaching spring, he wears a high-necked hoodie with the hood drawn over his head. Only a snippet of his black hair can be seen. He hops from barefoot to foot, his bushy tail twitching and swaying behind him.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people." Ria scolds.

"I didn't!" Razi pouts, pulling his hood closer to his face. "I just asked a question."

Ria huffs, turning back to the little bug.

"Someone trapped this Bard Beetle under a cup, and I'm waiting to see if they'll come back."

"Why?"

"I can only think of two reasons to do this to the poor little guy: he's someone's escaped pet, and they put this over him temporarily to keep him from running off while they get his cage, or they were a jerk without compassion who trapped him in the hope he would die. I plan to rectify the situation while also educating them on proper Bard Beetle care, and/or kick their ass to next decade."

Razi takes a bite of his bread. "How long have you been waiting?"

Ria hums as she checks her wrist. "I think it's been an hour now."

"I don't think they're coming back."

Tying back her curly, dark red hair, Ria sighs. "No. I don't suppose they are."

She lifts the cup off the beetle, holding her hand out toward the creature. Spooked, it pinches her finger. Blood beads around the small puncture holes, but Ria doesn't seem to mind. She places a hand behind the beetle to stop it from escaping, and it pinches her again. Ria taps its back in gentle admonishment and whistles a soft, three-note tune. The beetle's antennae perk up at the sound, and she whistles it again.

Slowly, the beetle repeats it. Ria holds out her hand, and this time the beetle hops onto it, all the while repeating its new song.

"That's pretty neat. Will he repeat anything?" Razi tries to poke it, but Ria moves the beetle out of his reach.

"Only simple, short melodies," she says. "And they don't like to be touched without permission."

"Oh. Okay. Mr. Beetle, can I please touch you?"

"No. That's not what I-" Ria cuts herself off with a startled yell as someone taps her on the shoulder.

The Bard Beetle chirps, high pitched and rapid like an alarm. Ria shushes it, even as she glares with all the heat she can muster up at the person who disturbed her.

What greets her is a suit of silver armor with glowing mana lines etched into the metal. From the shadow of the visor, a pair of striking blue eyes peek out. The armor holds out its hands in a pacifying manner. Ria's annoyance gives way to curiosity.

"I'm assuming there's a person inside there. What's your name?"

The armor pulls out a pocketbook and quickly scribbles out a sentence.

'My name is Craish Desor. I apologize for startling you.'

"That's not the first time someone has scared me. I doubt it'll be the last." Ria shoots a pointed look at Razi, but he just gives her a perplexed smile. She sighs. "Did you need help with something?"

Craish nods, writing again.

"Why aren't you speaking?" Razi asks. "Is it because your helmet is in the way?"

Craish shakes his head, flipping to a new page and writing again.

'I'm mute.'

"What's that?"

"It means he can't speak."

"Ohhh," Razi says as Craish flips back to his previous page.

'I found a flyer advertising the Phoenix Refuge guild at the train station. Do you know where I can find it?'

"What flyer?" Ria asks even as Craish hands her a bright purple piece of paper with gold filigree writing.

Are you bored?

Are you alone?

Are you way too broke to live?

Join Phoenix Refuge! You'll be less bored, less alone and less broke!

A crayon drawing of an orange Phoenix sits at the bottom. Ria huffs out a laugh.

"Who even made this? Do you know Razi?"

"Nope. They used the wrong kind of purple, though."

"I guess it doesn't matter. Come on," she says to Craish. "We'll take you to the guild. I'm Ria, and this is Razi. We're both members."

"Are you trying to join?" Razi asks.

Craish nods, his armor clanking as he follows them into the Nightshade Forest. The beetle whistles as Ria places him on her shoulder.

"I think I'll call you, 'Avon,'" she says. The beetle hops in agreement. Birds chirp and sing as they flit from branch to branch, iridescent wings reflecting the sunlight. Avon echoes their sounds and bounces.

"If you keep doing that, you're going to fall," Ria says. She scratches Avon's head, and he buzzes in a way that's almost a purr. With a small chuckle, she spins to face Craish and Razi, walking backward on the path. Craish points to an overgrown tree root in her way, but she hops over it without missing a step.

"This is the Nightshade Forest," she explains. "It can be easy to get lost in here, so make sure you stay on the path and try not to travel when there isn't light to guide you. If you get lost, you can survive off the red mushrooms that attach themselves to tree trunks, but make sure you avoid the blue mushrooms; they induce vomiting and hallucinations. Don't eat any fruit growing from the trees. Most of them are poisonous. Isn't that right, Razi?"

"I was seven. When are you gonna let that go?" Razi says even as he bites into an apple he plucked from a nearby tree. His hood is pulled down now to expose the black wolf ears atop his head and the scar on the side of his neck.

"You could have died."

"But I didn't."

Ria glares at him, then bends and picks up a stick off the ground. Avon squeaks in protest at being jostled.

"Here," she says. She waves the stick back and forth a little, and Razi's eyes lock onto the movement. His tail starts to wag. She tosses it from hand to hand. Razi's head snaps back and forth to follow it.

"Go fetch!" Ria throws the stick with as much force as she can. She even propels it with a blast of water, and it flies through the woods out of sight. With a yip, Razi chases after it on all fours. A flock of birds scream in protest as they take flight from the brush he disturbs.

Ria turns to Craish with a thumbs up and pats Avon to calm him down.

"That should keep him busy."

'You seem close.' Craish scribbles. Ria hums, and Avon copies the sound.

"Well, I have known him since he was six. He just kind of showed up at the guild one day, and he's been there ever since. He ended up becoming the second official member of Phoenix Refuge outside my family."

'Who was the first?'

"That would be Apolla, our resident healer. Don't let her title fool you, though; I'm pretty sure she's an evil genius. She keeps experimenting with these potions and making everyone drink them. She gave me one the other day that made me feel like I'd gotten a full night's sleep and drank two glasses of water. It was horrible." Ria shudders.

With a clink, Craish tilts his head to the side. While she can't see most of his face, Ria can see the confusion in his eyes.

'How does that make her evil?'

"She's forcing me to live a healthy lifestyle, and I don't appreciate it. Depression and sleep deprivation are my brand. What right does she have to take that away from me?"

Craish jots something else down in his pocketbook, but before he can show Ria, Razi comes bounding back with the stick in his mouth and stars in his eyes.

"Again!" He says.

Ria exaggerates a sigh, but the corners of her lips twitch up as she throws the stick once more.


"Your eyes, my love, are clear and green, sweet as honey and warm as spring," Catie sings to the flowers as she waters them, and they seem glad for the attention. Once the soil is soaked, she sets aside her watering can and draws out a pair of shears. Bruised leaves, broken stems, dying blooms- all fall to the might of her scissors. "Their color being all I know, to the Beyond, I'd gladly go."

"That is an interesting song," says a man with a thick accent, his tongue rolling the "r" heavily. "It is popular in Fiore?"

Catie's voice catches in her throat. Her face warms, and she tries to hide behind her sunflowers.

"I didn't realize someone was listening," she says.

"Ah. I apologize." The twenty-seven-year-old bows his head a bit. "I heard singing and followed. Your voice… it is..." He pauses, trying to remember the right word. He settles on "lovely," with an emphasis on the "v."

The heat in her face spreads to her ears and neck, and Catie takes a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She peeks up through the flowers with narrow eyes.

Bors Gaheris is a broad, stocky man with short spiky brown hair. His nose is crooked, his eyes are grey, and on the left side of his face is a scar the size of a fist. His left eyelid and part of his mouth sag slightly from paralysis. He wears a white shirt with a padded brown gambeson over it, a pair of loose-fitting black pants, and ankle-high dark brown boots.

Catie's eyes linger on his scar a bit before meeting his gaze. Bors looks genuine in his compliment, and for some reason, that's worse than if he was teasing her. He's one of their newer members, and Catie has only interacted with him a handful of times one on one. The heat spreads to her chest, and she ducks behind the flowers once more. She must be redder than a tomato.

"Thank you." She goes back to her trimming. "My… Someone taught it to me when I was little, but I haven't heard it anywhere else."

"I see," Bors says. He seems to notice Catie's embarrassment and changes the subject. "Is Master in? I would like to speak with him."

"He's in his office," Catie says, "though could you wait an hour? He stayed up all night, and I'd like him to get at least a little sleep."

"Yes." Bors nods. "It is not urgent. I will wait."

Catie gives him a bashful smile. "I made breakfast. Help yourself to whatever you'd like."

"Thank you, Catrina." Bors dips his head at her and walks towards the guild with quick, long strides.

She watches him go and waits till he's out of earshot to start humming to herself. A mild grin graces her features as she revels in the peace of the morning.

"CATIE!"

She sighs. Of course, Evander would come to disturb her.

"CATIE!" Evander yells again as he emerges from the woods. He's covered in mud and leaves with tiny scrapes all along his arms. When he spots Catie crouching amongst the flowers, he makes a beeline towards her. "I need your help!"

"Good morning, Evander," Catie says as she trims back a sunflower. "My day is going well. Thank you so much for asking. How is yours?" She looks over his sorry state. "Did you fall into a Thornberry bush again?"

"Yes." He grabs her wrists and yanks her to her feet. "I need you to come with me to the top of the Obsidian Mountain."

Catie pulls her hands back. "Why? I can't just leave, you know."

"I'll explain along the way, but we really need to start moving, or we won't make it back in time to help Ria." He places his hands on her shoulders and looks down at her with wide and earnest eyes. "Please. It's important."

He looks so serious, Catie can't help but reach up with both hands and ruffle his hair. He squawks and pulls away.

"Alright," she says and flicks him on the nose. "Let's get going."

With a grin, Evander whoops and scoops Catie up, throwing her over his shoulder as he runs towards the mountain, Catie protesting the whole way.


Credits (In Order of Appearance):

Henry Garneau: The Restless Drifter

Razi Bharx: MaMcMu

Craish Desor: onyxwhip

Bors Gaheris: Torsa

*CHAPTER EDITED JANUARY 12TH, 2021*

Here we are again at the beginning. I will try to be quick with the edits so we can move on with the story. Not too much will change, hopefully, it will just flow better. If this is your first rodeo, then welcome along. If not, then feel free to skim to get a bit of a refresher.

Either way, thank you for reading.