The days that followed blurred into motion.
Hikari took every mission he could, chasing enough coin to one day start his own guild.
A nest of Malloths choking a canal. A stray Braulder wedged beneath a bridge, blocking trade. A pair of Houndusk that had learned the smell of livestock meant food.
Some were quick.
Others were not.
One afternoon, while Hikari negotiated payment with a farmer, Geminar quietly slipped off his shoulder and oozed towards the nearby rice paddies. By the time Hikari noticed, the slime had already hoisted a single oversized grain of rice, nearly as big as its whole body, and absorbed it with a pleased plop.
The farmer spun around, shouting curses.
A single spike popped free from Cactye's body and smacked squarely into the man's backside.
There was a yelp, a string of inventive insults, and then Geminar and Cactye bolted in opposite directions, with Hikari laughing as he chased after them.
A month passed...
The sun had not risen yet when the heavy doors of the Tamer Association groaned open.
At the long counter, Luka, the clerk, rested her head on the counter. Her glasses were askew, her hair, usually in that tight bun, was now messy and loose.
She didn't look up as the footsteps approached, only sighing deeply, the sound full of deep exhaustion that seemed too heavy for her slight frame.
SLAM!
A duffel bag landed on the counter with a dull thud.
Luka flinched, eyes widened in surprise.
She slowly lifted her head.
Hikari stood before her, beaming. His uniform jacket was gone, replaced by a white polo.
Perched on his left shoulder, Geminar shimmered.
On his right, Cactye observed the hall.
"Heya! Miss Luka, how ya doin'?"
Luka stared, her sleep-deprived brain struggling to process the cheerful boy before her.
"Hikari," She said, her voice a dry rasp. "It's... five-thirty in the morning. The Association doesn't open for another hour."
"Hold on, Miss Luka." Hikari said, rummaging inside his duffel bag.
He pulled out his pouch, then another, and another.
He slammed it on the counter, his grin widening in excitement.
"I finally have enough money to buy an airship!" He declared.
The words hung in the air of the Association hall.
Luka's exhaustion evaporated, burned away by pure shock. She quickly straightened, her chair squealed in protest. Her glasses slid down her nose again, forgotten.
"You… you are serious about founding a guild?"
"I am!" He began untying the pouches, the heavy chink of coin on wood echoing in the silent space. "Didn't I say I'd make my own guild? I'm serious about that."
Luka stared at him, then at the small fortune glittering on her counter.
"Tie those pouches back up." She said, her voice low and strangely flat.
Hikari blinked.
"Huh? But—"
"Now."
Luka bent down behind the counter. There was the sound of a drawer sliding open, the rustle of thick parchment. She straightened, placing a single form on the counter between them.
It was bordered in deep blue ink, stamped with the intricate seal of the Tamer Association's Guild Regulatory Board.
"I really forgot to explain this to you." Luka said, her finger tapping the top of the form. "A guild is not a one-man party, Hikari. First, you need an airship. You can check that now."
Her finger moved down.
"Second, you need three licensed individuals. This includes the Guildmaster, the Vice Master, and the Assistant. And you don't have that."
She looked up, meeting his stunned gaze.
"You have the heart, Hikari. And the money. But you don't have a crew. Find someone first, then I'll help you find an airship."
Hikari's face had fallen, his bright grin fading.
He looked from the form to Luka's serious expression, then down to his two partners.
Geminar had gone still. Cactye's spines were pressed flat against its body.
"Sorry about breaking that to you first thing in the morning." Luka finished, not unkindly.
Silence filled the hall, heavier than before.
The dream that had felt so tangible moments ago seemed to be receding.
Then, Hikari's eyes suddenly stopped from scanning the form. They flicked back up. A slow, new kind of smile began to spread across his face.
"An assistant…" He murmured. His gaze settled squarely on Luka.
Luka's breath hitched. She took a half-step back.
"Hikari, don't you dare. I have a job. A stable, predictable, tiring job."
"And you're good at it!" Hikari said, leaning forward, his energy returning in a persuasive wave. "Come oonn!"
Luka crossed her arms.
"My job is here. Behind this counter. Not... traveling across the skies."
"But it could be!" Hikari insisted, his voice dropping to a more earnest tone. "You told me... you told me you almost became a Tamer once."
The words landed like a stone in still water.
Luka's professional mask froze completely. A faint tremor went through her hands where they gripped her elbows.
"That... was a long time ago. A childish fantasy. This is my reality." She gestured at the counter, and the hall. "And it is a good reality. It's stable."
"Come on, Miss Luka!" Hikari pushed.
"Enough, Hikari."
The words were quiet, but they cut through the air with finality.
She simply shut down Hikari.
"Don't mention it anymore." She pointed back at the form. "Your path is forward. Mine is here. You need a crew. Go find one. Then come back."
Hikari opened his mouth, but he saw the unyielding set of her jaw. The hopeful energy deflated, but it didn't vanish. It settled within him.
He looked at Geminar, who gave a soft pulse.
He looked at Cactye, whose spines had risen slightly.
"Okay." Hikari said softly, nodding.
He carefully began retying the pouches, the coins glittering as he gathered them.
"You're right. I need a crew first."
He slung the duffel bag over his shoulder. He gave Luka one last, long acknowledging look.
"Thanks, Miss Luka!" He said, his usual brightness coming back. "We'll be back."
He turned and walked towards the door, his footsteps echoing in the silent hall.
The door shut behind them, leaving Luka alone in the silence.
She stood perfectly still for a full minute. Then, slowly, she sank back into her chair. Her hands trembled slightly. She reached into the drawer below the counter, and her fingers brushed against something small and cool tucked in the very back.
But she didn't pull it out.
It's a dream, far off and gone.
With a sharp breath, she withdrew her hand, closed the drawer, and pulled the guild registration form towards her. She adjusted her glasses, smoothed her hair, and picked up her pen. The familiar weight of it was a comfort. This was her reality. This was her duty.
"I haven't even told you my dream." She murmured, as she started writing.
***
The Hovier Tavern was the kind of place that existed in the gloom to serve lightness. Its windows were grimy, letting in dull light that did little to illuminate the wooden tables.
In a shadowed corner booth, a boy sat perfectly still.
He looked to be about Hikari's age. His hair was a nest of black, unruly strands that fell over his eyes. He wore a long, black trench coat with a green trim, the only hint of color on him. His left hand rested on the table, fingers absently spinning a slender, wicked-looking dagger on its point. His right hand lay casually on his hip, resting just above a wide belt.
It was a bond-conduit.
The belt model was less common, favored by those who needed their hands completely free. Made of sturdy, matte-black leather and reinforced alloy, it housed three slots on its left side. In the middle slot nestled a single, crimson Crystal Core.
"When are you leaving, Reynold?"
The voice came from across the tavern.
Old Man Xavier, the owner, leaned against the bar. He was a mountain of a man with a beard like steel and widened eyes.
"Your tab is growing. And if you don't find any job soon, I'll be forced to throw you off of this floating island myself."
Reynold's spinning dagger stopped dead. The point bit into the soft wood of the table with a quiet thunk.
"I'll be paying you soon." He said.
Xavier let out a long sigh. He pushed off the bar and walked over.
He stopped a few feet from the booth.
"How? You're going to follow your father's footsteps?" Xavier said, his voice gruff but not unkind. "Become a criminal then disappear without a trace?"
The silence that followed was thick.
The dagger remained embedded in the wood. Reynold's knuckles, where they gripped the edge of the table, were bone-white.
He pulled the dagger free, then lifted his head.
"No. I will never be like that deadbeat." He sheathed the dagger with a click that echoed in the quiet tavern, then stood up. "I'll join a guild. Consider my tab paid by tomorrow."
He stood up. Without another word, he turned on his heel, and strode towards the door.
Xavier stood alone in the center of his tavern, the words hanging in the air.
He looked at the fresh scar in his table, then at the door swinging shut.
He ran a hand over his beard.
"Stars help whatever guild you sink your teeth into."