Quinn
The first spark landed in the puddle of oil.
For one peaceful second, nothing happened. I was concerned for nothing. The next second, more and more sparks began flying. Then the surface shimmered orange. A thin line of fire raced across the ground faster than I could blink, following the trail of oil we had spilled moments earlier.
I jumped backward, dodging the path of the fire. I turned my head to look down the street, the fire spreading rapidly from the oil to anything that was flammable. I snapped my head back to look at Boone and the merchant.
"...Boone."
Boone, his gaze lowered to the street, slowly turned his head to look at me.
"...Yes?" He practically whispered. His voice was quivering, unable to go any louder. Truthfully, so was mine.
"The road's on fire."
"It certainly appears to be."
The flames reached the barrels and boxes Boone and I had spent the past hour unloading. Heat burst upward with a loud whoomph, and the merchant let out a scream that echoed across the square.
"My goods!"
People turned from every direction. A woman carrying groceries nearly dropped her basket. The blacksmith froze with his hammer still raised in the air. Someone shouted "Fire!" and suddenly everyone was shouting it.
Boone's hands smacked the top of his head, his fingers crawling through his blond hair.
"I don't suppose we can pretend this isn't our fault."
"I'd love to," I replied. "Unfortunately, I think they watched us spill the oil."
The merchant stepped away from Boone, keeping his distance. He raised his hands quickly, only his index finger sticking out of his closed fist, pointed directly at us.
"YOU TWO!"
Boone quickly leaped over the line of fire, crossing into my side. He grabbed my shoulder with force, intending not to let go.
"Quinn, we need to run!"
We didn't make it three steps before an elderly man stuck his cane between Boone's legs. Boone pitched forward, slammed face-first into the dirt, and took me down with him.
"Augh!... damn it," Boone muttered into the ground.
The fire continued spreading toward the neighboring stalls. People rushed in every direction carrying buckets, blankets, and anything else they could find. A baker dumped an entire sack of flour onto the flames. The resulting cloud exploded into the air, covering half the street in white powder.
Just as Boone and I regained our posture and stood up, we were hit with a cloud of white powder, painting our faces white. I opened my eyes; my face itched from the powder, but I was busy coughing up powder that had gotten into my mouth.
Though my eyes were open and mostly unharmed from any powder, the cloud prevented me from seeing anything. I called out in the cloud, hoping Boone was nearby and would hear my cries.
"I can't see!"
"Neither can I," Boone replied back. He was already close by, to my left. I reached out, taking a couple of steps to the left; I eventually grabbed his arm. No sight required.
Both Boone and I were restricted in most of our senses, with few options. I decided to take the initiative and form a foolproof plan.
"Boone! I have an idea, follow my lead."
I felt Boone's hand clench up; he immediately became nervous.
"Why did you say it like that?"
"No, trust me. It'll work," I reassured Boone. Boone and I began flailing our arms around, partially clearing the cloud of powder and making sure nothing was obstructing our path as we walked forward. Once we made sure a couple of feet ahead of us was clear, we paced, then repeated the process. While we were escaping the cloud, I revealed my plan: "We can smother the fire."
"That actually sounds reasonable," I could hear the surprise in his voice. He threw out a question that I had prepared for: "What are we going to smother it with?"
"With the oil! Think about it," I answered quickly, sounding confident in my answer. Boone sighed like he were talking to a jester. He muttered under his breath,
"You were almost on a roll there, Quinn."
We finally escaped the large cloud that had been imprisoning us. The first thing we did was take in our surroundings and assess the situation. A crowd of townsfolk was still running up and down the street in order to stop the fire or get away. Boone prepared to make a move. But before he could, another shout erupted from behind us.
"The roof!"
Boone and I looked up just in time to see flames licking at the edge of a wooden awning. Without another word, the two of us sprinted toward the burning stall. Boone seized the support beam while I climbed onto the counter and pulled myself onto the roof. The wood was already hot beneath my sandals.
"Water!" I yelled.
A bucket flew upward, thrown by a bystander. A middle-aged man looked almost like a father. The bucket completely missed me. Instead, it struck Boone squarely in the face. He stood there dripping wet for a long second before looking up at me.
I almost forgot what we were doing and laughed, but managed to calm myself. I brought my hands together, forming a ball of water using Essence. Boone warned me to restrict my use of Essence, or at least large spells, to draw no attention to ourselves. This wouldn't be a large spell, so I deemed it fit, especially for our circumstances.
I pelted a barrage of compressed spheres of water formed with my Essence at the roof, containing the fire and drying it out. Using the soaked blanket someone finally threw correctly, we beat down the remaining flames on the street until only smoke remained. I let Boone do the blanket beating while I continued using small water spells.
Around us, townspeople stomped out the remaining patches of fire one by one. Within a few minutes, the blaze had been reduced to little more than charred wood and black scorch marks stretching across the marketplace. I went above and beyond and secretly conjured up large gusts of wind to carry out the powder cloud and smoke.
Silence slowly returned. Across a couple of booths, the merchant stared at the ruined street, then at us, then back at the ruined street.
"You..." His voice was malicious, deep with frustration. He took a deep breath, "...are never working for me again."
I climbed down from the roof, wiping the soot and flour from my face.
"That's understandable."
Boone nodded alongside, sounding his natural performative self:
"In fact, it's perfectly reasonable."
The merchant pointed toward the road leading away from his shop.
"Leave."
"We were actually planning on-"
"Leave!"
"We're leaving," Boone answered quickly. He grabbed my sleeves, pulling me along. As we walked away, Boone whispered: "Do you think we still get paid?"
I looked at the burned marketplace behind us.
"...I have a feeling the answer is no."
***
Zero Langham
The walk back to the Academy felt strangely quiet after everything that had happened the previous night. Toho had barely complained about the lecture Professor Ruthra gave us, which was unusual enough to make me wonder if he had actually taken it to heart. Then again, maybe he was simply exhausted. Sneaking out, fighting six grown men, and nearly getting expelled all before midnight had a way of draining a person.
The morning classes passed uneventfully. History came and went, followed by Mathematics. By the time lunch ended, I had almost convinced myself that last night was behind us. The keyword being almost.
As Toho and I stepped into the hallway, a familiar voice stopped us.
"Zero. Toho."
Sensei Gohan stood near the end of the corridor with his arms folded. His expression gave away nothing, but the fact that he had sought us out himself immediately put me on edge.
"You two. My office."
Toho leaned toward me as we followed behind him.
"...You think he knows?"
"I'd be more surprised if he didn't."
Neither of us spoke again until Gohan opened the office door. We walked inside to his clean, oval-shaped office. Sensei Gohan's curved desk in the shape of a 'U' stood in the center of the office. In front of Sensei's desk were four empty chairs. Nice carpeting stuck to the wooden-planked floor for comfort and design. Stacks of bookshelves hugged the walls closely. Gia was in the office, examining the books and their contents. She looked up as the door opened and offered a wave, shutting the book loudly.
Gia? If she's here, then...
I scanned the room as I entered. At a glance, I caught him, Julius. He sat against the far wall with his arms crossed, his eyes closed as though he would rather be anywhere else. As we walked in slowly, his eyes opened, and he cast his gaze at us.
"Took you long enough."
Gohan closed the door behind us before swiftly walking towards his desk, around the curve, and entering from the back. He slowly seated himself, offering us a seat as well.
"I'll keep this brief. The four of you have been assigned your first field mission as a team." He reached into his desk and placed a thin folder onto the surface. Julius's head perked up quickly. I could hear Gia's footsteps quietly approaching the desk.
"This isn't a high-risk operation," Gohan continued. "For the past week, a group of thieves has been targeting homes and businesses throughout the eastern district of Celestiala, specifically the Gotarum streets. They're careful, but not careful enough to avoid patterns. The news reached Report Services quickly, then the World Council, but they don't have time nor the manpower to devote resources for this."
He slid the folder toward us, letting us open and read the information. While we read, Sensei Gohan continued speaking, "The mission was up for grabs, and I managed to steal it from the other professors and special operation teams."
My face, buried nose-deep in the file, shot up to look at Sensei. "Uhm, excuse me, but other special operation teams?" I asked. I wasn't aware that there were other teams like us, students who are given field missions.
Sensei Gohan replied humorously, "You believed you were the only student team?" I gave an inconclusive shrug. Gohan explained, "There are other student teams who underwent the same tests as you all did. Each team is coached by its own professor, just as you are by me."
Toho's hand raised up, "How come Julius and Gia never had to go through the tests we did?" At Toho's question, Julius gave a death stare, his eyes prying deep into Toho.
"The Academy has known for a while that they are capable; it was their behavior that restricted them. Since they're second-years, they have a different homeroom teacher, but Professor Tari had already supervised a student team, and he was strongly opposed to Gia and Julius's participation. That is why I stole those two for your team," Sensei Gohan gave a very pleased smile, laughing at his antics.
"Now, back to the matter at hand," Sensei's voice turned serious once more. "The suspects are believed to be ordinary criminals. Some may possess minor Essence training. None are considered experienced Sorcerers. I'd bet they're on equal footing as Julius and Gia, which means you two need to follow behind them during any fight." He extended his fingers, pointing them at Toho and me.
Considering I was the leader of this team, it irked me that I was still behind those two. It's only for now; I'll catch up soon, and when I do, Julius will realize me as a worthy leader.
Toho quietly let out the breath he had been holding.
"So... we're not fighting monsters."
Gohan gave a slight nod. Gia stepped forward, grabbing the folder from my hands.
"There are six reported incidents."
"Seven," Gohan corrected. "Another occurred this morning."
Julius finally pushed himself away from the wall, walking up behind Sensei Gohan and his desk. He walked around, passing me in my seat, and reuniting with Gia.
"So what's the objective?"
Gohan looked at each of us before answering.
"Work together."
Silence settled over the room. It almost felt like a movie scene where nothing was happening, and you could faintly hear crickets in the background. It was soon interrupted by Julius's sigh and a tongue click. I understood exactly why everyone went silent. It's because none of us think we can do so.
"This mission is a piece of cake for you, so I don't care who lands the final blow. I don't care who captures the most criminals. I care whether the four of you can function as a unit so I can think about harder missions." Gohan stood from his chair. "The mission begins tomorrow evening."
Although the rest of my team felt as if we couldn't work together, I did. During this mission, it's our chance to show ourselves and Sensei that we have what it takes. Before any of us could respond, he added one final sentence.
"And don't complicate it. It's simple: apprehend the thieves. Protect civilians if necessary. Complete the mission and return safely."
He paused.
"Don't create extra problems while trying to solve the first one."
Gohan dismissed us. I caught Gia and Julius just before they turned away and informed them of our meeting spot for tomorrow at dawn. Toho stood up from his seat, holding onto my shoulder to keep himself from falling. It seemed his leg had fallen asleep, a common occurrence. Just before Toho and I began walking, Gohan stopped me.
"Zero. Do me a favor, and stay for a second. There is a request I must ask of you."
The way Sensei Gohan spoke so efficiently and cleanly felt like a sword's cut. His words could almost slice you. This request of his intrigued me too much not to stay, plus the fact that he's my professor, and I must obey him nonetheless. After the three of them filed out, it was just Gohan and me.
"Although I phrased it as a request, this is an order. I want you to take Terra Kincaid along, and maybe even consider her as a permanent addition to your team."
My face wrinkled in confusion, but it may have looked like I was angered even though it wasn't my intention. "I actually thought about her, but last time I talked with Terra, she was still on the fence between joining or forming her own team."
"She still is, hence why this is my push to make her realize she should join a team. The poor girl has been eating herself up with this decision. From what I see, Ms. Kincaid feels that joining a team puts her at a disadvantage in terms of opportunities or growth. She needs to realize that's not the case, and you will show her. Treat her and all your comrades as equals. Having a team leader is necessary, but don't let the title go over your head."
I already knew to treat my teammates as equals, but I was confused about why Terra couldn't form her own team. "Sensei, why can't she form her own team? I'm not declining or opposing your idea in any way; my apologies if it sounds like so. I'm simply confused why she has been hesitant to form one."
"Because... she believes she couldn't lead a team. Truthfully, I don't either." My eyes widened at Gohan's direct statement, but I continued hearing him out, "I don't believe she could lead a team. She doesn't have those qualities. However, I believe in change and growth. In due time, she could gain the skills to lead one. This push to make her join your team is for her improvement. In the future, she has the choice to leave and pursue her own team."
After hearing Sensei Gohan, everything became a lot clearer. I assured Sensei that I'd go through with his plan and keep this team on the right track. Before I left, I thanked him for the opportunity and quickly closed his door to minimize the creaking of the door hinge.
Tomorrow, my first official field mission with my team.
The thought had my skin shivering with goosebumps. I took a couple of deep breaths to calm down. I leaned against the door to Sensei Gohan's office, deep in thought. I glanced at my knockoff silver watch, the clock ticking at 6:47.
Toho is probably in our dorm right now. Julius and Gia in theirs. Classes and dinner should be ending, so most students should be making their way to the dorms by now. Hmm, I'll skip dinner tonight; instead, I'll...
I began walking again, heading towards the courtyard, the massive circle at the center of campus. I walked along the path, passing the History building, and entering the dormitories. I walked into the large building filled with rooms for students attending the Academy. I navigated my way through the hallways, reaching the end at a branch.
At the crossroads, I took a left, the opposite path to Toho and my dorm. I came to my conclusion. I'll skip dinner tonight. Instead, I'll have a little talk with Terra.