The brown stew was perfectly seasoned, and the piece of carrot that found its way into his mouth was delicious.

  “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, can we be friends?” Rook asked Grud with a smile.

  “No.” The big man stormed off, covered in beef stew.

  A short bulldog of a man sauntered into the room, and the table of diners stood. “Please relax, everyone. Sometimes my nephew needs to be reminded that, if everyone is afraid to join the guild, then nobody will join.”

  The guildmates sat and continued eating. Seeming to ignore the past few minutes, Rook and his jokes.

  “What can I do for you? I hope you’re not here to cause trouble,” The man remarked, looking at the soup-covered floor. “My name is Aaron Roberts, guildmaster of this branch of the builder’s guild.”

  “I’m Rook, and this is-” he began, but was interrupted.

  “Ah yes, Ms. Jax, the councilman’s daughter. You have to forgive some of my guild, they seem to think that because you are the daughter of Councilman Jax, you have been spoiled and haven’t had a need to work a day in your life.” Aaron sized her up with his gaze. “It seems that since the last time I’ve seen you, you have faced hardships. There is a new glint of cold in your eyes. It’s good to have, the world can be a cold place.” He focused on Rook. “You have some fledgling talent in Attramancy. Did you come to join the guild?”

  “No, I came to purchase skill books from your guild shop. Aaron, the knight outside, said you would help us out.”

  Command Presence- Silver Tongued Bastard activated

  The guildmaster nodded thoughtfully. “He spoke to you both?” He shook his head. “No, there’s no chance, his mind has reverted back to the time when he was a watcher in the Stonebridge pass.”

  “It’s true, he stood and saluted me.” Rook snapped the same salute the knight gave. “Then began scanning the crowd.”

  “Scanning?” Aaron Roberts smiled. “That man out there is my grandfather, and he has the sickness of time.” A pained look crossed over the guildmaster’s face, and he blinked away moisture.

  Rook swallowed hard; the thoughts of his own grandfather threatened to spill out of his eyes. “I know the feeling. If there is one piece of advice I can give, it’s to keep spending time with him. His mind may forget things a child would know, he may start to babble, and even forget the ones he loves.” Rook sniffed. “But it’s all we can do.”

  Aaron Roberts extended one meaty hand towards Rook. He grabbed it and shook. Trauma sharing, what better way to bond? The guildmaster straightened, and a few new faces joined their conversation.

  “My sons,” he said, waving a hand towards two men big as Grud, but definitely more friendly, and shook his head. “As much as I would like to help you out, my new friend. I can’t forgo the rules, only guild members can purchase the guild skill books.”

  Rook deflated. “Then what does it take to join the guild?”

  “You must be at least a level 10 bronze-ranked builder class.” He placed a hand on Rook’s shoulder. “Even as a battlemage, with my skill books, you’d be at a disadvantage. The Reach skillbook requires level 20, and the Maximum effort skill book requires level 40. Both of those far surpass your current level, and are builder’s skills.” The man turned and began to walk. “Thank you again.”

  “Come now, it’s not a total loss, we learned that you have a heart.” Reina patted him on the shoulder.

  “Father.” One of his sons objected. “Why don’t we give him the trial?”

  The other brother laughed. “The trial is worthless, and an outdated means to test your Attramancy.”

  Aaron returned and scowled. “The trial is not for beginners. It involves a hoop with a ball. You must get the ball within the hoop, while a person guards to ensure your ball doesn’t make it in.

  So basketball. One thing that countless hours at the YMCA basketball courts had taught him was that he was damned good, or mediocre. Rook agreed to the trial. In almost an instant, the dining area was cleared, and all chairs and other furniture were stacked neatly like building blocks in the corners of the rooms, creating a space big enough for the court. He was expecting full-sized regulation balls and hoops. What came out was a ball the same size and roughly the same weight as a cannonball. Both he and Grud received a ball, both a hoop no bigger than the ball itself. Well, it turns out all those pickup basketball games will not help me here.

  “Rook,” Reina said from the sideline. “The best trial strategy during that time was to put a spin on the ball and arc it up, down, and into the hoop.” Reina smiled brightly at her knowledge.

  “I’m just going to shove the ball in the hole.” Rook smiled back, and she scowled. “How tough can it be?”

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

  It was like trying to shove a nail into a pinhole. Damn tough. Turned out that Grud was the resident floor manager equivalent, and the bastard was employee of the month. Can’t imagine that ugly mug framed in the breakroom for all of Ollar to see. Grud weaved the ball in the air, spinning and changing the direction, making zig zags close to the roof and then loosing his control to let gravity take over. The man had excellent control over his power, Rook had to admit. Rook glanced at his mana bar and clenched his jaw. His opponent had too much mana and too much control compared to him. Reina had told him before the match that he was a level fifty-two Silver rank and was most likely maxed out on his Attramancy, well, it freakin showed.

  Rook cradled the thirty-pound ball, fully aware that he had one chance to make the ball into the hoop Grud left unguarded. The man is so confident that he doesn’t bother playing goalie. Grud gave him a toothy grin, as if he knew the punchline to a joke and wouldn’t tell him. He glanced up at the zagging ball and winced as gravity dragged it down like a diving falcon. One shot. Reina hunched her shoulders, cringing in anticipation. Rook surged his mana, aimed the ball towards the hoop, and waited for the responding echo. His ball was sent towards the hoop like a javelin missile.

  Grud’s ball continued down until the inevitable swoop towards the hoop. This is going to hurt, bad. Rook jumped in front of the hoop holding his hands out like a soccer goalie, the ball nearly touched the ground when Grud decided to pull upwards with his Atromancy. The ball crashed into Rook’s arms, sending him backwards into the hoop. Rook’s ball, however, sailed through the hoop and straight into the stack of furniture beyond with a crash. The stack faltered then wobbled as the support shifted.

  Attramancy increased to level 24

  +4 experience gained

  264 of 350 experience until level 7

  “Maker, that shouldn’t have flown that quick,” Aaron said, as his mouth dropped open. Quickly, he composed himself. “Get this place sorted!” He barked.

  The guild mates looked at Rook as they moved to follow the order. Some in fear, some in shocked surprise. Grud, most surprising of all, stared at him with acknowledgement. All of those feelings, however, turned into searing agony as his adrenaline faded away.

  “You, Rook.” Aaron walked towards him, stroking his beard. “You shot that ball as fast as a griffin at full dive. Incredible.” He glanced back at the guildmates. “How?” He asked suspiciously.

  “I don’t know, isn’t that how Attramancy’s supposed to work?” Rook asked, with mock confusion.

  “No. Not even close. Could you imagine builders with that ability? We would live in shacks or the forest, instead of this place.” Aaron shook his head. “Builders specialize in Attramancy, because they are controlled, methodical, and if we want things to go quicker, we use gravity to bring it down, then pull it up as if it is a fish on the line,” he said, pointing at Slingblade. “Like what Grud did while trying to score.”

  “He’s right, Rook, this is why Attramancy is seen as an inferior magic,” Reina responded. “The circuits do not have mages who practice it. Fighters who do have it use their skills to control opponents’ discarded weapons to easily finish the fight.” She tapped on her pocket where she held the journal. “Can’t fight someone when your sword is thirty feet in the air.”

  “I’m a man of my word, you beat the trial, and therefore I will sell you the two skillbooks we have.” Aaron pointed at a room in the far corner, aptly named store.

  Across the humming floor, Rook ignored the shocked gazes from the guildees as they worked the stacks of furniture down to their rightful places. Chairs were set, tables stamped into the smooth stone floors.

  Reina watched the people work with intrigued silence. “I’ve never actually been in the guild before. They are exclusive with their selection process.” She held a hand out for them to wait as a round table hovered ahead of a short blonde woman.

  “I guess this would be the equivalent of construction workers in my world,’ Rook answered her idle chatter.

  She smiled and shook her head. “If you have the skill for it, they don’t really care what kind of background you have. Our guilds will take all who apply. Naerthywell nobles running from their families to those who were homeless.” She looked at him, as if she had just noticed he was there.

  “Is there something on my face?” Rook asked, scratching at the shallow stubble.

  “You amaze me. At times, there are moments of profound skill.”

  Rook gave her an appreciative nod. Ignoring the pulsing through his feet once again as they made their way over to the store. A minotaur-type being sitting on a stool, Store, snorted as they walked in.

  “Reina, is that a bull man? Shit, be honest with me, am I under some type of mind magic?” Rook whispered.

  “Yes, and please don’t refer to the Torokin as a bull man. Bulls are domesticated labor animals.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Torokin are a part of the coalition, they have been as long as the dwarves have.”

  Rook smiled. “That is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Even more so when I discovered the internet at thirteen.”

  Unlike the elderly humanoid races, with grey hair and liver spots, this one was aged with greying at the corners of his eyes and a scarred snout. He scratched at the yellowing base of his unshaved horns.

  “Names Dre. Here for skillbooks?” He pointed at the bookshelf along the length of the wall. “Here for atromancy advice? None to give from this old Torokin.” He sighed.

  Cheerful. Rook thought. The least he could do is help me find the books. Reina gave him a look of I dunno and Rook found it amazing. The ability to have nonverbal conversations if you’re close enough. It’s a good way Knox and he talked shit about their leadership.

  The wooden stool protested as Dre crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. At closer inspection, the spines of the beige were all the same two books of Maximum Effort and Reach.

  The back read:

  Maximum Effort (Bronze)

  Caster is able to move objects with greater weight. (Level 40)

  Reach (Bronze)

  Caster is able to use the Attramantic Pull on objects that are further away. (Level 20)

  Each of the books was above strategically placed price tags, 10 silver.

  “This is marked way more than seems necessary,” Rook whispered to Reina, displeased with the highway robbery.

  “We can always see if we can acquire them elsewhere, however, these books are very difficult to come by, and as said before. Only guildmates are allowed this far normally, I think my father bought the telekenesis book from an overstock sale they had.”

  Rook grabbed the two books. “That was all I needed to hear.” He walked over to the counter and placed them. “Overstock is one thing, but a sure thing is another.”

  “Just leave the money and I’ll put it away,” Dre said, twitching an ear.

  “Thank you for your help,” Rook said sardonically, and Reina elbowed him.

  “Wait, what’s your Attramancy skill at?” The old Torokin asked.

  “It’s around twenty-four now,” Rook replied.

  “Maybe I do got advice for you. Aaron, don’t let just anyone back to see my store. If you end up bleeding from your eyes ‘cause you used a skillbook far above your level, I will never hear the end of it.”

  “So, essentially, I die if I use a skillbook too high above my current level?”Rook asked, staring at the enhancer. Reina looked just as confused as he felt.

  Dre scratched at a yellowing horn. “You use those skill books at your own risk. We’ll see if I gotta clean you up off the ground when your insides spill out.”

  He sighed and cracked his knuckles. “Might as well do it.”

  Rook opened Reach, and the notification popped into his vision.

  Would you like to use the Skill book?

  Yes / No

  Yes.