Roughly six hours before Cole entered The Tower.

 

Azula carefully made her way down a large, spiral staircase. The sun had only just started to rise, shining a cascading hue of orange across the massive hall. Lined with tapestries, the room was composed primarily of marble, wood, and fine cloth. Azula held her boots in her right hand, silently dissenting the flight of stairs.

“Good morning, Ms.Azula.” A voice called out from an adjacent room.

“Good morning Windle.” Azula sighed, stepping off the stairs and onto the floor.

“Not using your thread magic today?” Windle asked.

“No, you always manage to sense when I do.”

“Of course. Your parents wouldn’t have hired me if they thought I wasn’t capable.”

Azula sat on the stairs, putting her shoes on as Windle made her way into view. Making her way to the door, Windle waited patiently.

“Would you like to go on a quest today?” Windle asked.

“No, I think I’ll be taking a few days off to relax.”

“Is that why you’re sneaking out at the break of dawn? To relax alongside your adventuring equipment?”

“‘One can never be too careful,’” Azula recited in a mocking tone.

“Yes indeed.” Windle smiled.

Lacing the last strap of her boots, Azula stood up.

“Well, I’ll be off.”

“Not yet,” Windle said, raising a finger, “your parents have given me another quest to assign you for today.”

Azula scowled at the idea. Every quest she’d taken had been hand-selected by one of her caretakers, be it Windle or otherwise. She’d tried many times to sneak out and take on a quest of her own, but Windle was always one step ahead. For an old lady, she was quite sharp.

“And where are they, exactly?” Azula asked, gesturing around the empty room.

“Your parents are away on business.”

“Ah. I think I’ll decline then.”

“This quest was requested of your parents by one of the houses. It would be bad for them, and for you, if you were to decline. You’ll be picking a house soon enough, after all.”

Azula sighed. The houses Windle referred to were the guilds centered at the heart of the capital, indirect defense of the kingdom's royalty. As she was of high standing, it was only natural for her to join one of such houses, given her aptitude for magic. Nevertheless, Azula hadn’t yet rescinded herself to such a fate. Many small guilds focused on more worldly quests, and she was eager to give them a try.

“What’s the quest?” Azula asked.

“You’ll be taking the train to Hinsdale. One of the recruiters your parents talked to has ordered some goods from a shop there. You’ll be picking it up and bringing it to him, directly, as you’ll also be discussing what house will best suit their needs.”

“Since when,” Azula demanded, trying to hold back her frustration.

“I believe it was a few weeks ago. The same day you earned your gold rank.”

“Why was I not told about this?” Azula asked, raising her voice.

“Because of how you might act,” Windle said, shaking her head. “You’ve always been… unthankful for the quest they’ve acquired for you.”

“That’s because they’re all meaningless and boring!” Azula shouted, “Just like this one. I’m not going to join a house just because some recruiter thinks I’ll be a good match for their needs.”

“I’m sure your parents would be happy to discuss your placement among the houses at a later date.” Windle said, trying to sound reassuring, “but this meeting with the recruiter is non-negotiable. Your parents' business relies heavily on the guilds, and they asked to meet with you directly. We wouldn’t want to disappoint them, would we?”

Azula clenched her teeth. She knew her parents were adamant about having her join one of the house guilds, but she didn’t know they intended for her to have no say in the matter. Other than not allowing her to pick her own quests, Azula had been free to make whatever decisions she pleased. When she’d wanted to move her academics towards magic, she’d been allowed to. Even when she asked to become an adventurer, she’d been met with nothing but support. While she’d have to take quests approved for her, it was still better than being cooped up in the house all day.

In this vein, Azula knew they all meant well. They wanted her to become successful, and the easiest way to do that happened to coincide with their business. Windle’s words were not lost on her, but Azula still detested the lack of dialogue she was being given. Nevertheless, Hinsdale had been growing rapidly over the past year, and Azula had meant to give the place a visit at some point anyway.

“Fine!” Azula said, waving her hand in the air, “I’ll take the stupid quest.”

“Good. The recruiter will be waiting for you in the capital. I’ve already written down the address.”

“It won’t be at one of the houses?” Azula asked, taking the piece of paper from Windle.

“No,” Windle said, “your parents seemed to want to keep your recruitment process private.”

“That makes sense,” Azula said, opening the door beside Windle.

If the recruitment was private, there was no chance of Azula making a scene to discourage a guild from recruiting her, which she would obviously do. She’d be turning seventeen in a few months, but it seemed her parents wanted to keep her at home for as long as possible. Even if she joined one of the houses, she was sure her parents would still select her quests for her until she could afford her own residence. Azula’s parents may have wanted to keep her safe, but she’d grown tired of their smothering care. At some point, they’d have to accept Azula was wise enough to take risks of her own.

“Good luck.”

Azula closed the door behind her without replying. The courtyard before her was enormous, taking up over twice as much space as the mansion she called home. The sun was rising behind her, casting a slight shadow over the brick path before her. Splitting in a circle around a large fountain, the path took her through an assortment of trimmed bushes. Collectively, these bushes lined up to depict a knight as they unsheathed their sword. Of course, someone entering the premises would see the opposite.

Azula continued down the brick path. Various groundskeepers stopped what they were doing as she walked past, as if to give her their undivided attention. When they passed her view, they diligently went back to work. Azula had a distaste for the amount of attention she’d be given by near-strangers, but she could hardly chastise them for doing their job.

The mansion’s estate was surrounded by a large rectangle of bushes, roughly half Azula’s height. As she reached the end of the brick path, a maroon carriage pulled up in front of the opening in the bushes.

“Good morning Ms.Azula.” The slender man atop the carriage said. “Off to the train station already?”

“It would seem so,” Azula replied.

She opened the door to the carriage, quickly entering it. After she got situated, the driver placed his hand on the cylinder that extruded from the front of the car. A few moments passed as the wheels began to glow a light blue. While less capable than a train, a carriage of this nature could be powered by a single person, rather than a charged magical core.

The carriage strolled forward at a slow pace, gradually ramping up in speed. Azula placed her left elbow against her armrest, leaning forward to cup her chin in her hand. She watched as the scenery sped by, losing herself in thought.

***

After a few hours of daydreaming, Azula made it to Hinsdale. Her home was relatively close to the capital, so she’d taken a train from there to Hinsdale. These were the type of risk-free “quests” her parents insisted on her taking. She’d managed to reach gold rank in this fashion, as quest completion relative to one's rank was highly subjective. Azula could only assume that the houses also took part in such overt rank inflation. She’d heard in passing conversation how gold-ranked adventurers were seen as the first “real” rank of adventurer.

Given this perspective, she couldn’t help but feel like a fraud. Azula had spent years training her magic, wholeheartedly believing she’d become strong. However, it was quests like these that had gradually robbed her of her passion. Even if she could one day take on her own quests, Azula would have no experience to guide her. Nevertheless, she intended to forge on. Anything was better than spending her days locked in her room.

Azula picked the “goods” up from the shop. Apparently, she’d been delegated to picking up an assortment of bread from a local bakery. After thanking the shopkeeper, she returned to the nearby train station. Her parents had booked her the “luxury” car, which Azula didn’t mind. The remaining passengers were stuck shoulder to shoulder, as the train was oddly packed that day. Azula set the pastries on the counter opposite her seat. After giving the room a short once-over, she sat down next to the window, once again placing her head in her hand.

While Azula listened to the sound of the wheels beginning to turn, she heard a key being jostled into the door. Not having been informed of any kind of visit, be it entertainment or otherwise, Azula was put on guard. Using her magic, she spread small, near-invisible threads across the floor. They reached the door as it began to open, encompassing the room with remarkable speed. She couldn’t see who had entered the room yet, but she began to lightly wrap her thread around their legs.

This was something she had been trained to do, as to scout out unknown locations without revealing herself. Azula may not have much experience, but her parents hadn’t skimped on hiring her proper masters. For this, she was grateful. To keep with appearances, she continued to stare through the window, pretending as though she hadn’t taken notice, continuing to wrap her threads around them. As long as she willed them to, they would continue to flow with their body, making them extremely hard to detect.

Soon enough, the stranger walked further into the car. Azula felt them turn towards her with her threads. She could feel a general outline of their body without having to look. Surprisingly, the person who’d entered her car seemed to be a child. Furthermore, they were staring at her without saying anything. Azula's impatience rose, and she turned towards them.

“May I help you?” Azula asked.

The person before her was a shabbily dressed boy. While he was short, and looked like a child, she could easily discern he was an adventurer by the bronze plate around his neck. Furthermore, he wore a short sword at his hip, along with a silver breastplate. Azula could only assume it was silver, as it had seemed to be… well used.

“Uh.” He said, seemingly flustered, “Yeah. Can I have some of that bread?”

Seriously? Azula thought to herself. She assumed the kid was simply hungry, and had found his way into her car to steal what he could. While she would normally kick him out, he was an adventurer, and the food wasn’t even for her. Furthermore, Azula had never had such a fine opportunity to talk to a fellow adventurer in private.

“Sure,” She said, “what’s your name?”

“Felix,” Felix said happily, grabbing a few pieces of bread.

“What’re you doing here, Felix?”

“I’m on my way to the capital,” Felix said, making his way towards Azula. “This is the year I’ll be entering The Tower!”

“Oh?”

Azula had meant why he was in her private car, but this development was far more fascinating. She’d heard of The Tower before while studying, and it was something she’d been interested in for a while. Windle had always told her that The Tower was commonly known as “the adventurer graveyard.” While she assumed this part of her curriculum was to discourage her from trying to enter The Tower, she’d have to do more research before being sure. Azula had no desire to go so deep into the unknown, so she hadn’t bothered to put much more thought into it.

Felix took a seat to her right, on the opposite side of the room. Azula kept her threads around him, as he seemed to be oblivious to their existence. She watched as Felix dug into the bread, seeming to savor every bite.

“Why are you entering The Tower?” Azula asked.

“I want to become an obsidian adventurer,” Felix said, in between bites.

“Of course,” Azula replied, “but why now? You’re only a bronze adventurer. Are you that confident in your magic already?”

“I am! I’ve been training a lot recently.”

“Ah,” Azula said, unimpressed, “good for you. Wha-”

“Are you headed to The Tower, too?”

“No, I have other business in the capital.”

“Must be nice to be a gold adventurer,” Felix said, taking another bite. “Are you picking up a new quest from one of the guilds?”

“Something like that.”

“That’s awesome!” Felix said loudly, gulping down the last of the bread he took. “Are you in a guild? What kind of quest are you planning on taking?”

“Not yet,” Azula replied, “and I haven’t decided yet.”

“Do you quest by yourself, or with a party?”

“On my own, typically.”

“Do you only use a bow, or do you use hidden weapons too? I heard some adventurers do. Personally, I-”

Azula was already growing tired of Felix’s insistent questions. She’d hoped to gain some insight on what a normal bronze adventurer did for quests, but she could hardly get a word in. Furthermore, Felix’s questions annoyed Azula due to their nature. She’d already lied twice due to her own feeling of inadequacy as a gold adventurer. Azula had only ever taken on quests by herself, and she was, of course, not going to the capital to pick up her own quest. Felix continued to ramble about his sword practice, unbeknownst to her stewing resentment.

“What quests have you taken so far?” Azula said abruptly, interrupting Felix’s stream of consciousness. “I’m sure you’ve had some pretty exciting quests, as a bronze adventurer and all.”

“Oh, not really.” Felix laughed. “Quests have been pretty dry for me recently. All I’ve gotten recently is mass kill quests for those weird bunnies.”

“You mean the killer rabbits?” Azula asked, suddenly intrigued.

“Killer rabbits?” Felix said in a confused tone. “They’re known to chase after small children and harm people's pets, but I’d hardly call them ‘killer.’”

“Oh, those rabbits,” Azula bluffed, “We must be referring to different species.”

“Woah,” Felix said, “I didn’t know there were different kinds! The ones I killed were quick and packed a mean bite, but they weren’t too hard to deal with. What were the ones you killed like?”

“Uh,” Azula said, “they were ginormous, with teeth bigger than your head! We lost many good people that day… I’d rather not keep discussing it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Felix said, looking away.

Azula had kept her cool, but she only became more frustrated. She couldn’t get over the fact she felt the need to lie about such things to someone she didn’t even know. Why must she bring a recruiter a basket of snacks when Felix, a bronze adventurer, is living the life she dreamed of. Azula continued to stew on this idea.

Meanwhile, Felix had remained quiet. He seemed to have bought her story, and was leaving her alone. Azula couldn't help but feel slightly bad for this. However, the silence was refreshing. The two sat without speaking as the train chugged along.

Within the hour, Azula and Felix arrived at the capital. Hinsdale had been the last stop on the route leaving the capital, making the return trip a b-line back. The train’s horn rang out as it entered the station, signaling for passengers to get ready to disembark.

“I guess that’s it,” Felix said, getting up from his seat. “It was nice meeting you…”

“Azula.”

“Azula,” Felix repeats, “that’s a nice name.”

“Thanks,” Azula said with an uninterested tone.

“Well, I’ll be off.”

Azula remained seated as Felix made his way out of the car. She unwrapped the threads still attached to him as he left. Planning to wait for the rest of the passengers to get off first, she thought over their conversation in her head. Felix had seemed genuinely nice, making Azula feel even worse for how poorly she treated him. Even if he was annoying, that was no reason to act so hostile. I’ll have to make it up to him, Azula thought to herself, well… if we ever meet again.

A few moments passed as the pitter-patter of feet began to fade away. Azula pushed herself up from her seat, patting off her clothes. She’d only just begun walking towards the door when loud footsteps came from just outside her car. Felix had left it unlocked, and the door easily swung open.

“Azula?”

“Yes, Felix?” Azula sighed, realizing it was only him.

“I wasn’t expecting the capital to be so… massive,” Felix said, obviously happy she was still there. “Do you think you could show me where to go?”

I just had to jinx it, didn’t I? Azula thought to herself.

“Fine,” She said, “but you’re carrying the bread.”

“Can I really?” Felix asked happily.

“Yes,” Azula sighed, “you can.”