The First Step (Intro)

The trip across the sea hadn’t been all that interesting and by the time that the ship had reached its destination, the crew were more than happy to see the back of their red headed passenger. There hadn’t been all that much to do and so Sienna had spent most of her time bothering most of the crew, asking them an almost endless list of questions that would probably drive anyone mad. Oh, she wasn’t malicious or anything, just curious beyond and belief, a trait that not everyone was able to handle. Still, the young mage had learned quite a lot about the lives of sailors and although it wasn’t the life for her. It had been fascinating to hear their tales nonetheless. Hopefully though, she wouldn’t have to board another ship for a while, as she had definitely had her fill of it for now.

Why had she come all the way to Tolgalen? Well, besides her natural desire to visit new places, she’d finally decided to hook up with a guild, after what felt like an age of debating and arguing with herself about it. It wasn’t as if she didn’t like the idea, just the fact that there were so many that interested her and she’d felt that she could have quite happily joined a number of them and done pretty well. However, there was one aspect of many guilds that just didn’t sit right with her and that was what had eventually been key. So many spoke about either being strictly light or dark and that was something that Sienna just didn’t believe. Everyone had light and dark inside them and to focus on just one half seemed kind of silly to her. Yet, the West Fiore Trading Company didn’t seem to even mention those ideals at all and that was what had caught the redhead’s attention.

After quietly asking one of the dock workers for directions, Sienna was soon on her way towards the headquarters, having to fight off the urge to make small talk with everyone she passed. She’d be there all day otherwise although she made a mental note to come back and introduce herself to the locals. They all seemed kind and friendly anyway, which was enough to bring a smile to the girl’s face. She’d been wandering for some time now and truly loved that life but having a place to call her own was a comforting thought for her. Somewhere she could always return to, when her travelling was done. She only hoped that the guild would be able to help her with that.

Eventually, she reached the largest building in the area and assuming that it was the HQ, Sienna would cheerfully enter and head towards the front desk. The foyer was beautifully decorated and it was hard for the for the redhead not to be in awe but after shaking her head for a moment or two, she managed to recompose herself and focus on her task at hand.

As she approached, a brunette haired woman looked up from her paperwork and smiled up at her, “Hello there, welcome to The West Fiore Trading Company. How may I help you?”

“I’d like to join the company, if I may,” Sienna answered without a second thought, her excitement levels building a little.

“A new recruit, huh?” The woman answered with a chuckle, “I see. You will need to talk to someone higher up for that. Please give me a few minutes and I will make a call.”

“Thanks,” Sienna answered with a grin, before wandering off and taking a seat, humming to herself as she waited.

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As she waited, Sienna briefly pondered about just what she might be getting into. Oh yes, she desperately wanted to join the guild but she wondered if there would be more to it then simply asking to join and being given the OK. It wasn’t something that she’d thought about that much during her journey here and it was only now that she was going to meet someone in authority that the idea suddenly came to her. She wasn’t afraid of a challenge and didn’t expect her possible future as a member to be all sunshine and rainbows but what if she had to pay to join? That was actually a more bothersome thought than anything else, as the redhead didn’t have all that much in the way of funds. She’d spent most of what she had on the trip and no doubt her gambling with the crew hadn’t exactly helped her jewel balance either. They’d probably cheated but she’d been too kind hearted to argue and had simply kept playing.

Her thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind as a voice gently penetrated through them and the redhead naturally turned her head towards the speaker. Standing before her was a rather exotic looking figure and with a smile, Sienna stood up from the chair and turned towards her. The soft tone of the stranger helped ease any nerves she had although if she was honest, there weren't that many. She was feeling more excited than anything and the chance to meet one of the vice presidents of the guild only caused the excitement to increase a little. Truthfully, she hadn’t expected to be greeted by such a high ranked member of the guild so soon but the blue eyed girl took it as a compliment, rather than a source of nervousness.

“Hi there,” she answered brightly, “My name is Sienna Keegan and I was hoping that I could join the company. I don’t have all that much money if a payment is required but I hope that will not be a problem.” She figured that it would be best just to be upfront about her concern and the redhead had never been much good at hiding what she thought or felt anyway. As she spoke, she could feel a slight spark of warmth from within her, as though her companions agreed with her choice. They were an unusual bunch although they had never steered her wrong.

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(1017 Total WC)

The redheaded teenager had to smile as the young boy suddenly interrupted the conversation and jumped into Haraka’s arms. He was a cutie and Sienna had to chuckle at just how cheerful he was, before her eyes returned to the vice president. When she was apologised to, Sienna simply shook her head, “Not to worry,” before adding to the boy, “Hi William, nice to meet you.” The little exchange actually kind of reinforced the idea that she had made the choice when it came to finding a guild. The blue eyed girl was not desperately seeking a family vibe but it was a pleasant sensation nonetheless and made her feel even more welcome. She’d been wandering for quite some time by herself by this point and perhaps growing some roots in one place for a while was something that maybe she did want, deep down. Anyway, her attention soon returned to the conversation at hand and to hear that a fee was not required caused a slight sigh of relief to escape her. The idea of a test was rather exciting and she didn’t have an issue with taking one.

“I’d rather take a test then pay,” Sienna answered with a grin, “As for what I know about trading and goods, well, my knowledge is a little limited, I'm afraid. I’ve met my fair share of peddlers during my time on the road and occasionally travelled and protected them but I don’t have much knowledge about how an organisation like yours works. I suppose I’ve been more of an adventurer than a trader if I’m honest although I’m eager to learn more about how the trading business works. I’m always looking to add more strings to my bow.” There wasn’t any deception in her words and she simply spoke from the heart. Her experiences with the world of business were far more limited than most and given her record when it comes to jewels, she was definitely not the greatest accountant either. Her magic wasn’t exactly the most subtle either but it did a fine job when it came to defending others, as well as herself.

‘You’re more likely to bankrupt the place,’ Sienna mused to herself dryly although the thought brought a wry smile to her face. As long as she didn’t touch the guild funds things would be fine, she hoped anyway. Her thoughts would then shift towards just what this test might be and the redhead pondered to herself that it would hopefully be nothing to do with mathematics or anything like that.

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(1444 Total WC)

To hear that she didn’t have to be a master of trade was a relief and Sienna was rather curious about just what this test would end up being. She followed Haraka as she began to walk away, a smile still stretched across her face. In truth, the redhead was beginning to like what she was hearing about the company in general and was confident that she could make a success of her time as a member although as what was still for her to figure out. If someone came up to her and asked her to value something, she wouldn’t have the slightest clue but she’d always been rather lucky and that had more than once got her out of a tight spot. As they walked, she’d simply gaze around at the lovely scenery around them, having developed a liking to Tolgalen rather quickly. It was a beautiful place and the idea that the company actually owned it was rather mind-blowing. A company owning an entire area? The idea was rather eye opening for Sienna and honestly, she hadn’t quite believe it until she’d actually set sail for the place and the crew had told her.

“I’ve been in quite a few scraps during my time on the road, yes,” she replied in response to Haraka’s question, “I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie I suppose and I admit that I do enjoy a fight now and again although I know when to stop. I don’t have any desire to kill those that I fight if I can avoid it and I try to bring in my foes alive if I can. I know it’s not always possible but that’s always my aim. I’ve always felt that each life taken destroys a little more of the killer’s soul, if that makes sense.” Sienna didn’t know quite how to describe herself. A mercenary? A guardian? A protector? Any of those could probably work but she was still figuring out who she was in some respects. “I hope that the trading company has a similar view about such things?” It might have been a slightly difficult question for her to suddenly ask on the spot but it was one that she’d like an answer to. Sienna felt no hesitation about asking since Haraka had greeted and spoken to her in such a calm and gentle way.

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“I wouldn’t call feeling a buzz during a battle to be a fault myself and I hope it’s something that I don’t grow out of,” Sienna answered brightly, “It’s that spark that makes life worth living.” There was a noticeable relaxing of her shoulders as time wore on and any tension that she might have felt at the beginning had well and truly vanished by now. She was comfortable in her own skin anyway and it was rare that nerves ever actually had any real impact on her. The teenager may have only been young in the grand scheme of things but she didn’t feel as though she was naive to the world as a whole. She’d seen a fair bit during her time on the road and her eyes had already been opened somewhat to the wider world. Sure, there was so much left to explore but that didn’t mean that she was a raw novice, at least she didn’t think so anyway.

Haraka’s own views spoke volumes about her experiences and Sienna had to smile. It sounded almost like a circle of life kind of thing and was easy enough for the redhead to understand. There was life and there was death, with each being one side of the same coin. “Perhaps one day, I’ll share a similar view of the world, although I admit that right now, it sounds rather cold to me. No disrespect meant, of course.” It was a relief to hear that the company was more open minded when it came to beliefs though and the takeover mage was curious to know about the views of others on the topic, as well as everything else. The more she heard, the more her curiosity rose and she couldn’t help but think that her mind would be buzzing by the end of the day. Sleep was going to be hard to find.

She was rather surprised when Haraka suddenly seemed to change gender all of a sudden and the redhead’s eyebrows rose rather quickly. The young mage had never seen anything quite like that before and naturally, she simply had to ask about it, “Are you alright? You took me a little by surprise there.” That was a slight understatement but Sienna was genuinely confused by what she’d just seen. It didn’t seem like any spell that she’d seen before and almost appeared to her as though it was a natural kind of deal.

Her eyes would then be briefly drawn to the large merchant ships that were sporadically docked and a sort of wry grin would cross her features. Oh, they were lovely pieces of workmanship but the thought of having to ride on one to get back to the mainland at some point was enough to make her cringe. She was lucky not to have been driven mad from boredom the first time and a second trip might just be enough to set her over the edge. As the pair approached the merchants, she’d turn to Haraka and ask in a deadpan tone, “My test isn’t to try and steer one of these ships, is it?”

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The redhead wouldn’t say that she understood completely about Haraka’s point of view but perhaps it was simply a difference in their life experiences up until now. The now male figure sounded almost world weary when he spoke of philosophy which only seemed to add a little more proof behind her assumption. She didn’t push any further on the subject and simply let it fade away and Sienna was thankful that he had been willing to help satiate her curiosity a little about his own philosophy. It gave her something to think about, even if it was a little early for her to truly agree with him at that point. She was still in the early part of her journey, leaving her solo wanderings and joining something far greater. The fire of adventure burned brightly within her, feeding her sense of wanderlust and excitement. There was a vast world out there that still needed to be explored and the takeover mage couldn’t wait to start doing just that.

“That’s a relief,” she would say when he confirmed that he was all right, “I was just a little surprised by your sudden gender change, that’s all. It’s not something that I’ve seen during my travels and it caught me off guard a bit.” Judging from the fact that he seemed completely unfazed, Sienna pondered that it was clearly something that happened fairly regularly to him or at least enough for him to have become used to it. “If you don’t mind me asking, how does it happen? Is it something that just happens or can you will yourself to do it?” She just couldn’t stop herself from asking and her blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. The mage could change form when using her magic but this didn’t quite seem the same.

She had to chuckle as the merchant cut in and answered her question about her test, a beaming grin spreading across her face, “Good thing too, I’d probably end up sinking it.” Sienna had never been that great with any vehicle, land or sea based and had made quite a mess the last time she’d been in control of a car. There were still moments now where she could still hear the shrill shrieks of the woman that she’d borrowed it from. Oh, she’d manage to pay it off eventually but it took a while.

Following Haraka as he proceeded to lead her towards her test, she rose an eyebrow at what he planned on having her doing. Telling a real item from a fake was certainly going to be a test for her, as she lacked any real experience in the field.‘Try not to drop anything’, she thought to herself, her smile turning rather dry at the thought. “As prepared as I can be,” she answered simply, trying to focus her mind on what was about to happen. She’d need a keen eye for this and for at least a few minutes, the usual cheerful girl would have to take on a more serious approach.

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“Clearly I do,” Sienna chuckled lightly in response to Haraka’s comment. She wasn’t offended or anything like that, although it did seem that her humour had gone straight over the heads of both her inductee and the merchant. Honestly, the redhead should have expected that as that was usually what happened whenever she tried to make a joke. Deciding not to try again, she managed to bite her tongue and stop herself from playfully teasing him about the change, concerned that might be taken the wrong way. The last thing that she wanted to do was spoil her chances of being accepted by making a stupid joke.

Her attention was soon drawn to the merchant as he brought out the bottles and started to place them on a table and for one happy moment, Sienna thought that her task would simply be to drink as much as she could. What a task that would have been and her eyes did light up at the thought. However, as Haraka turned to her and began to explain the situation to her, the redhead would tilt her head and briefly nod in understanding. She’d tasted her fair share of whiskey in her time and certainly approved of the type of test. “All right, I’ll give it a try.”

Approaching the table, Sienna would spend a minute or two examining the bottles, taking care to give them all a good looking over. She didn’t utter a word and simply surveyed them but as she did so, the redhead began to feel a sense of deja vu and in the forefront of her mind, the girl could briefly see a glimpse of what was about to happen. It was such a bizarre sensation and had occasionally happened before, usually when she was in a dangerous situation. It was quite a mystery as to why it occurred but she’d learned to trust these echoes, whenever they made themselves known. In truth, she couldn’t really tell the difference between the quality of the bottles just from the outside and given that she couldn’t taste them, all she had to go on was her vision.

Walking over to the signs and taking one from each group, Sienna would then back to the table and begin to mark which was which. The leftmost and largest one was given the fake mark,, the second from the left would receive the medium quality, the second from the right would be given the low quality and the smallest bottle on the right would be gifted the high quality mark. Once she was finished, she took a few steps back to look over her choices and after realising that they had matches her foresight, the redhead would turn to Haraka and say, “OK, I think that’s the best that I can do.”

(470 Words)
(3340 Total WC)

OOC: Lineage:

‘Well, at least I got half of them right,’ the redhead thought to herself happily as Haraka moved a couple of the signs around. It seemed that her vision had been somewhat of a red herring but it had at least pushed her into action. The explanation as to why she’d been tested in such a way was easy enough to understand and she simply nodded her head again, chuckling slightly “So you wanted to toss me in at the deep end and see if I sank or swam, huh?” Was she upset about not having got the test 100% right? No, it was just something that she’d have to work on in the future and perhaps also a lesson that she shouldn’t always trust her echoes all the time.

She blinked when her inductee pulled out the stamp and asked where she wanted to be marked and for a moment, Sienna didn’t quite get what he meant. However, after a moment, it seemed to click and a smile formed across her face as she briefly tapped the top of her right shoulder, “Here please and thank you for giving me this chance.” She couldn’t help but breathe a slight sigh of relief at being accepted into the guild and was delighted that she now had a place to call her own. Sure, the life of a wandering mage had been fun and eye opening but there was only so long that one could wander before they started to wish for something greater. She’d simply reached that point in her life. The redhead couldn't have been happier with the way things had gone down and had thankfully managed not to make a complete fool of herself.

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(3627 Total WC)

My WC: 3627
Haraka's WC: 2977+229+169=3375
Thread WC: 7002