Chapter 14: Starting Jobs

“He could be anywhere by now, Chase. That boys knows every nook and cranny of this island.”

“We need to find out what he heard, Ghelion. What if he goes around telling people who I am?”

Ghelion sighed. They had spent the better part of half an hour searching for Thomas around the town.

“Maybe he didn’t hear anything, old friend. He looked like he was just about to knock.”

“Then why run, Ghelion?” Chase felt his hackles rising. The prospect of news getting out of his old identity could signal the beginning of the end. Even a rumor could possibly be investigated by the Old Guard and if found true would be the end of him.

“I know,” said Ghelion. “It doesn’t look good.”

“It looks horrible, you mean. I need to talk to Thomas.”

“I think what you need is to eat—no, don’t argue with me—come on.”

Chase allowed himself to be dragged by the arm to the eating hall which was located near the Headquarters building. As they entered and the sounds of chatter grew louder, Ghelion leaned close to whisper to Chase.

“Alright, Chase. I am going to head to the Advisors table. I’ll ask whether anyone has seen the boy. You go and eat. Act natural, alright?”

They stepped into the hall. Two long tables lay parallel before them. Dinner was nearing its end and only about 80 players were still eating. Most were talking to their friends. Chase noticed, just like when he was a child on the island, most were between the ages of 13 and 30. Near the end of one of the tables he thought he saw Marlon’s white head of hair.

“Fine,” said Chase. “But I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Cheer up.” Ghelion patted him on the back. “Thomas is your roommate, so maybe you will find him there. The boy seems to like you, for some reason, too. I would not give up hope yet.”

Ghelion wondered off to the other advisors who sat at a third, smaller table at the front of the room. Each were dressed in their robes talking to one another. Chase ignored the eyes of the other players as he collected his tray of food at a window. Thaddeus handed him his food without a word and Chase soon found an empty chair with no one else around. His plan was to eat as fast as he was able and then get back to his room before Marlon could. If Thomas was there he could talk to him before the old man came to bed.

“Hello, stranger,” said a cheery voice.

Chase looked up from his food.

“Amelie,” said Chase. “How are you finding everything?”

“May I sit?”

Chase motioned to the seat before him.

“We didn’t see you today,” she said.

“We? Oh.” Suddenly Chase remembered what he had told his spawnmates before they left for their rooms. “I’m sorry, Amelie. I completely forget we agreed to meet in the lobby.”

Amelie smiled shyly. “It’s alright, Chase. I actually ended up getting a tour from my roommate, Marge.”

“I think I met her.”

“You nearly ran her over is what she told me,” giggled Amelie. “She said you and Thomas were running like the wind.”

“Just a bit of racing. He’s a lively boy. You haven’t seen him around this evening, have you?” Chase tried to sound casual.

“I haven’t no. But I need to tell you something important.”

Chase felt his stomach drop. He focused on his food and put another spoonful of rice into his mouth.

“What’s that?” He said between mouthfuls.

Amelie made a face. “Please, don’t talk with your mouth open. Anyways, tomorrow morning after PT you, me, and Alex are to report to the Headquarters for a class.”

“I forgot about that.”

“Someone already told you?”

Oops, thought Chase. In all the excitement he forget to pretend to know nothing about island activities.

“Um…yes. One of the advisors told me. Anyways,” he quickly changed the conversation. “Where is Alex?”

“He already ate and went back to his room. I was waiting for you to show up to tell you about the class.”

“Was he upset about me not showing up?”

Amelie thought a moment. She placed a finger on her chin and squinted at the ceiling.

“Maybe a little bit,” she said. “I think Alex likes people to be punctual.”

Chase sighed. “I usually am. Oh well, I’ll see him tomorrow.”

They chatted about a few other things before Chase excused himself. He didn’t want to be rude but he also didn’t want to have to walk her back to the dormitories. If there was any chance Thomas was in their room he still wanted to make it before Marlon returned. Undoubtedly Marlon would also have questions about the potion he had made, and Chase didn’t want any distractions when talking to the boy. As he walked briskly through the cool night air and over the cobblestones of the Square he rehearsed to himself what he would tell Thomas.

What you heard was just some talk about Spade in the newspaper is all. What did you hear, exactly? You probably shouldn’t go around telling anyone about this. Starting strange rumors is a sure way to have everyone dislike you, you know.

Chase ran up the stairs as soon as he opened the door to the dorms. Thankfully the lobby was empty and the stairs were free of traffic. He sped up the stairs just as fast as he had gone down them hours before and was soon on the fourth floor. This time Chase could hear muffled voices talking behind the doors. The distinct sounds of young men laughing and joking with one another was pleasantly familiar. Silently he slinked down the hall until he stood outside the door of room 24. He placed his ear against the door.

Not a sound, thought Chase. Perhaps Thomas was in bed pretending to be asleep.

Chase opened the door slowly. The room was quiet and dark. Only the light of the moon poured through the windows and draped the three beds in gentle moonbeams. Each bed was empty.

There was no one in the room so Chase decided to get into his own bed. He undressed and crawled under the covers. Despite his panic at being discovered the events of the day had wearied him and he felt sleep was close at hand. Silently he told himself he needed to stay awake until Thomas returned. If Marlon came back first he would have to make some excuse to get Thomas alone, maybe bring him outside.

As it happened, Chase fell asleep. He didn’t wake up until the rising sun was warming his face. When he awoke Marlon was snoring on his own bed, dead to the world. Thomas’ bed was empty, and didn’t seem as though anyone had slept in it at all.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“You’re late.”

“Sorry about that,” said Chase. He closed the door to the class room and took a seat by Alex. The room had enough chairs for a dozen people but only six were there. The three people besides Alex and Amelie must have been recent spawns as well. “I was pretty tired from the training this morning and forgot about this.”

“The PT is optional, you know,” said the Advisor. Chase couldn’t remember her name. She had the same ageless look as Ghelion. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders and green eyes peered at Chase through black rimmed glasses.

“I didn’t know,” lied Chase. He ignored Alexander’s stare. Chase had not gone to training, but had instead looked around for Thomas again. The boy had never came back to the room.

“The physical training is only here for those who want to train themselves before signing their first contract. Not all of the jobs necessarily need a high level of fitness. Amelie,” said the Advisor. “Could you tell your spawnmate the starting jobs we were just talking about?”

“Yes, Advisor Maris.” Amelie cleared her throat and turned to face Chase. She was sitting in front of him. “Fighter, Hunter, Herbalist, Fisherman, Tinkerer, Thief—”

One of the other new spawns, a women who looked around twenty and had long black hair down her back interrupted Amelie.

“And also the two mage classes: the offensive mage and the defensive mage.”

“Thank you, Jess,” said Advisor Maris. “Both you girls are paying attention. So, as I was saying, your time spent on this island can be anywhere between one month, or several depending on when you pass your Examination of Capability. During that time you will hopefully narrow down which job you would like upon leaving the island and make a contract with one of the Advisors here—such as myself. Yes, Alexander?”

Hand raised, Alex reminded Chase of a student who had just caught the teacher making a common mistake.

“What exactly are these contracts? What if I don’t want to sign one?”

The advisor smiled knowingly. “I am afraid everyone must sign one, that is non negotiable. As for what they are, well, signing a contract is an agreement made between a player and AION about the next few years of their life. Not only does it give you a course to follow, but also allows you certain, well, powers and abilities.”

“Powers?” A boy in the corner said. He had sandy hair and looked like he needed a bath. “What kind of powers?”

“Each job you choose will grant you certain boons, as we call them. For instance,” Advisor Maris wrote the word ‘Fighter’ on the black board behind her. “The fighter class has seven levels which a player who has chosen the job to work through. Upon signing the contract the player will receive a strength buff of around 5%. The completion of each level unlocks an additional boon.”

“Strength buff?” Said Alex. “What exactly is that?”

The Advisor frowned slightly at Alex’s tone.

“It means, Alexander, that you become stronger relative to your actual strength. If you can lift 100 pounds above your head signing as a Fighter will allow you to automatically lift 105 pounds, understand?”

“That’s not very much,” said the sandy haired boy.

“No, but with each level the boons become progressively better. By the end of the Fighter contract a player will be incredibly strong, agile, and well protected against enemy attacks. Most OP players have started in Fighter and its the most common job players choose for their first contract.”

Amelie raised her hand. “So what happens when we change jobs at the end of the contract? Do we keep those abilities?”

“Very good, Amelie,” smiled the Advisor. Chase noticed the other girl, Jess, staring daggers at Amelie who was completely unaware. “After the completion of a contract a player may sign a contract for a new job. The full completion of which will allow players to keep the boons which they acquired. This means, depending on the class path which you choose, you may end up with a unique number of skills and powers which to use.”

“Can you fail a contract, Advisor Maris?” Asked Jess.

“I am afraid so.” The Advisor looked grave and then wrote a number on the board. Chase saw it read ‘30%’.

“Only 30% of players ever pass their first contract,” continued the Advisor. “Those that do are allowed to keep all their past boons and take them along to their next contract, and so on and so on. Players who achieve 10 contract marks-marks are like little tattoos, which signify what contract the player is on-are called OP. Does anyone know what this means?”

Chase shook his head dutifully along with the others.

“Over Powered,” She said, enunciating each syllable slowly. “Very few players ever make it to this point, in fact only a scant number will ever acquire three contract marks. But do not worry overly much, AION designed this world for you to enjoy, not to stress about your job. If your current contract is not working out, then you can always request a meeting with your advisor and have it changed.”

“Are there any penalties for not completing a contract?” Asked Alex.

“Just the loss of the abilities you have unlocked. If a job is not working for you, it is no shame to sign for a new one. There is a reason not all of the starting jobs are meant for grand adventures. Some players merely want to enjoy their lives and so choose fishing, while others like making things and the tinkerer class is more for them. AION did not create Esem to force you into any job for his amusement. Esem is all about choice. The choice how to live your life.”

The sandy haired boy raised his hand. “And what if there are no jobs that I want to choose? Aren’t I being forced to choose?”

“It would seem that way,” said the Advisor, “but actually you may choose whatever job you like after your first contract. If after three years you haven’t made much head way with whatever class you have chosen, and none of the other options provided by your advisor are appealing, you are free to, essentially, make one up.”

This seemed to confuse Alexander.

“Make up a job?” He said. “What does that even mean?”

Again the frown from the Advisor.

“The others are raising their hands, Alexander. But to answer your question, so long as you are living your life to the fullest, AION is content for you to do whatever it is you want. If you one day discover a passion for painting and the arts you may sign a contract as an Artist, or perhaps you enjoy cataloguing the different creatures in Esem then you may become a Zoologist. You could spend your life as a Rock Climber, or even writing books as an Author. I have heard of players signing contracts as Chess Players, and Singers or Puppeteers, or sculpting great statues.”

“Or carving little wooden birds,” Chase muttered to himself.

“Did you say something, Chase?” Asked the Advisor, her eyes narrowing.

“No ma’am.”

“So if I got this right,” said Amelie. “So long as we complete the starting job, we are free to choose anything else.”

Advisor Maris help up a finger. “So long as you try, Amelie. If your advisor has determined that you gave it your all, then changing your job will be a simple matter. Of course, actually completing your contract will enable you a great number of new jobs only attainable by first finishing a starter job. Think of your first contract as a prerequisite for the higher level jobs.”

“Such as?” Asked Jess. She was leaning forward, listening to every word of the Advisor.

“Jobs such as Ninja, Viking, Mechanic, and Monster Hunter can only be obtained after completing at least one contract. I believe Monster Hunter requires three previous marks for a player to be able to select it. But the potential rewards are immense. Most players who make it to Monster Hunter end up very wealthy, and Ninjas are highly sought after by guilds for instance.”

The Advisor then instructed them to summon their journals. Chase held out his hands and the thin black notebook instantly appeared in his hands which earned some praise from the instructor. He didn’t feel like pretending he couldn’t summon it today. Once everyone had their journals flat on the table the Advisor gave them some instructions.

“Now, for the next half hour I would like each of you to choose a job listed on the board and write a simple list of pros and cons. Imagine which job you can see yourself choosing for your first contract. This is just an activity to get you thinking and is not meant be very serious. I’ll pass some pens around.” She handed a cup with fountain pens to Amelie who turned around and gave it to Chase after selecting a pen for herself. Soon the sound of pens scratching words onto paper filled the room.

Chase looked at the board and pretended he was reading the starting jobs over again. His first contract had been Thief, which he signed over 20 years before. Truth be told he couldn’t remember why he chose that one, but perhaps Solomon had told him to select it for the guild. Theif hadn’t been too bad—a buff for agility right out of the gate and the benefit of plenty of alone time away from the guild casing houses. Now, he wasn’t so sure.

Alexander was writing away next to him, and Amelie was likewise writing in a flowery script across her journal. He wondered which jobs they were choosing, and for a moment imagined what Solomon would recommend for them.

Alexander is built like a brawler but his mind is such that anything but one of the mage categories would be a waste, thought Chase. Amelie also would excel as a magic user.

Chase smiled to himself. If they were in his guild he could have his own Redstar and Melamy. Amelie could be the defensive and healing magic user while Alexander could provide the fireworks. He shook his head at the idea. There wasn’t going to be a guild. Chase looked down at his paper and wrote ‘fisherman’.

He wrote under pro:

Easy access to food, lots of time outdoors, sailing.

I forgot, Thought Chase. Need to have a sailor class to really sail around. Fishermen only get dinghies.

Con:

Not much training for the next class, no use in groups…

After a while Advisor Maris told them to put their pens down.

“Would anyone like to share what they wrote? Jess?” She asked.

“Well,” said Jess. “I decided that Mage II class would be ideal. It requires a high deal of intelligence and the future jobs could be quite rewarding.”

“It’s a tough job but yes,” nodded the Advisor. “What about you, Alexander?”

“Fighter,” said Alexander. “I’m already strong, but the strength buffs would make me far more powerful than someone weaker who would choose it.”

“Not a mage, Alex?” Chase interrupted the Advisor as she began to open her mouth.

“What?” Said Alexander, looking at Chase.

“I just thought you would like the Mage I class. You know; throwing fireballs and hurling lightening around. You got the mind for it, Alex.”

“Please,” said the Advisor testily. “Let’s not criticize one another’s choices. This is just an exercise—.”

“I just think you could go far in it, Alex,” said Chase, steam rolling the Advisor and earning yet another frown.

“Maybe,” shrugged Alex. “But I think I am meant for fighter.”

Chase let it go and the Advisor took control of the class again. Amelie said that Mage II, like Jess, intrigued her. The sandy haired boy said he wanted to be a Hunter.

“And what makes you choose Hunter, Mike?” Asked the Advisor.

Mike, the sandy haired boy, realized Chase, said, “Actually my memory from the old world is hunting a deer. I remember really enjoying it, so I figure that’s the one for me.”

“That’s excellent,” said the Advisor. She turned to Chase. Her smile was strained. “And you, Chase?”

He tapped his journal twice.

“It’s Fisherman for me, Advisor,” said Chase. Both Amelie and Alexander snapped their head around to stare at him.

“Why?” Said Alexander and Amelie at the same time.

Chase shrugged as Alex had. “I think I am just meant for Fisherman.”

“Fisherman is a fine job, Chase,” said the Advisor as Chase’s spawnmates began to protest. “Older players especially seem to choose this one. It’s a great way to enjoy what AION has made for us all.”

Older player? Thought Chase. He suppressed his indignation and kept quite. The rest of the class was spent answering questions about the starter jobs. Chase stared out the window for most of it and imagined his old life. All his old abilities had made him into a force to be reckoned with, OP or not. People had quivered when he challenged them and few had ever wanted a real altercation with him. Those days were over. He could almost hear the caw of the seagulls as he imagined himself on a little boat, day after day, hauling in a mess of fish.

Day after day, he thought. The thought wasn’t as pleasant now as it had been a couple days ago in his bath back at the starting camp.

Finally the Advisor let the class go and they filed out the door. Jess stayed behind to talk to Advisor Maris more and Mike dashed out the door before anyone could even leave their seat. Soon Chase, Alexander, and Amelie were marching down the stairs and had exited the Headquarters. Chase knew that Alexander was going to ask him why he had lied to the Advisor about going to PT and was readying an excuse. Fortunately, he was spared.

“There you are!” Brent and Claire were outside the Headquarters. Brent had his arms crossed. “We have been waiting for you, Chase. We have something to ask you.”

Chase gulped. Thomas, swinging his legs, was perched in a tree by the road, hands grasping a branch as he smiled at Chase.