“I am like… mind controlling you guys?” Mind control skills were infamously dangerous and its holders were required to immediately report to the nearest Mage’s Guild branch. There were many folk tales of evil witches and nefarious wizards wielding its powers to commit great evils.

Ellen seemed less than impressed by Brimstone’s conclusions “…No. Not at all. I feel my thoughts are my own. The things I am thinking are things I would think normally. What do you think Bob?”

Bob, who had been hearing the exchange intently, swiftly replied “Hmmm... I also don’t think there's anything weird with my thoughts.”

“I think the only thing you are affecting is our feelings. Like, it is making us feel specific emotions. Anger, with Bob, for instance.”

“As for the ‘control’ part, I don’t think you are controlling anything at all, are you?” Ellen continued.

“Yeah… No.” Brimstone felt cheated. His first skill was supposed to be something that would set the pace for what he would become. If Ellen was right and his skill did what she said, he couldn’t see what it possibly said about his future. What use could manipulating the feelings of a monster possibly have?

“Anyway… We don’t really have to be wondering things by ourselves, do we? Both my dad and your mother work in the guild. There has to be a way for us to access the Book of Skills and see what they have written about yours.”

Every Adventurer’s Guild branch had a copy of The Book of Skills. It was supposed to be this magical book that was updated all around the world every time someone made a change to one of its copies.

One of the many services offered by the guild to its members was the identification of skills. If you had chosen something that you really didn’t understand very well — an incredibly common occurrence among the adventurous type — you could always ask the guild to help you figure out what it did. In return, you were also required to give your practical experiences with all of your skills and contribute to the ever-growing base of knowledge possessed by the guild.

The problem was… Brimstone didn’t know if he was ready to tell his mom about his skill. He could already see the image: Vanessa red-faced and launching a barrage of very reasonable motives regarding why he was being stupid, reckless, and basically gambling his future for a chance at a very dangerous way of life. Deep inside, he knew she wasn’t all that wrong, but he still had to try becoming an adventurer. He could feel it in his bones that if he did not do it he would regret it for the rest of a long and boring life.

“Yeah… about that. I kind of had a very heated debate with my mom this morning. About me becoming an adventurer and stuff. She specifically said that she would not let me become one. Err…Also, she was very against me getting something risky for my first skill. Like what I have just chosen.”

Both Bob and Ellen deadpanned at his embarrassed explanation of the obvious. Brimstone obsession was as much of a common knowledge as his mother’s aversion to it. None of them thought anything would have changed in the past few days.

“… Right. Knowing Vanessa, that was probably a given” Ellen said. “But there must be other ways. It is just a book. I know my father can’t access it, as his tavern isn’t really part of the guild personnel, but every other clerk inside the building is allowed to at least look for things in there, given a reason. There must be at least a dozen people there who can do it. Can you think of any of them who would want to help you?”

At Ellen’s question, Brimstone’s eyes lit up with passion.

“You are a genius, Ellen! I know just whom to ask! Let’s go!”

Ellen’s face heated up at the compliment but before anyone could notice it, both she and Bob were also swept up in Brim’s enthusiasm. They shoved the last remains of the cake inside their mouths and soon were going down the rope ladder.

Regalia’s streets were busy around this time of the day. The teenage group running through its streets mingled perfectly with the busy lifestyle of the city. Merchants selling their wares, street performers doing tricks for coins, running couriers delivering mail, and many other people worked their trades along the streets. Ironically, none of them understood why they suddenly got so enthusiastic about their chores as they watched the kids run by.

And run they did. Regalia was a big city, housing almost half a million souls. They were on the Commons Quarters and so was the Adventurer’s Guild, but it still took almost half an hour of running to get there.

As they got near the guild, Brimstone stopped a few blocks away and gathered the group in an alley. Then, he shared his plan.

“We don’t really have to get the book. We only need the information inside it. There is someone that has pretty much unrestricted access to the book and can help us…” Brimstone explained.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Unrestricted access? Even the guild employees have to give a reason in order to use the book.” Ellen answered.

“Yeah, everyone needs to give a reason to use it, unless you have the key to the room it is kept and can skip the formalities.”

“The guildmaster?” Ellen almost choked by the mere idea of bothering one of Regalia’s guildmasters with their antics.

Bob, however, silent but always attentive, had a knowing glint in his eyes. “Sophia…” he muttered.

“Yep. Sophia.” Brim answered with a mischievous grin.

“Sophia Legate? The guildmaster’s daughter?” Ellen asked.

“Yes. Well, I kind of know her. We are… friends I guess? I… hmm… exchanged words with her a few times.” Brimstone blushed as he tried explaining.

Bob immediately simplified things for Ellen. “They like each other, though they don’t say that aloud to each other.” He said with an earnest grin.

“There is nothing to be ashamed Brim! It is actually pretty sweet to see you talking to each other.” Bob tried helping, but each word just made Brimstone's face redder.

Ellen’s face also became slightly red but a frown swiftly replaced her expression. “Oh, great. You think she will disobey her father and use guild property just because she has a crush on you?”

The challenge made Brimstone bristle. “Yes. She will.” He glared at Ellen and continued his plan “Anyway. She likes to read during her afternoons. I bet she is in her room upstairs.” He pointed to one of the buildings right across the alley they were talking in. “That is where Sophia and the guildmaster live. I will throw some rocks at her window and see if she answers. You guys can wait here.”

Ellen still looked unconvinced, but Bob just nodded as Brimstone turned around and gathered a few pavement shards from the alley. Then, he crossed the street and went for one of the windows.

He made to throw the pieces at the window’s glass but stopped. As if remembering something, he combed his hair with his hands and straightened his clothes, as if trying to look more presentable. Then he aimed again and sent the little stone pieces flying.

He threw one, two, three, and then the window was open.

A delicate face appeared and looked around the pavement, searching for the perpetrator throwing rocks at her window.

“Ah!” The bright blue eyes of the girl widened as she spotted a grinning Brimstone. “Brian!” The face disappeared again and the sound of excited footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. In no time at all the door was open and Sophia greeted Brimstone with a huge grin.

The girl looked like a princess straight out of a fairy tale. She wore a bright blue dress with white frills and sported a golden tiara on her head. She had pearly white teeth, a pinky nose, and impeccable skin.

“What are you doing here? Today is your birthday, right? I was hoping to see you in the guild this morning but you didn’t come with your mother…” Sophia blurted questions excitedly before reigning her heart and slowing down.

Brimstone accompanied his mother to work sometimes, as he liked hanging around the guild and talking with the adventurers. Sophia waiting for him, however, surprised him.

“You were waiting for me?” Despite being the guildmaster’s daughter, Sophia seldom visited the guild. She usually spent her mornings in her fancy college for minor nobles and wealthy bourgeoisie. Timid as she was, only a few of the guild’s personnel really interacted with her. Brimstone only managed to get close to her due to his extroverted personality.

“Aaahh.. Uhh.. Yes. I wanted to congratulate you.” She blushed.

“Yes… err. Well.” Brimstone also got timid and for a while both just looked at each other clumsily.

Sophia was the one to break the awkwardness. “So! Did you get your fist skill? What did you get?”

The question brought Brimstone back to reality and made him clear his throat in order to start his explanation.

“I got something called [Presence]… it is weird…”

He then proceeded to explain what had happened in the treehouse and Ellen’s theory about what the skill did.

“… and so now we need to check The Book of Skills to confirm things. It just happens my mom is annoyed because I want to be an adventurer and probably won't allow me to access it. Could you help me?” Brimstone put as much sincerity as he could in the request. If Sophia refused him, he would probably have to beg his mother for mercy until her rage for his skill choice abated.

Luckily, Sophia did not look conflicted about her answer in the slightest “Of course I can help! I know where my father keeps the key to the guild’s archives. I can go there and copy the information about your skill for you!” She gave Brim a full smile and for a moment he was stunned by the beauty before him.

“…O-Okay! Thank you, Sophia. You have no clue how much this means to me!” Brimstone beamed back.

“Me and my friends will be awaiting by that alley, right there…” He said while pointing to the place Bob and Ellen were waiting for him. “Can you bring the information for us there?”

“Yes. I will be right back!” Sophia then closed her house’s door behind her and gave Brimstone a quick hug before sprinting away towards the nearby guild.

Brimstone went back to the alley and told his friends about Sophia’s cooperation.

Ellen was shocked by Sophia’s lack of reluctance to help him. “Unbelievable. It must be really good to be Regalia’s golden boy.”

Brimstone was not stupid and knew what Ellen was talking about. He was charismatic, athletic, smart, and unusually good at most of the chores he took upon himself to do. Despite having only a few close friends, he knew a lot of people in the city, and most of them had a positive disposition towards him. He was, by all means, a popular guy.

Smugly, he just replied “Yep, it is.” And then gave her the shittiest grin he could manage to form on his face.

To that, Ellen just snorted and turned her face away.

The group then just settled down on the alley’s ground and exchanged stories as they waited for Sophia.

It only took about half an hour before the girl stumbled into the alley holding a crumpled paper in her hands.

She was breathless and red-faced, probably from running back and forth.

“Brian! I found it!” Even sweaty and exhausted, her grin remained beautiful.

“The book didn't have a lot of information, but what it did have was really interesting! Look!” Sophia gave the handwritten paper to him and urged him to read it.

At first a frown appeared in his face, but soon it was replaced by a smug grin.

That was it.

He was going to be a legend and nothing could stop it now!