Kyle stood for a moment, dumbstruck. “That’s not right, I haven’t sent anything in.”
The goblin looked at her tablet, then back at him with a frown. “I’m showing that you sent in your reply just a week after Phase Two. Perhaps it was your sponsor, on your behalf?”
Kyle shook his head, the words coming more quickly now. “They wouldn’t have had any hand in it. I’m telling you, there has been an error. The policy is that we decide when we arrive, isn’t that right?”
The goblin nodded. “That’s correct.”
“Then whatever happened here is an exception protocol at best, and an error at worst. I want to do Artifact Retrieval.”
Kyle raised his voice a little at the end, having already heard the ping on his nav bracelet indicating he would be doing Labyrinth Escape. Murmurs began to move through the room, and he risked a glance toward Jax and Tilliene, both of whom had confused looks.
The goblin, clearly uncomfortable with the attention, flushed a deeper shade of green. “If you’ll step to side, Mr. Mayhew, I’ve already elevated to the proctors. We’ll have an answer for you shortly.”
Kyle did as he was asked, trying with all his might to keep his face impassive despite his quickening heartbeat. If there was a shred of doubt remaining before, it was gone now. Somehow, he had a target on his back.
~~~
Suierrillax sighed with relief when she saw the request come in from the main hall. Shortly after Mayhew completed Phase Two, inquiries were placed about the nature of the disruptions his performance caused. From there, a second request was put in, asking for all records of his performance. Ordinarily, this information would have been rejected and classified, yet for some reason the higher-ups allowed it.
The final clue for her was when inquiries were made on the nature of this cycle’s Phase Three. As new as she was, she didn’t have access to see all the details, but talking with Rupiniax, she understood that a new version of the Labyrinth Escape had been approved. That was incredibly unusual, and with everything else, she had a strong feeling it was directed at Mayhew.
With few options available to her, she’d “borrowed” Rupiniax’s credentials to sneak a message out to him, in the hopes that he’d take it seriously. Fortunately, it seemed he had. Now that the supervisors were involved, she was confident that things would get resolved. The Guild Representatives were all C Grades, and an important part of the management structure. The integrity of the Practicum was crucial to them.
~~~
“I’m just trying to figure out what the hell happened here. This is highly irregular, and the applicant is correct. His word should be all that’s necessary to enact the changes.”
A skrell in deep blue armor scoffed. “I couldn’t disagree more. Wherever the request came from, he had plenty of time to request a change after the completion of Phase Two. He’s made enough waves already; this is clearly a grab for more attention.”
The goblin who spoke first frowned, crossing her gloved hands. “I don’t believe we have sufficient evidence to back any of those conclusions.”
A human woman spoke up, not turning away from the window she was gazing out of. “In any event, it’s clearly stated that the applicants get to choose. Even if he’s changed his mind, so what? We have more than enough different scenarios available, regardless of what he selects.”
There were murmurs of assent across the room, until a presence descended on it. All sound ceased as a newcomer stepped inside, a tall slender velgian carrying a staff and wearing simple golden robes. It was as if all the air in the room was sucked out, the ambient mana being drawn to the visitor in a palpable flow.
The room’s occupants assumed postures of respect; some falling to their knees, others bowing or saluting. The goblin spoke with a shaky voice. “Lord Perhades, we were not expecting a visit today. To what do we owe the pleasure?”
One corner of Perhades’s mouth lifted in a facsimile of a smile. “My dear nephew is participating in the Practicum. I heard another applicant has caused quite a commotion, drawing attention away from where it ought to be.”
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The draw of mana in the room intensified, and the Guild Representatives shifted uncomfortably. The goblin replied, avoiding eye contact. “Lord Perhades, young master Arhades is still the true standout of the generation. There’s truly nothing to worry about.”
“Oh? Because from what I heard, there was quite a bit of attention directed towards this young man. Is he truly exceptional enough to warrant such focus?”
“Lord Perhades, it had less to do with him, and more to do with his exceptional circumstances.”
“Then you’ll have no issue allowing him to experience some other exceptional circumstances.”
The goblin gulped, sweat beading her brow. “He reserves the right to choose his own trial for Phase Three, Lord Perhades. We are not going to revoke that, even for you.” She flinched as she said the last part, as if waiting for the B Grade velgian to obliterate her for the comment.
Instead, Perhades smiled. “Then let him choose. I see he wanted Artifact Retrieval, let me choose the destination.” With that, coordinates projected out from his nav bracelet.
The goblin’s eyes widened as she recognized the coordinates. “Lord Perhades, that’s not a sanctioned training ground. There are too many variables for us to – “
“As I said: Exceptional. Circumstances. If it’s too overwhelming for the pup, he can withdraw.” The presence in the room intensified, small cracks forming on some of the furniture. “My brother and I have waited a long time for another of our kin to join the Guilds. You don’t want us to be disappointed in the results.”
The mention of his brother fell across the room like a shadow. After a moment of oppressive silence, the goblin nodded. “We can arrange it, lord Perhades.”
“Good.” With that, the pressure receded and the velgian left the room. His voice called back, causing them to flinch collectively. “I look forward to watching the streams.”
The room remained silent long after he departed, with the skrell representative being the first to collapse back into a comfortable chair, azure armor clinking loudly. “That was terrifying. I’m glad you made the call to bend, I thought we were all dead for a moment there.”
The human representative tried to stay composed, though it was clear that she was shaken. “Why was he so interested in the first place? From everything I know of the Twin Prodigies, affairs like these are well below their station.”
The skrell grunted. “If they felt that their pride was on the line, this is exactly the kind of response I’d expect. I feel for the kid though. This is going to be rough.”
The human frowned. “I’m not familiar with the coordinates. Where is Mayhew going to be sent?”
The goblin woman sighed, having just finished transmitting the information to the main hall. “It’s a defunct trial world. Old city, dying star system. It was removed from the list a long time ago as the environment grew more hazardous, but the infrastructure to facilitate a trial is still functional.”
Everybody present knew what that meant. Phase Three trials were always challenging, and with an added layer of danger, it was more likely than not to result in a poor performance. Despite admirable results in Phase One and Two, it was still necessary to do well to receive placement. What’s more, which Guild Representative would want to risk crossing one of the Twin Prodigies if the young man did too well? They stood at the pinnacle of the Mercenary’s Guild fighting power, and were not to be crossed lightly. No matter what, Mayhew was going to have a difficult time.
The goblin just shook her head. What else can be done when a B Grade makes demands?
~~~
Kyle looked at the woman expectantly, everybody else having been sorted. The goblin looked at her tablet as a ping resounded, and met his eyes. “Apologies for the confusion, applicant Mayhew. You have been approved for Artifact Retrieval.”
Kyle let out a sigh of relief, watching his name move to the correct slot. One crisis averted. Some of the nervous energy in the room settled, and the goblin regained control of the room. “Apologies for the delay, we will begin the departures. When I call your name, please step up to the platform once more, and we will send you to your destination.
“As before, you have the ability to withdraw at any time. It was stated in your initial instructions, but the Institute wants to make it clear that choosing to withdraw does not result in failure. In fact, there may be circumstances where withdrawal is the wisest decision. The Guilds have little need for people who will throw their lives away in pursuit of glory at the expense of completing a job.
“Once your Phase Three trial is completed, you will have 12 hours to rest receiving your evaluation. You may receive feedback from the Proctors and Guild Representatives, at which point you will be informed if you’ve qualified to receive a license, as well as potentially receive offers from the Guilds.
“As a general rule, you will not be allowed to accept any offers until this meeting has been concluded, regardless of your feelings of your own performance. All formal communications will come through the Guilds. It is strongly encouraged that you report any such attempts to us directly. With that said, Arhades, please step forward.”
The velgian did, disappearing as soon as he stepped on the platform. One by one, the applicants were sent to face their final trials. Kyle shared a warm smile with Tillienne and Jax as they were called up, each returning the gesture. Soon, Kyle was standing alone in the main hall, his name the only one that hadn’t been called. The goblin looked conflicted as he stepped up to the teleporter, but remained silent. Kyle gave her a shallow nod before he, too was teleported worlds away.