Olly Briggs
“Hey you,” Delilah called to him, putting her book down, “I should think congratulations are in order!”
“Thanks, I couldn’t have done it without you,” he smiled as he approached her.
“Oh nonsense, I just helped bring out that what was already there. Though you might have warned me first. You were the talk of the Academy after that display at the aptitude test, you know. Everyone was asking me what you were like as a student or if I knew you had that kind of magic in you.”
“Heh, yeah, sorry. I had a, erm, suspicion I was different but I was advised not to tell anyone,” he explained feebly, “Also, you could have warned me about how bonkers that test was going to be!”
She gave a slight laugh. “Like the NDA that you had to sign, I was also sworn to secrecy. I couldn’t advise any of my students on the new format and honestly even if I could I’m not sure how well it would’ve helped. At worst, it could have compromised the integrity of an entire room of people if someone let it slip in the middle of the test. But that aside, now that you’re here what do you think?”
“Honestly,” he started, looking around, “It’s overwhelming. It’s way more than I thought it would be, and that’s saying something. I still can’t believe this is going to be my home.”
“Yes, that is normal. One day it will pass and you’ll see it as nothing special but until then enjoy the time spent in admiration. You look like you have a question,” she stated matter of factly, detecting the puzzled look on his face.
“Yeah, a few questions actually. The first, what’s up with the Cartographers’ Grandmaster? Every time I’ve seen him he’s given me a look as if I’m dirt on the bottom of his shoe.”
She gave him a sympathetic smile. “Franklin Byrne is… old-fashioned. Did you know that the Cartographers’ Guild is the oldest of the four? He embodies that spirit. It was the first Guild to form in order to represent the growing group of people who could read the fabric of space and time. Traditionally there’s been several old families that seem to carry on this lineage and he's no exception. He’s an academic, who comes from a line of academics, and he’s proud of that fact.”
He frowned. “So he doesn’t like that I’m here?”
“I can’t be certain, but if I had to guess it’s more that he doesn’t like that you upset the aptitude test in the way you did. He likes tradition; changing the test format was already a large roadblock for him to overcome, even if he did eventually come around to the idea. But then you showed up and obliterated it,” she placed her chin on her palm.
“So he’s a snob. You don’t seem like a snob though, why did you pick the Cartographers?” he joked.
“Well, we already spend the longest time studying, four years to be exact, at the Academy before we are permitted to become apprentices. By the time I was done I decided I didn't want to leave. There’s so many fascinating areas to research.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” he said, “So next question, why do people look down upon the Labourers?”
“Ah, well, I think it’s for the same reason you suspect Franklin of being unhappy with you. They’re the newest Guild; the upstarts. They are a talented bunch, no question about it, and when they finally had taken enough disrespect from the other three Guilds it gave them the incentive they needed to become their own Guild. However, these types of disruptions to the social structure tend to upset people. And, they fundamentally do differ from the other three Guilds, so some people just never got behind it.”
“But we all go through the same schooling now. How can there still be that big of a difference?” he frowned.
“That’s partially true. You will be in classes with them for the first year. The Labourer students are in the Academy for the shortest amount of time comparatively. Everyone learns the basics but they get to leave to begin their apprenticeship much earlier,” she explained.
“Gotcha. So they aren’t seen as brainy as the Cartographers because they don't lord over the others with their superior knowledge of how the world works, and they aren’t as flashy or marketable as the Conductors or Controllers because they don't bask in the spotlight at any opportunity? They needed their own place to fit in, is that right?” Olly smirked.
“Your words, not mine,” she shrugged, “There’s more to it though. Have you ever heard about the ‘Guild Wars’?”
He shook his head no.
"I’m told it was ugly. I know the story from the academic realm but apparently it was a political bloodbath. But you’d actually be in a better position than I would to figure that one out. Your uncle is in contact with the Mayor, yes? Why not just ask him? He’s been around them long enough to have seen it all play out,” she suggested helpfully.
Olly thought about it. It seemed laughable that a mere teenager, a student who hadn’t even started his studies at the Academy, could just have unfettered access to the Mayor. But then again, he was feeling curious, and he liked talking with Delilah, so if it kept the conversation rolling he’d have an excuse to see her again.
They chatted lightly a bit longer and Olly checked his watch. He realized his uncle was probably finishing up the shopping so he bid her farewell, promising to let her know whatever he could find out.
Sure enough, as he reached the front gates Eli was waiting for him, a few bags at his feet.
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“All good?” Eli asked hopefully.
“Yeah, all good,” Olly said optimistically.
----------------------------------------
His chance to talk to the Mayor actually came sooner than he thought. The next day, as Olly walked into the house, he heard two male voices carrying on in a friendly manner. They rarely had visitors; Abigail had been the first person in a very long time. He walked into the kitchen to find his uncle and the Mayor. Eli in particular was in a far better mood than he had seen for quite some time. This may have been due to the empty bottle of wine sitting on the table with a second one well on its way to being finished.
“There he is!” Tarry cried out jovially, “I just so happened to have business in the borough and I realized I should come to congratulate you in person. You weren’t here so your uncle entertained me for a bit.”
“Well, you found me!” Olly said half-playing along. He didn’t know why they bothered to be discreet when they met up. He had grown up seeing the Mayor, and while the visits had become increasingly less frequent as his political star rose, it wasn’t exactly a surprise to see him. They clearly went back a long way.
Oh right, they weren’t friends though. His uncle had dramatically clarified that to him. Whatever they were, they were close enough to get drunk together. More importantly, he wondered if they were drunk enough to answer his questions. There was only one way to find out.
“So what can you tell me about the Guild Wars?” Olly asked, not beating around the bush.
The effects were immediate. Eli, who was leaning back in his chair, had to pitch forward to stop himself from falling backwards. Tarry began to choke on the sip of drink he had just taken. Olly watched the scene impassively, something about watching powerful, cool men reduced to a state of shock entirely by his doing was a nice change of pace.
Scrambling to recover his dignity, Tarry tried to recover his voice. “Why do you ask?” he wheezed.
Olly smirked. “Curiosity mostly, but it came up in conversation that you kind of lived through it.”
“I did, but I was just a borough councillor at the time. It was before I was even elected as Mayor of Occaigh,” Tarry explained, seemingly sobering up.
“But surely you saw it firsthand, right?” Olly pressed.
“Kid, what brought this on?” Eli asked, floating his hand up questioningly. His eyes were narrowed slightly in suspicion.
“I just… fine. There was a girl in our incoming class who was really snooty and made some unkind comments about the Labourers. She said they weren’t a real Guild, and it upset my friend because her sister was a Labourer. And then I heard about the Guild Wars and what a mess that was, so I wanted to hear it for myself from someone who was around,” he explained.
Eli and Tarry exchanged a glance. Tarry sighed. “Yeah, that sounds right. That’s a pervasive attitude, even today. And what you’ve heard is probably right. It was downright ugly and we saw the worst parts of the Guilds come out in those days.”
“It wasn’t a good time for anyone, back then. Times were tough everywhere but life was pretty unsafe in this borough at the time,” Eli chimed in.
“For the record, and this is public record, but I always voted in favour of the Labourers,” Tarry added magnanimously. Eli rolled his eyes.
“That’s great and all, but what was it about?” Olly pressed.
Tarry sighed. “When the Labourers decided to seek Guild status they were refused outright, practically laughed out of the room. This obviously didn’t sit well with them and so they withdrew all activities. The other Guilds attempted to recruit new Labourers, or entice some of them back over, but the pre-Guild forcibly blocked these tactics by banding together and denouncing anyone who crossed the line. It was an ugly event that lasted for months but eventually when the safety and integrity of the new tunnels were called into question their demands for recognition were finally granted.”
“So there used to be safety concerns?” Olly asked, confused. “I thought the recent collapse was the first time that came up?”
“Well, yes, that technically was the first and only time. Before that it was more a quality of training and work related concern. The tunnels weren’t quite as polished as they are now, and the Conductors could hire just anyone they wanted without vetting them first. It basically made the Labourers look foolish and unqualified when the finished product wasn’t up to snuff.”
“Got it. So when the Labourers weren’t working nobody could go on without them?” Olly asked.
“Exactly. Between the Labourers’ consistent pushing, and public and political pressure, the other three Guilds folded,” Tarry nodded.
“Good for them,” Olly said, but he felt underwhelmed. It didn’t seem nearly as dramatic as Delilah made it out to be.
“But to your point, even today not everyone is fully onboard. However, it doesn’t have any bearing on their intelligence, nor are they any less important than the others,” Tarry concluded decisively.
The three of them fell silent. Olly almost felt bad for bringing down the mood.
Tarry was the first to pick himself back up. “Well, to end on a happier note, why don’t we toast to your success as you navigate your new path in life. Are you old enough to drink?”
Eli said “No”, Olly said “Yes”. They stared at each other in a stalemate until Eli rolled his eyes and made a noise of defeat.
“Fine, just this once,” Eli surrendered while Tarry looked pointedly at him.
Tarry gave a small smile and poured Olly a glass of the wine they were close to finishing.
“To your success at the Academy!” Tarry proposed happily.
They clinked glasses, and Olly felt pride bubbling up inside.
The conversation continued, and neither of them suggested Olly was unwelcome in any way. And when Olly finally went to bed, later that night, he could still hear their mirthful conversation taking place. As he laid in bed, he felt underneath his pillow for his badge. The cool metal felt reassuring in his hand and he squeezed it tightly.
----------------------------------------
Much later that night, when only a few people were still lingering outside, a tunnel connecting the central tunnel station to the first borough snapped in the middle like a rubber band. Twin shockwaves generated from the snap ran in opposite directions down the lengths of the tunnel, instantly vapourizing all pedestrians who had the misfortune of walking through it at the time.
The forceful decompression ejected the bricks that lined the tunnel openings out either end, leaving only a pile of rubble. The shockwaves continued several hundred metres from either end of the tunnel entrances, leaving a trail of wreckage in their wake. Ripped up trees and debris were thrown effortlessly across the surrounding streets. One parked car was flung several metres back, landing on its roof. A few unfortunate bystanders were blasted off their feet before they could process what had happened.
All was silent as the shockwaves finally died out, and then the sirens began to whine.