The Actual Start of Winter Break

Amidst the chaos in the carriage stations and train stations all across the republic, many rushed home for the winter holidays. Eyes brimming with evil intent watched the travelers from the darkness. Shadowy hands silently reached towards their unsuspecting targets.

Oftentimes, these shadows would appear like helpful employees or friendly elders. They would recommend certain carriages, remote paths or inns with fares or conditions that were too good to be true.

Which traveler wouldn't want to get a better deal on a hotel room or transportation? Or find a fast way around a congested road? Students in particular snatched these deals.

When they take these enthusiastic helpers' advice, the victims would simply disappear into thin air. At first, only the occasional student disappeared. As time passed, others disappeared as well. From knights and officials to professors and office workers, gender, age or occupation didn't seem to matter. Even minor nobility began to disappear.

All that the missing people had in common was that they had magical potential. To the horror of the national government, the disappearances quickly escalated over the next month. Soon, the rumors could no longer be contained and unrest bloomed throughout the republic.

**********

Before the disappearances began to cause widespread fear, there was peace. Schools kicked off the travelling season when they released their students and faculty for winter break. The students couldn't leave fast enough. The one-week delay was torture.

Unaware of her future struggles, Aayla snuggled more deeply into her warm blanket. Her dear friend 'sleep' was sorely missed. The halls outside were quiet and no one was banging on her door despite the sun rising high in the sky. She finally had some time for herself without the possibility of interruption.

The students were finally gone after a week-long delay. Learning magic was hard. Keeping her secret was even more exhausting. As for managing those spoiled wizards in training? Aayla would rather deal with rampaging gremlins than students during finals. They could barely take care of themselves on normal days.

Even the gremlins seemed tired from dealing with all of the students' shenanigans. They hadn't made a peep since all of the students left. Ah, life without gremlin induced chaos was bliss~!

And extremely short lived. Tiny little feet pitter-pattered across the floor. With a mighty hop, a little green furball grabbed the edge of the bed. Its tiny feet kicked wildly in the air as it slowly pulled itself up. For several seconds it laid on the bed, gasping for air.

The little green furball started to tug on Aayla's blanket. When she didn't move, it tried to pull the blanket away without success. Angry squeaks filled the room as its frustration grew.

<(>_<*)> -- Up up! Heeeey! Cookie hooman! Time to get up! --

Aayla swatted the little gremlin away. "Go away, Matcha. I'm on break right now. I'll make something this afternoon."

The little gremlin gnashed its teeth.

<(#oAo)/ -- Stupid cookie hooman! Hallway is ringing! We don't sleep, you don't sleep. Up! Up! Up! --

"The hallway is ringing?"

That must be the doorbell. Aayla rubbed her sleepy eyes. Who could be looking for her right now? Perhaps it was one of the university staff. Whoever it was, she would deal with whatever they wanted quickly then go back her sweet dreams.

When Aayla shuffled down the staircase, the mysterious visitor turned out to be a smiling Ramona.

"Did you just get out of bed?" she chuckled.

"No! Absolutely not... Well, maybe… Probably. Does that really matter?! Anyways, what's up?"

"I have some errands to run, and you get to go with me!"

"Huh? Didn't winter break start? I thought that I was on break."

"As a student, yes. As a part time worker, no. Grab whatever you need. We're heading to Forest Waypoint."

"Whenever I go there, I almost die. Can I just, not go? I really don't feel like getting anywhere close to death today."

"Those were just accidents and highly unlikely to ever happen again. The military, as in the actual armed forces not those poorly trained hot heads from the garrison, has taken charge over security. Everything should go smoothly and remain death-free."

"I hope so," Aayla muttered underneath her breath.

A couple of hours later, Aayla was still alive and being dragged around town by Ramona. Several merchants would linger in the background as Ramona negotiated with another. Nafriton already had contracts with various companies, but certain items were always in short supply. If there was a chance to make a sale, then the lurkers had to be faster than all of the others.

With one more negotiation complete, Ramona checked another item off of her list. Aayla jogged to keep up with her quickly moving godmother. She glanced behind them. Eager lurkers trailed behind them like baby ducks. They beamed and immediately promoted their wares when they noticed Aayla's gaze.

"Are you in need of mana conducting metals and ores young lady? My workshop has both raw ores and metal processing facilities! –"

The scruffy man in overalls was immediately pushed back by another immaculately dressed man with slicked back hair.

"Miss! Miss! Our Pomme Merchant group has connections all over Forest Waypoint and northern Chinebar. We can get any wizard whatever they need whenever they need it! Never mind metals and ores, we can get complete artifacts – Ack!"

A thin woman elbowed the slick haired man out of the way with a slightly sinister smile on her face.

"Do you need any maids or other servants? The Forest Waypoint office of the Chinebarian Employment Services Company has plenty of people to take care of menial tasks! From cooking and cleaning to alchemy and spell preparation –"

"No thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Nafriton currently has all of its need taken care of."

Suddenly a hand reached out and grabbed Aayla's arm. Before she knew it, the lurkers were out of sight. The representatives frantically tried to keep pace, but that only lasted for a few minutes. Ramona let go of Aayla.

"Next time, don't look back at those guys. They're just a bunch of representatives from the smaller merchant groups and companies. Even in normal times, they'll aggressively push all sorts of services and products. The word 'No' is not in their vocabulary.

"With everything happening now, those representatives might try to physically detain you. Especially if they figure out that you're not exactly a student or a staff member. The local economy has some serious issues so they're beyond desperate.

"Let's head inside before they find us again."

Ramona motioned towards a deserted alley way. A single lonely door at the back of a tall building was the only thing inside. Unlike other alleys, the scent of pine replaced the odor of trash. Aayla squinted her eyes as she looked at the building. It looked strangely familiar.

The door automatically opened when the pair approached. Ramona confidently led Aayla inside. A pair of employees politely bowed as the duo entered.

"Welcome to the Polar Forest Resource Acquisition Center, Deputy Headmaster Heston. It's an honor to be at your service. How may we help you today?"

"I'm here to see the manager and arrange for the delivery Nafriton's purchases. Ah, some of the faculty have a few personal requests as well."

At the mention of 'personal requests', the employees' ears perked up. They could smell a glorious feast of commissions. Their smiles couldn't get any wider.

"Of course, of course. The manager is currently dealing with the delivery of some fresh goods at the moment. He should be finished very soon. A waiting room has been prepared in anticipation of your arrival."

"We'll bring the usual paper work for you to review. May we enquire about the nature of the personal requests? If we may, my partner and I will begin taking care of those while you relax."

"It's mostly requests for next semester's materials in bulk, along with a few orders of specialized equipment."

Ramona took a stack of crinkled papers out of her bag with a wry smile on her face. The employees happily looked over them then began to frown.

"Some of these might take a while to procure, given how remote the city is. Our supply lines were hurt due to the lock downs, so the price will be higher than usual."

The deputy headmaster rolled her eyes.

"Knock it off with the acting. The Polar Forest Company has still been thriving as usual. In any case, those with special orders have already agreed to a twenty percent increase above market price."

The first employee awkwardly chuckled.

"In that case, we'll start on the orders right away after we guide you to the waiting room."

When the employee said 'right away', he meant it. As soon as Ramona and Aayla stepped into the waiting room, the employees rushed off like busy bees. Small snacks and some drinks were set out on a table. Ramona shook her head.

"Those money grubbers. Hopefully they remember to tell the manager this time."