First Job

The rest of practice was mainly just drills, based around the physical aspects of the game. It was obvious that a lot of the team's players were lacking in multiple areas, so Sir Gerald decided to extend the practice an extra hour.

Chase was walking alongside Equan and Michael at the end of the day, as they casually made their way into the academy's main hall.

The first stretches of the cold winter had begun, as the air was brittle, and the leaves were slowly dying in the distance, losing their reds, and oranges as time went on.

"Does anyone know what day it is?"

Chase asked no one in particular as he wiped the sweat off of his brow.

Every part of his body was sore, as he wore a leather tunic, and a pair of black sweatpants, that had a phoenix emblem resting on the outer thigh.

Equan shrugged, and Michael checked his Energy Vox that hung lazily-tied from his wrist.

"The twenty-fourth day of the ninth month on The Eternal Calendar. why do you ask?"

 Michael questioned with a curious tone, as he ate another cracker out of a small wooden container. 

Chase took a short breath, studying it in the cold air. His hand brushed against his shoulder, as he raised an eyebrow at the child of Everfrost.

"No reason, just been a while since I've checked the date."

That wasn't a lie either—Chase hadn't seen a calendar in probably over a year.

The truth was though, that his birthday was tomorrow, which only brought with it, a terrible memory that had resurfaced in the dream that he had in the bed of the healer's ward.

Michael gave him a strange look, then decided to just leave it at that.

They walked up the large stairwell, and eventually parted ways. 

Chase did not return immediately to his dorm room just yet however. Instead, he walked higher up the stairs, until he reached one of the highest floors in the entire dorm branch of the academy.

He knocked on the first door, that had a navy-blue trident hanging from its center.

After a minute of waiting, the door slowly swung open, revealing a boy with messy black hair, and dark blue eyes. 

Chase handed him a rolled up piece of paper.

"Who's at the door Gabe?"

A female voice asked from the other side.

"What great timing..."

He said, taking the papers and motioning him to enter the room.

His older sister, was sitting patiently at a table, with a map rolled out on its surface.

A couple of packaged items were lined up against the wall, as well as some larger crates, that sit in the very back.

Gabriel's room wasn't much different from Chase's, other then a bunch of unfamiliar posters scattered across his walls. 

The room had a much darker, and moody setting, with candles and faulty lamps being the only light source of the room.

"Oh, Chase, we were just talking about a delivery run that the guild had offered us tonight, if you have your contract signed, you can start tonight as well."

Diana said with a smile.

Chase just nodded, as he looked around the room, eventually sitting in one of the empty wooden chairs at the rectangular table.

"You and Gabe will take the eastern deliveries, and I will take the western ones. It shouldn't take more then an hour or so for each district of the city, but who knows what traffic is like at this time."

She said, with a frown.

"I think it'll be fine."

Gabriel said, loading up some of the cargo, into the large back that was slung around his shoulders.

"If you say so, but remember to write down the drop off locations, or you will forget again, and have to come all the way back."

The back of Gabriel's ears turned red, and he avoided eye contact with either one of them.

Chase had found a small scroll, as well as a feather, and some ink. He started to jot down locations for himself, both to keep track of deliveries, and so that he could learn the layout of the City of The Sun, for a multitude of reasons.

As the sun went down, the three of them departed, and separated from Diana, who had taken her own horse carriage down the mountain.

It was Chase's second time entering the city, as he sat on the opposite side of Gabriel in the carriage.

With his chin rested against his arm, he watched the mountain base go by, silently awaiting their destination. 

The thudding of the horse's hooves struck the ground with a slight rhythm. 

Wondering what was to come on his first night, as a merchant guild delivery-worker, he let out a soft sight, as the first contact with the city below was made.

A knight tied the horse to a fence post, allowing the two to get out of the carriage and make the rest of their journey on foot.

They only had about ten or eleven deliveries, but the problem was that they were heavily spread out, and the two of them would have to travel a decent distance there and back.

Chase pulled a light hood over his head, as he had dawned a black coat, with the emblem of a phoenix on it.

When he had enrolled in Phoenix Academy, Leander had sent a delivery full of different types of clothing to his dorm room, including multiple tailored suits for some unknown reason.

Chase did not complain though, instead he was quite grateful for the new clothing, as well as the comfort of the clothing.

All of it was clearly made with expensive materials, and fine craftsmanship. It was leagues above the crappy handcrafted clothing he had been forced to wear in The Dark Forest.

"Our first stop is up ahead."

Gabriel said, pulling Chase out of his thoughts.

Looking around, he admired the nightlife of the city. It wasn't extremely busy, but there were still plenty of crowds on the streets, as well as lanterns that lit up the pathways throughout the city.

A plethora of different shops were lined on opposite sides of the pathways. Chase saw swords, magical books, and even a familiar store.

He made a mental note that when he had money, he would certainly pay this place a visit. 

"It's up here." 

Gabriel pointed at a small set of cobblestone steps, that led in-between two of the shops.

Chase followed carelessly, as he walked behind the moody boy.