Kael woke to an unusual sensation—something small and warm resting on his forehead. He cracked his eyes open, careful not to move, and found himself staring at Ember's glowing form. The tiny fire fairy had apparently decided his forehead made an excellent sleeping spot; her flames dimmed to a comfortable warmth that was oddly soothing.
A heavier weight pressed on his stomach, and he glanced down to see Vera's large head resting there, her crystalline patterns pulsing gently with her breathing. One of her paws was draped across his chest, as if even in sleep she was protecting him.
Kael felt something swell in his chest—gratitude, affection, a sense of belonging he'd never experienced in his previous life. These weren't just mythbeasts he'd bonded with. They were family in the truest sense of the word.
"Thank you," he whispered, carefully reaching up to stroke Ember and then down to scratch behind Vera's ears. "For being here. For choosing me. I know I don't say it enough, but you two mean everything to me."
Ember stirred first, her flames brightening as she woke. Through their bond, Kael felt her joy at his words—pure, uncomplicated happiness. Vera's eyes opened more slowly, those intelligent violet orbs regarding him with an expression that somehow conveyed both amusement and deep affection. She pressed her head more firmly against his stomach, purring loud enough to vibrate through the mattress.
We should get ready. Kael sent through their bonds. Big day today. Meeting our potential new teammate.
That got both of them moving. Ember launched herself into the air, circling the room with renewed energy, while Vera stretched languidly before hopping off the bed. Through her bond, Kael felt curiosity mixed with cautious optimism about the upcoming meeting.
They made their way downstairs, where the common room was already showing signs of morning activity. A few early risers sat at tables, eating breakfast before heading out on jobs or to their daily work. The smell of fresh bread and cooking eggs made Kael's stomach growl.
Merra was behind the counter, looking far too alert for someone who'd probably been working until late the previous night. "Early start today?" she asked as Kael approached.
"Meeting someone at the guild," he confirmed. "I'll take breakfast—quick if possible."
"Coming right up."
Elara emerged from the kitchen with remarkable speed, setting before him a plate of eggs, sausage, and thick slices of toasted bread. Kael ate efficiently, knowing he needed to leave soon to ensure he arrived at the guild on time. Dawn was approaching, and the receptionist had been clear about punctuality.
As he ate, Kael noticed Ember was practically vibrating with excitement. Through their bond, her emotions were crystal clear—she was thrilled about meeting someone new, about potentially expanding their little family. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and Kael found himself smiling despite his own nervousness about the meeting.
Vera's emotions were more complex. She wasn't opposed to adding someone to their team, but she was cautious, wanting to assess this person before committing. Her practical nature balanced Ember's boundless optimism perfectly.
We'll take it slow, Kael assured them both. Meet her, talk, see if it feels right. No pressure, no rushing.
He finished breakfast, paid Merra, and headed out into the pre-dawn streets. The city was quieter at this hour, with only a few people moving about—bakers heading to their shops, guards changing shifts, the occasional tamer returning from or heading out on an early job.
The walk to the guild took about fifteen minutes at a brisk pace. Kael kept checking the sky, watching as the deep blue of night slowly lightened toward dawn. He needed to time this perfectly—arrive too early, and he'd seem overeager, too late, and he'd make a bad first impression.
Throughout the walk, Ember remained unusually energetic, darting ahead and then circling back, her flames bright with anticipation. Vera padded alongside Kael more sedately, her attention focused outward, scanning their surroundings with the alertness of a natural predator.
You're both thinking about this differently, Kael observed through their bonds. Ember sees a new friend. Vera sees someone who needs to prove themselves.
Ember's response was cheerful agreement—yes, new friend! Vera's was more measured—not to prove themselves exactly, but to demonstrate compatibility. Show they'd fit together as a team.
Fair enough, Kael sent back. Let's see what Lyssa Thornwood is really like.
The guild building loomed ahead, its windows lit from within. Despite the early hour, several tamers were already there—some sitting in the common area, others studying the job boards. This was a world where work started early and often involved traveling to distant locations. Dawn meetings weren't unusual.
Kael pushed open the heavy wooden doors and stepped inside. Immediately, he heard it—a soft whisper from somewhere in the lounge area to his right.
"—that's her in the corner. The cursed one."
"I heard she lost three team members last month. Not dead, just quit after too many close calls."
"Bad luck follows her like a shadow. Smart tamers stay away."
Kael kept his expression neutral as he walked further inside, but internally, he was processing this new information. So Lyssa's reputation was worse than the receptionist had implied. Not just unlucky jobs, but bad enough that multiple teammates had abandoned her.
His eyes scanned the guild's interior, searching for the face from the poster. The common area was moderately populated—tamers eating early breakfasts, a few sleeping in chairs as if they'd been there all night, others checking their gear before heading out.
Then he spotted her.
Lyssa Thornwood stood in the far corner of the guild, partially shadowed, her back to the wall in a position that let her observe the entire room. She was exactly as the poster had shown—sharp features, dark hair pulled back in a practical braid, around twenty years old. But what the poster hadn't captured was the weight in her expression, the careful blankness that suggested someone who'd learned to guard their emotions.
She wore practical adventuring gear similar to what Kael had just purchased, though hers showed significantly more wear. A longsword hung at her hip, and a crossbow was slung across her back. She stood alone in the corner, her posture alert and watchful.
Kael noticed something else as he studied her: while other tamers gave her space, actively avoiding the corner where she stood, she didn't look upset by the isolation. If anything, she seemed to expect it, to have accepted it as the normal state of things.
That made something tighten in Kael's chest. He knew what it felt like to be dismissed, to be considered not worth the effort. His entire previous life had been a series of people underestimating him or simply not seeing him at all.
He walked directly toward her, ignoring the whispers that intensified as people realized where he was headed. Vera padded beside him, and Ember perched on his shoulder, her flames brightening with excitement as they approached.
Lyssa's eyes tracked his approach, and Kael saw the moment she realized he was specifically coming to her—surprise flickered across her face before being quickly masked behind that careful neutrality.
"Lyssa Thornwood?" Kael asked as he reached her corner.
"That's me," she said, her voice cautious. "You're the one who took my recruitment poster?"
"Kael Veyrin. And yes, I did." He gestured to his companions. "This is Vera and Ember. We're looking to expand our team, and your poster caught my attention."
Her eyes widened slightly, genuine shock breaking through her controlled expression. "You actually want to team up? With me?"
"That's why I'm here," Kael confirmed.
Lyssa glanced around the guild, noting the watching eyes and listening ears, then looked back at Kael with an expression that was hard to read. "You know about my reputation? About the... bad luck?"
"The receptionist mentioned it," Kael said honestly. "And I heard the whispers when I walked in."
"And you're still here." It wasn't quite a question, more like she was trying to understand something that didn't make sense to her.
"Still here," Kael agreed. "Look, I'm not going to pretend I understand everything about your situation. But I'm new to Thornhaven, I'm Rank 1, trying to work my way up, and your skills in tracking and wilderness survival would complement what we can do. Plus—" he allowed himself a slight smile "—I figure if you're willing to advertise your bad luck upfront, you're at least honest."
Something shifted in Lyssa's expression—not quite hope, but maybe the possibility of hope. "You should know," she said carefully, "things go wrong around me. Equipment breaks at the worst times. Jobs that should be simple get complicated. My last three teammates quit because they were tired of dealing with it."
"Okay," Kael said simply.
She blinked. "Okay? That's it? You're not going to ask if I'm cursed or if there's some way to fix it?"
"Are you cursed?" Kael asked.
"I... don't know. Maybe? Probably not? Nobody's been able to tell me for certain." Frustration leaked into her voice. "I've been to priests, to scholars, even to a hedge witch who charged me twenty basilisks to tell me I have 'an unusual destiny.' Whatever that means."
"Well, unusual destinies are something I can relate to," Kael said, thinking of his own transmigration. "So here's what I'm thinking: we team up, we take a job together, and we see how it goes. If the bad luck is really that unbearable, we can part ways. But if we work well together despite it, we keep going. Sound fair?"
Lyssa stared at him for a long moment, seeming to weigh his sincerity.
"You're either very brave or very stupid," Lyssa finally said.
"Probably a bit of both," Kael admitted. "But I'd rather try and fail than not try at all. So what do you say? Want to team up?"
She took a deep breath, and Kael saw her making a decision, pushing past whatever doubts and fears had kept her isolated for however long. "Okay. Yes. Let's team up."
Relief and excitement surged through Ember's bond—new friend confirmed! Vera's response was more reserved, but Kael felt her approval. This woman had been honest about her flaws, hadn't tried to hide or minimize them. That was worth respecting.
"Great," Kael said. "Then let's make it official."
They walked together to the reception desk, drawing plenty of stares and renewed whispers. Kael caught fragments of conversation:
"—what is he thinking—"
"—maybe he fell for her face and figures the bad luck can't be that bad—"
"—give it a week before he quits too—"
Lyssa's expression remained carefully neutral, but Kael sensed she heard every word. He made a mental note to address that later—not here, not in front of everyone, but at some point they'd need to talk about how the guild's attitude affected her.
The morning receptionist—the same man from yesterday—looked up as they approached. His eyebrows rose when he saw them together.
"You're serious about this?" he asked Kael.
"Completely," Kael confirmed.
"Alright then." He pulled out a ledger and made several notes. "Team registration: Kael Veyrin, Rank 1, and Lyssa Thornwood, Rank 3. This is a temporary arrangement that either party can dissolve at any time by notifying the guild. Jobs you take together will be based on the lowest member's rank unless the higher-ranked member provides written authorization for exceptions. Any questions?"
"No," Kael and Lyssa said in unison.
"Then you're officially registered as a team." The receptionist made a final note. "Try not to die."
He seemed to say that to everyone, Kael reflected. It was starting to feel less ominous and more like a standard guild farewell.
They moved away from the desk toward the job board, both of them studying the available requests. Other tamers gave them a wide berth, creating a bubble of empty space around them that would have been funny if it wasn't so obviously deliberate.
"So," Lyssa said, her voice quiet enough that only Kael could hear. "Since I'm Rank 3 and you're Rank 1, we can take up to Rank 2 jobs. Nothing higher unless I submit special authorization, which seems pointless for a first job together."
"Rank 2 it is," Kael agreed, scanning the board. Most Rank 2 jobs involved hunting specific creatures, escorting caravans, or guard duty. Standard fare, nothing particularly interesting.
Then one posting caught his eye. It was different from the combat-focused jobs around it:
Mythbeast Acquisition - Bonding Initiative
Rank Required: 2
Objective: Locate and peacefully capture 5 small mythbeasts suitable for bonding
Purpose: Youth bonding program and new tamer recruitment
Reward: 40 Basilisks (for 5 mythbeasts) + 5 Basilisks per additional beast
Requirements: Beasts must be healthy, non-aggressive, and under 3 feet in size
Note: Force and injury to targets will result in job failure
Kael read it twice, a smile forming. This was perfect. It played to what seemed to be Lyssa's tracking skills, didn't require combat, and served a genuinely good purpose. Plus, if bad luck did strike, it was unlikely to be life-threatening like it might be on a hunt.
"What about this one?" he asked, pointing.
Lyssa read the posting carefully, her expression thoughtful. "It's been up for almost two weeks. Most tamers prefer combat jobs—better pay, faster completion. This one requires patience and actual skill in handling mythbeasts peacefully."
"Which you have?" Kael asked.
"Which I have," she confirmed. "My specialty is tracking and wilderness survival, but I've also got experience in creature handling. Comes with the territory when you're trying to avoid fights that might trigger your bad luck."
"Then it's perfect for us," Kael said. "Plus, I have a good feeling about it."
Lyssa gave him a look that was almost amused. "You have a good feeling. About a job you're taking with someone known for bad luck."
"I contain multitudes," Kael said with a grin. "So, are we doing this?"
She pulled the posting from the board. "We're doing this. Though I should mention—I have a cargo beast. Crystal-type ox, built for hauling. We'll need him for this job since we're collecting five mythbeasts."
"That's perfect, actually. I was reading about porter services just yesterday."
"I don't technically run a porter service," Lyssa clarified. "But I have the beast and the cart because, well, when you have bad luck, you need backup plans. And backup plans for your backup plans. Having reliable transport is survival."
Kael was beginning to understand that Lyssa's "bad luck" might have actually made her more competent and prepared than the average tamer. She'd learned to plan for things going wrong because they always did.
"So what's the plan?" he asked.
"We'll need supplies—food for us, securing materials for the mythbeasts, probably some basic medical supplies in case we encounter injuries. I can handle most of that." She glanced at the job posting again. "Meet tomorrow morning at the town square? I'll bring my ox and cart. We'll head into the forest and start tracking suitable targets."
"Sounds good. What time?"
"Dawn. I'm an early riser."
"Me too, apparently," Kael said, thinking of how his schedule had shifted since arriving in this world. "Dawn at the town square it is."
They walked back to the reception desk together, Lyssa submitting the job posting and the receptionist making the appropriate notes in his ledger. He looked between them with an expression that might have been concern or resignation.
"Good luck," he said, and this time it didn't sound like his standard farewell. It sounded genuine.
"Thanks," Lyssa said, her voice carefully neutral.
They stepped away from the desk, and for a moment, an awkward silence hung between them. They were teammates now, but still essentially strangers. Kael could feel Ember's eagerness to break the ice, while Vera maintained her watchful assessment.
"I should go prepare," Lyssa said finally. "Get the cart ready, check supplies, make sure everything's in order."
"And I should..." Kael trailed off, realizing he didn't actually have much to prepare. "I should probably do some training, actually. Keep my skills sharp."
"Training's good," Lyssa agreed. She hesitated, then added, "Thank you. For taking a chance on me. Most people don't."
"Most people are idiots," Kael said frankly. "I'd rather judge people based on what they do, not on rumors or reputation."
Something that might have been a smile flickered across her face. "We'll see if you still think that after our first job together."
"I guess we will," Kael said with a grin. "See you tomorrow at dawn."
"Tomorrow at dawn," she confirmed.
They parted ways, Lyssa heading toward the guild's supply section while Kael walked back out into the morning streets. The sun had fully risen now, painting Thornhaven in shades of gold and amber. The city was coming alive around him, people opening shops, mythbeasts being led out for morning exercises, the sounds and smells of urban life filling the air.
Through their bonds, Kael felt his companions' reactions to the morning's events. Ember was practically glowing with happiness—mission accomplished, new friend acquired! Vera was more measured, but Kael sensed her approval. She respected competence and honesty, and Lyssa had displayed both.
What do you think? Kael asked them. Did we make the right choice?
Ember's response was immediate and enthusiastic—yes, definitely, absolutely! Vera's was more contemplative—time would tell, but initial impressions were positive.
Fair enough, Kael sent back. Then let's make sure we're ready for tomorrow.
He made his way back to the Sleeping Drake, nodding greetings to Merra as he passed through the common room and headed up to his room. Once there, with the door securely closed and privacy assured, Kael decided it was time for serious training.
He'd been working on his abilities in bits and pieces—practicing telekinesis while walking, testing his flame manipulation when opportunity arose—but he hadn't dedicated focused time to pushing his limits. If he was going to be a proper team member tomorrow, he needed to know exactly what he could do.
"Alright," he said aloud, looking at Vera and Ember. "Let's do this properly. Ember, you and I are going to work on fire control. Carefully—I don't want to burn down the inn. And Vera, you and I are going to test our psychic strength against each other."
Ember chimed her agreement, while Vera's eyes gleamed with interest. Through their bond, Kael felt her eagerness for the challenge.
He started with flame manipulation. Creating fire was easy now—he could summon flames to his hands almost without thought. But control, precision, that was harder. He practiced making the flames dance, shaping them into different forms, adjusting their heat and intensity.
Ember joined in, creating her own flames and showing him techniques through their bond—not words, but pure understanding of how to compress fire, how to make it burn hotter or cooler, how to give it direction and purpose.
The training was intense and required constant vigilance to ensure nothing in the room caught fire. Kael kept the flames small, working on finesse rather than power. He practiced heating the air in specific spots, creating warm currents without visible flame. He worked on quick ignition and instant extinguishment, building the muscle memory for combat applications.
After an hour of fire training, both he and Ember were mentally exhausted from the concentration required. They took a break, Kael drinking water and eating some of the dried fruit he'd purchased while Ember rested on her bed, her flames dimmed.
Then it was time for the psychic training with Vera.
This was more challenging because it was entirely internal, invisible to outside observers. Kael and Vera positioned themselves on opposite sides of the room, and he grabbed a small stone with his telekinesis, lifting it into the air between them.
Ready? he sent to Vera.
Her response was a surge of competitive determination. She was ready.
They pushed against each other through the stone—Kael trying to pull it toward himself, Vera trying to push it toward him from the other direction. It was a contest of pure psychic strength, invisible and silent but incredibly intense.
At first, Kael couldn't budge it. Vera's psychic power was still significantly stronger than his, her natural abilities enhanced by their bond. The stone hung motionless in the air, and Kael could feel the pressure of her mind against his, solid and immovable.
But he didn't give up. He pushed harder, drawing on every bit of mental strength he had. Through their bond, he could feel Vera's approval—she liked that he didn't quit even when outmatched.
Slowly, incredibly slowly, the stone began to move. Just millimeters at first, then centimeters. Kael was sweating from the effort, his head beginning to ache from the sustained mental strain. But the stone was moving.
They went back and forth like this, trading control of the stone, pushing against each other's psychic force. It was exhausting but exhilarating. Kael could feel himself improving, his control becoming more refined, his strength growing through the exercise.
After another hour, they were both completely spent. Kael's head throbbed, and through their bond he could feel Vera's matching exhaustion. But they'd both grown stronger, pushed their limits, learned more about their capabilities.
Ember had recovered during their psychic training and wanted another round of fire practice, so they did one more session—shorter this time, just thirty minutes of precision work. By the end, Kael could reliably create and control flames with both hands simultaneously, adjust heat intensity smoothly, and extinguish fires instantly.
It wasn't combat-ready power yet. He wouldn't be throwing fireballs or incinerating enemies. But it was progress, tangible and measurable.
The sun was setting by the time they finished, painting the room in warm orange light. Kael was exhausted—mentally, physically, emotionally—but it was the good kind of exhaustion that came from productive effort.
They headed downstairs for dinner, and Kael paid his basilisk coin for another of Elara's excellent meals. While he ate, Vera dozed beside his chair, and Ember perched on the table, her flames gentle and content.
Other diners came and went, the common room filling with the evening crowd of tamers and workers finishing their days. Kael listened to their conversations, absorbing information about the region, about mythbeast behaviors, about guild politics and ranking systems.
He was learning, constantly learning. This world was complex and dangerous and wonderful, and every day brought new discoveries.
When he finished eating, Kael returned to his room, changed into his sleeping clothes, and collapsed onto the bed. Vera jumped up to join him, curling into her usual position beside him. Ember settled onto her smaller bed, her flames dimming to a comfortable glow.
Through their bonds, Kael felt their contentment, their satisfaction with the day's progress, their anticipation for tomorrow.
Tomorrow we meet Lyssa's ox, Kael thought as sleep pulled at him. Tomorrow we start our first real job as a team. Tomorrow, we will find five mythbeasts who'll become partners to new tamers.
It was good work. Important work. The kind of thing that made a difference.
Ember's response drifted through their bond—happy, excited, ready for adventure.
Vera's was more subdued but no less certain—they would succeed. Together, they could handle whatever challenges came.
Kael smiled, his eyes drifting closed. His team was growing. His skills were improving. His place in this world was becoming more solid, more real.
Whatever tomorrow brought, they'd face it together.