“You two boys did a good job,” Duncan let out a sigh of relief as they were far enough away from the gate.

The wagon slowly stopped at the edge of the docks. Before them was a wide lake that stretched as far as the eye could see. Lake Bant, its crystal clear waters are famed throughout the kingdom. “Whoa, it’s so refreshing here. My Mother,” Gaius thought to himself.

Duncan and the boys were silent as they peeled their eyes from the lake and looked around for signs of their mother. Suddenly, Gaius felt a surge of aura from the walls of the city. Though he couldn’t see with his normal sight he recognized the unique aura that belonged to his mother, and in an instant she appeared before them.

“Took you long enough?” she jokingly said.

“The streets aren’t built to accommodate wagons, it was pretty annoying,” Duncan complained. “Did you find us passage while you were waiting?”

“Yep. Traveling alchemist and his bodyguard,” Tulia said with a knowing smile. “It’s been a while since we last played these roles, huh?”

“Haha, more than 10 years. It felt quite fun,” Duncan smiled back.

“How did you explain our two loving sons?” she asked.

“Ah, both Novitiates with the guild,” Duncan said.

They continued and entered the docks proper. There at the end of an empty port was a large ferry, though not big enough to fit the wagon. “Ah Miss Wyn, you made it. I was beginning to worry,” a big portly man with a mustache said. “Welcome Craftsman Alchemist, we are ready to set off whenever you are,” the portly captain looked at the wagon and sized it up. With a frown he said, “Unfortunately, my ferry is designed to carry passengers and not cargo. So you must leave your wagon here. If you would like, I may store it within my warehouse until you can arrange for it?”

“No need, you may discard it,” Duncan said flatly with an air of superiority.

“Ah, well. How about this, I’ll buy it off you,” the captain said, and after thinking for a bit he continued, “One triangle seems fair, how about it?”

“Let’s not discuss such paltry sums. You may have it for free, think of it as my apologies for making you wait for our arrival,” Duncan said with a slight nod.

“Ah, if that is the case, then I thank you for your generosity,” the captain smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

Each of the boys carried their entire worldly belongings within a single strongbox, while Duncan climbed off the wagon and strolled into the personal quarters of the ferry. Tulia, with the help of her sons, made a few trips to fully unload the wagon. Mother and two sons acted as docile servants as Duncan walked to their living quarters without glancing back.

The ferry took off shortly after the Wyn family loaded their entire life’s belongings.

“Anyone else hungry? I’m starving” Gaius said aloud as the family gathered within their assigned cabin.

Tulia smiled and instructed her son, “Go ahead and ask the captain where the galley is, and get enough for your father and me. You too Gen, go with your brother. Remember to try to act as servants to your lazy father,” as she eyed her husband.

Duncan merely shrugged and smiled.

Gaius and Gen slowly made their way onto the deck of the ferry and sought out the fat captain. “Sir, my master would like to eat, where may I find the galley?” Gaius said poignantly.

The man scowled and look at the two young boys in front of him. “I’ll send for one of my crew to send food to your cabin. Though the fee only covers food for your master and his bodyguard. Not enough for two servants,” the man said as he stared.

Gen and Gaius were startled as the man vehemently told them off. Gen was as hungry as his brother, yet did not have the same restraint. “My fath—Master! Paid for,” was all Gen could say before his brother stopped him.

“Please excuse my junior apprentice, we will relay your message to our master,” Gaius said as he gripped his brother’s forearm. Though Gaius seemed outwardly reserved, he was as angry as his brother.

“Oh? A little fire in this one,” the captain thought to himself. He continued to maintain a scowl and growled at them, “Get out of my sight.”

The two boys made their way back into the cabin empty handed. “Oh? Where’s our food?” Tulia said with a smile.

“That fat captain said that he wouldn’t feed us!” Gen blurted as his anger erupted.

“Haha, that’s right. You’re Novitiates now,” Duncan smiled and laughed to himself. His mirth was cut short as he saw the sad and indignant eyes of his sons. He began to explain, “Novitiates are the lowest ranks within any guild. To temper their attitude it has become common practice for everyone to treat them curtly. Only after you wear the robes or token of your guild are you an official Initiate, which garners more respect. Every guild member has to go through this… ‘Rite of passage’.”

“But we’re not even a part of a guild!” Gaius and Gen shouted.

“Haha, yeah. But you must act the part. Sorry boys, you’ll have to feed and take care of yourselves,” Duncan replied. “A Craftsman Alchemist would not indulge a Novitiate. And I can’t break my role,” he said with a wink.

“Think of this as part of your training, you need to eventually provide for yourselves, yes?” Tulia said as she tried to encourage her boys.

Hunger is a powerful thing, the usually calm and respectful Gaius erupted, “No! We haven’t eaten since this morning. We’re both hungry now, and there’s no way to hunt for food now that we’re on this Father’s forsaken boat!”

Seeing his brother enraged scared him and forced Gen to play to responsible role. He reached out and grabbed his brother’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

Without batting an eye and with an emotionless face, Tulia continued, “Well, you can’t hunt but surely you can fish?”

“Ugh” Gaius let out a grunt as he saw his mother’s steely expression. He turned around and stormed out of the cabin, almost bumping into a crew member with a tray of food. Seeing the pile of scrumptious food in front of him only fueled him with more anger. “Get out of my way boy!” the crewman shouted.

Turning a deaf ear to the man Gaius continued to the deck. Upon reaching the open air, Gaius was bathed with the cool refreshing aura emanating from the lake. With his current anger, Gaius subconsciously drew in the aura to calm himself and instantly felt better. “Ah, I shouldn’t have cursed in front of mom,” was Gaius’s first thought as he calmed down. “Man, what a pretty lake,” Gaius observed as the sun was setting over the lake. He moved over to the rail and peered into the deep water. “Oh, what’s that?” he thought to himself as he noticed a small aura deep within the waters. Dozens of other blue auras started to appear within the lake within seconds. “Oh!” he said as he jumped back surprised. Soon a large fish, the size of the boy’s arm, leapt out of the water and dove back in. Following the first fish, dozens of others started to jump too. They seem to be chasing a few fish to the surface and eventually catapulted themselves out of the water.

Gaius was amazed by the sheer number and dazzling display the fish were putting on. He slowly made his way to the edge again and reached out his hand, “Whoa, they look so smooth and shiny,” he thought to himself. One of the fish opened its mouth to reveal razor sharp teeth ready to bite off Gaius’s whole hand, but a strong grip immediately wrapped around the boy’s wrist and pulled his arm away.

“Are you stupid boy!? You do not PET a steelteeth!” the large captain said.

Gaius was stunned, still trying to process what almost happened. “The pretty fish looked so scary when it opened its mouth,” he thought to himself, “I could have lost my hand?”

“You hear me boy? Where were you raised? Trying to pet a steelteeth like some idiot,” the man grumbled as he walked off.

Gaius finally came to and fell onto the deck. He sat in a daze for a while trying to overcome his hunger and fear. After several minutes he got up and turned to the nearby captain, “Ah sir,” he said.

“What is it now?” the man flatly replied.

“May I borrow a fishing rod? My junior apprentice and I came ill-prepared for travel.”

“No.”

“This Father’s forsaken fat man,” Gaius thought to himself. “How about a trade, sir?”

The captain thought carefully and observed the boy in front of him, “what could you possibly have that I would want?”

“Food,” Gaius said with a smile, “If you lend me a fishing rod, I will pay you one fish per day. It is better than just having it sit there, I think?” he pointed to a nearby fishing rod tied to the railing.

“Hmm, the boy is bright. That much is apparent. He’d make a fine alchemist someday,” the captain thought to himself. He put on an annoyed-face and said, “Five fish per day, and you may use it. If you break or lose the rod then I’ll take this issue to your master.”

“Okay!” Gaius said with excitement.

“Ah, the boy doesn’t know how to haggle, a shame,” the captain smiled and thought to himself. He grunted at Gaius and waved his hand towards the fishing rod, a sign for permission.

Gaius happily untied the fishing rod and appraised it carefully. “Hmm, I wonder what this part does?” he thought to himself.

The captain observed the boy with the fishing rod, “The lad does know how to use one, doesn’t he?” he thought to himself as he watched Gaius acquaint himself with his first fishing rod. As Gaius was carefully poking and inspecting the fishing rod, Gen approached him as he made his way to the deck.

“Hey, I tried. But they won’t give us any food,” Gen complained to his brother in a low voice.

“Haha, it’s okay! I got permission to use this fishing rod, we can just eat fish,” Gaius said with a smile to his brother.

Gen’s eyes widen in surprise and happiness, “Cool!”

After a period of silence.

Gen continued, “Do you know how to use one?”

“Nope.”

Hearing the two boys talk, the captain almost fell over. “Mother’s mercy. Going a night without dinner can build character,” the captain reassured himself. He turned away from the boys went back into his personal cabin.

After several hours and many failed attempts to “fish”, the two boys were shouting and yelling at each other. “You’re doing it wrong!”

“We’ve already tried that! Give me the rod, I have another idea,” Gaius said.

“Oh, another great idea! You didn’t even get a single bite!” Gen retorted.

“Neither did you!”

“I got a nibble!”

“You were just shaking the rod,” Gaius shouted.

Near the door towards the personal cabins, Tulia and Duncan stood and watched their two sons. “I’ll help them tomorrow. A night of hunger would do them good,” Tulia said. Duncan smiled and nodded his head, and the two returned to their room.

After another hour, the two boys gave up. After carefully stowing the rod away, they made their way back to the room and searched for sleep to steal their hunger away. “I’ve never been so hungry before. It hurts,” Gaius thought to himself sadly. The few minutes it took him to fall asleep seemed like hours.