Finns Recruitment - Flash Fiction Friday
Finn was walking through the corridors of the Mage Academy, he was nearly a graduate but he still had no prospects on an apprenticeship. This worried him because the academy wouldn’t let him graduate until he had a valid apprenticeship lined up.
Finn walked by the job board on his way out of the Academy and decided to check it again for an apprenticeship position, but there was still nothing. There wasn’t enough positions for all of the potential graduates. Finn had been checking this board several times a day in hopes of seeing something come up.
Finn kept walking. He was heading to town to get some supplies to make some potions for his alchemy homework. He had been specializing in alchemy. Through manipulating various ingredients, he could make any spell effect without wasting his own mana. The potion that he had to make was, coincidentally, a mana potion. He wasn’t worried about this one, he was making far harder potions already. But he needed supplies, namely the amethyst.
Soon enough for his liking, Finn arrived at the outdoor Market, and made his way through the crowded street. He was heading for the alchemy supply vendor, Wilfred, which was near the south end of the Market.
As Finn passed a farmer’s stall, he tripped and fell into a tall, slender, elven lady. She caught him and with her help, Finn was able to regain his balance and not fall in the dirt. Finn was mortified that he had fallen into this stranger. “My humblest apologies, my lady.”
“It’s alright, accidents happen. Please call me Kaede, I hate titles,” Kaede had a soft and sincere demeanor about her, and her presence called to Finn. “You appear to be an apprentice mage, am I right?”
“Mostly correct, I am Finn Blackwood. I am about to graduate from the Academy with a specialization in alchemy but I have yet to acquire an apprenticeship,” Finn explained, volunteering much more information than he normally would to a stranger.
“Is that so?” Kaede looked thoughtful, “Then I have a request for you. I am the guild leader of The Silver Circle and I need some alchemy performed. I’ll reward you an apprenticeship if you can make a batch of healing potions and Oathbinder Wax. Of course you will also be paid for costs and time.”
Finn was shocked and excited. He bowed, “Thank you, My Lady. I will come to you as soon as I have those made.” Finn had not heard of The Silver Circle guild before.
After a few more pleasantries, Finn left Kaede and arrived at Wilfred’s and purchased the ingredients for his potion as well as the ingredients for Kaede’s request. Then he made his way back to the Academy, with much more vigor and enthusiasm in his step than when he came to the Market.
Once he arrived back at the academy, Finn immediately set to work on making potions. Since it was already getting to be night, he made the mana potions first. Mana potions were best made at nighttime, the power came from the lunar energies. Then Finn went to bed and crashed out for a few hours.
The healing potions required dawn, so Finn had to get up early to start working on those. The Oathbinder Wax needed to be made during the day, and called for a person of faith to make it. Finn learned early on that the alchemist only need to have faith in the spell. Word play on spells and recipes were there to keep out the undisciplined.
—
Finn walked down the narrow streets of the more modest area of Chikoreem. He had gotten directions to The Silver Circle’s guild hall from some passerby as he was walking away from the Academy. Now he stood before the guild hall, thinking that this could be his new home if this interaction went well.
This was the first time Finn had interacted with a guild; did he knock or just walk in? Then the door opened and a little gnome lady came out, “Oh! Hello there. Let me help you with that.” She took a crate from Finn. “My name is Tova. Where are you heading?”
“I’m here to deliver potions to Kaede,” Finn answered her.
“This way,” Tova led Finn through the main hall where there was a dozen or so people milling around. Most were talking or eating. At one end of the room was a fire and a couple of comfy looking, high backed chairs. The rest of the room was tables and chairs.
Tova then brought Finn into a back hallway with lots of doors and finally to an open door. Inside, Kaede sat behind a large wooden desk. She looked up as they entered, “Ah! Finn! And my potions?! Already?” Tova placed down the crate and left the office. Finn also place down the crate that he was carrying.
Finn flushed, maybe with a bit of pride, “Hello, My Lady, yes, they are ready.”
“Please call me Kaede, I told you that I don’t like titles,” she said as she opened the crates and examined the potions. “These look great. I didn’t request mana potions though?”
“I wound up having extra from another request, and thought you might be able to use it,” Finn said. He had intentionally made extra to give to Kaede to sweeten the deal.
Kaede examined the Oathbinder Wax as well. And then put everything back in the crates, “Thank you, Finn, this is great work. I would be honored to send a request to the Mage’s Academy for your apprenticeship. Welcome to The Silver Circle! You will be apprenticed to Spinx when the time comes. We will see you once you are done your studies.”
Source and Thoughts
This piece came from my upcoming novel The Silver Circle. I was trying to create some historical information for Finn. This piece of flash forced me to focus on building up that character, as well as some other aspects of the world.
I think that I will continue using my novel as Flash Fiction going forward. It was a great way to sit and think about a particular subject and get a lot of work done on that one subject.
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