Chapter 3: "Of Fans and First Missions"
The Fairy Tail request board looked like it had survived a bar brawl, a windstorm, and someone's attempt to pin a sandwich to it as a mission. Notices hung at odd angles. Ink was smudged. One flier had suspicious jam stains, and another had "definitely not cursed" scribbled in the corner.
Kael blinked slowly.
"This is either high fantasy," he murmured, "or high chaos."
"Kael! There you are!"
The bright voice belonged to Mirajane Strauss, smiling sweetly from behind the guild bar, clipboard in hand and apron somehow sparkling. She waved him over with the kind of grace that said I may smile like an angel, but I've broken bones with that clipboard.
Kael approached with a soft chime of bells. "Good morning, Mira," he greeted, voice lilting. "Do all your job boards double as abstract art pieces?"
Mira chuckled. "Only on Tuesdays." She leaned her elbows on the bar, blue eyes twinkling. "So, first mission day?"
"I was considering it," Kael said, brushing his fingertips over the fliers. "But some of these seem more like pranks than jobs."
"That's because some of them are pranks." She flipped through her clipboard. "Don't take anything posted by Wakaba before lunch. Or after. Or ever, really."
"Understood." Kael gave a mock-salute with his fan. "What do you recommend for a graceful beginner?"
Mira hummed. "Let's see… we've got a cat retrieval, but the last person who tried came back with stitches and a vendetta. Oh there's an escort request for a cart of alchemic supplies to a nearby village. Not too dangerous, just weird."
Kael tilted his head. "Weird?"
"It's from a potion brewer who believes the moon is trying to steal his ideas."
"…That's a bold claim."
"He pays on time," Mira said cheerfully. "And the cart needs two to three people to move. You'd be paired with a couple of junior members."
"Hmm." Kael tapped his chin. "A scenic stroll with mild existential risk. Sounds like a spa day."
Mira giggled, flipping the mission sheet toward him. "That's the spirit. Sign here."
Kael leaned over the bar, lavender hair falling forward as he signed in delicate script. Mira noticed his handwriting looked like it belonged on a poetry scroll or a passive-aggressive restaurant receipt.
"Done." He handed it back. "So, who are the lucky companions in my debut tale of alchemic madness?"
Mira scanned the sheet. "Looks like you'll be going with Leek the nervous one who smells like carrots and Merla, our local rock girl. She's got a good heart, but don't challenge her to arm wrestling. Trust me."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Kael said sincerely. "Unless the prize is strawberry shortcake."
"I'm making some later!" Mira beamed. "If you get back in one piece, I'll save you a slice."
"Now I have real motivation," Kael said gravely.
Mira's smile softened as she handed him a tiny guild seal proof of his mission assignment. "First missions are special, you know. Doesn't matter how small. You get to say, 'This is where I started.'"
Kael looked at the seal in his palm, pale aqua eyes thoughtful.
Then he gave her a gentle, teasing smile. "And when I inevitably become a legend, I'll say, 'It all began with a paranoid moon wizard and a cart full of bubbling trauma.'"
Mira laughed. "Just don't let Leek faint again. He does that a lot."
"I'll bring extra mist for dramatic effect."
Mira raised a finger. "No mist inside the alchemy cart."
"No promises."
"Kael…"
He winked and turned, bells chiming softly as he glided away.
The guild hall buzzed as he moved through it. Familiar faces passed by some laughing, some sparring, and one poor soul running away from a small creature that may or may not have been a magically mutated squirrel. Kael paused briefly to watch the chaos, arms folded, fan tapping against his chin thoughtfully.
This guild was many things loud, unpredictable, overdramatic but it was also warm. Alive. And for the first time in a long time, he felt part of something bigger than himself.
His first mission wasn't anything grand. Not a dragon hunt. Not a dark guild takedown. But it was his. And that mattered.
He glanced toward the mission board again.
"This is where I start," he whispered.
Then, with a flick of his fan and the faint chime of bells, he made his way toward the guild's eastern wing to meet his assigned teammates Leek and Merla and begin the first chapter of whatever legend he was meant to write.
End of Chapter 3
Author's Note:
Kael's official guild life begins with a paranoid alchemist, a rickety cart, and teammates who may or may not survive the trip emotionally intact. ✨
I wanted this chapter to feel like that warm, chaotic slice-of-life moment you get in classic Fairy Tail episodes, with a dash of Kael's teasing elegance and Mira's big-sister energy. It's the start of something small but meaningful because not every legend starts with fireworks. Sometimes, it starts with weird moon conspiracies and strawberry shortcake.
Thank you for reading! Chapter 4 is coming soon, and yes we're meeting Leek (the anxious carrot) and Merla (the rock-solid queen). You're not ready. Kael isn't either.
Stay misty 💜
– sky_xyn