The road was quiet.
Even the gunslinger had run out of jokes after their fourth day on the road. His cigarette smoldered lazily in the air.
His Pegasus-mounted companion rode ahead in silence.
The priestess Awia hummed a hymn under her breath, clutching her staff a little tighter than usual.
At the front walked the boy, Aki. His scepter resting across his shoulder. His eyes never left the horizon.
"Four people," the gunslinger finally muttered. "Four damned people in a guild.
"Not exactly the kind of number that makes recruits line up."
"Would you rather we quit?" Aki asked without turning.
The gunslinger smirked but didn't answer.
By noon the next day, the spires of Zo came into view.
The guild froze at the town's entrance. Zo shimmered like no place they had ever seen, stone towers etched with glowing runes leaned skyward, and lanterns of pure mana floated lazily above cobbled streets. Robed figures, many tall and stooped like old men, drifted between buildings with serene smiles, their eyes sparkling as though each carried secrets of the world.
The priestess gasped.
"This is it.. this is the placed". Awia screamed out with joy.
"Well.. it's something alright". Merlin said as he looked around.
A man in fine robes approached, his steps dignified.
"Welcome, travelers. I am the Governor of Zo. You must be guild folk. Please, come see what our town holds."
He led them into the glowing and ever busy town.
Inside, the guild fell silent.
The Library of Zo smelled of parchment, dust, and faint mana. Endless shelves spiraled upward, lined with scrolls and tomes that glimmered faintly with protective wards. Strange contraptions bubbled on tables—alchemy flasks, gemstone dust, herbs steeping in glowing oils.
"Fascinating…" the priestess whispered, trailing her hand across an ancient stand.
A tall figure approached, his beard silver and robes shimmering like morning mist.
"Ah, visitors," he greeted. "Welcome to Zo's Library. I am Quorinel."
Aki blinked. "You guys are wizards right?." He asked.
"Indeed." Quorinel chuckled softly. "We name ourselves upon awakening, for no tongue but our own may define us. A name reflects the path one chooses,Veridus studies plants, Aurinel the stars. Myself?" He spread his arms wide toward the endless shelves. "I record knowledge."
The priestess tilted her head. "So… all of you wander the world, learning and sharing?"
"Precisely. A wizard never lingers. As the saying goes, you will never see one of us in one place for too long."
Lee muttered, "So you're basically really tall old men with too many hobbies."
Quorinel only laughed, the room was filled with his laughter.
But Aki stepped forward, heart pounding. "Would you like to join us?". Aki asked the Wizard.
The wizard blinked. "Join… a guild?"
"Yes. My guild. El Diablo." His voice was steady.
"We could use someone like you."
Quorinel chuckled, then shook his head gently. "Wizards serve all, not one banner. Our path is wandering. Yours… is adventuring."
Aki was filled with disappointment.
Quorinel noticed, and after a pause, placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Do not be disheartened. A leader is not made by how many people he convinces, but by how far he is willing to walk despite the weight he carries."
The boy swallowed hard. He wanted to argue, but another question burned hotter in his chest.
"…Then, can you tell me why I can't use magic?"
For the first time, Quorinel's mirth faded. "You… cannot?"
"I'm 19," the boy admitted. "By ten, children manifest magic. But me? Nothing. Not even a spark."
Quorinel studied him as though peering through his very skin. Then, slowly, he raised a hand. A globe of water shimmered into existence above his palm.
"Mana," the wizard began, "is energy. Raw, formless. Magic is the shaping of that energy into something tangible. Think of mana as the heat of the forge, the caster as the molding pan, and the element as the material being shaped."
The water shifted to ice, then mist, then liquid again.
"But if the pan is broken…" Quorinel let the orb dissolve into nothing, "…the energy flows freely, yet nothing holds shape. Spells collapse before they form. What remains is raw power, leaking uncontrolled."
Aki stiffened.
"Would explain my really strong body?".
"I guess. It would mean your body is stronger, your senses sharper. But as for spells" the wizard shook his head, "they will always fail."
Silence filled the room.
"So there's no fixing it?" the boy whispered.
"Not that I know of," Quorinel said softly.
"But sometimes what seems a curse is merely the start of another path."
The boy clenched his jaw. "…Then what about alchemy?"
At that, Quorinel's smile returned faintly. He gestured toward the bubbling flasks and vials. "Alchemy is different. The marriage of magic and matter, knowledge and craft. Using gemstones, herbs, metals, we create potions, oils, powders, even weapons. Some humans dabble, though shallowly. You may find worth in it but it will not mend your broken pan. Still it doesn't stop you from studying the art"
The boy's heart sank. Yet he nodded.
"I understand". Aki replied him.
determination flickering in his eyes.
That night, as they left the library, the Governor returned, face pale.
"There is one matter," he whispered gravely.
"A beast troubles our land. Villages burned, fields to ash. Few dare to speak of it, and none dare to face it."
The Black Knight's hand drifted to his blade. "What kind of beast?"
The Governor's voice trembled. "A dragon.
Merlin let out an odd smile.
It dwells atop the mountain near Zo. If your guild accepts… we will pay you in gemstones."
The gunslinger whistled low as he turned to Merlin.
"A dragon, huh? And here I thought this was going to be a slow week." He said to the Black Knight.
The priestess clutched her staff tight. "A dragon is no mere monster."
But Aki only grinned, fire burning recklessly in his eyes. He lifted his scepter.
"PERFECT!!!" he shouted.
"Let's go hunt a dragon."
The governor gave the guild a map leading them to the dreaded Dragon Mountain.
After El Diablo left the Wizard Village of Zo, a young human male arrived on a horse.
"Please i am looking for the governor, i am from the town of Edroug". The young man said to a wizard nearby.
"Oh, you must be the young alchemist sent from the town to learn with us. Come..come quick." The wizard said to the young man as he smiled.
The young man got off his horse and dragged it along.
"I will take you to the governor immediately, there is much to do." The Wizard told the boy.
"Yes and much to LEARN". The young man whispered with a smile as he looked upon the shining beauty of wizard architecture.