Prologue

26th of Lordos, in the Waning within the 4th year of the 1st Cycle, 7:00 a.m.

                Rick hunched over Volume 2 of the discovery of the Inchemical arts, scribbled vulgarity scored the dark wood upon the desk the book was propped on within the nearly one hundred- and fifty-year-old library. Carved ships riding wooden waves adorned the tops of the great wood pillars that held the vaulted ceiling, and the ends of each bookcase were carved to appear like vine covered pillars.

                The pages of the book kept blurring as Ricks sleep deprivation was beginning to catch up with him. In less than two hours he would be sitting in Professor Villbey’s class taking the final exam for the semester. An exam that would have one essay question and every student would have a totally different question. So, Rick sat, trying to cram as much knowledge on the Inchemical arts as he could.

7:01 a.m.

                Alice wandered amongst the bookshelves, standing as great monoliths dedicated to knowledge and learning of every kind. She had just left the last final exam she would ever have to take, she was finally done with these miserably early mornings, so to celebrate she decided she would find a good book to curl up with, then she would take a nap. She considered the bizarre, the fantastical, and the learned, but her hand fell on a small book called the adventures of Sheriff Jake in Nexus city, a book that looked like a turn off your brain and read kind of book, one with random plot contrivances that pushed the story and not the lead characters actual actions.

                With book in hand, she rounded the shelves in search of a good nook when a ripple in the faded orange rug caught her heel and caused her to fall. But before she crashed face first into the floor something caught her shirt, causing a few seams to groan causing her to fear she would burst out of it, but her shirt held her weight she was then lowered to the ground slowly. “You should watch your step miss.” She looked behind herself to see a frazzled looking student with a short unkempt goatee sitting way behind her.

                “Did you catch me with Inchemy?”

                He nodded, “Your shirt more specifically.”

                “I did not hear you speak.”

                “I do not need to speak to use Inchemy. Perhaps once I get out of finals, I can teach you.”

                She looked into his eyes and smiled. “I would enjoy that.”

7:10 a.m.

                Rick looked into the eyes of the pretty girl he had just saved, the seams holding her right sleeve on were stretched barely showing skin. “I am sorry about your shirt.” He said, motioning at her.

                “It is better than a busted nose.”

                “I get out of my final at ten, I’ll buy you a new shirt then I will teach you how to cast without vocalizing.”

                She smiled at him, “Well after we do those two things it will be about lunch time, I know of a nice deli in The Melka District.”

                “This is beginning to sound like a date,” He stood and walked over to her, “The names Rick.”

                “Alice.” She gave him a quick hug, “when you are done come back here, I’ll be reading in the corner.”

                “Sounds good to me… Alice.”