Luckborn

Otter knew something was up when Levi slid into the chair across from him at breakfast. He wore a grin like he'd just won a trunk full of Summas in a game of Red Knave.

"You free tonight?" Levi asked, eyebrows waggling.

"Um… for what?" Otter said around a mouthful of eggs.

Levi leaned in. "I want to introduce you to some people. It's a club. Invitation only. I think you'll like it."

"That sounds ominously suspicious."

Levi shrugged, the grin morphing into something more reminiscent of someone about to twirl their moustache.

"Yeah. Okay. What time?"

"After your library shift. I'll meet you there and show you the way."

If the invitation had come from anyone else, Otter would have said no. But Levi could convince someone that jumping in a canal was the quickest way to dry off. Otter knew Levi wouldn't ask him to do anything dangerous or that would get him in real trouble, but he'd kept things just mysterious enough to peak Otter's interest.

"Ok. See you then."

Levi smacked the table before jumping up and running off.

Otter smiled.

Otter carefully measured out the powdered aetherroot, watching as the fine dust slid from the spoon into the simmering cauldron. The liquid inside was a pale gold, faintly luminescent. Beside him, Milo was stirring their mixture at a steady pace, brow furrowed in concentration.

Professor Salien's voice carried through the room as she lectured. "The cost of materials is the greatest barrier to entry in potion-making. A standard healing potion requires roughly thirty Summas in ingredients, but if brewed correctly, it will sell for fifty. The investment is high, but for those with the patience and precision, Alchemy can be a lucrative pursuit."

Otter wasn't overly concerned with making a profit—at least not yet—but he had to admit there was something deeply satisfying about following a precise process and watching it come together. It wasn't unlike cooking.

He glanced at Milo. "I need to ask you something."

Milo didn't look up from the cauldron. "If it's about substituting wheat grain for aetherroot, don't even think about it."

Otter snorted. "Not that. Something else." He lowered his voice slightly. "I saw a weird symbol the other day. On the door to the Restricted Section."

That got Milo's attention. He stopped stirring and shot Otter a look. "What kind of symbol?"

Otter pulled his notebook out and flipped to the page where he'd sketched the symbol—three concentric rectangles with lines connecting their sides at seven seemingly random points and an arrow connected to the top. "It looked like this. Ever seen it before?"

Milo frowned, adjusting his glasses as he studied the drawing. A few moments passed in silence before he shook his head. "No, but that doesn't mean much. It could be an old arcane seal, a sigil of authority, or something entirely unique to the Academy." He tapped the parchment. "But if it's on the Restricted Section, you can bet it's important."

Otter sighed. "Yeah, that's what I figured."

Milo went back to stirring, though his expression remained thoughtful. "You could try looking through the archives for symbols used in magical security wards. Some of them get pretty obscure."

"Already on my to-do list," Otter muttered.

As class wrapped up, Otter wiped down their workstation while Milo carefully poured the finished potion into a glass vial. The liquid had turned a rich, ruby red. Professor Salien inspected it with a sharp eye before giving them a curt nod of approval.

"Passable," she said. "For a first attempt."

Otter rolled his eyes as she moved on. "High praise," he muttered.

Milo snickered. "Considering she once told a third-year he'd never amount to anything because all his potions smelled like wet dog and tasted like stale beer, I'd say we're doing alright."

They packed up their things and left the classroom, parting ways outside. Otter barely made it a hundred feet before he saw Erin stalking across the commons toward him. There was something strange about her posture. Her stride was quick and purposeful. Otter stopped and waited for her to reach him.

She stopped an arm's length away, her brow and mouth continually shifting into different configurations. It made him nervous.

"Um… hey, Erin. What's up?"

"You. I mean…you and I. We're what's up."

"Huh?"

Erin shook her head. "You and I. We're going on a date."

She said nothing else, just turned and stalked away. Otter saw the back of her neck had turned red and she broke into a run.

Otter looked around at the other students to see if they had just witnessed the same thing he had. No one else as reacting, so Otter slowly began walking again, making his way to his next session.

He couldn't concentrate. Not in class. And not at the Library. Quisling was there again, and Otter helped him take notes.

"Who's Erin?" Quisling asked after reviewing a page of Otter's writing.

"What?"

"Who is Erin? You've written her name on this page in place of the Empress Elighana several times."

Otter felt his face heat up. "I'm—I'm sorry professor."

"It isn't a big deal. I'm just curious who it is that's on your mind."

"She's a friend. Someone I grew up with."

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"Why the obsession this evening?"

"She asked me on a date today."

"Did she?"

"Well, more like she told me we're going on a date. Then she ran away."

"Ah. That explains it."

Otter expected the man to offer some advice or perhaps make fun of him. He did not. In fact, he said nothing else about it. He wasn't sure what to think about that.

After locking up for the night, Otter found Levi waiting for him outside. They wound their way across the dark campus, keeping to the shadows, toward a building Otter had never visited before.

"Where are we going?" Otter asked.

"You'll see," Levi said, voice light with amusement.

They reached an inconspicuous door near the back of one the building. Levi knocked three times, then twice more, then once. The door creaked open a moment later, revealing a dimly lit passageway.

Otter gave Levi a sidelong glance. "You sure this isn't a cult?"

Levi smirked. "Only the fun kind."

With no further explanation, Levi stepped inside. Otter followed.

The hallway opened into a chamber filled with students of various ages, standing in a loose semicircle. The only light came from a ring of flickering candles, their flames dancing in the dim air, casting long, shifting shadows along the walls. The air was thick with quiet anticipation. A tall, wiry girl with short-cropped hair and a solemn expression stood at the center.

Once Otter and Levi had joined the circle, the girl spoke softly. "By nimble hands and sharper wits,
We weave our craft in shadowed halls.
No lock too strong, no trap too keen,
Where skill prevails and silence calls."

Otter glanced at Levi. He looked completely at ease.

The gathered members echoed her in unison, their voices barely above a whisper. Otter felt a shiver crawl up his spine.

The girl stepped forward, producing a small, intricate lock from within her cloak. She held it up between her fingers, the candlelight glinting off the polished brass.

"When the path before you is blocked," she said, her voice rising slightly. "Remember that knowledge and skill are the keys that unlock hidden doors."

She flicked her wrist, and the lock spun in her palm before vanishing into her sleeve.

Otter hadn't even seen how she did it.

The girl paced slowly around the circle; the silence stretching once more. Then she stopped, resting a single fingertip against a small iron lockbox placed on the table at the center of the group.

She took a breath, tapped the lid, and whispered something unintelligible. An incantation, perhaps?

The lock on the box clicked open.

Otter stared. He was almost certain it wasn't magic.

Almost.

The girl turned a circle and met their gazes, one by one. "You stand at the threshold of ingenuity, precision, and mischief," she said, her voice back to barely above a whisper. "If you wish to turn back, do so now. But if you seek mastery of the unseen, the unnoticed, and the unspoken—step forward."

No one moved at first.

Then Levi, grinning, strode into the circle.

One by one, the others followed.

Otter hesitated only a second before stepping forward.

As soon as the last person stepped forward, the tension in the room shifted. The solemnity of the ritual melted away, replaced by something far more casual. The girl—who Otter now assumed was the leader of this odd gathering—clasped her hands behind her back and grinned.

"Alright then," she said, dropping the mysterious tone entirely. "Welcome to the Guild of Subtle Handiwork. My name is Selene Vexley, third-year, and your new mentor in the fine art of mischief and merrymaking."

A murmur of amusement rippled through the gathered students.

"Theatrics aside," Selene continued, "we created this group to hone skills that the Academy deems 'secondary' but which any true adventurer knows are essential. Lock-picking, trap disarmament, sleight of hand, puzzle-solving—you get the idea." She gestured to a set of wooden tables at the far end of the room. "You'll find tools and challenges set up for practice. Every meeting, we'll have a new exercise. Some nights, we focus on picking locks. Other nights, dismantling traps. Sometimes, we just create new puzzles for each other to solve."

Otter exchanged a look with Levi, who waggled his eyebrows.

"This," Selene continued, "is a place for those who prefer finesse over brute force. For those who understand that the best way to deal with a problem isn't always with a sword, but with a steady hand and a sharp mind." Her eyes flickered over the group. "If that sounds like you, you're in the right place."

A few students shifted excitedly.

Selene clapped her hands together. "Alright, let's get to work. First, a warm-up. Pair up and pick a lock. If you've never done it before, find someone who has. Let's see who's got natural talent."

Otter turned to Levi, who grinned and tossed him a small leather pouch. It jingled softly as Otter caught it.

"Lock picks," Levi said. "You'll want those."

Before Otter could reply, another voice cut in. "You're the one from the simulation, aren't you?"

Otter looked up to find a kid he didn't know watching him with open curiosity.

"Uh… maybe?"

Levi grinned. "Otter here solved a puzzle in record time during the Midterm Trials."

Selene, who had been making rounds, stopped and arched an eyebrow. "That so?"

Otter shrugged. "Got lucky."

Selene narrowed her eyes. "You sure about that?"

Otter shrugged.

"Well, we're here to build our skills so we don't need luck." She gestured to a set of training locks on the nearby table. Some were simple, with basic tumblers. Others were far more intricate, with multiple mechanisms and false sets. "You any good at picking locks?"

Otter chuckled. "Don't know. I've never tried." He rolled his shoulders. "But I'd love to learn."

Levi clapped him on the back. "That's the spirit."

Otter crouched at the table, turning the small lock over in his hands. It wasn't much different from the cheap ones he'd seen on crates back in Brighthaven—basic, unassuming. He slid the pick inside, feeling for the tiny pins within.

Alright. Slow and steady.

He pressed carefully, listening for the telltale click of a pin setting into place.

Nothing.

Otter frowned, adjusting the angle.

Still nothing.

Across the table, Levi had already popped open his own lock and was twirling his pick between his fingers. "Try a lighter touch," he offered. "You're going at it like you're trying to stab the thing."

Otter scowled but loosened his grip.

It didn't help. After another two minutes of fumbling, the lock was still sealed tight.

Selene, who had been watching with interest, leaned against the table. "Not your thing?"

"Not yet," Otter muttered.

"Why don't you try something else?"

She walked to another section of the room, where a low wooden platform was set up. At the center sat a heavy wooden chest with a few ominous-looking pressure plates scattered around it. "How about traps?"

Otter followed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Basic setup," Selene explained. "Your goal? Open the chest without triggering anything nasty."

Otter peered at the platform. "And if I do trigger something?"

"Then the whole room will know you failed," Levi quipped.

Otter sighed. "Great."

He crouched at the edge of the platform, studying the plates. Some looked slightly looser than others. He reached out, hesitated, then withdrew his hand.

"Come on," Levi teased. "You're the puzzle guy."

Otter ignored him, instead tracing his fingers along the side of the chest. If he could just find a way to shift it without stepping on anything—

He moved an inch too close.

SNAP!

Two metal wires, like the ones he'd seen used to rap mice and other vermin, snapped shut inches from his fingers. A harmless trap, but still enough to send a jolt of adrenaline through him.

Levi cackled. "That's one death for Otter!"

Selene just sighed. "You've got decent instincts, but your execution needs work."

Otter groaned and stood. "Let me guess—you've got something else for me to fail at?"

Selene grinned. "Actually, yes."

She led him to another section, where a series of wooden boxes sat stacked in odd formations, each marked with intricate carvings. "Puzzle locks. You've got to figure out how to open them."

Otter exhaled. Finally. Something he could actually do.

He picked up a small cube and turned it over, running his fingers along the grooves. The markings weren't just decorative—they were hints. He pressed a few, listening for the click of shifting mechanisms.

He tilted the box, watching how a loose panel slid ever so slightly when he moved it.

There.

He pressed in a series of spots and twisted the top. The lid popped open.

Selene arched an eyebrow. "Well. That was fast."

Otter smiled. "This part I am good at."

She tossed him a larger, more complex box. "Prove it."

Otter caught it and got to work. This time, it took him a full minute to figure out the hidden latch, but when he did, the top spun open with a satisfying click.

Selene folded her arms. "Alright, puzzle-boy. You might actually be worth something."

Otter grinned. "Does that mean I get to stay?"

Selene chuckled. "We'll see. But for now—welcome to the Guild."