A Quest for the Stars

Aside from Alistair, Lenoria had never been so happy to see a man she barely knew. She was hoping to see the paladin in the office ready to sweep in and save her from the evil headmaster, but running into Beau was the next best thing.

Beau examined the scene only briefly before he greeted Lenoria with a single wave and addressed the headmaster. “Is something the matter, sir?”

Headmaster Starflower removed his hand from Lenoria’s shoulder. “Not at all. This girl simply got lost and she was on her way to fetch our guest of honor.” He gently shoved Lenoria in the direction of the lift. “Not another word, missy! Off you go, nice meeting you!”

Lenoria stopped walking and nearly collapsed when the headmaster’s repeated shoving was growing in force by the second. “What is he playing at?”

I didn’t save you out of the kindness of my heart, you know.

Beau’s words briefly popped in her mind. If anyone could save her now, it was him.

Unbeknownst to Beau and the headmaster, Poe hovered above both men. His wings flapped and flapped, not worrying or caring that his ghostly feathers showered all over the headmaster.

“Lenoria,” Beau interrupted the girl’s brainstorming, “did you not want to meet with us? Has something come up that we should know about?”

The headmaster froze in place. “Y-you already met?”

“Yes. This girl bravely defended a child from a wild animal. My sister had already decided to meet with her, but this girl’s heroics reinforced her belief that the job can be done.”

A wave of relief washed over Lenoria immediately. “No, sir. I was just on my way in when the headmaster stopped me for a chat.” Lenoria forced herself to keep things civil; no matter how much she believed the headmaster deserved it, she knew better than to try to expose him without evidence. Besmirching the very institution which gave her the tools to make something great, especially in front of a potential client, was not a good look, either. She had to bide her time for now.

A vein popped up on the headmaster’s forehead, but he remained calm. “Y-yes, of course.” He reached for the door, but Beau stopped him to let Lenoria through first. The big man grabbed Lenoria by the hand and led her inside the office. The headmaster waited until Beau allowed him to pass, but he was stopped by the big man’s words.

“Lies are unbecoming of any leader. Don’t do it again.” Beau stepped back into the office.

“Insolent little mongrel! How dare she turn them against me! I made sure she was isolated from the rest of the Guild! How was she able to make friends with a noble family?” The headmaster’s seething slowly formed into a grin. “No, I can still turn this around! Then these people will have no choice but to hire Thomas and bail him out!”

Meanwhile, Lenoria had approached a woman seated inside the office. The same woman she saw from afar at the graduation ceremony - with short, wavy black shoulder-length hair wearing a black admiral’s uniform, seated with a leg crossed over the other and enjoying a cup of a hot drink - was now within speaking range. The scent of apples lingered around her.

“Are you Beau’s sister?”

Holding in the urge to vomit, the headmaster said, “There’s no need to be rude to a woman of high class, T-Tsukino.”

The older woman let out a hearty chuckle. “No need for flattery, headmaster. We’re here to talk business, not choose the next mayor.” The woman set down her drink on the main desk, stood up, and offered her gloved hand to Lenoria. “Gabrielle Bisset. I deal with the top businesses and Guilds in both Helix and my homeland of Thule. It is an honor to meet one of the top students of the Guild.”

Gabrielle Bisset. Out of endless prompts, this one was the best.

Gabrielle’s praise struck like lightning; quick, shocking, and unexpected. Lenoria felt a sense of pride of being a part of the Guild, another feeling which she chalked up to another first for her. She gladly shook Gabrielle’s hand; the woman had a firm, yet caring grip, one that hinted no sign of weakness but offered security at the same time. She didn’t let go until Lenoria pulled away.

The headmaster wanted to speak up, but Beau’s presence kept him in check. He dragged his feet to the big wooden desk at the end of the office and sat on the leather chair in the middle. Gabrielle took her seat and gestured to Lenoria to sit next to her. Beau stood by the door, his unblinking eyes fixed on the headmaster.

The Artificers Guild was more than a school; it was also, unsurprisingly, a guild. It was a place for civilians to post jobs and offer a monetary reward for a job well done. The instructors often assigned these jobs to capable students, and the high-ranking students often had the option to pick the kind of job they wanted to work on.

But even though Lenoria was a high-ranking student - despite the hardships she suffered - Headmaster Starflower saw to it that the most rewarding jobs went to the other high-ranking students first. Lenoria would be left with the scraps, so to speak, by the time she was allowed to pick. Hearing that someone wanted to hire her - with the implication that her success would mean she never would have to worry about money again - was a nice surprise for her.

Headmaster Starflower preceded the meeting by talking about the history of the Guild. First came the founders, then he spoke about the star students, and lastly the inventions that came from the Guild’s star students, both past and present.

“Each student holds rank, which is the accumulation of their grades turned into a final average. Lenoria only holds third in rankings, and if you wish I can introduce you to the other students!”

“Do these other students specialize in machinery like Lenoria is?” Gabrielle asked.

“Well, no. But-”

“Then we shall hire Lenoria,” Gabrielle said, frowning and shaking her head, “since we already made up our mind about her.”

“And you’re absolutely sure about this, ma’am?”

“If this is about money, Mr. Starflower, we plan to spare no expense no matter who we hire. Your school is prestigious, is it not? We already knew Lenoria ranked third in the Guild, but no one seemed to score higher than her when it came to golem studies.” Directing her gaze to Lenoria, Gabrielle nodded. “It’s a simple sculpting job, but I would like for you to make a living statue with your abilities. Is this something you would be interested in?”

Making constructs was easy for Lenoria. She had ignored Starflower's backhanded remarks and did not hesitate to respond once Gabrielle gave her a chance to speak. “Depends on the pay, ma’am. But if it’s a fair wage, I’d be happy to accept.”

“Splendid. You wouldn’t happen to have an invention I could have a look at, would you?”

“Of course! Have a look!” From her back, Lenoria retrieved a sphere made of metal. She pressed a button at the top of it and set it on the ground, and just as it made contact with the wooden surface, thin metal legs sprouted at the bottom. This was followed by two arms of the same thickness emerging from the side and a single glass eyestalk coming out of the top where the button was.

“While wizards have homunculi, I invented a little helper that essentially holds the same functions as the common wizard’s helper. I present to you the gear servant! This little guy can fetch stuff, help around with housework, and can even solve basic mathematical problems. I introduced it at the beginning of the semester and ever since then I’ve been working on ways to improve it.” Lenoria posed triumphantly. “Go on, Miss Bisset, ask him a question.” To the tiny robot, she urged, “Be on your best behavior today, Hayate!”

“Of course, Miss Lenoria,” the gear servant replied.

“If that’s the case,” Gabrielle said, “what is 11 x 11?”

“121.”

“What is 5,280 divided by 2?”

“2,640,” Hayate replied without hesitation.”

“Final question, what is the lowest prime number?”

“2.”

Impressed by the small machine's intelligence, Gabrielle clapped her hands with a slow applause. “Oh, Lenoria. Your tiny invention is marvelous!”

“T-thank you, ma’am.” Lenoria tapped her knee, a signal for her little construct to return to her.

“This is exactly the sort of thing I expected to see from the Guild’s elite students. I love how you gave it the same aesthetic as the clockwork golem. And you said they can do common household chores?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I must see the plans,” Gabrielle said with an excited yet commanding voice. “I want to see how your mind came up with its design! You have them, don’t you?”

“Of course! Look!” Lenoria unrolled a parchment she kept in a case strapped to her thigh. She handed the parchment to Gabrielle, who examined it carefully. “Please be careful with them!”

“I will. Now, let’s see. Hmm, yes. I see what you tried to do here…”

Gabrielle was so intensely focused that she didn’t notice Lenoria looming over her shoulder to catch what portion of her plans she was going over. The sheet of paper was scribbled with both important notes and nonsense, the latter which happened whenever Lenoria would read during her breaks. One such note read ‘what if I made it shoot fireballs from every orifice?’

Gabrielle rolled up the parchment and handed it back to Lenoria. “I am quite impressed with the way you nurtured this girl’s potential, Mr. Starflower. If we hired her through the Guild, I fear the three thousand gold pieces we quoted would feel more like a bargain than a fair price.”

Lenoria held in a gasp. “Three thousand?” That was five hundred times the weekly wage of the average man.

“You believe in her that much, Gabrielle?” Beau asked.

“If that is the case, I can always raise the price,” said the headmaster.

“I have a better idea,” Lenoria proposed. All eyes were on her; the headmaster’s with a hint of frustration, Gabrielle’s with curiosity, and Beau’s with indifference. “Hear me out. I’d love to make as much gold as I can, but I don’t like taking what I didn’t earn. How about I accept the three thousand for the job, and once I’m done you can pay me what you think is fair. If the job ends up being piss poor, then you obviously don’t have to give me anything. But I can guarantee I’ll give it one hundred percent!”

The Bisset family had boosted her confidence and Lenoria wished to ease their minds. While this was the main driving factor for her proposal, wanting to spite the headmaster also had something to do with it.

“Consider your words carefully, Lenoria,” Gabrielle said. “Are you suggesting gratuity as if you were some street performer?”

“Well, yeah. You’d be paying the amount you quoted Mr. Starflower and if you like how the project turns out, then you are welcome to add anything extra.”

After a moment of thinking, Gabrielle gave her answer. “It’s a deal. I’ll pay the six hundred gold pieces to the Guild to hire Lenoria and shall pay her a fair amount once the job is done. Mr. Starflower, I want to get started on the paperwork immediately. I want no one else to represent the Artificers Guild.”

The headmaster was not happy, but he suppressed his rage as best as he could. “We could have gotten more from them! Damn it all! I can’t let her have this job! I can’t let HER represent the Guild!”

“Looks like we can wrap up here, Mr. Starflower. I just have one concern.”

“Y-yes, Miss Bisset?”

“Lenoria said she introduced her gear servant at the beginning of the semester. That was nine months ago.”

The seed had been planted, and it was now taking root. Lenoria was careful with her wording and had hoped either Gabrielle or Beau could read between the lines.

“I believe she mentioned something like that, yes,” the headmaster said almost dismissively.

“I went over her plans, and I can see she did her best to improve it since the day of its conception. If it is supposed to help with menial chores and do the things a homunculus is supposed to do, the [Unseen Servant] spell should be a thing of the past in a matter of years. Why, then, are there no more of them? The one Lenoria owns is the only one I’ve seen in the school.”

A cough escaped the headmaster. “T-that’s because the Guild didn’t want to take risks with something like that, so we didn’t make any prototypes.”

“Risks? I see no risk with something like this! If you mass produce them with cheap metal, you could make a fortune while spending so little!” Gabrielle stood up. “Mr. Starflower, why would you deny the world something like this? Why would you, the most learned man in the Guild, let such an opportunity slip from your grasp?”

Lenoria didn’t need to look at the headmaster to know he had been left speechless. There was only one correct answer to that question, and only she and Clara knew. The headmaster would try to get around it, like he always did, so even if Lenoria wanted to speak now, it was her word against his. For now, she was just content to see him squirm though she will surely pay for this somehow.

The headmaster could only stutter a word in before Beau stepped forward to interrupt. “It’s because you hate what she is, is it not?” The headmaster jumped but did not say anything to defend himself. Lenoria looked shocked for a different reason. How could Beau have known?

“P-pardon me, sir?” The headmaster stuttered.

“You hate the fact she isn’t a native from Helix, so you stunted her growth with petty hatred.” The headmaster froze in place as if he had seen a ghost. “Help me out, Starflower. Am I hitting any of these right out of the park?”

Sweating nervously, the headmaster readjusted his shirt collar. “W-why would you assume something like that, sir? It’s not what-”

Gabrielle exchanged her frown for a calm yet murderous look. The headmaster fell into an uncomfortable silence when he looked in her general direction. “All we ask for is the truth, Mr. Starflower. Do you encourage ethnic prejudice in your institution?”

“Choose your next words wisely,” Beau warned. “We heard you call Lenoria a disgusting name out there. Your office walls aren’t exactly soundproof, you know.”

Headmaster Starflower, pale as a dead man at this point, lowered his head and mumbled something under his breath.

“I can’t hear you, Starflower!” Beau roared.

As much as she enjoyed seeing this, Lenoria had to step in. Beau looked like he was ready to snap someone in two. “Beau, Miss Gabrielle, it’s fine. We’ve gone off-topic, haven’t we?”

“Y-yes, that’s right! This is irrelevant, isn’t it?” The headmaster gave a sigh of relief. “Good girl! I guess even a dog can get something right every once in a while!” You break a girl’s spirit long enough, eventually she’ll fold and fall in line. Tormenting Lenoria directly and indirectly finally paid off, he believed.

Beau’s fury subsided while Gabrielle had remained calm the entire time. “So, it isn’t true? Did Beau mishear?”

“Certainly,” the headmaster said smugly. “I don’t know what you think you heard, but I can assure you I wasn’t mocking my student.” His own lies would suffice, but he really needed to drive the point home. “Isn’t that right, Lenoria? Tell them how good the Guild has treated you, how good the students and I have treated you.”

It was one thing for Lenoria to try to expose the headmaster on her own. It was another thing entirely for him to ask her to expose him and his lies.

“But sir…lying to the client is against Guild standards.” Lenoria made sure to say this as loud as she could. Her spirit was far from broken; had the girl been alone throughout her entire stay in Helix, the story would be different.

“Y-y-y-y-y…” The headmaster stuttered endlessly. “D-don’t joke around like that, Tsukino.”

“I’m not.”

"Figures." A smile came from Beau. “Gabrielle?”

“I’ve seen enough.” Gabrielle made her way to the door. She folded her arms in reverse. “The deal is off, Starflower.”

The headmaster ran after Gabrielle and met her at the door. “Miss Bisset, please! This girl is a prankster who shouldn't be taken seriously! I’d be more than happy to introduce you to my top student instead, Thomas Carpathia! He’ll do the job better than she ever could!”

But unbeknownst to all but Lenoria, black ghostly feathers fell from his body whenever he tried to lie.

Gabrielle stopped in her tracks. “Ah, yes.” She turned to meet the headmaster’s gaze. “A family friend had the ‘honor’ to meet your top student. Did you know that the student behind you was injured in the park close to the school grounds, and your top student tried to take advantage of the situation?”

“I can’t keep track of every student! If Tsukino had said something, she would have received my deepest condolences,” the headmaster lied.

“You called Lenoria a hurtful name out there. On top of that, you praised a predator and spoke about a potential victim dismissively under the same breath.” Gabrielle kept calm, but Lenoria could sense a storm beneath her words. "Explain yourself, Starflower."

The headmaster took offense to that. “I’m very sorry, ma’am, but Thomas is an outstanding student. Your friend would need hard evidence for this accusation.” The headmaster bit his tongue. “What’s going on? I didn’t mean to say that!”

"Are you calling my contact a liar?"

"N-no, ma'am!"

“My family friend just so happens to be a paladin devoted to the Hammer of Justice. I may not be a native to Helix, Headmaster, but if I recall correctly the Hammer is one of the more serious deities around here and he doesn’t take dishonesty lightly.”

Lenoria realized Gabrielle was talking about Alistair, and the other witness must be Clara.

“T-that may be true, but not everyone is deeply into religion,” the headmaster nervously countered. "I'm a-afraid his word could not have weight in, say, a courtroom."

“That doesn't matter. I trust my friend’s word with my life,” Gabrielle declared. “He is the evidence I need, and his witness is willing to testify as well, if your implied threat is anything to go by.”

“It was us, Starflower, who arranged Carpathia’s arrest. Not Lenoria.” Beau slowed his speech to make sure the headmaster understood what he said. “Your man violated his restraining order, thrashed an apothecary, and did something to some potion vials I am not willing to disclose because there are two ladies present. Why do you go through such lengths to defend him?”

“You’re responsible for his arrest?” The headmaster growled, baring his fangs like a cornered animal. “By what authority? His grades brought the Guild to greatness!”

The storm that was Gabrielle could erupt at any moment. “His grades mean very little, Starflower. When your top student acts the fool to the point that the majority of the female students write letters to us, and minorities write letters to us pleading for help, the Scholastic Guild takes notice.”

“Lies and slander, I assure you!” The headmaster stopped briefly when he registered what Gabrielle just said. “D-did you just say the Scholastic Guild?”

Lenoria was just as surprised as the headmaster. “Who are these people?”

“Correct. House Bisset may be one of Thule’s noble houses, but I personally take pride in the institutions I invest in.” Gabrielle unrolled a parchment she kept concealed under her coat. “If you don’t believe my words, Starflower, then allow my license to speak for itself.” Gabrielle flipped the parchment over so that the headmaster could read it.

Helix City

Scholastic Administrative License

The Bearer (Gabrielle Bisset)

Having filled out the application as required, (Gabrielle Bisset) is recognized as a figure of authority in the Scholastic Guild and may suggest decisions to be put up for vote by the rest of the Guild leaders and later approved or denied by the Guild Master. (Gabrielle Bisset) may also enforce rules across institutions on the Guild’s behalf. This certificate is good for ten years unless otherwise revoked.

Date: 12th of Injigo, 1658 (1/12/58)

The headmaster shook his head erratically. “T-this has got to be fake!” He bit his tongue again. “Stop antagonizing her! What’s going on?!”

Lenoria stepped closer to take a look at the certificate. “Looks pretty real to me. It’s even got the Scholastic Guild’s stamp of approval. Hard to duplicate, if not impossible.”

“And that grants her authority over me? No…” And at that moment, something snapped inside the headmaster. Some say it was from the stress of his daily duties, others say it was because of the anxiety of losing everything he worked for, and most assume it was just his common sense and any shred of decency leaving his body. Without a thought in his mind, driven by pure instinct, the headmaster invaded Gabrielle’s personal space. He puffed his chest and tried to make himself look taller. "I will not let you undo everything I have worked for!"

Headmaster Starflower, bless his soul, had forgotten about Beau.

In one swift motion, the big man grabbed the headmaster by the neck and placed himself in front of his sister. The headmaster feebly reached for Beau and tried to break himself free, but Beau’s vice grip had the force of the jaws of a wild beast.

“The certificate is merely a courtesy.” Gabrielle tore the certificate to prove her point. “My family has been a benefactor to the Scholastic Guild for decades. The only reason you haven’t even heard of our contributions is because we chose to remain anonymous. But you’re welcome to contact anyone in the administrative team. They can vouch for me.” She nodded to Beau. “Release him.”

For Lenoria, watching the headmaster get ragdolled provided much-needed catharsis for her. She did not pity him in the slightest, especially now that he insisted on digging his own grave.

The headmaster scrambled to stand back up, but he remained prone once he noticed Gabrielle’s cold gaze fixed on him. “Do you not see the mistake you’re making, Lady Bisset? A Helixian native will pride themselves in their work and is overall a better candidate! Please reconsider!"

There was furious indignation in Gabrielle's eyes. “The duty of the Scholastic Guild is to create an environment in all educational institutions where students can thrive and be able to do their best. I consider the prejudice in the school and Carpathia’s predatory escapades to be your fault, Mr. Starflower. You were entrusted with the Guild, and you brought shame to it. The damage you caused will take years to fix. You made me do this.”

“What are you saying, ma’am? I have no control over what my students have-”

"I'm getting sick of your excuses." Gabrielle gave Lenoria a saddened look. “Lenoria has potential. She should be enough proof for you to realize that anyone can achieve greatness, no matter their race, color, or creed.”

Poe perched on Lenoria’s shoulder and, by spreading his wings, he summoned another raven on the opposite shoulder. Watching black feathers scatter from the headmaster anytime he moved allowed her to put things together.

“You guys did this?” Pearl had told Lenoria she could communicate with her and her corvids telepathically if she wanted to.

The two ravens cawed as loudly as they could, as if to respond affirmatively. This didn’t draw anyone else’s attention, and Lenoria felt relieved they weren’t heard.

“This is your power, Lenoria.” Pearl floated behind Lenoria. “Poe is merely reacting to the desires in your heart. You wished for this man to face justice; all Poe did was sprinkle some misfortune on him. He had a hard time masking himself.”

It would explain the headmaster suddenly telling on himself. The fact Lenoria wasn’t aware she was causing Starflower to stumble with his own words concerned her. It was a power that needed to be controlled and she planned to ask Pearl how to control it later. For now, she waited with bated breath to hear Starflower’s fate, though it appeared everyone knew at this point.

“Pack your belongings, Starflower,” Gabrielle said coldly after a long pause. “You’re fired.”