thanks for your support .this is my first solo fanfic. So criticism is welcome.

After a few days of travel, Alex finally arrived at the job site

"The port city of Gallowstown" Alex said to himself, pulling out a piece of paper

"Now let's see, thief capture, client is a merchant guild. Hanging man."

Alex walked over to a nearby store and searched for someone to ask for directions.

Alex smiled when he caught sight of someone, "Hi I'm not from around here. I was wondering if you could point me in the direction to a Hanging Man merchant guild." He asked an old couple who just left the store.

"Take a left at the street, that should bring you to the merchants quarter." the old man said pointing down the street.

"Thanks." Alex said as walked away, following the old man's directions. It took him nearly thirty minutes, though he would never admit it to anyone else. He got lost a few time, but he finally made his way into the Hanging Man merchant guild.

When he entered, the sight was similar to what he imagined. Clerks sitting at desks ether dealing with paperwork or helping clients of their own. Alex got into a line and waited.

"How can I help you sir?" One of them asked once they were open.

"I'm here to complete a job offer." Alex said reaching inside of his grey jacket.

"Inside there." the clerk responded nodding to an oak door.

Alex went through, inside the door was an office. Except there was only one desk, manned by a middle-aged man.

"Are you here to see-"

Alex interrupted him, "I'm from the Phantom guild", he stated, pulling out the paper with the details of the job.

The man paused, re-evaluating his work, "I see, well you already know the job, now go."

Alex rolled his eyes "What has the thief been taking?"

The man finally looked up from his desk, sighing he said "The thief has been targeting some of our stores, and stores that we have made investments in."

"Show me where" Alex said, removing a map of the port he 'acquired' while getting lost.

"Here, here and here." The man said, pointing to four spots on the map. Alex took a pen the man was just using and marked the spots he pointed out.

Alex immediately left the building, sure of his destination. Heading to a spot that would be roughly equidistant from all the stores that were hit had him in a poorer part of the town. Alex spotted a rundown building that just spoke of being uninhabited. Alex thought, no, he knew the thief was in there. So he did the best thing he could. He waited across from building.

It was dark and Alex was starting to nod of, when he heard a door open. He turned slightly to see the door next to him opened and a person clad in a ragged cloak and hood stepped out.

The mysterious and suspicious figure closed the door, and walked by Alex's 'sleeping' body.

Alex waited a moment before getting up and stretching, then he sets off to stalk the figure. Just like when he was young, he tracked the figure, his mark. Through the empty streets until the mark was standing in front of a closed store, where he knelt down in front of the door. Even though Alex was unable see what the thief was doing, he assumed the novice was trying to pick the lock. The thief uttered a string of curses when a quiet snap filled the air.

Alex sighed, the thief must have broke his only pick. Totally unprofessional, he thought as he watched the thief attempt to kick the door down. Alex was just about to walk out into the street, when he noticed three people walking down the street. A patrol he figured,

Alex quietly slipped down the alley and hid behind a pile of trash, waiting for the novice thief to try to make their way to their safehouse. A sure enough alex heard footsteps, he waited until the person was passed before he lunged out, grabbing the person's legs, the thief fell, Alex immediately punched him, and released his Lightning, shocking the target into unconsciousness.

First solo job complete.

After another few days of travel. Alex was entering guild headquarters, when a familiar figure lounging at the main door caught his eye.

"Boze!"

Boze walked over greeting Alex.

" Hey, how did your first solo go?"

Alex shrugged "Eh", ignoring Boze's eye roll, Alex's gaze swept across the guild.

At that point Alex noticed people walking in and out of the guild, or rather he noticed one person that he never seen before. A girl with dark orange hair, and Alex placed her age around seventeen. New recruit, he thought.

"Hey! Are you paying attention?" Boze said gripping Alex's shoulder.

Alex looks back at Boze "Hm, you said something?"

"Yes, for the second time, how are you going to fight Bronx tomorrow." The older man was getting impatient.

"I'll beat him" Alex said turning and walking into the guild "But first, I have to head to the library."

The guild library was located in the basement, it was small, but cared for. Alex leaned on the desk waiting for the keeper of the library. "Psst,Tichus."

"Oh,ho,ho. there's no need to whisper in here." Tichus said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

Alex jumped in surprise,"Jeez, you're going to be the death of me gramps."

Tichus looked like a scholar and had a warm fatherly personality. Alex loved the old man and treated him like the grandfather he never had.

"So, what brings you down here again?" Tichus asked slipping behind the main desk.

"I'm Wondering if you have any books on nullification magic?"

"Wait a moment." he said before disappearing down the aisle. Tichus can back with an armload of books "this is all we have."

"Thanks!" Alex said taking the books off the desk.

"And this time get them back in less than a month!"

Alex turned and shot the old man a grin, making no guarantees when the old man will get his books.

The next day Alex wandered outside towards the practice field. In reality the field was just a flat place above the guild.

After walking up the mountain Alex saw Bronx waiting, what he didn't expect to see was the decent amount of spectators.

Alex met Bronx in the middle of the field "You ready?"

Bronx nodded with a smirk, "Yeah, are you?"

Alex nodded, and darted forward, not trying to take Bronx off guard but rather just tried to close the distance between them. Bronx was unlike most Lightning mages, he had extremely good control over his magic. Meaning his lighting would not dissipate over a long would be more of a hindrance than a safety.

Bronx used his guaranteed defeat spell, his Lightning strike, which was, from what Alex could tell, a stronger more controlled version of lightning bolt.

He launched his strike at Alex trying to hit him. Alex, still running at Bronx smirked and dropped to a slide avoiding the magical strike, and swept at Bronx's legs.

Bronx avoid the sweep, and moved out of range to ready himself for close quarters. But before he could do anything, Alex was in front of him and punching him in the gut, and releasing Lightning into Bronx. The man dropped. It took five minutes and the fight was over.

Alex let the man topple, not even trying to help him. He started heading down the hill with most of the surprised spectators. This is how Lightning mages fight, with speed and precision. Or at least he did, Alex thought to himself. Then he spotted the girl from yesterday.

Alex jogged up behind her. "Hey you, you're new right?"

She turned showing him green eyes, bright compare to his dull emerald.

"Yes." She said looking him over.

"I'm Alex." He offered her his hand to shake and she took it before releasing it once more.

"Verna."

They started walking back towards the guild.

"So, how did you end up in phantom?" Alex asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Reasons."

"Mhm, what magic do you."

"Illusion, and you?"

"Just what you seen up there."

They made their way to the drinking hall when Alex said

"Well, I'm heading up." gesturing to the stairs behind him.

Verna "Okay."

Alex turned his back and started walking when he heard, "Six out of ten."

"What?" Alex questioned, facing her in confusion.

"Nothing" Verna said as she turned and walked away.

Alex shrugged and left it at that, going up the stairs to his room to rest from the fight.