Sorry for the slightly late update- my internet connection crashed. Anyway, here's the new chapter!
The Month of Awakening (February) Age 7
Week 1
The infamous guild leader has finally been able to grace us with his presence. He walked in to the class this morning, unannounced. Kayley was nearly wetting herself, and bowed like he was some sort of king. The twins actually stopped jumping enough to shake his hand. Even Razor took out a poem he made up to recite to him.
He didn't look anything special to me, just a blue Gelert with a scar on his face, mostly hidden by a cloak. But the old Kyrii pushed me up on front saying not to be shy. SHY? I was so not shy. To prove it, I went right up to the guy and said, "How'd you end up as the guild leader anyway?"
Both the Kyrii and Kayley looked like they wanted to toast me alive, but the Gelert- Kanrik- just smiled this weird, spooky leer and began telling a story. It was actually kind of cool. He worked his way to the top until he became the right-hand man of the leader, and then got sent on a mission to get some treasure. He partly succeeded, tricking this adventurer, Hannah, into telling the location. Then the leader's evil girlfriend, Masila, double-crossed him by ordering him to unleash this monster. He promptly got kicked out. So then he joined Hannah to stop them from getting the "Heart of The Mountain" or whatever. They did it, but Hannah got poisoned. So they went tromping back to tip of the mountain and got her healed by the Snow Faerie. They parted ways as friends, with him the new chief.
At that point I was having fun messing with him, so I said, "Is the moral to try and overthrow your guild leader when you grow up?"
His smile faltered. "No."
"But that's what you did!" I protested playfully.
"That wasn't the point- oh, never mind," he said, eyeing me wearily. "I can see you're going to be a handful someday."
I grinned. "Aren't I a handful now?"
He ignored me and turned to the Kyrii. "You told them about the tournament?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. I can see a few people here that might just make it." Was it my overactive imagination, or did he look at me just a little longer than the others?
Week 2
Valentine's Day is always kind of weird for me. A lot of girls always stare whenever I come near, maybe hoping that I'd give them a card, and my neo-mail is always full. I don't get it. I barely know any of them except Kayley and Juliet, and I'm definitely never going to give something to them.
I don't picture myself on ever wanting to give a card to anybody. One time, before I knew what the whole thing was about, I gave it to a girl just because I saw everyone doing it. She wouldn't leave me alone for weeks! At the end I had to yell at her to go away, and she looked really hurt. I felt kind of mean, but I didn't want her bothering me.
It's useful, though. Putting on my "charming smile" and saying a few witty comments would distract a lot of females, so I can easily steal something from behind their back. My Dad said that's going to be useful when I got older. When Mom asked how he knew, he just looked away and started whistling.
I mostly spent the day alone, practicing. Being in the training area when you don't have to is no fun (especially if Kayley is there beating the stuffing out of a punch-bag) but it's better than being covered in lipstick.
Week 3
We learned about ranks. I'll list them in order, from the bottom to the top:
1) Pickpocket
2) Apprentice Thief
3) Swindler
4) Pilferer
5) Scoundrel
6) Bandit
7) Plunderer
8) Footpad
9) Blackguard
10) Rogue
11) Infiltrator
12) Brigand
13) Master Thief
The Kyrii said that since we were seven, we started out as pickpockets.
"Does age determine your rank?" Kayley asked.
"No, but it's difficult to jump from your position before time," he answered.
"Jump? We can do that!" The twins exclaimed. Before he could stop them, they hopped from desk to desk, toppling each one.
"That is not what I meant," he seethed, grabbing them by the scruff of their collars. "It's how much loot or information that will help you- er, get promoted. Then you get assigned specific jobs, and after that you'll have to mastermind them."
That was interesting. I'm still not really up to working too hard, but then again, what good is being a thief if you're not the best one there is? Besides, being one might wipe the smug little smile off of Kayley's face.
Week 4
The visit two weeks earlier motivated some us to actually make plans, which I guess is what Kanrik intended. The twins each got a crayon and were zigzagging through a lot of paper. It might have made sense to them but all I, and apparently the Kyrii, saw were scribbles. "You call this plan?" He yelled at them. "Do something worthwhile, will you?"
Razor and Kayley are both secretive about theirs, which I guess makes sense. But me? I'm still winging it. Or at least, I think I am. Sometimes, something pops in my head, and I unconsciously start scheming. So now I actually have a basic idea on what I'm going to do. I haven't debated all the pros-and-cons and all the other stuff like Kayley, but hey, I'm a do-and-think-later kind of guy.