"Hey dad, mom... I'll be going now. It's the Day of the Choosing. Yeah, the last apprentice quit as well. No one has reached the 5th Level yet -- everyone is stuck in the 4th level. It's not my fault... if they can't handle the pressure, then they don't deserve to become alchemists." a soft voice echoed from the room inside an inn. "You don't have to worry, Dad and Mom, I've already paid for the rent until next month. I've just got to have some apprentices, and once they've paid the enrollment fee, they can leave whenever they want."
The girl stood up, grabbing the black cloak before covering her figure with it. The cloak acted as some sort of a veil which hid her youthful features and her red eyes which pierced into everything she saw. "It's fine... I'll manage. Make sure you can wake up, okay?" the girl smiled gleefully before turning to the door, and with a last glance at her parents, she softly closed the wooden door. A barkeep was looking at her with a confused glance, almost as if questioning her sanity.
"What are ya lookin' at, wise guy?! Out of my way!" the girl lunged forward before smacking the guy right in his groin. The alchemist, named as Vestia, strode through the different rooms before exiting the inn itself. She turned back, almost as if wishing that the inn wasn't there. Her eyes roamed the wooden frame and appearance of the place where her parents were laying in a coma. Vestia sighed before wrapping the black cloak around his neck, almost as if it was a scarf. Her steps were heavy and pained, and with each strode she made, it seemed that her burden was getting heavier. She knew where she was going: to her house.
Vestia reached the dilapidated shack that was just located in the corner of the marketplace. She hastily went inside, and got a few parchments. These were contracts apparently with the following conditions and provisions:
I, ___________________, wish to study under the tutelage of Vestia Veilin, Alchemy Master, and therefore, accept and understand all the provisions given below:
1. I understand that my apprenticeship is a privilege, and thus, the Alchemy Master can remove me at anytime.
2. I understand that before I am considered as an official apprentice, I must pay a shekel of silver as an enrollment fee.
3. I understand that alchemy is a risky field, and while rewarding, it is not to be taken likely.
4. I understand that I cannot sue the Alchemy Master should I be incinerated, disintegrated, poisoned, incapacitated, comatosed, dismembered, sundered, and be injured if it arises from personal mistakes and ignorance.
5. I understand that, as part of apprenticeship, I must report to the Alchemy Quarters, located near the river, before the sun crosses the horizon (9:00 am). Failure to do so will mean that the Alchemy Master has the right to punish me in anyway that he/she sees fit.
6. I understand that, as a future alchemist, I am entrusted with a sacred art not to be used for taking lives, but for preserving it.
7. I understand that any secrets revealed through the apprenticeship should be kept with utmost confidentiality. Failure to do so will merit an expulsion from the program.
8. I understand that, as a future alchemist, my duty is to the kingdom I serve before all else.
9. I understand that the Alchemy Master might require me to do some light cooking and cleaning due to the experiments that will be performed.
10. I understand that Alchemy is an art and science, and as such, I must be proud of what I've chosen and I will never give up until I succeed.
I understood all the conditions, and on this day of ___________________, witness my sign as a proof of my desire for apprenticeship:
(Insert Signature Here)
Aspirant Apprentice
Approved by:
Vestia Veilin
Alchemy Master
Vestia went out of her house as she now headed for the town square where most of the people were. She arrived there without much difficulty, and with a great effort, she managed to hang one of her advertisements:
"Do you desire to surpass boundaries? Ever wondered how it feels to be able to create something entirely new? Well, study under the Alchemy Master, and you can reach for whatever dream you might desire-- here, you can brew glory and craft fame.
Interested? Good! Now, go to the Alchemy Quarter near the river south of the town. Wait there for the Alchemy Master before you can sign the contract!"
The girl nodded to herself, and for her brilliance. "Don't worry, Mom, Dad... I know I can do this!"