MAZE - The Endless Quest

Helena had told Hera to meet her at 10 am sharp. It was already 10:15. Helena wasn"t one to be late, but she could be doing some work. There was no reason for Hera to be worried. Besides, it was a hot day, and the AC in the guild reception was lovely. A few minutes later, Helena walked in.

"Hera! I"m so sorry for being late. I overslept."

"That"s rare for you," she replied.

"Yeah, I ended up watching a show before bed to relax, but it got exciting."

"What"s the show about?"

"It"s called Alazar the Last Wind Shaper, it"s a cartoon about a world with elemental based countries. But there is a war going on because the flame shapers attacked. It started in a really mellow tone, but by the second season, it became so much better. Anyway, let"s go. Your present is not here."

Hera got up and left the guild with her friend. They kept talking about the shows they liked and comparing notes and theories about a few that they both enjoyed. It was the first time Hera went out with Helena. She felt happy knowing that they could meet like this, just as friends.

About ten minutes after they left the guild, Helena stopped.

"And here we are," she said, pointing to a window.

"Where... No Lena, please don"t do this," Hera pleaded.

"It"s a big day."

"Yeah, but don"t make me do this. Please,"

Helena stared at Hera"s eyes.

"We are doing this, and you are choosing it,"

Helena started to drag Hera inside the store while the explorer groaned loudly. The people walking through the street wondered why someone would be so upset about going to a boutique.

What followed was among the longest two hours of Hera"s life. Helena made her try on almost every single dress in the store. From simple black gowns to weird pink fluffy dresses filled with ribbons.

"That one is great. All you need is a cane and a sheep," Helena laughed.

"Oh, bite me. I would love to see you pull this one off," Hera grumbled.

Helena got up, grabbed the same dress in her size, and a wide black hat. After a few moments, she left the dressing room. The dress was still silly, but the way she moved reminded Hera of a model. Even in the weirdest of outfits, they can still show how beautiful they are.

"That"s not fair," Hera mumbled.

"And why is that?" Helena said as she sat in a chair with both hands on one knee. Somehow, that made her even more elegant.

"Because of that. It has to be a skill. Even using that ridiculous dress, you can look good," Hera huffed.

Helena stared at her for a moment. She was a.n.a.lyzing the woman in front of her. Her long blond hair was naturally wavy, and her eyes had such a beautiful blue color. And yet she wasn"t aware of just how pretty she was. Maybe she could give her an extra push.

"Well, it is a skill, but more akin to cooking a dish than to an actual skill the system gave you."

"What do you mean?" Hera asked.

"I guess your All in is a good example. You know how you can focus your strength on a single point? Like when you are throwing a punch."

Hera nodded.

"There are ways to do that with all attributes. Well, I say all, but I have no idea how to do this with luck. Now, back to the main topic. With agility would be running or moving fast, intelligence is focusing on something mentally taxing, but did you ever wonder what it would be to focus on your charisma?"

Hera shook her head, "I can"t say I have."

"Well, it"s hard to explain, but it is like focusing on your presence, like trying to appear regal and dignified and make everyone see it."

Hera kept staring at Helena. It was like hearing those cliche things that people say in movies, stuff like ki, bloodl.u.s.t, or killing intent. All of that just sounded like fantasy things. If she had said it was a spell, it would make more sense.

"Sorry, but I still don"t get it."

"I know. It took me a long time to do so too. My teacher was the one who actually told me about this. The best way to practice this feeling is to pretend like you are doing it," Helena explained.

"Lena, are you asking me to play pretend?"

The mage giggled, "I guess I am. Try another dress, and when you come out, pretend like you are a queen from ancient times."

After some convincing, Hera tried Helena"s suggestion. She remembered the movies and shows about royalty. Most acted like the world was there to serve them, but a few were different. They were respectful to all and very attentive. At the same time, they would only grab the spotlight when needed. If not, they would be in the background. She always like those characters. Since she was going to pretend, she might as well pretend to be a character she liked.

As she left the dressing room, Hera scanned the area, trying to see everyone in the room. She was wearing a dark purple long dress with a belt in the middle. There were b.u.t.tons on the top of the dress that made it look like the dress was actually a skirt and a dress shirt.

Helena watched Hera. She was moving more slowly and carefully. She had a serious expression in her eyes that was a mix of discomfort and interest. Probably due to it being something unnatural to her. Yet, it seemed like a step in the right direction.

"Keep practicing it, if your skill activates, you know you are on the right track."

Hera knew that Helena was trying to be supportive, but she felt silly. Even though she like the dress.

"Now, about the dress..."

Hera flinched, could the mage read minds?

"I loved it. It is so cute. I love how the purple looks with your hair."

"Thanks, I think I"m going to get this one. I really liked it," Hera looked at the price tag. 85 gold? For a dress? "On second thought, I"m gonna look for something else."

"No you are not, you just want to look for something cheaper. How much is it?" Helena got up and looked at the price, "That"s it? Sweetie, that is really cheap. And you know that I"m paying. What"s the problem."

"Lena, that is too much for a dress. I can eat for two weeks with that money."

"You are an explorer now, a day"s work you give you three times that. Trust me when I say that this will be nothing."

After some convincing, Hera finally gave in and let Helena buy the dress even if she promised herself to buy something amazing to the mage after returning from the MAZE. As the two of them left the store, Helena said.

"Now, we have one last stop. Should we go to the Hair Salon or lunch first?"

"Didn"t you get a haircut last week?"

"I"m not the one getting a haircut," Helena said with a smile.

"Helena. Please, the dress is enough."

Hera stopped walking. She was already uncomfortable about letting Helena pay for the dress. The last thing she needed was to try out a new look for a party. Helena only needed one look to understand how nervous Hera was.

"Ok, one step at a time. But you should consider having a shorter haircut when you enter the maze. Long hair can be a problem when fighting."

Hera promised to consider it, and the two of them looked for a place to eat. A few hours later, they stopped by Helena"s home to get ready. She had a small flat just a few minutes from the guild. They got ready and kept talking about various things before it was time to go back to the guild. They arrived half an hour early for the graduation.

As they were arriving, Hera noticed a familiar blue-haired woman in the reception.

"Blue?"

"Hera!" she said as she got up to hug the explorer, "Wow, you look so pretty."

"Thanks, you look amazing too."

Blue was wearing a sleeveless white dress that went to her knees. It was fitted so it would show her curves. In another person, it would highlight their b.r.e.a.s.t.s or waist. But what popped on Blue were her arms. She was very muscular.

"d.a.m.n, girl. Those are some nice guns."

They looked back and saw Alex arriving wearing a grey pantsuit with a black shirt underneath.

"What did you expect from the future best controller in the world?" Blue said as she flexed her arms.

Helena left to prepare the final touches of the ceremony. And the trio kept talking. They discussed the test and what had happened during those days. Alex finished her a.s.sa.s.sin test in five days, while Blue only took three to learn the control skill.

As time went by, the rest of the cla.s.s arrived. Leo was happy about becoming a Hunter, and Bonnie, the researcher, brought a bag of cupcakes to thank the group for giving her the chalice. Tiffany and Kenji came in but sat on the other side of the reception, but Anaya was nowhere to be seen. Mark ended up being the last to arrive.

"Hey, Mark. Why the long face?" Blue asked as the man walked in.

"Hey, guys. I just... don"t know why I"m here."

"Why do you say that?" Hera asked.

"I failed the test. I want to be a crafter, and I was so close to getting the skill. But time ran out," He explained while staring at the ground.

Hera felt a knot form in her stomach. She knew how much it hurt to fail in something like this.

"Oh, man. I"m sorry about that. What is going to happen now?" Leo asked while placing his hand on Mark"s shoulder.

"I get a new chance next week. Jasper pulled a few strings. But I have to do it all again, the written test, the group one, and the role test. You know what it sucks? I almost had it. To get the skill, I had to memorize the materials and production of three items. A belt, a potion, and an arrow. The potion is what screwd me. I was never a good chemist, and it kept asking to figure out the right temperature, but I had no tools for it. So I spend a while coming up with a way to check the temperature of the mix. When I finally got it, I showed it to the dumba.s.s AI just to be told that they had a thermometer. They didn"t give me because I didn"t ask for it," he explained.

"That sucks Mark. I"m sorry," Alex said.

"Yeah, it"s fine. I can finish the whole thing in a day now. I"m going to the bathroom, be right back," Mark said as he walked away.

The mood changed. It was hard seeing one of their friends failing like that. Hera glanced at Tiffany, and the frustration turned into anger. If Anaya hadn"t left them alone, they could have finished the group test sooner. Maybe that would be enough for Mark to get his role.

"I know it sounds bad, but I"m just gonna say it. Only Mark could do something so funny," Blue sneered.

"Blue!" Hera said.

"I know, I know. But seriously. In a few months, we will be laughing our a.s.ses off inside the MAZE about this."

"Maybe, but that is way too soon," Alex condemned.

"Please don"t say that near Mark," Leo begged.

They stayed in silence for a few moments and then started talking about the party. Mark came back from the bathroom and joined in. A few minutes later, Helena came back to escort the group to where the graduation would take place.

Following Helena to the elevator, she pressed the b.u.t.ton for the roof.

"Oh, Just a quick tip for you. When these doors open, you will meet all the people who showed an interest in recruiting you. No pressure, but remember that this is kind like a job interview," Helena said.

"Sure, I can be really chill after hearing that," Leo said, rolling his eyes.

With a ding, the elevator stopped, and the doors opened.