Of Ice, Death & Monsters

“We regret to inform you…”

“It is with great regret that…”

“With a heavy heart we…”

I slammed my head onto the desk in front of me and groaned ever so slightly as I read out the rejection emails on my computer screen.

“…Why… just…” I bit my lip in frustration, then stood up and struck out another business name on a blackboard filled with hundreds of crossed-out names.

“That makes… 204… rejections…”

My heart sank while I fell onto my bed, clawing the sheets as I groaned.

It wasn’t fair at all; I did everything the world asked of me. I went to school, then I got into college, graduated, and got a degree in Arcanology, the study of Magick.

The whole nine yards, and yet, it wasn't enough. There was no job out there that would want me. I had no experience, but also no job to get that experience from.

Not even menial labor was available; most of it was already automated by golems and constructs. The remaining ones paid less than the minimum wage and still were not even recognized as having ‘proper experience,’ whatever that meant

I got up and looked around my room. It was a complete and total mess. My bedsheets were torn, and there were no curtains. I had to improvise and use the worn-down cabinets to block out the sunlight.

There were barely any lights up. I didn’t want to use the electricity bill more than I needed to anyway. And, of course, there was trash everywhere, consisting of cup noodles and wrappers of crackers on the floor.

I grabbed a new resume off my desk and was about to leave for another interview, which I was sure I was going to fail.

"Well... Here we go again." I took a deep breath and stood up.

Then, suddenly, my door opened up, revealing a tall, handsome man dressed up all prim and proper with blond hair and soft green eyes.

“Yo, Peter! What’s good, man…” He gave an awkward smile as he avoided looking at the mess of the room he was in.

This was John, the only friend that I had left in my life as of that moment. Our history went all the way back to high school when I helped him out with assignments and studies.

“Uhm… uh, I don’t know what’s good anymore, John… and before you say anything, no, I don’t have your rent money.”

He was also the owner of the apartment complex in which I was staying. As a favor, he lent the cheapest unit to me while I searched for a job.

“Nah, that’s not what I was going to ask you. Actually, I was going to invite you to dinner with some of my friends from work! Cause let’s be honest here, pal, I don’t think you can live off cup noodles and crackers for long.”

An awkward yet well-meaning laugh came out of John as I looked at him with dead eyes. “Uhm… I’m good, thanks anyways… I have a job interview in a bit, and I don’t want to miss it.”

I walked past John. I knew that he meant well, but at this point, meaning well could only get you so far. Nothing was working out for me, so I might as well make the most of it. I didn't deserve a proper dinner out at all if I couldn’t even pay the bills.

“Ah, that’s the best part, I got a job proposition for you too! But I’ll only reveal it if you come join the dinner. Come on! You look like a scarecrow at this point, man.”

For a moment, I stopped in place, turning my head as I narrowed my eyes. “…For… me? Like… from Epithet?”

John gave a wry grin. “Only one way to find out.”

Epithet. That was the most prestigious organization in the world right now. They were the shareholders of Magick, literally.

They owned, produced, and copyrighted every spell in the continent of Phorash. If you wanted to learn about Magick, from enchanting guns to producing fireballs. You’d have to go through them.

It was every Magi’s dream to become one of their men, yet they only chose a select few. And one of them was John.

There was no doubt about it, I envied John; it should have been me who got that letter. It should have been me who should be in the ivory towers working with the newest spells and incantations.

Yet here I was. I can’t even cast a single spell. You had to pay a subscription service to even access the right to have it. While maybe I could get away with the initial payment, if you failed to pay the subsequent fees, they would lock you out of the effects and send in a team after you as if you failed to pay your taxes.

With a sigh, I finally gave in. “…Fine, I’ll go.”

Maybe I could get a job as their test subject, or maybe even just as a clerk. For some reason, Epithet still used humans even if they could quite easily replicate it with their golems.

“That’s the spirit! Come on, man, it’s on me!”

He dragged me out of the apartment and onto the balcony, where a symphony of lights and noises slammed into my body. I nearly doubled over and curled up on the spot, but John kept pushing me along. "It can't be that bad, man, the settings have been averaged out for the day."

I looked up into the sky and found the shimmering dome that stood over the city. Ephitet had this whole setup where they would cover cities in domes and create their own ecosystems to help with the mood and atmosphere. They were able to dim the lights, create breezes, and help with noise pollution. Everything to help with production.

John quickly ushered me to the elevator, bringing us to the ground floor as we stepped out of the complex. "Alright, let's pick up the pace so we won't be late." He started to briskly walk ahead, and I had to use all the remaining energy I had to rush along and follow him.

Along the way, I accidentally bumped a man in a suit carrying a small cup of coffee, spilling it all over his suit as he sighed. "Gah, watch where you're going! I already cleaned this suit twice- and what's that smell? Ugh, I thought they already got you people out of the streets-"

But before he could continue, John threw a check in the man's face. "There, now shoo."

The man grumbled as he grabbed the check. Almost immediately, his eyes widened at the amount given as he shook his head. "Sure, whatever." He muttered as he gave me the stink eye and walked away, pocketing the check.

"Thanks, but are you sure you should be throwing money like that around?" I asked as he opened the car door for me.

"Yeah, it's a special day after all." He flashed me a grin that I returned with a sigh as we both got in his car.

"Is it really?"

"Hah... it is."

He drove away without a second thought, entering into a special lane made for the employees of Ephitet to get around faster. I leaned against the windows and watched the ads on the billboards mindlessly.

"Out of shape? Well, we'll make you fit right in. Introducing the Artifact that would help you lose all that fat from your body-"

I nearly snorted out of laughter and rolled my eyes. 'Yeah, it's also going to age you up... all it does is fast-forward your body ahead. I doubt they found a way to really focus it on your metabolism...'

For a while, this continued until we stopped by a large white building that looked like a mansion more than anything else. Especially with the fountain just by the entrance and the attendants wearing sleek and stylish maroon suits.

John got out of the car, handing the keys over the the valet as he helped me out and inside the building. "We're here!"

The restaurant John chose was amazing, with soft lighting from chandeliers overhead, floors carpeted in red, and tables made of shining wood draped over with a pristine white tablecloth.

It was all so fine and reeked of class as I saw many men, women, elves, and dwarves all in suits and dresses dining out and talking either business or romance.

I felt out of place with my raggedy white shirt and ratty jeans. It felt like everyone was staring at me, judging me, waiting for me to mess up.

I sneered a little but simply looked away; I didn’t want to get thrown out after all. The smell of all the food here was mouth-watering, and I couldn’t remember the last time I stepped foot in a restaurant.

“And here we are. Nice place, ain’t it, just nearby too… Ah, there they are!” John waved over to a couple of people in suits, who gestured to come closer.

“Ah, you both are finally here. Wonderful, we were wondering if we were going to order yet. Come sit.”

Both John and I sat down around the table, the latter noticing the variety of faces that now surrounded me; all of them seemed to be around my age, some younger, some older.

Some were humans, one I noticed had scales on their neck and hands, while another had wolf ears and a tail.

They all wore such expensive jewelry: necklaces with several gemstones, watches made of gold, and so much more. Even their pens looked like they cost more than my rent.

With every passing moment, I felt smaller and smaller. These men were giants, and I was the ant.

“So… you’re Peter.” The youngest of the group spoke out. It was a boy who, if I had lost another hour of sleep, would have mistaken for a girl with long white hair and cat ears.

“Uh, yeah, that’s me. Who’s asking?” I rubbed my eyes and groaned slightly, trying to wake myself up.

“My Name is Matthias. It’s a pleasure to meet you; John talked a lot about you.”

I turned to John, rather confused and amused at the same time. “What is there to talk about me?”

“Come on man!” John slapped my back, causing me to double over. “You’re the reason why I got this gig in the first place. Helped me out when we were roommates and everything… Remember our thesis? All you.”

I rubbed my head. That was nearly three years ago now. I barely remembered it other than all the sleepless nights I had researching about the ontological nature of Magick. Those were the good old days, all of it amounting to absolutely nothing.

“Yeah, I guess it was all me…” I gave a half-hearted laugh and looked away.

“Oh? I actually read it.” Matthias leaned in slightly. “You’re quite enthusiastic about Magick; why haven’t you ever applied to Epithet?”

“…I did… I was just… rejected.” I looked down, clenching my fists under the table as I remembered that I never even got the rejection letter. They just never called back.

Matthias gave a small look of surprise before leaning back. “Oh… I see; sorry for asking.”

John came in and scoffed. “And I don’t know what they’re thinking at all! I tried to get him recommended a few times, too, no such luck, haha…”

His boisterous nature wasn’t enough to bring the mood back, but I couldn’t blame him for trying.

“Well… I’m Matthias, a Magi for Epithet. It’s nice to meet you, Peter. I hope you manage to get into Epithet one day.”

“Yeah… thanks.” I mumbled in a way to make sure nobody could hear it.

“Take it as a chance to try again when you have more… experience behind your back.” The one with scales on his body spoke out. “I’m Professor Rook, and I’ve seen many like you around these parts. You people are always so hopeful in dreams, but we need those who could put these dreams into action.”

I just sighed and nodded; I’ve heard it all before and just accepted it at this point. John used the opportunity to usher in the menus, asking everyone to order.

“It’s alright. Bills are on me. Order what you want, haha. I just got a raise!”

I took one look at the menu and my eye twitched incessantly. Lobster, steak, caviar, elven brie, elementally baked sausages.

All of them were more than a month's rent or even a year’s rent. It felt wrong to get nothing but the water, but they even had special water for some reason! What does ‘special water’ even mean?! There were no other descriptions; it just had special in italics!

In the end, I just got the standard steak and waited for my order while the rest of the group talked business to each other. I didn’t bother to listen; it was mostly just paperwork and connections, nothing that was interesting to me in the slightest.

My mind started to fall back into the past as I remembered those days with John, working in our dorm together, laptop on the bed, eyebags as dark as the night sky. I think my best record for staying up awake was like two or three days?

John was usually the one who got the materials. He always had more money than I, so he would go grab supplies and food from the mall to keep me up. I’m not saying that I had the harder job; it’s just that I was the one passing out in the middle of the day, and he was the one who got to sleep soundly.

Of course, when it came time to present it. John was the one who had the mental faculties to even say anything. I thanked him for that, but there was always a part of me that regretted not being able to present it properly. And there was a part of me that felt like he got more praise than I ever did.

For a while, I dwelled on these thoughts until I realized something was off.

Several waiters began to walk towards our table, many of them with semi-bored expressions on their faces, but a few seemed genuinely happy. For a moment, I thought something terrible must have happened, an accident, or perhaps someone was being kicked out.

Little did I know, it was something far worse.

“Happy Birthday to you!”

Suddenly, I was blasted with confetti into my face as the large cake was plopped onto the table.

All around me, several of the waiters, John, and even his associates began to clap and sing, confusing me until I finally realized:

It was my birthday.

That’s right; I had completely forgotten about it, amidst all of the job finding, interviews, and stress. Today was my birthday.

Yet the notion didn’t fill me with joy, only dread. Every year, I was getting older, and I had nothing to my Name at all.

“Come on, make a wish!” John’s voice shook me out of my own thoughts as I sat there awkwardly contemplating for a little while before settling on my wish.

Quietly, I thought to myself that I wished to get a job and be freed from this hellhole.

I blew out the candles, and everyone cheered.

“How old are you now dude?”

“…22.” I started to realize that it had been two entire years since I graduated. It had been two entire years since I tried to get ahead in life, and in that time, I had nothing to show for it.

“Hah, same age as me now, you’re in the big leagues now, man, it’s all uphill from here!”

“He’s right, you know, pushing 30 myself, and it’s not getting any better!” Rook smirked in the corner, chuckling a little as many others followed his example.

“Isn’t Matthias, like, 17 or something? Are you sure he should be here?”

“Actually, I just turned 18 recently, so I think it’s fine.”

My neck would have creaked if it could as I turned to Matthias. I couldn’t believe what I heard. “… You’re… 18… and you’re already a Magi?”

“Yeah…” The boy looked away as John smiled.

“Real special one he is. Prodigy and all that, management adores him really. But that don't matter now does it?”

It was not fair. It just was not fair. None of this was fair. It took years, if not decades, of dedication to become a Magi, and this kid was one?

What a joke I am.

“…Yeah, I guess it doesn’t.” I muttered out with my teeth gritting like sandpaper.

“Yeah, it doesn’t cause I got you a present, man.”

John then slid a small card towards me, and on it was a phone number with the Name: “Godwin” on it.

“And this is?”

“A job! Isn’t that great? Well, uh… less of a job and more of a tag-along.”

I raised my eyebrows. Was this it? Was life finally looking my way? Was it finally going to work out? Did my wish work so soon?

“Well… you see, this number is from Professor Godwin, and he’s taking a team north to find and investigate what’s happening. I’m on the team, and so is Matthias and a few others here. I recommended you to come with us.”

Up north. John was hiding something. He didn’t specify where, up north.

“Does this north have a Name?”

“…It’s uh… well it’s… Galfania.”

Instantly, as the Name was spoken, the dining table became several degrees colder.

My eyes widened as I would have taken a step back if I were standing up. “Galfania? John, are you crazy- why did you agree to this?!” I turned to Matthias. “You’re young, do not throw your life away for whatever this madness is!”

Galfania. The land of ice, death, and monsters. It was the most dangerous and foreboding continent up north. Anybody who dared to venture into it would never return. The last record anybody had of it was from the war that occurred there a thousand years ago. There, the whole continent came alive, sending forth every monstrosity and aberration towards any would-be colonizers and explorers.

It didn’t matter how strong their Magick was; even if it could sunder islands and throw mountains, Galfania would respond in kind.

One famous story was of a group of Magi banding together to summon a boulder as big as a small country and throwing it at a monster-infested area, only for a giant to appear, catch it, and throw it back.

“Pfft, those were all stories. We could probably handle them now; come on, now. The only reason no one else has tried is because they’re all scared! Don’t be like them, Peter. Plus… if you joined us, you’d be paid amazingly well, plus you’d get to be employed by us! Imagine that!”

I hesitated. Perhaps they were all just stories, made-up tales… and yet I wouldn’t ever take that chance. There was a reason no one tried it ever again!

“It’s a hundred Aureus upfront per person and ten thousand if we complete it.”

A hundred… was enough to pay my rent for ten years over and still have enough to have three meals a day… I could even buy a spell subscription or even a house.

And ten thousand was just absurd; I could buy myself ten of these restaurants for that kind of cash.

“…No, not happening. I’m sorry. I don’t think I would like being torn apart by ghouls.”

John sighed and simply placed the card into my pocket. “Just in case you ever change your mind.”

He gave me a wink before he gestured to the rest to eat.

Matthias looked at me, giving a soft smile. “I’m doing it for my own reasons… but thank you for worrying.”

“…Yeah… sure, fine.” I could only look down, dejected, as I stared at the cake in front of me.

I did the smart thing, right? Choosing my life over money. At least for the time being, I could find a job and see what could work and what didn’t.

Any job was better than that, right? Even if it meant giving up all that money.

I couldn’t focus on the dinner afterward. I drank and ate, blocking out all other voices until I left the restaurant, waving goodbye to John and the others.

There was just a moment of silence as I walked alone in the middle of the street at night. After a while, I just got tired and sat down by a sidewalk, looking up at a street lamp as I closed my eyes.

In a few minutes, I’d go back to my apartment. Sleep, then wake up and go to a bunch of interviews. Eat, sleep… and repeat.

I’d get rejected, and then the cycle would continue.

There was no escape from it. There was no way for me to truly break free.

I simply laid on the sidewalk until…

“Oh, you poor soul. Here you go.” Suddenly, I was awakened by a few coins dropping into my lap.

I opened my eyes, finding a man and a woman right in front of me.

The former smiled and walked away while the latter followed. “Oh, you’re so kind as to give that beggar some of your change!”

“Haha, well, we’re not going to need it anyway. Say, why not head to my house? It’s getting late anyway.”

“Sure thing~”

And with that, both turned a corner, and once more, I was alone as I stared at the thirty pieces of silver that were dropped on my lap.

I was used just so that some guy could look kind in front of some girl, so he could take her home and get laid.

I looked so pitiful that I was mistaken for a beggar.

Was this really the life I was going to live? Was this really the kind of world I was going to be in?

I looked around the street as cars and people passed by. Many of them would just ignore me; some shot me with pitiful looks every so often.

I knew deep down that this was the life I would have if I were to just continue.

Was it truly what I wanted?

I looked up and found a familiar sight: Matthias. He was walking towards one of the ivory buildings in the far-off distance.

He was so cheerful, so joyful. It was like he had no problems swinging that cat tail around.

It sickened me to the core. None of this was fair. None of this was supposed to happen.

I played by the world’s rules and lost while everyone around me won.

This wasn’t how it should have ended.

I stood up, only to see a small card from my chest pocket fall to the ground. It was the phone number of the man heading the Galfania mission.

“Just in case you ever change your mind.”

Was it really worth it? Could it be better than this?

I breathed in deeply while taking out my phone.

There was only one way to find out.

"Well... Here we go."