The Golden Alicorns

CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 32. Bonus: Mission of The Thieving Pixies and Why You Shouldn’t Wear White During Missions 33. Bonus: Mission of The Sexy Siren and Why Soulmates Are Their Enemies 34. Bonus: Happy Ever After To my wonderful husband who introduced me to videogames and anime, two more things for me to destress and obsess over. Thank you for loving this spicy disaster. 1 The Guild Drafts were finally here and magic hung so heavy in the air that it was a wonder anyone could breathe. Every town would gather around their town square’s screen to watch the drafts live, vendors hawking merchandise for each of the Guilds and food to snack on. At the Capitol, thousands filled the arena to watch in person as each candidate walked across the stage. The candidates would be scanned and then guilds would choose. Some candidates would have multiple offers and could make their own choice. Each guild’s power increased with each member. The more powerful the person, the more powerful the guild and all the members became. I knew my fate. I registered as having very little magic. No one knew my secret. So, I would likely receive no offers and would have to approach a guild and beg for admittance. I had three choices lined up and my speech already prepared. Fifty candidates stood in a line, waiting to walk across the stage. I was near the end, thanks to waking up late and having to run to make it on time. Three tall, muscular guys stood in front of me. They chatted and laughed about something. How were they so relaxed? They must have been decently powerful and not cared about the outcome … or they had a way into a guild already. They were similar heights and had the same green eyes, but besides that, they were completely different. So, I didn’t think they were brothers. Though, my sister and I looked nothing alike either, so it was still possible. One of them faced in my direction, the tallest of the group with an aquiline nose, rounded jaw covered in stubble, and long black hair pulled back into a ponytail along the top of his head with the sides shaved. His green eyes twinkled as he caught me staring at him. His smile widened and he gave me a wink. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to the candidates already walking across the stage. All had gotten offers so far. “Nervous?” someone asked behind me. I turned and the unfamiliar man stared straight at me. He was attractive, though not as much as the ones in front of me, slim, and had an aura about him that oozed positivity. “Me?” I asked. He smiled, showing off dimples. “Yeah.” “Not really,” I replied. He arched a brow. “Already have a guild picked?” I shook my head. It was common for the richer families to pay their way into guilds. I laughed bitterly. “No.” He canted his head as he looked at me. “Yet, you aren’t nervous?” I had to move forward as the line moved up and caught two of the three in front of me eavesdropping. These two were smaller than the first, but still larger than me. One had short red hair that curled at the ends, bright green eyes that shone with interest, and a pointed nose that reminded me of Loki. The other had pale blonde hair with a few streaks of red, a square jaw that looked like it might hurt to punch, and a slightly upturned nose. He reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t put my finger on who. “No,” I replied without turning around. “It is unlikely that I will get drafted.” “Do you have a guild that you want to join?” he asked. I looked up at the guild masters sitting in box seats over the crowd. Each box had their guild’s banner flying from it. At the far side was a small guild. They were made up of misfits and took on the crazier jobs, but over the years I had seen them and seen the friendships blossoming among them. They were a family. That was what I wanted. A true family. “Yes,” I said softly. The three before me and the one behind me all wore equally curious expressions. I ignored them. Each of the three boys who had stood in front of me tested with high levels of magic and multiple guilds made offers. Surprisingly, they all chose the Scarlet Dragons, the guild I wanted to join. “Good luck,” the guy behind me said in a low voice. “You, too.” Taking a breath, I walked up the stairs and to the proctor who held the magic scanner, a black box with a display for the magic level. He was in his forties, wore black glasses he had to keep pushing up his thin nose, and looked bored. “Hold out your arm,” he instructed in a monotone voice. With my eyes averted, I raised my arm. He pressed the scanner to my skin and the audience quieted. The scanner beeped and no one spoke. “That can’t be right,” the proctor said. I looked up and stared at my high score. I’d seen my score once before, when I’d stolen our town’s scanner and gone off into the forest to test it, but this score … This score was even higher. Nice, I leveled up. That thought was short lived as he pressed the scanner to my arm again and it gave the same result. My true power shouldn’t have been detected when I wasn’t using my