Post by Lone Dancer on Nov 5, 2022 21:59:00 GMT
[Important Notice: Due to some decisions, I split the first chapter into 2 in my main manuscript. I will not be editing the post here, but this is why this is Chapter 3. Chapters will be now around 1.5 to 3k words now, and more frequent posts.]
Warm sunlight streamed from his window, caressing his face. Blearily, he blinked open his eyes. His head was muddled, still waking up. But the realization of today sent him near flying out of bed and into the wall.
The conjured d20 from yesterday was firmly gone, faded away from this reality. But Carlos didn’t care. He was raring to go, and could hardly contain his excitement as he tossed on clothing haphazardly. Presentability was not on his mind.
Nevertheless, he still carefully put on socks and his only pair of dress shoes from the bottom drawer. Black, sleek, and still shiny from lack of use. They were admittedly nicer than his sandals, but he rarely wore them. Mostly out of fear of scuffing them up.
But today was an occasion that called for it! It was his seventeenth birthday, for heaven’s sake. He didn’t know what words to use to describe his mood. All thoughts of yesterday’s events fled his mind, even of the arcade.
Carlos realized he was subconsciously waiting for something for Jade to knock abruptly. Typically, she was up at earliest dawn, something he could never comprehend. But yet, nothing. And he’d figure that with it being his birthday, she’d be just waiting to surprise him.
Mild concern bubbled forth in his chest, but he brushed over it, believing her to be fine. Her family could take care of her, if anything. He quashed the ‘what if’ forming. Her family wouldn’t let anything happen to their rising star. Right?
Regardless, she wasn’t here. Whatever that meant, Carlos didn’t know, and speculating would only get him to conjure up worse and worse situations in his head. Giving his room a last check-over to make sure everything was in place.
Nothing he could spot was off, so final check over, he opened the door and strode into the hallway with its red patterned carpet. His black dress shoes sank a bit into the carpet, but he wasn’t worried about messing it up.
He had a confident stride as he moved down the hall, giving anyone he passed a slight nod. Some would wave, but a rare few would give understanding nods back. Reaching the end of the hall, he made his way to the entrance chamber and out. Moving through the slight gathering, he focused more on leaving than any chitter-chatter.
He had a place to be, and he wanted to be there early. He absentmindedly ruffled his hair to make sure it didn’t look too unkempt. He didn’t want to appear like too much of a ruffian. With a bit of a push, he got the primary doors to open up to let him out, and he was back in the dorm yard.
Still no Jade, but he didn’t let it get to him. She would be fine. She would be okay. Walking down the yard, he quelled his thoughts once more before they spiraled to the grim fantastical. Once he reached the roads and sidewalks, he went in the opposite direction they went yesterday.
The sunlight was soothing against his skin, the morning air cool and crisp. A few cars rumbled by, but they were subdued, and quiet—a far cry from the near-roaring engines of the Mortal Plane.
There were some joggers out this early, and Carlos felt a Cultivator rush by him, wind tumbling in their wake. On the other side of the street, a person was walking a blob of lighting, or more specifically, rolling it. It followed its owner with a slight crackle, leaving the sidewalk below a bit charred. He watched the sidewalk begin to mend itself afterward slowly.
Carlos wrung his focus back to straight in front of him, as a turn was swiftly approaching. Making the appropriate turn to the right, he continued down. At this rate, he’d be at the Guild in roughly five minutes, give or take. He appreciated the town’s walkability at this moment.
The rest of his walk was uneventful, just him and his own thoughts and the occasional rush of wind from that one jogging Cultivator. He wondered if Jade could go that fast. Maybe. She was always, wary? He guessed, to show him her true capabilities. But his musings fled him as he arrived at his destination.
The Guild building was now in front of him. It was large and grand, its imposing grey stone walls ornately engraved with scenes of battle and magic, of peace and wartime—a tapestry of carved rock. Whatever artificer built this place did so lovingly.
The twisting tile pathway led towards the towering twin doors, both inset within the center of the front wall, overhanging angled roof providing shade and shelter. A row of thick columns held the top up, each column further engraved with scenes of wonder.
As he followed the pathway through the well-tended grass and flowers, he could get a sense of the aura this place emitted. Unseen defensive wards brushed against his skin, making his neck prickle before calming down again.
Approaching the doors, he admired the carved Guild symbol that was inlaid into both. A shield with a triangular emblem. The sign of the Defiant Guild, foe of the Companies that threatened to consume the magical realms in their greed, in their ever-hungry machine. Or so the stories read. Carlos just hoped they had enough truth to them.
After it all, it was the Guild that saved his life.
And foe of the ones who killed his mother.
He was tearing up, so he hastily wiped his face before taking a reinforcing breath. He got this. He just had to open the entrance doors first. Looking them over, they had no handles. At first, he took it to mean these were push doors.
However, a minute of pushing as hard as he could, had no effect beyond leaving him catching his breath and wiping sweat off his brow.
Collecting himself, he stared at the doors, thinking. The Defiant Guild was a magical one. So what if magic was the key? It was as good a guess as any. Stretching out his arms, he began to focus.
The new effect of being of proper age was immediately striking. What was once a bare trickle was now a moderate river. Is this what Jade felt like all the time? He could feel himself getting giddy. Pressing his hands against the doors, he made his will for them to open.
And with a complaining groan, they did. Slowly they pulled inwards, granting him entry. Carlos pulled back and doubled over as suddenly, all of it was rushing to his head. Skull now pounding, he felt as something inside his mind, change.
But as sudden as it started, it ended. Shaking himself off, he stood back up. He felt just fine. He felt even better than fine. What happened was obvious now; he was just crowned a new king in these lands. He strutted in, ready the show the Guild what a great boon he would be.
Something at the back of his mind whispered that something was off, but he ignored it. He was granted a breath of a god’s power. If it were truly of concern, he would know. He could hear snickering coming from somewhere.
It wasn’t directed at him, he was sure. No one would dare snicker at someone like him. Why would an ant laugh at a king? He heard voices and words, but they didn’t concern him. Looking around, all he could see were ants. This was his new castle; they would bow to him soon enough once he showed them his power.
He clenched his fist, marveling at how easily his magic came to him—begged to be used by him. It only reinforced just how great he was.
“Boy is getting his first taste of an Ego High; just look at him.” A voice laughed, and so did others. Carlos knew then they were talking about someone else. People didn’t laugh at kings, nay, emperors like him.
Ego High? Such a thing would never afflict someone of his stature. That sounded something like the weak suffered. But inner whispers began to take hold. Old lessons, nearly forgotten, came to the forefront.
Arcanists, Mages like him had to deal with Ego. It was their way of imposing their will on reality, and conjuring Arcane constructs, but it also had mental effects on them. These effects came into play after they came of age. Of course, only weaklings had to deal with this. He was no weakling. He paused. Again, something felt off.
Was this indeed his own thoughts, or was it his now-boosted Ego? He wrestled with that as he stopped walking. He wouldn’t, couldn’t be affected by Ego High, right? But every Mage had Ego. It was how they did their magic. And obviously, as a powerful Mage, he had a powerful Ego.
The logic slammed into his mind, smacking away the feelings of grandeur. If he had an Ego, then he could be affected by an Ego High.
With that realization, the Ego-crafted illusion, shattered.
It was like waking up from a dream, and he rubbed his eyes as he looked around. No longer did he feel like a king; no, now he was the ant. Embarrassed, he looked around, no longer blind to reality around him.
Men and women were sitting at tables or standing up beside them. They wore the iconic pendant, and most had either robes or armor. Around them, the signs of their magic would flicker. Mages had their constructs, Elementalists were connected to their Element, and Warlocks used their Patron.
Most were staring at him, evidently amused—some where even chuckling.
He could feel his face flush and averted his gaze. Laughter ensued. He kept his head down and his legs moving towards the desk at the end of the chamber. He had to resist every urge to turn around and flee. But he knew that would make matters worse. He made his bed—time to now lie in it.
Trudging onwards, he shuddered at the memory of just how utterly intoxicating the aptly named Ego High was. Even now, he could feel something at the back of his mind trying to infuse into his thoughts, bring him back to that illusory reality. Now he understood the warnings in the book, having now experienced it.
You needed a large Ego to be truly powerful, but you could never let it consume you. Every horror story he heard of it happening was bone-chilling—mad lunatics, completely deluded and highly unstable. Reality around them was broken to fit their new visage. For it took the utterly insane to truly bend reality to their whims.
He almost bumped into the desk. He didn’t notice it until the last second. It was made of a stone similar to the one that constructed this building. It was more of a stone block re-purposed into a desk than anything. Slowly, he craned his head up to look at a titan of a golem.
Gemstone eyes of radiant colors peered down at him, judging and shimmering with internal light. Their body was composed of gold and silver, intertwining together in a display of opulence. But what Carlos noticed most was the sheer pressure emanating from it.
Felt like gravity itself was bearing down on him, nearly forcing him to bend over. His legs trembled as he tried to stand upright. The invisible pressure increased, and he almost buckled. But Carlos gritted his teeth and willed every ounce to stand up straight.
Bit by bit, he stood taller. This would not conquer him. He could feel all the eyes on him, but he did not care. He was more concerned with not getting snapped in half.
With a final tremor, he stood upright, defiant. He stared the golem in the eye, and the golem stared back, almost approvingly. The pressure stopped, and Carlos resisted the intense desire to gasp for air, but it was futile.
Regardless, he did it. There was some clapping from the congregation behind him, which made him feel better after his ‘grand’ entrance. He passed whatever rite of proving that was. He was content with that until a gravelly voice spoke behind him.
“Barely passable.”
Turning around, he came face to face with an ancient man. Arms behind their back, they leaned over him. Heavily wrinkled, and a fluffy white beard hugged their face. They had only one natural eye. Their right was a gleaming construct engraved with patterns and runes. They wore simple blue robes, but Carlos got the sense they provided far more protection than at first glance. Truly, an archetype of a Mage. The old man snorted.
“Done giving me the lookover?”
Carlos opened their mouth for an awkward response, but no words came out. The old man waved his hand.
“Eh, I get the same inspection from just about every newcomer. I know; I cut quite the handsome figure.” The old man’s statement seemed humorous, but he spoke with such a deadpan Carlos couldn’t tell. The rest of the Guild seemed no longer interested in him, so it was just the old man and him now.
“Bah, enough about that. The real question I have is what brings a runt like you, to a place like this.”
The man tapped Carlos’s chest with his bony finger. Kinda uncomfortable at the contact, Carlos scrambled to find his words.
“To, uh, join the Guild?”
The old man stared at him.
“Speak with more confidence boy, I can hardly hear you.”
“I want to join the Guild.” Carlos mustered his spirit. He would be joining, one way or another. He just had to prove himself.
Rubbing his wrinkled face, the old man muttered to themselves something undecipherable. He then resumed his gaze back to Carlos.
“Why? It’s ain’t sunshine and rainbows over here boy. Whatever grand adventure that you read us doing in some book doesn’t happen. Not anymore.”
“What about the Companies. Do you still fight them?”
The old man paused at Carlos’s words.
“You here to try to get revenge on those greedbuckets? Before you speak, let me guess, they took something important from you. Maybe your home, or someone close to you. Perhaps even both. Oh don’t act surprised, it’s common tale. One I hear far too often. But what makes you believe you can hold your own against them?”
Carlos stood there, grasping at any straws for a response. He felt incredibly naive just coming here without any plan, any real reason beyond wanting to do something against those that hurt him.
But before he could speak, the doors to the Guild thundered opened as someone stomped in, making a beeline straight for Carlos and the old man. It was a very familiar green figure. Jade’s face was a mask of seriousness, red arcs of lightning sparking erratically around her arms.
Everyone paused as they turned to face the approaching girl, the building silent beyond for an old man’s sigh. Massaging his temple, he spoke to Jade.
“Let me also guess, you’re here to sign up as well.”
Jade nodded, the red lightning dying down. She looked a little pale, but quickly regained her color. The old man grumbled to himself but turned to face the golem, who was behind Carlos and looking diligent. The golem shrugged, gold and silver body shimmering.
Carlos personally was at a loss for words. While he came in here, believing himself a king due to his magical delusions, Jade practically waltzed in here, trumping whatever display he put on. His Ego felt rankled by that, but he quashed it. He’s seen firsthand just how unpleasant the jealous and envious would get.
The quiet dirty looks Jade would receive from those lurking in the shadows, just wishing to be in her place. She would ignore them, but Carlos saw how it would worm away at her. He would not be another participant.
Well, his time for inner thoughts was over as she was now in front of them both, green eyes blazing. She too, eyed over the old man like Carlos did, prompting the ancient man to sigh yet again.
“What a dramatic entrance. You young people have such a need for theatrics. How does that saying go? I particularly liked it. ‘Walk quietly and carry a big wand,’ was it? Bah. I’m rambling.”
He gazed over them both, considering something. Pointing at Jade, he spoke.
“Well, you have potential. The boy needs time to learn for a chance.”
The ancient man began to pull at his beard in seeming thought.
“If you truly want to join, I’ll let you. You’ll both be on trial, and will take some lessons by those more experienced than you. After that, you’ll be on a final exam, so to speak, to ‘graduate’ this little impromptu school. If you fail, well, you’re not my problem anymore.”
He stared at them both, standing up to his full height.
“Am I understood?”
Carlos was furiously nodding, and Jade gave a single succinct nod. The old man waved his weathered hand, and two ephemeral pendants were placed around their necks. They were made from a gentle purple light, but had the same shield and triangle marking.
Turning to the seated crowd, who were now paying attention again, the aged Mage hollered out.
“Melissa, Hawthorne, get your sorry asses over here to teach the newbies, so they don’t kill themselves by holding a sword incorrectly or blowing themselves up!”
Carlos could hear some chairs scraping against the stone floor, and a duo strode up to them. One was a titan covered head to toe in gleaming armor, made from some brass material. The visor hid their face from view, but Carlos could feel their stare.
Beside the armored giant, stood a small hooded figure. They were looking down, but the person bowed slightly to them both in form of greeting. The shadows beneath the figure seemed to dart about, but he wasn’t sure it was just a trick of the light.
The old man pointed to the brass titan first.
“That’s Melissa. She’s one of our better Cultivators, and knows combat like the back of her gauntlet. The one beside her is Hawthorne, who’ll be teaching you how to properly control your magic.”
The duo stood up straighter at the mention of their names.
“Well, I’m off. You all have fun, I have business to attend to and a Guild to run.”
With that, the ancient Mage just vanished from sight, leaving Jade and Carlos with their two new teachers.
Chapter 3
Initiation
Warm sunlight streamed from his window, caressing his face. Blearily, he blinked open his eyes. His head was muddled, still waking up. But the realization of today sent him near flying out of bed and into the wall.
The conjured d20 from yesterday was firmly gone, faded away from this reality. But Carlos didn’t care. He was raring to go, and could hardly contain his excitement as he tossed on clothing haphazardly. Presentability was not on his mind.
Nevertheless, he still carefully put on socks and his only pair of dress shoes from the bottom drawer. Black, sleek, and still shiny from lack of use. They were admittedly nicer than his sandals, but he rarely wore them. Mostly out of fear of scuffing them up.
But today was an occasion that called for it! It was his seventeenth birthday, for heaven’s sake. He didn’t know what words to use to describe his mood. All thoughts of yesterday’s events fled his mind, even of the arcade.
Carlos realized he was subconsciously waiting for something for Jade to knock abruptly. Typically, she was up at earliest dawn, something he could never comprehend. But yet, nothing. And he’d figure that with it being his birthday, she’d be just waiting to surprise him.
Mild concern bubbled forth in his chest, but he brushed over it, believing her to be fine. Her family could take care of her, if anything. He quashed the ‘what if’ forming. Her family wouldn’t let anything happen to their rising star. Right?
Regardless, she wasn’t here. Whatever that meant, Carlos didn’t know, and speculating would only get him to conjure up worse and worse situations in his head. Giving his room a last check-over to make sure everything was in place.
Nothing he could spot was off, so final check over, he opened the door and strode into the hallway with its red patterned carpet. His black dress shoes sank a bit into the carpet, but he wasn’t worried about messing it up.
He had a confident stride as he moved down the hall, giving anyone he passed a slight nod. Some would wave, but a rare few would give understanding nods back. Reaching the end of the hall, he made his way to the entrance chamber and out. Moving through the slight gathering, he focused more on leaving than any chitter-chatter.
He had a place to be, and he wanted to be there early. He absentmindedly ruffled his hair to make sure it didn’t look too unkempt. He didn’t want to appear like too much of a ruffian. With a bit of a push, he got the primary doors to open up to let him out, and he was back in the dorm yard.
Still no Jade, but he didn’t let it get to him. She would be fine. She would be okay. Walking down the yard, he quelled his thoughts once more before they spiraled to the grim fantastical. Once he reached the roads and sidewalks, he went in the opposite direction they went yesterday.
The sunlight was soothing against his skin, the morning air cool and crisp. A few cars rumbled by, but they were subdued, and quiet—a far cry from the near-roaring engines of the Mortal Plane.
There were some joggers out this early, and Carlos felt a Cultivator rush by him, wind tumbling in their wake. On the other side of the street, a person was walking a blob of lighting, or more specifically, rolling it. It followed its owner with a slight crackle, leaving the sidewalk below a bit charred. He watched the sidewalk begin to mend itself afterward slowly.
Carlos wrung his focus back to straight in front of him, as a turn was swiftly approaching. Making the appropriate turn to the right, he continued down. At this rate, he’d be at the Guild in roughly five minutes, give or take. He appreciated the town’s walkability at this moment.
The rest of his walk was uneventful, just him and his own thoughts and the occasional rush of wind from that one jogging Cultivator. He wondered if Jade could go that fast. Maybe. She was always, wary? He guessed, to show him her true capabilities. But his musings fled him as he arrived at his destination.
The Guild building was now in front of him. It was large and grand, its imposing grey stone walls ornately engraved with scenes of battle and magic, of peace and wartime—a tapestry of carved rock. Whatever artificer built this place did so lovingly.
The twisting tile pathway led towards the towering twin doors, both inset within the center of the front wall, overhanging angled roof providing shade and shelter. A row of thick columns held the top up, each column further engraved with scenes of wonder.
As he followed the pathway through the well-tended grass and flowers, he could get a sense of the aura this place emitted. Unseen defensive wards brushed against his skin, making his neck prickle before calming down again.
Approaching the doors, he admired the carved Guild symbol that was inlaid into both. A shield with a triangular emblem. The sign of the Defiant Guild, foe of the Companies that threatened to consume the magical realms in their greed, in their ever-hungry machine. Or so the stories read. Carlos just hoped they had enough truth to them.
After it all, it was the Guild that saved his life.
And foe of the ones who killed his mother.
He was tearing up, so he hastily wiped his face before taking a reinforcing breath. He got this. He just had to open the entrance doors first. Looking them over, they had no handles. At first, he took it to mean these were push doors.
However, a minute of pushing as hard as he could, had no effect beyond leaving him catching his breath and wiping sweat off his brow.
Collecting himself, he stared at the doors, thinking. The Defiant Guild was a magical one. So what if magic was the key? It was as good a guess as any. Stretching out his arms, he began to focus.
The new effect of being of proper age was immediately striking. What was once a bare trickle was now a moderate river. Is this what Jade felt like all the time? He could feel himself getting giddy. Pressing his hands against the doors, he made his will for them to open.
And with a complaining groan, they did. Slowly they pulled inwards, granting him entry. Carlos pulled back and doubled over as suddenly, all of it was rushing to his head. Skull now pounding, he felt as something inside his mind, change.
But as sudden as it started, it ended. Shaking himself off, he stood back up. He felt just fine. He felt even better than fine. What happened was obvious now; he was just crowned a new king in these lands. He strutted in, ready the show the Guild what a great boon he would be.
Something at the back of his mind whispered that something was off, but he ignored it. He was granted a breath of a god’s power. If it were truly of concern, he would know. He could hear snickering coming from somewhere.
It wasn’t directed at him, he was sure. No one would dare snicker at someone like him. Why would an ant laugh at a king? He heard voices and words, but they didn’t concern him. Looking around, all he could see were ants. This was his new castle; they would bow to him soon enough once he showed them his power.
He clenched his fist, marveling at how easily his magic came to him—begged to be used by him. It only reinforced just how great he was.
“Boy is getting his first taste of an Ego High; just look at him.” A voice laughed, and so did others. Carlos knew then they were talking about someone else. People didn’t laugh at kings, nay, emperors like him.
Ego High? Such a thing would never afflict someone of his stature. That sounded something like the weak suffered. But inner whispers began to take hold. Old lessons, nearly forgotten, came to the forefront.
Arcanists, Mages like him had to deal with Ego. It was their way of imposing their will on reality, and conjuring Arcane constructs, but it also had mental effects on them. These effects came into play after they came of age. Of course, only weaklings had to deal with this. He was no weakling. He paused. Again, something felt off.
Was this indeed his own thoughts, or was it his now-boosted Ego? He wrestled with that as he stopped walking. He wouldn’t, couldn’t be affected by Ego High, right? But every Mage had Ego. It was how they did their magic. And obviously, as a powerful Mage, he had a powerful Ego.
The logic slammed into his mind, smacking away the feelings of grandeur. If he had an Ego, then he could be affected by an Ego High.
With that realization, the Ego-crafted illusion, shattered.
It was like waking up from a dream, and he rubbed his eyes as he looked around. No longer did he feel like a king; no, now he was the ant. Embarrassed, he looked around, no longer blind to reality around him.
Men and women were sitting at tables or standing up beside them. They wore the iconic pendant, and most had either robes or armor. Around them, the signs of their magic would flicker. Mages had their constructs, Elementalists were connected to their Element, and Warlocks used their Patron.
Most were staring at him, evidently amused—some where even chuckling.
He could feel his face flush and averted his gaze. Laughter ensued. He kept his head down and his legs moving towards the desk at the end of the chamber. He had to resist every urge to turn around and flee. But he knew that would make matters worse. He made his bed—time to now lie in it.
Trudging onwards, he shuddered at the memory of just how utterly intoxicating the aptly named Ego High was. Even now, he could feel something at the back of his mind trying to infuse into his thoughts, bring him back to that illusory reality. Now he understood the warnings in the book, having now experienced it.
You needed a large Ego to be truly powerful, but you could never let it consume you. Every horror story he heard of it happening was bone-chilling—mad lunatics, completely deluded and highly unstable. Reality around them was broken to fit their new visage. For it took the utterly insane to truly bend reality to their whims.
He almost bumped into the desk. He didn’t notice it until the last second. It was made of a stone similar to the one that constructed this building. It was more of a stone block re-purposed into a desk than anything. Slowly, he craned his head up to look at a titan of a golem.
Gemstone eyes of radiant colors peered down at him, judging and shimmering with internal light. Their body was composed of gold and silver, intertwining together in a display of opulence. But what Carlos noticed most was the sheer pressure emanating from it.
Felt like gravity itself was bearing down on him, nearly forcing him to bend over. His legs trembled as he tried to stand upright. The invisible pressure increased, and he almost buckled. But Carlos gritted his teeth and willed every ounce to stand up straight.
Bit by bit, he stood taller. This would not conquer him. He could feel all the eyes on him, but he did not care. He was more concerned with not getting snapped in half.
With a final tremor, he stood upright, defiant. He stared the golem in the eye, and the golem stared back, almost approvingly. The pressure stopped, and Carlos resisted the intense desire to gasp for air, but it was futile.
Regardless, he did it. There was some clapping from the congregation behind him, which made him feel better after his ‘grand’ entrance. He passed whatever rite of proving that was. He was content with that until a gravelly voice spoke behind him.
“Barely passable.”
Turning around, he came face to face with an ancient man. Arms behind their back, they leaned over him. Heavily wrinkled, and a fluffy white beard hugged their face. They had only one natural eye. Their right was a gleaming construct engraved with patterns and runes. They wore simple blue robes, but Carlos got the sense they provided far more protection than at first glance. Truly, an archetype of a Mage. The old man snorted.
“Done giving me the lookover?”
Carlos opened their mouth for an awkward response, but no words came out. The old man waved his hand.
“Eh, I get the same inspection from just about every newcomer. I know; I cut quite the handsome figure.” The old man’s statement seemed humorous, but he spoke with such a deadpan Carlos couldn’t tell. The rest of the Guild seemed no longer interested in him, so it was just the old man and him now.
“Bah, enough about that. The real question I have is what brings a runt like you, to a place like this.”
The man tapped Carlos’s chest with his bony finger. Kinda uncomfortable at the contact, Carlos scrambled to find his words.
“To, uh, join the Guild?”
The old man stared at him.
“Speak with more confidence boy, I can hardly hear you.”
“I want to join the Guild.” Carlos mustered his spirit. He would be joining, one way or another. He just had to prove himself.
Rubbing his wrinkled face, the old man muttered to themselves something undecipherable. He then resumed his gaze back to Carlos.
“Why? It’s ain’t sunshine and rainbows over here boy. Whatever grand adventure that you read us doing in some book doesn’t happen. Not anymore.”
“What about the Companies. Do you still fight them?”
The old man paused at Carlos’s words.
“You here to try to get revenge on those greedbuckets? Before you speak, let me guess, they took something important from you. Maybe your home, or someone close to you. Perhaps even both. Oh don’t act surprised, it’s common tale. One I hear far too often. But what makes you believe you can hold your own against them?”
Carlos stood there, grasping at any straws for a response. He felt incredibly naive just coming here without any plan, any real reason beyond wanting to do something against those that hurt him.
But before he could speak, the doors to the Guild thundered opened as someone stomped in, making a beeline straight for Carlos and the old man. It was a very familiar green figure. Jade’s face was a mask of seriousness, red arcs of lightning sparking erratically around her arms.
Everyone paused as they turned to face the approaching girl, the building silent beyond for an old man’s sigh. Massaging his temple, he spoke to Jade.
“Let me also guess, you’re here to sign up as well.”
Jade nodded, the red lightning dying down. She looked a little pale, but quickly regained her color. The old man grumbled to himself but turned to face the golem, who was behind Carlos and looking diligent. The golem shrugged, gold and silver body shimmering.
Carlos personally was at a loss for words. While he came in here, believing himself a king due to his magical delusions, Jade practically waltzed in here, trumping whatever display he put on. His Ego felt rankled by that, but he quashed it. He’s seen firsthand just how unpleasant the jealous and envious would get.
The quiet dirty looks Jade would receive from those lurking in the shadows, just wishing to be in her place. She would ignore them, but Carlos saw how it would worm away at her. He would not be another participant.
Well, his time for inner thoughts was over as she was now in front of them both, green eyes blazing. She too, eyed over the old man like Carlos did, prompting the ancient man to sigh yet again.
“What a dramatic entrance. You young people have such a need for theatrics. How does that saying go? I particularly liked it. ‘Walk quietly and carry a big wand,’ was it? Bah. I’m rambling.”
He gazed over them both, considering something. Pointing at Jade, he spoke.
“Well, you have potential. The boy needs time to learn for a chance.”
The ancient man began to pull at his beard in seeming thought.
“If you truly want to join, I’ll let you. You’ll both be on trial, and will take some lessons by those more experienced than you. After that, you’ll be on a final exam, so to speak, to ‘graduate’ this little impromptu school. If you fail, well, you’re not my problem anymore.”
He stared at them both, standing up to his full height.
“Am I understood?”
Carlos was furiously nodding, and Jade gave a single succinct nod. The old man waved his weathered hand, and two ephemeral pendants were placed around their necks. They were made from a gentle purple light, but had the same shield and triangle marking.
Turning to the seated crowd, who were now paying attention again, the aged Mage hollered out.
“Melissa, Hawthorne, get your sorry asses over here to teach the newbies, so they don’t kill themselves by holding a sword incorrectly or blowing themselves up!”
Carlos could hear some chairs scraping against the stone floor, and a duo strode up to them. One was a titan covered head to toe in gleaming armor, made from some brass material. The visor hid their face from view, but Carlos could feel their stare.
Beside the armored giant, stood a small hooded figure. They were looking down, but the person bowed slightly to them both in form of greeting. The shadows beneath the figure seemed to dart about, but he wasn’t sure it was just a trick of the light.
The old man pointed to the brass titan first.
“That’s Melissa. She’s one of our better Cultivators, and knows combat like the back of her gauntlet. The one beside her is Hawthorne, who’ll be teaching you how to properly control your magic.”
The duo stood up straighter at the mention of their names.
“Well, I’m off. You all have fun, I have business to attend to and a Guild to run.”
With that, the ancient Mage just vanished from sight, leaving Jade and Carlos with their two new teachers.