The city's Adventurer's Guild loomed over JP and Lyra like a fortress of stone and glass. Its double doors were carved with swords and quills crossing each other, symbols of battle and record-keeping. Even the chatter outside felt sharper—armored men and robed women laughed, jeered, or argued in a dozen accents.
JP adjusted his pack strap, trying not to look like a wide-eyed bumpkin. Beside him, Lyra's hood was drawn low, her steps quiet but purposeful.
"Biggest guild I've ever seen," JP muttered. "Feels like walking into a courthouse and an armory at the same time."
Inside, the main hall stretched like a cathedral: long rows of request boards, clerks scribbling at desks, adventurers boasting over ale at corner tables. The air stank of sweat, ink, and coin.
They approached a counter where a bored clerk, spectacles sliding down her nose, glanced at them. "Name and rank?"
JP hesitated. "Uh, JP. Copper rank, from Fenwick village."
The clerk's quill paused. Her eyes flicked up, unimpressed. "Copper? Alone?"
"Not alone," Lyra interjected smoothly, placing her hand on the counter. "I'm his partner."
That word partner startled JP more than the clerk, but the woman only sighed and stamped a form. "Very well. But city guilds require re-evaluation for transfers. You'll need to undergo a test before taking quests here."
JP blinked. "A… test?"
"Prove you belong," the clerk said flatly, and pointed toward an armored man by the far wall.
Minutes later, JP stood in a training arena behind the guild. A crowd had gathered—city adventurers eager for entertainment. They smirked at the village newcomer holding a small satchel and no visible weapon.
"Copper from the sticks," someone snorted. "Bet he can't even swing a proper blade."
JP swallowed hard. The examiner, a scarred swordsman with eyes like steel, gave him a curt nod. "Last five minutes against me. Show skill—or tools. Anything goes."
Five minutes against this guy? JP thought, heart hammering. Then he forced a breath, slipping a Pulse Stake from his satchel. He jabbed it into the arena dirt, twisting the dial until it hummed faintly.
Gasps rippled through the onlookers when sparks flickered around the stake.
The swordsman lunged. JP dodged clumsily, nearly tripping, but rolled toward another corner and jammed down a second stake. Energy arced between them in a low crackle, forming a thin barrier.
The examiner halted, eyes narrowing. "What—?"
JP grinned nervously. "Like I said… anything goes."
The crowd that had mocked him a moment before now leaned forward, curiosity sparking as bright as the crackling field between the stakes.