The trio walked through the bustling streets, weaving between merchants and morning shoppers, making their way steadily toward the town square. That was where they expected to find the Mages Guild, according to the information Mary had given them before leaving. The cobblestone streets clicked beneath their feet as they navigated the increasingly crowded pathways, the excitement building with each step they took.
Soon enough, they arrived at the town square, and once again they found themselves enveloped in complete amazement. They stopped in their tracks, staring ahead at the absolutely huge square clearing before them. The ground was a beautiful mixture of pristine cobblestone paths and well-maintained patches of vibrant green grass. The entire area was filled with people going about their daily business, some rushing with purpose, others strolling leisurely, and still others gathered in small groups engaged in animated conversation.
The square itself was surrounded on all sides by an impressive array of establishments: shops of every variety, cozy-looking inns, restaurants with enticing aromas wafting from their kitchens, and various other businesses. But most notably, and most imposingly, there were two large buildings that made all the rest look positively small in comparison. These two structures dominated the square like giants among children, commanding attention and respect through their sheer presence alone.
One was a huge, wide two-story building constructed primarily of sturdy stone and reinforced wood. It had an almost fortress-like quality to its architecture. The entrance featured impressive double-wide doors that could easily accommodate large groups, and a big wooden sign was plastered onto the building above them. The sign bore the image of a sword crossed with a shield, the universal symbol marking it unmistakably as the Adventurers Guild. Even from a distance, they could see people in various types of armor and carrying weapons going in and out.
And right next to it, sharing a similar architectural grandeur, was a similarly sized building with an almost identical design aesthetic. However, this one was marked with an ornate carved staff symbol instead, clearly identifying it as the Mages Guild. The building seemed to emanate a subtle sense of mystique and power, as if the very stones were infused with magical energy.
They all looked around the square a little more, taking in every detail, trying to commit this momentous location to memory. But eventually, they peeled themselves away from their wonder and amazement, gathering their courage and determination before finally entering the Mages Guild.
Once they stepped through the entrance, they were immediately met with a large lobby of sorts that seemed designed to impress and intimidate in equal measure. The walls were constructed of smooth, pale stone that had been expertly cut and fitted together. The floor beneath their feet was also stone, though it was almost completely covered by a huge red rug that must have cost a small fortune. The rug was intricately patterned with arcane symbols and geometric designs that seemed to shift subtly when viewed from different angles.
The room was furnished with numerous seats and benches arranged in a waiting area configuration, some of which were currently being occupied by various individuals.
At the far end of the room was a long, polished wooden counter, and behind it stood a clerk. She was a young woman dressed in a crisp white button-down shirt that was cinched tightly to her body by a well-fitted brown leather corset that emphasized her figure. Her brown hair was styled up neatly in a professional bun without a single strand out of place, and a pair of delicate glasses sat perched on her face, giving her an air of studious authority. She looked quite young, probably in her early twenties, and her skin was clear and smooth with a slight tan that suggested time spent outdoors.
But the most notable and fascinating feature about the woman were the furry, dog-like ears that protruded from the top of her head, twitching occasionally as they picked up various sounds in the room.
'Wow, she's a beastperson,' Kai thought to himself, his inner voice filled with genuine awe and curiosity. 'This will be my first time actually talking to one... amazing.' He tried to keep his expression neutral, not wanting to seem rude by staring, but it was difficult to contain his fascination.
The three of them nervously walked up to the counter, their footsteps seeming unusually loud on the stone floor despite the cushioning rug. As they approached, the worker looked up from the papers she had been reading, her eyes scanning over them. After a moment, she gave the three kids a weird, questioning look that clearly conveyed confusion and perhaps a hint of suspicion.
"Uhh... can I help you kids?" she asked, her tone making it clear that she found their presence somewhat unusual or unexpected.
All three of them looked at each other nervously, silently communicating their uncertainty about how to proceed. Finally, Rowan gathered his courage and spoke up, though his voice came out less confident than he'd probably hoped.
"Y-yeah, um, we wanted to um... register as mages?" He phrased it more like a tentative question than a firm statement, his voice rising at the end in that way people do when they're unsure of themselves.
The clerk grabbed hold of her glasses with one hand, adjusting them as she squinted and leaned closer to the trio over the counter. Her eyes narrowed as she examined them with an intensity that made all three of them want to squirm under her scrutiny.
'What's this lady's deal?' Kai thought to himself, feeling increasingly uncomfortable under her inspection. 'Screw loose or something? Why is she looking at us like that?'
As though answering a question he had not spoken aloud, the lady finally spoke, her tone carrying distinct notes of judgment and concern. "Um... aren't you three a bit too young to become mages? This isn't a game, you know. Where are your parents? Do they know you're here?"
'Oh... that's right,' Kai realized with an internal sigh of frustration. 'Sometimes I forget that we're a group of three thirteen-year-olds... makes it rather hard to be taken seriously in situations like this.' The thought annoyed him more than he wanted to admit, but he understood her perspective even if he didn't appreciate it.
Kai sighed audibly this time, reaching into his pants pocket with deliberate casualness. He pulled out a coin pouch that jingled softly with promise, then reached inside to extract the necessary payment. His demeanor shifted, becoming more businesslike and mature despite his youthful appearance.
"If I'm not mistaken, Ms..." Kai paused, making a show of examining the nametag pinned neatly to her shirt, "Velvet, there is actually no age requirement for registration with the Mages Guild. Here's the testing fee." He dropped a couple of silver coins onto the desk with a soft clink that seemed to echo in the moment. "Now please, if you don't mind, sign us up. We're ready to take whatever tests are required."
The lady—Velvet—looked visibly flustered by Kai's confident response and professional demeanor. Her ears flattened slightly against her head, a telltale sign of her emotional state. She appeared as though she wanted to rebuke Kai's statements, perhaps lecture them further about the dangers of magic or the responsibility required, but she seemed to realize she had no legitimate grounds to refuse them. Instead, she reluctantly reached out and took the coins from the counter, her fingers closing around them with obvious hesitation.
"Fine..." she muttered with clear reluctance in her voice.
A/N: what if I just canonically made Velvet the strongest person in the verse for no reason?