Book of Kings

Chapter 09

After another restless night, I woke up. I looked over all of my belongings, which there weren't much of, to make sure they were here then made my way downstairs to the Innkeeper. There were many more people here than yesterday.
"Miss Innkeeper, where is the next Mages Guild?" I said in a very serious tone.
"I don't know, Sir. Maybe someone here would know. Our guests are from all over, you know," she boasted then yelled into the crowds that were at the tables, "Excuse me, does anyone know where the Mage's Guild is?"

A tall man with slicked-back gray hair and a neatly trimmed beard popped up his head.
He raised his hand and yelled back, "oh, I know."
He joined us at the innkeeper's counter. He wore an almost completely blue, very elegant coat that almost reached the ground, at the back of it was what I assumed was an artist's interpretation of a dragon.

"So, who needs directions?"
"This young man here," the innkeeper answered for me.
He gave me a curious look, "hmm, and why would you need to know young man?"
I didn't have to tell him, and I didn't want to, "personal reasons."
Nodding he didn't prod me further instead he went behind the desk and looked at the map that was handing on the wall, "let's see. Where are we again?"
It was obvious that the Innkeeper didn't approve that he was molesting the map.
"We're here and the guild is here," he drew a line with his finger.
"Would it bother you if I joined you on your way there?"
"It's alright if you do," I didn't have anything to protest against, he seemed nice enough.
"Great, I was going to make way there, and I think I'm late already, but they can wait a little longer," he gave a mighty roar of laughter.

While we were walking, he pointed out landmarks of the city telling me that if I get lost, I can find my way using these but other than that I didn't really listen to him.
"So what brings you to the city?"
I was silent, and he understood that I wasn't going to answer, "What about your family, are they here?"
"No, I'm here alone," I mumbled.
"Oh? And why is that? I'm sure they're worried about you. The city is dangerous for someone your age you know."
"They aren't, they died recently."
In a serious tone that almost surprised me, he said, "I'm sorry to hear that."
After apologizing he stopped talking for the rest of the way.

Following the man silently for almost another half hour he stopped in front of a gigantic stone building and said cheerily, "here we are," we went in together. We were standing in the big main hall. It's quite pretty, but I wasn't an architect so my opinion meant little.
"Do you still need help?"
"Who can I ask questions here?" I asked.
"Oh, Dorian can help, I see him over there. Dorian!" He yelled and waved across the hall to a spindly man who wore a similar-looking coat to the old man, his was much less impressive.
He was sitting in something more alike to a throne than a chair, and I noticed that all the chairs here looked like that. He was writing something on parchment but as soon as he saw the old man waving he abruptly stood up and quickly walked over, "Yes, Sir?" he said nervously.
"This young man has some questions, and I'd appreciate it if you could help him out."
"Of course."
"I'm off then," he went up a flight of stairs and left.

I hesitated, "...it's nice to meet you, Minster Dorian."
I wasn't sure how to talk to him. I thought that maybe I should bow but in the end threw out the idea.
"What do you need?" he said in an irritated tone trying to fake cheerfulness.
It looked like he was only indulging me because the old man asked him to help me.
"I wanted to know how I would know if I had magical powers, like you guys."
He groaned quietly, "we have an aptitude test for anyone who applies. Follow me," he said in a monotone voice.
I wondered how often he had to say that sentence a day.
We went up the stairs opposite the ones the old man went up to.

He led me to a waiting room.
"Wait here, someone will come for you soon," then he left, too.
There were already some people waiting here, an old woman, a tired-looking middle-aged man, a bright young woman, and what I assumed was a mother with her young child.