The Licensed Mage

1 Claire

        “Hey Joe!”

        Claire’s fingers played with the items in her pockets as nerves tried to take her over. This was the first job she would have after getting her license and she was understandably nervous. She’s worked before, it was how she was able to pay her way through Training, but that was always at her own pace with no one looking over her shoulder at how well her control was. She watched as the shop foreman raised a finger indicating a minute as he finished talking to a worker.

        “He’ll be with you in a minute, just wait here.”

        Claire nods and says her thanks as the fellow worker went back to work. She was unsure of where to go once she got to the site but everyone she asked for help was so nice and gladly pointed her towards the foreman. She was at a remote field where the local construction company was expanding their Wind Farm. She was nervous at what the job called for; their crane was out of order and needed a mage to quickly help finish the construction. No construction job is ever on schedule, but that’s how you know it’s going good. She studies the pieces of the tall windmill laying before her, amazed at the sheer size of them as the foreman comes up to her. 

        “So you’re the mage huh?”

        She turned and smiled as she shook his hand in greeting, “Yes sir I am!” 

        He studies her up and down, “You don’t look like no Mage.” 

        Most people depict mages as seniors and wrinkling old people with crocked noses and boils. Claire was only in her early twenties with sandy blonde hair to her waist and brown eyes with gold flecks that sparkled with her moods. She stood eye to eye with the foreman at her 5’10” height with a slim frame to match. Her face was average, she was no beauty by any means, but she could hold her own in a room full of women. 

        She smiled some more as she’s used to the stereotypes of her people, “Yes well, some of us are born with magic from the start.” 

        A shout is heard distracting Joe from his comment as he turns to bark some orders. Turning back to Claire he raises an eyebrow, “You got a license though right?” 

        In the early 5th century the masses came to accept magic and the mages that came with it as a part of life. They were classified as a different class of species from Humans and were named Mages. As paperwork and laws became regulation, Mages were required to go through training and schooling to learn how to use their magic properly and to ensure the safety of the humans. They had to apply for a license to legally use their magic outside of their homes and schools and the reason the stereotype of Mages being old people was due to the fact that many couldn’t afford the Training until their later years. It was only until the 18th century that Training became affordable to all Mages, but even then very few went due to there being little work. Even with all the worlds’ protocols and laws, humans were still uneasy with magic. They just didn’t understand. 

        Claire smiles as she pulls her sleeves past her left wrist against the biting cold to reveal the tattooed marks of her Free-Pass license, “Yes sir I am.” 

        He whistles as he studies the tattoos, “I’ve never seen a Free-Pass mark before. That’s pretty impressive for a young woman like you.” 

        That’s because I enrolled when I was 3, “Yes sir thank you.” 

        “What’s your name?” he asked as he straightens. 

        “Claire sir, Claire Dunsworth.” 

        “I’m Joe Matchet, just call me Joe. Dunsworth huh? Never heard of them before.”