Back to you

The year you turned 16 years was a bad year for your new family. Not only had your family to send you to the magic academy, but also your brother turned 18 and was conscripted into the army of the local noble like every male coming off age. Except for the noble ones of course. And despite baron Travis being not exactly a warmonger, being a soldier is always a dangerous lot.

Your family has never been wealthy, but you never hat to be hungry over winter. But your parents are worried that this could change soon. Winters became longer in the last few years and there are rumors that a neighbor kingdom is trying to take over some regions at the border for some time now. If bribes, shady deals or threats are not working anymore, then they will probably use ****. And in wars, not only your brother would get sent to the front, but also taxes usually increase to pay for more soldiers and weapons.

However, even without an upcoming war, loosing the grown up and educated hands of both you and your brother was a problem for your family. Your younger brother was too young to take your part of chores and your sister was still a baby. The most part of the work would fall back to your father, who was not the youngest anymore.

These worries lay like a dark shadow on the small farewell party that your parents organized for you and your older brother. It was the last day for a long time where your both would be at home. Tomorrow morning, you would travel to Rockwall together. Your brother to the barracks, you to the town hall and from there straight to the capital.

Still, your family gave their best to push all this aside and focus on the good things. Your father told both of you how proud he is and that despite his strictness, he will always love you and is happy about the way you will go. He also added that the family would really need the coins from your salaries. Your mother served a great food with fresh bread, cheese, wild mushrooms and even a little grilled meat, which is not a regular food for peasants. Your younger brother tried to ask you many things about magic and your older brother about fighting, despite the fact that neither of your educations haven’t started yet. And your sister tried several times to climb up your leg and hold you tight, but you are not even sure she understands that you are going to leave.

When the sun raises the next morning, you are both already up, dressed and have a small bag with some food and your few personal belongings. You share a last hug with your beloved ones and leave before your mother can start to cry and probably look for a way to keep at least one of you here.

Your older brother was always your favorite family member and you enjoy the last few hours of traveling with him, until you arrive the city gate and have to go separate parts. At the town hall, a man awaits you. He introduces himself as the representative of the mage guild and mentions Goren was just a mage who was luckily in the area and could replace him when he felt suddenly sick a few days ago. But he made sure your transport is arranged. It is a simple trading convoy that brings crops and construction wood to the capital. He also gives you a letter that should bring you through the gates without any problems.

The next three days you spent basically on the road. The people are nice, despite being strangers. But you better keep it to yourself that you are a mage, just in case they consider magic as dangerous as your father did. And then, around midday of the third day, the largest collection of houses you have ever seen since you were reborn in this world appears at horizon.

Goldwall, the capital of Priluxandria is built in an open area at the side of a big river. There are thousands of small huts and worker houses outside of the huge city wall. You can see big stone towers with catapults on it, smaller wooden watchtowers and mounted wooden shields for archers. A military bulwark like something out of a fantasy movie. You can’t see what exactly is behind the wall, but you suspect more houses for richer people and companies. And then there is a second wall inside the city. It separates the houses of the normal people from the nobles.

The biggest buildings in the capital are a magnificent palace and a huge cathedral. Both seem larger than all houses of the village Hardwood together. And you are stunned how many different species are here. At Hardwood, there were only humans and very rarely a traveling dwarf or elf. In Rockwall, there were a few non-human residents, but you never really talked to them. But Goldwall is a cornucopia of different species. You every few minutes you see an elf, dwarf or halfling somewhere in the crowd of humans. There also are two people with wings instead of arms, harpies you assume, and a rough looking group of orcs. In the moment your looks cross, one of the orcs growls in your direction. You decide immediately to hurry.

The letter of the mage guild seems to work perfectly. The guards can’t read, but the wax seal on it shows everyone you are somehow connected to one of the most powerful organizations in the kingdom. Still, the capital is so huge that you barely find your way from the outer gates to the inner ones. You have to ask other people several times and not everyone reacts friendly. A few are downright hostile.

You are called peasant and gutter rat several times even before you can ask for a direction. The rather wealthy citizens not only look down on peasants, they also don’t want any of your social status in their living area. However, most of them quickly back off when you show them the letter. Nobody wants to mess with people who could set them on fire with just their thoughts.

Sometimes you still get confused how different the societies on Calitian are compared to modern earth. Good thing is, there are of course also a lot of people with what you consider a normal mindset. They seem to have no problem helping you and pointing in the right direction or even offer to lead the way for a while.

The mage guild and the royal academy seem to be located in the inner ring, the area where only nobles, very rich people and their servants are allowed to live. There are also representatives at the town hall and the community center of the lower city for people who need help or have a request. But you are here to study, so you need access to the inner ring. The guards are more than just a little surprised when a girl in rather shady clothes ask them to let her pass.

One of the guards, a high ranking one who is able to read, studies the letter and looks at you surprised. But then he nods and points to a large building close by. According to the guard, this is the royal academy and the mage guild is right next to it.

The two institutions share the grounds. The academy includes the school and dormitories for the normal students and the library. The mage guild, on the other hand, has rooms for its magical students, a greenhouse and a training ground with a swimming pool. Officially, every student is allowed to use the rooms of the other institution, but hardly anyone does this outside of joint courses.

The building of the mage guild looks like a small castle without a defense wall. You carefully enter through the main gates and find yourself in a small but impressive entrance hall. Some buildings, that not move to your disappointment, depict former top students and teachers. There also is a statue made of glass in the middle and a few comfy looking couches around an empty fire place.

A woman with black hair, a black robe and a look that clearly tells you she couldn’t care less about your presence sits behind a desk and reads a book with the symbol of the mage guild on it. You get in front of her and try carefully to get her attention.

"Welcome to the mage guild," the woman says bored, "if you want to request the guild’s aid, please speak to the representative in your area. For everything else, I’m of course at your service."

"Oh, no, I’m not here for a request," you mumble shy, “I am … it was discovered that I am a mage too and I was sent here to start my studies. They gave me a letter.”

"Fresh meat?" the woman asks and suddenly has a strange, but friendly smile on the face, "and according to your clothes, you are not from a noble family. I like you. Can I see the letter please?"

You hand her the letter and she read it for a moment in silence. Then she nods and gets up.

"Seems alright to me, welcome to the mage guild, Clare," the woman says suddenly very happy, “wait here for a moment while I pull the director out of some nobles butt."