The Mage''s Guild was small and musty, its air heavy with the smells of parchment, dust, and mildew. Books, scrolls, and papers were littered everywhere, and a variety of differently shaped stones, some glowing and some not, were scattered about. Two people were working at a large desk across the room. One was a young elf. She had thick spectacles and brown hair, and she wore blue robes, a cloak, and a large belt with a pouch that was filled with all manner of items. She had ink basically everywhere one could have ink, with splotches on her face, in her hair, and all over her robe.


    The second was one of those short folk he had noticed several times in the market. A gnome if he remembered right. The gnome had a long green beard that fell from his chin, but his mustache and jaw were cleanly shaved. The chin beard had leather braids woven through it. Other than his beard, the gnome had a small dusting of hair atop his head, but otherwise, he was bald. An odd-looking conical hat sat on the desk next to, which the man used to blot his perspiring forehead as Abad approached.


    Other than these two, no one was in the guild house. There were other desks, but each of them had a thick layer of dust coating them, except for one pushed against the far left wall, which looked relatively well-kept compared to the chaos that filled the place. Both of the mages were completely engrossed in whatever papers they were scribbling on.


    "Hello and good morning," Abad offered to the two. There was no response. Walking forward, he stood in front of their desk. He waited awhile as the two worked on what looked like scrolls, but as time went on, they still didn''t acknowledge him. He cleared his throat. No response. Walking the rest of the way to the desk, he tapped on the wood. Only then did both of them look up. The man shouted in surprise, and the woman squeaked before smiling nervously and speaking.


    "Oh hi! Welcome to the Mage''s Guild, Farnfoss branch. What kinds of magic and mysteries can I help you with today?" Her voice was high-pitched and reminded Abad of a tea kettle. Her eyes were wide and innocent behind her oversized spectacles. By the way she spoke, it was clear she wasn''t used to talking to people.


    "I''ve come to see if the mage''s guild in town has any need of a mage of moderate power. I''m seeking work and experience and thought this would be the best place to come."


    She looked confused, then frowned. "Do you have qualifications? Mage''s seal? Recommendations? Degrees from the University of Fykani or Nian? Oh oh! How about certificates? Or a five-year adventurer''s license? We''d take any of those, really. Several would be even better."


    Abad shrugged. "Sorry, I don''t have anything like that."


    "Then how can we know you can help us?" The gnome grouched at him, looking up his long nose at Abad. His eyes were the same green as his hair. The man looked critically the warlock.


    "Are credentials really necessary? I''d be happy to show you some practical skills instead."


    "Practical skills? What kind of hedge mages do you take us for? We can''t simply go hiring anyone that walks in the door!" the man said with a huff. "Credentials are essential. How else would we even know who you are?"


    "My name is Abad-Shai," he offered to the man, who sneered.


    "Ta-Li," the girl squeaked, but the gnome merely huffed. "Fizzle, don''t be rude to him."


    Fizzle grumbled. "Fizzle Stoneberry, of the proud Stoneberry clan." His face settled into a frown. "You''ve likely heard of us, I''m sure."


    Abad hadn''t, though the woman''s name seemed familiar. "Is there a job board or anything? How does your establishment work exactly? I''m looking to make an income using my skills."


    "We do post some requests here, and licensed mages are able to accept them, perform the tasks requested, and earn money, or, if you aren''t yet qualified, you can work up the ranks to earn a license by doing side work."


    "Side work?" Abad hated where this was going.


    "Writing scrolls, charging enchantments, running errands, that kind of thing." The girl was visibly shaking. They obviously didn''t have many visitors. He was beginning to see why.


    The gnome noticed the girl''s nervousness and took up the conversation. "Six months of unpaid work, followed by six months of lightly paid work, and you''ll qualify to begin studying for the mage''s exam. Three years of study will put you on the list, and within six months of being on the list, you have a fifty percent chance of being selected for testing. Then, you can travel to the capital of any of the seven kingdoms and take the exam. There''s a ten percent pass rate. It''s easy really."


    Easy indeed. "And that''s the only way to work with your guild?"


    "Indubitably." The man lowered his head and returned to his work.


    "I''m very sorry!" She sounded like a tea kettle now. "The process is complicated, but magic is so very dangerous. In the wrong hands, who knows what could happen! I hope you understand." She bowed repeatedly, sweat flinging from her forehead as she did.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "I see. Thank you for your time. I''ll think on your offer and..." He knew he wouldn''t be back. "I hope you have a great day."


    The girl bowed, and the gnome''s only response was a cough. However, when he turned, the girl called out to him. "Wait!"


    He turned.


    "That spellbook... Can I see it?"


    Ta-Li. He realized where he heard the name. This was the guild that Bahra had alluded to then. He''d completely forgotten. He walked back to the desk and handed the girl the spellbook. She opened it, and her eyes immediately filled with tears. The old gnome stood up and patted her on the shoulder.


    "Where... where did you find this?" The girl said, her voice wavering.


    "I found it on the road to the east. It was..." he decided a lie would be better than the truth in this moment. "It was cast aside. I found it on the ground. A ways away, there were bodies. They had been killed quickly. I buried them. They looked like a group of adventurers or travelers."


    "I see..." the young elf sniffled. "I thought that might be the case." She wiped her tears and handed him the book. She composed herself for another few moments. "May I keep this?"


    He hated to part with it but didn''t have the heart to take it. "Of course. There are some notes in the back of the book. I couldn''t make heads or tails of them. Maybe they will be better suited in your hands." He didn''t want to lose them, but it was what it was. He made up his mind to visit the walls personally.


    "Thank you."


    "Would you mind if I took a page out of it? There''s a spell I was working on that I''d like to complete."


    "Of course." She handed the spellbook back to him.


    Abad opened the spellbook up to the invisibility spell, neatly folded the page, and cleanly tore it out. With a nod, he stepped back toward the door. As he did, he realized that he felt like he''d done the right thing. With a soft smile, he opened the door and stepped into the light.


    ***


    Not eager to stay in the area, Abad returned to the western trade district. Before long, the mud and filth of the slum turned back into the well-kept cobblestones of the market. The feeling of being watched had returned as he left the guild and stuck with him as he walked. However, every time he tried to sense what it could be, he couldn''t find anything. He wondered if it was just his nerves. He supposed he hadn''t been in such a derelict place in many years. They weren''t often the most comfortable of places.


    As he turned onto the main road, he noticed a crowd gathered around something. A half-dozen guards were working hard to control the crowd as they murmured and pushed to look at whatever it was.


    When he approached, he realized what had triggered the crowd. There was a large seal carved into the ground, and a large gilded carriage had suddenly appeared atop it. As he pushed closer to see what was happening, he overheard people talking.


    "... must be someone important..." a man nearby murmured.


    "... I hope it''s a Prince!" squeaked a thin teenage girl standing nearby.


    "...One of those patrons no doubt..." a third man added.


    The carriage door swung open, and a massive man dressed in rich clothing stepped out onto the small step that fell when the carriage door opened. He had on a silk shirt and high trousers. His dark skin looked like coffee with milk in it, his dark brown hair was cut short, and he had cruel-looking hazel eyes. The man eyed the ground warily and remained on the carriage''s step. A guard hurried over to greet him. Abad could just make out a second figure behind him, but that was all he could see from his angle. He got closer to listen.


    "Bors," the guard said. The man nodded. "What business do you have in Farnfoss?"


    "You already know why I''m here, and you''re taking our time. Stamp my papers and let us through." The large man handed him a paper similar to the one Keila had given Gregor days before. The man eyed him. The guard''s expression fell as he read the document. The guard waved his hand, and a small halfling man in official-looking clothes ran up. The little man looked flustered but took the document and quickly stamped it. The big man snatched the paper out of his hands, climbed into the coach, and the driver clicked his tongue. Two magnificent horses carried the gilded carriage forward, which made its way down the cluttered road as the door snapped shut.


    Abad walked up to the seal as the crowd began to disperse. The seal itself was large, being at least ten yards across. The magical inscription seemed straightforward, but he didn''t understand how it could allow for so much material to be transported long distances. The old seals could only teleport people and their belongings, and even then sometimes items didn''t make it. He walked up to one of the guards.


    "Excuse me. I''m new to Farnfoss. What was that commotion about?"


    "You a foreigner or something, boy? Mind your own damn business." The guard had already lost his professional edge and looked bored like all the rest Abad had seen in this town. The man spat at the ground, narrowly missing Abad''s boot.


    "I am. Just arrived several days ago, in fact," Abad responded with a false smile.


    "Teleportation seal. Let''s you move from one city to another without walking. Costs more than you got, I''d guess."


    Abad fished out the crystals he''d stolen from the thug. "How much?"


    The guard eyed the pouch hungrily. "Fifty crystals to tie to the seal."


    Abad''s stomach churned. He needed to start earning money, or he''d be destitute again before long. "Done." He pulled out the crystals and handed them to the guard. A moment later, the small halfling man puffed his way over.


    "Got a customer? Thank the goddess. We''ve been starving here lately," the man panted.


    "Walk me through the process."


    The halfling nodded and led him towards the seal. "Come." The man beckoned him into the seal. "Watch closely now." He traced a small symbol in the air, which left a shimmering line as his fingers traced the air. "This ties your spirit to the seal, allowing you to return to it whenever you choose, for a small fee on either side of course."


    Abad traced the symbol, and a cool wave of energy rushed over him, then slowly dissipated. The man nodded at him. "Now, if you''d simply sign here, and here..." Abad worked through several pages of paperwork, and by the end, he was the proud owner of his first teleportation seal tie. The little man even gave him a brochure and a map.


    Throwing the items into his pack, he began heading back to the Green Lady. Along the way, he decided to stop at the bathhouse to clean up before he met with Bolton and to see Zethari. He didn''t feel any closer to helping her, and that bothered him more than it should.