Roots of Belonging

Curious, I then pointed to some of the other open spaces, also breaking the city’s consistent pattern.

I pointed to the closest one to the guild. Looking at where I pointed, she said, “Akrop,” and mimicked eating. Likely a place to buy or eat food, like a market.

Next to it was the “Sagarho”, which looked like a library from her reading gestures. But I was more focused on the strange sound she made while saying it.

At the end of the main leading roads sat a circular open space. The squares around it were smaller and unorganised. It didn’t follow the pattern like the rest of the city.

I would assume it was the city’s older area, likely where it first started.

When I pointed at its middle, Talira~ looked me in the eyes with a soft smile and slowly, somewhat rhythmically, chanted, “Sir ete~ su glirusa e Mility.”

She closed her eyes and brought her left hand to the middle of her chest, her right hand fully stretched forward, perpendicular to her body, with her palm facing me.

This reaction was extremely different from any of the others.

It also sounded like she used a whole sentence instead of just the name of the place.

Was it something connected to religion? She looked like she was praying.

The city appeared to be centred around a church.

I already knew religion existed in this world, since the Old Man went to pray every Thursday at his family’s grave, but here, this city was likely more attached to religion than the other two towns.

“I should visit these places tomorrow as I check out the rest of the town,” I thought to myself.

There was still too much for me to learn about Riges, and if there was really a library here, it would be helpful to learn the language but also about this world and its magic system.

When she opened her eyes, she joyfully smiled at me before turning to look at the male receptionist.

There was a huge open block with almost no squares to the left of the church. It was likely important as well, but I didn’t want to bother her with my questions any longer.

I had also thought about asking them what Yrish had written in my notebook, since they clearly knew how to read and write. I had done the same thing in Tristte and Mida.

However, I no longer felt the need to do it.

I was already determined to learn the language and how to read and write.

I wanted to read the message myself.

Yrish wrote it for me. I believed I should be the one to read it.

Gazing at the back, the male receptionist was using something similar to an alcohol lamp and heating the underside of the metal card. He then turned it around and did the same to the other side.

Once again, they weren’t using any kind of fire magic for it. I had yet to see anything other than water or earth spells being used.

Were those really the only existing ones in this world, or was there a type of restriction to the use of others?

I believed that Yrish only knew that one earth spell.

Were there people who could only use some types of spells or had limited capabilities for different types?

Were they determined by something? Did they differ by person?

Despite not being sure, it seemed extremely plausible.

Talira~ turned to me and signalled me to wait, pointing to the open tables next to the reception. She then got up and approached the male receptionist in the back.

I grabbed my things and sat by the table, facing the door below the stairs, the one I had previously entered.

The beautiful figments of light slowly climbed the walls, vanishing into darkness as the sun set.

As the light disappeared, the lanterns attached to the walls lit up, bringing light to the darkness-consumed room.

Their glass appeared foggy, similar to the street lamps outside, but a flickering and waving spectre of light danced inside.

It didn’t look like a light bulb inside the lantern. It wiggled like a flame, letting small embers separate from its body.

“How did the fire inside the lanterns light up?” I mumbled.

“Is this fire magic? And if so, who cast it?”

“Was it preprogrammed?”

A fire lighting up without a cause seemed illogical, yet casting a spell on every lantern simultaneously felt equally implausible.

People were leaving the guild.

Perhaps the bar didn’t close at all, or only later, but I would imagine the reception did, or would at least have only one receptionist present.

It was getting quieter and less suffocating.

That’s when I thought about trying to feel the mana around me to check if the lanterns were powered with mana.

Closing my eyes, I gave up my body to the unruly flows of mana inside the guild.

Alternating pulses roamed around, as if the mana was synching with everyone's heartbeat.

Stronger pools of mana coursed to my right, around the people in the bar, but small, almost imperceptible patches wandered around the walls.

I couldn’t tell where they came from, but they might be flowing from the lanterns themselves.

If they were powered by mana, it meant that there was either someone that was continually supplying mana towards each one of them, or, most likely, there was something inside them that cast the spell automatically and stored mana itself.

I was curious if I could find something about it in Riges’ library.

I continued to meditate for a few minutes, ignoring the sound of the outside world and focusing on the mana inside me.

My nervousness disrupted my mana’s rhythm.

I was still anxious.

Everything was different here.

I was alone once again. But it wasn’t a problem.

My sweaty, shaky hands were proof that there was improvement to be made, but also that I could change.

Fear showed me the world as it was and what I was to do.

Fear was a blessing.

Even alone and scared, I could work to better myself.

I felt the touch of a hand on my left shoulder.

When I opened my eyes, Talira~ was gently shaking me.

Noticing my eyes open, she smiled and bowed, extending a metal card in my direction.

“He-Henbo!” I stuttered, thanking her and taking the card off her hand.

It felt warm.

This was the card the male receptionist was working on in the back.

It had curvy patterns carved on the borders, reminding me of the street lamps' curved tops. There was a small hole on the top right corner and two thin diagonal slots on the lower left side of the card, meant to fit or slide inside something.

Six sentences were written from left to right in a whitish metallic colour, the same colour as the ink I had seen on the desk.

On the bottom right corner, a single letter was written, way bigger, in a brownish colour, similar to bronze. It was the same letter as the one on the bottom of the triangle on the poster.

This was certainly the rank.

As I tilted the card, the light from the lantern reflected onto the card. An initially invisible design appeared in the centre.

It was a faint drawing of a wall with two crossed swords on the top. Something also seemed to be written underneath it.

Was that the city’s coat of arms? I hadn’t had a proper look at it from afar this morning, so I couldn’t tell. But if so, it was definitely different from the coat of arms above Mida’s castle door.

The guild card was way more complex than I thought it would be.

For the first time, I held something that tied me to this world.

This simple but intricate piece was proof that I belonged somewhere, even if I still felt like an outsider. It felt strangely comforting being part of something I had read about in so many fantasies.

I got up and bowed to thank them.

Talira~ simply smiled.

It felt warm.

Pointing at the male receptionist in the back, she signalled him to come as he finished packing away his tools.

The other receptionists did the same, except for one, who still sat by the counter.

As the door on the side corridor opened, most of the receptionists poured out, tiredly muttering, “Tari cina~,” as they left. Given that they also used “tari”, the same as in the greeting “Tari lut”, it was probably something similar to “goodbye”.

I bowed to the guy as he approached, thanking him for the card and telling him, “Henbo,” as well. He grinned back.

Talira~’s finger darted from me to him, signalling for me to follow.

Suddenly, he threw his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. I gasped briefly as my head jerked back.

Holding me tightly under his arm, he chuckled at my startled reaction.

Talira~ raised her eyebrows, slapped his shoulder, and clicked her tongue. An expression I hadn’t seen before. But he just laughed and gently let go.

I picked up my spear and slid the guild card into my bag, strapping both onto my back before looking at him, unsure of what to do.

“Tari cina~!” exclaimed Talira~, waving with a smile.

“Tari cina~…” I echoed hesitantly, waving back.

She then turned around and walked towards the door at the end of the corridor, while the male receptionist tapped my shoulder and nodded towards the door before starting to walk.

I put my hood on and followed shortly after him.