With the arrival of the morning rays, the central quarter of Veredena woke up: the doors of the guilds and shops opened, the aggressive magical protection of the gates of the nobles living here was shut down, and the temple's novices went out into the courtyard to meet the flock. The central quarter itself copied Marble Quarter of Marble, that is, looked like a "city in the city", with its walls and guards at the gate, rules and wealthy residents. Initially, Vereden's advice was to lay out a marble path, but when they found out how much it cost, their desire changed dramatically. Still, thanks to the advantageous trade route, the gold chickens do not bite when, like Vereden, a small port town in the south, there were big problems with it.
The most important building - standing as if a cherry on a cake - is the city library. It stood out above the whole city and looked like a miniature castle, with four small towers on the sides and one big one in the middle. Silver color created a majestic impression, and the huge, height of a man, the windows, decorated with mosaics, did not leave indifferent even spoilt aristocrats. The architecture of the building differed markedly from its neighbors and it is not surprising, because the library at the same time and the temple of the neutral God of Answers - Ventry. His temple libraries were distributed to most large cities, and Vereden's council had to spend a lot of energy to convince them to build a temple in their small town. Even in the neighboring town of Laria, he wasn't there, and he was much richer.
" Ah..." yawned the guard at the stairwell to the Ventry Temple.
" Uh..." his partner yawned. - Thomas, I've been yawning as long as I can.
" What about me?! My son's been keeping me up all night!
" I know your son, so I guess I went back to Emilka?"
" And you too! What the hell is Emilka like?!"
" Yeah, yeah, yeah, pretend."
Thomas is standing still on the counter. Ahead of him were local aristocrats from the glorious family of Mandis: Mandis Sr. - Shonnet and Mandis Jr. - Shonnie. Behind you, very quietly, was mentor Ferapont waddling. From the last one, people were slipping away because of the bad smell. Ferapont couldn't do anything to him - the curse imposed by a magician of the fourth rank, not so easy to remove, especially when there is no gold. If it hadn't been for his knowledge of natural sciences, which he was also able to present to his pupil, poor Therapontus would have long been kicked out of the central quarter. Dating in the temple also played an important role, which has always made him a guest of honour.
" Good morning!" - The guards greeted the noble gentlemen at the same time.
The mentor tried something under his nose, the Mandises ignored it. The guards guarded the city library, the only one on the entire Black Bay. Another nearby library is located in the Duchy far to the north, in Marble. It'll take at least a month for the ship to get there.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. "
Thomas, without looking, sharply pulled his hand back and stopped the guest behind his shoulder. The latter looks like a boy of fourteen years old with slightly curly hair that almost reached his thin lips. The boy turned and looked at Thomas with surprise, as if a cow had flown in front of his eyes, and then said nothing:
" What's wrong with that? I have a mentor waiting for me."
The boy looked rather tidy for a child living outside the central block: clean and not wrinkled pants of a dark tone, a light shirt and shiny boots. There was even a gilded chain on the neck, which immediately caused Sean to ask a dumb question: "Where did the blacksmith's son get such a necklace? Did he steal it?"
" You're Solan, right?" - asked the second guard. " I saw you at Tom's the other day."
" Yes, it's me," Solan said with all confidence.
" The grandson of recently deceased Terrick?"
" That's exactly what I'm saying. Can I go now? The mentor was waiting."
Sean's child's voice is so confident, he's never heard it before. Actually, no, it wasn't the way he was talking, it was what he was saying.
" Yeah, of course, I don't dare for..."
" Solan! Where are you going?!"- Sean jerked off when he remembered catching Solan in the old days. " I know you, you bastard, what kind of books do you want?"
" Uh, uh..."
" Mentor, huh? Okay. Okay. Show me your pass," Sean smiled.
" Oh, yeah, that's right, show me the badge," the second grabbed the second one, obviously realizing that he had just been fooled by a child.
Solan wasn't confused. His whole view showed that the pass was right there, now he's gonna find it. Except he doesn't have a pass.
" Unfortunately, I left it at home..."
" Oh, yeah?" Sean said sarcastically. " Kid, do you know what they'll do to you if they find out you're in the temple uninvited?"
" Hmm. Um..."
On normal working days, the central block guards would let in all the little by little decent dressed people and nonpeople. Solan looked rich enough to go through the post without question.
" Nevertheless, I insist," Solan said.
"What do you insist?! Get the fuck out of here!"
The second guard took Solan's clothes and pushed the boy forward, from which he almost fell, but fortunately he was able to withstand and not get his clothes dirty.
"Hey, Jer..." said Sean.
" What's that?" (Sighs)
" Well, don't be so abrupt. I knew old Terrick. He was a great guy. He and I got drunk once and..." - He turned to Solan. " K-hm, Solan, you better go home."
- I'll be back," Solan left for last and went home.
"And the plan was good," Solan thought to himself. - Too bad I couldn't make it to the library... Oh, well, there's plan "B."
Solan's slow gait headed home. He didn't know anyone in the central neighborhood except Adina and her merchant father. He seems to be selling trinkets, but he has so much money that Solan couldn't imagine who was buying from him.
Walking along the carefully laid out path and turning towards the forge on the dirty path along the houses, Solan couldn't help noticing the striking difference. The people who came to the city were basically going to the central quarter, and on the way they saw only a deception, when behind well-groomed houses and a clean path were hiding such neighborhoods, where even the locals were afraid to go during the day, not to mention the night. The blacksmith himself was lucky to have taken a good location near one of the guild of mercenaries; Solan watched with a smile when people with criminal intent on their faces walked around the block. The thieves rightly believed that professional soldiers would not be ceremonial and would cut off their hands without remorse.
Halfway to Solan's house, he met some familiar faces. They offered him a walk, but he said no. They weren't surprised, because they noticed how much the character of an old friend had changed. If before the one-armed "lucky guy" knew all the kids as the craziest climber, now they have forgotten about him. Solan chose his friends too carefully, so he lost them all. At fourteen, he said strange things that made people angry. In addition, he refused any dubious activities and walks, where he could be explained that he should not be friends with the "central".
- Welcome back," Rosie said when she saw Solana at home.
She looked like a young housewife. With long hair, carefully folded into the tail, grayish apron and a smile, whose suspicion was not in doubt.
- Where are you dressed up like that? - Rosie asked.
- Nowhere to go," Solan sighed.
- Are you hungry?
- I will be.
- Come on, let's go.
Once in the kitchen, Solan sat down at the table and started waiting for lunch. That's when Rosie was looking for the spoon plate. Like Solana's former friends, she noticed the changes that had occurred after the day he rolled his stomach over the roof. It turned out that they were foolishly running through the Mandis' garden and actually survived by a miracle. Unfortunately, the magic defense put "marks" on them, which is why they were found on the same day. Terrick's grandfather was beaten up, forced into debt to pay the fine. Lucky they didn't. Things at the blacksmith were already going badly, but with the fine, it got pretty awful. Solana's uncle - his name was Tom - as he could have tried to get out of his misery: he found an apprentice, agreed to defer the tax at the Guild of Craftsmen. But there are barely enough coins. Being a one-armed man, Solan is not able to master the forge trade and could only be engaged in direct selling with Rosie.
- Enjoy your meal," Rosie said.
Solan, with an acidic face, started to eat. Terribly fresh soup and stale bread. Not the pinnacle of poverty, but close.
"We'll be kicked out of town at this rate," Solan thought to himself. - "You have to solve something with education..."
For those around us, the changes in Solana have been quite smooth. But not for him. On that day, the consciousness of the ten-year-old child changed so rapidly that Solan could no longer associate "himself" with "himself". Only four years later did he manage to understand himself and his desires, to feel alive, not asleep.
"Plan "A" is to pretend to be a student and go with the crowd to the library. It didn't work out. A month of watching the guards is a shambles," Solan thought. - I didn't want to spend all the money, but I guess I'll have to. Let's move on to plan "B."
Solan couldn't explain to himself what "A" or "B" was, but he thought of these letters as extremely familiar symbols. Nightly digging led to the idea that the scrappy memories he received at the age of ten lay in a hidden corner in his head, where he could not climb. Besides, he often had dreams about a place that didn't look like Vereden. No, not even two places. In the first one, people wore masks where there was smoke everywhere that couldn't be breathed. In the second, the bloody sky led to madness, incomprehensible creatures tore each other apart with breathtaking cruelty and, most interestingly, Solan did not hesitate to repeat after them.
- Solan! - Tom walked into the kitchen.
Tom is Solana's uncle. He looked like a good fat guy, but his character was really bad. Wiping sweat off his forehead and throwing dark hair on his side, Tom continued to displease his voice:
- Where are you going, you lounger?!
- I was out walking.
- Did he go for a walk?!
Tom took a wet, dirty cloth from the table and waved it over Solan's face, and he immediately closed it with his hand.
- Daddy! (Laughs)
- Shut up! Tom waved a rag on Rosie, too. - You worthless bummer! Get to the store now! And I want you to wash it all up!
Solan ran out of the kitchen and headed for the store under the heavy blows of a rag. There's nothing to do but clean up, really. Neighboring forges sell goods better and cheaper, they even have a wider range of products. Solan had no desire to cool down in a stuffy store, but it was not a problem to refuse to work either. As much as I wanted to do my job, Solan was on Tom's payroll, so he had to work.
It's time to close the store. Solan was sitting in a corner in the middle of the night and when he heard footsteps, he got up.
- Oh, Rosie, you.
The girl let her long hair down, which wasn't considered very decent, but it was more like that. Bright summer dress emphasized the slender figure of a young girl, and Solan couldn't help but notice to himself that he didn't mind taking it off.
- Uh-huh. Yeah. (Laughs) Well, is there anyone else tonight, too?
- No one's here.
- Again..." Rosie took a deep breath. - It's all fucking Nanson. He made a deal with someone to supply iron bypassing the guild and now he's getting richer! They're like glass! If they fall, they're gonna crash! Who's just buying?!
- People are buying, Rosie. The rest doesn't matter.
Solan walked up to the gun stand. Except for a couple of swords and daggers that looked like knives, nothing happened. The shop survived only on household goods, while military production is too difficult to establish.
- Yeah, but they break down in less than a month! What kind of iron is that?!
- If they break down, they'll buy a new one. Besides, you can forge a new one - it won't take long.
Solan picked up a dagger made by his grandfather. Lightweight and durable, it almost matched the standards of military weapons.
- What kind of knife is that again? - Solan asked.
- The dagger, not the knife," Rosie corrected. - Mercenary Dagger, standard grinding and forging.
- How much is it worth?
- Forty silversmiths.
- That's a lot, Rosie. Only a professional mercenary can afford it. If we want to sell this type of goods, we need to reduce the price. Learn how to make trash that can be afforded not only by a city dweller, but also by those who live in villages. In that case, the resellers will start to come into our shop not only to laugh at the prices.
- Reasonable," Rosie agreed. - But where are we gonna get the materials?
- Yeah... that's the thing. The guild is breaking down such prices that we have to make expensive goods to pay for the production. Making knives like Nanson's doesn't pay off.
- How did Grandpa Terrick handle it?
- Percentages.
- Percentages?
- Yes. Our forge has taken a lot of debt, so we pay "interest" by buying materials at a higher price than it actually costs. We do not have access to the market, we are not allowed to deal directly with suppliers. In short, a couple more years and we're gonna go bankrupt.
- Solan, I don't understand you," Rosie shook her head. - Where did you hear those words?
- Doesn't matter. I have to go on business.
- What other things to do at night? - surprised Rosie. - Can I come with you? - she added right away.
- You still have to close the forge. I'd rather go alone.
- No, no, no, no, no, no! Wait for me at the apple tree. I'll be right back!
Solan put the dagger in his pocket, without forgetting to hide it in a sheath. He wasn't gonna wait, let alone take Rosie with him. Plan "B" is dangerous enough to put yourself at risk? No, I'm not. Sneaking out of the store, Solan walked into his room. Got the necklace from the pillow that Adina gave him for his birthday. And a handmade mask.
"Risks... if I get caught, I won't get away with it. At best, you can move out with Tom, he still thinks I'm his family.
Solan waited in a quiet place in the middle of the night and put a mask on his face. Also, just in case, he's changed into another dark clothes. It was not forbidden to walk at night, but the guards did not hesitate to ask questions and remember who they met and where they met. The crime in Vereden outside the central quarter was at an adequate level, and the chance of meeting another criminal was even higher than that of detention.
Climbing the roof of one of the houses, Solan got a black package. The cloak, the other mask and the triangular crystal. Quickly unpacked, he climbed over the fence and headed to the River Face Guild, one of the branches of the Guild of Thieves. Solan stopped at the door to the basement of the abandoned house and gently knocked four times.
Solan's been here many times. Two years ago he had a strong desire to get an education, but he needed gold coins. To take their honest work was too impossible, so he plunged into the search for a guild of thieves, which was a lot of rumors throughout the city. He needed the initial capital to pass the test, and then he planned to find a mentor and try to make money through him. I didn't want to become a thief.
- A transparent waterfall," I heard from the door. - Fell into the light wave.
- A pine needle," Solan replied and put a triangle in a special shape on the door.
Finding the block where the entrance is is is a challenge. I had to digest a lot of rumors and draw a map of the city in my mind. There were also difficulties with night sorties, because someone could have seen him, which is why Solan made a mask for himself. Then the guild of thieves, even though it's another branch, found it herself. Luckily, the young thief found a crystal triangle in an abandoned house four years ago when he fell and got hurt badly and did not know what it was, he kept it under his bed. When Solan tried to find information about the guild of thieves, he found out that the crystal triangle is a symbol of the guild of "River Face" and therefore always took him with him. He was lucky that the thieves of another criminal guild took him for a stupid newcomer, who decided to climb into someone else's territory, and after a sincere apology, as well as an oath that he joined the guild "only yesterday" and has not yet figured out what is here, nicely explained that the territory of the guild is strictly divided into blocks, and he already has a southern one. Of course, Solan thanked them and went back to his own place, already knowing where to look for the right place.
Meanwhile, Solan went into the basement. There was no one outside the door. Voice is a magical defense. The password changes every month, and Solan overheard it. The River Face Guild had a bad reputation, but if someone needs to sell stolen goods, this is the place to go first.
Walking down the dark stairs, Solan couldn't hide the excitement. Torches with magical light illuminated the whole way, the teenager has never seen so many magical lamps. When he went out into the wide room, he was even more surprised. Dozens of people went to the basement on business, there were doors to some rooms in the corners.
"Apparently, it's where the stolen goods are handed over," Solan decided and headed for the nearest one.
- Hey, I haven't seen you here before..." I heard a voice on the right.
Solan turned around. He was looked at by a mask with a crooked pattern similar to a dog, and looked at from below. As a teenager, Solan couldn't boast of being taller, but the creature was even lower.
"Some dwarf."
- So do I," Solan replied, trying to change the voice to make it sound more rude.
After a little silence, I heard a laugh and the dog masked man left. Solan shuddered, and it became clear to him that his identity was either revealed or strongly doubted.
"We need to sell the necklace faster!" - a teenager walked into one of the rooms in quick succession.
I immediately hit my nose with a nice floral smell. It became clear he was in the alchemist's shop. Many elixirs of various colors lay on the stands, and the ingredients under the transparent barrier. It gave me the creeps when he stepped on the magic stove.
- Welcome, welcome! - was sung by a saleswoman.
She had a strange face on the mask and Solan thought that such a pleasant voice would be perfect for a drawing. The rest of the body was hidden behind dark clothes, it was possible to understand, except for a tiny figure of the saleswoman.
- I recommend you take the amateur flowers, fresh, brought this afternoon!
- Uh, no, it's different," Solan said, and I was embarrassed at the counter. - Here you go. (Laughs) I'd like to sell this necklace. Can you tell me who could have bought it?
- Well..." the girl got upset. - It's not for me. Maybe the squirrel will buy... though... come on...
The saleswoman took the necklace and started to look closely at each segment. She was particularly interested in the strong chain ties, like the ringlets. Trying long fingers, she seemed to count them and almost sniffed.
- Gilt... Okay, how much do you want?
- Golden.
- Did it fall off the oak tree? I'll give you the silverware.
- Solan grabbed the necklace, but the saleswoman wouldn't let go.
- Two? No, three?
- Fifty.
The saleswoman released the necklace and crossed her arms. Her "buyer" is asking for too high a price for a trinket.
- I'll give you 30. No more than that.
- Okay. Okay.
After leaving the store, Solan immediately went up the stairs to avoid tempting fate. Originally he planned to sell necklaces for gold, because Adina's father was selling something similar for three or even four, but it turned out as it happened ... He jumped the idea to sell the necklace officially in the market and it does not matter that it was a gift, but he refused it. Adina's father despises Solana, and if he gets the rumor that his unsightly daughter gave him such an expensive gift, there is a great chance of consequences. Maybe three gold pieces are worth nothing to Adina, but for Solan it is a decent amount and he is sure that the girl's father will not want to throw money around. However, thirty pieces of silver will be enough, given that Solan has his own small savings.
Solan was at the Feather and Wind Guild this morning. He came here last year to see if he could find a mentor. The guild is specialized in all kinds of education: magic, martial arts, natural science, politics. Some kind of intermediary and a mentor association in one person.
The building itself looked like a large and long mansion, only with small windows with flowers. On the third floor the guild emblem was visible: a bird with a thick feather in its mouth. No one was guarding the entrance, so Solan could easily get in. There were almost no visitors. The enchanted floor, which automatically removes dirt, surprised Solan a little bit, but he already realized that the central quarter is full of fascinating things.
- Hello," Solan said, coming up to the counter. - Can I take a magical predisposition test?
- Left and to the end of the hall," the young man answered him without looking.
When Solan got to that point, he saw a well-nourished man talking to a girl at the bar. In one hand, he held an iron mug, and the other showed incomprehensible gestures, visible to the conversation.
- Good morning," Solan said, coming up to them. - Can you tell me where I can take the magical talent test?
- "Here," said the first one who was well nourished and left.
- Uh, the girl was confused for a second. - Price for the ritual of fifty silversmiths.
- Here you go. (Laughs)
The girl looked disapprovingly at the little silver bag and the huge one with the brasses. Good thing they're not forbidden to use magic to count coins.
"Another poor man dreaming of magic," the girl decided to herself.
Quickly checking for the necessary amount, she took the crystal and handed it to Solan. After which she said:
- You need to see Mr. Gregory. You've seen him before. Go to the right, then turn to the second door. It's got a circle on it. Tell him the crystal.
- Well, thank you," Solan thanked and went looking for a mentor.
"Strangely, too well-bred for the poor. "Maybe a poor nobleman who's impoverished?" the girl said, looking into Solana's back.
There were no windows in Gregory's office, just a dimmed light from magic lamps. There were documents and crystals on the table in a chaotic order, a couple of coins. When he saw Solan, he greeted him and asked him to sit on a chair with a run-of-the-mill circle around it. Crystal was pre-taken by throwing it on the table with the others.
- Don't move," Gregory said in a serious voice. - I'll tell you when we start.
Solan was sitting tight and watching Gregory prepare for the test. Ten minutes later, he realised that the mentor was just shirking his way out of work, doing something nonsense.
- Mr. Gregory, when do we start?
- Yes, now... and tea is not allowed to drink in peace," complained Gregory.
When he walked up to the runoff circle, he put his hands in a prayer gesture and closed his eyes. His tongue was whispering silently. In a moment, he opened his eyes and spread his arms forward. The light came out of them and rushed into a run-of-the-mill circle to drink it.
- What do you see? - asked Gregory.
- Nothing..." Solan answered.
- Take a good look.
Solan looked into the rapidly approaching darkness. The vision gradually began to catch small particles of different colors that flew all over the runoff circle. The variety of colors was striking, some Solan couldn't even name them, as if they had two instantly shimmering colors at the same time.
- I see some... Solan didn't know what to call it. - Sparks. A lot of different colors.
- Great, - Gregory canceled the magic and sat down at the table. - You have a magical gift, congratulations. Dismissed.
Solan didn't dare to get up. Actually, he was counting on an invitation to study, not "free." Or at least to help you find a teacher. Any chance you have to get out of this family's misery. Magically gifted people are rare and valuable, aren't they? At least that's what he thought before.
- Mr. Gregory... can I be your student?
- Oh, yes, of course! - Gregory answered easily. - I liked you, I'd love to be your teacher.
- Oh, uh..." Solan was surprised to hear such a sudden response.
- Ten.
- What's that? (Sighs)
- Ten gold coins a month for me, plus twenty for joining the guild. Paying for it there, too.