"I can afford that, can you get this off my arm?" Jacob had been warned by his grandparents about people who mark the Arms of others they deem criminals. He was ready to leave and count his blessings for surviving.
".. where? Never mind, consider the matter sorted." The Broker raised the seal and pressed it against the talisman itself. In an instant, it was disseminated and turned to nothing at all. The Herbs had been taken and he was ready to leave.
"The Paperwork.. Ahh.. the Paperwork." The Director raised one finger and tapped another on the desk in disdain.
"Hmmph. Since I've already said as much." A slip of golden paper came in front of Jacob. The Broker's face twisted like he had suffered a loss but all of this had happened in an instant. It was obvious that he was only posturing for personal gain.
"Put some blood from both of you. This Talisman will place your mark onto your beast, the Guard will then recognize it as registered." The details seemed sketchy and it also felt like a blood contract, the Broker grinned like there was some hidden threat behind the registration but there was nothing Jacob could do.
"What are the details?" Jacob asked gently. When the Broker sneered, Jacob floated another ten herbs in front of the Rat man.
"Hmm. You're a bold one." The Broker took the paper back. "But, you speak my language." A few strokes of energy emanated from a pen in his hands and the paper changed. There was a completely different diagram. "This one will only make the mark. I've removed the other restrictions placed on it, don't make me regret my actions. You were never here, your registration happened elsewhere." The Bald Broker shifted his sleeves and waved his hand, the door opened. "I have other business, unless you have other needs."
"Not today." Having gotten something strange, Jacob didn't want to stress the tacit relationship between the Broker and the School or himself.
Leaving, Jacob didn't say a word until they came out of the Castle. When they were free of prying ears, Jacob whispered, "Director, are things like this everywhere?"
"Where did you learn to negotiate like that?" The Director seemed impressed with Jacob's actions but it hardly seemed like an arrangement many could accomplish.
Jacob thought it over for a second and answered, "I guess I'm just use to bullies, they always want something and when they have power, its harder to convince them without something they want."
"That's a good answer but be careful when flaunting wealth, people like that will kill you for less than what you've just taken out. Where did you get so many herbs?" The Director's curiosity had been piqued but she was reluctant to pry, everyone had their secrets.
"I traded some things for them on the Frontier, it was a while ago but you're not the first to tell me this. I'll make sure to remember." Having been lectured about showing wealth a few times, Jacob had a vague understanding about why it was a bad thing. A few questions crossed his mind, he felt the need to ask, "How much do your students usually have?"
"Its not appropriate to ask what others have or don't have, what someone owns is theirs. However, from what I understand of wealth, you just paid a hefty price that most couldn't endure. Be weary but don't be discouraged too much, its only a precaution." The Director escorted Jacob back toward the school and kept talking about the school itself.
The night was pleasant in the Capital City, the weather was nice and the noise was consolidated to specific areas. They went from the Castle to the School without running into another person. The Coach had left immediately after the Director and Jacob had left the Office, "His nighttime training sessions take up his attention, don't think too much about it." The Director noticed Jacob's expression and explained a little further before they went to the main door.
"There are two things you will do before you go to rest tonight. Firstly, you'll find your mount and apply that talisman. Second, you'll need to find a dorm room. First year students are all housed in the east wing, you'll have to look for an opening." The sentence sounded ominous as it left the Director's lips but she stopped at the threshold.
"Okay. As long as this is the place." Jacob understood. The Director had things she had to do and entering a dorm was not one of them.
"Induction Class begins at Dawn, don't waste your time to rest. There are tests you will be forced to take, we have to know what you're capable of." The Director finished speaking and pulled out a sword. She jumped onto it and flew away.
'Flying swords?' Jacob wondered why he hadn't seen it already but he was half impressed.
Making his way into the building, Jacob went to look for a room. People were crowded in the hallway and some of them seemed repulsed by his presence. He was the new guy all over again, sneers and looks of contempt surrounded Jacob in every direction.
"Where is an open room?" Jacob asked the crowd but most of them were completely absorbed in their own discussions or private matters. 'I wonder why everyone's in the halls.'
After getting no response, Jacob was forced to look for himself. He didn't bother with the rooms that had people standing outside of them, he moved to the ends of the hall. After taking a few turns, he found a few unguarded doors. A pungent smell came from one of the rooms but Jacob chose the one next to it.
Inside of the room, two people were already using it. Each room could hold four people at most until it became crowded. When they saw Jacob enter, both of them turned back toward their reading.
There was a bed in the corner, it wasn't very wide but it could have been worse. Jacob was unsure what to expect but he pulled out some hides and spread them across the bed. Neither of his roommates made any moves or showed interest in his actions. There were still things he needed to do, his first assignment was clear. He needed to put the Talisman on Shortie.
֍ꟷꟷꟷꟷ֍
Trouble comes in waves, classes started early in the morning. Jacob had been out half of the night in his search for the Inn. Zadkeil had remained in the City, he was unaware of what had happened after Jacob had left. Shortie needed stabling and his granddaughter needed a place to rest.
The Inn wasn't cheap but it met their needs. Guards were nearby but since they were headed toward a stables, no reason existed for the guards to give them trouble.
Zadkeil was busy eating dinner when Jacob came through the doorway, there were only seven Inns on that side of the City. After meeting, Jacob put the talisman onto Shortie and a sparkling visual effect was added to Shortie's aura.
Jacob was thrilled that it came without strings attached and the removal of the criminal talisman had been removed, still, there were other dangers that existed. He had to get to back to the school before the end of the night, so he kept his meeting with Zadkeil brief.
"So you got in? Where?" Zadkeil asked Jacob but Jacob didn't have the answer.
Rubbing his head, Jacob stopped and seriously thought about it. "I seriously didn't even think to ask. It doesn't matter, they took me in and I have a dorm. I can come get Shortie tomorrow but tonight I have to get back. I don't expect you to stick around, thank you for bringing me this far."
"You'll have to endure my presence for a few days longer. But yes, I won't be here for too long a time. Jacob, Remember to ask questions. If you aren't allowed to ask questions, something's wrong." Zadkeil picked up his fork and stabbed at his meal. It was rubbery, "You only grow up once."
The Suns had come up, it was early and Jacob woke up to people shuffling around him in the Dorm. His two roommates had just about left when he first opened his eyes. 'Crap!!'
Jacob rushed to put on his shoes and fled through the doorway. He followed the other students in the halls and found his way to the school training grounds with the rest of them.
The Coach was waiting on the field, he had a whistle in his mouth and blew it. "Hey! Listen Up! Its the first semester for a lot of you, so pay attention. Morning routines will be observed while you are not away or on a mission." He flexed his muscles and blew the whistle again. "Every morning you will report here for attendance and security, since you're first year students, most of you won't be leaving the Campus."
"How do we go out on missions if we can't leave the school grounds?" One of the other new students had a question, he thought it was a good question but he made the coach beam toward him.
"Its obvious. If you can't get to a certain level, you're not allowed to leave, why would we send students out just so they could die? Now, Drop and give me Twenty!"
Everyone that was standing around seemed a bit confused, they were not expecting the command. A few seconds later and most of the students were pushing the ground away from their bodies.
"One!" The Coach began to count after everyone was down and then blew his whistle and put his arms behind his back. He started to lecture between counts of five.
After the pushups, the group was forced to run again. From the school grounds down to the Main City Gate and back again. The trip was three kilometers and there were a lot of steep inclines.