The floors were made of dark oak wood, the windows rose from the floor to the ceiling, which was high over Floris and Alvis' heads. Stone pillars acted as support beams throughout the building while the dark blue banner with the sword piercing the book hanging from most of them. Candles of colors matching the roaring fires outside illuminated the enormous building that seemed as if it were far larger from the inside.
Floris and Alvis were standing in the entryway, completely in silence as they gazed at their mystical and beautiful surroundings. Everything seemed so...alien to what they had previously seen from the outside world, but all around them were mystifying objects that seemed to take them to another world entirely. Furniture of rich colors were neatly placed throughout the room. Multiple chairs of lavish design surrounded large tables that had piles of enormous books that were far taller than either of the stupified boys. Though his face was hidden, Floris' jaw hung loosely as he stared at the innumerable books he saw all over the room. He was in a place he had only ever dreamed of. Vast quantities of books he could spend years reading and uncovering secrets he hadn't ever dreamed of. For him, he was in heaven just gazing at the books alone.
Alvis, however, stared at the vast number of books in shock. His eye twitched a little and he started making funny faces as he groaned in frustration, "Books?! Nobody said there would be books here! Since when did books become a major part of our adventures?! I hate books!"
Floris didn't even bother looking at Alvis but continued to stare at the books with eyes, thirsty for more knowledge. Though the world outside was big and mysterious to him, he felt something inside him telling him that he was supposed to be here. The secrets he could uncover throughout his years of being here were too good to pass up.
Alvis turned around and started for the door, "Well, forget this! Stupid books! Who needs 'em?!"
Floris shook his head a little to bring himself out his daze, then looked at Alvis with his arms crossed, "Well, obviously you did, as well as the rest of the village. If it hadn't been for those books my old teacher gave me and taught me how to read, you and I would be long gone by this point. The only reason you hate books so much is because you can't read."
Alvis stopped walking and looked at Floris as he replied, "Reading, schmeeding! Who cares?! There are better ways for me to waste my time than burying my nose in a stupid book."
Floris stared quietly at Alvis for a moment, then got an idea, "Even if reading one of these books allows you to cast fire...from your hands?"
Alvis' eyes widened and he turned to look at Floris, his attention totally captured by the idea, "You're bluffing!"
Floris smiled under his scarf, seeing how easy it was to change Alvis' mind on the subject. He looked around randomly, tapping his chin, "Or how about...shooting lighting from your fingertips?!"
Alvis' eyes grew even wider with interest, but he was trying desperately to hide it. He turned around and crossed his arms again, "No. You're just messing with me. That isn't possible."
Floris' grin grew larger under his scarf as he stepped up behind Alvis and whispered in his ear, "Breathing...underwater."
Spinning on his heel, with his arms still crossed, Alvis silently walked past Floris into the main hall where he looked around randomly, "So...uh...where do we sign in?"
Floris smiled under his scarf and shook his head, then stepped up beside Alvis, "Surely, someone around he will greet us."
Just then, a man wearing a green robe approached them, drawing their attention, "Good day, gentlemen! Is there something I can help you with?"
Alvis stared at the mans' robe with a skeptical eye but didn't bother to say anything. The man was taller than the two of them and had short black hair. He wore a number of different trinkets on his fingers and around his neck, some of which glowed in a vast array of different colors that ranged from bright blue to pink, to green, and even some mixed colors.
Floris gave the man a similar look as Alvis, but was able to break his thoughts, "Uh...hi. We're here to join the guild."
The man gave both the boys a quick observation, then looked at Floris again, "Can either of you cast any spells?"
Floris rubbed the back of his head as he laughed nervously, "Not that we're aware of. But someone told me that our parents were once mages and we don't really didn't have any other choice but to come here."
"I see. What are your names and where are you from?" The man asked.
"My name is Floris Fetcher. His name is Alvis Era. We came from the swamps." Floris answered.
The mans' eyes widened and he looked at Floris with a big smile growing on his face, "Floris...Fetcher? You're THE Floris Fetcher?!"
Floris only nodded, "I thought this was going to happen."
"Well, this is quite an unexpected turn of events!" The man said in an excited tone of voice, "Yes, I think you'll fit right in here, Mr. Fetcher! Please, make yourselves comfortable. I'll need to speak to the master of the guildhall about this!" The man suddenly turned around and quickly walked away.
Floris and Alvis looked at each other, shrugged, then found a place to sit.
Sometime later, the same man from earlier approached with a much taller, yet more dangerous-looking man. This one wore dark blue hooded robes with a darker blue mask over his face, leaving only his eyes visible to Floris and Alvis. This man was considerably taller than all three of them and carried a white staff on his back. Floris and Alvis quickly stood from their seats and greeted the man.
"So, I take it you're our new recruits?" The man said. Despite his intimidating appearance, the man's voice was very kind.
Floris and Alvis only nodded in response.
The man studied the two boys for a moment, then crossed his arms as he started to speak, "Well, I had always hoped to meet the esteemed alchemist from the swamp in person someday, and it looks like it has finally come. However, I can't help but wonder what made you suddenly show up like this."
Floris and Alvis looked at each other, then Floris explained, "We...lost our village to what we called "the sickness". It was some kind of disease that was killing everything. It swallowed our village and took the lives of everyone we knew. Alvis and I are the only ones left."
"I see. Any idea what might have caused it?" The man asked.
Floris shook his head, "No. It just kind of came out of nowhere. It was spreading fast and I exhausted every resource I had trying to find a cure. But I failed."
The guildhall master grabbed his chin as he thought for a brief moment, then looked at the man who had greeted Floris and Alvis earlier, "Abial, I want you to take a team into the swamp and see if you can find out anything about this. This is troubling news and I want to know more about this...sickness."
"But...won't he die if he stays in the swamp for too long?" Floris asked.
Abial smiled at Floris, "Don't worry about it. We've been working on ways to protect ourselves from the dangers of Fiorra's South Swamp. We'll be perfectly safe."
"Well...if you say so." Floris said, deciding to believe what he was told.
The guildhall master returned his attention to Floris and Alvis and smiled under his mask, "Don't you worry about it. Abial is one of my best students here; the swamp will be no problem for him. Anyway, you two must be exhausted after such a long journey. I'll find someone to take you on a brief tour of the place and show you to our dormitory. My name is Etrix; I'm the superior ranking of this guildhall. If you need anything, you need only ask. But as of now, you are both initiates of the Mages Guild. With your title, you will get some new robes representing your rank. I'll have them ready for you tomorrow. Go ahead and take your seats again and I'll have someone come get you."
With that, Etrix bowed for his farewell, then started walking away.
Floris and Alvis smiled at each other and reclaimed their seats as they waited for their tour guide to arrive.