Ezro confidently walked the streets of Augus. Though unfamiliar with the city, he knew that simply following the direction of the towering structure would lead him to his destination.
The area he was in was composed of small houses and buildings that were jammed together. Clotheslines crisscrossed the streets, flapping shirts and pants in the sea breeze, as children ran and men transported wagons. Women talked from their windows with screams that tried to outdo the sounds of the city.
However, as he advanced towards the center, the streets became narrower and the buildings taller. Fewer children on the streets and more men wearing sober clothes and carrying weapons. Some of them gave him curious glances, but no one stopped his progress.
After crossing an alley that went around a three-story building with many windows and arches that gave access to its interior at the base, Ezro found himself in front of a beautiful square. In the center of it stood the base of the tower and its shadow swallowed a good part of the surroundings at that time of the morning.
Ezro raised his neck and looked up until he could see the end of that monstrosity built with titanic rocks. He felt his footing waver as the black tower blended with the blue sky. He imagined the view from the top and wondered how far he would be able to see and how one would even ascend such a height.
He pushed away the doubt and reached for his shoulder where Sphyr sat, eager to caress her.
"Finally, we made it."
However, the lemire returned his petting with a headbutt.
"Hey, behave for just a little more. Can you do that? I know you're hungry."
Sphyr remained indifferent to the affection and Ezro decided not to insist. When she was in a bad mood, only food solved the problem.
Then he advanced through the square towards the tower. Its base was rectangular, and each cardinal point had an entrance. The boy followed the west passage and as soon as he entered the area; he felt the difference when the fresh air touched his skin. The floor was granite, and the walls were black marble with metal decorations. Warm light lanterns hung from the pillars and bathed the hall with a pleasant light to the eyes.
Many people were going and coming. Some seemed to be Guild officials as they carried books and parchments. Others were covered in travel cloaks and muddy boots. He also saw groups of armed men with exotic clothing that he had never seen before.
But he was at a loss when he saw a man covered in gray fur walk by his side. Ezro stopped and stared at the stranger until he realized that the man looked like a wolf. As he absorbed that sight, a group of girls passed by. They had fluffy tails and pointed ears above their heads, as if they were bunnies.
An old man with gray skin, as if it were made of iron, passed by him. Then he saw a man so tall that he almost reached the top of the passage that gave access to the building, and it should have been almost three meters tall. People with tattoos that changed color or shone like fireflies, with claws, wings, skins of different shades, and different types of hair.
Ezro could not believe his eyes.
Everyone moved quickly, and he did not know what to do. That's when he noticed a boy standing near a pillar. He wore a gray uniform and had no horns.
Ezro approached him and asked,
"Can I ask you a question?"
The boy gave him a tired look.
"If it's quick."
"Where should I go to become an explorer?"
The boy gave him a curious once-over before a condescending smile crossed his lips.
"Third floor, look for help there."
Ezro looked around and did not see any stairs anywhere.
"And how do I get there?"
"Wasn't it just one question?" The boy made a displeased face. "Use the elevator in the center of the tower. Be careful not to fall. No one likes to see newbies smashed around here."
Ezro made a confused face at that unexpected answer. What was an elevator? He wanted more explanations, but the boy turned his face away from him and walked away. So he was left with no choice but to follow in the direction pointed out.
In the center of the lobby, a group of people were standing around a small room that went from floor to ceiling. A void hovered in the middle of it. He didn't know what to think and stood there with a fox girl by his side. Ezro contained his curiosity to ask how she had achieved that beautiful tail and focused his attention on understanding what was happening there.
However, nothing was happening and the number of people around that strange room only increased. When he was about to ask the girl, something appeared in the gap. A kind of platform that went down and people rushed to get on top of it. He followed them and stepped inside. Something happened. The platform was rising.
How was that possible? He looked to the sides and saw recesses in the wall on the sides, like a continuous groove that went up the pit. The sensation was strange, and he felt a chill run down his spine as the floor was left behind. Then they reached the ceiling and then the second floor appeared before his eyes. Some people jumped to the floor while the platform continued to rise, without waiting for them.
Again, his vision was obscured by the ceiling and after some time, the third floor appeared. Ezro hurried to get off. That's when he understood the comment from the uniformed boy. It would be easy to lose balance and fall at that moment. But he jumped like a cat and stepped firmly on the floor. The elevator continued to rise, and he looked around. The third floor differed greatly from the first. Various booths were there, in them men and women worked in silence while a few walked around the floor.
Ezro approached one booth closest to the elevator where a middle-aged woman was sitting with various papers around her. In front of her was an inkwell, and a pen moved with precision under the command of her fingers.
"Good morning. Can you help me?"
Ezro spoke in a friendly tone, but the woman didn't even look at him when she answered.
"What do you want?"
"I came to become an explorer, and they told me to come to this floor..."
"Yes, yes, it is here. Do you need information or just came to pay the fee?"
"Fee?" Ezro tilted his head.
The woman stopped writing and put the pen on the inkwell. Then she looked at the boy for the first time.
"Let's start with the information, then. Anyone can become an explorer, but first you have to pass our selection. For five days, you will be tested to see if you have the necessary abilities to live according to the Augus Guild."
"The selection will take place in a nearby village... let me see when... you're in luck," she said while looking through some scrolls. "A caravan will leave tomorrow morning for there to start a new group. You'll have food and lodging on behalf of the Guild, so a fee of three hundred bronze talis is charged, which you can pay right now. Any questions?"
Ezro had many questions and didn't know where to start, so the only question that came to mind was,
"Do you accept nirmes?"
"The empire's currency?"
"Yes, that one."
The woman looked for another scroll and read it carefully before answering,
"In that case, it's thirty nirmes."
Ezro took out his leather pouch and counted the coins. He still had thirty-two coins left. He separated them and showed them to the woman.
"That's right," she said as she counted the coins. "Let's fill out your registration."
Then she asked Ezro a lot of questions, which he answered as best as he could. Once she finished with the paperwork, the woman gave him a green emblem that featured a leaf.
"Don't lose this for anything. This emblem is proof that you paid for the registration. And it's your responsibility to present it tomorrow to the leader of the caravan. Be here at the tower before sunrise. They leave early."
"That's it? Now I just have to wait until tomorrow?"
The woman nodded, and Ezro wasn't expecting that. He thought he would be involved with the Guild for the rest of the day.
"I think I'll take a walk around the city and spend the two coins I have left. Any suggestions on where I should go?"
"My only suggestion is that you be here tomorrow before sunrise. Have a good day."
And with that, she turned back to her papers and ignored Ezro completely.
He was noticing a trend.