By this time, the line has moved significantly closer towards the gate, making Bigz, the girls, and the mannequins only about two to three groups away from being inspected When the girls returned back to their place in line, they immediately treated Gallian's arm with some first aid. Selica volunteered to be in front of the group in exchange while Bigz does the first aid. They pulled off one of the mannequin's arms and used it as splint to keep Gallian's arm from moving too much.
"That should keep it steady for a while." Bigz is finishing up conducting the first aid for Gallian. At this point, all traces of Gallian's previously ridiculous make up is completely gone. All that's left is a fresh young face of a teenage girl. "Just don't swing it too much, then ask the guards where the medic ward is when you get inside." "Wait, you're not coming with us?" Gallian suddenly notices Bigz choice of words.
Bigz starts packing up the first aid kit while he answers Gallian's question. "Ah, no. I'm just accompanying Ashlin over here to get inside the entrance that's all." He places them all neatly inside his backpack, almost as big as Selica's but thankfully carried by a sturdier person, before helping Gallian stand up. "They said only those who wishes to apply for citizenship within the city are allowed to enter the crystal gates, and I'm just taking some time off from my work just to help Ashlin get here."
Gallian sneaks a glance back at Ashlin. She has remained silent this entire time when Gallian was getting first aid. The young princess has also started covering her shaking hands inside her pocket every time Ashlin steals a glance at her.
"Please don't be too hard on her." Bigz comments, noticing Gallian staring at Ashlin. "She may look tough, but this is actually her first time being outside of the city and with friends." "Friends?" Gallian disgustingly reacts. "What makes you think we're friends?"
But Bigz just smiles. "Just a hunch." He stands up and waves at Selica. "I'm done here! We should switch now."
*
Selica notices Biggz waving at her from inside the mannequin group. "Okay!" She waves back from the front and starts entering the mannequin group's center. She looked at Gallian's arm first, and then her face. "You know, I have so many questions, but I'm afraid I might jinx it." Selica begins her prelude.
"Oh spit it out already," Gallian slowly stands up from the ground, faltering a bit since she's still unfamiliar with the splint's weight.
Selica sighs, as she starts to brace herself. "Right, well. First off you didn’t seem all that angry about us ruining your "catch" awhile ago." Selica asks. "You almost seemed relieved according to your eyes."
"Would you stop staring at my eyes already. Oucch!" Gallian instinctively tries to cover her eyes with the sprained arm, making her immediately twitch in pain. "You're starting to creep me out with all these eye thing."
"So you are not angry." Selica notes as she still tries to perceive any hostility from Gallian, but there isn’t any outside of petty irritation.
"Yes," Gallian groans, but this time not out of pain, "And you're right. I'm relieved. Sucking up to that boy was taking such a mental toil on me that I just wanted to strangle him when he spitted me out of his posse."
Selica notices Gallian sneakily stealing a look at Ashlin who has been quite separated from them for a while. "Thankfully, I get to replace that smug boy with a more accommodating princess here." Gallian smiles at Selica, and Selica in return rolled her eyes.
"Would you stop calling me a princess." Ashlin finally breaks her silence. "And I'm also happy that you have to stop your horrible charade of being flirty kiss ass. It obviously doesn't suit you."
Gallian annoyingly turns around and faces at Ashlin eye to eye, Selica is slowly noticing how she is sandwiched between these two. "Ehh, the princess can talk back." Gallian starts intimidating Ashlin with a more hostile pose. "Are you done crying like a little sea slug already?"
Selica notices Ashlin got easily riled up by Gallian's hostility, but she composed herself at the last minute by muttering something under her breath before answering Gallian with a more somber face. "First of all, I was not crying. Second, you've got a lot of sass for some one who's already on a splint."
Gallian raises her splinted arm in front of Ashlin. "Oh this? This is an inconvenience sure, but not really a problem. I've been in far more worse situations in worse states than this." Gallian boasts, but her eyes once again betraying her a she squints a bit from the pain of raising her injured arm.
Noticing Gallian’s pain Ashlin sighs, and carefully lowers her arm. "You're going to make your arm worse if you keep showing off." She answers back. "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get your arm hurt in anyway." Ashlin's voice steadily grows softer, her genuine care starts to seep in. "I didn't mean to-" "Alright enough!" Gallian raises her other arm in protest. She can feel herself blushing the moment Ashlin starts to sound so vulnerable. "Okay, okay I get it. I was out of line as well." Selica notices Gallian staring at her, then at her bruised wrist. "Things got out of hand, alright. So let's just call everything even."
Ashlin responds with a relieved smile. "I'm glad. Oh we're next already." Everyone looks up and sees that they are already below the crystal formation on top of the city's gates.
As the group finally approaches the maw of the gates, Selica gets a brief look at interior of the city behind it. She sees a huge open circular space walled off by the same white iron walls and at the very top of them is a symbol of some kind of a torch. The gate closed again before she could grasp more information about it.
"Brr, it's really been cold today. I thought winter is over already?" One of the guards at the gate comments, he is a standard fair Silencer Selica have seen guarding the trek path towards the gate. Beside him there is another guard of the same uniform, but is less perturbed by the cold weather.
"It's probably a last ditch breeze before summer actually begins." The other guard also comments. The two guards finally notices Selica’s group and greets them accordingly. "Welcome to Magecraft City. May we have your name please?" The guard asks Bigz in front, unfazed by the wall of mannequins blankly staring behind him.
"Oh, no I'm not going to enter. I'm just the bodyguard." Bigz steps aside, at the same time the mannequins also parts from the front to reveal the girls in the middle.
"Heh, that's cute." The other guard who is shivering snickers when he sees the mannequin parts, and immediately notices Gallian with a splint. "Oh, hey you okay? Wait. Are you the girl who were making a ruckus awhile ago?" He did another round of checking the girl's faces and suddenly it clicked. "It is you!"
Gallian waves her functioning arm in admittance. "Yes, yes. Sorry for the drama awhile ago." She says, "Hope our points won't get deducted from it." "Points?" The serious guard reacts, his eyebrows raised in wonder. "What points?" Selica suddenly felt the need to explain herself. "The points for the test. Didn't they say there is a test that will happen to choose which one will be accepted to be a tenant of the city?"
"Oh test, right." The guards responds with clarity. "But what points are you talking about? The test hasn't even started yet."
"The test only begins when all the mages who intended to enter the city have all gathered in the city's enclosed facade here." The serious one explains as he points back at the gate. "Before that the city doesn't judge you in any way possible."
There’s a brief silence between Selica and Gallian. "So there was no test, huh." Gallian mutters after the realization. Selica's face starts to flush red in embarrassment, she is expecting Gallian to talk her ear off from being wrong with her assumption.
"Oh thank the Sea serpents." Gallian gave a big sigh of relief. "I really thought I lost any hope of entering the city." Somehow Gallian's relief also translated to Selica's.
"I'm really sorry." Selica mutters. "I really just thought-!" "Eh, it's cool." Gallian intervenes Selica's apology, "But isn't that great? It mean we really do have a fresh start before the test begins." Gallian optimism is kind of blinding for someone like Selica.
"I don't know about fresh start there, little lady." The jovial guard responded. "Unfortunately we don't have medics in the facade. So you might have to rely on your friends a bit more on this test." "Ughh." Gallian groans as she stares disappointedly on her arm. "Hey princess, you better make sure I get in the city, you hear?" Ashlin just sighs in contempt. "Fine, fine. I'll do my best." "Anyways going back. I need to get your names girls before you can enter." The jovial guard brought them back to the conversation. "Standard procedure."
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"Oh yes of course." Selica walks forward and shows her identification card. "Name is Selica Bursnan. I came from the small village of Vescira within the Medara region." She details her specifics to the guard. "Oh wow an actual local!" the jovial guard squints closer at the ID. "That's really rare. I thought you people are more into warriors or the adventurer type?" Selica, reeling from her resurfaced trauma back home, looks shyly away from the guard. "Look at what you did." the serious guard reprimands his friend. "Apologies young lady, you've said enough. That would be all." The serious guard continues to give his companion a indignant glare.
"U-um thank you." Selica swiftly walks pass the guard and towards the gates with all her stuff jingling at her back. Now that she's closer to gate, Selica notices how much more detailed the gate is. As she traces the gate with her open hand, she can feel her fingers reacting to static as mana stored in her fingertips sparks up and dissipates.
She can feel the iron’s coarse texture as she glides her hand over the gate. However despite its crude finish, Selica can still see some semblance of carvings done on the bottom and the side of the gate. Intricate filigree waves are engraved at the edges of the gate and at the center is a huge spherical orb embossed like a gong.
Selica is totally absorbed with the gate's design. Questions upon questions fill her head. What does these engraving mean? What does the spherical orb stand for? Selica slowly loses awareness to her surrounding again as she ponders these questions within herself.
*
Gallian stares at Selica as she inspects the iron gate with her face. She wonders if her friend is aware that exposing herself to that kind of iron as a mage is actually bad for her.
"Okay, next." The serious guard ushers both girls closer. After Selica, both Gallian and Ashlin are next.
"Monarchy first." Gallian mockingly bows and gestures Ashlin to go first.
Ashlin groans in Gallian's overused joke. "You're running the joke to the ground already, and we haven't evenentered the gate yet." She rolls her eyes and walks forward, Gallian snickers as Ashlin walk pass her.
"Name please?"
"Ashlin Gollaza." Ashlin’s answer is very formal. "I hail from the Mashkanor City of Indrisa."
"So you are his daughter, and another local." The serious man writes what Ashlin just said. "First time I've actually seen your face, mam." "I wasn't allowed to show myself on media." Ashlin answers briefly. "Didn't want our...opposition to know more about me before my "heroic debut"." Gallian notes how sarcastically Ashlin said "heroic debut". Seems like she doesn't like the idea of such a debut either, Gallian thinks.
"I understand." The serious guard glances at Bigz briefly and he responded with a nod. "Okay, then please enter, and can you ask your friend to stop touching the gate. Too much direct exposure to raw iron like that can really fuck up a mage's magic in the long run." "Oh yes of course. Selica! The guard said to stop touching the gate." Ashlin bows then races forward as she calls Selica to stop what her doing. "Is it my turn?" Gallian moseys forward with a smile. She gives both guards a confident display of her perfect teeth.
"Yes. And is that accent-!" The jovial guard immediately catches on Gallian's weird speech pattern.
"Why yes I'm from the world of Escardes." Gallian immediately answers. She opens her mouth and fluently speaks a foreign language far removed from common. "Datu’s Blessing on you sir. My name is Gallian vora nil Feginto, hailing from the port city of Dangal, one of the beloved sea ports of Kalakal Sea." She says in her local dialect of Escardian. Gallian felt a bit of a rush in being able to speak in her native tongue once again.
The jovial guard suddenly spoke in Escardian as well. "Ah, a Dangalee! Datu’s Blessing on you as well. My wife is from Rangal, she says you Dangalee love shallow shrimp stew." Gallian notices his diction is a bit off compared to hers. It’s kind of similar to how a lot of merchants who used to learn the language only for trade.
"Ehem." The serious guard breaks the two's ecstatic discussion. "Can we keep the discussion in Common, please?" He looks back at Gallian. Can you please say your name in common, little lady." "Sorry," Gallian scratches her head. "It's just been so long since I've used my native tongue." She gave the same answer to the serious guard but in common this time.
The serious guard writes Gallian’s detail after hearing them in Common, "A port girl, huh. Hope you get accustomed to the city if ever you're selected. It's not as...eventful as your life in the ports I assure you."
"No worries." Gallian replies with a somber smile. "I'm kind of done with the whole "port life" already, anyways." She merrily hops off towards the other girls now.
*
After Gallian got accepted by the guards, Ashlin calls upon her friend to help Selica as she moves towards Bigz for one last goodbye. It’s strange. All this time, even outside of the city, she never really felt she is in unexplored territory. But now with Bigz leaving, she can finally feel the encroaching feeling of truly being thrust into the new world alone.
Bigz comes closer to Ashlin and gives her a hearty hug. She nestles her face in his chest. How many times have I felt this familial embrace from Bigz, and the rest of the security group. For Ashlin, the guards and maids of their mansion was her true family, and finally saying goodbye to the one who accompanied her truly breaks her heart. Bigz releases his embrace and looks at Ashlin, who has started to tear up. "You play nice now." He says. "After this moment, I will truly not know where you are. So whatever you do at this point is all on your own. Congratulations Ash, for once in your life, you'll be free to do as you wish." With that statement Ashlin could no longer contain herself and starts sobbing uncontrollably.
Ashlin sniffles and tries to wipe her tears, "And you better make sure you'll be safe from father. Just tell him I coerced you or something, so you won't get blamed that much." She explains a plan to keep Bigz safe.
But instead of affirming it, Bigz just pats the poor girl on the head. "Don't worry about me, go and be with your new friends." He pushes her softly. Ashlin smiles with her red sore eyes as she tries to hold back more tears.
"Heartfelt goodbyes are just too much for me." The jovial guard starts sniffling behind Ashlin. "Alright, alright. Lets get you girls inside." He wipes his face with his clothed arm and starts to usher the girls inside. Ashlin starts to walk back to the group when Selica and Gallian notices her. She was expecting Gallian to laugh at her ugly crying face, but for once she didn’t comment on it and simply walks forward.
"You okay, Ashlin?" Selica immediately runs toward the sore-eyed Ashlin. "Y-yes." She continues to wipe her eyes red. She shakes herself and looks straight forward. "I'm ready."
"Well then. Welcome to Magecraft City. The Free City of Mages" The serious guard cranks a lever beside him and the iron gates begins to pull up. The girls are greeted by a blinding flash of light as the gate rises. Once they get accustomed to the light, they finally see were the test will take place. The City's Entrance facade is huge and spacious beyond any of what the girls could imagine. Though they’ve only seen it from the outside, but the space inside the facade is as big as the entire Wizard Ward in Silicon City.
“There must be some kind of space distortion happening here, right?” Ashlin comments on the monstrous space they’ve entered as they stare up towards the its supposed ceiling. Instead they see a huge open ceiling on top of the entrance. Selica notes to see other iron gates on at the far far distance of the entrance, sealed shut by both magic and twisted branches of rebar. But despite the space of the area, there’s barely any kind of structure or buildings even. Just stone floor all the way with only a lone monument standing tall in the middle of it all. When they start searching for other groups, they can see them sporadically occupying spaces within the facade. Like clumps of dirt staining a clean canvas. Selica estimates that there are around a couple thousand of mages inside the facade right now.
*
Selica notes that every group inside is doing either one or two things; idly chatting or resting in the corner, and with the test about to begin, Selica thinks resting might be the proper course of action. "I think we should pick a spot and rest". She says to her friends.
The stone cold floor is not exactly an ideal place to sit and relax, but the girls didn't seem to mind after their long, and interesting, journey to get inside the city. They chose a corner of the facade, one that's also a bit distant from the main crowds and places their belongings on the floor. Selica's notable stash of books and scrolls created a big "THUMP" when they all landed on the floor. As Gallian and Ashlin is about to lie their back on the wall, Selica slowly creeps in close to Gallian with a pair of pleading eyes.
Gallian notices Selica’s movement, opens her tired eyes, and sighs, "Selica, could you just ask your second question already. Stop being weird." Her exasperated sigh gives Selica the go signal to ask her final question.
"Okay, okay I wasn't sure if it was the right time." Selica pushed herself closer to the clearly exhausted Gallian. "So why did you do it in the first place?" "Do what?" Gallian passively asks.
"You know, flirting the mage boy?" Selica made her intention clearer.
Gallian's eyes starts to widen, then quickly averts her face away from Selica. "Okay firstly, I just want to clarify that I wasn't attracted to him or anything. It's more of a personal task of a thing you see." Gallian stumbles on her explanation. "You know, because I have to- I mean I need to know how-!" her stuttering flusters herself even more.
Ashlin suddenly speaks up from her supposed slumber. "Selica, seems like Gallian here isn't really ready to tell you why. So I think it's best to drop it for now." Selica notices Ashlin taking a peek at the flustered Gallian before going back to sleep with a smirk on her face.
Selica sighs as well, and stands up. "I understand. Sorry Gallian. Go get your rest." Selica returns to fixing her own staff and and decluttering their bags to the side.
"No wait, I mean-!" Gallian tries to answer, but she eventually gives up and sighs. "How annoying" She faintly whispers as rest takes her over.
*
Meanwhile outside the gate, the jovial guard seems to have lost his previous enthusiasm. “Do you think it was okay to let those kids in?” The jovial guard asks his friend, his previous merry demeanor seems to have been clouded by something ominous. ”Threshold told us to let everyone in,” The serious guard answers as he continues inspecting the entering mages. “And they’re not the first kids to enter, right?” ”Yeah, but the others had adults with them, and knowing the test they’ll probably will-!”
“I have faith in Threshold.” The serious guard cut off his once-jovial friend. “That woman might be a bit loose in the head, but in times like this I believe she truly knows what’s she’s doing.” He brushes off the argument with a handwave. “Now come on, the weather is already changing, we better get these applicants inside.”
The jovial guard is silent, he hasn’t really personally met this Threshold person himself, but his serious friend is a dependable sort, and if he can vouch for her then maybe she does know what she’s doing. He sighs and relaxes himself. “Fine, fine. I’m just glad I’m not a part of this.” He walks closer to his friend and starts ushering the mages just like before.