— Aster —

I was standing right in front of the shop containing the item I needed to procure. Calling it a shop was a little odd, as it really did look like a giant blue leather hat. It was both pointy and droopy at the same time. You could even see the stitching on the side. It even had a patch in the area as though it had been worn down from use. It was at least three or four stories tall. I could not help but think someone actually enlarged a wizard's had then used that to build a store. Thinking on it I felt it was possible but just a little ridiculous.

Shaking my head to get over the sheer oddness of the place, I turned my eyes to the wooden sign hanging in the door. ‘Closed’. '

Why is this place closed? It’s not that late... Or is it? I actually wasn’t sure how late it was. While it was dark there were still plenty of people on the streets going about their business.

Walking over to the window I took a step onto the brim of the hat feeling the leather give way. It even feels like leather.

Cupping my hands against the glass I peered inside. The shop was completely empty, with all the lights out except for some security lights floating all around the store giving it a dim glow. I couldn’t make much out in the shop except for some silhouettes of hats on mannequins, a register in the back, and a few glass display cases with more hats. After looking through the window I found a clock lit up in the back of the shop reading ten pm.

“Is it really that late?” How long was I talking to the guild people, and for that matter I had no idea when we even got here. It was late and I still hadn’t found a place for the night, but I was already at my destination so I decided to go ahead and scope it out.

I circled the brim of the building taking in all I could about the store, trying to ignore the fact it was a giant hat. All I learned was I was now more sure than ever that this was a real hat at some point. I had no idea what I was looking for. The only thing I could say for sure was. Yes, this is a store.

In the end, I ended up walking away with no new information.

Luckily I found a nice little inn right across the street. It was called ‘The Lily’s Fall Inn & Pub’. The inn stood six stories tall with a chamfered roof. The inn felt solid, a little old, but well taken care of. It had this feeling like it had always been here, part of the city. I thought it looked like a nice rustic place to plan.

Entering The Lily’s Fall, I opened the door and got intimately familiar with the inn's floor. Tripping on the door jam I tipped forward face-first into the floor. The lower floor of the inn was where the pub was located, and I could smell the years of beer that had spilled across the floor.

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I tried to stand to get away from the smell, only to find my head was spinning causing me to fall back on my butt. As I sat there for way too long willing myself to disappear, I felt something wet drip down my face. My hand reached up afraid of what might have dripped on me. My hand came away red. “Great, I’m bleeding.” Once my head stopped spinning I carefully stood trying to pretend nothing happened. I looked around the room. The sound in the background finally registered to me. A few people in the pub area were chuckling at my fall. I looked at them scowling they quickly went back to whatever they were doing when I made eye contact. Personally, I think they felt embarrassed for me.

I took another look at the place and found it had an old charm to it, but thankfully I could see plenty of modern things mixed with the old style. With viewing crystals in the pub playing many different sports. After getting past the smell of the floor I found it even had a lived-in atmosphere. Despite my tumultuous entrance, I found I liked this place.

A sign stood at the front of the pub that read, in glowing letters. ‘For rooms go-to bar.’ Looking across the room I saw a smiling woman behind the bar. She had long hair tied back, was slightly plump, and had an approachable quality like a grandmother or an aunt, someone you would instinctively trust. She had an air of agelessness despite her appearance. Something about her eyes made me pause, they glowed slightly, or did I imagine it, and despite her smile, it felt like she could see through me. I felt awkward and uncertain as I approached the bar. I honestly wasn’t sure if this was a good place to stay, It felt like a good place but this was a new city. I was hoping it wasn’t too expensive. I still needed to be able to afford my class.

The woman watched me the whole time like she was expecting me. Did she know? No there was no way she could possibly know I was taking the shadows test? I put the anxiety to the back of my mind. “Is this where I get a room?”

She nodded. “Yes. Would you like a towel too?” She had an almost singsong voice that was pleasant to the ear.

Smiling back at the woman I was feeling more at ease as I answered. “That would be nice.”

This seemed to catch her off guard, as she lean back slightly only to have her smile widen. “Towels are extra.”

I stared at her incredulous, as the statement seemed to contrast the air she projects. “Staring is also extra.”

I was a little embarrassed for staring so long. I shook my head trying to straighten out my thoughts. “Well, how much for a room?”

“Thirty copper for a room. Meals are…”

“Extra. Right got it.” I interrupted. Everything was extra. Her smile brightened at my understanding.

I placed two silvers and a large copper on the bar pushing them towards her. “Any rooms for a week?” Before taking the money she turned towards her living crystal screen behind her. “Looks like we got a room. For a week there is a discount so it's only two silvers unless you want those towels?" She said turning around pushing back the copper.

I rolled my eyes at her comment. “Just the room, please.”

She picked up the two silver turning to the screen. “Alright then. Name?”

“Aster Datura.” She typed the information into the system. Pulled out a small card waving it over the screen, the card turning white to blue.

Turning around she handed me the card. “Place a drop of blood, which you have plenty, this will confirm you accept any damages to the room.” I wiped a little blood from my forehead onto the card and it turned purple. “Good you're in room forty-seven, fourth floor. Try not to get blood everywhere.” Her smile never left her face throughout the whole conversation. It was slightly off-putting.

“I’ll try.” I turned and headed up to my room.