— Aster —

We all went through the darkness and came out changed. Everything after was a blur we were all in a panic to get as far away as fast as possible. With only the clothes on our back, whatever we could grab, and our wallets in our pockets, James, Rowan, Bay, Violet, and I ran to the bus station taking the first bus to An La Notre, the city of flowers, and away from everyone. It was the city we had picked to get our classes. I was surprised we even had the wherewithal to logically pick a place for us all. The entire ride was a blur and before I knew it, we reached the city.

We made quick plans to meet up after finding our guilds and split up. I think everyone it might not have been the best idea to split up right now. None of us were in a good space, but I think we were just on autopilot. We were all still running, and we didn’t know how to stop. I didn’t even know where to start looking for the guild I wished to join, so I just began to walk away from the bus station deeper into the city.

I liked to say I struggled to pick a class the entire drive, but that would be a lie. The entire ride to the city I could only think of one off-hand comment from Thorn. One sentence from a substitute teacher, who decided to do his own thing, and let me prove I could do things right. I just needed to move fast.

Just an offhand comment guided me. It was somehow freeing not knowing what to do. Walking through the streets, I was just taking in the city, a street vendor here, a market stall there, stores lining the city. On a hunch, I began to walk through the alley’s thinking this would be where shadows would hide. I only had a vague idea of what I was looking for, when after a couple of hours of wandering something changed.

I had just entered an alley, and that’s when it appeared in front of me. Not a sound or person, just one minute the alley was empty the next a bouquet of flowers, all with long stalks, with blossoms climbing up the stems, snapdragons. This was the kind of thing I was looking for unless someone just dropped them from the roof. I looked up to see if anyone was there, but find I was alone. Not knowing what else to do I picked up the flowers as a small note fell out. I picked the little card up and read, “Follow the flowers.”

“Flowers?” I looked up and down the alley looking for more blossoms. “Did they leave a trail for me?” After coming up empty in the alley I began to think it was somewhere else. Looking beyond the alley I saw it. In a small stone pot on the corner of a stone building was an identical flower. The pot had a compass on it with a large scratch through one of its arrows. That is a little on the nose, but I was excited to now have a direction to go.

I began to follow the direction the pot indicated and kept a lookout for more snapdragons. It didn’t take much to find, because once I knew what to look for I started to see them everywhere. I thought it was kind of funny I was following flowers. “Yes, Aster follow the mysterious note from a stranger. That’s gonna work out real fine.” I chided but found myself smiling.

I stopped wondering if this was what I really wanted, following a simple comment from a man I met for a day? I could just go for a support class. That wouldn’t be too bad, and I would know for sure where to go. I pulled out my map of the city to find where I was. My eyes drifted over the city, I saw all the places marked out mages, warriors, rangers, bards, healers, and rogues guilds. I could do the whole healer thing. My eyes drifted to the image of a black cat. One symbol not on the map itself, one to the side. It was the only indication it was in the city but… maybe a mage. I let out a long sigh I was going through with it. Looking at the map I realized one big thing, I didn’t know where I was, and looking around I couldn’t bring myself to ask. I put the map away and followed the trail of flowers.

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Following a trail of flowers was odd, to say the least, I felt like I was in some kind of fairy story except the longer I traveled the deeper shade of red the flowers became. All too soon, I stood outside a decrepit old building, covered in crimson Snapdragons.

Well, that’s a bit ominous. The sign above the door read, ‘Home For Wayward Cats’. I could only stare up confused. This can’t be it. This has to be someone screwing with me.

I found myself pacing outside the building trying to decide if this was really my destination. I couldn’t bring myself to go in and learn that this was some kind of weird prank for new people. I kept glancing at the flowers, why would they set up that trail then? Some kind of viral marketing? No that doesn’t make sense this is the first time I heard of this place. Anxious about the whole process, I stopped my pacing and took a deep breath. I needed to know.

I took one step forward, and my anxiety spiked, but I was now committed as I walked through the flowers. I found myself reaching out and brushing my free hand against the petals, finding them soft. I was surprised they were such a deep red I half expected the color to have rubbed of onto my hands. The closer I got to the door the more I worried about this being the right place. I was imagining walking in and being laughed out of the building. My hand wrapped around the door handle, my heart beating out of my chest as I opened the door.

I didn’t know what I expected, but the room was just so mundane. Inside there was a small woman with frizzy brown hair tied in a bun, bags under her eyes, and pale skin sitting behind a large desk. She was frantically writing in a book half her size. It was so unexpectedly mundane I froze, not knowing what to do. I must have stood there for too long because the woman stopped to look over at me tilting her head, “Looking for a cat?”

I felt my face grow red. Of course, this was some sort of prank. Why would the guild leave clues for people? I almost left. Almost. I looked up to find the woman staring at me with a sly smile. Following her eyes, I saw them looking at the snapdragons in my hand, and she spoke, “Ah I see you are looking for a home.” She pointed towards the hall behind her desk. “3rd door on the left.”

I finally started to feel I was in the right spot and took a step inside. The place was just too good a disguise if it was that. The inside was clean but all over the room was worn out floorboards, dust, cobwebs, the place looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in a while. I must have looked lost as I looked around because the woman said, “Did you not hear me? 3rd door on the left.” She pointed impatiently to the door to the side of her. Not wanting to anger her anymore I practically sprinted past her only slowing once I was in the hall. Maybe this is real.

Looking around I found a simple hall with six doors. The corridor was old and worn exactly what you would expect to find in a place like this. So far except for the lady telling me to go back, I hadn’t found any indication this was the right place. Was there a misunderstanding? I looked back to see the woman scratching at the book with her pen. This has to be some type of facade.

Choosing to believe her I found the third door on the left and walked towards it. Then I passed an open door, and couldn’t help myself. I looked inside, finding it filled with metal cages, containing cats. Oh come on couldn’t there be something obvious, or am I going to find cats in the third door.

I found my spirits were low when I reach the third door on the left. I was just hoping there weren’t more cats inside. I wasn’t even nervous when I opened the door. I was still expecting a room at least but what was waiting for me was a small empty room no bigger than a broom closet. Why did she send me to a storage closet?

The only thing in the closet was stone snapdragon flowers that sat on the wall like a plaque and a sign that said: “Push Me”. Having nothing to lose I pushed it. Nothing happened.

“Did I do something wrong?” I pushed it again. Nothing, “Hmmm...” turning around I saw the door to the room was still open. Seeing that I felt my face grow red again, imagining people see me fail again. I reached for the door and noticed another sign, “Close Me”.

This was taking a literal turn, and was starting to feel a little too obvious. I closed the door and pushed the flower one final time, “This better work.”

The wall opened into a large marble entranceway, with ceilings that had to be taller than the building itself. I stared in wonder at the impossible hall, as I took in the rest of the room. It was all white with gold accents everywhere, lined with columns that lead to the only other thing in the room. A large stone desk. I felt a wave of relief flow through me. Now, this was more of what I was expecting.