Making my way downtown, walking fast, faces pass and I'm homebound...

I hummed to the music in my head as I journeyed back toward the Salty Clam. I didn't know the most direct route to cut through any side streets but just took the main road down to the turn that led there, following the path back that I took to the scriveners. No need to make it complicated!

Fining the Salty Clam right where I left it and still buttoned up (I wonder if Miss Marie and Aldrous are still inside?) I walked around the corner to the courtyard with the rooms and walked back into the one I woke up in earlier.... or at least I was pretty sure it was the right one, no one else was in it though I must admit they look the same and I didn't double check earlier to remember which was which - whoops.

Putting my writing supplies on the desk near the door, I pulled up the chair and decided to get started right there and then with my research. I centered the parchment in front of me, uncapped the bottle of ink and dipped my quill, and sat ready to initiate the magical research!

And waited.

And waited.

Shit. How is this supposed to work? Is there supposed to be something special I need to do to start this process? Or, am I supposed to legitimately come up with thesis research topics to investigate and actually do magical science to fuck around and find out!?

I spent a few hours trying every which way I could to activate some kind of research effect, even wasting one of my parchment sheets manually writing some information about Mage Light. Unfortunately, all of it was to no avail.

Well, so much for thinking magical research is a good and cost-effective first way to grow.

It's not a total wash I suppose, at least I know what doesn't work. It seems for me to understand this I'm going to have to do something I was hoping I wouldn't.

Learn from others.

There is a mage guild, I know that for a fact after hearing Aldrous mention it. I'm a little hesitant to join any factions or spend so much time with others, given there's a good chance I could reveal my originals unintentionally - or even if not, just stand out with how out of place I am, and not in a good way. However, there's something here I'm missing and it doesn't seem to appear I'll figure it out for myself.

Well, nothing for it I guess. I spent another hour or two continually practicing Mage Light and Bound Dagger in my room, my pace only slowed by having to stop every once in a while to regenerate magicka. Annoying that - following my thoughts from before it appears to be an actual physical attribute that the system is quantifying; every time I run low on magicka I experience a slight dizziness and feel kind of off center. These effects get worse the closer I am to running out completely.

Not that there's a magicka bar to look at to know exactly how much I have, but the physical sensation of magicka inside my body is strong enough for me to notice once I started expending and regenerating it rapidly. I guess I'll have to fine-tune my sense of self to understand exactly how much I have by feeling, so I don't risk problems during combat.

Eventually, I came to a stop and headed to wait by the front door of the Salty Clam for my shift to start - with good timing too because as I leaned against the wall I spotted Miss Marie walking down the road towards me.

"Miss Marie!" I called out, waving at her as she approached. "I had wondered if you were still inside or if I should just wait here, it seems I made the right choice."

"Well Dekar, surprised to see you here so promptly. Usually, I'm the first here and the rest of you don't file in until after. You're right though, if the door is locked just wait until I come to open it." She smiled at me as she unlocked the door. "Why don't you light the torches and then go sit down and let me begin throwing tonight's meal together and I'll serve you a nice bowl as soon as it's ready, alright? Then you might as well begin work yourself and wipe everything down before the rush."

"Sure Miss Marie, thanks." I borrowed the long striker on a stick she pointed out hung up on the wall next to the kitchen and walked around lighting all the torches in the room. Taking my seat at a table right next to the kitchen counter, I sat and just thought about my options as other workers started filing in, quickly walking passed me to the kitchen to join in and help Marie, some giving me a quick nod or hello - which I returned - while doing so.

I was served another bowl of stew (this one seemed to be potato based? It was delicious, outside of my tasting problem...) and a mug of water, and then went to join in on what work I could as customers began to file in and the evening rush was about to begin.

The span of work over the rest of the night was not at all different from my first night, and just as mind-numbing - though it didn't leave me so exhausted or out of it as it did before. Well, I also wasn't yanked into a different world, forced into a foreign body, used magic for the first time, and got knocked out today either so fair enough on the exhaustion I suppose.

Our night finished with the cooks and myself receiving their bowl of food and mug of ale or water and nights pay from Marie before we all stumbled outside, with the others leaving towards wherever they called home - it seemed I was the only one staying in those little dorms right now, or at least the only one from the Salty Clam doing so.

I was a little saddened I didn't see Aldrous tonight, I wanted to tease him about Marie - and he seemed like the right man to go to regarding the fighters guild and Heavy Armor training... and just generally a good guy on top of it. Definitely someone worth knowing assuming he hasn't run away from Marie.

Making my way back to my bed, unassisted this time, I spent maybe another 20 minutes casting my spells again while lying in bed until I eventually fell asleep.

The next morning as I awoke and used the facilities, I finally decided what to do. It might be much earlier than I was hoping to do this, but it appears it's time to go to the mage guild and see what I can see. Magic is the lynchpin to my entire build and if I'm not able to figure out what I need to do to learn new spells and get better at them, my entire plan might be ruined.

Leaving the dorm, I asked a few passers-by for directions to the mage guild before eventually finding myself in front of a huge, very fancy building. In fact, the most prominent building I had seen in the city so far - discounting the exterior walls and the walls around the center of the city.

Clearly, the guild had money and/or power and was not afraid to flaunt it.

I walked in, a little nervous about what I might find - but the interior was almost comforting to me. A large reception area took up the whole main entrance, chairs and low tables scattered about with visitors filling a few, waiting while in the back sat a counter with several receptionists sitting behind it.

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Almost like any kind of appointment-necessary office setting I'd seen before.

I walked up to the receptionist area, and a lizardfolk woman sitting behind the counter wearing robes waved me over.

"Welcome to the Magesss Guild, how may I be of ssservice?"

"I was wondering what the requirements are to join the Guild. And if I don't meet them, perhaps there are members seeking to tutor others so that I eventually may?" I asked, giving a small smile to foster a happy atmosphere.

"You mussst know three apprentice level ssspellsss acrosss any magical ssschool to qualify. There is a lissst of magesss open to potentially teaching thossse who wisssh to learn on the wall to your right. If you wisssh to apply to be taught, bring usss the name of the mage you wisssh to contact and the Guild will do ssso on your behalf."

Thanking her for the help, I walked over to the wall she pointed out and noticed a smattering of pages of parchment, each containing the resume of mages looking to teach a student, what they expected out of the student and the requirements to be tutored.

Reading through them all I couldn't help but notice I didn't meet the overwhelming majority of them. Many mages included requirements of reading different books on the subjecting of magic or casting that I obviously could not have possibly met, and I highly doubted I could fake knowing their subjects with my absolutely non-existent skill at studying magic and two novice-level spells.

There was an old posting however that almost looked perfect.. or at least, perfect for me. It didn't have any student requirements, and only listed an expectation for a student to show up and be willing to work hard to help the mage with his experiments.

Maybe the mage - his name is listed as Tyrell - has a screw loose and no one wants to be tutored by him? I can't imagine why this would still be up here. Regardless, it's not like I had many choices; and I can't miss the opportunity.

Walking back to the desk, I approached the same receptionist.

"Hello again! I'd like to be tutored by mage Tyrell if that's alright?"

She gave me a weird look at this, but whatever common knowledge I'm missing here regarding this doesn't matter at the moment.

"We will let him know, be here tomorrow ssshortly after dawn."

"Thank you!" I said, turning and walking outside. If magic lessons aren't going to start today, I suppose I'll have to find something else to occupy myself with.

I passed several armorsmiths on my way to the Mages Guild and decided to stop at one on my way back to the dorms. Perhaps if I'm lucky I could afford a piece and perhaps begin training XP for it passively, if that's a thing here.

The first armorsmith I came across had the words "Aegis Armory" listed on the sign, and I came to a shocked stop as soon as I entered the store.

"Aldrous!" There in the shop talking to a rugged, sweaty-looking man on the other side of a counter was Aldrous! What perfect timing.

"Ahh, Dekar! What are you doing here lad?" he said, turning to me and waving me over.

"Well, I just signed up to be tutored at the Mages Guild but lessons won't be starting until tomorrow, if the mage accepts me. I thought I'd stop by an armorsmith on my way back to the dorm, and this was the nearest one. I thought maybe I could purchase a piece of heavy armor to begin some training with it, if possible. Though I imagine I wouldn't be able to afford much."

"You bringing me beggars now, Al?" The sweaty-looking man across from Aldrous snorted at that.

"Oh nay Holt, just a young friend looking to set out on adventure one day. He's the new scullery worker at the Salty Clam. Magic and heavy armor though, that's an unusual mix. You'll have to do a lot of learning before you'll be any good at it." Aldrous turned to me as he spoke, giving me very true advice.

"Yes, I'm very new to all of this it's true. Greetings Holt, I'm Dekar. I have the wherewithal to master magic in the armor, I think - at the very least I'd like to try. Do you have anything available for someone learning for the first time?" I took out all the money I had as I spoke, another silver from the night before and a smattering of copper coming with it.

Holt snorted again as he looked over my meager fortune before walking off into the rows of equipment on display in the shop.

"Don't worry about him, lad. He tends to be grumpy in the morning in my experience. So, getting magic tutoring eh? Probably a good idea, if you wish to go that route professionally. May I ask which mage you applied to?" Aldrous asked.

"I believe it was mage Tyrell I applied to." I saw Aldrous' face get a weird look for a second before he seemed to paste on a blank smile and respond.

"That's good lad, that's good. I'm sure you'll do well. Just learn as quickly as possible so you can join the guild properly and start maybe making some money at it. Marie is good folk, but I'm sure she doesn't want to home a young 'un that could be doing better in life forever, so no being a layabout!"

"You jest sir Aldrous! Never have been and never will be that." No one better ever tell him how many hours I spent on my couch back in the old world.

Holt walked back to us as I spoke and dropped a visibly used and worn but still functional set of gauntlets on the counter.

"This is all I have for close to two silver, and then only because Al seems to tolerate you. Now get out of here and come back when you have the coin. Al, take him with you out my door." Holt waved us both off at this, with a scowl on his face.

Aldrous grabbed the gauntlets and pushed them in my arms, beginning to shepherd me out of the shop, calling back over his shoulder at Holt.

"We'll talk later old man, I'll come to visit you again tomorrow!"

"I'd rather you not!" Holt shouted back as we exited the store.

"Sorry about that." Apologizing to me on behalf of Holt, Aldrous shook his head and began walking down the road.

Lacking precise plans at the moment, I followed him - still carrying the gauntlets in my arms.

"That's alright, I don't mind - I'd be upset at someone wasting my time and trying to get something I made or own for less than it's worth, too. By the way, where are we going?"

"Well, isn't that quite obvious lad? You just purchase a piece of equipment you have no idea how to use. I'll have to show you how to wear them and give you a little bit of training at least - we're going to the Fighters Guild of course!"