In the capital city of Hresi in the country of Tyrl, there was a small tavern. It was full of mercenaries martial artists, and Mages for hire. The tavern was a place they could pick up jobs, as well as have a place to sleep. At the desk, there was a party of three. One average looking man, a beautiful young girl, and a woman with an aggressive temper. These people were Katanaman, Verika, And Trist. They were trying to get a room, but there were some complaints coming from Trist.

"Only one room left? This place isn't even that full!" She exclaimed. "It really isn't that big a deal Trist. Don't worry about it. If necessary, I'll sleep in the hallway or even the roof." Katanaman was trying to appease her anger.

"I'm truly sorry, but we can't have anyone sleeping in the hallway, it could lead to some problems, and sleeping on the roof isn't acceptable." The barkeep said. It was a middle-aged woman, who seemed nice. 

"If you want, we could accommodate the young mistress right over there. Our young master was looking for the perfect woman." Two men walked up to Verika group, as they spoke.

"No thank you." Verika politely replied. "You don't need to be polite to these kind of people. We oughta 'teach' them what respect means." Trist told Verika. The two men looked at them, as if they were crazy.

"Do you know who our young master is? He's the son of Duke Heriman." One of the guards said.

"I don't care if your young master is the son of Duke Heriman. Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be on our way. Humph!" Trist retorted. "We'll take that room, Miss. One night please." She said as she paid for the room.

"Thank you for your patronage. Here are your keys. The room number is with the keys." The barkeep said, seemingly oblivious to the quarrel that just happened. As they got the keys, the two men walked out, Verika and friends went up to their room. They got room number 27, which was on floor two. As they entered, there was one bed, big enough for two.

"Alright, I'll be on my way. I have a few connections in town, hopefully, I can get somewhere to sleep. I'll meet you in front of the tavern tomorrow morning. How does that sound?" Katanaman asked. Sounds great, we'll meet you then." Verika replied.

As Katanaman left, the two men who were quarreling with Trist reported back to their master. "Young master, those people are really detestable. They said they don't care for you or your status!" One of the men replied.

"You really are useless. Whatever I'll do it myself." Report to me whenever she exits the tavern.

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This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Inside Verikas room, Trist and Verika were debating on who got which bed.

"I get the left one because it's is smaller. Perfect for me. The right one is larger, so you won't be cramped." Verika said.

"I'm only 3 centimeters taller! Hmph, fine. You'll regret this decision one day." Trist retorted. Soon after, they both went to sleep on their respective beds. Then morning came. Trist and Verika got off of their bed, tidied up their bed, and left for the exit. There, they met Katanaman and the carriage from yesterday.

"Good morning. Shall we depart?" Katanaman asked.

"Yes!" Verika said. "We dont have much time. How long will it take?" Verika asked.

"About 30 minutes. The test is in 2 hours, so we have more than enough time. Lets go." Katanaman said.

The carriage driver looked back and said, "We've got 3 more people getting on the carriage. Try to make room for them." The door soon opened. One was a young man, had two guards. Surprisingly these people were from the day before.

"It's you..." Trist said, with an indifferent expression.

"Oh my, what a coincidence. It truly is a blessing to be in the same carriage as this fair maiden. May I ask, where are you headed on this fine day?" The young man asked.

"We are headed to Gemias School for all."

"ge..Gemias? It'll take half a month to get there! Why are you just now leaving?" the young man said.

As he said that, the driver looked back and said: "We're leaving now." The magic happened as a magic circle appeared at the bottom of the carriage. The horses were set ablaze with a green fire, and the Mans horns came out again.

"Wha..What is this voodoo magic?!!" A guard said.

"Oh, could it be you didn't even know about this carriage?" Katanaman said. "I used to ride it here very often. It should be pretty well known."

"He must have been lusting after our young mistress," Trist said. As she said that, Verika had an expression of disgust. She looked away from the young man.

"Verika, would you like me to show you what I specialize in?" Trist asked. "Ooh, please show me." Verika replied. As she said that, Trist did some weird hand symbols and soon, a vibration covered the carriage but only for a millisecond. Then, she stuck her tongue out to the guards.

"I just put a barrier between us. Now they cant hear anything we say!" Trist said. "Ooh Trist, you're a genius!" Verika said.

As the carriage ride went on, the trio conversed, as the two guards and young master were confused as to what happened. Soon the carriage slowed to a stop, as it came close to a wall. There was a wall as wide as you can see, and a gate full of people. "We're here. Since Katanaman is a regular, you three dont have to pay. But, the other three. Pay up." The driver said.

"Many thanks, Sam. Also, make sure to stay a bit longer. We'll need a return trip." Katanaman said, as the trio got off. 'His name was Sam?' Verika thought to herself. The other three in the carriage realized they hadnt brought any money, and couldnt pay.

"Serves them right." Verika said. She walked forward, but then realized, the other two werent coming. "Oh. Well i had fun on this short trip. Dont worry, i'll come back on the break." She said, as she hugged them.

"Verika, Father said to give this to you. It should be a special technique to train your connection to your affinity, making them stronger. He said to do everything is said, and not to skip any steps." Trist said. "I'll miss you. And, make sure you don't forget. You owe me." Verika stuck out her tongue and ran away. She turned back and waved, then neared the guard at the gate. The two waved back, as they went back to the carriage.