Jumping over the edge of a small courtyard Lleu slid to a halt as he had finally reached the edge of the rooftops surrounding the great plaza. After a quick look to make sure none of the guards were watching, the guards of the plaza were all higher ranks than those of the streets and might actually give chase if they knew he had just been on the rooftops. Noting how he was completely unnoticed he slid over the side and with a quick roll made a safe landing.

The great plaza was where all the main streets of the lower district intersected with the road that passed through the walls of the middle district and headed towards the northern gate. This intersection caused the plaza to be very different from the rest of the lower district both in wealth and construction. For one, there were no random stalls set up in every corner, instead, semi-permanent large well built stalls being run by merchants from the middle district were set up in orderly rows.

Since planning had obviously gone into their layout these stalls had enough room between them for carts and pedestrians to comfortably travel. Additionally, each stall had colorful flags displaying their profession waving above them.

Breaking the consistency of the stalls a tent had been set up in the center of the plaza, although, calling it a tent was a bit misleading. It was more akin to being a canvas fortress covering a larger area than the ground level of the entire runners guild and that was a building that housed a solid thirty people at all times. This tent, of course, was where Lleu was going.

He made his way through the paths between stalls he took note of some of the goods being sold. This year there seemed to be an abundance of stalls selling trinkets displaying the sign of the lightning guard, one of the military societies that had won great glory in last years expedition. It seemed that the merchants were cashing in their fame.

As Lleu reached the entrance of the tent Lleu was slightly annoyed to find the presence of a long queue leading in. As he was still somewhat on edge from his recent encounter waiting in the open was nervewracking but he could not let the chance pass. Clutching his pass tightly he waited while trying to look ordinary.

“Next!” The shout came from inside and prompted the line to slightly move forward. A moment later a depressed looking youth in the fine clothes of a merchants son was lead out of the tent by a guard. His hopes of having a magical talent had obviously been disappointed.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The line continued to move in that fashion, a call for the next one followed shortly by one of those who had just entered to be escorted out looking disappointed. After what seemed to be an eternity Lleu had finally reached the front of the queue.

“Next”

Lleu entered and was greeted by a bored looking guard who after taking his token pushed him towards a small table with two chairs inside the tent.

Throughout the room were similar setups every few paces. Each one of these had a scholarly looking man or woman occupying one seat and an obvious native of the lower district in the other. These were obviously the testers and those being tested.

Sitting down in the open chair he had been ushered to Lleu looked across the table and met the bespectacled gaze of a gray-haired woman with a stern expression wearing the armour of one of the boomers.

The nickname boomer was given to those soldiers who were part of the Dragon’s Flame society which boasted to be the greatest long distance combat society in the entire city. The origin of the name was simply that their members made everything they focused their wrath at go “boom”.

“Are you sure you are of age?” asked the boomer as she first observed Lleu.

“I’m eighteen and a half actually, just stopped growing at some point”

“I see… what's your name then?” asked the boomer as she picked up a pen made seemingly made entirely of silver with complicated looking engravings spiraling from end to end. She still looked a little doubtful but seemed to accept his statement without further issue.

“Lleu De’Danu, I'm part of the runners” he replied. Lleu brushed back the wild hair that was covering his ear and displayed his runners token. In the lower district earrings with tokens attached that identified your profession had at some point become popular.

"A runner? You were scouted then and given a pass. You can write as well correct?”

“My hand isn't the cleanest but it's not bad”

“One of our scribes wandered off somewhere, not sure where he went, but we could use someone to help document all those being tested. If things don't turn out as you hope I'd have some work for you.“

“Thanks for the offer but I hope to pass!”

Smiling at how Lleu's confidence the boomer put away the paper she had been writing on and said.

“Let us get started then, place your hands on the crystal spheres before you and do not take them off until I say so.”

She gestured at a pair of perfectly round balls of crystal standing on the table before Lleu. The two spheres were connected by a complex looking series of metallic wires which were wound around several hourglass shaped crystals. The entire contraption looked extremely fragile but the boomer stuck her hands without any regard and began fiddling. Lleu placed his hands on the sphere and the world went white.