As the mass of men made their way to Henry’s far-flung stall, Nathan left. Looking back from the edge of the market, Nathan realized that he didn’t know what Henry’s, or any other stalls, sold. Anyhow, he could always come back later. Too much was going on for him right now.

Nathan turned his back to the crowd and looked at the Tower. If there was any time to go and join, it was now while the streets were crowded.

Locking his eyes on the Tower, Nathan walked down the street which seemed to lead towards it. However, he soon came to realize that the streets were curved in a manner which made it impossible to see their end. And so, every time he descended one which headed towards the Tower, it would veer right or left, sending him in the opposite direction, and sometimes even past the same storefronts.

Having walked for half an hour, he had yet to reach the Tower’s gate and finding himself in front of a potion store he’d passed a few minutes ago, he decided to step aside and rest a bit. Perhaps the path to the Tower would become clearer then.

While Nathan rested, his eyes wandered to the streets. The first thing which struck him here was the large beast he remembered his father calling horses. They were five times the average person’s size and their feet, or hooves as they should be called, clattered against the stone streets. These domesticated beasts, or animals as they were called, were the main method of transport on the Continent. But, although they were an interesting sight, they didn’t beat the Tower.

Looking up, he tried to remember how the city looked from up there and whether it felt bigger or smaller down here, but he couldn’t tell. Everything was still a blur, and he’d need to explore it more before coming to a verdict, especially since he didn’t mind continuing to explore the city. However, he also wouldn’t mind reaching the Tower…

Every passing minute he remained a candidate to enter the Tower, each passing second, he remained lost in the sea of people, his heart quickened and made it harder to appreciate what he saw around him.

Looking to the right, then left, he tried to judge which way would lead him to the Tower, but it didn’t help; both sides curved in opposite directions, and he knew that they would curve away yet again. Not knowing how to get there; Nathan grew anxious and tired.

“Are you lost?”

Pivoting around, surprised, Nathan raised his hand, ready to fire an ice spear, but standing behind him was an old man with a wooden cane in his right hand.

“Are you heading to the Tower?” asked the old man.

“Yes…” Nathan answered cautiously, unsure what he wanted.

The old man gave three slow nods. “Then let me show you the way, it’s a tricky city to get around.” He began to take steps towards Nathan, his cane clanging against the street.

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Not knowing who this he was and why he wanted to help, Nathan hesitated. “… it’s fine. I like to explore.”

He sighed. “That’s fine as well, but I will still help you.”

Nathan noticed that the man had no hair, beard, or eyebrows.

The elder pointed out in the distance. “Continue down there until the first intersection. There, take a right, and then right once again at the next crossroads. Finally, at the third intersection, you may take the left. You’ll find yourself at the Tower…” The man lowered his arm and switched his cane back to his right. “But seeing as you’ll want to take the entrance exam, you’ll need to find the good gate. That will be a dark oak wood gate guarded by mages in gilded robes. Again, to reach them you will have to head left.”

“Thank you,” murmured Nathan. Now that he had let the old man’s face sink in, it felt rather beastly. Nathan could not find a single thread of hair on his body, whose skin was nearly transparent and… Seeing that Nathan hadn’t left, the old man walked back into the store from where he came from, leaving Nathan to stare at the storefront.

#

Nathan ran off. The feeling of his feet beating on the streets felt good. It was almost as if he was flying, for the stones did not tug or pull at his feet like snow. And soon enough, after taking two rights and one left, Nathan found himself in front of the Tower.

For the first time, he could see its base. And he, at least in his mind, had a full picture of its being.

Now up close to the Tower’s columns, he found that they looked to be made of a material he’d never seen. They were seemingly made of two layers. One smooth and transparent and, beneath that one, another which was matte and opaque. Approaching its walls, he reached out to touch it, but a strong wind pushed his arm away.

“Do not touch the Tower!”

Nathan turned and searched for the source of the words. And to his left, more than a hundred metres away, stood a man in green robes with gilded seams.

“Come over here!”

Nathan looked around at the people’s stares. They didn’t seem concerned nor sympathetic to his mistake. Panicked, Nathan ran over to the mage and apologized. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know—”

“Look up,” interrupted the mage with his harsh and brief words.

And so, Nathan did.

“Is that emblem yours!”

“Yes.” Nathan unpinned it, fumbling around, and gave it to the mage. He gave it a good look before letting it fly back to Nathan.

“Then you will be pardoned. But know that even for a mage, touching the Tower without permission is an offence. I will let it go today, for you are neither an-other nor a mage.”

Nathan was relieved, but still, he couldn’t help his hands from trembling. After all, whose hearts wouldn’t be beating out of their chests if they were so close to losing their chance to enter the greatest institution… No, it was more than an institution, it was another world. Nathan wiped the sweat off his hands and pinned the emblem back on his chest.

“Follow me.” The man led Nathan past another mage, who didn’t spare him a glance and kept his attention set on the passer byes.

The mage guiding Nathan placed his hand on the gate’s dark wood doors. “Before, we enter, tell me, what is your name?”

“It’s Nathan de la Cortella.”

The mage nodded and pushed open the Tower’s gates. And behind him, the people stopped to get a look into the Tower. The young prayed that they may be accepted, those young and who’d once failed hoped that a mage would descend from the clouds and make them their lover, and the old marvelled at what they’d never attain.

And so, like this, Nathan entered the Tower’s first floor.