The woman behind the counter looked at Tim with cold flat eyes that betrayed her natural good looks. Like the other employees she wore the olive drab uniform of the Adventures Guild. Underneath a matching green necklace garnished with the silver crest of the AG a vein bulged as she ground her teeth. She could have been charming in her uniform and pulled up hair, but the level nine stink eye left Tim on the defensive.

“So you’re going to stick with that?” She asked though tight lips

“Yes, my main skill is Enchanter,” Tim groaned in frustration.

“Fine.” She threw her hand down on the counter. “Rin, we’ve got another special over here!”

Tim looked over and saw an extremely well built man in guild uniform walking over. His muscles strained the seams of the drab green outfit, a sword hung comfortably on his hip. He wore the same wide necklace that all guild employees had. But his had a double circle of silver and gold chevrons along the band.

“The foreigner?” he asked in a husky voice.

“Yes,” she sighed, “might as well take him on up to see Mr. Kubo.”

“Very well, follow me.”

Tim threw a confused glance back at the others as he followed Rin to the far end of the reception area. They had all finished registration and were waiting for Tim who had encountered difficulties with the process. For a moment he thought about turning back and rushing to his friends, but he didn’t feel like it would be a good idea to disagree with Rin.

Three flights of stairs later left Tim feeling a little winded. When he was ushered into a waiting room he quickly plopped down on the bench.

“Please remove all weapons, blades and magical items. You can use these bins here.” Rin pointed to shelving space on the wall. “Shoes go over here.”

Tim unlaced his boots and stored them under the bench and left his knife and sword in the long basket on the wall. Rin gave a curious glace at Tim’s toe socks before knocking on the door.

“Guild Master, we have another one.”

“Another? That’s the second this moon! Alright, send him in.” A tired voice called out from behind the door.

Rin opened the door and escorted Tim inside. The spacious office was dominated by a heavy wooden desk that gleamed silver in the light. Behind it sat a disgruntled middle aged man, his white hair peppered with black. He wore the same uniform, but his necklace gleamed with a platinum luster. The afternoon sun poured in from the massive window on the western side and left half his face in shadow. The furrows on his brow deepened as gestured for Tim to sit.

Tim sunk into a dark leather chair in front of the desk while Rin placed a sheet of parchment on the desk. Tim watched as Rin settled into a comfortable position leaning against the wall; hand on the hilt of his sword. Tim gulped and felt a tickle of sweat, despite the heat radiating from the sun’s warm rays.

“I’m Mr. Kubo, the master of this guild office. Why have you interrupted my busy day?”

“I, I came to register. So it’s easier to apply for residency.” Tim replied nervously.

“And what is your primary occupation?”

“Enchanter.”

“No, what is your primary occupation.”

“It’s Enchanter, really. Why won’t anyone believe me?”

Mr. Kubo grimaced. “The fee to take the test is one gold and two silver. If you pass the fee is returned. Do you still wish to take test or are you done wasting my time?

“But, I really am an enchanter.” Tim mumbled.

“If you say so, then come back when you’ve got the money. But don’t be surprised if you leave without it.”

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Rin straightened up as if to escort Tim from the room, but quickly drew his sword as Tim fumbled in his pocket.

“I have the money. But it’s all I have. It will be returned, right?”

Tim placed the coins on the heavy desk with a clink. The guild master’s eyebrow shot up, and Rin slowly returned to his spot against the wall.

“On my word as Guild Master it will be returned. If you pass.”

Mr. Kubo slid the coins off his desk and into a drawer. He swiveled his chair fumbled around with some equipment hidden between the books that lined the shelves behind him. Finally he sat down an odd contraption onto his desk. It looked like a thin brick of metal, with a grooved pole imbedded in either side. The guild master slid spacers and copper plates down the poles. It reminded Tim of boards a martial artist would break at a show. After stacking five sets of plates and spacers the guild master placed a curiously constructed dirk onto the table. The double sided blade was longer than a normal knife and the hilt had a ball on either side.

“There’s the blade, go ahead and try,” said the guild master with a sweep of his hand.

Unsure what the test really entailed Tim took up the blade. Rin took a step closer. The pressure of their presences pushed down on Tim and he wondered for a moment if he could pass or if he would be kicked out with only a few copper remaining. Just to be sure he opened the menu and sunk four AP to raise ‘Precise Mana Manipulation’ to level two.

With eyes closed Tim wound currents of mana through the blade. Whether it was the increased skill, or the practice he had, it seemed easier than before. He wrapped the stream of energy in an impossibly small space along the edge of the blade and twisted it in a Mobius inside the hilt. Then he did it again three more times. The energy intermingled and stabilized as he wound it tighter and folded it back in upon itself.

Finally Tim opened his eyes and returned the blade to the desk.

“Can’t do it can you?” C’mon, let’s go, you’ve wasted enough of our time.” Rin grabbed the collar of Tim’s favorite jacket and started to drag him from the chair.

“Wait,’ guild master Kubo interrupted ‘I thought it saw a glow. Just for a moment.”

“But boss, the blade is exactly the same!”

“It will work”, pleaded Tim as he tried to wrench himself free from Rin’s iron grip.

Still in Rin’s clutches Tim watched the guild master carefully lift the dirk from the desk. He set the strange balls on the hilt into the groves on the testing platform poles. He aligned it carefully and let go. The dirk slid down the poles and without a sound pierced though all five copper plates. The hilt rested against the top plate, the blade submerged completely.

Rin dropped Tim.

The guild master lifted the testing device carefully. The blade had pierced through the steel baseplate and gouged a hole in the desk.

“Isn’t that made of...” Rin stammered.

“Yes, it’s Mirwood.” Replied Mr. Kubo quietly. He looked contemplative for a moment, and then set the dirk and testing device on the shelf behind him carefully. He pressed a button on his desk and Tim her a chime ring in the distance.

“Close the curtains Rin.”

With only magic lamps illuminating the room the guild master turned ominous. Tim suppressed his urge to run, like he was about to be locked in a cage with a monster. When he heard heavy footsteps and the clinking of armor outside the door he knew he was.

The guild master placed a slightly familiar looking ebony box on the table, a crystal sphere set into it.

“Place your hand on the crystal.” The guild master commanded. Without any option of disobedience Tim obeyed.

“State your name.”

“Timothy Nelson.”

The globe of crystals glowed a faint red, the guild master frowned.

“Timothy Angus Nelson.”

“What’s your wife’s name?”

“I’m not married.” Lines of increasing discomfort crept across his face.

“Mr. Nelson, are you aware of the Emperor’s edict on enchanters?”

“N, n, no?” stuttered Tim as he shrank into his chair.

“Where are you from?”

“’Merica.” Tim carefully measured out his words.

“Never heard of it.

“Um, it’s a large country located between two oceans.”

“Hummm” The guild master puzzled. “Then how did you get here?”

“I was taken. Against my will. Stolen from my home. Brought here in darkness, I don’t know the way back.”

The crystal remained clear.

“Then what of your captors?”

“Dead.”

“Did you kill them?”

“No sir.”

“Very well, it is my turn,” replied the guild master with a sigh. He pulled the crystal sphere over to his side and placed a worn hand atop.

“I’m Aoto Kubo, I am the master of the Erraat branch of the Adventurer’s Guild.” He paused. “I am one hundred-seventeen years old.” The crystal glowed bright red. After a moment it faded to clear and the guild master continued.

“What I said is true; the emperor has set a bounty of three hundred platinum crowns for the capture and delivery of a first class enchanter. You, Mr. Nelson, have been captured. Your freedom is forfeit, you are property. But it is both unfortunate and fortunate that you have come to my office today, because I will present you with a choice. It will be your decision how you leave this room.”