After leaving the blacksmith’s guild Ves’ra turned towards the mages guild. She’d check out the enchanter’s guild once she was able to properly read, because she really wanted to fix that glaring problem in her knowledge as soon as possible. A new set of lessons was easily organized, she decided to get a personal tutor again as she didn't want to wait five days for the next set of lessons to begin.

---

As Ves’ra left the mages guild nine days after she ordered her armor she was pleased with herself. It had taken longer than she thought, but she was finally happy with her own reading and writing skills. While the suns made determining the actual time hard she thought it was about midday, something her timekeeper agreed with - more than enough time to pay the enchanter’s guild a visit.

The enchanter’s guild was the second biggest building on the central plaza, apparently they were the most powerful guild in the free cities as their services were universally required and they didn't allow any competition, so the only way to learn enchanting was to join the guild - which was the same for learning magic.

That she’d be forced to join the mages guild for learning magic was a bummer, especially because it would bind her to the free cities. She’d be required to work for them and that was not where she wanted to end up. Now she’d see what the enchanter’s required of her to join and see if it was worth it.

The splendor of the enchanter’s guild far outshone that of every other building she had seen so far. The ground was made of one single piece of perfectly while marble, radiating enough magic energy to stop her in her steps.

The marble walls were just as white, though they had grey lines running through them. The walls were full of glowing gems, encased in gold. The gems didn't touch the walls, so they had to be suspended by magic. She was glad she followed the advice of her teacher and spent a little money on a more expensive attire than her furs. She couldn't believe how much that changed the way the residents of the city interacted with her, they were more friendly and helpful.

The middle of the entrance hall was filled with expensive looking couches and tables, some filled with people, while most were empty. The walls were full of desks, filled with descriptions of the services offered. She saw enchantments for houses, armor, weapons and utility items. There were a few counters that were unnamed, so she went to the one with the smallest queue. After a little wait she looked up at a human woman clad in fine clothes.

“Hey there, I'm Nerli, what can I do for you?” She asked with a smile.

“Hi, I'm Ves'ra, I’d like to ask what I need to do if I want to join the guild.”

“Well, there aren't many rules you need to follow. First of all, are you a mage?”

“Yes.”

“Good, that's the most important requirement the rest is a formality really.” The woman smiled at her. “There are a few rules you’ll have to know, first of all all enchantment work will have to be done through the guild if there is a guildhouse present.

You're not allowed to teach anyone not of the guild any of the guild’s secrets.

You're required to submit a sample of your elemental mana to the enchanter’s guild and will be compensated whenever it is used.

Failure to comply with those rules will result in the guild hunting you down and killing you.” The lady recounted these rules with a dispassionate voice that showed how often she’d had to tell them.

The rules didn't seem all that restrictive, but she didn't understand some parts of the rules.

“So, what is this elemental energy you're talking about? Can I use the things I learn here to enchant my own gear without the guild? And how do you know if someone breaks your rules?”

“Your elemental mana is the aspect of your awakened mana, most common types are available for everyone, but rare ones still pop up here and the guild won't have someone waste those by simple greed.

Using someone’s mana will still incur a small fee, but you're allowed to enchant anything for personal use without costs.

I honestly have no idea how you've never heard of the last one, that's one of our most important sources of income. Enforcing an agreement isn't possible, but one of the founding members created an enchantment that is able to track someone. We will both track your physical location - so running away will not be useful - and make sure you follow the rules.” Ves'ra detected a hint of pride in the woman’s voice, apparently she really liked this founder.

“What about someone breaking your rules on accident?”

“That will be determined on a case by case basis, but if you do the spell will inform you of your misdeed as well as show you the nearest guildhouse. If you are seen returning on your own we will hear your case.”

These rules wouldn't affect her too much, she didn't plan to teach anyone or use enchanting for anything other than personal use, so she looked up and spoke up: “That doesn't sound too bad, how do I join and learn how to enchant?”

“You’ll have to fill out a form, you are able to read and write, are you?” The woman asked,

“Of course.” Inwardly she was quite glad to have finished her writing lessons before coming here, otherwise she’d be in a very awkward position now.

“Good, if you’ll please take this and fill everything out then I’ll do the rest. I will help you with the rest afterwards, and don't hesitate to ask if you have any problems, ok?” Suddenly the woman was genuinely friendly, without the mask most humans wore when talking to each other. It scared her a bit if she was being honest with herself.

The forms were quite extensive, asking her stuff about herself and her magic that she had some problems answering. In the end she took nearly an hour to fill out everything before returning the small book to the woman.

“That took a lot longer than I thought, but here you go.”

“No problem. We will take a little to process this, so if you’d return tomorrow we’ll have a suitable mentor for you.” Nerli said, a smile still present on her face.

“That's fine for me, when do I start?”

“An hour after the blue sun is up, we are operating by the dominant sun after all.”

“Thanks again, and a good day to you.”

“That's my job, good luck with enchanting.”