Crown molding lined with gold trim outlined the ceiling highlighting the wealth of the room's owner. Though a bit flashy, the interior decorations weren't gaudy to the point where they could be considered tacky, but instead, they were rather fitting for a member of the aristocracy.

On either side of the dark mahogany table were two ivory colored sofas where the two men sat across from each other with concerned looks on their faces.

“Randall, are you certain they’re on the move?”

"Yes Lord Weston, it has been confirmed by our scouts near the Elkin border. Approximately 30,000 infantrymen, 5,000 armored riders, 1,000 warbeasts, and over 100 ogres pulling catapults and other armaments. To date, this is the largest mobilization of forces we've seen from them."

“This number is more than double nearly triple the normal forces they send. This pointless back and forth was always meant as a way for them to drain our wealth and to cull their excess numbers. Why would they send such a large force this time? Has the drought caused their food supplies to run so low? Or is it possible…”

Lord Weston began to stroke his short beard in contemplation. Though he was still young his dark beard was showing signs of graying, similar to how a dogs muzzle would gray before the rest of his fur. The action caused Randall’s palms to grow sweaty. It was because he knew what his lord would ask next.

However, there was just no way to cover such a vast area. Even with twice as many resources at their disposal, they wouldn't be able to cover even half of the region. It was simply an impossible task even for the best of scouts.

“Randall, has there been any movement from the north?”

"Forgive me Lord; we are unable to say for sure at this time. I wish to request more advanced scouts to scan the northern borders, currently, we are only capable of covering 20 percent of the border with the Northern Expanse."

The look of Lord Weston’s face abruptly changed from a look of worry to a look of disapproval. The Northern Expanse was an enormous plateau that rose nearly 3,000 feet above the Anderan Plains. It was a harsh environment with very little fertile ground for growing food which led to fierce competition.

The warring tribes would ransack villages in the fall, like locusts taking whatever they could before returning. The number of villages continued to decrease as people fled towards Freeport for safety. Many of these people were simple farmers and were not capable of coping with life in a city.

With the current drought crop yields were already miserably low and the increase in population was causing a significant strain. The government was already forced to subsidize wheat in fear that the rising prices would cause a revolt

If this continued, food shortages were almost a certainty. And with no buffer villages between themselves and the Northern Expanse, it was only a matter of time before Freeport would be attacked. Under normal circumstances, Freeport could withstand a prolonged siege, but with things as they stood, Lord Weston was not so sure.

“I see…, at this time I can’t make any guarantees but I will speak with the rest of the council tomorrow. We cannot afford to remain in the dark of a possible battle so I don’t think there will be a problem with gaining more resources for scouting. The question is how to defend against a siege of this size.”

“Milord, should we ask our allies to the east to send aid?”

“We may have no other choice, though I’d rather not. We may be allies but everything comes with a price, and right now I don’t think we can afford it.”

Both men seemed to clench their fists after that statement was made. Their allies were allies in name only. If they had to rely on them they would charge Freeport a massive sum while claiming it to be fair as the expenditures of war were expensive. Though what they said wasn’t totally unreasonable it still left a bitter taste in their mouths.

“Either way we’ll know more tomorrow, I will call for you after I have a better idea of what the council will do. Thank you for your service, you may return.”

And with a slight bow of his head, Randall began walking to the door but then vanished before Lord Weston's eyes.

“No matter how many times I see it, it’s always impressive.”

Randall had served the Weston family for the past 15 years. Originally part of the special units section of the military he left after his mandatory enlistment was up in search of a more lucrative and rewarding career.

“Now what to do about those decrepit geezers of the council, convincing them of anything is always a hassle. And though no one wants to bring it up, culling our own population in a war might be the best way to avoid mass starvation”

***

Light peeked through the air vents in my simple shelter signifying the end of the night and the beginning of a new day. The air was crisp but not uncomfortably so, and for the first time in a while, I heard birds chirping all around me. I can feel a change in myself already.

After taking down my shelter, eating some of my rations, and washing my face I walked back to the road and after about an hour I saw there was already a line forming to enter the city. I hadn’t seen many people last night, I wonder if they camped outside like me, or is there another road they came from that I don’t know of?

Either way, the city is quite impressive from the outside. It's completely surrounded by a wall roughly 30 or 40 feet tall with archer towers spread out every 50 feet or so. Also, quite eye-catching is what I believe to be trebuchets. This really is a different society. Where I would expect to see cannons in the Empire there are trebuchets.

There are two large drawbridges separated by about 25 feet expanding over a rather deep moat giving the impression that it is impossible to invade. Though that probably only holds true for conventional soldiers, it doesn’t quite hold up against a mage.

Mages were considered a state resource in the Empire and as such most would be forced to serve the imperial army unless there were specific circumstances, such as being the heir to a noble household. Of course, there were exceptions. And generally one needed to be at least a rank 3 mage to be considered fit for service.

Is it possible that they have some system capable of protecting against mage warfare? Perhaps they have their own powerful mages to combat this. Or are mages just not as common in the Northern Territories? The Empire was constantly looking to increase the number of mages they had.

To put it in a nice way, the Empire was more than willing to help mages find other mages to marry and have children. To put it bluntly, though it was a breeding factory, even between two mages the chances of giving birth to another mage was less than 1 out of 10.

The only family I can say I was truly close to was my Uncle. He probably pitied me, perhaps he felt as though we were kindred souls. As a man whose talents greatly surpassed my father but was unable to inherit the household because of birthright he probably saw me in a similar light to my less talented siblings.

I wonder how mages are treated here. What type of work do they perform? I should think carefully about how I choose to employ myself. I haven’t given it much thought, but I will need to gain employment somehow. As the saying goes, those who don’t work don’t eat.

While reminiscing my turn had finally come to enter. I haven’t seen the guards collecting any money or even checking for ID’s which is a relief. In the Empire, one would need some form of identification or travel documentation to enter the cities, and normally there would be some type of entry tax levied.

This was said to be to cover the expenses of infrastructure. And while it's true the Imperial rail and road systems were quite expensive most of the money fell into the hands of the nobles. It was quite the profitable money-making scheme. So I'm a bit surprised it hasn't been implemented here as well.

Two stations with four guards on each side of each drawbridge, so there are a total of 16 guards manning the entrance into the city. Though I’m not an expert I wonder if that’s enough. There were somewhere around 100 people this morning trying to enter. Wouldn’t it be easy to infiltrate such a large group with skilled warriors?

Perhaps I don't understand it well enough. Even if a small group attacked eventually they would be overtaken by the city guards, and on such open plains, it would be easy to see a large force advancing. But wouldn't it be easy to slowly infiltrate the city with such lax security?

***

The ease of entering Freeport really is amazing. It was just a quick check of what I was carrying and a few questions of what my purpose for coming to Freeport was. I simply answered “I’m looking for work” and that seemed to satisfy the guard.

He even recommended the mercenary guild and the noted that the military is always in need of new recruits. Though I was training to enter the military, that was for the Empire, not knowing the politics of the Northern Territories I’d rather not join the military unless it was absolutely necessary.

Freeport is indeed very impressive. The streets are quite wide and fairly clean, also most buildings seem to be made of stone and several stories high. There are several shops along the way with most looking like clothing and general stores. Perhaps there are certain districts? It’s quite possible.

My first stop is the mercenary guild. From what I recall of mercenaries in the Empire they seemed like battle junkies or in some cases bandits. But that may just be the prejudice from my family that is engrained within me.

The guild was pretty easy to recognize, a large stone building with a shield and two broadswords across it that hung over the large red door. This may be a good place to earn a decent amount of money while also traveling and learning a bit about the Northern Territories. For merchants traveling between cities is probably dangerous, considering everything there should be a good amount of work.

After entering I needed a moment for my eyes to adjust as it was quite a bit dimmer inside. Taking a quick scan of the area I noticed there is a bar to the left that seems popular despite it being morning. Do they serve food perhaps? No, I’m pretty sure they’re just drinking.

There are also a number of tables and couches spread throughout the large lobby as well as several reception desks. To the far right is a large board filled with flyers and even further back there are two other desks with a sign above that says “New Recruits”.

Making my way to the back I tried my best to not interact with anyone. My potential colleagues don't exactly look friendly; in fact, there is an unhealthy amount of posturing by them. Is this some type of intimidation tactic used against new recruits? For now, I'll head to the recruitment desk and hold off on the introductions.

Only one of the desks is currently open and there are two people ahead of me. Behind the counter is a well put together middle-aged woman wearing a blue dress with her hair up in a bun. Though I wouldn't say she was particularly attractive she had a charming smile as she greeted each recruit and diligently carried out her duties.

Ah seems like the person in front of me is a mage. The receptionist seemed to perk up a bit after hearing that but it looks like I won’t be an anomaly here. It would have been a bit difficult if mages were treated the same as in the Empire.

Though a bit rude I couldn’t help but listen in to their conversation. Before I walk up and announce I’m a mage I’d like to know how they are treated here. He seems to be an elemental mage like me and his primary affinity was fire with a secondary in air. Quite a potent combination if used properly. But it also depends on his rank as well.

Listening closely the receptionist didn’t ask him any questions about rank. Come to think of it do they scale magic the same as in the Empire? She told him quite a few mercenary groups would be interested in him. She recommended a few and let him know they would interview him then stamped a card and handed it to him as proof of membership with the guild.

While thinking about how relaxed they seemed about joining the guild, not even bothering to ask what rank they were or testing their abilities my turn had finally come.

“Hello and welcome to the mercenary guild. Please tell me your name, age, abilities, and the type of work you are interested in so we can properly fit you into our system.”

“Ah yes, my name is Jayce I’m 16 years old, a mage with affinities primarily in earth and water. I’m mainly interested in escort work if possible.”

Once again hearing I was a mage the receptionist sat up with a smile.

"My, my, two mages in one day, and even two in a row, this is quite rare. Well, Jayce I will tell you the same as the young man before you. Mages are generally in pretty high demand so I don't believe you will have trouble finding work. As an earth mage it is common to find work in construction, however, escort work is also a good fit. As you have an affinity for water you may find work on the river escorting traders as well. The pay is good but can be quite taxing and dangerous as well."

"Oh, I didn't realize there was work such as that. You said it is dangerous but why would that be? Are there pirates to be worried about?"

"Well there are a few known pirate networks, but normally they are not that hard to deal with. The main problem is usually traveling between cities and to the sea. Between cities taxes can be pretty high and conflicts are very common. And travel to the North Sea can be very dangerous due to weather conditions and sea beasts. Also, travel to the sea can be quite long with most trips lasting anywhere between 6 months to a year."

Sea beasts, what the hell kind of sea beasts are there that can cause trade to be so dangerous? I've heard of tales before but they always seemed to be so farfetched I never paid them any mind. Actually, I'm more surprised to hear of sea routes. One of the issues with trading between the Empire and the Northern Territories was travel by sea.

Attempts were made to travel by sea but they had all failed. The weather is quite chaotic and there seems to be a permanent fog that never dissipates. Captains often complained of malfunctions in their navigation equipment and ships were known to wreck on reefs and underground rock formations in shallow water.

To be honest I'm quite interested in traveling via sea, but for now, I think I'll stick with escort duties between cities until I get a little better acquainted with the people and how the system of city-states work. Also, I've never been on such a long trip on a boat, truthfully I’m not sure if I could stand to be trapped on a vessel for so long.

“For now I think I’ll look for escort duties. Can you please tell me which groups would fit my skills best and how I join them?”

With a gentle smile and a nod she grabbed a list with several groups on it and asked if I could read. After affirming I could she circled the groups she recommended for escort duties and also explained the rules of the guild, payment, and commissions.

Following that she reminded me I would also need to interview with the group before joining and recommended searching the solo mission’s board first before handing me a card with my name, age, and the word mage stamped on it.

After thanking her I walked over to the solo mission’s board she pointed to and began searching through the various listings. As expected most of these jobs are bodyguard duty. They seem to mainly be for merchants, perhaps looking for guards within the city as they travel with money or expensive merchandise.

Most are pretty low paying, 2 or 3 silver coins per day. Well I'm not sure exactly what the prices are for most things but it seems rather low to me, can people truly survive on such meager wages? Protecting someone at the expense of your life should pay a bit more, shouldn't it?

After searching for about 15 minutes I finally found one that looked a bit more promising. Pay was 1 gold coin per day with a duration of 4 days. It also stated accommodations would be provided, and the requirement was one had to be a mage. There was nothing else though, no description of the work or contact information so I brought it up to one of the desks where an older gentleman explained that it was guard duty for a wedding.

Originally the request was for 2 mages but was lowered nobody fit the requirements of the job. Maybe 1 gold coin per day is too low for mages. Interviews were being held today and tomorrow for the position. He gave me the address and directions to what appeared to be one of the wealthier sections of the city. Well, the pay is higher than most jobs so I suppose it would be.

***

It took nearly 2 hours to make it to the address I was given. There was a large privacy wall with a gate and a fairly large mansion behind it. In front of the gate was a booth with 2 guards currently standing watch who look completely disinterested in anything going on around them. It’s probably a boring job so I can kind of understand why. Guess I’ll introduce myself.

"Hello, my name is Jayce I'm from the mercenary guild to fulfill the request put in from this address."

“Ah another one, well show me your card and the request so I can verify what you just said.”

After handing him my card and the guild request he read it over then looked at me and raised his eyebrow.

“It says here you’re a mage with earth and water affinities and are only 16 is this true?

"Yes, I turned 16 not too long ago and my two primary affinities are as listed, however, I have minor affinities in air and fire as well."

“Hmmm…, well if what you said is true then you might pass the madams test. Darrell, escort our young friend Mr. Jayce here to the guest house and inform the madam someone has come from the mercenary guild to fulfill her request.”

After what seemed like an awkward salute Darrell brought me to a steel door next to the gate and ushered me forward. As we were walking I couldn't help but be impressed by the size of this man. I myself am not that small. At 6 feet and around 190 lbs., I'm larger than most, especially for my age. But Darrell is at least a head taller than me with a massive frame showing his years of training. Noticing me look at him Darrell turned to me and began speaking in a very deep voice.

“You seem quite young to be a mage. The madam is very busy with preparations so I hope you are not just wasting her time. She will probably want to test your abilities so be prepared for that.”

"It should be no problem. Despite my age, I'm quite adept in magic and have been training since I was a child. I am sure I will be able to pass your madams test."

Well, I'm an 8th ranked mage after all so I should be able to handle any guard duties required of me. I'm not sure exactly what this test of hers is but it shouldn't be something I'm unable to handle. Looking around as we walk I can't help but think of my old life. The well-manicured gardens, dozens of servants scurrying to and fro luxurious buildings was a sight I was used to seeing.

I suppose I never paid much attention to the servants of our house or their duties, it’s quite different looking at things from the other side. Thinking that he tells me to have a seat inside of a fairly luxurious guest house informing me the madam will call for me.

After about 30 minutes a young maid called for me and guided me to a receiving room where there is a woman who looks to be in her 40’s though it is difficult to tell. She had black hair that fell just past her shoulders with pink lips, pale skin, and large brown eyes. While wearing a long low cut dress that is well fitting, one could say she looked quite seductive.

However, raised in a noble household I was used to being around beautiful women and made sure not to stare. On her right stood a well-dressed butler who appeared to be in his 60’s with silver hair and a well-trimmed beard, and on her left stood the maid who had called for me.

“Hmm…, how interesting, Mr. Jayce is it? I’ve been told you’re only 16, that’s quite young. I’m a little concerned with whether or not you are a capable mage so I will have you perform a few tests for me. If your work is satisfactory you will begin today, understood?”

“Yes ma’am, I am ready whenever you are.”

“Very well, Gerard let’s head to the side garden to test Mr. Jayce’s skills.”

Led by the impeccably dressed butler we arrived at a wide garden filled with hundreds of white chairs facing a large intricately designed gazebo with a two-tiered slate roof. All along the perimeter of the chairs are baskets that will most likely to be filled with flower arrangements, and large stone blocks that looked out of place.

There is also an area to the left that appears to be set up for a reception inside of a large glass building. With the number of tables, it looks as though it could easily fit up to 300 people inside comfortably.

“Mr. Jayce, I’m told you are an earth mage, this is quite convenient for me as we were having a hard time deciding whether or not to set the flower arrangements on pillars. Gerard hand Mr. Jayce the sketch of the pillar we wish to have.”

The sketch of the pillar shows that it is approximately 3 feet high and looks quite similar to a column from Senate building in the Empire. The only difference would be the 3 spiral bands in the form of steps that twist around the column. Also, the top of the pillar opens up as if it were a flower in bloom with a flat top. It's somewhat complicated but it's not something I can't-do, but may take a bit of time. That's not really what concerns me though.

“Um…, I’m a little confused by the nature of the work. I was told by the guild that this would be a bodyguard position for a wedding with a duration of 4 days.”

In an overly dramatic fashion, the madam of the house covered her mouth as though she was shocked while Gerard had a slight grin on his face.

“Oh dear, it seems those monkeys at the guild can’t even take down a simple request. No Mr. Jayce, we do not require a guard as we have many guards at our disposal for this event. No, we requested a mage for certain tasks in helping to set up and to also help entertain guests.”

Ha, a performer then? Like some street magician who entertains children by making figurines and fountains of water? This, this is quite humiliating. I never thought I would even think of performing tricks for people like a monkey in a suit.

But the pay is certainly better than the other jobs I’ve seen posted, and right now I’m not in much of a position to demand anything. I need to learn to cast away my pride. I’m Jayce the mercenary now who does odd jobs like this to earn money. But really, this just hurts.

After quickly grasping the situation I just sighed and accepted the job. I could just turn around and leave, but what other jobs were available that paid as well? I need a place to stay and they’re offering one. Maybe the mercenary groups provide housing.

"I see, very well then. There appear to be 36 stone blocks, so is it safe to assume you wish for 36 identical pillars? And when do you need these to be completed?"

“Yes that is correct, 36 identical pillars and we would like for them to be completed by tomorrow evening. But first show us if you are capable of creating a pillar that matches the sketch.”

That smug look on her face really bothers me. I wonder if I was like that at one time. I don't think I was. I lived in a noble household, but with no chance at an inheritance, I was practically a commoner as I would not be granted a title or land.

Being shunned and distanced from the rest of the family I don’t remember ever having an air of superiority, but perhaps others would disagree. I was never trained in the ways of noble society either as it would be considered a waste.

After studying the details of the sketch for roughly 5 minutes I raise the first block into the air and begin to break it down. The simplest way to make the pillar will be to break the block into grains of sand, shape the main column, harden, and then add the small details before completely re-solidifying it. It’s a bit mana intensive but I’ve always commanded a large mana pool so I’m not too worried.

It took nearly 20 minutes of molding and reshaping the pillar until I was finally able to complete it. Using hardening I believe the pillar may be even stronger than the original block. And though it took a bit of time I think subsequent pillars should be quicker as this was the first time I’ve made something such as this.

“What do you think Gerard? Has Mr. Jayce’s pillar passed?”

The butler circled around the pillar while carefully scrutinizing every small detail and then pushed it to the ground to test if it would break.

“His technique is lacking, but I do believe this pillar is satisfactory madam.”

Is my technique lacking? Is he an earth mage with experience in sculpting? If so why am I here? And if not then how can he criticize my technique? Does the pillar pass or not, that's all he needed to say.

"Hmm…, well if Gerard believes they will do then that is good enough. Very well Mr. Jayce you are hired. However we will need to fit you for different clothes, you could use a haircut and a bath as well. Gerard, I'll leave these tasks to you. Give Mr. Jayce a room in the servant's quarters, he will begin working tomorrow. Now as there is still much to be done I shall take my leave."

"Yes, madam leave it to me."

And after a slight bow to his departing madam, Gerard stood still for a moment before sighing and turning to me. Judging by the way he is looking me up and down he doesn't seem pleased, more like upset he has been given the task of dealing with me.

“As you heard you will be staying in the servant’s quarters. There is a servant’s bathhouse, make sure you use it. You will also need a haircut and be fitted for proper attire. Follow me.”

I realize I look like a mercenary, but I did believe this was a guard position, not clown work. I don't believe I look particularly filthy either as I've been keeping myself clean with water magic. My hair could probably use a trim though.

Following behind Gerard for about 15 minutes we arrived at a rather unappealing and long building that was tucked behind a row of tall hedges. It’s obvious the servant’s quarters are meant to be hidden. Then again I don’t recall seeing the servant’s quarters where I lived either.

Thinking back I wonder how well were our servants treated. Did they live in old buildings tucked away like this one? I had always assumed there were servant’s quarters within the main house. There were a lot of things I didn’t care about so I never paid attention to it.

There were many guest houses on our property growing up. The guest house that my mother and I were relegated to was quite large with many empty rooms, perhaps as large as most nobles mansions. We still had servants as well, but I don’t recall ever seeing where they lived.

They would need to be close in case there was a need for them to come. Though the hours were somewhat set servants didn’t really have time off. At any time one could be expected to be called for some miscellaneous task suited for their station. It would make sense to have them stay within some of the empty rooms in the house.

Lost in my thoughts I seemed to have forgotten about Gerard. Not one to hide his displeasure he snapped his fingers in my face to bring me back to attention and pushed me through the doorway into the old building.

The air inside is quite stale. Well, that shouldn't be surprising in a building with no windows. It seems more like a death trap than living quarters. We walked to the center of the building where he opened the door on the right. It was a simple room, a bed in the corner with a dresser on the side. It's more than enough and I'm looking forward to finally sleeping on a bed.

I get the feeling this room is empty because it is the least safe. There are two doors in the building, one on each side. This room is the furthest from both of them. If there is a fire or any other problem the person in this room would be least likely to survive. I can't help but chuckle at that.

“Ask the other servants about the cafeteria. Dinner is served at 7 pm unless special events are occurring. Tomorrow morning at 8 am come to the guest house to be fitted for clothing, that is all.”

He seems quite happy to finally be rid of me. It's a bit early but maybe I'll walk over to the bathhouse. All the servants are probably busy with their work and sitting in a closed room is not good for me in my current state. Part of me just wants to start making the pillars, but who knows what they'll say if I do, I'm sure Gerard will say something along the lines of ‘to not even be able to follow simple instructions' and ‘you are not even worthy of working for our madam'. Yeah, let's head to the bathhouse.

***

Gerard hated being away from his madam. He had strong feelings towards her, but not the kind of feelings a man would have for a woman, no they were more like how a father feels towards his daughter. It was only natural; he had served the family for most of his life and watched as she grew up.

He had a strong distrust of anyone he felt was not properly vetted and due to a few bad experiences with the mercenary guild before he loathed the thought of having someone from the guild working for his Madam. But there was nothing to be done. Mages were not easy to come by, and on such short notice, the only place they could look to was the mercenary guild.

They had already interviewed several others before Jayce but none of them were capable of completing the task they needed to be done. Having Jayce appear before them today was a bit of a blessing so he should be happy, but he just couldn't trust someone from the guild.

“Ah Gerard you’re back, I trust you’ve shown Mr. Jayce to the servants quarters then? Tell me what do you think of him?”

"Yes, Lady Eleanor I have provided him with a room and all the necessities he will need. As for my thoughts…, well he seems capable of completing his tasks so there is that."

“Is that all? Hmmm…., I feel we were quite fortunate in finding him. He fits exactly what we need and it didn’t look like he had any difficulties in building the pillar. What do you think of his magic abilities? He seems quite strong for his age no?”

"Yes, he does, which is what worries me even more. Someone such as him most assuredly would be well known but I have never heard of him. I have sent 2 guards to the guild in an attempt to find out his background, but the guild is so relaxed with their recruiting I doubt we'll find anything out from them."

"True, it is not likely they would have any information on his origin. Do you think he is a spy of some sort? It's hard to say for certain but I don't get that feeling from him. Interesting, I have a feeling he will be quite popular in the coming days. Very well, inform me of anything you hear Gerard and continue to keep a watchful eye. We cannot afford any mistakes; the future of our family is counting on this marriage."

“Yes Madam, leave this to me and please get some rest.”

Still, how unexpected. A mage as powerful as that at his age, to completely deconstruct a block pillar of that size and shape it without seeming tired at all, he may be someone worth hiring.