— Aster —

I took in the room again, it looked exactly the same, except the statue's eyes seemed to focus on me. It was unsettling, to say the least. Moving my focus away from the statue. I locked onto Instructor, trying to pretend the statue wasn’t watching me.

Instructor held out his hand. “Pin please.”

Taking the pin Instructor placed it into the cat’s paw.

“So what’s supposed to...?” The cat statue moved like a living creature, scooping the pin into its mouth. “Hey, I stole that fair and square!” The instructor began to laugh at my reaction. Feeling embarrassed and confused. “Well, what does this have to do with my fee?”

The statue, or should I say cat, was now stretching lazily like a real cat. A living statue. I decided to use my new trick of making my eyes tingle, as I completed the circuit, it felt like my eyes were swelling. It seemed easier than before, happening almost as soon as I started.

The “cat” began to shimmer, as energy appeared circulating through the statue's entire body, like capillaries in a human. Mana flowed to every inch of the “Cat” with a large portion focused in its stomach, pulsing like a heart.

The energy I received from the crystal was finally spent and the power flow stopped. I could still feel my eyes tingle even without the circuit. I watched as the “Cat” had started walking towards us, while the shimmering vanes faded from view.

Instructor pulled out a little ball of string. I blinked and did a double-take at this strange action. All of this was weird. At the last minute, a statue came to life, ate my pin, and now...Instructor was playing with it. The whole thing felt surreal.

The more I watched the "Cat", the more everything appeared off. The “Cat’s”, movements were stiff, and jolting as though it was struggling to move. Like it would put too much force into its movement before correcting itself. Like a marionette with strings controlling it.

Instructor and “Cat” continued this odd dance until; the “Cat” began to make an unpleasant noise, sounding like stones grinding against each other.

The instructor straightened, putting the toy away. “Now time for your fee.”

“What was the point of the cat then?”

“You’ll see in a minute.”

We continued to watch the statue hacking something up. “I am so confused.”

Instructor chuckled. Soon, a silver coin flew out of the “cat’s” mouth. Then two more silver coins popped out. With the three coins sitting on the floor, the "Cat" sniffed the coins, then stalked back to the table. Once done, it assumed its original pose and moved no more.

Instructor grabbed the three coins from the ground.

“So three silvers?” I asked.

Instructor smiled in a way I did not quite trust. “Yes.” I began to pull out my three coins when he added. “That is if you had made it on the first day.”

I knew something was up. Placing the coins back in my pouch. “Then how much do I owe?”

“Remember when I said it would cost more the longer it took?”

I wondered if I took too long. Please don’t be too expensive, “Yes, now how much?”

His tone became business-like. “Well, seeing as you took four days. I’ll tell you first what it would have cost on the second and third day. The second day would have been double six silvers, third again nine silvers, so can you guess the amount you owe?”

My mouth was hanging open at the penalty of taking too long. “Eighteen silvers?” That was an astronomical sum for someone just coming out of school.

“Actually it's fifteen, we don’t tell you this but we don’t count the first day. So technically you had another day.” I was dumbfounded, first, the price was pretty extreme, second I had another day?

"Now how much do you think the last day would be?”

“Twenty-one silvers?”

“Actually it’s ten times the price. So forty-eight silvers.”

That was like a couple months' salary. “WHAT? Why's it so much more?”

“Simple. A penalty for taking too long, and wasting time.” I don’t think I would have been able to afford the fee if I waited till tomorrow. It felt almost like they didn’t want people to join.

Taking out the fifteen silvers, I had in-combination saved and been given, for just this occasion. I was starting to run low on funds. “So what happens if I don’t have enough?”

Instructor was quick to take the money. It just disappeared from my hand. I didn’t even see him put the money away. “Simply put we do a loan, but it normally doesn’t happen since the cat usually coughs up coppers or silvers, but imagine if it was a gold coin.”

My face began to pale. “I see you understand, that could get quite expensive.” With the fakest sad tone, I had ever heard he added. “Those poor people”

“Do they have to pay it?” The Instructor looked offended at my question.

“Of course not. Unless they want to join the guild, then they will be contractually obligated to pay. We just take half their earnings till it’s paid off.”

That was ridiculous. The difference between gold and silver was the difference between buying a tent and buying a house. It was hard to comprehend.

“But you don’t have to worry about that, you're all paid up and ready to begin. Actually…” He pulled out a rolled-up document. “You still have to sign the contract or terms. Now, this is your last chance to back out. Once you sign you will be a Rogue. Not just any Rogue, a Shadow Cat. It is not an easy thing, to be a Shadow. People tend not to trust our branch of work, essential as it is. Now, are you sure? Do you have any final questions?”

There was no way he was going to talk me out of this now. “Do you have a pen?”

He pulled out this pen with a giant feather on it. “Here.”

The pen was ridiculously large and fluffy. “It's a bit dramatic.”

Instructor shrugged as he rolled out the contract on the desk. He looked a little sad when I decided to continue. He pointed at spots on the contract. “Please sign here.” After signing the document Instructor pulled out a cylinder about the size of a finger, with a cartoon cat silhouette wearing a bandit mask on it. It looked like a simplified wax seal you'd use on letters. “Are you ready for the mark?”

“How does this work? Do you just stamp me with that thing? Or do we heat it up and you brand me like cattle?” I was half-joking but feared that might be the case.

The instructor shrugged. “I'll just stamp it in the middle of your chest, where your power symbol is. Are you ready?”

“Does it really matter?” I was exhausted, broke, and just wanted to get this over with.

“Well. Yes, this will mark you like a shadow. You will easily be able to say you're from a different rogue guild. No one ever says which Rogue guild they are from, but everyone will know you’re some kind of cat. It’s very important, that you are one-hundred percent for this.” He held up the contract. “I can tear this up right now, and no one will know you were here.” I understood his warning, but was confused at why he was so willing to let me go?

I knew this was what I wanted. Also, I don’t think I have money for anything else. “OK. Let's do this.”

“Aster Datura do you wish to join our Rogue guild, becoming a Shadow Cat?”

I stood straight. “Yes. I wish to join the guild”

“Good now see that room?” A door had appeared on the wall beside me. My breath caught. Fear sprouted deep in my soul, involuntarily taking a step back away. Mysterious doors appeared out of nowhere. What is the deal? Shaking a little I answered. “Yes?”

“After the mark is applied. You will be confined here for the next twenty-four hours.”