I woke to find I’d been stripped naked and deposited beneath the fluffy duvet of the most comfortable bed known to man. Sniffing, I realized I hadn’t just been relieved of my clothes, I’d also been scrubbed clean. I smelled like honey and lilacs.

Were their standards of cleanliness really that stringent, or had they mistaken me for a girl? I sighed. If the latter were true, it wouldn’t be the first time… sadly.

When I pulled the sheets back, a twinge went through my left arm. The skin of my forearm was inflamed, but it didn’t look infected. I cradled the appendage to my chest like I’d been bit by a snake and examined it thoroughly. The four rings were roughly two inches wide apiece and spaced two inches apart. They were as black as night, but somehow retained that odd shimmery quality.

My inspection was interrupted by a woman entering the room. She carried a steaming bowl of broth and a cup of tea. I gulped. The smell of chicken and boiled vegetables made my mouth water, and I didn’t even like vegetables. I would’ve risen to claim the soup from my caretaker if she hadn’t looked like she could eat me for breakfast.

She bowed and set the offering down on the bedside table. “Welcome to Magisterium, honored citizen. I healed your burns, but there’s only so much magic can do to ward off the onset of fatigue. You need rest, but first you need to eat! No, there’s no cure quite like a hot meal and a good night’s sleep.” She turned to leave.

“Wait,” I croaked.

My caretaker already had one foot out the door, but she poked her head back in. “Worry not. I’ll be in to check on you later,” she said, then closed the door behind herself.

Despite her assurances, I did worry while I nursed the steaming cup of tea left for me. I didn’t worry much at all once I picked up the bowl of broth and raised the first spoonful to my lips. After that the floodgates opened. I discarded the spoon carelessly and upended the whole bowl down my gullet. Then I fell into a deep sleep.

—

—

—

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I yawned widely and folded the duvet back. “That was the best sleep of my life!” I stretched luxuriously and worked out the kinks in my body.

My matronly caretaker had indeed taken care of the burns I’d acquired on my journey to Magisterium. On one hand I was still as pale as a ghost, but at least it looked I was making progress on building a base layer of sun-darkened skin. One day I might actually be able to walk under the under Sowillo without fear of being roasted alive. Who knows, maybe I would even get tan!

New clothes had been hung on a hook for me. “Now that’s service,” I said as I eased out of bed.

In place of the chilled-to-the-bone feeling I was expecting, the warmth emanating from the floor surprised me so much that I jumped back onto the bed. From the safety of the sheets I stretched out and touched the warm wood with my index finger. Who would’ve thought magic would be used for a mundane purpose like heated flooring? This pervasive use of magic for daily needs was going to take some getting used to.

A self-effacing laugh escaped me and I shook my head. I walked barefoot to the clothing rack and fingered the material of the finely woven shirt. It was softer than any cotton garb I’d heard of, and almost as silky as the fine silk wrap the Matriarch had worn. The pants were made of tougher stuff, but still retained a softness that went above and beyond what I had expected.

I stepped into a pair of dark gray undergarments first, pulling the drawstring tight and tying it securely around my waist. The button-up shirt was a little too fancy for my tastes and I didn’t much care for the garish color, but it got the job done. I took the brown pants off their hanger and put them on marveling at how well they breathed.

I admired myself in the full-length mirror, held out my left arm for inspection. “Looks like the swelling has gone down a bit.”

A pair of socks and soft leather boots had been arranged beneath the articles of clothing. I pulled on the socks and slipped into the boots. Unlike most boots, it was immediately apparent these wouldn’t need to be broken in. The mottled gray cloak went on last. It had lots of little pockets for storing stuff, which made me happy.

How long had I been asleep? I figured they must’ve had ample opportunity to take my measurements and requisition a set clothes from a tailor. Still, I marveled at how well-fitted everything was. A package in the corner of the small room caught my eye and I untied it to find all my old clothes, which had been mended, washed and dried.

I heard two people approach my room— their raised voices were hard to ignore. “Lord Blythe, please, you cannot go in there! The honored citizen needs his rest. He shouldn’t be disturbed.”

“Your dedication is admirable, Maria, but your insistence on coddling this young man is patently ridiculous. Two days is plenty enough sleep for anyone, even a growing boy.”

The door swung open on silent hinges, so the bickering continued unnecessarily. I was going to interrupt them, but stopped myself. I’d wait for them to notice me naturally and take my chance to study Lord Blythe without his noticing.

I took the chance to study Lord Blythe without his noticing. He was easily the tallest man I’d met, standing more than seven feet tall. His long-fingered hands looked like they wouldn’t be out of place holding an instrument, but they didn’t possess any of the telltale calluses that musicians were known to collect. The pure white clothes with gold embroidery spoke to great wealth, power, and prestige. I doubted he got out much— an academic maybe?

Lord Blythe’s posture was something out of a textbook; he stood straight and tall without slouching and kept his hands neatly folded together. Although he looked near the age where a man started to go gray, his hair was jet-black. His features were so perfectly proportionate that they might’ve been chiseled out of stone, but there was an openness to him that offset the intimidation factor. He possessed a natural sense of privilege and superiority, as if he’d been born into the role he currently occupied. For all that, the lord projected a casual air of casual indifference.

“Apologies, my lord, but—”

“— Shush. I will take responsibility if anything happens.”

I was transferring my compass into one of the pockets in my cloak when Maria and Lord Blythe finally noticed me.

My caretaker reacted first. “Honored citizen, it’s good to see you up and about. You look much recovered,” Maria said evenly.

I did my best imitation of a bow; I couldn’t help that it was awkward and stiff. “Thanks to you it seems. I’m in your debt.”

Maria returned a flawless curtsey. “I merely did what I was born to do on behalf of Magisterium, honored citizen.”

An intense stare was directed at me by Lord Blythe. “Good, they fit. Follow me then, we have much to do.”

I hefted my luggage and slung it over my shoulder. “Right. Should we get going then?” I didn’t really care about where I was being taken, I wanted to get out and stretch my legs.

Lord Blythe nodded and raced off ahead of me.“Follow me then. We’re making a stop at the administrative office first. If you have questions, you can ask me them on the way.” The length of his stride was almost double my own; my slow jog was equal to his walking pace.

As we walked— I jogged, he walked— down the circular corridor, my eyes were drawn to the doors. There were so many of them, I couldn’t keep count. From the size and design of the building’s interior I knew the building was likely a tower, but I wasn’t sure we were in the Capitol Building until we reached the lift.

Lord Blythe placed his arm against a scanner and we waited as indicator lights lit up in sequence to inform us of the position of the lift relative to us. “How am I supposed to call you? Did you have a name, or would you prefer I keep calling you boy?”

Even though I was in the wrong for not introducing myself, that rustled my feathers. “Six is— my name is Shiro.”

He must’ve wanted me off balance, because my misstep amused him. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Shiro. Is six a position, or does it represent order of birth in your family?”

My jaw clenched. “I don’t have any family.”

All he said was “Ah,” as if that was sufficient.

Why was I letting this guy get to me?

“I see I’ve offended you. Forgive me, for that was my intention. Would you care to speak of more practical matters?” He admitted it?

I nodded. The lift’s double doors opened to admit us, and we stepped inside. I craned my neck to see Lord Blythe interact with the panel. He waved his tattooed wrist in the air and pressed a button emblazoned with a bright “1”. I couldn’t help but notice he had five rings where I had four. Just how many levels were there in Magisterium’s hierarchy?

I knew the theory of leverage well enough, and this contraption wasn’t operating on it. It plummeted towards the earth at death defying speeds. I threw out my arms and spread my legs for balance when the lift suddenly dropped out from underneath us. There was a railing, so I grabbed that and held on with a white-knuckled grip. Lord Blythe didn’t laugh at my expense, he seemed content to pretend he hadn’t seen.

Though I suspected the reason he covered his mouth was to hide a smile. “If we’re to get you settled in properly today, we’ll need to acquire the proper paperwork. Requisition of living quarters, enrollment in the academy… it’s standard protocol for an applicant that becomes a citizen first class, but it isn’t often that it happens some half-dozen times in one testing period.”

My jaws were locked together tighter than a steel trap. I couldn’t have voiced a response if I wanted to.

“It was a momentous day for the City of Wonders. The Hall of Lords was in an uproar trying to calculate the future potential energy tax if we were to see such incredible figures established as the new average.”

Lord Blythe clasped his hands together and interlaced his fingers. “But I suppose that doesn’t interest you,” he said lightly. “More practical then. Ah, of course. My introduction is in order. I am Lord Blythe Orman, a humble representative among hundreds in the Hall of Lords, senior administrator, and the man that has been appointed as your patron. I don’t stand on ceremony and I don’t expect you to, but you may do as you will.”

The lift slowed down and I drew a ragged breath. I hadn’t been able to breathe. “Lord Blythe then, or Blythe for short.”

Blythe nodded his acceptance. He seemed gratified that I’d taken to less formal means of addressing him.

I couldn’t help but ask. “Speaking of short, did you draw the short stick? I didn’t think babysitting was such a prestigious occupation in Magisterium.”

Blythe laughed, a rich, sonorous sound. “On the contrary, quite the opposite is true. You may call it babysitting, but the Hall of Lords is largely composed of people who became citizens the same way you did. Considering its size— it’s the largest governing body in Magisterium by far, and handles most of its functions— many see patronage of new citizens such as yourself as a way to accumulate more votes, and subsequently… more power.”

When the lift touched down on the ground floor, I kissed it in appreciation. I thanked Eretos for my life and apologized for the mean things I’d say about him in the past.

“Is that what you think— that being my patron is an efficient way to make a grab for power?” I tried to make my response sound casual, but doubted I had succeeded.

Lord Blythe laughed so hard he cried. “Heavens no!” he wiped away his tears, “It nothing more than mere happenstance that I became your patron.When the negotiations failed, as they usually do, the Hall nominated those who would represent it as patrons and voted to determine the most appropriate assignation.” He wiped away his tears.

Blythe shot off like an arrow loosed from a bow, and again I struggled to keep up. Conversation was put on hold in favor of a speedy arrival at the administrative center. The fringe benefit of walking alongside a towering giant was that we were given extra space. The incidental courtesy went a long ways towards making me feel more comfortable around the teeming hordes of people.

Apparently the event I’d taken part in two days prior was a daily occurrence. From the looks of it, people must have came from all over the world in hopes of passing Magisterium’s citizenship test. Applicants were crammed into every nook and cranny. I came to the conclusion that I really didn’t care for crowds. Were all cities like this?

Blythe collected more forms from an owlish administrator with heavy spectacles that he knew by name. Their interaction was friendly and brief, devoid of the formality I’d experienced in my dealings with other citizens since I’d become one.

I read over the two contracts, signed them, and handed the completed forms to the bespectacled man behind the counter. It was all pretty straightforward stuff. One was a simple form detailing the cost, location, and description of a room I’d be renting. The other was an application for a special program that was being created by The Academy.

I didn’t really understand the measurements, but it seemed like the standard currency in Magisterium was anima. I snorted. No wonder they called it the Kingdom of Magic.

Then we were on our way to parts unknown. I was going to ask where we were headed, but I stopped myself. It was probably a slippery slope to ask my guide to clarify each and every destination we were headed.

When we exited the Capitol Building I lowered the hood of my cloak over my eyes to protect my face from Sowillo’s rays. One unexpected aspect of my recently acquired freedom was that I was always going outside and doing things— I’d been something of a shut in when I acted as patron deity to Altressor.

So we wouldn't get separated, Blythe took me by the arm before he bolted off. We didn’t have far to go. Apparently we were going to utilize the transportation system that I’d gotten a quick look at when I had entered the City of Wonders.

I didn’t think I’d paid enough attention to trust the translucent pod implicitly, so I drew up short in front of it— and tripped Lord Blythe up. Grabbing his arm, I braced myself against his forward momentum and kept him from toppling over in the middle of the street. He would’ve fallen if not for my intervention, but I figured the point was moot since I was the cause of the accident.

“Sorry, I’m not used to this—” I gestured at our linked hands, trying to find the word, “cooperation thing.” I smiled sheepishly.

Blythe grinned. “No harm done.”

My cheeks felt hot, I was probably as red as a tomato. Pulling the hood even further over my face, I examined the conveyance pod studiously. I touched the exterior shell, but didn’t have a clue what the engineers had constructed if from. It felt breakable and I wasn’t particularly thrilled about hitching a ride, but I wasn’t going to complain.

“After you,” Lord Blythe bade me to enter before him.

I did, easing myself into the contraption with more than a little trepidation. First the lift, now a flying eggshell. I was sure I’d been doing a lot of walking in the days to come.

Lord Blythe had to bend over to fit through the doorway. There was enough room inside to stand comfortably. Fitting two people was a squeeze. I ended up leaning against the concave wall. It wasn’t too comfortable, but we managed.

After he offered it to the scanner, Blythe’s tattooed arm shimmered and we lifted off the ground. The sensation was disorienting, especially with the way I was standing. I spread my fingers wide and did my best to hold on as we climbed straight up into the air.

Blythe looked amused. “I presume this is your first time in a conveyer?”

I grimaced. “Was it that obvious?”

“Relax. These things are quite safe so long as one possesses sufficient anima to operate,” Blythe pounded against the interior wall to illustrate his point, “I can’t remember the last time I crashed,” he teased.

“I am relaxed,” I lied.

Blythe’s smile widened perceptively. “Of course you are.”

Although it was the perfect opportunity to do a little sightseeing, I was a little too preoccupied keeping my breathing under control to get a bird’s eye view of Magisterium. I kept my eyes closed until Blythe patted my shoulder to announce that we’d arrived. Which was a shame, because I didn’t plan on making the same mistake of riding a conveyor again.

I abstained from praying to Eretos this time. My logic was that if I was a god, I’d be annoyed to hear the same person say the same thing all day.

Cocking my head, I tried to figure out what was different about the place. “It’s quiet.”

I realized my personal space wasn’t being invaded and something in me relaxed. There were only a handful of people out and about. Compared to the hordes of citizens that packed the main stretch, I didn’t get how there was a place in Magisterium that was so sparsely populated.

“This sector of the city is home to the Academy. Only Academs and professors are permitted to live here.” Blythe referenced a piece of scrap paper that had an address squiggled on it. “If I remember right, your room is… this way.”

That’s what he said, but he didn’t move in the direction he had indicated. His tone wasn’t overly encouraging, either. “You’re sure?”

“As sure as I’ll ever be. Come on, let’s go.” And off we went.

We took a few wrong turns before Lord Blythe relented and asked a passerby for directions. Not long after that we arrived at the three story residence we had been searching for. Like all the other buildings in the sector, this one fit a theme. The gray stone construction made the place I was meant to call home look pretty dreary, especially when I figured out from Blythe that it was called the “gray sector” for a reason.

“214 Academy Drive?” I read.

“This is the place alright.”

Lord Blythe triple checked the address he had on hand with the one displayed on the stoop. He handed me a— of course it had to be gray— key. Where he produced it from was a mystery. I palmed it and placed it in my cloak for safekeeping.

“I’ll hold onto this for safekeeping,” Blythe said, revealing the spare key.

I climbed the stairs to the front door, but had trouble opening it with my key. “Work, damnit, work!” I tried everything, even jiggled the key in the lock, and nothing.

Lord Blythe took pity on me. “These locks can be tricky. Here, allow me.”

“Go ahead, be my guest,” I stepped aside to allow him room to work his magic.

“Watch closely. You’ll have to do this yourself from here on.”

Blythe favored me with a mischievous grin before he slid the key into the lock and turned it to the left once. Then he rammed the door like he was trying to break it down. The door yawned open with a torturous squeal. Blythe was already inside, but I waited to see whether an alarm would be raised by a neighbor or another one of the residents.

Satisfied that I wasn’t going to get a firsthand look at the inner workings of Magisterium’s judicial system, I entered the building and looked around. The first floor housed a shared entertaining room and a kitchen. There were two huge sofas and chairs were arranged haphazardly. Someone had taken the dining table and placed it in the middle of the room. A bunch of junk was strewn across the slate-gray tile flooring.

Blythe guffawed. “Looks like your classmates have started to settle in already.”

“Looks like,” I said.

Lord Blythe pointed out the stairway to the upper floors. “There’s ten rooms in total, and there should only be six of you. You can pick whichever one takes your fancy, so long as it’s empty. All you have to do to claim it is present your tattoo to the scanner.”

I could tell I’d be on my own from there on out. Already Blythe was edging towards the door, looking like he had more important things to do than babysit me. I shrugged.

“We’ll meet back here tomorrow morning to get you enrolled in the Academy. In the meantime feel free to explore the sector if you’d like, it’s perfectly safe. There is a curfew, but I don’t remember it being so heavily enforced that you can’t get around it,” he gave me a conspiratorial wink.

“Thanks for your help with all this,” I gestured vaguely, hoped it was clear I meant everything he’d done for me and not the house.

Blythe had one foot out the door, but he walked back to my side then. “Don’t mention it.”

Blythe laid a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t hesitate to come to me if you have any questions, or if you have difficulty acclimating to your new life in Magisterium. I assure you no question is too stupid, no problem is too small.”

My shoulder tingled, but not uncomfortably. “Thanks. I will.”

“If that’s all…?”

“I hope you’ll let me repay you somehow for all that you've done for me.”

“I’ll… think about it. I’ll be on my way then.” Lord Blythe tipped an imaginary hat and shut the door behind him.

Once I’d waited long enough to be sure he was gone, I took a deep breath and headed upstairs. I was ready bite the bullet and introduce myself to my new housemates. Or at least, I thought I was. There was no one to be found on that level, though I gathered that four of the five rooms were occupied. Since the others were locked, I took the liberty of peering into the only vacant room I saw.

There wasn’t much to the place. Of course, it was the same monochromatic gray as the rest of the sector. The design reminded me of the sick room I’d been passed out in for the past two days. Both rooms were well-lit by lights, more lights than I was accustomed to seeing. In Altressor I’d been lucky to have a consistent supply of candles.

I saw a few differences. A closet was installed on the side of the room closest to the door. There was a rack for coats and other clothing items that needed to be hanged and a medium-sized dresser for everything else. Two side tables bookended the bed and there was a desk with a reading lamp arranged in the corner. A small bookshelf in the far corner promised that some light reading was in my future.

The scanner outside the door beckoned, but I left the room vacant and stomped up the stairs to the third floor. I had always planned to claim a room on the highest level. There would be a roof access up there if I was lucky. Experience had taught me that it always paid to have a way out… and that I quite liked having some solitude in my life.

Like the second floor, I found five rooms of roughly equal size on the third floor. I wanted to be in one of the two rooms furthest away from the stairs, so that narrowed it down to two options. By the time I made it to the end of the hall, I realized my choice had been made for me by the person that had arrived before me.

I bit the inside of my lip and nudged open the door on the right. A metal plate affixed to the door read “3A”. Before I looked around, I tore open the parcel with my old clothes in it and packed them away in the dresser. Not wanting the hangers to go to complete waste, I hung up the patchy green cloak I’d stolen from the dead Hunter and shut the closed behind me.

“How long have I been gone… five days? Less than a week for sure. It feels like a lifetime.”

Bending down so I could watch closely, I waved my tattooed forearm in front of the scanner. The shimmery quality I’d noticed in the black ink showed itself as it sparkled and shined. After surviving an encounter with a revenant, there was no mistaking the sensation of my anima being forcibly drained. When the collection system determined I had paid what I owed for the room in full, a green light flashed behind the panel.

“I’m starting to understand how things work around here.”

Feeling drained, I stumbled over to the bed and laid down. “I think I’ll just rest my eyes for a bit…”