We spent the rest of the day getting me familiarized with a few more shopkeepers in town. Wilbur Baird the stablemaster. Evelyn Ellison the baker. Not the only bakery in the city, but one of the better tasting pieces of food in this world.

Looking up to the sky, turning into a reddish hue as the sun falls lower and lower. As we walked, I could see spells being used to hover things in the air or clean the areas around the buildings. People zooming across the air on top of brooms and things I have never seen before.

I was in awe as mages whisked their wand in the air shooting off sparks of light in the air that exploded into a flower. This world, its inhabitants, really is full of magic. The last place we needed to go had me skipping in my step, a weapon shop.

“Let us try to find you a suitable wand.” Vintra said.

We entered the dark building with candles hovering along the walls.

“Wand? Do I need a wand? What makes you think I am capable of doing magic?” I asked, running my fingers across the tips of the refined wooden sticks in a barrel.

“Earlier the thing you did with the sword was evidence. That was your own mana being poured into the sword.” Vintra explained, walking up to a burly man with one long strip of hair in the middle of his head. “A rank three wand, request from hisHighness.”

“The King? Why does the King need a magic tool like that? Are the rumors tr-” the man began to spew, a cut forming on his cheek.

“Silence, we do not take kindly to slandering the King.” Vintra said, flicking her finger.

He didn’t flinch, but you could tell he wasn’t willing to pick a fight with Vintra. Scowling but not dumb enough to open his mouth. Which is smart, I may not know much about magic but by the way people stared at Vintra, I could see fear in their eyes.

I walked up from behind Vintra and let a nervous grin takeover when the man made eye contact with me.

He scowled at me for a moment before looking back to Vintra.

“Wait here.” was all he said, vanishing into thin air.

“W-what was that?!” I exclaimed, leaning over to look over the counter.

“Teleportation.”

“Am I capable of doing that with a wand?”

“No. Teleportation of that kind needs a marker of the location you wish to go to. Higher rank teleportation requires no marker and just specific visualization.”

“Ahh.”

I pushed back from the counter and took a look around the store floor. Compared to the garment shop, this place is way more neat. On the wall to the side were steel weapons on plaques. I stared at one particular sword in the middle. A thin blade with black and golden hilt. I could see the glint of the steel winking at me as I gazed upon it.

My ears perked to the sound of harsh wind and turned back around, seeing the burly man with a rectangular box in his hands.

“Rank three wand, quality excellent, magic power one hundred seventy-two.”

Vintra clenched her hand over the counter and dropped a pile of gold coins. She nodded her head and took the box, tucking it under her arm and walking out. I gazed at the shining blade as I walked backwards. When I turned around I caught a side glance from Vintra. I wanted to ask for a sword instead of a wand, but let’s see how this goes.

Sigh, It’s fine, it’s fine. Maybe I could use magic to create a sword? Ha, wouldn’t that be nice.

“What’s next?” I asked Vintra standing outside beside the door.

“I have completed my mission, you are finished for the day.” Vintra stated, handing the box to me and disappeared .

“Wait! What about… my place to… stay… sigh.” my shoulder drooped, realizing she actually left me.

I looked down at the smooth box in my hands. Lifting up the lid, a brown stick with a rounded bottom and pointed tip laid on a cushion inside.

Is this a wand? Looks like a fancy piece of driftwood.

I closed the lid back and started looking around. How does she expect me to find an inn in such a giant place.

***

After hours of walking around aimlessly, I trudged into a tall white building.

“Greetings dear customer-” a high pitched voice said as I crawled through the door. “Hey! You aren’t dying are you? This isn’t the doctors, go find somewhere else.”

“Wat-” I raised my hand forward, but I saw the lady pull out a wand and flick it at me.

A gust of wind shot towards me, propelling me back out the door. I flew a few meters in the air before crashing down on a pile of sacks on the ground. I rubbed my elbow along with the back of my head.

Is it that hard to come by some food and water in this world? Or is it because I’m not one of those stupid robed people.

I glanced down at the rectangular box and steeled my resolve. I opened the box and clutched the round end of the wand. My eyes widened as fire started shooting out from it. I waved my arms in the air to get it to stop but the fireballs kept coming out, scorching parts of the white building.

The small lady ran out, wand in hand.

“What are you doing!” she yelled out, shooting water to hit the fireball before they made contact with the building. “Stop or I’ll call on the city guards!”

I dropped the wand, the glowing tip fading on the ground.

H-how did I do that?

Hearing the stomping sound of shoes growing closer to me, I glanced up. The furious lady with her eyes staring daggers right at me. She held her wand to the middle of my eyes, the tip starting to glow.

“Wait! Wait!” I pleaded, closing my eyes and clapping my hands together. “I just wish for a place to stay the night, that is all. I swear.”

I peeked one eye open to see her eyebrow twitching and the tip glowing brighter.

She sighed, “You are lucky leaving marks is all you did.”

She pulled back her wand and tucked it into her waist pocket.

“Follow me, you can stay the night after you…” she looked at my hair then at the wand. “Pay for the damages.” she then walked back into the building.

I stared up at the black marks left by the wand’s spells. I dropped my head back in exhaustion, feeling like the one time I stayed up for three days and two nights practicing my sword form.

I closed my eyes, not finding the energy to get up from the pile of sacks. Resting my head on the sack behind me, I let the darkness takeover.