With the sun slowly rising into the sky, Lucas had the chance to look around as he left his temporary lodgings with Fay and her father. He’d caught bits and pieces of what the town of Helstrum looked like while Fay had dragged him through the streets the previous night, but now he was given the time to actually look around.

  The first thing he realized was that Fay’s house was a lot bigger than he’d first thought. The living area was fairly normal, if a bit big, but what made the house so huge was the connected shop that the family also owned.

  ‘Stellar Wares’ was a nice-looking brick and mortar shop attached to Fay’s home. The large glass window allowed Lucas to see a few sets of armor and weapons within the shop.

  He didn't have long to linger, as Magnus began to lead them away from the shop and towards the center of town.

  “Come on. You can check out the shop later if you want.”

  From what Lucas had seen on the map Fay had pulled out during their trip, the town was largely shaped like a circle, and a massive one at that. Fay's family seemed to live a bit closer to the walls, though not especially so.

  It felt strange, walking in a world of magic and seeing so many normal looking houses that would fit in perfectly in his own neighborhood. There was a wide mix of buildings all over as Lucas followed Fay and Magnus through the cobblestone streets. There were some with modern-looking siding, as well as some older homes made of brick and mortar like Fay's house, or some with wooden exteriors. Lucas even spotted a few decently tall apartment-like buildings. They weren’t as large as he’d seen on his side of the world, but they reached up a good five or six stories tall.

  Walking with the father and daughter pair, Lucas got to learn more about the town he would be calling home for the next month. The two were happy to tell him all about their home, and Lucas was eager to learn.

  Helstrum itself was a town that had been built as a series of rings. Focused around a central point, the town had been built outwards over time, eventually shaping out to the final, large town that the trio walked through. From one side to another, Helstrum was a good six miles in diameter, and was home to a few thousand people, at least.

  “The town is divided into three sections that we call ‘rings’. The third ring is the largest one and the one closest to the wall. It’s where you have most homes and the occasional shop or restaurant. It’s where we are right now,” Magnus explained.

  “The second ring,” Fay chimed in next. “Is next as you move towards the center of town. It’s got most of the shops, businesses, and restaurants in town. Then you have the first ring at the center of town. It’s where the guilds and their businesses are located. It also has some of the more important locations for town, too.”

  “How do you tell them all apart?” Lucas asked. “Also, you said ‘guilds’. Does that mean the Hunter’s Guild isn’t the only one?”

  “The best way to tell the rings apart are the banners,” Fay replied. She gestured towards one of the lightpoles on the street, where Lucas spotted a small green banner fluttering in the breeze. “Each ring has a different banner color to show which ring you’re in. Green for the third ring, blue for the second, and red for the first ring.”

  “Well that’s helpful,” Lucas mumbled.

  “You can also generally tell since the type of buildings you come across change drastically between districts,” Magnus added. “As for your question about the guilds, there are three guilds that help our side of the world. There’s the Hunter’s Guild that you heard about already, as well as the Artisan’s Guild and the Trade Guild. You’ll generally find all three in any major town or city you come across. As long as a town is decently well established and secure, they tend to have the Guilds set up shop,” Magnus explained.

  “So, what exactly do the guilds do? Are they in charge of everything?”

  “Not exactly,” Magnus replied. “The guilds oversee a lot, but for the most part, on our side of the world a town or city will generally govern itself. Helstrum elects a mayor every five years, and we have a town council as well. The guilds more or less keep things going smoothly for everyone.”

  Fay chimed in. “The Hunter’s Guild employs hunters to deal with various issues. Like I mentioned the other day, they hunt down creatures, beasts, and even elementals that are causing trouble. They also try to step in if an elemental is causing a big enough fuss that could cause a lot of damage to the Ordinary side of the world. The guild takes commissions and job requests for things like gathering plants, herbs, or stuff like pelts of certain creatures, too.”

  “They can also step in and send a strong hunter or two to deal with a town or city where the leadership has become corrupt. It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally someone gets a bit of power when they shouldn’t have any, and it can cause some trouble. In those cases, the people will reach out to the Hunter’s Guild and demand an investigation. If the hunters find enough proof, they’ll help remove the town’s leader and assist the people in finding a replacement,” Magnus added.

  Originally, Fay had made the Hunter’s Guild sound rather basic. But with the new information he’d learned, Lucas started to realize that they did a lot more than just giving out tasks and jobs.

  “What about the other two?”

  “The Artisan’s Guild is the home for all those who make a job out of creating. Enchanters, runesmiths, leatherworkers, blacksmiths, even cooks. The Artisan’s Guild fights to make sure that we get our fair share and that we aren’t taken advantage of. One of the major goals of the guild is to help improve the work of every artisan by working together, sharing knowledge, and sharing resources.”

  Fay nudged Lucas with a grin, interrupting her father as she chimed in. “Dad and mom are both part of the Artisan’s Guild. Dad has a really good reputation with them, too.”

  “She’s exaggerating,” Magnus chuckled. “I’m good, but there are plenty out there who are far better than me. I’m just popular in town because people like me.”

  “Now where was I before I was so rudely interrupted,” Magnus said mockingly. The innocent face that Fay made in response had Lucas grinning while her father rolled his eyes. “The Trade Guild is pretty straightforward. They work in trade in all shapes and forms. Trade between towns of money, resources, and more. They also handle communications and employ merchants who make frequent trips to the Ordinary side to get whatever the local branch needs. The Artisan’s Guild always loves when they bring back some new technology and give us a challenge to try and recreate it.”

  “So, the guilds in town,” Lucas spoke up. “Those aren’t the only ones, then?”

  “The guilds that you’ll find in any town or city are generally just local branches connected to the main guild. The Hunter’s Guild’s main branch is located out Australia. Last I checked, the Artisan’s Guild has a main hub out in Paris, I think. And the Trade Guild has their head branch set up over in Switzerland,” Magnus clarified.

  “You still call it Switzerland? Even on this side?” Lucas asked.

  Magnus just shrugged in response. “It’s easier to keep the country names the same for the most part, at least the major ones. Towns and cities are the things that have different names more often than not.”

  While they had been talking, the trio had made their way through the third ring and into the second. There wasn’t a wall or anything significant that separated the rings from one another, but the difference between the two was visible almost immediately. The buildings went from mainly homes and few scattered businesses to the reverse. Shops, businesses, and some restaurants were spread all over the second ring. Some shops were built like Fay’s home, where a house was connected to the shop, while some had homes above the store or shop. And at eight in the morning, the second ring was already starting to fill with people.

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  Had they not already had a destination in mind, Lucas knew that he could have gotten lost in the second ring for hours just looking around at all the amazing sights that the shops had to offer. Magical items of all sorts, from armor, to weapons, to appliances and basic items. He wanted to check everything out so badly.

  Magnus spotted the awed expression on Lucas’ face and laughed. “We can stop by a few shops later, if you’d like. You look like you’re about to explode from excitement,” The man joked.

  Lucas could feel his cheeks heating up a bit as Fay giggled along with her father.

  “I’ve just never seen magic before this. It all is so incredible.”

  “Don’t ever lose that. That awe of magic and what it can do. So many people who are born here grow up with magic around them every day. To them, it’s something normal. But it’s magic, and it deserves to be something awe inspiring,” Magnus’ expression had softened as spoke, and eyes seemed focused far off in the distance.

  The man’s words stuck with Lucas, and he was quiet as the father and daughter led him through the rest of the second ring.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Getting to the first ring marked another notable difference in the layout of the town. The first ring opened up into a large, circular, town square-like space. Buildings and small little street vendors and shops lined the ring while in the center there was a massive park. Unlike the dense foliage of the forest surrounding Helstrum, the park was tamer and more managed. Trees provided ample shade, and Lucas could see some benches, picnic tables, and even a gazebo just from where he was standing.

  Draped around his shoulders, Lucas felt Dusk twitch as she noticed the park as her eyes locked onto a large, plump looking squirrel climbing a tree. “Not now, Dusk,” He mumbled as he pet the little fox. “Later.”

  “This way, kid,” Magnus’ hand on Lucas’ shoulder pulled his attention away from the beautiful looking park.

  The Hunter’s, Artisan’s, and Trade Guild’s buildings were all easy enough to spot, with each of them having a very… striking appearance. The Hunter’s Guild was built to look like a massive tavern, with a simple design overall and some swinging doors that wouldn’t have been out of place in an old wild west movie. The Trade Guild’s building was built like a standard bank, made out of sturdy looking white stone with some nice-looking columns. The Artisan’s Guild’s building was perhaps the oddest, with it looking like an old Greek temple. Large columns held up a pristine, stone roof while most of the space was open to the outside. Inside the space, Lucas could see what looked like a couple of forges, as well as multiple workbenches and tables that looked like they were used for various crafts.

  The three buildings, while spaced out, were close enough to all be in view as Lucas entered the first ring. Food vendors and small shops that had managed to secure a spot in the ring filled the gaps between the three guilds. But the guilds weren’t the first destination for the group.

  It was amusing to Lucas when he saw that the town's post office looked a great deal like the small post office he had back at home. It was a small, single floor brick building. Outside was a small blue mail chute connected to the building, and over the door was a simple sign denoting the building as the ‘Helstrum Post Office’.

  “Normally you can just drop the letter off in the bin,” Magnus explained as he led the two teens towards the building. “But because we want to get a letter across the Mirrors, that makes things a little more complicated.”

  The man led the two inside, a bell chiming overhead as they followed Magnus. Inside, Lucas could see shelves lined with boxes of various sizes, stamps, and plenty of envelopes. If he hadn't known he was in a world of magic, he would've thought he'd walked into a normal post office.

  “Well, if it isn't Magnus! What brings you by today?”

  The gruff voice drew Lucas’ attention towards the counter, where an older looking man stood.

  The first thing Lucas noticed was the scar. The man had a long, jagged scar running down from his forehead to his cheek, covering his right eye and leaving it sealed over with a long-healed wound. His other eye was a shockingly bright sky blue. With a body dense with muscle, he looked the part of a man who had seen plenty of fights before. That only made it even stranger to see someone like that standing behind the counter of a post office.

  “Got a letter to send, Agor. The kid here needs a letter sent to family on the other side of the Mirror,” Magnus explained, patting Lucas’ shoulder.

  Agor gave the teen a long look, that single eye seeming to look through him rather than at him. Then, the man chuckled, his long, salt and pepper hair whipping about as he shook his head.

  “Now that's an interesting one you've got with you, Magnus. He’s got a lot of potential,” He cryptically said. “Sure, I'll get the letter where it needs to go. Normal shipping or quick?”

  Agor's words just left Lucas confused, and the contemplative look Magnus sent his way just made him even more confused. Clearly Magnus understood more about what the man’s words meant than he did. Fay certainly didn't seem to know, either, as she looked just as confused as Lucas did.

  Neither of the older men seemed eager to explain further, though, as Magnus took the letter from Lucas and handed it over to Agor.

  “Quick, if you can, Agor. I'll pay the extra.”

  “Nah,” The odd man shook his head and smiled. “Consider it on the house, Magnus.”

  Then his gaze shifted towards Lucas again, and once more he had that strange feeling as Agor's eyes locked onto him.

  “I'll make sure the letter gets to your family as quick as can be, kiddo,” He promised.

  Something about the man had Lucas truly believe him, strange as that was.

  Then, he vanished. One moment Agor was standing before them, the next he was gone and a small ‘Back soon’ sign dropped to the counter.

  “Holy shit! Where did he go?”

  Lucas was stunned by the sudden disappearing act, though Magnus and Fay didn’t seem as surprised.

  “Agor’s a teleporter, Lucas,” Magnus replied. “He has an affinity for Space magic. It’s a magic that lends itself towards teleporting and manipulating distances. You’ll find that a lot of people with that affinity end up working for the Trade Guild. If I had to guess, Agor probably just teleported to one of the Mirrors to get that letter to your family.”

  “One of my friends uses Space magic,” Fay chimed in. “If you see someone reaching out and grabbing something that should be out of their reach, they’ve probably got Space magic. Sasha does that all the time.”

  Teleportation. And it was a common trick for a decent number of people. Even after just having seen it with his own eyes, it was hard for Lucas to think of something so powerful being common. Once again, Lucas was left stunned as he thought of how close the magical world was to the setting of a hero-themed comic book, superpowers and all.

  “So, if I wanted to, would I be able to send a letter back here from home?” He asked.

  “You can, yes,” Magnus replied. “The Trade Guild set up a small company in the Ordinary world that mages and their families use to communicate with people who are on the other side. Any letter that you want sent to somewhere on this side of the Mirrors is sent to that company, then brought through a Mirror and delivered to the actual address.”

  The idea sounded a bit complex, but Lucas couldn’t really see a flaw with the idea. It kept the two worlds separate, and it meant that he could still send letters to Fay if he wanted to keep in touch after going home.

  With the letter sent off, the trio left the post office. But as they stepped out the door, Lucas glanced back towards the empty counter. The way that Agor had looked at him, and his strange words were still bothering him.

  “Who was that guy? He was acting really strange?” He finally asked.

  “He did look at you pretty weirdly, Lucas. And he said that vague stuff, too,” Fay joined in as she looked at her father.

  Magnus paused and seemed to think of what to say for a few moments. After a couple seconds, he sighed and gestured back towards the post office.

  “Agor tends to see things that other people don’t. He used to be a hunter, but something went wrong. He almost died and wound up in a coma. His familiar actually did die.”

  Abruptly, Lucas realized that he hadn’t seen the man’s familiar anywhere in the shop or near the man. “Oh…” Fay had told him that familiars were hard to kill, but Magnus’ story was clear proof that they could die. Gently, Lucas’ hand came up to pet along Dusk’s spine. She seemed to sense his discomfort and leaned into his touch even more readily than normal.

  “When he woke up, he was acting strange and claimed he could see how strong a person’s soul was. No one knows if it’s magic or if he’s gone crazy, he won’t confirm or deny anytime someone’s asked.”

  “So, do you think he was looking at my soul?” Lucas asked, feeling increasingly creeped out at the situation.

  “I don’t know, Lucas. Agor is strange, but he’s a good man. He’s also proven to be insightful, so maybe he saw something impressive in you. But I couldn’t tell you if he can actually see souls or not.”

  Lucas wasn’t the only one weirded out by the idea of someone being able to see souls, apparently, as Fay had a similar expression on her face as well.

  Magnus wasn’t oblivious to the two and thankfully offered an easy way out.

  “Well, now that the letter is sent, let’s go and figure out what your affinities are, Lucas.”

  Lucas was quick to agree, following the man as he led the two teens towards the nearby Hunter’s Guild.

  Magic. Soon, he would be able to do magic.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  You can find it here if you want to check it out. Those who join can read a full 8 chapters ahead. There's also a special tier that I made only 5 slots for. For people who really want to support me a ton, I'll also work with the people who take that tier to help create one of the major characters for the second/third book planned for this series.