Chapter 12: Ponoc Guild – extra chapter

   Since they arrived in the middle of the week, they had to wait until the weekend for the monthly bazaar to start. That gave them plenty of time to walk the streets of List, looking around and admiring beautiful buildings.

 

 

   List was a place famous among traders and merchants, but it was also a gorgeous town young couples regularly visited for their getaways and honeymoons. Cobblestone streets, tall arched lanterns with engraved snowflakes, benches around the fountain that worked on magic had decorations of many kinds. Copper cats and magpies sat along people on them.

 

 

   Each and every building had its own charm, from the shoddy inn they were at, decorated with grapevines beneath windows, to the most extravagant guild building in the whole of Bailey Kingdom having iron lions supporting their guild sign and roaring when celebrations took place. It was a happy place, and nobody would be able to tell the child otherwise.

 

 

   Today, they were going to issue a badge for the child and buy some clothes. Although Murdock insisted that they wait for him before going, Locker paid him no mind and went out with the child, hand in hand. The child was already unfazed by this development, as it understood that those were the dynamics of two old friends.

 

 

   It even found out that before being in this profession, Murdock was a knight, while Locker was a scholar that researched a pretty obscure and unpopular topic in a circle of stuck-up know-it-alls. He gathered material about legends all over the continent. He originally joined Murdock because he said he would be going to the Vran Tribe and Ledene Mountains, which were known for their unorthodox ways and plenty of localised spices.

 

 

   Later, although he continued gathering stories and materials about the legends, he gave up on his profession of a scholar and became a merchant just like Murdock. He still had his badge from those days, though. It was a fond memory.

 

 

   People were allowed to keep their badges even after changing professions, they would only have them deactivated so that they could start a new career, Locker explained this to it specially, after it showed some confusion after he showed it its old badge. 

 

 

   They walked slowly, both trying to match each other's pace, making it awkward.

 

 

   In the end, Locker, frustrated to bits by all this, picked up the child and carried it in his arms. He was long used to physical work, and the child was abnormally light. He knew that the child hadn't eaten regularly and sufficiently, that's why he had a feeling of carrying just bones. He sighed, thinking of this particular thing. He would have to fatten it up nicely. A chubby child was a happy child. At least, he never saw a sad chubby child before.

 

 

   The office they went to was in the guild. Standing in front of large wooden doors that were wide open to customers of any kind, the child made Locker stop and let him down so it could look in wonder and observe. This was yet another thing to etch into memory. Locker decided to turn this into a mini lesson while the child was admiring the view.

 

 

   "You see, the guild was officially founded more than four hundred summers ago, but it existed even before that point. It is the only guild in this Kingdom and the one we're in is just one of its branches, although it's the most noticeable one for sure. You see, that sign held up by lions says 'PONOC' and that is the name of the guild, carrying the meaning of midnight." They heard clapping from their left and turned their heads in that direction.

 

 

   A woman in a cobalt dress dropping to her calves applauded, her low heels clacking against the black stone she was walking on.

 

 

   "My, such a wonderful lesson, sir. I haven't heard anyone describe our guild like this since long ago, when I was attending the summer school. I'd thought the child already knew that, but it seems that's not the case." Seeing that the child blushed at her words, she immediately corrected herself.

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   "Well, there is always time to learn more, isn't there, baby? Come in and tell me what services you need. My name is Angeline, and I'm the head clerk here. It's not everyday that I cater to people." Child's blush brightened, this time because of excitement. Locker gave an amiable smile and followed behind the child that eagerly listened to Angeline's stories about the guild's origins and famous people that came out of it.

 

 

   "Miss Angeline, we've come today to issue a heart badge for this child. Of course, there are some other things I'd certainly like to ask, but this takes precedence." Explaining this, Locker pointed at the dazed child who was still in the clouds, thinking about Lav of Stein and Merigold Witcher, two legendary figures that founded the guild and led it to the top for decades before retiring with their families.

 

 

   "It's that time already? It doesn't seem so, but I guess only the stone can tell." This attracted the child's attention, and you could read the question in its eyes. What's that stone?

 

 

   Angeline giggled and proceeded to explain. "The stone is a magical device that reads your age and affinity with magic, as well as recommended professions for you. Though, the profession reading is done at an older age at around seventeen, so you'll be having your age and magic affinity read. Is that okay with you?" The child nodded, looking like a chicken pecking the ground.

 

 

   "Alright, follow me to the reading room." The child was basically a step behind Angeline, imagination running wild. And it didn't disappoint. The stone in front of them was two metres tall and was engraved with words, the child mourned it couldn't read at this moment.

 

 

   "Just come close and press your hand to the stone, I'll record everything, have no worries." The child stepped forward and put the hand on the stone without hesitation, but pulled it right back.

 

 

   The stone was cold, obviously, but to the child it seemed full of life, and things full of life were usually warm. It put the hand back and by instinct closed its eyes.

 

 

   In the silence of the room, two gasps could be heard behind the child. Locker and Angeline were astonished at the child's potential. Angeline wrote down the lit up words fast, making sure not to miss any. Locker was just staring, mouth wide open. The gods were generous when creating this child.

 

 

   Especially so.

 

 

 

   Flustered, Angeline let the child let go of the stone and started blabbering, "Dear me, this is incredible! Baby, do you know how talented you are? If you strive hard, you'll be on the ladder of success very soon! Oh dear.... I need to calm down. All of this needs to be recorded and put into the badge." She turned around and left the room, leaving them to scamper behind her in confusion.

 

 

   She went up three floors before stopping. "This is my office. I'll be doing all the procedures here, come in."