Chapter 154 - 155: The Registration Site

Chapter 154: Chapter 155: The Registration Site

They climbed out of the wagon with the kind of stiff, aching movements that came from sitting in one position for far too long, and Daniel stretched his arms above his head and felt his joints pop and his muscles relax and decided that there was nothing in the world quite as satisfying as finally being able to stand and move after hours of being trapped in a cramped wagon.

The others climbed out too and stretched and yawned and looked around with the kind of tired curiosity that came from arriving somewhere new after a long journey.

They were standing in front of a large gate made of iron that was tall and imposing and seemed to loom over them like a challenge, and beyond the gate there was a building that was massive and grand and clearly the guild registration site.

Daniel looked at it with his eyes moving over the towers and the walls and the gates and the banners that flew from the highest points, and he felt something like awe mixed with something like nervousness.

"That’s big," he said.

Paul nodded. "It’s the biggest guild in the world. It has to be big."

"It’s really big."

"Very big."

"Really, really big."

"Are you going to keep saying that?"

"Probably."

Paul sighed with the kind of patience that came from knowing Daniel well enough to accept that this was just how he was.

Aldric walked toward them with his sharp eyes and his weathered face and the kind of calm confidence that came from years of doing exactly this kind of work.

"This is where we part ways," he said.

Daniel looked at him with surprise. "You’re not coming in?"

Aldric shook his head. "I have a caravan to run. I have goods to deliver. I have a schedule to keep."

Daniel nodded with understanding. "I understand."

Aldric reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to Daniel.

"What’s this?" Daniel asked.

"It’s a recommendation letter. It’ll help you get into the guild. It’s not a guarantee. But it’ll help."

Daniel looked at the paper and the seal and the signature and felt something warm in his chest. "Thank you," he said.

Aldric nodded. "You’re welcome. You’re good people. You deserve a chance."

He turned and walked back toward the caravan and climbed onto the lead wagon and picked up the reins.

"Good luck!" he shouted.

The caravan started moving and the wagons rolled and the oxen walked and the men followed, and they disappeared down the road and into the distance.

Daniel watched them go and then turned and looked at the others. "All right," he said. "Let’s find the registration center."

They walked through the gate and into the registration site that was huge and like a small city with buildings everywhere and people everywhere and adventurers everywhere.

They were all shapes and sizes and races and ages and they were all carrying weapons and wearing armor and looking like they knew exactly what they were doing.

Daniel looked around with his eyes moving over the crowds and the buildings and the signs. "There’s a lot of people," he said.

Paul nodded. "It’s the biggest guild in the world. People come from everywhere to join."

"How many people?"

"Thousands. Maybe tens of thousands."

Daniel’s eyes widened. "Tens of thousands?"

"Yes."

"That’s a lot."

"Very lot."

"Really, really lot."

"Are you going to keep saying that?"

"Probably."

Paul sighed.

They walked further into the site and passed a building with a sign that said Registration, and Daniel stopped and looked at the sign and the building.

"That’s it," he said.

They walked toward the building and pushed open the door and stepped inside, and the building was large and busy and full of people with desks and lines and clerks and forms.

Daniel looked around with his eyes moving over the crowds and the desks and the lines. "Where do we go?" he asked.

Paul pointed. "There. The line for new registrations."

Daniel looked and saw a line that was long and very long. "That’s a long line," he said.

Paul nodded. "It’s the biggest guild in the world. There’s always a long line."

"How long?"

"Maybe an hour. Maybe two."

Daniel groaned. "I hate lines."

"Everyone hates lines."

"I really hate lines."

"Everyone really hates lines."

"Are you going to keep saying that?"

"Probably."

Daniel sighed.

They joined the line and waited and waited and waited as the line moved slowly and very slowly and agonizingly slowly.

Daniel looked around at the people and the desks and the clerks and saw all kinds of people with humans and elves and dwarves and beast folk and people he didn’t even recognize, and they were all waiting and hoping and dreaming.

Daniel looked at his team and his family and his friends and saw that they were waiting too and hoping too and dreaming too.

He smiled a warm and genuine smile. "We’re going to make it," he said.

They looked at him with wide eyes.

"Make it?" Lyra asked.

"Into the guild. We’re going to make it."

"How do you know?"

"I don’t. But I believe it."

Lyra smiled a small and hopeful smile. "Okay," she said. "Okay."

The line moved and they moved with it and they moved closer and closer until finally it was their turn.

The clerk was a young woman with a kind face and tired eyes and a stack of papers.

"Next," she said.

Daniel stepped forward and looked at her with his expression calm. "We’re here to register," he said.

The clerk looked at him and his clothes and his face and the others behind him. "All of you?" she asked.

"Yes. All of us."

The clerk nodded and pulled out a stack of papers and handed them to him. "Fill these out. Then bring them back to me. I’ll process them."

Daniel looked at the papers and the forms and the questions. "What are these for?" he asked.

"Basic information. Name. Race. Class. Level. Experience."

Daniel nodded and looked at the others. "Let’s fill these out," he said.

They nodded and took the papers and found a table and sat down and started filling them out.

Daniel looked at his form with spaces for Name and Race and Class and Level and Experience, and he filled them out with his name and his race and his class and his level and his experience.

Then he looked at the others and saw that they were filling out their forms too with Paul writing quickly because he had done this before and Lyra writing carefully because she was being precise and Cheeky writing slowly because she was being cautious and Fluffy writing with her tongue sticking out because she was concentrating hard and Mittens writing nervously because she was being careful and Brick Head writing with his tongue sticking out too because he was concentrating hard and also writing on the table instead of the paper.

"Brick Head," Daniel said. "You’re writing on the table."

Brick Head looked down. "Oh. Right."

He moved his paper and kept writing.

They finished their forms and stood up and walked back to the clerk and handed her their papers, and the clerk looked at them and read them and nodded.

"Alright," she said. "Everything looks good. You’re registered for the exam."

Daniel blinked. "The exam?"

"Yes. The guild exam. To become members."

Daniel nodded slowly. "Right. The exam."

"It’s in three days. You’ll need to be here at dawn. The exam is difficult. Many people fail."

Daniel nodded. "We’ll be ready."

The clerk nodded and handed him a piece of paper. "This is your exam ticket. Don’t lose it. You’ll need it to enter."

Daniel took the paper and looked at it and the number and the seal and the instructions. "Thank you," he said.

The clerk nodded. "Good luck."

They walked out of the building and the sun was setting and the sky was orange and the clouds were pink and the stars were appearing.

Daniel looked at the others and his team and his family and his friends. "We have three days," he said.

They nodded.

"Three days to prepare. Three days to get ready."

They nodded again.

"Three days to become the best versions of ourselves."

They nodded again with determination in their eyes.

Daniel smiled a warm and genuine smile. "Let’s go," he said. "We have work to do."