Before dinner on Thursday, I was in my room, trying to relax after the hectic day at the library, reading a novel Hannah suggested, when I heard a knock on my door. I didn't bother getting up. It was just too much work. I voiced my permission. The door opened and in walked Jake and Julie.
"Hey man, how are you feeling?" Jake asked, taking a seat on the edge of my bed.
I shrugged. "Tired, but good, Hannah has a good book selection. You?"
Jake looked freaked out for a second, but it went away quickly. He spoke hushedly, "My dad actually gave me the green light to take tomorrow off, so we're good to go."
Julie looked nervous and scared. "Awesome! But how do I tag along? It will look suspicious if you invite me."
I looked at her, confused. "What do you mean? I was just going to invite you."
Jake sighed. "I usually don't want her to come, so it will look suspicious."
I shrugged. "Well, if I invite, you protest, and Julie begs, wouldn't that kinda solve the problem." Looking at John, I added, "Don't protest too hard, though."
As if on cue, I heard Uncle Paul's voice calling up to us from downstairs, "Kids, dinner's ready!"
I stretched my legs and got up from the bed. "I'm starving. Let's go eat and get Julie permission to come with us." I said to Jake and Julie, who nodded in agreement.
We made our way downstairs and into the dining room, where Aunt Fraya had set the table. The smell of grilled chicken and roasted vegetables filled the air. I took my seat at the table and eagerly started filling up my plate. Even my magic was not strong enough to counteract the exhaustion, but Aunt Freya's food was medicine for the soul.
As we ate, the conversation was light and easy. We talked about some of the mishaps we had experienced at the library earlier that week. Uncle Paul cracked jokes at my expense like any good Uncle can. He even pointed out that at his shop, the only problem was the local "Karen Brigade" of annoying complainers. To me, that sounded worse than the middle schoolers.
I felt Jake staring at me. I glanced at him, and he gave me the slightest of nods. And waited for a break in the conversation. "So, John, what do you want to do tomorrow?" Jake asked with a sly grin on his face.
I got the hint "I don't know, I was thinking of going to the park, maybe take a walk or something. The museum sounds fun." I replied.
Jake shook his head, "Nah, that sounds boring. How about we go to the giant bookstore or arcade, find the most unhealthy food, and indulge?"
Aunt Fraya pointed at me with a fork full of food. "Don't forget that you still need to go to the enclave and get your ID package."
Julie saw her opportunity "OOOO I want to go! I want to go! Please!!!!!!!"
Jake shrugged, "I don't know, this was for bonding time among new adult cousins."
Aunt Fraya raised an eyebrow. "Barley Adult! Now I'm starting to get nervous."
I waved my hands. "No, No, don't worry! We won't get into any trouble."
Aunt Fraya leaned her head forward and bore holes into my skull for what felt like an eternity. A few seconds later, she smiled. "I insist you take Julie."
Jake "MOM!"
Uncle Paul "Or I can take the day off and chaperon."
The room went silent, broken only by the three dogs eating their food aggressively.
Jake hung his head. "Fine! Julie, you can come. Okay, Dad, you don't have to come. And mom, we both have phones."
Aunt Fraya nodded. "And don't you dare turn them off!"
I suddenly realized that Jake and Julie would need magical passports to enter. They had visited my parents' house before, so they should already have them.
"Hey, Aunt Fraya," I spoke up, "do Jake and Julie have passports to the magic realms? They've been to my parents' house a few times."
Aunt Fraya paused for a moment, thinking. "I'm not sure. I think so. I know where Julie's is. I'll get it for you and write a parental note in there."
I nodded, relieved. I didn't want a silly oversight to ruin our plans.
Aunt Fraya went to find the passports, leaving the three of us in the dining room. Jake and Julie were making jokes about the "Karen Brigade" that Uncle Paul had mentioned earlier. I chuckled along with them, but my mind was elsewhere.
Then Aunt Fraya returned, holding 2 passports and a box. "Jake, your passport is expired. I don't know if you want to just wait in the car or go through the hassle of renewing it. Julie, your passport is good to go. If you want to explore a bit with John while he's waiting for his paperwork, that would be okay as well."
Jake faked displeasure. "Fine, I'll update it."
Aunt Fraya rolled her eyes as she pulled a quill and magic ink out of the box. She wrote a note in Julie's passport using magic ink I didn't know she had. When she was done, she pricked her finger with a brier thorn and pressed it at the bottom of the page. She asked Uncle Paul and Jake to do the same. Uncle Paul did without a word, and Jake read over the note.
"Why do I need stewardship over Julie? I'm her brother."
Aunt Fraya looked a bit uncomfortable as she explained, "You are her brother, but she's a minor, and you can escort her with this. Would you rather I ask John?"
Jake shook his head, pricked his finger, and pressed it where Aunt Fraya pointed to.
She then took the passport and turned to me. "Be a dear and seal this. You know the sealing magic circle, right?"
I had to think about that one for a few seconds, then remembered it: "Yeah, I think so, but it's not in my wand; I'll have to do it directly and not 100% certain."
Aunt Fraya smiled. "That's fine, use my old wand. The grimoire is right here, too." She pulled both out of the box, and I realized it was a denominational storage. She opened the book to the right page and showed me the circle.
Taking her wand, I put manna through it and realized it was self-constructed. I looked at Aunt Fraya and said, "You made this?" She nodded. I looked at the magic circle on the paper, felt it out in the wand, and pointed it at the page, activating it. A shimmer formed on the paper and then disappeared. Handing the wand back to her, I said, "Done. That's an awesome wand!"
Julie's face was full of wonder as she squealed with delight. "Mom! You are so cool."
Aunt Fraya just gave a sad smile, and put the magic tools away, and handed the passports to Jake. "Hang on to these, and don't lose them."
After dinner, I told Jake and Julie I was going to bed early cause I was tired. They said good night and said we would leave at around 830 to arrive after traffic dies down. My plan was to get up at 730 to get ready.
At 729 and 59 seconds, my sleep was interrupted by Julie and Sparky jumping on me.
"Come on, John! Time to get up! I've been up for so long that I've already made sandwiches, snacks, and everything for the road! Let's go, let's go!" Julie exclaimed with excitement.
I groaned and rubbed my eyes, trying to wake up. "Alright, alright, I'm up," I said just as my alarm trumpeted the time. As I sat up in bed. "Let me get dressed, and I'll be out in a minute." Julie and Sparky vanished from my room before I turned off the alarm.
I got dressed quickly and rechecked my backpack for everything I needed. Stumbling downstairs, I met Jake and Julie in the dining room. Uncle Paul and Aunt Fraya were at the door, leaving, so they waved us goodbye. After a quick breakfast, we locked up, patted the dog's good bey, and walked out to the outside garage where Uncle Paul and Jake kept their cars.
Jake pointed to the old-looking car. "That's a 69 Dodge Charger," I said, pointing to the car. "My dad took me to a pick-and-pull when I was 14. I fell in love with that car and begged him to buy it. He did it on the condition that I would fix it myself out of my own pocket money. So I did. Used every penny I earned helping him in his shop. Took me like 3 years to make it driveable. I didn't learn to drive that car, but this has been my baby ever since."
Julie raised a hand and said urgently. "I'm sorry, but we need to get going...at least I want to get going," she said in a demanding tone.
I gave her a small smile. "Hold on! Your brother is proud of this. Be proud of it, too!"
Julie rolled her eyes. "I proud. Wow! Good Job!"
Jake scowled at her, unlocking the passenger door. "You know I don't have to do you this favor."
Julie looked down sheepishly. "Sorry."
Jake walked to the driver's door. "It's fine, I'm just pointing it out." He still sounded and looked a bit hurt.
After Julie climbed into the back seat, I sat in the front passenger seat. Looking at the vintage dash, I was mesmerized and impressed. "Jake, your car is awesome! I love it."
Jake perked up and sat up straighter as the engine roared to life. "Thank man."
We drove straight to the enclave. We had plenty of time before our appointment. Julie wanted to explore the enclave a bit, so we would explore the non-magical world later.
We arrived at the hotel where the enclave was, and I instructed Jake to park in the back.
In unison, Jake and Julie said, "This is it?"
I smiled. "Yeah, how I understand it, the magical realm buys a plot of land, builds underneath the enclave, and uses the hotel as cover for why people are coming and going. There are many of them worldwide, and most of them are connected to the portal system."
Again, in unison, they said, "Cool."
As we exited the car, I was struck by the sight of the back entrance to the hotel where the enclave was located. The door was an unassuming metal one with a dull gray finish that looked like it had seen better days. A few dents and scratches marred its surface, giving it a worn and weathered appearance.
I noticed a strange symbol etched into the metal as we approached the door. I didn't notice it when I arrived cause it was on the outside. At first glance, it looked like a bunch of scribbles. Still, they also had a bit of a shimmer. As I focused my gaze and flowed manna into my eyes, I realized that the lines and curves were shifting and shimmering before my eyes. I asked Jake and Julie if they could see it, too.
Julie nodded eagerly, a glint of excitement in her eyes. "Yes, I see it! It's like it's alive or something."
Jake looked at me skeptically. "I don't see anything. Are you sure you're not just seeing things, you two?"
I smiled and shook my head. "No, I'm not. Julie, flow manna into your eyes and look again. Sorry, Jake, you'll miss out on this."
Julie closed her eyes and strained for a few seconds. As her eyes started shimmering, she opened them and focused on the door. As she did, the symbol began to clear up, revealing itself to be a crest of a dragon, fairy, and wand intertwined in an intricate design. I explained to Jake and Julie that this symbol was for a specific guild's enclosure. In the past, this guild had many enclaves, but now there were only a few left active.
Julie looked at the symbol with awe in her eyes. "That's so cool. Are there magical symbols in other places."
I smiled at her enthusiasm, "I'm not sure. Keep in mind I've not really been around the non-magical realm, so I won't be able to tell you. But if you notice a shimmer somewhere, focus manna in your eyes to check whether it is enchanted."
I pulled open the heavy door, motioning for Jake and Julie to walk ahead. I had to use more force just to get the door open enough for myself to step through as well.
Jake and Julie walked several steps ahead of me and paused in front of a desk on the side, and behind it sat a Gegenees. Four of his arms were hidden behind himself, giving him the appearance of a regular human. He stared at Jake and Julie, who were waiting for me. Before I arrived, he put on a fake smile and said in a sickly polite voice, "Good day, folks. Are you looking for a hotel reception? That's around the front of the building. So you'll have to walk out that door and walk around the building."
I walked up to Jake and Julie and interrupted, "Actually, we're here for the enclave."
The Gegenees' demeanor changed immediately as he realized his mistake. He quickly put his arms back on the desk and leaned forward, resting his head on 2 of them while allowing the others to do their own thing. His eyes now focused on us. "My apologies. I didn't realize you were here for the enclave." His face morphed into a much rougher visage, and he used two of his arms to point down the hall. "Entrance is around the corner. Your mundane friends will need to check in."
I got offended by the blatant insult but bit my tongue.
I led Jake and Julie down the hall as directed by the Gegenees. As we turned the corner, I spotted the place where I got my passport stamped earlier. Another satyr was sitting behind the desk this time, looking just as grumpy as the last one. No one else was in line, so we walked up to the desk.
"What do you want?" the satyr asked in a rude tone without even bothering to look up at us.
"Hi, we need a few things. I need an identification package. He needs to renew his passport since he recently turned 18. Then we had an appointment in the enclave." I replied firmly.
The satyr looked up at us with a scowl, "Name?"
"John Bailey," I said, slightly taken aback by the satyr's attitude. I fished out my passport and handed it to the grumpy satyr. Jake pulled his and Julie's passports out, waiting his turn.
The satyr grunted and flipped through a few of pages of my passport, "Age, and I'm assuming you are a normal mage? Not a bastard or a some shape-shifter or anything?"
I blinked, trying to understand the question. All my info was in the passport in his hand. "I'm Homo Magicas, if that's what your asking. And I'm 18."
The satyr rolled his goat eyes, "Got it. Payment is 2 silver, 3 for delivery. You are responsible for tipping the delivery...person. Delivery will be done to the registered address of residency; don't forget to write that on here as well." He grabbed a form and a non-magical pen and handed it to me. "Please fill out this form and make sure to specify every detail asked. You are responsible for any mistakes made, on our side or yours." I reached for the forms he swiftly attached to the clipboard. "Make sure you write legibly; the mundane counterfeit office is on the 5th floor." He let go of the clipboard as I was about to grab it. It clambered to the counter. He pointed a narrow finger at Jake and Julie, who were hiding behind him. "Next."
I could see Jake's jaw tighten, but politely, he said, "Jake Smith and Julie Ariel Smith." He handed them his passports. "I need mine renewed, and please verify that my sister's is good to go."
The satyr took the passports. Opening the top one, he reads out loud, "Jake Smith...this expired 2 weeks ago, but you are still in the standard grace period. Do you have anything to declare or update? Still a bastard race, mundane, living at the same address...dam, this is in the middle of butt fuck nowhere." He looked at Jake as if everything he said wasn't offensive.
Jake somehow kept his cool and didn't let anything show on his face. "That is correct."
The satyr smiled for the first time. "Nice. Nerves as cool as the tundra springs. I like you." Taking a form and a needle, he licked, dipped in something, and set it on fire. He added, "Payment in mundane or magical currency?"
Jake blinked, staring at the needle still on fire. "I have my card-"
The satyr cut him off. "No cards, no credit. Cash or coin, my mundane friend." he blew out the needle.
Jake glanced at me. "I don't have cash, do you."
I nodded and stepped back up to the counter. "I'll pay in coin."
The satyr raised an eyebrow "2 silver 50 copper. I don't do change, so round up to whatever you got." He used his wand to transfer Jake's info to the form and extended his hand to Jake. "since you are a mundane, you need to verify in blood."
Jake balked. "And you are pricking me with that?! How many blood-born illnesses am I going to get!?" He almost yelled. Pointing at the needle
The satyr smiled wickedly. "No guts, no glory, sonny." He lurched forward with the needle, stabbing Jake with one hand and swiftly applying the blood drop to the paper in the right place. "Pay and wait over there. The verification will take a few minutes."
Jake finally realized he was stabbed and jumped backward, slamming into me and Julie. I was able to hold him up and moved around him to pay. "You said 2 silver 50 copper? Here's 2 silver, 50 copper for the processing, and another 50 copper for your effort."
He smiled and said, "I can't take bribes or tips. That unethical." He put 50 pieces of copper in his chest pocket and the rest of the coin in a slot on the table. Looking down at Julie, he said in his softest voice yet, "And you young lady?"
Julie stepped forward from behind Jake and me. The satyr flipped through her passport. "Your passport is active and ready to use. Are your parents here? You need to have a guardian with you."
Julie shook her head, no, and the satyr frowned and flipped to the next page where Aunt Fraya wrote the note. "Ah, you're..." he trailed off and looked at Jake. "Brother?" He raised an eyebrow, looked at me, and then back at the paper. "...is your steward. Let me verify the Seal." He raised his wand, closed his eyes, and activated a spell I was not familiar with. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes with a raised eyebrow and a frown. "Seal verified, Jake Smith is accepted as your steward. So all you need to do is wait for the check to come back, so take a seat." He pointed at the chairs and benches.
We walked over to the seating area and found a spot to sit down. I looked at the form from and began going through it with Jake and Julie. They were both eager to help, and I was grateful for their input. Jake sucked on his pricked finger, looking over my right shoulder and Julie on the left.
As we went through each question, the two gave their advice and explained things that referred to non-magical terms. There were options for additional factors, like a credit report, higher education degrees, and medical records.
I filled out everything to the best of my ability and took the form off the clipboard. Julie's stomach growled, and she blushed. "I think I'll go grab a sandwich."
The satyr said, "Food on the 4th and 5th floor is better than any crummy sandwich mundanes make."
Julie yelled out, "Rude! Want me to prove you are wrong?" She challenged him.
The satyr smiled. "You are welcome to try."
Jake and Julie walked to the car as I waited for them. They came back with wrapped sandwiches and handed them to the satyr. "Try it!" Julie barked with the bride.
The satyr unwrapped the sandwich, skeptically sniffed it, and smirked at his assessment. He took a bite as a ding rang out from a magical scroll on his desk. He ignored it and made noises like he was thinking deeply as he ate the whole sandwich. Finishing the sandwich, he licked the foil, ate it, and said, looking at the scroll, "8 out of 10. I've had better, but not in the mundane world. Good job, Lassie. Jake Smith, your check came back as good. Your passport is renewed till you turn 35. If you renew in advance, it will be cheaper. And Lassie, on the 5th floor, tries a lion's sandwich. You'll see what I mean."
I blinked and looked at the satyr. "Wait, are we good to go?"
The satyr blinked and sniffed deep in the direction of the bag Julie was holding. "Free as a bird."