Deilan found himself awkwardly lingering by the door, not sure if he should sit, or remain standing until whoever he was waiting for arrived. Thankfully, the issue was solved for him in short order as the door opened less than a minute later, admitting four more people.Three of them seemed to be around his own age, while the fourth was an older man, dressed in a similar uniform to the ones he saw on the guards outside. He was wearing some sort of quilted armor covered by a tabard in the estate’s colors. Unlike the guards outside, he had a small patch over his right breast. From context, Deilan assumed that it was some symbol of rank. He really should have done more research on noble houses before coming here.

He was relieved to see that the other three, to varying degrees, looked as uneasy as he did. The young man was shifting slightly, adjusting his clothes as he looked around the room. The cut was an older fashion, and seemed to be a bit worn down. Slight fraying could be seen around his cuffs. The outfit also appeared to be slightly too small on him, although considering the amount of muscle he had, most clothes would probably be a bit too small on him. Deilan felt acutely aware of the fact that he spent more time sitting in his room than anything else. He and his friends did spend a fair amount of time running around the city, but that hadn’t done much for his physique.

The two young women were both in decent physical shape as well, although neither was quite as physically imposing. The first woman had cropped her light hair short, and already wore a set of armor, consisting of some kind of small leather chunks threaded together. Based on the scuffing on the leather, and the well-worn nature of the cords holding it together, he assumed it was a hand-me-down. While she looked uncomfortable, she held herself straight and kept her eyes on the older guard. Great, someone who actually knows what they’re doing. I hope they’re hiring more than one person.

The last woman wore something that was a bit closer to the style he himself was wearing. Her clothing looked new and fashionable, and her long hair was braided down her back. She shifted slightly from foot to foot, and her eyes kept darting between the woman in the armor and the rather muscular man, a small frown plastered on her face. Probably thinking the same thing I am. We’re not beating those two for limited postings.

The guard cleared his throat, drawing Deilan’s attention. When he made eye contact, the guard raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“What are you doing in this room? I was told I had it for interviews all afternoon. You can clean it when we’re done.”

Deilan found himself smiling nervously, feeling well out of his depth.

“Demaric sent me in here. I was hoping to apply for the guard position? I didn’t know I was supposed to meet you somewhere else first.”

The man grunted, giving him a dubious look. Why do people keep doing that?

“Fine, if Demaric thinks you’ll be a good fit we’ll give you a try. My name is Lethel, but if you want this job you will call me sir. I’m the sergeant who has been assigned to these interviews, and if you’re hired you will be training with me. To that end, I need to figure out if you’re worth the trouble. Everyone go ahead and take a seat, we’ll start this off by everyone telling me about themselves, and why they want this job. Why don’t we start with you,” he said, gesturing at the large man.

The man hesitated, torn between answering the question and taking a seat. With a groan, Lethel gestured at the chairs, and they all sat.

“My name is Tomen. I’m 22, and I’ve been working in construction with my parents for the last few years. The business isn’t doing too well, so my parents petitioned Lord Hesling for my sake for this position. I’m hoping that the hard work I put in there will translate well here. My attunement is earth, with a focus on internal strengthening and external shaping. I currently have 5 action and 4 modifier runes”

Lethel nodded, turning to the woman already wearing armor.

“My name is Eleth, sir, 19, and my father and mother are guards with Lord Ferthing. I wanted to continue in their footsteps, but the captain of the guard wanted to avoid any potential nepotism issues. On his recommendation, I applied here. I’ve been training with my parents for years now, and I’m ready for whatever you throw at me. My attunement is air, with an internal focus on speed and a spread of external maneuvers that emphasize maneuverability. I currently have 3 action and 6 modifier runes.”

This earned her an approving nod from Lethel, before he turned his attention to the other woman.

“I’m Arelia, sir, and I’ll be 21 next week. My parents are merchants, and I’ve been working with them for a few years now. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been a great fit as I’d much rather be out doing something more… productive. We’ve traded with Hesling Estate in the past, so I requested a chance to interview for this position. I’m in good shape and ready to take on any tasks you throw my way. My attunement is water with a focus on internal agility and external force. The original intent was moving goods along the river, but I’m willing to work to adapt it to the job. I currently have 5 action and 4 modifier runes.”

The guard gave a much more perfunctory nod at that before turning his attention to Deilan.

“I’m Deilan, uh, sir. I’m 20, and I’m not currently working. I was previously working as an inscription apprentice, but it didn’t work out. On reflection, I’d love the opportunity to work with the nobility, and a guard seemed like a good place to start. The Hesling Estate seems like it would be a good fit, and I’m willing to give it my all! My attunement is force, with a focus on internal and external versatility. I currently have 8 action and 6 modifier runes.”

Lethel hesitated before giving another small nod. He seemed slightly surprised when Deilan mentioned his rune count, but quickly covered it up.

“Very well, now that I know a bit about all of you, move on. I don’t have to tell you that being a guard requires excellent physical fitness, so I’d like to get a feel for what kind of shape you’re all in. Let’s start with pushups.”

Deilan finished his round of squats last, red faced and slightly queasy. The last hour had proven his fears justified, as he was nowhere near in as good of shape as his peers. He had attempted to supplement with his fractal, but as the tasks had continued the exhaustion had made it impossible to concentrate enough to reinforce his body. He honestly wasn’t even sure how he had completed that last round, beyond sheer willpower. As he caught his breath, Lethel once again began to speak.

“Okay, our next test will be about stamina. To that end, let’s head out to the ground and run some laps.” He paused as Deilan groaned, then seemed to come to a decision. “You three, go ahead and head left from the door until you get outside. I’ll be along in a moment.”

Deilan felt a sense of dread as the others shuffled out, Arelia with a pitying look, and Tomen with a sad shake. Eleth didn’t spare him a second glance. As they stood alone in the room, Lethel stared at him with a mix of concern and resolve.

“Listen kid, I just don’t think this position is for you, I’m sorry. I admire your spirit, but you seem like the type who would do better with a little less… strenuous conditions. If you’d like, I could put in a word for you with the head gardener?”

Deilan considered it a moment before shaking his head. The whole point was to get enough responsibility to be trusted with knowledge. He just didn’t see gardening as a viable path to that. He’d just have to try another house when he was better prepared. Lethel nodded, seemingly expecting this answer.

“I understand, good luck to you out there. If you go out to the right, and take a right at the second branch, you’ll find yourself outside. From there, follow the path East to get to the gates. No need to cause you any embarrassment in front of the others.”

He left the room, giving Deilan a few minutes to gather his thoughts. He was definitely disappointed, and more than a little frustrated, but he couldn’t say it was unfair. Today at the very least showed him that he had quite a bit of work to do if he wanted to pursue this career path. He was going to be in a much better position for the next house he tried. Deilan left the room, turning right and making his way down the corridor. His mind focused on his plans to get in better shape, he turned right again at the first intersection.

Shortly, he found himself at a large ornate door. Opening it expecting daylight, he instead found himself in a small library. While it wasn’t nearly as impressive as the library at the academy he had attended, it had it’s own unique impact for being in a private residence. He began to close the door, intending to retrace his steps and try again for the exit. His hand paused halfway through the motion, temptation calling to him.

I’m sure I could just take a peak, maybe find a couple of runes mixed in here. No one will ever know. If it’s not in the first book I find, I’ll give up and leave.

He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him as quietly as he could. He looked to the shelves, comparing it mentally to the academy library. If this is anything like their layout, the history section should be there. Considering the various academies used the same filing system, it wasn’t an unreasonable assumption that that practice had carried over to or from these private libraries. Sure enough, he recognized a book on the history of conflict with Reston. The book was particularly thick, not surprising considering how often Reston had tried, and failed, to conquer their kingdom. They just didn’t have the infrastructure to effectively field a fractal-wielding force.

WIth a start, he cursed himself for getting caught up in his thoughts. Mentally mapping layout, his eyes flicked between the shelves. Lets see, if that’s history, that will be geography, that will be maths and science, and that means… yes, that’s it. Turning, he moved towards the section that should contain runic patterns and linking structures. The section was fairly extensive, with some works he recognized and many he didn’t. He reached up and picked a book he didn’t recognize, turning it to read the cover.

‘Striking Runes and the Effects of Attunements’ was embossed on the cover, bringing a smile to his face. This is perfect!

He flipped the book open, engrossed in the new symbols and diagrams splashed across the pages. In addition to the expected action runes, he saw at least one or two modifying runes that weren’t familiar to him.

Smiling, he turned to find somewhere to sit and begin reading the book, and maybe a pen and paper, only to find someone already standing behind him. She appeared to be in her late 20’s, with short chestnut hair that emphasized the severe expression she had locked on him. She was wearing the same guard uniform he had become familiar with on the grounds, arms crossed over the front. Her hazel eyes bore into him, flickering between his guilty face and the book in his hands.

“I think you better explain what you’re doing in here. Now.”