“Follow me,” Seb said. We followed him through the guild, and it seemed the news had spread that Archie was here because it suddenly got busier, with pretty girls swooning over him.

“This happens a lot,” Archie said. “I think it’s because I’m a noble, and most people know I have to get married soon. It’s a noble thing. Don’t worry about it.” He added the last part after he noticed the look on my face one that clearly said, Why the hell do you have to get married?

“I don’t have to get married, do I?” I asked. It wasn’t because women were swooning over me; it was because I had big, angry men staring me down. Most of these weren’t even human. I was seeing things I had only ever read about in fantasy books or seen in TV shows and movies demi-humans and vampires, whose pale skin, red eyes, and fangs were dead giveaways.

“It’s because you’re new around here, and you dress differently,” Seb said. “I guess word has gotten out that you claim to be from a place that doesn’t exist.” He walked through a door at the back of the guild and entered what I assumed was a training area, with wooden swords on the walls and wooden dummies too. Yep, a training area.

“Edmund! Edmund! Edmund!” the door slammed shut behind us, courtesy of a frustrated Seb.

“Next time you come here, tell your bodyguard to keep the fan club out of the guild,” Seb growled at Archie.

“Will do,” Archie replied. The second Seb turned around, Archie made a face that clearly screamed, Oh no.

Seb walked into a closet and pulled out a trolley with a crystal ball on a small cushion. He signalled us over with a wag of his finger. “This is a magic detector. It will tell us if you have magic and, hopefully, what type.”

“Hopefully?” I asked.

“Yes, hopefully. Only strong magic can have its type revealed. But never mind that; let’s get started. Place your hand on top of the crystal ball.” I glanced at Archie, who raised his eyebrows, and then I turned back to the crystal ball. I placed my hand on it, and my palm felt like there was a vacuum underneath it, pulling on every inch of my hand. Suddenly, a grey mist burst into the ball and began to swirl around, getting faster and faster, until boom! It stopped, and the suction on my hand released. I pulled my hand off the crystal ball.

“You have magic,” Seb said, though he looked confused. “But I don’t know what type.”

“Why was it a grey mist?” Archie asked, sounding baffled.

“I have no idea,” Seb admitted, still staring at the ball.

“Does anybody want to explain to me what is going on?” I said sarcastically. “I am new here, remember?”

“The crystal ball they don’t go grey,” Archie said. “Every book I’ve read tells us that the crystal ball normally produces a colour, and grey is not one of them.”

“You aren’t from this world, are you?” Seb remarked.

“That’s what I’ve been telling you!” I threw my hands in the air dramatically. “What do we do now?”

“Find out what your magic does?” Seb suggested. "Shoot that dummy over there!” He pointed at a wooden dummy about fifteen yards away.

“How?” I asked. Seb raised his hand, aimed it like a gun, and fired a fiery bullet that hit the dummy clean in the forehead.

“How the hell do you expect me to do that?”

“He’s never used magic before, Seb,” Archie stated. “We have to start from the beginning.” Seb rolled his eyes so hard I thought he might see the back of his head. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small green crystal. He handed it to me. I took it and held it between my finger and thumb. “Close your hand over it and try to shoot like a gun.”

I closed my hand around it, and a strange sensation ran down my arm to my elbow. I formed a gun shape with my fingers, feeling the weird energy build within me. A burst of excitement raced through my body as I aimed at the target and thought to myself, Shoot! Grey mist shot from my fingers and disappeared in seconds.

“Don’t worry, Ronnie; it happens to everyone when they first start,” Seb said.

“Yes, many children have this problem,” he added, patting me on the back. “Don’t be disheartened.” How could I not be? By the sounds of it, I needed magic to survive in this world. I needed a job, and according to these two, the only job I could get was with the guild. This was a disaster.

I walked up to the dummy, needing to release my frustration. I got into position for a powerful punch, swinging with my hips. I hit the dummy with a smooth hook, and it flew across the room, slamming into the wall. I felt a lot better now.

“How light are these dummies? That thing flew!” I exclaimed to the others. It felt like punching a super lightweight football.

“What? They aren’t light!” Archie exclaimed, sounding shocked. “They’re heavy!”

“Which hand did you use?” Seb demanded. I lifted my right hand. “The crystal you used magic!” Seb bounced over to me and opened my right hand.

“Did I?”

“Yes, you stored magic in your right hand and released it on impact, from what I can tell. Given that, I know I can let you go out on low-level quests.”

“That’s amazing! When can I start? I’m going to need…”