It was absolute madness.

Savrin led her across the broad street, dodging heavy carts and people on horseback. Maevus barely had a moment to brush her hair out of her face before he threw the double doors open and led her into what appeared to be a full scale battle.

People running to and fro. Shouting. Arguing. Laughter. Magic was so thick in the air it coated Maevus' tongue and buzzed along her skin. It danced along her veins and tugged at her own magic, wanting it to come out and play.

The first floor was one huge room, filled with evenly spaced, long oak tables. Windows bracketed by sumptuous red drapes lined the walls, making the room feel light and airy despite being so crowded.

A fireplace dominated the west wall, while along the back north wall, a bar counter ran, three or four bartenders bustling around behind it. A chandelier fashioned of iron, crystal and fire hung from the ceiling, sparkling in the late afternoon sun coming through the windows.

Maevus didn't know where to look first. 

Two feet away, a Fire-Charmed Encant was playing with wreaths of flame, fashioning them into all manner of animals. On the other side of the hall, a Metal-Charmed man was tinkering with a magnificent grandfather clock that stood twice as tall as he did.

Playful winds gusted through the room, sending papers flying. Shards of ice flew as an Ice-Charmed Encant worked on what appeared to be a life-size sculpture of Selorni, the goddess of water and storms. From the back of the room, a minor explosion sent black smoke floating up to the ceiling.

"Come on," Savrin yelled over the din. "Master Vraylor should be in his office. He doesn't like the common room in the middle of the day 'cause..." His words were lost in another tremendous bang.

Maevus could understand the feeling. It was completely and utterly overwhelming—the sound, the smell, the insane whirl of movement. It was so different from the last three years she'd spent wandering Escana in the quiet company of her dragons and a few, rare fellow travelers. 

A burst of light sent stars sparkling across her vision and she flinched, throwing her hands up to shield her eyes as she stumbled backwards into Savrin. 

A cute, female voice chirped, "Oh, gods! I am so sorry! Are you all right?"

There was a miniature whirlwind of black hair and Maevus found herself blinking down at a tiny girl in a blue halter-dress, her eyes the golden, shimmering color of sunstones.

"F-fine?" Maevus stuttered, glancing up at Savrin for any kind of help. 

The tiny girl flipped a chunk of sable hair over her shoulder and made a face, her sienna skin warm with the inner glow all Light-Charmed Encants possessed. Thin, golden bangles jingled merrily on her delicate wrists and a choker of amber beads graced her throat.

"Hey Letya," Savrin said, blinking hard. "Still working on that flash-storm spell I take it?"

Letya snorted, the sound as delicate as she was. "Yes," she said, obviously frustrated. "But never mind that. Who's the new girl?"

"Maevus," she said quickly, tired of other people doing her talking for her. "Kildaren."

"Come to join the guild?" Letya asked, eyeing her with a renewed interest.

"Something like that," she muttered, fingers fisting themselves in her cloak. Again, she looked around the crowded room, a little shell-shocked by all the magic on display.

"We're headed up to Master Vraylor," Savrin said, taking Maevus by the elbow and starting to guide her through the melee. "I'll see you later, yeah?"

Letya nodded, giving Maevus a bright wave before promptly disappearing into the crowd. All Maevus could do was blink before Savrin was hauling her across the room, ducking people and magic alike.

It was wild and dangerous and... beautiful. 

"I thought the guilds were supposed to control magic?" Maevus nearly yelled. 

Before Savrin could answer, there was a nasty screeching of metal and then someone was bellowing, "Down! Get down!"

Not hesitating, Savrin clutched Maevus' elbow, throwing them both to the ground and rolling under one of the heavy tables. Barely a second later, a blast shook the building, rattling dust and chips of plaster down from the ceilings. For the second time that day, Maevus' ears were set ringing.

They both peered over the edge of the table they had sheltered under. Maevus stared around in horror at the massive splinters of metal sticking from the walls like over-sized needles. To her complete and utter shock, a peal of laughter rang out, quickly echoed by a good majority of the room.

Savrin grinned, even as he shook a few flakes of plaster from his hair. "Come on."

Stumbling a little, she looked over her shoulder to find the Metal-Charmed man surrounded by floating chunks of metal, not a scratch on him. The clock had exploded.

"This is nuts," she muttered under her breath as they finally got to the back of the room. Savrin led her up a narrow staircase cubby-holed between the end of the bar and the east wall.

"This is life," Savrin corrected. "It's magic. And family. And you got it wrong before."

"Got what wrong?" Maevus asked, sighing in relief when they stepped out onto the second floor. No noise from below could be heard, most likely the work of a very talented Sound-Charmed Encant.

"The guilds aren't about controlling magic," he explained, tying his hair into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. "They're about training it. Learning how to use your magic. Having a safe place to be what you are."

Maevus trained her eyes on the gleaming floors, the wood a soft reddish color that made the wide hall seem warm and welcoming. She didn't know how to respond to that.

Savrin stopped before the door at the very end of the hall. With a sideways glance, he said, "Guilds were around long before the queen's new law was, Maevus. They're about using magic. Not regulating it."

Before she had the chance to retort, Savrin knocked on the door. A gruff voice hollered, "What?"

"New recruit," Savrin yelled back, a small grin tugging at the side of his mouth.

A long silence ensued, and Maevus shifted nervously from foot to foot. What happened if Master Vraylor said she couldn't stay? Would that mean she would be free to go? Or would that mean she would end up in trouble with the queen?

Could Master Vraylor kick her out? It was still his guild after all.

"All right," the voice called.

Quietly, Savrin said, "I know you don't want to be here. But just consider that it might be something you didn't expect." He opened the door and nudged Maevus inside.

It already was.