"Who is your deity, young Thames?"
Thames audibly gulped towards Juni's question and the silence that followed was deafening.
"Uh." He looked around. "Aren't I not meant to share it...?"
The librarian thought deeply, sitting down in the chair across from Thames.
"Does your deity have anything to do with sleep then?"
Thames shook his head.
"Do they have anything to do with prophecies, fortune, or other clairvoyance?"
Seeing him shake his head again, Juni went on.
"Hm... Hm... Hm..." The old man shook his head in disbelief. "You, young Thames, have likely been... Seen by an elder deity...?"
He sounded unsure of himself which only caused Thames to panic.
"What do you mean???"
"Deities, prevalent in Naissance Age..." Thames' face clearly revealed his confusion. "The birth of magic... Widely considered by scholarly magicians to have occurred by deities. Deities which were widely known, or respected, during that age had fantastical power. Juno and Trem are ones that are still common in this age, but many were slowly forgotten as mortals progressed fast thanks to magic."
A brief pause was allowed as Juni stroked his beard, resembling a wise sage.
"Deities fall when they are forgotten... Usually. During the pass between the Naissance Age and the Godly Era many beliefs crumbled under the flow of time... Which allowed countless deities to be lost. Some, however, held control over mortal things which were intrinsically woven into our daily lives."
I need this man as my teacher! He inwardly sighed as Juni went on.
"Stories, dreams, sleep, death... Deities of these, even if their names were forgotten, continued to exist in the literal sense. Ages may have passed, and their names may have changed or even completely erased, but the idea of them prevailed."
"What does that have to do with me, though?"
An ignorant smile flashed on the librarian's face.
"Dreams are believed to be the closest realm to deities, other than their speculated afterlives. Some scholars of the Naissance Age have speculated that these woven deities who cannot cease merely fall into a slumber... Waiting for a new name. I believe that at some point in your dream, you have witnessed one of these beings..."
A long silence hung in the air as Thames processed the words.
Wha... What...?
"WHAT?!?!" His seat shook as he nearly fell back.
"Yes indeed... It is quite a fantastical event!"
No, no, no, no... Why would they be in my dreams?!?
Noticing the reasonable levels of panic, Juni quickly spoke.
"Most deities of that age have very little effect on our plane! You needn't worry, young Thames!"
With that mind shattering news, Juni quickly got up and returned to his desk, leaving Thames deep in panic and thought.
Mother Trem please protect me from these deities...!
"Mortals are art and Mother Trem protects... Mortals are art and Mother Trem protects..."
Reciting the prayer a few more times, he quickly got up and retrieved the book from the coffee table, heading back towards Juni.
***
Ode wasn't fond of meeting tower masters; Rubes was an exception. She was a well accomplished magician focused on botany and fully supported all magicians within her tower, regardless of their beliefs.
Her stance on beliefs was one that many tower master's should take but surprisingly didn't, which led to great friction between Ode and others as he refused to reveal his deity to even the council.
After waiting some time for Rubes to return from showing Thames the library, she took Ode to a room.
Inside the circular room was a large round table with nine seats in total. On the far side she took the seat, Ode quickly taking the opposite seat.
"So, Ode, how did the mission go...?" She finally asked, maintaining a neutral tone.
"Renny got away! Y'know he's too accomplished for such a lame plan!" His voice was uneven and energetic, his signature.
"You must understand the need for apprehending him... In the Werone Kingdom alone he brings magicians and citizens to his cause..."
The Werone Kingdom was where Ode's team was active, and where he and Thames were from. It was a smaller kingdom, but the rich traditions of the country that existed since the Godly Era allowed it to keep power.
"Ya gotta understand! If ya want it done, ya gotta get an actual combat team!"
Rubes rolled her eyes at his comment.
"You know best that those magicians draw too much attention. Thanks to Syn our existence is under scrutiny once again. Countries have been reporting magicians going against our laws... The rise of rogue magicians must be quashed, unless you wish to be vying with the wider world."
The Tower Association, although the main source of magic in the wide world, was constantly walking a tightrope with every action. The Godly Era had crippled the masses trust in magicians, and even though it was centuries ago, still remains as a scar.
The main law of the association forbade magicians from involving themselves in territorial disputes, but rogue magicians have begun joining ranks of various factions, making themselves known as mightier than mortals once again.
"Mhmmmm... The council... What do they think 'bout everything happening?"
Rubes had unknowingly begun to tap the table nervously.
"They can feel the pressure of Ren's actions..."
Hearing this, Ode had begun to scratch his nose as Rubes continued to tap unevenly.
"Then what're they gonna do?"
"What can we do? Your teams' actions in Prolton have caused Ren to vanish."
"Then you'll just have to wait!"
"If you plan on keeping Thames, be sure you register him."
With that, an unnerving smile stretched across Ode's face as he left the room, leaving Rubes behind.
***
"Do you have any books on deities, Mister Juni?"
Hearing this, a book quickly sprung towards Thames.
"That would be the best book on deities for you, I dare say."
"Thank y-"
"HEY THAMES!" The sound of Ode echoed through the library.
As he approached Thames, Juni quickly returned to the comfort of his desk.
"What?"
"Let's go getcha registered! Then we'll head back out."
"Oh... Okay!" He turned back towards Juni. "Can I borrow this mister?"
The old man just nodded as Ode dragged Thames out.
"Best be careful... You two youngsters." His soft words went in and out of the pairs ears as they left the library.
"So, what do we have to do to register me... As a magician, right?"
"Obviously as a magician! It's simple really...! All ya gotta do is write your name and give it to me and Rubes."
"Oh okay..."
The pair went up the levitating stairs, this time heading straight into a room resembling a post office.
At the desk stretching across the smaller room stood a grey man with long silver hair. He wore a plain black button-up shirt.
"Good evening." He said slowly. On the breast of his shirt was a nametag that read 'Jeremy'.
"We need a registration form!" Ode quickly spoke, leaning on the counter.
Slowly, Jeremy took out a piece of paper from a filing cabinet and set it on the counter, next to a cup of pens.
"Just fill it out, Thames!"
Nodding slowly, he took the pen and read over the paper.
'Name:
Age:
Magician Type: Scholarly/Combat/Hybrid (OPTIONAL)
Home Tower:'
"What should I pick for magician type...?"
"Hybrid! It'll keep ya from gettin stuck on a combat team or research one! That way ya stay with me and Lin."
He nodded, circling 'Hybrid' after filling out the previous information.
"What does home tower mean?"
"Write down Flowery Tower! It'll deliver all your magician stuff here!"
He nodded and looked back over the paper.
'Name: Thames Osmil
Age: 24
Magician Type: Hybrid
Home Tower: Flowery Tower'
Handing the paper back to Jeremy, Ode quickly grabbed Thames.
With a bright smile on his face, he looked at the painter. "Alright! Let's go find things to do!"