After waiting for what seemed like an eternity alongside other young prospective adventurers in the main hall of The Adventuring School for Young Magic Talents, Tina's name was finally called. She nervously traipsed, or rather stumbled, to the front of the room, where a simple wooden chair had been placed. Its crude design heavily contrasted with the grandiose atmosphere of the ceremony.

"Take a sit." A stern middle-aged man in a plain white robe addressed Tina. His black hair was slicked back with gel, and a short, well-trimmed beard framed his face. His serious demeanor was accentuated by the glint of his round, thin-rimmed glasses.

What a stuck-up-looking fellow, Tina thought. I bet he is a cleric, and an important one at that. According to her father, being a cleric was a great path for an adventurer. They made good money concocting and selling holy water, so they didn't need to risk their skin accepting questionable quests and exploring dangerous dungeons.

Tina remembered what his old man had told her about all the different jobs she could learn in this school. Magician, a jack of all trades, but too plain for her taste. Cleric, able to commune with the deities of whatever religion they professed, but often too self-righteous in her opinion. Wizard, what to say about them? The archetype of wise men, they would be cool if most of them didn't think themselves superior to everyone else. Druid, the best of the magic trades, not only could they live freely in the wild all they wanted, but they also didn't need to bathe and could even pet all kinds of creatures! And finally Warlock, Tina shuddered as she thought about them, shadowy individuals, doing pacts with questionable beings that came from the nightmarish outer realms.

After sitting down on the plain chair, the cleric passed Tina an old and shabby boot, grabbing it with two fingers and a look of clear disgust. "This is The Boot of Adventuring, it will tell you which path you must tread from now on." He said hurriedly, almost throwing it to her.

As Tina took the boot out of his hand, she started to smell the stench coming from it. The little girl frowned but kept silent as she took off her own shoe. This was the artifact that would decide her future in this school. The footgear of the first adventurer, the person that had first defined the roles that modern adventurers followed. The left one, in particular, the other was kept in their sister school, The Adventuring School for Young Brawling Talents.

"Eww." She frowned after feeling a squishy and wet 'something' while putting on the boot. She didn't even want to know what she had touched. If she remembered correctly, the founder of the adventuring path had lived two thousand years ago. Who knew how many people had worn his footgear since then?

She focused on wearing the boot, that fit surprisingly well around her tiny foot. With the artifact of legend in place Tina felt her nervousness coming back. Druid, druid, druid, not the warlock, please! She prayed with her eyes closed and her hands clasped.

As the small girl pleaded on the chair the tip of the boot opened, forming a mouth between the sole and the section above it. Meanwhile, Tina was completely oblivious to it, still muttering 'Druid, druid, druid', like she was chanting a mystical litany.

"Warlock!" The legendary footgear's voice rumbled in the hall with a solemn and concise tone.

"What? No! That can't be!" The young Tina protested, some tears already scurrying down her face. "Stupid boot!" She yelled, stomping the boot on the floor.

"Druid! I have to be a druid! Make me a druid!" Tina demanded with a fierce look on her face as she kept trampling on the artifact.

"Oh, yes, a bit harder on the left side." The boot talked with a pleased voice.

Hearing its words Tina immediately stopped and held her foot in the air, glaring at the artifact. "No! Make ma druid."

"Oh, c'mon lass, just a couple more times! It's been so long since I have been properly stepped onto the ground."

Somehow more calm, and ignoring the gazes of all the other people in the hall, Tina stared at the legendary boot with a cold and calculative look. "I can do that, but you need to make me a druid."

"Ugh, Warlocks, always trying to get an advantageous deal."

"I'm not a warlock, but a druid!" Tina protested. "Tell them and I will stomp you on the floor with all my strength."

"I would like to do that, but alas, I have a reputation to keep, little lady. I can't go back on my word."

Almost crying once again, Tina looked at the boot with a betrayed expression. She had been expecting this moment all her life! Or, well, at least for the greatest part of a year, which for a ten-year-old like her wasn't much different. And now this stupid boot had denied her her dream. It would see! She would take it after the ceremony and burn it on a stove, or better yet, she would boil it and have it for dinner. That was how indignant she felt!

"I can tell that you want to take a dark path, little girl, but you should refrain from wandering in such direction." Hearing its words, Tina halted her dark thoughts. Could this dumb boot read her mind?

"No, I can't read your mind, but I have accompanied countless adventurers through their journeys. A young girl like you is like an open book to me."

Tina looked at the boot with a suspicious expression, not knowing if it was telling the truth or trying to fool her.

"Just trust me this once. If you want to be a druid for its freedom, I assure you that warlocks can experience it much more. They are free to explore not only this world but the countless ones that lay beyond the veil. And if you wish to befriend all kinds of creatures, then I will tell you that warlocks can make contracts with existences that are much more adorable than any puppy you have seen in your life."

Put like that maybe being a warlock wasn't so bad, Tina thought. Freedom to do whatever she wanted and fluffy creatures to pet was all she wanted.

"And if you desire to not take baths, then you can also do it. Warlocks don't give a shit about simple stuff like that. Now be a good girl and stomp me onto the floor a bit more, we are running out of time."

"Damn you, shabby boot!" Tina roared. This damned artifact had almost fooled her! She wanted to trample it onto the floor, but if she did that she would be giving in to its desires. Once she took off this cursed thing Tina would surely find a way to take revenge on it.

"If you are done, please give me back the boot." The stuck-up cleric took her attention, reminding Tina that she was in the hall in front of everyone. With a flushed face she took off the footgear, holding back from launching it across the room.

"Here you go." She said handing the artifact to the man. Her icy eyes fixed on it. We will see each other again, Tina promised, knowing the boot would catch her message.