Patrick returned to his room, where a servant brought him an exquisitely crafted mage robe with the gold-trimmed patterns most common in Silvermoon City and a white satin sash. A large ruby glittered at each of three points: the hands, the shoulder guards, and the chest. It was the family's most splendid formal attire, refined and elegant, luxurious yet full of character.
He arrived at the main tower of the Mages' Association, which was also Master Ox Dawnblade's Mage Tower. Mage schools surrounded it, with white walls, golden roof tiles, and rows upon rows of enclosing walls, resembling both a majestic palace and an imposing temple. There was a building every five paces and a pavilion every ten. Corridors wound like silk ribbons between the buildings, while towers crowded together like fish scales, interlocking and crisscrossing in winding curves. His own little town at the Sun Temple could not compare.
The elves in the surrounding buildings were reveling as well. Though they were only minor mages, their love of pleasure had seeped into their bones. In twos and threes, they drank, their clothing gradually dwindling. Feeling the air grow ever hotter, the elves slowly began touching and kissing, seeking to dispel the heat on their bodies, never expecting that what awaited them was an even more heated response from their partners.
As he reached the main hall of the Mages' Association, a soaring Mage Tower rose into view. Its brilliant golden roof and the eaves projecting from every floor stood at staggered heights in tightly packed rows, inspiring reverence from afar. Golden glazed tiles shone dazzlingly in the sunlight, leaving one entranced and feeling unable to distinguish east from west. The sight of this magnificent tower stirred ripples in the heart.
The elf at the entrance saw him approach and