[h3]Astrophel[/h3]
There were a few children in the scene outside of the building receiving adventurous hopefuls, most of them either playing or watching the duel. However, in the small line at the door, there was a child, likely in his preteens, standing in wait as well; the odd one out in an already-diverse group.

[color=8493ca]"Hmm,"[/color] Astrophel knocked on the wooden exterior of the building. It seemed a bit shoddy, as if the city had just set it up a few days ago. He wouldn't have been surprised if it did, but Astrophel doubted that it was so poorly done for it to break under normal conditions. As he was thinking about this, the ring on his right hand let out a faint, pale purple flame-like glow. 

[color=a187be][i]"'Twould it not be wiser to stand over yonder?"[/i][/color] A youthful voice--not too unlike his own, despite the archaic speech--entered his ears with a windy tone, as if whispered into his ears. Although that was the natural response from the people he knew, the concern was strangely touching to Astrophel when it came from his demonic friend.

[color=8493ca][i]"Thanks for worrying about me Aery, but it's fine,"[/i][/color] he whispered back. In reality, it would sound like Astrophel was talking to himself, but he didn't particularly care.

[color=a187be][i]"F-fool, thy appetency for this one's companionship is going to thy head. 'Twas but to safeguard our contract, naught else."[/i][/color]

[color=8493ca][i]"Well, thank you anyways, Aesrfel."[/i][/color]

While Aesrfel began to spew out abusive words, Astrophel shifted the bag on his back. He could roughly tell where the contents were when he did this, but he'd mainly just taken them for his parents' ease of mind. Useful, yes, but nothing valuable nor anything he was particularly attached to; he'd often lose its contents in an accident, or have it confiscated upon entering a city.

In fact, the latter had almost happened to him at the gates. Since he was convinced that the guards were trying to extort him, Astrophel called them "the slimiest, most disgusting blackguards he'd ever had the displeasure of meeting" and booked it past them into the city. Used to running from his problems, he used the small alleyways and vertical paths(aka, climbing up walls) to escape. Thinking back, that was probably not the wisest choice he could have taken, but he had managed to get far away and deep into the city, and it wasn't likely that they were stupid enough to report that they were chasing a child who ran after they tried to extort him.

... Probably not anyways.