Stone of Magic

Lucille had lived in Brassbridge for most of her life. The only time away had been during their family summers in the country. She felt safe in her home city and she did not understand the need for so many guards in a place she felt so comfortable. 

“Yes, I am sure there are more guards than usual,” she repeated to the man. “Oh, well, don’t mind me. It just seems so to me.” She nodded. “Well, I hope you enjoy the market. This place is home to me. I manage to come out here a lot more than when I was younger.” She shrugged. “The place is often crowded, people enjoying their day. We cannot stop for disgusting thieves who do not work for themselves and take from others.”

He gave one last look over his shoulder at the guards that surrounded the square, acting as if they were just minding their own business as well. It was strange, really, such an uptick in security and he really could not say what had caused it. There was no way they were leaving this city soon though, so Ferin knew he simply had to keep an even lower profile while finding some coin. 

“Yeah, thieves are the worst”, he nodded with a smile, completely ignoring that he had spend the last two hours picking pockets, “I’ve worked hard to come here, been a sailor, you know? I cannot stand people who do not see real work when it is right in front of them.” Ferin tilted his head to the side, giving her another look over. She did not seem as if she had working hands either. “And you have been here all your life? Never wanted to leave? Not even once? What is it you do for a living, if it is not too rude of me to ask. Or even talk to you. I am not too familiar with the customs of this place, yet.”

Ah. Market Day. Savitri’s favorite day. Every two to three steps, she’d bump into someone she could swindle. Someone that would so readily believe her to be the soothsayer she claimed to be, spinning tales and lies with equal fervor. She beamed at Ferin.  “—Why don’t you get a little closer and find out?”

“I don’t know Savitri”, he looked at her with a mischiveous grin on his face, “You need to be careful when things get too crowded. You might become easy prey for thieves and the like.” He said it with so much honesty in his voice... almost as if he himself had not just emptied a few pockets himself. She surely knew him better though. “Will you join me though? It has been forever since I saw a decent play. Not that I am expecting one here but, might as well try and see if they are better than us?”

Zahra stood, a parasol covering her delicate complexion. Although it was entirely possible the charade was simply to show her status. Her nose turned up. “Oh theatre. How dreary. I do hope the guards find a creative way to deal with them.” She yawned, the heat tended to make her weary. “Who are you?” She spoke plainly, addressing the man as an annoyance. 

With furrowed brows he looked at the woman. She was pretty, he had to give her that, but then the positive attributes he found to describe her were already used up. Ferin did not look too kindly on nobility, in most cases that was, and the sneer on her lips combined with her words... He decided easily that he did not like her. “I for one enjoy a nice performance of theatre”, he replied therefore,  “And I have found that many people can take strength from that in dire times.” Crossing his arms in front of his chest, an ordering tone from those that stood above him always made Ferin rather unhappy to fulfill their wishes. “I am no one you should concern yourself with, my lady. Might I ask of your name though? Surely the entire city knows it.”

niahm is used to seeing her home full of life. it’s one of the many joys of being here, but sometimes, she feels… unsafe and a burden to many. yet, she does what she can to help others by providing them with medicinal remedis. (mostly made with herbs) even though she tries her best many see her as a curse. rather than a blessing. all because of that cursed day. a ghostly hand upon her cheek left her with a mark… a light mossy vines cupping her cheeks with the gentlest of graces, but, she doesn’t understand why, or who marked her so..

for a moment she’s lost in thought with no one buying when he heard his voice. “oh?” she’s not surprised, or maybe she is alittle given his question, but with a soft smile she answers. “no. it’s just busy around this time of day…are you looking for something? or someone?”

@windreiter·

He returns the smile she is giving him, gaze on her eyes as he tries to keep his own from wandering and scrutinizing the mark on her face. In his years travelling Ferin had met many different people and developed a gift of reading them, maybe a side effect of being so close to Savitri. But the girl in front of him did not appear like a threat in any way, so he tried to return some of her warmth.  “Oh no”, a small shake of his head, “I am not looking for anything in particular. I just arrived here a few days ago and wanted to see what all the fuss of market day is about.” His smile became bigger, charming even, as his eyes light up. He had been in search of pockets to pick, but he was not going to admit that out loud. “Are you selling something though?”, a quick glance over her stall before he continued to smile.  “The town seems almost crowded, I must admit that much”, Ferin looked over his shoulder, back to that giant bridge and the even bigger lake, “But yet again Brassbridge is very different from my own home and most of the places I have visited. So I will take your word and accept it as just busy.”

“So that’s the famous bridge?” Ferin slowly turned around, taking in the vast shimmering lake - so big he had first thought he stood at the shore of another sea, one he had yet to travel upon, and looked over the massive bridge that span across the water, right to the doors of the ancient library. It was crowded, with stalls selling good, another branch of the market day, and people, so many people. “Excuse me?”, he spoke to no one in particular but was clearly confused, “Is that a small theater party? On the bridge? And traveling performers?” This city surely was insane. Market Day, what an... occasion.

@fallenstarter​

The young widow spend the majority of her life reading. Her own home was filled with books but her great pleasure was the old library. She was making her way to the city square, enjoying the morning sun and the busy stress that came with people shopping, working and socialising. Her life had changed so much in such a short space of time. Being married so young to an older man, her husband passing and yet, she had more freedom than she ever had.  Though she was stopped in her tracks, glancing around her. “Are… there more guards than usual?” she asked a nearby person.

Ferin had arrived in Mirnaras upon the Emerald Dragon, a huge cargo ship that had been his home for many months. He and Savitri had made their way to Brassbridge slowly and over time, but as the coins in their pockets were dwindling they came no closer to their goal of finding who they were desperately looking for. He knew about the risk of pick-pocketing, especially in a town ruled by thieves as famous as the guilds of night, but Ferin had tried to find honest work for days now, and his patience was running out.

Market Day seemed like the perfect occassion to test his skills in these new surroundings, warm up his fingers that had been fast and true through childhood he spend surviving on the streets of Urvi. And at first it went more than well. His third victim was supposed to be a young woman, with purpose in her step but her thoughts clearly a little bit not in the present. He approached her carefully, scanning heir garments for any hiden nooks or purses but as soon as Ferin reached for where he suspected her coin, she turned towards him.

The smile appeared on his face faster than his eyes could register what was happening. “More guards?”, he gave her a questioning look and then looked around them, “I must admit my lady, I cannot tell. I am not from here”, his voice was heavy with the accent of Paanya, as he slipped on the mask of an innocent traveller, “So I cannot say if there are more guards than usual. This is my first market day.”, another smile towards her, “But yes, there are many guards. Many people in general though, it seems quite crowded. Maybe someone feared for thieves making their rounds on a day like this?” 

“I can’t say not to them, I really can’t” Eryana said with a small smile. “My master was a great healer but as a person, he still had much to learn. I remember that he told me once to charge extra for my services and to never accept silly things like food or clothes. Coin was the most important thing,” she rolled her eyes. “He was so smart but he lacked…feelings,” she said. When she arrived to the tower where he taught, there were other students there too and they looked down on her because she was not noble. The man could have kicked her out but according to him he owed her aunt a debt.

“It’s like the need to help people it’s right here, you know?” she touched her chest. “I can’t explain it, but I just need to do it when I see someone in pain.” It had alwys been like that, since she was a child. There were animals in the farm where she lived and sometimes there was the occational wounded dog or cat. Eryana would heal them and they would stay, sometimes sleeping in her small room, much to her uncle’s annoyance. “Maybe it was just destiny the one who made us cross paths.”

She trully believed that, that there was something or someone moving the strings and making people know each other. Sure, there was also the free will, but Eryana could feel something more there. What was it, she could not know. “I would be delighted to accompany you,” she said to him. “You will need protection if someone dares to stab you again,” she smirked. 

“My mother would say there is no fate without the gods, but I have traveled far from home so who knows if they are still watching over me?”, he scoffed but then decided to let the topic slide. Neither did he wish to discuss religion with this newly found friend nor did Ferin long to be remembered of his mother and the home he left behind. It seemed some wounds never healed, no matter how fast and far he ran from them.  He watched her touch her heart and could not help but feel something akin to awe and veneration at this woman who so easily spoke about helping others, who so naturaly felt the need to reach out and give. It was a nice change in comparison to the rest of this so un-welcoming city.  But at her next remark he only had to laugh. “You?”, Ferin raised an eyebrow, “Protecting me from being stabbed? There is a part of me that does not think of this as a good idea, that part’s even a little scared of the prospect”, he laughed before crossing his arms in front of his chest, “But the rest of me is in dire need of someone who knows these streets better than I do. So can you per chance accompany me to the Merchant’s quarters? Wherever those are”

“No, I came here a few weeks ago,” Eryana said. “I trained as a healer and my master died. I decided to come here to make some coin or whatever the people has to pay me with, I’m not peaky,” she said with a small smile. “No one here has ritches, unless you count the nobles that sometimes pass through the streets on their horses or charriots,” she said. “They never stop for the ones that ask for something to eat and they usually laugh at them.” The nobles had forgotten the meaning of that word. They only cared to have money, jewels, wealth and and to have more of it, no matter what. 

After her master died, there was no place for her and the best what to come to Brassbrige. She made some coin in the first few days but after that, and thanks to the rumors, it had become more difficult to help people since knights and guards were on the streets, throwing them into the dungeons if they refused to leave.

“Now I find myself here,” Eryana said. “If I had known it was too dangerous I probably would have stayed away or gone some place else, but I kinda feel like drawn here, don’t ask me to explain it but I guess it’s lucky that I found you or you found me,” she laughed. 

Ferin shook his head at her description of this city. “It seems wealth corrupts the  hearts no matter where you go. Truly a shame” With his hands on his hips he starred at his feet, moving through the dirt of Brassbridge and wondered what had brought him here, what had brought the two of them to this place, to this moment. Was it fate? Magic? He did not believe in such things, no matter how loud the wind howled in his lungs. Throughout his entire life it was not fate that kept Ferin afloat but his own skill, his own perserverance. He would not stop now.  “I think it is quite the honorable thing that you are helping people wherever you can, no matter how rich they are. You seem to be the first good soul I have met here”, a small smile formed on his lips, “I will thank the gods tonight, that our paths crossed here on this very day” The young man raised his eyes to the sky, time was progressing and he needed to get to the merchant’s guild, to find some coin of his own. Else he might end up on these very streets sooner than he wanted to.  “If the rumours are true these shadow beasts will not stop from hurting people long enough to consider if the person in front of them is poor or rich, good or bad. I suggest you stay careful the next weeks. Something tells me all this is only the beginning” Finally he stopped to look at her, smile still on his face, “You did find a friend today, Eryana, so if we meet again I am sure we will be able to help each other more. Have you recovered from the incident though? Or do you want me to accompany you further? I still need to run an errand of my own and since I know nothing of this city I am sure I will get lost on the way at least thrice”

Perhaps she should had thought a couple of times, but when Eryana saw the young man getting hurt because of her, she just couldn’t help it. it was in her body, to help those who needed it and it would be a cold day in hell if she let people get hurt because of her. She just couldn’t allow that. She could listen her aunt’s voice in ehr head, telling her that she shouldn’t have done that, that she should have been more careful and not let anyone see her perform magic. Not even the healer she had trained under knew that she could do extraordinary things. 

She nodded at his words and stood up, anyone could have seen them or probably would if they stayed there for too long. Eryana got up and put the hood of her cloak up so she wouldn’t be seen. Praying to the gods or whoever was listening right now, she asked for no curious eyes around corners. 

“I think you’re right,” she fave him a small smile. “I’m Eryana. No last name, just Eryana,” she said with a shrugg. “I’ve learned that last times are dangerous in a city like this one so even if I had one, I wouldn’t give it,” she added. “But it’s nice to meet you, Ferin.”

“It seems there is a lot that I still have to learn about this city”, Ferin rose to a feet, swaying a little as the blood rushed from his head and he finally got a taste of the all too familiar exhaustion. “I can’t say I am very fond of Brassbridge and the way this place treated me on my first day, but I have also seen worse” A sigh left his lips as he rolled his shoulders, making sure his body was ready to move again. He had lost quite a lot of blood and he was not fond of collapsing onto the woman beside him. Not here on the street where weakness was apparently heavy prayed up.  “I cannot say the circumstances of our meeting have been good, Eryana”, he smiled, truthfully and with an honesty he often showed openly. Ferin was not one for secrets, for hiding. He was like the wind, his unseen currents showed their effects openly. “But it still is a pleasure to meet you” He raised his right hand to scratch his neck while he looked down the street, trying to see if anyone was watching them. “I’d invite you to come with me to a better place, but all I have seen of this city so far are the main road and this little inn just around the corner. But you live here, don’t you?”

The first time Eryana healed a creature, it was when she was seven hears old and she saw a cat limping outside her aunt’s home. It was white and small, probably a few weeks old. A bit dirty and skinny too but she fell in love with it the moment she saw it and named it Alba after she got confirmation that it was a girl. She took care of it, got it inside the house without anyone seeing her and put her on her bed, gently touching the cat’s head. It was in that moment that she knew what was wrong with her foot and carefuly put her hand on Alba’s leg. The same golden light came out and enveloped the cat until it dissapeared. After that, the cat was able to walk again with no trouble. Her aunt found out, not that she had healed the cat, but that she was brought it home, still, she was allowed to keep Alba and have a brave companion.

Eryana always felt the need to help people who needed it the most, children, adults, old folk, animals. If they proved to be kind and brave, then she would help them. It was another matter entirely when a thief or someone else was wounded on the road. Maybe it was magic but sometimes, just sometimes, she could see inside their hearts. It happened rarely and sometimes she had trouble not going to heal anyone who showed up in her path.

It happened with this young man. What surprised her the most was the wind, the same wind that sometimes would blow when she was angry and didn’t know how to express that or just to let go of that anger. There was something familiar there, not just in the wind, but in his eyes as well and she wanted to know what it was. “Yes,” she finally said. “I couldn’t just leave you there, not when you risked your lfie to save mine. Not everyone would have done that. They probably would have just walked away, but you stayed and helped me, getting wounded in the process,” she added and sighed. “My name is Eryana.” 

“Well, it’s my own fault I got wounded”, Ferin replied, slowly and carefully shifting in his position. But the pain was gone, it had disappeared. His chest felt strange and the skin where the wound had been itched, but besides that he felt almost... almost rested. As if he had spent the night in his comfortable hammock onboard the Emerald and not in a loud and crowded city. His hand moved to his side, feeling for the blood and the pain. But most of it had seeped into his shirt, already dried upon his skin. And nothing new came after. The wound was gone, he was whole again. The young man wasn’t sure what to think of all of this. Should he be in awe? Should he be scared? “And it seems now I am the one in need of thanking you, Eryana”, with a groan Ferin sat up completely and then looked around them. The street was empty, just a few people at the other end of it chatting and paying them no attention, “This was dangerous though, was it not? So out in the open. I was not aware that Brassbridge accepted mages so openly”, he shook his head to get rid of the last bit of confusion that clouded his mind like a thick mist and rolled his shoulders, making sure his body was indeed fully in his control. Usually using his own magic made Ferin a little sick, even tired, but none of that gripped his heart now. Maybe it was because of her healing, maybe he was becoming stronger, too. “But I am not in the right place to scold you for it since it saved my life. And I am guilty of the same crime, am I not?”, he laughed and a little gust of wind swirled aorund them, making the dust of the street dance, “I am Ferin Suneer, a sailor from Urvi. And I think we should get out of here, before these men decide it’s a good idea to come back with a little help”

The young woman was in a panic, her horse had injured his foot on her return to her father’s estate and the sky was now darkening. She’d made her way to the closest house on the road but the stables were closed and she did not want to bang on the wooden doors at such a late hour. As she turned, frustration plain on her face. Dorothea saw someone else approaching the road. “Excuse me?”, she called out, stepping towards the stranger, she tried to keep her voice calm. “I am looking for the owner of this place or some stable hand. Or maybe you could help me. My horse is injured.

The constant presence of guards within the city made Ferin relatively uneasy. It was not that he had broken the law, not knowingly at least, or that he had come to Brassbridge to join one of their famous guilds of night. But it was just another reminder that he no longer was within save reach of the Emerald, the ship he had called home for so long. In an attempt to regain some sense of space, of free wild openess without the narrow paths of the always crowded city he had taken to walking, for hours he had gone through nothing but farmland and open green space until night came and it was too late to return. Ferin knew it was not his best idea to stay out in the wilderness so he was quite happy to find a house at the road, all complete with a distressed lady in front of it. “I am sorry”, he approached slowly with both hands raised to assure her he meant no harm, “I have not been here before and I do not know the owner of this place” He knew even less about horses but he tried to give her a reassuring smile, “Your horse is injured? What happened? Are you all right my lady?”

Elias was sat on a wall outside, a book in his hand though his mind was preoccupied on other things, it always was. Ever since his years as a soldier, he had found it hard to quieten his mind. His thoughts always racing a little too fast, never relaxed. The reason he had came here in the first place, he wanted to forget war. The voice caught his attention, breaking through his thoughts and he glanced up from the book he’d been pretending to read. “Yes?” he nodded, noting the accent, he didn’t sound local. “The Merchant’s trade order? Hmm, depends who I’m helping and who’s looking for them.”

“Why do you care who’s asking and what difference does it make? You a merchant or something?”, the frown on his face had become almost permanent since Ferin left his home and the crew he had called family. It was hard, if not impossible, to find his way around this different and new place, but it also made him curious. The stranger in front of him did not seem like a merchant and Ferin craned his neck a little to get a closer look at the book the other held. “I am looking for work and the innkeep”, he mentioned towards the building behind them with his left hand, gently twisting his torso, “The innkeep told me to try the merchant’s order. Seems they always need strong hands to... you know... carry all the goods” Truth is he had no idea why a city on the shores of a lake could use a man trained for the high seas, but he was willing to find out nonetheless. 

Eryana gasped when one of the two men gripped her neck, making her wince and close her eyes. Perhaps she should have come to another city instead of this one but it was her instint that lead her here. The healer she was been studying under, laughed at her when she said to him that she just knee people needed help and she would take whatever payment they could have for their services. “If that’s what you plan to do, my dear, then I tihnk you will end up dead under a bridge or something like that,” he said and she stared at him. “If they have coin, help them, othrwise they will take advantage of you and how will you help them if you don’t have strenght? You need to eat too, child,” he added. Yes, he was intelligent but coin was always on his mind, almost all the time. 

She opened her eyes when she felt the electricity in the air. It was a familiar feeling for she had sensed it before, coming out from herself, her own body and soul. Staring at the young man who dared to defend her, Eryana wondered if he was a mage as well, but if that was the case, he probably would have gotten rid of the two men, unless he was keeping it as a secret, like she was doing too. “No!” It all happened so quickly but one of the men had taken a knife and used it on the young one. “Let me go!” She tried to get away from the other one holding her but he just laughed and tightened his grip of her neck, almost cutting her air when the same electricity started again and she looked up. A strange b¿wind began to blow, out of nowhere and she wondered if it was magic or somethign else. It seemed that was enough to scare anyone, adding the young man’s eyes changing color.

“Fuck this!” The one who stabbed him moved backwards. “Let’s go!” He said to the one holding her and he finally let her go to push her to the floor, making her gasp when her right knee hit a stone. She hissed and inmediately held it close to her body, watching the men ran from there, leaving them alone. The healer then crawled to the young man and put a hand on his arm, looking at him with wide eyes. “You’re hurt!” Eryana bit her lower lip and looked at the dark stain on his clothes. “I can help you, don’t move!” It was desperation that made her put her hand on his side and let a golden light shine bright for a few seconds before it dissapeared. 

“Yeah, it ain’t worth it my friend”, Hand still raised Ferin watched as the men began their flight. It felt good, to be stronger than them, it gave him a sense of superiority, only fueled by the power now cursing through his veins. The wind beckoned him to let go, to embrace the strength within and crush these violent strangers in a heap of storms... It was frightening, like he was not himself but this strange and dark thing that cared only for the magic within. While he lost even more blood Ferin could feel the hold he had on himself dwindle and he slowly dropped his hand, moving it towards the wound. Focussing on the pain Ferin was able to snap out of this unwelcomed high that magic always brought to him. But now he realised who strong the pain was, how much blood he had lost. His knees buckled and he soon found himself on the floor, still bleeding.  “It’s all right”, he spoke the words between clenched teeth as he tried to breath, but moving his upper body, even if it was just to stretch his lungs, hurt terribly and Ferin could already see stars, white little dots that danced in his vision, dark shadows climbing in on the edges. “They’re gone”, whispers leaving his tongue as he lost balance and fell backwards. Ferin realised that he was truly hurt and a flash of anger rose within at this prospect. He was not very fond of bleeding out during his first day in the city.  He felt her move towards him more than he could hear her. Blinking in an fruitless attempt to clear his vision, Ferin realised how blue the sky was above them. Maybe he would have liked Brassbridge, had he been given more time. “I don’t think I could move even if I wanted to”, he replied, feeling the familiar language of his home bubbling up in his chest, his mother’s prayers wanting to break free. The wind had died around him, but now Ferin felt something else. A warmth, a strange sensation he could not place, and then a bright flash of light. The pain was gone and he blinked again, now more confused then hurt. “Did you...”, he brought himself up on his arms, staring at the woman beside him, “What happened? Did you just do that?” Magic. He had seen it before, not like this though, not so strong. And so... so familiar. “Who are you?”

Scarlett kept herself under the radar s best as she could. Especially now she had entered Brassbridge. She was hoping she could be here for longer then a single moon cycle. “I wouldn’t go shouting that in a city like this.” She replied in her own thick accent. “There are plenty of thieves ready to take gold off of a naive merchant.” She held her own hand out. She had the information. But there was no way she was giving it for free. “I will take you there. For a price.” 

“I ain’t scared of thieves, miss”, Ferin shrugged his shoulders, “All cities have thieves, most have even worse. I’ve been around enough to know how to handle myself” His gaze went from her eyes to her hand and then back up again as he stepped closer, brows now knitted together. “And what price is it that you will take? Who tells me you ain’t one of those cutthroats trying to trick me?” He said it half-jokingly, aware that he was in need of directions, but his pockets were empty. He needed to find work before he would have been able to pay anyone for anything. 

“So?” One of the men said. “Why don’t you keep walking or we won’t let you pass,” he added and Eryana gulped, never wanting for other people to get hurt because of her, she was not worth it. “Please, there’s no need for that,.” She knew that some gangs and other people controlled a few hallways and streets, but she never thought she would encounter of them here. She just wanted to go home and have a night’s rest. She always felt bit after using her magic but even then, she did not regret it if that meant healing someone. The man she had studied with had no idea that she had magic, only that she had the nessesary skills to be a healer and that her mother hand sent her to him so she could learn, nothing more, and he did not quuestion it. “I don’t have any coin if that’s what you’re after,” Eryana said and was going to offer something else if they were interested when one of them quickly grabbedher by the neck, making her scream. She then froze when one of them pulled out a knife and stared at the young man who dared to face them so they could leave her alone. 

Ferin’s gaze moved between the woman and these strangers as he tried to follow their fast conversation. He did not understand all that was said but he could feel emotions beeing heated, none of them good. He tilted his head to the side in a quick motion before straightening his back, appearing just a little bit bigger. Work on the ship had made him strong and sailors taught each other never to back down from a fight. He knew how to throw a punch - and maybe even more importantly he knew how to take one. “Maybe it’s you that should be walking on, you know, spare ya some humiliation” Ferin stumbled over a few of the syllables but he had enough anger burning in his eyes now to hopefully get the point across properly. One of the men went for the woman’s throat, it happened so fast it took Ferin a moment to react, he stepped forward, turning his back to the others, “Let her go”, the young sailor added a Paanyan curse word for good measure and already raised his fist. What kind of city was this where people were harrassed in the middle of the street on a sunny morning? He felt anger rise within his chest as a bird cawed overhead and the wind picked up, a gentle brezze between his feet rising higher and higher. It appeared out of nowhere, cooled him down. He felt it at the tips of his fingers, beckoning him to grab for it. Ferin looked down to see the dirt be moved by unseen hands. It was only a heartbeat in which his attention had been focused on the ground as the woman continued to speak in the periphery of his mind. And then he felt it. Hot and cold at once, sharp pain, and a steal kiss. A knife in his side. Ferin winced as his left leg gave in under him and he stumbled forward, turning his upper body to see where the attack had come from, his right hand already shooting back. The motion ripped the knife right out of his body and he felt blood following after. But the sailor quickly came to his feet again, speaking through gritted teeth, “Stupid idea, my friend, very stupid idea” As drops of his blood feel to the ground they passed through the moving currents of air and he felt that light touch in his entire body. A gust of strong wind marched through the alley, howling between the houses and dancing around Ferin’s now raised right hand. “You better get out of here, before I punch you in the gut”, his gaze was fixed on the man that had attacked him, his eyes now turning a darker colour as if shadows moved into his gaze.