Asthera Land of Magic

Kollon swore loudly and froze in place. Quickly he summoned a strong wind to slow Lorraine down and cushion the impact of her barreling into him. He landed on his back with a loud thud that knocked the breath out of him. He just laid there on the grown gasping and coughing with Lorraine out cold on his chest. Amirriah knelt at his side. "Are you sure she doesn't have it?" he gasped.

"Yes i'm sure. And yes i'm sorry for not warning you about her powers. I don't know how such a little girl could pack so much energy." Amirriah said, quickly giving Kollon a once over to make sure he was alright. "Do I need to go get the billows from the smith?"

"Gods No! Not that humiliation again!" He moaned as he sat up. Lorraine rested on Kollon's lap her head on his shoulder. "Damn this girl can pack a punch."

"At least we got to her before anyone else." Amirriah muttered. "C'mon, let's head back to the Basilisk. The other girl i want you to meet is hopefully still there."

Kollon nodded. Amirriah took Lorraine from Kollon so he could stand up. He was a bit wobbly  but managed to keep his balance. Amirriah carried Lorraine back to the The Blind Basilisk with Kollon leaning on her shoulder. She lead him up to their room. She handed Lorraine off to him so she could unlock the door. Amirriah smiled a bit as she saw Honoka still asleep.

"Well isn't she pretty," Kollon commented in a dreamy tone. Amirriah just rolled her eyes and had him set Lorraine gently in the free space on the bed.

"Don't go all airhead on me Kollon, I need smart you, not ditzy you." Amirriah said as she shut the door.

Yawning and bleary-eyed, Arroun softly shut the door of the great stone row-house where he had sheltered the night. Mussed and exhausted, he still grinned widely as he made his way down the steps. The lady of the house was a steady customer of his puzzles, and oft engaged him in conversation when her husband was in port. She oft engaged him otherwise when the man was away...

Arroun's grin grew wider, then turned into a yawn. The sun might be high, but Arroun was rarely awake at this hour. Indeed, he had not risen early this morning, but forgone sleep entirely in comforting the wealthy captain's wife. If only the woman had less of a predilection to gripping his tail when lightning flashed...

Few enough were the prosperous merchants left to Summerset that Arroun spared a copper bit to a sea shrine as he passed, whispering a quick prayer for the captain's return. Two days out of port, the man's ship was, and a chaser was bad odds, unless he had struck along the coast to get clear.

Making his way through the streets of Summerset, Arroun marveled at the wreckage the storm had left behind. He could barely pass a block without finding some gap in the rows of close-packed buildings, like a missing tooth in the grin of a vagabond. The ruin of those building spilled out into the streets. Here and again, crowds surrounded and swarmed over a heap, shifting debris in desperate haste to reach some survivor.

Arroun, for his part, ignored the rescues, instead picking along the edges of the wreckage. Occasionally, he stooped to pick up some oddment of metal, tapping and listening, usually dropping the piece with a frown. The pieces he kept were as varied as those he discarded, seemingly without rhyme or reason. The truth might have made some regard him strangely, had they asked.

By the time exhaustion called a halt to his foraging, the sun was well overhead, and his bag bulged with scrap, weighing down his slender shoulder. Too, his stomach rumbled embarrassingly. "Aye, settle, stupid organ. Always complaining, never earning your keep," he complained to himself, "I've half a mind to part ways with you, and see how long you last."

Thumping his middle in irritation, he scanned the nearby shops. This end of the city was away from his accustomed haunts, but he knew it well enough to know there was a decent inn nearby. Backtracking somewhat, he set off in a new direction, quickly reaching his destination. Today, of all days, the smell of fish clogged the air, and his stomach rumbled for other fare. The Blind Basilisk was one of the few places where such could be had, these days.

The common room was filled to the rafters this morning. Those sailors and fishermen whose ships were beyond saving finding their way to the nearest source of oblivion through inebriation. Arroun wrinkled his nose at the smell of so many humans in one place, his tail shivering and flicking with annoyance. Running a hand through his variegated hair, he sighed and began making his way toward the counter.

Catching the attention of the innkeeper, Arroun produced a sliver bit given him by his captain's wife, and grinned at the thick slab of ham the coin bought. His grin grew brighter as the cook slid a nestful of eggs on top, but slipped a bit at the narrow glare the man gave him. Northern wildlings were little trusted in this country, he knew. Retreating from the glowering cook, he slipped nimbly through the crowd, looking for a seat.

As he found a man standing to leave, a too-familiar scent reached his sensitive nose; singed flesh. Stopping in his tracks, he turned slowly, waiting for the scream that normally accompanied that smell. Oddly, no smell of smoke accompanied the nose-wrinkling stench, nor did any of the humans around him seem to notice. A gaunt, black-haired youth brushed by him on the way to the door, and the scent washed over Arroun like the wind from an abattoir. Arroun spun on his heel to watch the boy, perhaps a bit older than himself, slip out through the inn's door. Mage, Arroun thought to himself, Humans never notice the smell of a mage...

Disturbed by the scent of the young man, Arroun finally found a seat, settling into his breakfast tiredly. As the room began to clear of the morning's crowd, the young wildcat began to nod over his plate, the sparse remains of the swine cooling until he finally pushed them aside and lay his head on the table.

"Well isn't she pretty,"
"Don't go all airhead on me Kollon, I need smart you, not ditzy you."

Two voices spoke awakening Honoka from her half-sleep.
The comment on her beauty came from a man, in normal girls would have been a complement. But, for Honoka it was slightly upsetting. She didn't like men much, boys were okay - sorta.
She probably would have panicked and run, but the second voice was Amirriah's. She liked Amirriah. The older girl had been kind and comforting toward her during her struggles against her sickness last night.

"Morning." Honoka half smiled. "Hi." she said making sure to look only at Amirriah. "I feel better. Thanks." she said gratefully.
Honoka noticed the odd little girl was back too. "Hi." Honoka said softly avoiding contact with the man. "How are you?" she asked the girl. The girl is kind of weird, but so is Honoka.

"I guess I was a bit... you know last night. I feel better though."
Honoka tried standing again. She slid off the bed and stood trying not to fall like earlier. She succeeded, but she was still tired and light headed.
"Maybe I should go." Honoka said grabbing her bag. "I have things I need to do." she lied. Honoka really had nothing and nowhere to go. Her lips said one thing, but her body said she didn't have anything or anywhere to be.

"Good morning, sweetheart, glad to hear you're feeling better." Amirriah said with a warm smile. Amirriah could sense Honoka's unease. She figured it had something to do with Kollon. Though he was a kind, genital man by nature, no one was ever really comfortable around him, except Amirriah. She had known him since she was a little girl. She had grown use to his snake-like manner. To most everyone else he put off an unsettling vibe. Kollon also had a bit of a bad reputation thanks to his almost identical twin brother, who was know to be a slaver but had not set foot in town in years.

"Please, don't leave just yet." Amirriah said as she walked over to Honoka and gave her a soft hug. "I know he's not the most comfortable to be around, but he's not a bad guy." She whispered into Honoka's ear. "You have nothing to worry about, he won't hurt you. If he does do something stupid I'll whack him up side the head with my staff." She gave Honoka a little wink before letting her go and turning back to Kollon.  "Honoka, this is Kollon, a friend of mine and an air mage, like Lorraine. Kollon, this is Honoka, the girl I told you about, the one with the raindrop."

Kollon smiled at Honoka. "Nice to meet you." he said warmly.

Ventora had seen her heading back towards the inn, and had then heard the little girl's loud voice. He decided to follow them, all the way back to the inn, and from there he climbed up the wall to the room he knew they were in and sat on the roof beside the window.

"Good morning, sweetheart, glad to hear you're feeling better."

'So the other one's awake now.' He thought to himself. Listening to there conversation. He decided he would wait for them to finish before stepping in through the window and asking for their, well at least one of them's help. Montcrief's words flashed through his mind. 'My own group... Or....' He wouldn't fail, and if he needed the air mages help. He would get it.

"NAAAAAAGGGggaagGAAAG!!!" Lorraine grumbled. Sleep refused to stay when she thought her friends were in trouble.

She couldn't move quite yet; still in pain but stared daggers at the man. She had thought he looked familiar, and now knew he was a creep.

But Arrmira seemed to trust him and he wasn't being that mean to Honoka...

She stood up and pointed at him, "I don't trust you. I'm leaving. Cause any problems and it'll be your head on a pike."

She then got up on the window still, "I'm Going to go find our Ventora." falling backwards she fell head first into the roof. *CRASH!*

"I'm ok!!" then looking around she saw him, "And I found him! I am the ultimate at this hide and seek game!!"

Ventora, why the hell was Lorraine excited about finding him? Amirriah wrinkled her nose at the thought of that thief.

Amirriah walked over to the window and looked out at Lorraine. "Would you pretty, pretty, pretty please stop leaping from windows. You're going to give me a heart attack." She looked over to Ventora. "You might as well come in." she scoffed before backing away from the window.

Kollon walked over to her side. "Now what?" he whispered to her.

"I'll get Honoka and you alone later. We will not discuss it in front of on of Montcrief Allond's men." she hissed back. Amirriah began scratching at the sleeve of her shirt and gnashing her teeth unconsciously. Her body still tingled from earlier.

He sighed, 'so much for waiting.' He thought, stepping in to the window, he pulled/drug the girl with him. "Oh, before I forget, I owe you money." He said as he handed her a little purse filled with silver, it was more than he originally promised. But he had swiped a purse of a Wildling earlier without them even noticing, so he had a bit to spare.

An idea suddenly sparked his mind. "Lorraine right?" He said looking at her. "How would you like to go on an adventure? Cave exploring?" He smiled. Thinking to himself 'If i'm right, Amirriah should want to follow to keep her safe. And she seems to be capable of taking care of her.' He looked at the man. He subconsciously rubbed the ruby at his neck.

He could feel the hate pouring off of Amirriah, anyone could. 'Quite the ice queen' he thought. He was used to that though, it wasn't the easiest thing to be liked and be a thief. It made him wonder why Lorraine liked him so much. Then remembered she was an air mage, not the most level headed individuals. He looked at the man again. 'And I do believe he is too...' He thought. He held is hand out to Lorraine. "So what do you say?"

"FINNALY!!" shouted the girl she clapped and hopped about, "I know exactly were Crazy E lives!! If we go to my place, through the field of sleeping people, and about a mile in that direction through the woods we'll hit his cave!!"

She put the money pouch in her own; she should probability take count eventually or just give it to some one who cares about it.

Putting an arm roughly around Honoka's shoulders, "I'd be a great adventure to get ya' in the hang of magic! Maybe even get a few pointers from the experts all around us!" vaguely failing her arm in the general direction of the people in the room.

"With Arrmira's smarts, Ventorra's Street smarts, my raw power, and uh...that guy's smugglyness we would have a great time!!"

She paused, "Besides; you don't really have anything else to do, why not?"

The town was bustling with movement and the voices of the men and women either relieved that their businesses and possessions had survived the night or despondent at what they had lost.
Through these people moved the Assessors, the town hall representatives moving quickly with armed men in tow checking every nook, cranny and building and cart assessing what damage each establishment, house and business had taken, jotting down whether it would be monetary compensation or the thing could be salvaged. They had to move quickly. There were many unsavory types in Summerset who would seize upon the chance to profit off of loses not taken, make claims they weren't entitled to and damage their own goods if their shop could get complete repairs at someone else's expense. Assessors were chosen for their honesty and integrity. The vast majority could not be bought off and the occasional one that slipped through the cracks... the guards that traveled with them would not hesitate to turn them in.
The Assessors took stock, gave a price that the town would cover, sometimes argued with the owner, remained aloof and unmoved by the sob stories of the owners, wrote down everything and moved on.

The owner of the Blind Basilisk was busy discussing his affairs with the Assessor. He assured the man that he suffered no damage the man looked anyway, just in case something came up later.
"What was that?" the Assessor asked when he heard a crashing sound from the roof.
"A guest." the owner said matter-of-factly. "We had a couple of strange ones with us last night."
The man nodded, smiled and exited quickly. The owner surveyed his business pleased it had survived the storm completely in-tact. He wouldn't have minded if there had been minor damage, something he could get repaired on the dole not his. But after the last storm and the cost of the damage he claimed he knew they were watching. Being a thief is one thing,m stealing from a group of them is another.
The inn was practically empty save for a few drunken holdovers from last night and a couple of stragglers that came in for breakfast.
"Be a quiet morn." he said to one of the waitresses. "Everyone will have work this morn."
"Probably several mornings worth of work."
The owner stepped to the door and looked out. The town looked as if the gods had swept their hands across in order to punish it for some transgression. "Yeah." he agreed. "Lotsa work. Which means there will be lotsa people with money to spend."

******************

Allond and Asynthe quickly ducked into the Hall.
"Morning Allond." a woman greeted him with a smile.
"Hello, my dear." Allond said smiling.
"Morning." Asynthe said with little interest in the woman.
"Always the gentleman, eh Asynthe?"
"If I were talking to a lady then yes I would." he said sweeping his long red locks from his eyes. "But for you..." Asynthe smiled.
The woman eyed Asynthe and then smiled back. She held out her hand and Asynthe wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"Miss me, luv?" he asked giving her a small kiss.
"No. What's to miss?"
Allond rolled his eyes and moved down the hall. The men and women in the hall all politely greeted the man whom they worked for.
"Did you find out where it is?" a voice called from the fourth door he passed. It was the first voice that didn't greet him.
"No. But I found someone to check it out. To see if it's there?"
"Who?"
"Ventora."
"Ventora?!" the voice snapped. "Ventora is a nobody."
"Everybody is a nobody until they get a chance. I was a nobody and so were you." Allond retorts pointing at the man.
"True enough. I just hope he finds it." the man says calmly.
"If it's there he will. I have faith."
Allond continues down the hall Asynthe and the woman follow. The man steps from the room and checks the hall. The man is Karperdale, a mage. But Karperdale isn't any mage in Summerset. Karperdale is one of the few non elemental mages, which makes him unique. He seldom ventures from the Guild Hall, so many believe the stories of him are just that - stories.
Karperdale is only ever seen by people of importance, his existence only acknowledged among said important people. The rumors of him vary and, like most rumors, get more outlandish as they're told. In some quarters it is thouight he brought down the mountains to destroy the town and bring down the elemental mages, in others he is a necromancer who raises the dead for experiments, in others he is a gnome-elf that is a grand illusionist who created the illusion that the cliffs collapsed and has slowly lifted the illusion to fool people.

******************
In the streets and alleys some of the markets have opened while others continue cleaning or haggle with the assessors. Many of the bakeries have opened and their wares can be smelled in many quarters. The cleaning is an exhaustive task and is rather hurried. Ships are expected to dock with goods they traded for in a few days and the merchants want to be ready

Honoka pressed against the wall when the man came in through the window. The room was getting full of strangers, two of them men. Honoka began to worry.
She nearly screamed when the girl threw her arm around her and started rambling about 'Crazy E' and caves.

"Besides; you don't really have anything else to do, why not?" the girl said, Honoka assuming it was meant for her.

Honoka could think of a hundred things she could do, a hundred places she could be that were better than going with them. She wanted the girl to let go of her, to get away from her. But, Honoka was too much the coward to say so. She didn't know these people at all and they could be dangerous.
"Okay." she finally answered after several minutes of nervous silence. "I... guess I can go too."
It was a lie, but it was probably safer. She could always sneak away later and disappear.

"Wait one blasted minute." Amirriah nearly shouted to be heard over Lorraine. "You're not talking about that mage who lives up in the mountains? Oh, what's his name? The crazy one who was supposedly buried in his cave when the cliffs collapsed,what, two years ago?"

"You can't seriously be talking about Eristhenes?" Kollon said with a raise of his eyebrow from his place on the wall. "The deranged man who is said to have been the cause of the cliffs collapsing. You really want to go up to his cave?"

Amirriah's body tingled with excitement. She would never admit it out loud but she had always wanted to go exploring the caves in the cliffs. She was never aloud to because he father didn't want her to disturb Eristhenes. She wasn't about to voice her excitement now.

"Ah but I am talking about the mage up in the mountains. Im planning an expedition there you see, and air mages and earth mages would be a great help." He said while looking at them. He could tell one of them was scared completely, Lorraine was obviously excited, and the Amirriah was as well, he had seen that look on people's faces, hell, he himself had it last night. The man seemed apprehensive, but then again he wasn't apart of the original plan anyways.

"I can make it worth your while, a share of whatever we find in the caves. A man like that is bound to have valuable." Looking at Kollon and Amirriah. "And valuable doesn't always mean gold."

Startled from his dozing, Arroun bolted upright, nearly upsetting his chair as his eyes and ears darted around the now nearly-empty common. The noise of the earlier crowd hadn't bothered him in the slightest, his kind having the mysterious ability to sleep through the loudest din. The flipsdie of that coin was that a feline wildling could awaken at a pindrop, rankled and ready to fight.

After a second or two of peering into the dimmer corners of the room, his eyes traveled upward curiously. The sound of feet shuffling and raised voices in the room over his head drew his attention, and his sensitive ears rotated to catch the muffled conversation. Not that the conversation stayed muffled, but the people were talking over each other. Five people, including one whose voice was quiet enough he could hear through the crack in the floorboards that made the ceiling of the common room.

The few snatches of conversation he could make out sounded interesting, something about caves and collapsing cliffs. The word 'gold' filtered down, barely audible over the innkeepers conversation with the officious-sounding men at the bar. 'Strange ones', indeed.

Slipping out of his seat, Arroun snagged his bag from under his chair and slung it over his shoulder as he wove his way through the tables to the door. Outside, he walked down the street a short way, then slipped his bag off his shoulder. Setting it on top of a covered rain barrel, he began digging through it in an agitated manner, as if he had misplaced something. Shuffling items around at random, he watched the inn from under his brows, marking the room that must belong to the boisterous group. Three women, girls, more like, from the pitch of their voices, and two men. If he was right, they would leave as a group...

"THE WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?!" screamed Lorraine, "Let's go adventuring!!"

To start off their adventure she picked Honoka up; a considerable task given how even the small Honoka was taller then Loraine.

"I haven't really been to the caves in a looooooong time, but sense were going you'll need to know this spell!"

She hopped on to the window still, it creaked dangerously under their weight but didn't suffer to long because Lorraine long jumped out, "All you need is air under your feet!!"

It was a very simple spell. One that require only minimal channeling and a pair of light feet, for air hops was a well known first spell; highly useful to as It made a big cushion of air under your feet, and then you can chain the spell for good distance! Lorraine was planning on just using two to reach the ground safely but their was a snafu.

Samely she forgot you need to swing you arms like flapping if you were going to jump and make a new one. Holding on to poor screaming Honoka was the problem.

So they plummeted; right on the head of the poor local cat smith.

Amirriah had done her best to get Lorraine back in the window with Honoka. And then they plummeted onto some poor guy.She swore loudly. "And this is why you don't jump out of windows!" She shouted down from the window. "Don't move!"

She ran from from the room and out of the inn, Kollon not far behind. Kollon veered off to talk to the owner and pay for the broken window. Amirriah ran out to the pile of girls and Wildling on the street. "You guys alright?" She said as she genitally began to help everyone to their feet. she turned to the Wildling. "I am deeply sorry about that. Lorraine doesn't think things through before she acts. She didn't mean to fall on you. Just a spell gone awry."

Kollon came out from the inn and came over to them. He genitally began looking the girls over for any major injuries.

Honoka didn't get a chance to say or do anything before she was out the window and off the roof. They landed on some poor wilding below.
"Are you crazy?" Honoka shouted at the girl. "Out the window?" she crawled over to check on the poor wilding. "Are you okay." Honoka looked at the cat.
"I'm fine. I'm fine," she told the man checking on her.
Honoka checked her body, she made sure that she hadn't lost the tear drop pendant. It was there. She had a few scrapes but it wasn't anything serious. She felt guilty for having yelled at girl. Her over excitement was too much, but she didn't mean for this to happen.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you. Are you okay?"

Lorraine giggled like crazy, "Don't feel bad for yelling at me! I totally deserved that one heehee!"

She saw the cat smith, and while he was still gathering his bearings she hopped onto and crawled on his back, "HI THERE! DO YOU LIKE ADVENTURE?! We have scarp metal at my place and I see you looking for them."

Burring her face in his fur she said, "Gosh your fuzzy! Do you get warm in this? How Do you wash it? Is it built in? Can I have this flea? What is your name? Do you like toast? I think toast overrated."

She then quickly waved to Honoka, "Ok! I've distracted him with questions! Now its your turn! Try to get up on this guy before he starts squirming!! Just remember; jump with air under your feet!"

Ventora sighed before climbing out the window 'Montcrief you crazy bastard, suggesting these people.' He hopped down to the ground, landing lightly. Before looking at Lorraine. "You're gonna hurt yourself one of these days." Then looking at the cat-person. "You'll have to forgive her, and ignore her, this one is more air-headed than the normal air mage." He pulled her off of the wildling and sat her on the ground. "Stay calm please?" He looked at Amirriah and Kollon, "She'll kill herself without supervision you know." Hoping that would further convince them to come along with him.

The scene brought the attention of several people near by. They mostly stood, mouths agape wondering what in the world had just happened. A few turned away when they saw a wilding was involved. Others watched, listening to everything that was going on.
One, a boy of about 15 noticed and raced to his Guild Keep to let him know what he had seen and heard. The Guild Lord was interested in what the boy told him. He gave the boy some coins and shooed him along.
"So, they are adventuring and Ventora is leading." the Guild Keep murmured.
"What do you think?" one of the others in the room asked.
The man pulled back his long blonde hair and swirled it from his face. "Allond is up to something and he's using Ventora to make it happen."
"What do you think it is?" an elven woman asked brushing in tight.
"I think he's after something. The question is whether Ventora is there to aid him in making it happen or going on a suicide mission. Either way, Allond is likely involved in something quite profitable."
"Why do you think that?" the man asks feeling both stupid for asking and very curious
"Because it's a major secret. He didn't vet it through the lower guild halls for input."
"the boy talked about it openly."
"Yes. But still, the planning didn't include any of the Keeps. Follow, at a distance, see what they're up to. I have very pressing matters to attend to."
"New slaves?"
"Very new. Keep that wilding away from my shipment."

******************
The people slowly dispersed, realizing that they weren't needed, the affairs had nothing to do with them and that there was pressing work to be done leaving the group to themselves.
The main gates to the city opened beckoning a new day for merchants. Some of the merchants scrambled to load their carts to send them to their destinations. Others prepared for the new arrivals, to see what exotic goods were brought on the backs of their carts.
Sommerset was in full bloom. There was lots of work to be done and lots of money to be made.

Amirriah sighed and looked down at Lorraine. Ventora was right. "Alright, I'm in." she sighed. "If only to make sure she doesn't get herslef killed."

Kollon stepped close to Amirriah. "I might as well come too, to hlep out with this one." He ruffled Lorraine's hair a little. "And maybe i can teach both of you a thing or two." He gave Lorraine and Honoka a smile. Amirriah smiled at them

She turned to Ventora. "So what now?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest.

Ventora saw the guild rat scurry off. 'He knows something...' He thought to himself. Looking at Amirriah, "Gather whatever you think you'll need and come back here. I plan to leave By the end of the week." Then he whispered to Amirriah "We'll leave tonight." Looking at Amirriah again. And putting his hand on Lorraine's head. "And you need to learn to be quiet." He said as he ruffled her hair, assuming that would be enough to get her mind off what he just said so she didn't go shouting it to the world.

He whispered to Amirriah. "We'll talk more when we're out of the city, keep her quiet, people like to listen, and anyone else who knows, will only make our job harder.." He then walked away from the group. Heading into the inn, he was going to rest up, having already bought his supplies. By nightfall they should all be back, and then they'd be off.

Amirriah gave Ventora a small nod be fore he walked away. "So I guess its back to my house to see what we can dig up." She said as she pulled Lorraine to her feet. "We can see if we can salvage anything from my garden. Then maybe get you two cleaned up a bit from last night."

"I'll go and see what useful things i have at my house." Kollon said. "I'll meet you girls back here when we're ready to set out." Amirriah nodded at him.

Before Kollon could get too far Amirriah grabbed his arm and pulled him close. "Back here tonight. Make sure you're not followed."

Kollon gave a nod and then he gave Amirriah a quick peck on her cheek. "No worried, I'll be sure to be extra careful, Mirrie." He gave her a smile and then he walked off in the direction of his home.

Amirriah wrinkled her nose a bit at the nickname Kollon had always called her, her cheeks turning a pale shade of rose. She quickly regained her composure and turned back to Lorraine and Honoka. "So off we go then? I'm sure i can get us something nice to eat at my place while we rest up for our big adventure."

Quick Request:
The posts are good and the rp is moving well.
I'd like to not leave anyone behind.
Give everyone a chance to get a post in before making another post

Please and Thank You

"All you need is air under your feet!!" Arroun's ears flicked back at the voice voice overhead, and he paused in his rummaging to look up. Barely had he half-turned, though, before a crushing weight slammed him against the rainbarrel, and then to the ground. The impact drove the wind from his lungs as he hit the cobbled street, and left him struggling to breathe as shouting broke out.

As the two girls untangled themselves, and their friends joined them, Arroun curled up on his side, uncertain if his lungs were going to start working again. His tail trembled as he finally managed to draw a ragged breath, just in time to wave off the ministrations of a slender blonde, apparently a friend of the two jumpers. No sooner had she moved away, though, than he was assaulted anew by the crazed brunette.

"What? No, I, ahh! Don't pull! Yes, it's attached! Let go! I don't have fleas! None of your... what? get away from me!" Overwhelmed by the flood of ridiculous questions, Arroun struggled to pull his tail away from the excitable girl, finally losing patience and simply shoving her away by the forehead toward the black-haired youth he remembered smelling before. That burnt-flesh smell was unmistakeable. "Just keep your monkey away from me, sir. She can take some other innocent with her when she leaps to her death!"

The youth's profession that the girl was a mage made some sense, considering her behavior. The brunette had an intriguing smell, as well; bitterly acidic, it made his nose want to wrinkle. The girl with the long black hair smelled of the air after a storm, when fog rose from warm ground. The blonde, an elf, by the small gods, smelt odd, like scorched soil and new clothes. The other man hadn't come close enough for Arroun to scent, but he had little doubt; the entire group were mages. This many together was something Arroun had never seen before.

Yanking his open, sleeveless shirt straight on his shoulders, he glared at the group, then turned to gather his things. The bag had scattered a few odd and ends across the cobbles, and he bent to retrieve them and slip them back inside. He stopped when he came across one of his puzzles lying in the street. The creation was an apple-sized ball composed of tightly woven rings of yellow brass, black iron, and shining polished steel. Now it was distorted, the rings flattened on one side, nothing more than a handful of scrap.

As the second man turned to go, Arroun rounded on the group of girls, pointing furiously at the little brunette, ears laid flat against his skull. "YOU!" he barked, barely short of shouting, "You owe me ten gold, you mad bint! You broke my puzzle! She broke my puzzle!" He flourished the twisted creation in the brunette's face, then thrust it at the blonde elf, switching his tirade to the seemingly more stable of the trio. "Three days it took to craft, and your monkey crushes it like a, like a, like... who's paying for this?" Stuttering in frustration, Arroun glared at the girls, tail lashing, waiting for one to take responsibility.