As they walked out into the dusty grassland Calira was busy studying. Not a book or an animal, well some would call him an animal, but she thought of him as a misunderstood man and nothing more. She sought to understand him, at least as soon as he showed he had magic. She had been disappointed at first, knowing he was unable to speak she had assumed he could not use magic. Clearly she had been wrong.
Calira was of medium height with attractive features but was not noticed on more than a precursory glance because she was more educated than many she had encountered. Her long black hair tucked behind her ears. She was a Maltrothan and was studying to earn a doctorate. Her appointed task was to discover how magic worked and a way to counter it, scientifically.
She thought it might be a lost cause as even those who used it seemed to do so with such a potential for disaster. Ivar was the first person she had seen use magic like it was his tool and not the other way around. She was very glad she had decided to come on this mission and feeling lucky she had been put into his party.
When Ivar announced stopping for the evening her legs hurt, she like most of the people here, was not used to walking this much.
Ivar pulled out his map and showed the locations to the group. His handwriting was sloppy and the creature's voice who spoke was a little grating on her ears. She would have to endure for the research.
The others did not seem able to read his handwriting so she took a look at it more closely. After studying the minerals laid out on the map she asked, "What is kentarite?"
The tiny creature jumped down from Ivar's shoulders and paced across the map, "Kentarite is the best name for it we could come up with as our civilization never discovered this ore. It has innate magical properties and is extremely strong. It is exceptionally heavy also, making it difficult to mine or use for any practical purpose. Except that I discovered how to refine it into something lighter."
The process requires the skilled use of metalworking and," The creature laughed softly. "Other resources that we have at our disposal."
"You mean magic?" Calira asked. "Isn't that incredibly dangerous."
The creature cocked his head to the side, "Magic is not as dangerous once you get away from the nexus dear girl. It is much safer to use out here in the wilds, but yes, magic."
The group became nervous and Ivar slammed his fist onto the cart the map was on top of. The creature leaped back onto his shoulders, "If you are up to the task this would surely be a resource that would earn all of you the payment you are desiring."
"What dangers can we except there?" Calira asked. "Why did you put a line through the word?"
"Because last time I was there they tried to kill me," Ivar's pet walked from his right to his left shoulder. "The Kentari do not appreciate what we did to them the day we arrived on this planet. This land we are in was all theirs. That place you all call home, was their home. They remember and they did not want me taking the kentarite. I'll be in my tent if you have any further questions. When you are finished please bring the map to me. I plan to let you all sleep on it and we'll take vote in the morning."
Ivar walked off into his tent and entered it. Getting him to talk to me about magic will not be easy, but he is probably very distrustful of, well, my people and with good reason.
Those near her seemed to grumble about how bad could that place possible be and appeared to have their minds made up as they walked off to make food before bed.
One of the travelers in the group, a Lexian named Hallon took it upon himself to be cook. The food he made was not bad considering the scant conditions and small amount of rations they had brought. She had heard it was a week just to week the border of the crater but that was probably an exaggeration. If not she doubted if they had the supplies to make it that far unless someone started hunting.
After socializing with other members in the group for a few hours she headed off to the small tent she had been fortunate enough to bring. Not everyone in the group had brought shelter. She quickly wrote about her observations that day in her journal and soon feel to sleep.
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Monday, September 19, 2016
A quiet walk through town
Ivar cringed as he left sight of the group and waited for the barrage of thoughts from Mal to batter him but it did not come. There was an eerie silence between them for most of the walk to the gate.
Ivar was first to break the silence, "I'm sorry Mal. I had to assert myself in front of that group. None of them are magic users and so they don't know what I am truly capable of and doubted that I should be leading or even could lead. I had to show them I could and I needed to get rid of any that were not truly dedicated. That last thing I want to do is go out there and get them killed because they did not listen to me when it mattered or did not really want to be there."
Mal was still sitting on Ivar's shoulder and he brought his head up and yawned. His thoughts were powerful and alarmingly dangerous, "You told me you would only do that if lives were on the line. Otherwise I never would have shown you the spell to do it. Cast in the wrong place or cast with to much magic put into the spell and you could have killed yourself or me or half this city. However, you believed lives were at risk, maybe not at the immediate present but somewhere in the future and I suppose I will let that count."
Mal went back to his silence as Ivar walked through courtyard and arrived at the gate. The man had given him a small piece of paper when he had been made a group leader for permission for the rest of the group to leave.
Ivar waited for the others to arrive. They were later than he had told them to be and when he looked over the weapons and armor he growled even further. She must have been out of supplies. The other groups must have known about this mission longer than I.
He presented the paper to the guards at the gate and motioned for the others to follow him. Ivar did not know exactly where to head so he decided he would let the group decide that night when they made camp.
Only nine decided to join them, he was torn as he noticed Zaria among them. He had been a good friend to her husband, secretly of course, and Ivar could not help but feel somewhat responsible for what had happened. Not because Ivar had been there but because he hadn't been.
Ivar had wondered many times if he would have been able to stop that explosion from killing the children at the very least. Mal had repeatedly told him that it would have been blind luck if he had. That area was exceptionally mana scarred and Ivar had surveyed the wreckage but found only destruction.
A voice brought him back to the present. One of the men who was pulling the cart had stumbled and cursed quite loudly.
Ivar had been inside his own thoughts so far he had not noticed that they had forgotten to get animals to pull the carts. "Speak for me."
Ivar walked back to the man as Mal began to speak in his normal high pitched voice, "You did not think to get animals for the carts? I suppose you probably did not have the time nor the skill to find animals that would be appropriate for this. I apologize that I just barely noticed this. My thoughts were elsewhere."
It was two small carts needing two people each to pull them. They had traveled only a few minutes outside the city. The grassland here stretched for miles as far as the eye could see.
Ivar turned and poured the smallest amount of magic into a whistle that seemed to echo across the grassland. A few minutes later two beautiful mustangs galloped to a stop in front of Ivar. He stroked each in turn and they moved to take the place of the men pulling the carts.
That seemed to impress most of the group and they continued on until dark in a northern direction. They setup camp and Ivar got out his map of the area.
The map showed areas that were circled of where Ivar thought there might be resources but had never investigated because they were deep inside the territory of these other species, many of which disliked his species. Each was named with the mineral Ivar thought was present based on descriptions he had gathered from villagers who had been willing to talk with him about it.
"I don't want to make this decision alone," Mal spoke as the group began looking over the map. "All of these sites are dangerous in there own ways. We can go for one of these or try to find a new one. Your choice."
Ivar was first to break the silence, "I'm sorry Mal. I had to assert myself in front of that group. None of them are magic users and so they don't know what I am truly capable of and doubted that I should be leading or even could lead. I had to show them I could and I needed to get rid of any that were not truly dedicated. That last thing I want to do is go out there and get them killed because they did not listen to me when it mattered or did not really want to be there."
Mal was still sitting on Ivar's shoulder and he brought his head up and yawned. His thoughts were powerful and alarmingly dangerous, "You told me you would only do that if lives were on the line. Otherwise I never would have shown you the spell to do it. Cast in the wrong place or cast with to much magic put into the spell and you could have killed yourself or me or half this city. However, you believed lives were at risk, maybe not at the immediate present but somewhere in the future and I suppose I will let that count."
Mal went back to his silence as Ivar walked through courtyard and arrived at the gate. The man had given him a small piece of paper when he had been made a group leader for permission for the rest of the group to leave.
Ivar waited for the others to arrive. They were later than he had told them to be and when he looked over the weapons and armor he growled even further. She must have been out of supplies. The other groups must have known about this mission longer than I.
He presented the paper to the guards at the gate and motioned for the others to follow him. Ivar did not know exactly where to head so he decided he would let the group decide that night when they made camp.
Only nine decided to join them, he was torn as he noticed Zaria among them. He had been a good friend to her husband, secretly of course, and Ivar could not help but feel somewhat responsible for what had happened. Not because Ivar had been there but because he hadn't been.
Ivar had wondered many times if he would have been able to stop that explosion from killing the children at the very least. Mal had repeatedly told him that it would have been blind luck if he had. That area was exceptionally mana scarred and Ivar had surveyed the wreckage but found only destruction.
A voice brought him back to the present. One of the men who was pulling the cart had stumbled and cursed quite loudly.
Ivar had been inside his own thoughts so far he had not noticed that they had forgotten to get animals to pull the carts. "Speak for me."
Ivar walked back to the man as Mal began to speak in his normal high pitched voice, "You did not think to get animals for the carts? I suppose you probably did not have the time nor the skill to find animals that would be appropriate for this. I apologize that I just barely noticed this. My thoughts were elsewhere."
It was two small carts needing two people each to pull them. They had traveled only a few minutes outside the city. The grassland here stretched for miles as far as the eye could see.
Ivar turned and poured the smallest amount of magic into a whistle that seemed to echo across the grassland. A few minutes later two beautiful mustangs galloped to a stop in front of Ivar. He stroked each in turn and they moved to take the place of the men pulling the carts.
That seemed to impress most of the group and they continued on until dark in a northern direction. They setup camp and Ivar got out his map of the area.
The map showed areas that were circled of where Ivar thought there might be resources but had never investigated because they were deep inside the territory of these other species, many of which disliked his species. Each was named with the mineral Ivar thought was present based on descriptions he had gathered from villagers who had been willing to talk with him about it.
"I don't want to make this decision alone," Mal spoke as the group began looking over the map. "All of these sites are dangerous in there own ways. We can go for one of these or try to find a new one. Your choice."
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Zaria Taking Charge
As Ivar led the group away from the public, Zaria became uneasy, knowing it was likely because he planned on using some sort of magic to communicate with the group. The tension of the group was tangible as they walked through the outskirts of town.
After what seemed like an hour, they stopped walking. Almost half the group was many paces behind. Oh, this should be fun. Being out in the wilderness with these people who have probably never walked further than the baker's shop....
Once the rest of the group caught up, things became more tense as Ivar prepared to use magic. Some of the group member were obviously very unfamiliar with magical practices, but Zaria knew them all too well. She braced herself for the worst. Thankfully, Ivar's spell didn't do any physical harms, but the image of him and his pet was enough to give a person nightmares for a week. Perhaps that was the point, he wanted people to take him seriously and left a lasting impression on their minds.
Zaria was a little caught off guard when he called her by name. She tried to hide her pride as she felt as though that action had placed her above the rest of the group. She felt like he had essentially made her second in command. She only relished the thought for a moment before taking action.
"Alright, troops. I'm not going to waste any time. If you feel you'd be better suited with another group speak up now. Once the order for armor is placed there will be no turning back. If you're up to the challenge, I want you to make a line to my right so I can take down your preferences in an orderly manner." She wasn't too surprised when about 4 people left the group outright, wishing them all luck (quite sarcastically) as they departed laughing. A few others wavered before joining the line and deciding that leaving the city at any rate was better than staying.
When Zaria had finished taking down everyone's preferences she turned to the group once again, "I appreciate your courage. This will be daunting to say the least, but if we work together as a group we will succeed. Before I head out, I want to give you all one last chance to change your mind." She paused for a moment, and looked each member in the eyes. A few looked hesitant, but all remained in attention. "Alright then. You, what's your name?" She pointed to the man who Ivar had ordered to get a cart.
"Solryn Dalnik, m'lady." The stout man nearly bowed as he removed his cap and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Solryn, come with me. I'll need your help. The rest of you, gather any other supplies we may have missed from the sergeant's list. Ivar expects us back at the north gate in one hour. We've no time to lose. Oh, and don't call me 'm'lady.' Zaria is just fine."
Zaria and the stout man made their way through the town until they came across an old abandoned warehouse. "I don't recall the purpose of this warehouse," she told him, "but it's been abandoned for as long as I can remember. Something to do with Lexians or magic I'd assume." She looked around cautiously, to insure they were not being watched, then began to break through the barricades on the entryway.
"My...uh...Zar...are you sure this is...uh..." He stuttered, clearly this was not a man who took any risks in his life.
"Look, Sol, we're already second class citizens here. Do you really think breaking into an abandoned warehouse and stealing a cart is really going to change our well being?"
He didn't have an answer, but was still hesitant to follow. Eventually he did, though very cautiously. Once they had secured a couple of carts, they stealthily made their way to the black smith's where they passed along the information of necessary equipment. Thankfully this mission would be compensated for by the city's tax money, otherwise the armor would have not been worth the trouble. Even still, most of the armor and weapons that were given to the pair were made from scrap material or previously owned with the intention of being melted down into something new.
Zaria was not well pleased with the weapons and armor that they were given, but considering the time constraint, it was better than nothing. Certainly better than anything the other groups would have unless the members were frequent scouts (which some were). Zaria knew Ivar would not be pleased with the armor, but time was of the essence and the pair was nearly late for their rendezvous with the rest of their group.
It was nearly dark by the time they arrived at the north gate. The group looked pretty pathetic, and alarmingly small. Ivar was noticeably irritated at their tardiness
After what seemed like an hour, they stopped walking. Almost half the group was many paces behind. Oh, this should be fun. Being out in the wilderness with these people who have probably never walked further than the baker's shop....
Once the rest of the group caught up, things became more tense as Ivar prepared to use magic. Some of the group member were obviously very unfamiliar with magical practices, but Zaria knew them all too well. She braced herself for the worst. Thankfully, Ivar's spell didn't do any physical harms, but the image of him and his pet was enough to give a person nightmares for a week. Perhaps that was the point, he wanted people to take him seriously and left a lasting impression on their minds.
Zaria was a little caught off guard when he called her by name. She tried to hide her pride as she felt as though that action had placed her above the rest of the group. She felt like he had essentially made her second in command. She only relished the thought for a moment before taking action.
"Alright, troops. I'm not going to waste any time. If you feel you'd be better suited with another group speak up now. Once the order for armor is placed there will be no turning back. If you're up to the challenge, I want you to make a line to my right so I can take down your preferences in an orderly manner." She wasn't too surprised when about 4 people left the group outright, wishing them all luck (quite sarcastically) as they departed laughing. A few others wavered before joining the line and deciding that leaving the city at any rate was better than staying.
When Zaria had finished taking down everyone's preferences she turned to the group once again, "I appreciate your courage. This will be daunting to say the least, but if we work together as a group we will succeed. Before I head out, I want to give you all one last chance to change your mind." She paused for a moment, and looked each member in the eyes. A few looked hesitant, but all remained in attention. "Alright then. You, what's your name?" She pointed to the man who Ivar had ordered to get a cart.
"Solryn Dalnik, m'lady." The stout man nearly bowed as he removed his cap and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Solryn, come with me. I'll need your help. The rest of you, gather any other supplies we may have missed from the sergeant's list. Ivar expects us back at the north gate in one hour. We've no time to lose. Oh, and don't call me 'm'lady.' Zaria is just fine."
Zaria and the stout man made their way through the town until they came across an old abandoned warehouse. "I don't recall the purpose of this warehouse," she told him, "but it's been abandoned for as long as I can remember. Something to do with Lexians or magic I'd assume." She looked around cautiously, to insure they were not being watched, then began to break through the barricades on the entryway.
"My...uh...Zar...are you sure this is...uh..." He stuttered, clearly this was not a man who took any risks in his life.
"Look, Sol, we're already second class citizens here. Do you really think breaking into an abandoned warehouse and stealing a cart is really going to change our well being?"
He didn't have an answer, but was still hesitant to follow. Eventually he did, though very cautiously. Once they had secured a couple of carts, they stealthily made their way to the black smith's where they passed along the information of necessary equipment. Thankfully this mission would be compensated for by the city's tax money, otherwise the armor would have not been worth the trouble. Even still, most of the armor and weapons that were given to the pair were made from scrap material or previously owned with the intention of being melted down into something new.
Zaria was not well pleased with the weapons and armor that they were given, but considering the time constraint, it was better than nothing. Certainly better than anything the other groups would have unless the members were frequent scouts (which some were). Zaria knew Ivar would not be pleased with the armor, but time was of the essence and the pair was nearly late for their rendezvous with the rest of their group.
It was nearly dark by the time they arrived at the north gate. The group looked pretty pathetic, and alarmingly small. Ivar was noticeably irritated at their tardiness
Ivar Gorsik
Ivar stood shocked as they announced he would be leading one of the groups and did not even notice the woman approach and introduce herself. Her voice, however, shook him from his daze. Zaria? His description of you was perfect.
Ivar was acquainted with her husband before he had died. He had always been on the edge, wanting to push the limits of magical powers as far as possible. Thinking about that nearly brought a tear to his eye but, Ivar quickly brought himself back to the present.
He nodded and motioned for the small group that had gathered to follow him. He did not feel like giving orders in front of so many other and wanted to make sure his entire group was gathered since Mal would not like what he had planned. The group moved outside the building into the stale city air and began walking down the winding street towards the gate. Ivar longed to be in the wilds again, the cool mornings, the beautiful starlit nights, but more than anything, being able to be himself.
Mal sensed his agitation and began to pace back and forth on his shoulders as they walked. Ivar stopped a few blocks from the gates and turned to the group. He waited a few minutes for the stragglers to catch up. Those who had kept pace with him waited in amusement. Everyone in this group must have known he was unable to speak and at least one probably figured it would be up to one of them to lead the group for him once they left the city.
Ivar closed his eyes as he began to focus his breath and calm his nerves. Using magic was far from illegal, at least not what he was using it for, it was simply a matter and finding the right place to do so and Ivar had to make sure this area was stable before he began casting his spell.
This was a complicated spell, one wrong move and he could get an incorrect read. Trying to cast without his usual motions added greatly to this difficulty. He moved his hands together and formed a triangle then thrust them forward. He opened his eyes as the spell completed. He looked around for even the most subtle of cracks.
Using magic had not always been this risky this city used to be quite stable in general. That explosion. Ivar had felt the tremor of magic when it had happened. He was glad he was not in the city or he might have made another explosion from the sudden instability in this area.
His motions undoubtedly looked quite strange at the moment. As he appeared to be seeing what was not there. Then he saw it. The crack was small but it led straight back to the source. He motioned for the group to follow him further up the road, away from the crack.
A few more minutes and the area was safe, the edginess left him and he felt more confident with a spell that required more magic.
Some in the group were becoming annoyed by the delays. One said, "We should be leaving already."
Another, "Let's just pick a new leader and depart. The other groups are surely already gone."
Mal growled slightly as he sensed the spell the Ivar was casting and Ivar knew he would get a piece of his friend's mind later.
The spell was complete and Ivar turned back to the group. His eyes were glowing with magic and so were Mal's.
Ivar turned and glared at those who were talking about leaving and began to speak, though it was not the way a person normally talks. Ivar's lip would move and so would Mal's, the words would come from Mal's mouth and be overlaid with a deeper tone than the cat normally had.
"Do you think this is a test of time?" Ivar had never used this spell to make Mal speak before now. He controlled Mal's entire body at the moment. Mal jumped down from his shoulders and began to circle the men in a predatory fashion, as Ivar approached them. "Do you know anything about surviving in the wilderness?"
The members of the group that were discussing leaving were visibly cowed. They had likely never seen magic like this and Ivar was sure the ripples coming off of him were visible. Mal jumped back onto his shoulders.
He pointed at Zaria, "Zaria, go to Heinel the blacksmith. Tell her I sent you for weapons and armor for the wilderness for twelve people. She'll have to get sizes so quickly gather sizes and weapon preferences from the group. Tell her time is precious but not in cost of quality." He pointed the direction of the shop. "Her shop in a block over, can't miss it."
He pointed to another person who had not questioned, at least vocally, his ability. "You, go to the market and requisition a wagon and something to pull it."
"Any questions? Save them for later," Ivar pulled his hood back up. "Everyone else you have one hour to yourselves. Meet up at the north gate when you are finished. If you decide not to show I will not think less of you."
Ivar dropped the spell and stalked off, leaving behind a very stunned group of people.
Ivar was acquainted with her husband before he had died. He had always been on the edge, wanting to push the limits of magical powers as far as possible. Thinking about that nearly brought a tear to his eye but, Ivar quickly brought himself back to the present.
He nodded and motioned for the small group that had gathered to follow him. He did not feel like giving orders in front of so many other and wanted to make sure his entire group was gathered since Mal would not like what he had planned. The group moved outside the building into the stale city air and began walking down the winding street towards the gate. Ivar longed to be in the wilds again, the cool mornings, the beautiful starlit nights, but more than anything, being able to be himself.
Mal sensed his agitation and began to pace back and forth on his shoulders as they walked. Ivar stopped a few blocks from the gates and turned to the group. He waited a few minutes for the stragglers to catch up. Those who had kept pace with him waited in amusement. Everyone in this group must have known he was unable to speak and at least one probably figured it would be up to one of them to lead the group for him once they left the city.
Ivar closed his eyes as he began to focus his breath and calm his nerves. Using magic was far from illegal, at least not what he was using it for, it was simply a matter and finding the right place to do so and Ivar had to make sure this area was stable before he began casting his spell.
This was a complicated spell, one wrong move and he could get an incorrect read. Trying to cast without his usual motions added greatly to this difficulty. He moved his hands together and formed a triangle then thrust them forward. He opened his eyes as the spell completed. He looked around for even the most subtle of cracks.
Using magic had not always been this risky this city used to be quite stable in general. That explosion. Ivar had felt the tremor of magic when it had happened. He was glad he was not in the city or he might have made another explosion from the sudden instability in this area.
His motions undoubtedly looked quite strange at the moment. As he appeared to be seeing what was not there. Then he saw it. The crack was small but it led straight back to the source. He motioned for the group to follow him further up the road, away from the crack.
A few more minutes and the area was safe, the edginess left him and he felt more confident with a spell that required more magic.
Some in the group were becoming annoyed by the delays. One said, "We should be leaving already."
Another, "Let's just pick a new leader and depart. The other groups are surely already gone."
Mal growled slightly as he sensed the spell the Ivar was casting and Ivar knew he would get a piece of his friend's mind later.
The spell was complete and Ivar turned back to the group. His eyes were glowing with magic and so were Mal's.
Ivar turned and glared at those who were talking about leaving and began to speak, though it was not the way a person normally talks. Ivar's lip would move and so would Mal's, the words would come from Mal's mouth and be overlaid with a deeper tone than the cat normally had.
"Do you think this is a test of time?" Ivar had never used this spell to make Mal speak before now. He controlled Mal's entire body at the moment. Mal jumped down from his shoulders and began to circle the men in a predatory fashion, as Ivar approached them. "Do you know anything about surviving in the wilderness?"
The members of the group that were discussing leaving were visibly cowed. They had likely never seen magic like this and Ivar was sure the ripples coming off of him were visible. Mal jumped back onto his shoulders.
He pointed at Zaria, "Zaria, go to Heinel the blacksmith. Tell her I sent you for weapons and armor for the wilderness for twelve people. She'll have to get sizes so quickly gather sizes and weapon preferences from the group. Tell her time is precious but not in cost of quality." He pointed the direction of the shop. "Her shop in a block over, can't miss it."
He pointed to another person who had not questioned, at least vocally, his ability. "You, go to the market and requisition a wagon and something to pull it."
"Any questions? Save them for later," Ivar pulled his hood back up. "Everyone else you have one hour to yourselves. Meet up at the north gate when you are finished. If you decide not to show I will not think less of you."
Ivar dropped the spell and stalked off, leaving behind a very stunned group of people.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
That morning
Zaria had received her summons the day before, or rather had demanded she be included in this round of scouts. She had been on probation for some time and was finally granted permission to leave the city.
Since the accidental death of her family three years earlier, she had been placed on watch. The councilmen of the city had assumed she had something to do with the explosion, even though she had in fact attempted to prevent it from happening in the first place. With no one as witness to vouch for her, she agreed to accept punishment for her late husband's stupidity.
She was anxious to get out of the city. Things had been bad from the beginning, when she had decided to date outside her race to begin with. Both races of people saw her and her family as traitors, it was unethical to mix Lexians with Maltrothans. She ached for the comfort of her family, but had grown accustomed to being alone. Her hope was that she would be able to survive on her own and never return to the colony, or at the very least regain her rightful citizenship.
She packed what few things she had in a small backpack and headed away from her home for what may be the last time. The sun was just starting to peek over the trees, the silence was starting to subside as other creatures awoke. Her home was on the outskirts of town, so it was a bit of a walk to get to the courthouse, even still, she was determined to arrive early. She stooped to sip from the small stream that ran near her hut, then surveyed the landscape one last time. It was bittersweet leaving this place, full of memories of her precious children: twins, boy and girl, on the cusp of adolescence, and her little girl who had barely turned three before they died. She smiled at their memory, but quickly wiped a stray tear from her eye, straightened up and continued on her way as if nothing bothered her. She scavenged some peculiar berries (native to the planet) on her way.
As she made her way through town, she traveled down side roads in hopes of avoiding contact with anyone. Any people she met on the way would look to her with scorn, or would scoff as they quickly closed their shutters offended by the sight of her. She made good time, and arrived at the courthouse even before the judge or officers did. She waited patiently behind a shrub at the side of the building until they unlocked the doors, then she was ushered into a large hall where the instructions would be given.
It seemed like forever before anyone else arrived, but then suddenly the hall became quite crowded to where a person could hardly move without touching someone else. Most of the others who had gathered were Lexians, but she remained in the back despite being unable to see who was giving directions.
Having so many people gathered in such a small space made it stuffy and almost unbearable, the meeting seemed to last much longer than necessary. Zaria was about to give up and just leave until she noticed a peculiar person enter the hall. He had the right idea, come when it's nearly over to avoid smelling these awful brutes!. Then she recognized him. He was Ivar. She had heard rumors about him, one of the first Lexians created. The people said he was a mutant and they felt he didn't deserve to live. The speculated that he was only alive because he was very special to his creator, Alexander. She had often wondered what he looked like up close, but kept her distance knowing he used magic and was therefore extremely dangerous.
He shifted into the room and stood only a few feet away from Zaria when he settled on a place to stand. She could tell by his demeanor that he was annoyed, she suspected he didn't have much choice as to whether or not he attended this meeting.
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when a pompous little man pushed her shoulder. He stood barely as high as her shoulders, but had an air of great importance about him (she still thought he was annoying), he was her parole officer, "Pay attention, mutt. You've got to get with your assigned leader straight away so he can direct you." Then flipping through his handheld device, "ah yes, of course, here it is. Hmm, how unusual. Your group seems to be a bit smaller than the others. Why, normally we'd send 20 or 30 scouts with one leader, but you've only got a dozen or so. Perhaps it's because you're such a high threat to society..." he trailed off, "nevertheless, let's make the best of this shall we?" He rambled off a few provisions she was supposed to be taking with her, then reiterated the instructions that had been given earlier.
"Let's get on with it already!" Zaria interrupted, "who am I supposed to report to?" She huffed.
"Well," the officer huffed, "aren't we in a mood today?! It says here you're supposed to report to... this can't be right.... Ivar? Well, that's what it says. Go stand by that fellow over there with the strange pet. I wish you the best. He gives me the creeps." With that, the officer walked away to find his next assignment.
Zaria glared at the officer, then glanced over to the strange man he told her to join. Ivar stood there motionless, his eyes like stone fixated on her. Obviously, he had heard her parole officer, who hadn't? This should be interesting. She was skeptical. How could anyone be a leader if they couldn't talk? On the bright side, I won't have to put up with any derogatory comments from him. She thought, trying to be optimistic. She gathered her courage and decided to walk over to her new leader.
Without removing her hands from the straps on her pack she said, "I'm Zaria, I guess you're my leader now. I won't give you any trouble if you don't give me any trouble." With that, she stood beside him and didn't utter another word, just awaited the rest of the group. He gave her a sideways glance and raised an eyebrow, nothing more. The two stood awkwardly in silence for quite some time before anyone else joined the group.
Since the accidental death of her family three years earlier, she had been placed on watch. The councilmen of the city had assumed she had something to do with the explosion, even though she had in fact attempted to prevent it from happening in the first place. With no one as witness to vouch for her, she agreed to accept punishment for her late husband's stupidity.
She was anxious to get out of the city. Things had been bad from the beginning, when she had decided to date outside her race to begin with. Both races of people saw her and her family as traitors, it was unethical to mix Lexians with Maltrothans. She ached for the comfort of her family, but had grown accustomed to being alone. Her hope was that she would be able to survive on her own and never return to the colony, or at the very least regain her rightful citizenship.
She packed what few things she had in a small backpack and headed away from her home for what may be the last time. The sun was just starting to peek over the trees, the silence was starting to subside as other creatures awoke. Her home was on the outskirts of town, so it was a bit of a walk to get to the courthouse, even still, she was determined to arrive early. She stooped to sip from the small stream that ran near her hut, then surveyed the landscape one last time. It was bittersweet leaving this place, full of memories of her precious children: twins, boy and girl, on the cusp of adolescence, and her little girl who had barely turned three before they died. She smiled at their memory, but quickly wiped a stray tear from her eye, straightened up and continued on her way as if nothing bothered her. She scavenged some peculiar berries (native to the planet) on her way.
As she made her way through town, she traveled down side roads in hopes of avoiding contact with anyone. Any people she met on the way would look to her with scorn, or would scoff as they quickly closed their shutters offended by the sight of her. She made good time, and arrived at the courthouse even before the judge or officers did. She waited patiently behind a shrub at the side of the building until they unlocked the doors, then she was ushered into a large hall where the instructions would be given.
It seemed like forever before anyone else arrived, but then suddenly the hall became quite crowded to where a person could hardly move without touching someone else. Most of the others who had gathered were Lexians, but she remained in the back despite being unable to see who was giving directions.
Having so many people gathered in such a small space made it stuffy and almost unbearable, the meeting seemed to last much longer than necessary. Zaria was about to give up and just leave until she noticed a peculiar person enter the hall. He had the right idea, come when it's nearly over to avoid smelling these awful brutes!. Then she recognized him. He was Ivar. She had heard rumors about him, one of the first Lexians created. The people said he was a mutant and they felt he didn't deserve to live. The speculated that he was only alive because he was very special to his creator, Alexander. She had often wondered what he looked like up close, but kept her distance knowing he used magic and was therefore extremely dangerous.
He shifted into the room and stood only a few feet away from Zaria when he settled on a place to stand. She could tell by his demeanor that he was annoyed, she suspected he didn't have much choice as to whether or not he attended this meeting.
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when a pompous little man pushed her shoulder. He stood barely as high as her shoulders, but had an air of great importance about him (she still thought he was annoying), he was her parole officer, "Pay attention, mutt. You've got to get with your assigned leader straight away so he can direct you." Then flipping through his handheld device, "ah yes, of course, here it is. Hmm, how unusual. Your group seems to be a bit smaller than the others. Why, normally we'd send 20 or 30 scouts with one leader, but you've only got a dozen or so. Perhaps it's because you're such a high threat to society..." he trailed off, "nevertheless, let's make the best of this shall we?" He rambled off a few provisions she was supposed to be taking with her, then reiterated the instructions that had been given earlier.
"Let's get on with it already!" Zaria interrupted, "who am I supposed to report to?" She huffed.
"Well," the officer huffed, "aren't we in a mood today?! It says here you're supposed to report to... this can't be right.... Ivar? Well, that's what it says. Go stand by that fellow over there with the strange pet. I wish you the best. He gives me the creeps." With that, the officer walked away to find his next assignment.
Zaria glared at the officer, then glanced over to the strange man he told her to join. Ivar stood there motionless, his eyes like stone fixated on her. Obviously, he had heard her parole officer, who hadn't? This should be interesting. She was skeptical. How could anyone be a leader if they couldn't talk? On the bright side, I won't have to put up with any derogatory comments from him. She thought, trying to be optimistic. She gathered her courage and decided to walk over to her new leader.
Without removing her hands from the straps on her pack she said, "I'm Zaria, I guess you're my leader now. I won't give you any trouble if you don't give me any trouble." With that, she stood beside him and didn't utter another word, just awaited the rest of the group. He gave her a sideways glance and raised an eyebrow, nothing more. The two stood awkwardly in silence for quite some time before anyone else joined the group.
Monday, September 5, 2016
So it begins
(Sorry this took so long.)
Ivar stepped away from the console after closing out of the system. It always amused him how incomplete their data on him was.
He was not particularly tall for a Lexian, they being six and a half feet tall as an average. His strength was a more than a match for the largest of them and that suited him just fine. He also had a gold amulet hanging about his neck. His shirt was white and hung loosely around his waist and were tucked into his gray pants which were in turn tucked into his black military style boots. He had an overcoat of animal fur from one of the many he had hunted. It was a dark gray at the top and slowly moved to a light gray at his waist and it included a hood.
The pet referenced in the document sat curled up on his shoulder. It was a catlike creature about eight inches long body with a six inch tail and a two foot wingspan. The wings were similar to those a bat would possess and the only indication that the animal was magical in nature as cats were common as pets since his people had brought with them to this world.
With a flick of his hand, he used his powers to tell the computer to erase all evidence he had accessed that information, as he had done many times before.
He raised his hood and began walking away from the area. He had been in town long enough it was time to attend to his wilderness duties. That was what he would tell anyone who asked his destination anyway.
"Ivar," he heard a voice call out behind him. "Ivar Gorsik."
Ivar stopped and turned to face the man addressing him.
"You are hereby notified to appear in the third district courthouse to await a team assignment. This is not optional." The man read from a paper. He looked up as if expecting an answer.
Ivar glanced at the catlike creature on his shoulder who appeared to be taking a nap. He poked it slightly.
The creature yawned and looked up. Then it spoke in a high pitched voice, "You know he doesn't speak, don't you? He'll be there."
The man looked alarmed at the creature speaking but turned and left.
Ivar glared at the creature and used the amulet's power to speak to the creatures mind, "I told you to be kind when you address people for me." There was a hint of a growl sent through the link as well.
"You know how much I despise talking to people who disrespect you. Why did he have to add that last part?" The creature was notably angry in his thoughts.
"Mal," Ivar sighed as he continued. "You know that our situation is precarious. If they had any idea that I had created you they would not let my being useful stand in the way of studying you. We have to be careful."
Mal went silent as they continued walking. There was not much to see in the city but there was enough. This early part of the day the market was still setting up and getting ready for another day of customers.
Ivar reached his destination about an hour later and entered the building. The meeting had already begun. Ivar saw some of the others he knew to be scouts and moved over to stand against the back wall with them.
"So, to sum up, if you are able to find any of those type of resources you will be rewarded and if you are able to get a stronger building material for armor or a better resource for power than we have yet found on this planet your reward will be even greater." The man speaking stopped for a moment. "If you have any questions ask your group leader once you have chosen one and been accepted. Also, each group is going to be assigned a scout who knows the land outside to act as guide on this mission."
"Great," Ivar scowled. "Having to lead a group through the wilderness to find resources? You were right. I should not have come back to the city this week." Ivar waited patiently while the groups were assembled to receive his group assignment.
(Note: Any sentences in Italics are thoughts and the ones that include quotation marks are sent to his friend Mal unless another individual in mentioned.)
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Zaria Yorick
Demoted Citizenship due to marrying into the Lexian species
Subject Name: Zaria Yorick
Lineage: Maltrothan
Generation of birth on Kentariel: 1st
Genetic Data: natural born to Maltrothan parents
Risk Factor: Unknown
Motivations: independence
Age: 30 years
Family: parents killed by natives on the planet, husband and children killed in magic "accident"
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 140 lbs
Eyes: hazel
Hair: light brown
Skin Tint: similarly colored to "white" people in our galaxy
Notes: Zaria is a loner, she keeps to herself. She volunteered to go on a scouting mission in hopes of regaining some political power, or at the very least find a better place to live. She is not an advocate of magic and views it's use to be very dangerous and unnecessary.
Subject Name: Zaria Yorick
Lineage: Maltrothan
Generation of birth on Kentariel: 1st
Genetic Data: natural born to Maltrothan parents
Risk Factor: Unknown
Motivations: independence
Age: 30 years
Family: parents killed by natives on the planet, husband and children killed in magic "accident"
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 140 lbs
Eyes: hazel
Hair: light brown
Skin Tint: similarly colored to "white" people in our galaxy
Notes: Zaria is a loner, she keeps to herself. She volunteered to go on a scouting mission in hopes of regaining some political power, or at the very least find a better place to live. She is not an advocate of magic and views it's use to be very dangerous and unnecessary.
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