Will Magic For Food

by **Erin Stella** on September 4th, 2013, 9:15 pm

20th bell of the 1st of Fall, 513 AV
Outside of the Ironworks

It was getting dark out and Erin had just arrived at her usual spot in a small nook of the street not far from the ironworks. This is where Erin had been attempting to sell her magical services for quite some time now, so far with no luck. She always did this at night and partially out of the way for two reasons: Many people in this city were ignorant, bigots who feared and despised magic-it was her understanding that there were even some laws restricting certain practices. The other reason she hid was because she was unfamiliar with local syrillian trade laws and wanted to avoid any legal complications. Still, it was beginning to seem that it simply wasn't working out like this. So far the only people she had talked to while doing this either awkwardly turned her down, gave her a semi-threatening lecture about how magic is bad, or set her up with a fight against a barbarian marauder. Remembering that fight the other night her she touched her black eye for a moment and ran her fingers over the bruises on her abdomen. "This has to work," she insisted to herself, "I have to get stronger." With that she got to work, scanning the streets up and down looking for somebody, anybody, that looked like they might need her.

by **Ethan Ironhorse** on September 5th, 2013, 12:41 am

20th bell of the 1st of Fall, 513 AV
Outside of the Ironworks

General Rule :

Ethan had a long day as he had worked for the foundry. In order for Ethan to progress as a blacksmith, he needed to learn about alloys and molds. The first part of that was pouring hot liquid metal into forms. The first steps were always the hardest, his grandfather used to say, but in this case the first steps were just plain boring. He had used a long metal hook to guide the smelting pot to the molds. At the direction of much senior apprentices, Ethan began to lift the pot through the use of long hooked staff and pour its content out into the molds. Ethan had been lucky in the fact that he was pouring brass sword hilts, the smelting pot had been small compared to some of the larger ones used in making bars. The heat from the furnace had Ethan sweating constantly and drinking water every bell. After the pour Ethan had taken bucket load of ore up to the top of the furnace and slowly placed small pieces into the furnace. At least all the ore had been crushed at the mine and Ethan only had to haul it up and pour it in. He couldn’t imagine how long it would take for a blacksmith to refine his own ore. The iron he had been working on was the first raw pass in the furnace. Tonight, younger apprentices had come in to watch the mixture and pull of the slag of the pot. Tomorrow, Ethan would come in to pour iron into bars, while screening out the stone chucks that often sank to the bottom. Then the process would be performed again taking out the impurities with philtering chemicals.

Ethan came out feeling tired and wanting some spiced potatoes at the Broken Casket. It was then that Ethan noticed a young woman over on the other side of the street. She looked tired and in desperate need of food. Additionally, if she wasn’t careful she could end up in the tank as a vagrant by the Order. Ethan debated for a little while, wondering about the woman, really a girl, and if he should help or just going to the tavern and getting the spiced potatoes. Breathing a heavy sigh, Ethan walked over to the woman thinking, This is my one good deed today, hopefully the Kraken will still have some potatoes left.

As Ethan approached the young lady, and notice the black eye. He felt sorry for her and wondered if she hadn’t ran away from some place to escape abuse. “Excuse me, Miss, are you ok?”

by **Erin Stella** on September 6th, 2013, 2:57 am

The streets were beginning now really bustling with people getting off work and making their way home. In general, Stella had found it best to ignore these people as they weren't normally in the mood to hear a sales pitch. Wearing her new, much nicer clothes made her feel more at home and gave her much more confidence than usual but even still, she didn't want to deal with that tonight. It was for this reason that she largely turned away from the individuals exiting the Ironworks and searched for potential customers down the street. She leaned against her father's staff and let out a long, tired sigh. "Mother, Father," she said to herself, "how did you do this?" She said with genuine curiosity. The thought of her parents was quickly pushed aside, however, when she glanced over her shoulder to see a man walking straight towards her. She turned to face him and raised her eyebrows as if to say, "How can I help you?" She had seen the man as he had exited the Ironworks but made no note of him, but as he approached her now she couldn't help but notice that he looked somehow different than the others she had seen in the city so far. Something about him was very...strange. When he finally got near and asked her if she was alright she gave him a quick look of surprise and confusion, why wouldn't she be o.k? Then it hit her that he must be looking at the black eye and bruises. "Oh," she said with a grin and slight chuckle, "yes I'm fine. I was attacked yesterday by a gang down by the fighting pit." She lied, "They got me by surprise but I was able to blow them all away with my magic." She tried to make a tough face while she raised her right hand into the air and clenched it into a fist. Lying had always come very naturally to Erin, but it was because her lies were slightly different than most people's: A part of her actually believed the things that she made up. While some part knew that she really just got beaten to a pulp by some fighter, as far as her conscious mind was concerned she spent last night beating up a gang of thugs. She let out another slight chuckle as her body relaxed. "Oh sorry," she apologized, "My name is Erin Stella," She held out her hand with her palm facing downward for him to kiss it. With her upper-class upbringing, this was what was natural for her when meeting new people. It had not yet occurred to her that this may appear obscure to other people or even insulting.

by **Karu** on September 6th, 2013, 2:24 pm

Karu just have joined the city, but it looked like a good place to live. "To know a new city, there isnt a best way than exploration" Karu said to himself.
As he was walking randomly, he saw something that he didnt like: a man was standing, talking to a woman with a black eye. "Did he hit the woman? If thats so, I should help, but I can be wrong. I better watch closely before act" he though. As he was still watching, it looked like the woman was giving something to the man. "Maybe he attacked her because of his gold."

The fact that Karu was too far to hear what they were talking made him think that a simple action as could be held out a hand to saludate was a thief and his victim. Also, the black eye wasnt helping...

by **Ethan Ironhorse** on September 6th, 2013, 3:23 pm

Ethan was slightly taken back, the young lady had been attacked by a gang down by the fighting pit? But it was her second comment that almost made him hiss, instead Ethan stuck his breath in through his teeth. It had to be a joke, she was just playacting! No one opening admitted that they used magic in harm in Syliras. Ethan understood it was in defense, but even his small ability to perform Shielding would make him a social pariah, and Shielding was one of the safer magics. It was then that the girl made some type of face, almost as if she had to take a shyte and then Ethan laughed. It had been a joke! Of course! No one admitted such things to strangers, if she had used magic to harm people it was Ethan responsibility to go and report her to the Order and they would slap her in irons forcing her to work in the mines or just kill her for her crime.

“Well Miss Stella, you certainly have a great sense of humor. Very few people would joke about using magic to harm others in this city, even in self-defense. So I take it you must be new to the city! Don’t worry. If I thought you were serious, I would have to report you to the Order, and I don’t really want to watch a beheading tonight.” Ethan looked down at the hand, Strange way to offer a handshake, Ethan thought. He grabbed the hand with a firm grasp, but not one that would hurt the young lady and gave it a gentle shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Stella, I am Ethan Ironhorse and as you can see from the iron dust on my clothes, I work in the foundry. So do you work around here? Or are you trying to become a cage fighter?”

Ethan knew that Spinning Coin was always looking for female fighters. Gene Duval had a way of making money off of blood and violence, but some of the largest gambling was done on small females versus large males. Something about the challenge and fights made both men and women scream for blood. Betting was heavy, and it was rumored that women fighters were often more vicious than their male counterparts. Still Ethan didn’t see the kind of spirit that it took to win a cage match in the little package that the young lady presented.

As Karu walked the hallways of the city-castle to the dock area’s, he was likely struck by fact that the majority of the city was enclosed, as well as, the main traveled corridors were patrolled by Syliras Knights and Squires. It wasn’t till he got closer to the docks in the Bittern District. Sadly, since the Kelvic stood back watching the two interact, Ethan didn’t take notice of the young man as he laughed and shook Miss Stella hand.

Secret :

by **Karu** on September 6th, 2013, 6:18 pm

"Excuse me, sir" said Karu as he come closer to the two strangers.
"I see you and the young lady are friends. Im sorry, I misunderstand the situation and I though you were going to steal something or to hurt her" While he was talking, he down his head and looked down, hoping they wont notice his eyes.

"It might not be a great thing, but for me is a bad behaviour. Even I was thinking if I should attack you."
After thinking a second he added: "Right! To repair my error... what if we all go to eat something? I have to repair my error, and the young lady seems to need it. Of course you dont have to pay anything, I will pay instead!"

In the moment he said that, he smiled and they saw his yellow eyes, but they dont seems to be scared. More than scared, they were confused because of the behaviour of the man.

"Come on, come on! Im new in the city, so you lead the way, sir! Just thinking in the meat Im going to eat makes me feel happy!"

by **Erin Stella** on September 6th, 2013, 11:51 pm

Her mouth fell open for a moment when he grabbed her hand but she quickly collected herself and fanned a smile. After letting go she slowly moved her hand behind her back and wiped it off on her skirt. She was truly trying her hardest not to scare this man away, he was one of the first ones to actually talk to her. She remained silent and nodded slightly as he spoke-her mind wrestled with the information she was being provided. Now she knew the full extent of the cities anti-magic policies. What frightened, ignorant mongrels, she thought to herself. Her first instinct was to freak out. To rant, and boast, and maybe light a few things on fire; but she didn't. She caught herself, contained her outrage, and played along with this little joke. "Cage fighter?" she asked with a slight tilt of her head and perhaps a hint of aggression in her voice, "Is that like pit fighting?" she paused a moment and glanced around before asking, "Are there any Order knights there?" Suddenly a new character appeared from behind her and spoke. He actually caught her by total surprise and made her jump a little. He spoke very strangely and with his very odd mannerism and look caused Erin to look at him with slight disgust. "Umm..." she said, not sure how to respond and looked to the iron worker assuming he would know better how to handle this.

by **Ethan Ironhorse** on September 7th, 2013, 2:11 am

General Rule :

Ethan listened to the young woman, she seemed confused about why she went to the pit. After all it was training area for fighters, the only reason you went there was to watch the fighters or train and since she had a black eye, he was pretty sure she wasn’t watching. Before, he could respond to the young lady’s questions, a man came up to him from behind. As he turned to the man, he was surprised by just the absence of thinking. It seemed like the man blurted out what he was thinking at the moment, it reminded Ethan of some of the wilderness men, being outside the walls and away from human contact for so long that they just often said what they thought. Ethan put on a patient smile, “Well, I wouldn’t quite say Miss Stella and myself are friends. I am just being neighborly at the moment. As for the misreading of the situation… I would stay that you thinking I might steal something from was a good thought. After all occansional theft still occurs in the city, but since patrols of Knights are common in the main corridor’s or thoroughfare’s I wouldn’t get very fair before they stopped me.”

“Anyway, the name is Ethan Ironhorse, and thoughts don’t require apologies or meals, but I will be heading to the Broken Casket to get some spiced potatoes soon. I know they serve a decent Fish tray as well. However, since your new to the city and its getting late, have you secured lodgings yet? Because if you haven’t and don’t have a lot of coin we probably need to go to the Housing Authority to get you in on Travelers Row. Otherwise, if you want to stay here that that would be a good place to start as well, if you can give me a moment, I think Miss Stella had some questions for me.”

Ethan turned back to the young lady, “Something about Cage… that’s right! You said that you got that at the pits. Well, since there aren’t any gangs there just lone fighters training, if figured you would be training for a cage match at the Spinning Coin. When there are fights between women or a woman against a male, the betting is increased by a fair amount, winners get a cut of the betting. Depending on the fights that the owner sets up depends on the prize money, the majority of the fights are straight up bare knuckle brawls. Or I suppose you could be training for the Knighthood? They usually have open recruiting here shortly. As far as, if there are any Knights…” Ethan looked around a bit, “Ah looks like two squires are down the way there, can’t go fifteen or twenty chimes out here without seeing them.”

Ethan stepped back from the two, “Now, do either of you have more questions about the city, I know that both of you are new. Or should we head over to the Housing Authority to help settle the gentlemen in, and then we can go for a bite to eat?”

by **Karu** on September 7th, 2013, 5:01 am

"Pleased to meet you, Ethan and Stella, my name is Karu. So secure a lodging, you said? I can take care of it tomorrow. Tonight I have to search... uh... I mean I dont care about it now"

Ethan started to speak with Stella about cage matches in Spinning Coin. Karu looked at her. She was a small, very thin and pale girl.

"So you think Stella is a fighter? She almost looks ill, doesnt look like a fighter to me. She looks more like an Ice Queen"

Karu was a strange man. He was tall with short black hair hairstyled like a sea urchin. Also, even when he was wearing a white shirt and brown trousers to appear to be a normal human, he has yellow iris and big pupils, he was walking barefoot and the nails in his hands were sharp and black, like the talon of a bird of prey.

by **Erin Stella** on September 7th, 2013, 11:58 am

Erin looked on silently nodding her head as Ethan spoke. This was potentially life saving information and she was doing her best to not miss a word of it. At first this cage fighting sounded like a perfect opportunity to hone her skills, but, like with everything in this city the Order had to ruin it. When she had first come to Syliras she had thought that their prejudice would keep her sharp, but it was just beginning to seem like too much. Once Karu chimed in Erin was in no mood for conversation and, as she often did, overreacted to his comments. She narrowed her eyes on him and snapped, "What is that supposed to mean!" Out of pure instinct Stella began to release a small amount of rez into the air just around her. She wasn't sure if she actually had any intention to use it-she wasn't really offended by the man but she was in a very bad mood. However, the moment Erin remembered Ethan's words, something along the lines of I'll have you beheaded if you hurt people with magic, she knew she had made a mistake. Perhaps she could play it off as a joke? "Ice Queen," she repeated, "So you think I'm cold?" Just then the rez began to ignite into tiny, flickering flames in the air around her. They would last only a few moments then burn out like invisible matches; it actually looked kind of pretty. "Say I look sick again and I'll heat up soon enough." It was perhaps a threat but she tried to say it in the most joking, sarcastic way she could. She stole a quick glance as Ethan to gauge what he was thinking but mostly just tried to look off in no particular direction, avoiding eye contact with either of them. "And no, I won't be joining you for dinner. I have work to do." With that she once again began leaning on her staff and tried to ignore the both of them.

Open Will Magic For Food