Aura of Paranoia (Aislyn)

[Tail]

Timestamp: 39th of Summer
Location: Alvadas Streets

Tail is three feet in height. He has feet just like a human, he walks like a human. He probably even thinks like a human. Though, he isn't a human. He is a being made of clay. Just clay alone. All detail of his body was carved in intricate design. Tail, he was given strange looks by the locals and other new comers that entered the City of Illusion. Their were patrols, these men known as Sheathewhisps. Though, Tail did not officially know them. He didn't even want to use his Auristics to figure them out. He wasn't lazy, he just felt not to.

Stone against stone tapped against the street as the Pycon strolled on, gazing at the buildings that morphed into illusions in awe. He didn't really know where to go, the streets changed on him every turn. It was interesting to see, but to experience the illusion itself, almost grew Tail insane. Well, his first few weeks of being in Alvadas wasn't as bad as he imagined. The journey here was bearable, but it was also difficult to endure at the same time. Though, he doesn't have to worry about another journey now, not until later on. He hopes to reach Kenash before winter. Hopefully.

"Curse it. This illusion is driving me off edge. Where am I ever supposed to go?!" He grumbled to himself as he trudged on, feeling a bit unhappy and stressed of his trekking. Where was he supposed to go? He didn't know, really. He was trying to find some sort of residential business, hopefully an Inn or something. But, he hadn't had much money on him. He didn't actually register last season to become a mage in Auristics. Though, maybe he could do it here, in Alvadas. If he ever can find the place to apply for jobs.

Passerbys walked on by, ignoring Tail and nearly stepping on him. With a grunt, "Hey watch the tail buddy." Said the Pycon as he inched his fox like head upwards at a man. The man looked down and jumped, he then scurriednaway like a rat running from a mouse. Well, not running away, just shocked morenso surprised. That's what it was, the man was flabbergasted of seeing a Pycon. "What, has he not seen a Pycon before?" The fox clay man asked himself. Now, he almost did feel insane. The Pycon turned round another corner only to be intercepted by a dead end. What was he suppose to do? Where is he supposed to go?

"By the love of Gods..." His words trailed off as he silently cursed to himself. He didn't know what to do. The Pycon turned back and avoided the little dead end that housed a few homes. He didn't seem like talking to anyone at the moment, as he grew frustrated. His emotions were hidden behind his visage with a simple frown. Though, his lips curled into a sour smirk as he trudged along through the streets. He passed buildings that he thought he had had seen before, bit can't be too sure. Everything almost looks so different.

Pycons don't usually starve as they don't have an official set dietary guide for them plus they can eat anything. Really. Tail had a nice little pouch of clay that a good spiritist friend had purchased him within his body. It's also interesting to Tail how he can use his body to hold things inside ofbhim, just like his money and other things. He didn't have anything else really that he carried with him. It was just his clay shape and his money and food. Well, that's what he'll call it for now.

He eventually picked up the nerve to speak to some people. Knowing that at least one of them would respond. He hurried over to a male who was roughly in his twenties more or less. Black hair and tanned skin he carried with him a sword of some kind, though Tail didn't have a weapon himself, he was thinking of getting one that will suit his likes. "Hey!" The Pycon exclaimed. "Hey, mister?!" The man looked down, startled and he blushed. Another one, who walks away from Tail.

The Pycon huffed in frustration once again. Really, not knowing what to do. In Lhavit, the Pycons were observed and questioned curiously and not ran away from. In Alvadas, he was treated differently, well, more or less with suspicion. Their was a lady walking, Tail picked up pace with her, he gathered up his thoughts. Mainly, his manners as he sort of forgot about them almost and sighed before speaking. Walking still, he cleared his throat. His voice low and steady. Almost commanding like though, it was confidence really when he would speak. "Hi. Hello there friend." He started slowly. "Would you be able to help find some sort of residency? These streets are playing tricks with some sort of Illusion. Why is that?"


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[Aislyn Leavold]

39th of Summer

It seemed the trauma wasn’t quite over for Alvadas just yet.
It had been a good season since the last wave of panic had washed over the city; people had believed the illusions had straightened themselves out. Believed that things had been turned back to whatever normal there had been before.

Of course, that had not been so.

Aislyn, too, had for a moment deluded herself with the idea that all the events of winter were long past them. Not entirely, of course, with her cynical point of view in observing every single event as some sort of key or clue to what had really gone on when Alvadas had gone to war. But she had believed. After all, there had been no clear explanation in the end. Perhaps it was all an illusion, or a good laugh from Ionu. Itt wouldn’t be hard to imagine, though this was certainly a long con if there ever was one. Three, four seasons? Almost a whole year since the signs first appeared. Deities were immortal, yes, but Ionu had never been the patient kind.

Nonetheless, Aislyn never lost faith. Things would work out in the end, and besides, if life was spiced up just a tiny bit, who was she to complain? She’d grown stronger, more adept to the circumstances because of the trials. A whole new personality- Anjani- had come out of it. Though she had run into a few kinks in the process of ironing such an illusion out. It had been quite a while since she’d fully incorporated a new face into her arsenal, and she needed to figure out just what ‘Anjani’ was to be used for. Her illusionism granted her the ability to become anyone she wished at will, but if that person had no functionality, what was the point?

In the end, Aislyn decided that ‘Anjani’ was for the Sheathewisps, and any interaction that came in relation to them. She carried her crossbow as ‘Anjani’, and her sketchbook as ‘Maya’. Two signs of the summer-season coin: the fighter, and the artist.

For the moment, Aislyn was the artist, with shorter, lighter hair and a smile much more welcoming than the scars she wore underneath. An act; a persona. Her favoured mask.
It was as Maya she was approached, though by whom it wasn’t clear at first.

”Hi. Hello there, friend.”

Aislyn had been walking, as she often did, down any random street she could find. Dead ends had seemed especially prevalent that day, though that was to be expected with all the rumors going around. The city often reflected the mood of its people, after all, and Alvadas was a quite literal example of that. Turning slowly, Aislyn tried to find what conversation she had walked into. Certainly, it couldn’t have been her that was being spoken to?

Looking to her left, she saw nothing. To her right, nothing. Then she looked down.

Below her, a small something looked up with pupilless eyes. Made of clay, or some other dirt-like substance, and molded into the shape of some sort of animal. What were those things called again? Aislyn had read about them, or overheard something, somewhere. The clay things. Or perhaps the living art piece was an illusion. That was a possibility as well.

”Are you speaking to me?”

It was quite possible the clay thing was not, in fact, speaking to her. Nowadays, one couldn’t find a single space of solitude in Alvadas if they searched all day and night. With all the pilgrims in the city, there was nowhere that a tent hadn’t been pitched, and nowhere a conversation was not being had. The streets were even more full that usual, and it was quite possible Aislyn had just overheard the wrong set of words. Though when the clay person continued, she decided that yes, it was indeed expected of her to respond.

”Residency?” This was one of the newcomers, then. Yet another in a long line of people that were taking up every precious space in Aislyn’s precious city. ”Good luck with that one. There’s not a corner in Alvadas that has living room left open.”
She kept walking, hoping that answer would suffice. Unfortunately, the clay thing did not wander off afterwards, instead asking about illusions as well. Definitely new to the city, then. Slowly, she stopped walking, pulling off to the side of the street in order to avoid being run over by some lost soul with somewhere to be.

”Ah… Welcome to Alvadas. To answer your question, there’s no finding anything anywhere here, there’s only luck and a prayer to Ionu. Does the Sanity Center ring any bells?” Pausing, Aislyn thought for a moment. It was certainly possible the clay being had been to the Center, and simply hadn’t found an open job. After all, what work was a three-inch thing made of dirt able to do? ”If you’ve got somewhere to work, you’ve got somewhere to live. Otherwise..."
She paused once again. This wasn’t the first newcomer to ask her for directions. She gave the same advice every time, in the form of random pointing and a hope for the best.
”May Ionu preserve your soul.”

~

TRUTH IN ILLUSIONS

[Tail]

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”Good luck with that one. There’s not a corner in Alvadas that has living room left open.” Said the lady with a quick look towards Tail. Then she kept on walking, Tail hurried behind her, his tail behind him wagging slowly in anticipation as he didn't want to wait for an answer.

He kept on walking, well he was almost jogging now. Avoiding the stones in front of him was an obstacle that was hard to get around. "The Sanity Center, no... It doesn't really ring... Ring a bell. I've only heard of this city. Not of really what's inside it." He said slowly in a low volume. He sighed, head lowering to the ground as he walked beside her. This woman seemed to be ignorant. Tail didn't mind that personally, though when he tries to be a nice fella, he'll expect respect in return.

But, within this situation it wasn't following that path that Tail was hoping to have this conversation follow. The girl carried a book of some sorts. To Tail, it appeared to be some sort of writing book, maybe a sketch book? Though, who could be so sure? "Somewhere to work and to live?" Tail asked. "Do you see how I look to you ms? I am three inches tall, the only thing I can do is... Is... Magic!" He said in a hoarse whisper as he didn't want to cause too much attention.

"And I only believe in the God known as Harameus. He is my creator. And I follow no one else." He States bluntly with a sour mix into his words. He took a few deep breaths and calmned himself before he totally lost it. Who does this lady with a notebook think she is? She just can't shove another being away like some sort of junk. He stayed quiet for awhile as he still purposely strolled alongside the woman. "What's your name? My name is, Tail."


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[Aislyn Leavold]

That was a feat. Alvadas must have truly taken a disliking to whoever this creature was if not even the Sanity Center had happened upon his path. Then again, perhaps it was because there was nowhere for the clay being to work. Why would the city show someone a place to find work if there was no work to be found? It was a simple explanation, but it still made sense. After all, the woman had never been a newcomer to the city- briefly visiting or otherwise- that hadn’t been inside the Center at one point or another. Nevertheless, the clay being had to be able to do something, right? Even clay had to gain sustenance from somewhere, and sustenance costs mizas, just like everything else. The true inquiry Aislyn meant to make was how?
As if on cue, the woman’s question was answered. And a great answer it was.

”Magic!”

Magic. Ionu preserve the thing, this little ball of clay really was new to the city. Magic wasn’t just mentioned. Not normally. Hai, Aislyn had been half-convinced it didn’t exist in her beloved city until the winter season had caused magic wielders to come crawling out the woodwork. Abruptly, Aislyn slowed her pace before coming to a stop, allowing the creature to catch up from where it had fallen behind. Crouching down, the illusionist paid close attention to what the overzealous clay ball had to say. Unfortunately, what he had to say wasn’t exactly much, rambling on about a god Aislyn had never even heard of before. She refrained from laughing at that; perhaps that was the reason the city had dealt such a distasteful hand to the living clay sculpture, if he took Ionu’s name so lightly. He’d learn. Eventually.
Whether that ‘eventually’ happened before or after he was deposited into an illusionary pit of angry bears, that was the question.

”You may wish to pay more respect, considering the answer to your question about the illusions is that deity you ‘don’t believe in’.” She paused, thinking over her words. Antagonizing the clay would do her no good- an angry person made no good teacher- so perhaps patience was a virtue in this situation. ”But perhaps I’ve misjudged you.”

Thinking for a moment, Aislyn decided that speaking downwards for the entirety of the conversation would do no good. Picking up the tiny being in cupped palms, the woman decided she had seen stranger things in her days and continued to walk.

”My name is Maya. Now what was this about magic?”

~

TRUTH IN ILLUSIONS

[Tail]

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Tail was anxious. He didn't know where to go to get refuge. In fact, he was really wanting to know why and what the other travelers are doing here. He didn't know what the other traverlers are doing here in Alvadas. All he knew was that the extra people staying here is making things ever so difficult for Tail to find a place to stay at. Be didn't k kw what to do.

Harameus' tongue. What in Mizahar is this girl talking about? Ionu? Didn't she hear Tail speak? Probably not. Though, this is obviously the goddess of illusions domain. If Tail was caught shoving the goddess out with words of distrust then things could badly happen to him for sure. Surely, the goddess of deceiving others knows how to finish off a Pycon. Maybe Harameus and Ionu have daily to day conversations about things. Pray to the Gods that they don't. Tail sighed. He didn't know what to think anymore...

Tail sighed once more before soothing himself with another deep breath. He wanted to use his Auristics on the girl, but he didn't want to risk passing out again. The Overgiving was slowly sneaking into him. Purring and smooth talking almost to get him to use Auristics. He shook his head and snapped back into reality the want to use Auristics. It was hard to not use it.

When he was in Lhavit. Fail had met a spiritist. Sure. His name was Levi. The two met at a location named The Sundial Circle. When they had also encountered an old man who was a spirit. All the old man had cared about was his precious little jewel he had crafted when he was a mortal.

"Misjudged me? I may be small, but that doesn't mean I have any wits." The Pycon replied sternly as he hurried up to the girl. Tail was slightly relaxed and a little bit agitated at the same time. Maya.

That was her name. She cupped her hands together and Tail allowed her to pick him up. The feeling of his clay skin would feel more rubbery then stone as their bodies are made to formulate into whatever shape they want. "I'm an aurist... Why do you ask. And what is this city really? How do I get around this... City of yours?"


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[Aislyn Leavold]

The clay being was heavier than first expected, though that was probably due to the whole situation of being literally made of stone. Nevertheless, Aislyn carried him as carefully as she dared to as they walked. She kept aware of every part of her that touched the creature, keeping her right hand the closest to Tail in order to avoid the possibility of him feeling the scar on her left hand through the illusion that hid it. Would a being made of earth even pay attention to such a thing? Her guess was as good as any, but it never hurt to be cautious. Old habits died hard, after all, and she wasn’t planning on killing this particular habit anytime soon.

An aurist. That was a new term. Keeping her voice low, she dropped careful glances around to make sure there was no particularly interested figures attempting to ‘overhear’ anything important. ”Curiosity is my reasoning. What does an ‘aurist’ entail?”

For a moment, Aislyn switched from observing the people around them to observing their surroundings, wondering where the city would deposit them today. For the moment, they appeared to be on a residential street, though the illusionist had definitely caught a glimpse of Ionu’s Temple over one of the houses a few paces back. Perhaps that would be a good place to take the newcomer. It was the place most touched by the deity of illusions, after all, but then again with the amount of people currently residing inside it, maybe now wasn’t the best time. Where else would Alvadas’ nature shine brightest?

”This city is… Alvadas. It’s a city. It changes, it flows, it lives, it breathes. You flow with it, you live with it, you breathe with it….” The tower of the Womiyu appeared up ahead, and Aislyn let her gaze wander up as they passed. ”...you live in the city, and the city lives in you.”

”There’s no surefire way to find your way around. Most days you enjoy the freedom of being able to walk in any direction you’d like and find your way. That’s why newcomers have so much trouble.” She just barely smiled at the thought; ever since she’d been a child on the streets of the ever-changing city she’d learned the way the city favored those who kept faith when their faith was tried. ”If you expect for your destination to be dropped at your feet instantly, you’ll be looking for it for the good part of a day.”

Balancing Tail in one hand, Aislyn produced her house key for the clay being to see. Faintly it pulled her forward, with a tad bit of inclination to the right. ”The only place you’re guaranteed to find is home, if you’ve got one.”
Like a compass, it pulled towards the location of her abode, which, consistent with the pull of the key, appeared up the street to their right. At the sight of her home, Aislyn had an idea. The clay had mentioned magic, hadn’t he? And now he needed some way to make coin… Slowly, a plan began to form.

”Now, you’ll have no luck chasing magic in Ionu’s city.” Approaching her house, she paused, wondering if it were best to sit down somewhere or to keep moving. ”It’s… not something that’s often talked about here, you see.”

She wasn’t exactly the most informed about the whole world of magic, given her humble upbringing in Alvadas, but she did know how magic was perceived, at least. If this ‘aurist’ thing was big and flashy, they’d need somewhere private, but if it could be explained while walking down the street, it was better not to remain in one place. But that was for Tail to divulge, she supposed. It was very clear to the woman, of course, that the whole situation was a risk, but if this unseen world of magics was as dangerous as she’d been raised to think, she was going to have to take some chances. And this was that chance.
”That being said, perhaps we could make an arrangement.”
Bartering was not a skill Aislyn was particularly experienced in, but there was no reason to take this slowly. After all, there were few people in Alvadas that the illusionist saw more than once, so she needed to get as much information out of this meeting as possible.
”What can you teach me about this magic?”

~

TRUTH IN ILLUSIONS

[Tail]

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Tail carefully avoided Aislyns shoulder blade bone as he tried to get his own comfortable position on top of the woman's shoulder. Tail wanted to use his Auristics on this mysterious woman that he met and now knows her being as Maya. He didn't trust the woman, though she knew her way around Alvadas, or at least what it means to be when your living here

When Tail mentioned of him being an Aurist she got so... Secretive about it. As if she never heard the term of magic. Or anything related to it. "You look like you haven't heard of it before." Well, as he spoke, she seemed to have answer his own question, with a question. "An Aurist can understand the history of objects, they can read people's auras. Feelings, and a lot of other stuff." He said flat out simply shrugging the last bit off.

When Tail was in Lhavit for his two years of existence. He wanted to know everything. Everything and everyone. Well, probably not everyone. Though, having friends was always a good idea to him. He felt that he should get to know more people and become active in the social realm.

As Aislyn walked with Tail on her shoulder, the Pycon looked around the city. They passed some buildings that more likely looked like residential buildings. Though, nothing that looked like an inn or a place that he might have somewhere to stay.

There was a tower just awhile ahead if them. It looked important, though Tail did not know what the name of the building was. He sighed, hoping to get to know this place soon. Aislyn kept walking, though Tail kept in mind of her curiosity. If Maya had her own house. He thought. Maybe, I could try and bargain with her. If she's interested in learning Auristics. "What luck do I need for magic, when I know it?" He asked the woman curiously.

Tail took in the rest of his surroundings when people walked by. If he blushed, she or anyone wouldn't see it. "Why isn't it allowed?" He asked. Aislyn stepped into which appeared to be her house as she relinquished her key into the lock hole and turned the knob with a slight creak from the door pushing open. Tail immediately scanned the room as best he could from where he was. "A bargain, you say?" He asked her, a stone brow cocked lightly.

"I know enough about most of it. It's not really a skill to teach, one must understand all of the components to actually get a feel of Auristics. It can be very difficult. And there are consequences..." He said slowly looking towards Aislyn. "How do I not know yet, that your actually Maya. With all of this Illusion stuff, how do I know your not some sort of murderer?" He asked her sternly. He just met her, she had just told him that magic isn't allowed and yet, she wants him to teach her?

"You must take me for some fool, if you say magic is not allowed, though I am short on coin. Plus, magic is a big responsibility. Using it too much can cause a big risk in death. I need a full payment and perhaps... A place to stay, if your willing of course?"

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[Aislyn Leavold]

Understand the history of objects… read people's auras. Feelings, and a lot of other stuff.
Interesting. Such a power could certainly be useful. Like a heads up to the intentions of a person, or a deeper insight into the mind of another.
”You’d need luck for finding any sort of work for an ‘aurist’.” An occupation where the only goal was to perform magic. What kind of service did that offer? An artist created art, a dancer performed, but an ‘aurist’... Magic was such a covert act, it was strange to think of it as something people could profit from. There were plenty of performers in Alvadas, but few of them wielded magic so explicitly. If one could dance with illusionary fire, why risk being set on fire? That was the true art, in Aislyn’s opinion. Tail’s response to her attempt at an explanation was jarring. What luck would he need? What city did he hail from in which magic was so blatant? The illusionist had believed magic to be at least a little bit clandestine all around Mizahar, no matter the specific location. Alvadas being unusual in that fact seemed… wrong.

”Why isn’t it allowed?.”

Aislyn bit her tongue. Her biggest problem had always been revealing too much information at once. She needed to think through her words.
”That's not what I said.” The clay thing was on her shoulder now, freeing up her hands but causing her a world worth of anxiety over all the different ways her illusions could possibly be felt through. ”Magic is not constricted, per say, it's just...” Why was magic looked down upon? She had never particularly thought about it, considering she'd never been outside Alvadas. With no frame of reference, it had always seemed like people should just understand that Alvadas was a place for illusions, not magic. ”...occasionally misused.”

Magic was cheating, in a way. Ionu’s illusions were crafted with care, like a fine art. When a blacksmith put so much care into his craft, why should a wizard that created the same sword with half as much effort be hailed as the same level of skill? The art was in the illusion, and magic was far too real to fool anyone. The way the clay described this magic was strange, as well. Not a skill. And with consequences. He was going to need to be a bit more specific than that. Aislyn’s gnosis had never brought harm upon her for using it, and that was just another type of magic, was it not? If he meant to scare her off, he wasn’t going to succeed. His suspicions, however, worried her. He had said this ‘auristics’ allowed a deeper look at people, and now he was questioning her truthfulness. In her throat, a familiar lump rose. How do I know that you’re actually Maya?

Inhale. Exhale.

How do I know you’re not some sort of murderer?

Ah. That was better. No, he hadn’t seen through her. He couldn’t have. Even with how much nicer ‘Maya’ might have looked, even Aislyn didn’t look like a murderer. At least, she didn’t think so. Leveling her voice, she tried to figure out a way to stretch the truth just enough to be in her favor. She just needed him to agree with her, after all. He didn’t need to stick around for long after that.

”Again, you misunderstand me. Magic is...” She dropped her voice. An old Alvad saying came to mind. You never know who’s listening. ”...allowed, just not advertised as you may do elsewhere.” His comments on the risk of death was mildly worrying, but not disheartening. She would be careful. She was always careful. How could a magic that merely let you see more clearly cause death so plainly?

”Mizas are no problem, I can assure you of that.” Alvadas was kind to artists, and with drawing being her main hobby improvement had left her bringing in more than enough coin to spare. A place to stay, however, was different. Her illusions didn’t last forever, and required concentration. If she were to house a visitor, sleeping would be difficult to say the least. ”A place to stay, I cannot promise.” Like she had said, it would be difficult for a ball of clay to barter its way into a person-sized room, but perhaps if Aislyn herself bought it, that would be a different story. Either way, she would cross that bridge when she came to it. For now, there was magic to be learnt. ”But I certainly will try.”

”Do we have a deal?”

~

TRUTH IN ILLUSIONS

[Tail]

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"Why luck? When I have chance." He said sullenly. Rail wasn't much of what they call an optimist being. He seen things as if it were reality. Realism is what he believes in. Save for magic and Harameus. He didn't believe in much else, though he was aware of other gods and magic. He just didn't really care for the Gods part. Maybe, being here in Alvadas was what he needed. To start believing. It could make things go easier for him if he ever met other people who believed in Ionu.

Back in Lhavit, their were people there who would believe in all sorts of Gods. Pycons were practically interrogated with questions about their heritage and everything else that people wanted to know. He didn't mind answering questions. Though, Maya had none about him or his people. Did she not want to know about them?

Back in Lhavit, magic had no... Misuse. Everyone who knew magic treated it with care and wielded it fairly carefully. No need to be surreptitious. Don't need to be in covert mode. In Lhavit, what you did is what you did. No one bothered you, well not really. Tail had his first dose of overgivng. He read the history of a spirit. Well, he can't remember if it was the weapon that killed him that he read or the jewel that the old spirit man created.

This Illusion thing was much more. It sounded confusing and Tail didn't really understand illusions. He knew that the creator was Ionu. He didn't pay much respect while he was in Ionus' presence. This is her domain. Tail should treat it with respect as much as he should. Aislyn paced back and forth by her table. Tail was unsure if what she was doing. Probably thinking.

Tail slumped his shoulders. "A deal?" He asked her. He knew what it was, he didn't really figure that he'll actually get this far with Maya. She's letting him into her home. He thought about it. How much coin does Maya actually have? She said she had plenty of coin early. Maybe she could pay every lesson Tail taught ?

"Deal, 100 mizas worth. For every time I teach you? I'll do what I can around this place of yours plus if you let me stay I can also toss in some details about my race and where I come from. It's not enough, but it's the least I can do. Plus, what would happen if I got caught?" Hopefully, no one in Alvadas would know how to kill off a Pycon? Hopefully, just hopefully.

"Would that be... Sufficient?"

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[Aislyn Leavold]

”Luck and chance are synonyms, my small acquaintance,” A feeling not unlike excitement buzzed in Aislyn’s head. She had formulated plans on how to somehow hold the power of magic within her grasp before, but now, as fate would have it, her plans had all rolled up into one rather miniature being. It had been quite a while since she had managed to find something to be excited for. Her elation, however, did seem to be a double edged sword. Tail seemed rather excited too, and appeared to already be making plans to move in. That was problematic. She was an experienced illusionist, but she was going to need Ionu’s blessing and then some to keep ‘Maya’ a reality around Tail twenty-four bells a day.

”You sleep here,” She hesitated at the door. Discipline. She had wanted to hone her ability, had she not? This was just another challenge. ”But nothing more, nothing less. You do not live here. Food is not included-” Did clay even eat? ”-should you need to consume anything, that is. After all, Alvadas is a place of interesting culture, and I’m already providing your mizas. You might as well see what delicacies the city has to offer.”
Aislyn knew precisely what illusion-riddled delicacies Tail would discover, and that was partly why she had encouraged such a plan of action. In her two decades in the city she must have been to every inn and restaurant at least a dozen times, and not a single one lacked a taste of illusions.

When Tail agreed to the terms, Aislyn finally unlocked the door to her abode. The woman pushed open the door to find it desolate, as she had hoped. Maria must have been elsewhere.

That was another thing- Aislyn’s mother was a loose cannon. If she said something and Tail grew suspicious… Well, even without magic, the illusionist was going to have to establish some sort of control over the situation. She didn’t have a failsafe, as of yet. As soon as the clay was out of the house, the illusionist would need to investigation-proof the house. There wasn’t really much to do, considering all of her belongings were usually locked in a chest regardless, but it never hurt to look twice. She hadn’t exactly bought said chest with visitors in mind, but it had an almost infallible lock for a reason. Her possessions, at least, were secured.

”One hundred gold to begin, twenty five ever lesson afterwards.”

That would get him through the season, along with some afterwards. She was not planning to be generous, but she also had no idea how long this arrangement would go on for. It would be best to keep the clay happy for the moment, at least. The information he mentioned was certainly tempting, but she needed to be stern with her bargaining.

”Intelligence will grant you extra,” What had he said? My race and where I come from. That would be useful. ”Your origins, other cities, this ‘Harameus’,” What else could this tiny ball of clay know?
”If it's anything useful, then you’ve got yourself a hundred.”

Setting her backpack down on the table in the center of the room, Aislyn placed Tail on the cot in the corner. She still had no definite plan regarding where the clay ball would sleep, but she had a few ideas. The artist had been meaning to buy her mother a new bed, considering the state of the old one. Tail wasn't exactly the largest creature, so if she modified the old furniture a bit it would surely be sufficient. Aislyn slept on the old bed, her mother got the new one, and the smallest bed was left to the smallest being. Perfect.

As she paced about the room, the clay repeated his concerns regarding the danger of magic in Alvadas. With a sigh, Aislyn made a mental note to soften her words next time.

”Nothing would happen if you would get caught,” That wasn't entirely true, but as long as Tail wasn't a fool he would most likely survive a bit of telling off from the Speakers. ”You'd be looked down upon, not stoned. And that's only if you're obvious.” Aislyn had learned how prevalent magic truly was in Alvadas only recently. Tail couldn't be that much worse than the average Alvad magic-wielder, and surely he must have known some way to keep his ability under the radar. Other than being a walking, talking pinch pot he didn't look particularly magical. But he was useful, and that's all that mattered. ”So we have a deal.”

”May we begin the first lesson?”

~

TRUTH IN ILLUSIONS