The Emergence of Velstram (Cylian997 and Softwhispers only)

[Cylian997]

"How does that girl keep on lighting things on fire?" A villager shouted.

"She is some sort mage maybe? But we haven't seen one in this part of the world in nearly two century. Oh! It would be marvelous!" Another whispered through the winds to her friend as a pair of debonair ladies went about their daily business.

"Did that cunt of a Velstram girl burn down all the wheat? What in the cock and balls are we going to do for winter now?" An angry farmer wailed.

Within the eastern plains of Malconun, hidden within the human kingdoms of The True Light Imperium, there was a small offshoot hamlet named Clearwater Rest that -for all intents and purposes- was a quaint little village whose key passing event of the average day was what one Lilian Velstram was going to burn next time. It had always been some sort of freak accident: maybe it was a grease fire one week, a bit of a errant piece of wood the next, then there was that one time the poor girl was forced to go bald until her hair regrew. For a girl who might have dreamed of bigger things, especially visiting the cosmopolitan capital city of Acoport. The wondrous stories and tales that were held inside of her favorite worn, leather bound book of such a city were always beautiful. Even if she had read the book over fifteen times, the sheer size and scope of the city in question just never seemed to be possible.

It was a city of not only people, but countless people. There was not one race that was not represented in this city; aquan elves, drow, gnomish geniuses, even mycadins could be found! Those were apparently tree people. Which only meant all of those cultures and people all meshed together to become a magnificent tapestry of various colors, shades, faces and most of all magic! The intangible yet unyielding force that, when used properly... hopefully properly, the rules of reality were more mere play things. Lighting crackled at one's fingertips, the earth shook with a mere foot stop, hair could turn pink! The capital city of Acoport was home to the only centralized magical school in the entire continent known as: The Amarylis Clandestine Intitute for the Astute.

The school, while once in its infancy was quite the illicit set of activity, now breeds some of the finest minds in all of the land. The school has been the final arbiter in various trade deals, wars and has been a safe haven for countless peoples. The Amarylis family, all high elven, have been the heads of the school for nearly 2000 years. As the times have changed the school has adapted to move with the times. The current head; Garrick Amarylis, has been known disappear among crowds in search of unique magical talents. But, for a girl who lived in the middle of no where, who rose in the morning to the sound of cocks and chickens, whose days were comprised of rough chores and fires. These were all little children's stories.

Burn it...

It was odd. It was something that she had heard before but she had no inclination as to why, one could chalked it up to the lack of stimulating conversation out here. When drunken conversation was the average past time on a day to day basis-

Burn it...

As Lilian took in air, it suddenly felt hot, almost as if it someone had sprinkled in chilies into the air. Every time she exhaled it almost felt as if she breathed out fire. Her throat closed from the heat as her body glistened with sweat, it felt too unbearably hot, even worse than any of the summer months could feel. Clothes damp with sweat soon clung and stuck to her as her body desperately released sweat to cool itself off but to no avail, her fever only grew. Her vision grew blurry as the world around her got brighter and with a sneeze she released a small fireball from her nose.

Her most precious book, dried from age and use, her only escape out of the mundane life she had, now burned to ashes.

BURN IT!!!

 

[SoftWhispers]

Excitement, is a basic enough human desire to crave. A change from the mundane, an escape from the drudgery of waking up to the sun’s first light, from hefting sacks of chicken feed over ones shoulder, running a scythe through an endless field of grain, constant weeding, and feeding and a hundred other tasks that took up the day until a tired body could collapse into a rigid bed to start the whole process over anew. It was enough to make any young girl crave for something to break the cycle, some change to come about and bring new life into the days that melded together endlessly. Cow shit and rugged soil, and bales of dry hay, everything was just shades of brown all mixing together. But for the young Velstram girl, who's days had been filled with the constant work of a farmer, the the sudden alternative was unexpected, and unwelcome.

Burn it

For Lily, The sensation was indescribable, a physical feeling that manifested so strongly inside of her that she could feel it almost as a voice demanding action. It had come from nothing and suddenly it was there, a feeling entirely new and yet it felt familiar, like something she had been intimately close with and simply forgotten, she had thought little of it at first, maybe a fever, maybe she was just tired from the harder work for harvesting season, nothing to be concerned with. And then the fires began.

It had started with a bad day, truly a bad day, her best pitchfork had its handle broken which had given her a nasty splinter, the sun was blazing and cooking her alive, and she had barely slept the night before. The farmer girl had been on edge even before one of their cows had copped and attitude and knocked the milking bucket all over her boots. She had been furious, picking up the bucket and throwing it as hard as she could, expecting a satisfying metal clang as it struck the wooden barn wall, instead she had looked on in horror as the metal had caught flame as she threw it, sending embers scattering when the bucket had hit and nearly setting alight the old wood and loose hay. Since then, a half dozen other incidents had happened, her bedding ending up scorched during a nightmare, one of their chickens nearly ending up fried when it had pecked her, and most recently, a large wheat fire that had burned a fair section of crop before being contained. It was getting harder and harder to find lies to explain these things, and with each ‘flare up’ the young Lillian was getting more and more afraid.

It had been only when she was stressed or upset that she had felt the sensation, but now as time had gone on, it was becoming more frequent, like something building inside of her, she begun to wonder if she had been cursed, if she would need to run away someplace before she burned their house down in the middle of the night, it was enough to drive her mad, just needing some time to think and relax.

Finally after her chores were finished, she had a moment to rest and be by herself, the sun was setting, the air was cooling, she had grabbed her favorite book, settled outside against an old stump to relax and lose herself in tales of heroes and creatures more magnificent than she could imagine, at least until she began to feel the unnatural tensing. “No...” she whimpers as it hits her again, full surge, it would have felt refreshing it it wasn’t so fear inducing, she felt energetic, overly so, her skin tingled, her muscles tensed and in her mind, something cried for release.

Just breath.

Burn it.

In, and out.

Burn it!

Keep calm, it will pa- BURN IT!!!

The young girl shakes and shuts her eyes, the sweltering sensation felt as if it would cook her inside and out, until finally it begins to fade, letting her take in a breath that catches in her nose and causes her to sneeze. Like a tiny baby dragon taking its first bellow, a small plume of fire escapes her, and within moments, her precious book is engulfed. “No, no no NO!” She cries out as she drops the book and tries to pat it out, the smolders dying slowly, that is until her hands ignite and flare wildly, a blue hue along her skin igniting the air and burning any remnants of the pages left un-scorched. The panicked blonde stands and wildly flails her limbs, small plumes of fire escaping her nose and mouth with each exhale and finally the terrified girl bolts toward the horse pen, vaulting over the simple fence and without hesitation, plunges her head and hands into the nearby water trough.

It was serene, and calm, the dirty water in her ears blocked out any noise, she might have stayed there forever if her lungs weren't burning for air. With a sharp gasp Lily pulls her head from the trough, panting and coughing, her golden mane of hair matted to her head as she looks at her hands, no longer on fire, but this was the last straw, something was seriously wrong, and she needed answers. Now.

It’s amazing how fast you can run when fear drives your heels, she barely felt the aching in her legs, the acidic pain in her lungs and the dizziness in her head as she had bolted at nearly a full sprint, running from her parents farm and down the simple dirt road into their small town, her intended destination, the small apothecary shop nestled into their market, the one who owned it had been a minor magistrate in the capital, surely thru would know what this was, if it was some perverse illness, or a curse, was she possessed by a demon, was -she- a demon?! The doubts spur her onward until she nearly runs into the sturdy door of the quiet shop, pounding on the entrance desperately until the door opens and nearly throwing herself against the figure inside, tears in her eyes. “Please... help...” it’s all she can muster to before her world begins to spin, and the young girl falls against the doorway. And that was the first day of the rest of her life, the greatest stories in her book all had humble beginnings, a drenched and terrified girl grasping onto the wooden door entrance on the stoop of an old potion shop would be just one more tale to add among them.

 

[Cylian997]

"Who in the eight hells is that Minnie? It's so damn late! if its those cocken children, I am feeding them to the dog." A gruff old voice shouted out. That was the very familiar and curt voice the kind apothecary's husband; although he was a heavy drinker and he tended to be a rather violent man Minnie seemed to know what to do to quell such savagery with ease. It must have been the experience with age. Heavy steps came through to the door as it was quickly pulled out as what now stood before Lily was a rather broad gentleman. "Well, you're here at Minnie's House of Green Heals that aid your pains. What in the blue hell can I do for you Miss Blaze O'Glory?" Rather that pun was an honest to goodness joke or he new the fiery darkness within her was up for grabs. But the gentleman before her was the dwarven husband of Minnie, a gentleman by the name of Cael Steelheart.

"Don't you fucking come in here little girl! I heard you might be blowing up some sort of thing!" Cael seemed very excitable as he glared down at Lilian. He obviously didn't trust the poor girl, why would he? He has heard all of the horror stories that came from this fire child. He kept the golden haired girl at bay until a gentle clearing of a throat brought an end to Cael's supposed guard duty. A human woman with kind an warm features ushered the girl inside and led the confused child to the back of her home. It was certainly a cozy home with several napping dogs and a warm fire. But there was so much more to see.

The countless shelves were all stacked tightly with books; her eyes grabbed countless different subjects for these books. Magical theory, botany, potion making, demonology, monster hunting and so much more. Minnie had always been the subject of much debate in this small village but when she came to live here, no one dared to question her. Especially when she began to cure what ailed the people, outskirts like Clearwater Rest had little to no choice but to accept people with such talents. Especially when that furious Deathwart fever same by, Minnie had single handedly saved numerous lives with a sweet piece of candy. It was apparently made of various bitter roots but she some how made it a sweet treat. The woman hummed a sweet song as she eventually came by with a some tea and took another moment to look for another little something extra.

"So tell me Lilian, why did you rush over here?" Minnie turned over with the kind of warmth a person expected a grandmother to give their grandchild. Elderly hands brought forth some sweet looking treats; a lovely little set of short bread cookies with a generous spot of mixed berry jam. Minnie soon poured some leaves into a cup and with it some regular water, with a simple crack and snap the water boiled as a soothing smell wafted up to the girl's nose. Lilian could not tell what these herbs were, but the smell alone made the world feel all the more calm. As if it rained gently outside and she could smell the rain on the grass, hear the drops on the window and enjoy the silence outside.

"Make sure to drink your tea and have some cookies, I make them myself you know. And the tea will help you relax, take a deep breath my dear, you are safe. When you are ready, what is wrong?" Minnie offered the young woman a gentle pat on the shoulder and a confident smile as she waited for this story.

 

[SoftWhispers]

Lily pants and does her best not to fall over, now that her impressive run was over, the exhaustion could truly set in on her body. Panting sharply to ease the pain in her lungs she is startled as the door is ripped open and she finds herself staring into the face of a battlehammer of a man.

His voice is gruff and patronizing as he ‘welcomes’ her to the tucked away little shop that was also their home. His insulting name calling and the thrown words of warning make her shoulders sag slightly, her eyes lowering like a beaten puppy. The Velstram girl is about to turn away when she is saved from the jaws of of the barrel chested boar, a kindly woman shifting past him and taking her hand, leading her back even as Lily shy’s away from his grumbling stare. The home is warmly lit and cozy, filled with sturdy furniture and a glowing fire, it was immediately inviting, in direct disproportion to the man following their steps.

As she is brought back, her deep blue eyes trail along the various oddities, and books filed with knowledge of things she couldn’t possibly imagine, it brightened her spirits, surely in one of these books there would be an answer to her... issue. She follows the woman’s guiding lead, brought toward the fireplace and the central hovel of their home, the pair of old dogs raising their heads curiously, sniffing for a moment before lazily plopping back down against the comfy rug. The teen girl is brought to a comfy chair and sits as she is offered, sighing softly as she continues to catch her breath before a grumbled sound reaches her ears and a towel is dropped onto her head by the dwarf so she could fullly dry off before she stained the chair.

Lily dries off her mane of golden hair, sighing softly as she does and sets the towel beside her. As she waits for the older woman to return, she clenches her fists, her hands were shaking and she looks at them suspiciously as if untrusting of her own limbs. Her attention is drawn as the elderly woman returns with a small plate of treats and a cup of tea, the dwarven man in the corner grumbling at her being offered treats that were more than likely intended to be his, being brought into his home, and sat down in his chair. The young girl accepts the plate with a thank you, a gentle clattering echoing through the quiet home from her trembling grasp shaking the porcelain bits against one another. At the behest of the kindly woman, she takes a bite of the pastry, instantly perking up, it was buttery and warm and was absolute heaven to her empty stomach.

Taking a few moments to drink and eat and gather herself, Lily takes a breath, feeling calmer and more centered and carefully sets the plate at the small table beside her before taking a breath. “Thank you very much, for this, and for... well, hopefully helping me. It’s Minnie, correct? You helped my father when he got rust poisoning a few months back, my mom had told him to get rid of that old saw.” She looks to the man who was still watching her like some inmate bound for the stockades. “I apologize, I don’t know your name.”

Taking a moment to decide how she would word herself, she turns toward Minnie. “I take it then that you’ve heard of my recent... incidents.” She hears a deep chuff from the man, and a slow nod from the grandmotherly woman. “I’m not doing it, I mean... I am, but... it’s not my fault, it keeps happening, but I don’t know how, I’ve lied to try and hide away what’s going on, but it’s getting worse.” She describes the sensation that had coursed through her, how it had felt and how it had overtaken her, like there was a storm inside of her that was raging out of control, she describes her ordeal step by step, going through each fire until the most recent, her words becoming more and more panicked. “...and then my hands just... they caught fire! And it was everywhere!” She presses her hands out sharply as if to show them, despite nothing happening. “And and...” she clenches her jaw and hugs around her little body, a sniffle catching in her throat as her ocean blue eyes storm up with tears. “I don’t know what to do, I’m afraid I’ll hurt someone, my family, please...” She looks to the elder woman, a look of true desperation and fear in her eyes as her little body begins to shake once more.

 

[Cylian997]

Minnie only gave the young woman a warm smile as she took the young woman's hands and held them tightly. Smooth, yet experienced hands held her softly as Minnie gave the lamentable girl a confident smile. It was filled to the brim with both warmth and motherly affection. As Minnie continued to listen to the golden haired girl's story, the elderly woman picked up a quill and ink and with another simple spell; the quill moved on its own and began to write a letter. Upon closer inspection, Lily could see that Minnie's right hand still moved as if she were writing herself but the quill some how did all of the work. As the girl's story finished, Minnie did not falter, she did not scream in abject horror; she set her quill down calmly as the fire behind her continued to burn. Minnie gave a little nod as she once again fixed her gaze upon Lily.

"I see, well I can certainly do my best to help you my dear. But even at my best I would only merely be a stop gap for you. I am not a magic trainer like I used to be. But I can at least help get you under control, do you understand how magic works my dear? How it ebbs and flows? How it rumbles and quakes? How it burns and roasts? But I digress Lily, I will need to be able to send out some messages out as we work on some basics. But I will have to send this letter to Acoport. You are something quite special and the capital has been looking for magic users like yourselves who might never get the chance to blossom due to their surroundings. Garrick is quite the maverick."

Minnie gave off a gentle giggle as she stood up as she heard an audible grumble from the main living quarters of the home. Cael was most likely upset that his beer had run out. Minnie had taken a moment to step away as the fire seemed to crackle and burn more furiously at her. It bellowed more intently and more closely to that of a blacksmith's furnace and the fire only continued to grow at her. The flames swelled and almost even escaped the furnace itself. A fiery foot singed the floor of the quaint kitchen as a being soon emerged from the fire place itself!

Bur-

Water from a near by pot splashed over as Cael was soon heard grumbling as well. Within moments Minnie had returned and looked at the girl's cup; it was still a pretty full cup. She heaved a sigh as she once again took a seat as with another simple snap, another fire gently roared in the fire place and filled the intimate kitchen with ambient heat. Minnie pushed the tea cup again towards the girl and tried to get some more of the tea down into Lily's system.

"You have a rare and special little talent, it is why you are naturally such a magnet for magic. But with your age, your developing into woman hood and now all the stress, your other latent abilities are showing. I can only help you so much here. I am sending a letter to get you an escort so that you can go to the capital to learn magical for real. I think that even among mages, you are a special breed. I have never seen the raw energy of magic itself act so chaotically with someone before. Again, I can teach you the basics my dear but I am no mage trainer, but I was a former student many moons ago. Most likely when I was still able to have children. But will you trust me?"

 

[SoftWhispers]

Lily was near tears at the desperate fear that fills her, she had already nearly set her bed alight, and while she had emerged without so much as a scorch on her skin, she could have burned down her home, killed her parents in their sleep, it pushed her into the deepest dredges of worry, starting to hyperventilate until she feels her hands softly grasped by the older woman and looks into her kindly eyes, taking a slowed breath as she tries to keep herself under control. As she nears the end of her tale, Lily watches as Minnie flicks her wrist, with tall the simplicity as one would shoo away a fly, she brings a quill to life to do her bidding. Lily's eyes widen, she had seen magic before, there were carnivals that had some minor magic acts, showing some basic spell craft, it had always enchanted her to watch, but to see something so incredible done so effortlessly was different entirely.

She watches the quill as it dances until given rest and looks to at as if it were some creature lain down for a nap instead of a simple feather coated in ink, her gaze drawn back as the elder woman speaks, perking slightly hearing she might be able to help, instead, her brow furrows at the mention of magic training, confused why it would matter until the very of of her musings. magic users like yourselves... The young girl blinks and almost chuckles softly, shaking her head. "Oh no no, I'm not a mage or anything like that." she states with certainty. Magicians, wizards, warlocks, magi, these were all elegant lords and ladies in far off cities, shaping the word, wearing elegant silken robes and speaking in highborn tongue, they carried names that would grace the pages of history, with surnames that had excited for generations. Magic was borne into royalty and divinity, not into the dirt caked hands of a farm girl, no, it was ridiculous, she was as much a mage as she was a rooster, that was fact, she was certain.

Lily looks up as they both hear the annoyed sound and Minnie is stolen away, leaving the Velstram girl to contemplate the though. Magic, it was a romantic idea, one she had dreamt over plenty as a kid, with a stick as her wand, and a shovel handle as her mighty staff, she had played plenty with the though of lightning erupting from her hands, being able to levitate and teleport, and all other sorts of childish imaginings. The thought made her smile, no, they would find out what was wrong with her, and she would be right back into the fields like the year before, and the year before that. Her thoughts are drawn by the crackle of embers, bringing her blue eyes to look at the fireplace, unaware of the glimmering blue aura deep inside of them, she blinks as the fire flickers slightly and curiously looks into the stone hold to see if there was a log crackling, but as she looks, her eyes flare slightly and the fire roars for a moment before starting to grow, the flames becoming bright and violent, drawn outward toward her, almost singing the rug as is animates and eases out like a snake formed of embers, hissing as it scorches the floor before being snuffed out by the overflowing water and Lily startles at the sudden hiss.

The Velstram girl looks to Minnie and starts to apologize before the kindly woman raises her hand and shakes her head, making Lily feel guilty for a moment until the tea is offered to her once more and she takes a slow breath, tipping it back and drinking the warm liquid until there is little left, just a bit of liquid and a few wayward bits of herb. Her eyes meet the Minnie's as she speaks again and Lily takes a slow breath as she is given so much inspired faith, it scared her, she wasn't ready for her grand imaginings to be a reality, and when faced by the chance they could be, it was terrifying. Lily carefully raises, setting her cup aside and awkwardly shifts toward the front doorway "I um... I'm sorry, but I'm not what you think I am... I'm not a mage, I'm not a wizard, or a cleric, or any of that, I'm just... me." She explains. "I'm sorry to have bothered you... thank you very much for the tea, and the pastry, truly. I just um... I should be getting home to my family." She backs away slightly until the back of her heels are nudged by a pair of noses and she turns, seeing the dogs sitting in her pathway, dutifully nudging her back toward the elderly woman, the look in her eyes making Lily's own widen as she shakes her head and raises her hands "I can't... It... it just doesn't... I'm not..." She stammers out, trying to explain until Minnie's eyes flick downwards and she looks at her hands.

Her lithe fingers were glowing with a blue hue, it was gentle, but it was there, the soft hummed ethereal glow of latent arcane coiled over her skin, drawn to her and seeking to be released back into the world. Lily's eyes widen at the sight, there was a warmth in her hands, a soothing in the muscles, something so mystifying and occult, felt so natural and comforting and as much as it terrified her to her core, she couldn't turn away from what was right in front of her, deep blue gaze raising to the apothecary. "...I have magic?" she manages to utter out with an exasperated whisper, looking at the glow that drew her in and yearned to be shaped and formed.

 

[Cylian997]

Minnie only looked on as the young woman continued to doubt herself, the elderly woman only giggled to herself as she took a sip of her tea. It might take an extra moment to allow the realization that she was someone special. After all, Lily did just notice how the fire from the fire place had come alive and tried to burn her cozy little house down. Gentle sips of tea filled the air with audible white noise as the girl went on some babble about something, at this point Minnie was not paying attention. She only gave a nod to the young woman as she began to walk away in disbelief, again not that Minnie ever believed it. As expected, the girl eventually turned around and asked that questioned about having magic. The tender woman finished putting down her cup and took the young woman by the hand and sat her down again as she stepped away for a moment and brought back a cute little piece of wrist jewelry and a small yet dusty book. Minnie quickly put the bracelet on; it was made of a silverish and lightweight metal but the moment it was on Lily's wrist the dark gem turned to a dark reddish color. The gem swirled and bellowed almost like a fireplace itself as Minnie gave the woman a gentle pat on the forehead.

"That is what we call an Arcane Focus and while it may be a particularly old focus, it can at least keep your rather high sensitivity at bay for now. But I guess there are a few things to begin with. My dear, I will start from the beginning but no doubt when you reach the school and begin your accelerated lessons you will learn this. But magic is more than just shiny big spells. It is a manipulation of the latent energy of our world and the elements within it; fire, water, earth, wind and even elements beyond that. While there are fundamental rules to follow much like math, 1 + 1 equals 2, there are those who can say 1 + 1 equals 3. That is where mages come in, while at the moment you may be nothing more than a baby bird screaming for their mother. Soon you will fly through the sky and take the rules of magic and make them your own. Normally, mana; the life blood of the planet, people cannot feel it. And while there are people with slightly more sensitivity to it than others. But I have not seen mana act so lively with someone in many years, even in my time in the academy."

Minnie ate another cookie as she looked into the girl's clear blue eyes with another reassuring smile. Another grumble soon let out as the wife let out an exasperated sigh as she left with another beer and returned to the living room. Though this trip was followed by the sweet sound of silence. The voice of the flames didn't even exist anymore, they were totally gone. As Minnie spoke casually with her husband there were no accidents, no explosions, no anything. Only the flame colored gem continued to grow in its color and deepen in its hue. The colors were mesmerizing; it was more like a dance at this rate. It was a subtle red that twisted into a crimson, that flowed into orange that swerved into blue that then floated into a periwinkle. This focus went though every single possible color that fire was able to show as eventually, in about 10 minutes, Minnie had returned with the cutest hue on her face and a much more youthful expression on her face.

"I apologize, Cael can be a little reckless at times. But you noticed how the world has become a little more quiet, no? I have heard of your accidents throughout the little town, I have kept track of them. And healed some of the injuries you have caused as well. While my letter is on its way I will teach you the basics as best I can but it will be a job that is better suited for the school once you get to the capital. It will be a great time for you my dear child. But it does seem like you are naturally more adept at fire magic as well, it is why you heard the fire speak to you. But this letter is one for your parents so that way they have an understanding of what is happening. This will be your best chance to not only control yourself but also to assist your home. And also to follow dreams that you may have never dreamed possible. Mages are those who are not limited by class or structure, they can be anything they wish to be. So, shall we work on your destiny Lily?"

Minnie took the young woman's hand and looked into her eyes with conviction as she waited for her answer.

 

[SoftWhispers]

Lily eases back into the chair at the elder woman's guiding hands, taking a few deepened breaths, how was someone supposed to react to finding out something so... ridiculous, so magnificent, and terrifying and exciting, it was impossible to comprehend and yet here she sat. She looks up as Minnie returns, blinking as she opens her hand, requesting Lily's own, the young girl raising it and watches as a simple metal bracelet is eased over her thin wrist, small etched runes marked into the elegant metal, and a dark little gem inset on one side, looking like dark, murky glass. She watches with a curious interest as the simple trinket was clasped and hung daintily on her wrist, for a moment sitting dormant, but as she watches, her eyes widen as life is bred into its dulled shade, first as a flickering ember and soon into a burning coal that glows with a fiery radiance.

Lily looks to the simple trinket that hid incredible ability, the gem was near hypnotizing as it swirls and flickers with an ocean of fireflies, all swarming in the same direction, waves of flame cresting against the edges of the gem and settling once more. The Velstram girl finally pulls her gaze from the gorgeous piece of jewelry and listens more intently to Minnie’s words, nodding softly even if not everything exactly made sense. Lily wasn’t stupid, she had gone to their quaint little school just like the other children, she could read and write and had a mind as adept as one could expect, perhaps a bit more from her foray into reading about the world around her. Still, the concepts were foreign, and her mind was still frazzled, coming to this place expecting to be told of some sickness of the mind or body, only to learn she was harboring one of the most magnificent forces her young mind could imagine, it was all a little difficult to accept.

Hearing that she was more sensitive to magic, that she was an oddity, Lily frowns softly, her eyes becoming worried. “Is... that a bad thing?” She asks curiously, looking nervous and embarrassed of something she hadn’t known existed just a handful or moments before. The pair are interrupted by another gruff sound and the blonde girl watches as Minnie returns to satisfying her husbands whims, leaving her with more time to watch the gem. Her eyes widen seeing how it had changed, no longer simply orange, it shifted with a beautiful array of colors, at times the gem glowed with a gentle, slow movement, but certain colors felt violent and uncontainable, as if they would rupture the glass before settling once more.

The young girl could have spent hours watching the show the gem played out before her, eyes reflecting the incredibly vivid hues. Her attention is stolen back as Minnie returns, unsure of how long she had even been enraptured by the gem. She watches curiously, seeing the elder woman looked more cheery, more graze and bounce in her step. Lily blinks at the mention of her husband being ‘reckless’, cocking a brow in confusion but pushes it aside at the woman’s question. It hadn’t even occurred to her that the world truly had settled, no longer did she feel the pull at her body, the tingling at her skin and the ravenous voice in her mind. “It has, I don’t hear it anymore.” She says, almost surprised, she hadn’t even realized how constant the strain had been, what she thought was silence and calm, had only been a dormant state for the torment she felt in her mind, now that she experiences true relief, she realizes it was something she hadn’t gotten to enjoy in weeks.

The mention of her incidents, and especially injuries caused by them makes the Velstram girl’s shoulders sag, her jaw clenching, and her eyes widening at the revelation of Minnie helping clean up after her. The young girl opens her mouth to apologize, not even getting a word out before the elder woman raises her hand to stop her and Lily quiets up. Seeing the letters intended for her, and the mention of growing her gifts, the young girl feels that fear in her belly once more, worried about her parents, about the possibility of leaving home but as Minnie extends her hand, offering so much more than just a boring life of constant labor and endless days of the same shades of brown, the Veltram girl can’t help but be tempted. She raises her hand and looks to the gem, the radiant light show inside was a promise of the impossibly magnificent things that could await her, things she had dreamt of so many nights, only to wake up and have them dashed on the rocks of reality, this was her chance to seize those dreams and make them reality.

“Yes...” She finally whispered, the word coming out without her mind even being assured of her choice. “Yes.” She says with more confidence and her hand extends into Minnie’s, her gentle blue eyes still holding onto that glimmer of fear, but behind it was excitement at the chance to be more than just a farm girl in some far off hovel in the middle of nowhere.

 

[Cylian997]

"Lovely, I will be able to write a small letter of introduction for you for the school. Garrick has been quite the maverick at the capital and it will be a wonderful chance for you. Well, one of a life time really. And it was one that before, would have been impossible for you my dear, you would have been relegated to the bowels of the church and forgotten as some sort of demon or monster due to the lack of understanding of the common folk here." Minnie once again snapped her fingers as another set of quills whimsically began to write away on parchment, there were three of them in total, the woman stood up as she pulled out a small golden bird. It was a miraculous looking little contraption; the eyes were made of rubies and its body was made of an amorphous gold. The bird looked like a small sparrow as Minnie took one of the letters and gave it to the golden sparrow as it sparked to life and flew away.

"So that is step one, as I said, I can give you basic magic lessons but nothing too advanced. So we will keep the bracelet on for now. I have a letter for your parents to read about these developments as a guardian comes from the capital to take you there. It would be the safest way to bring you there as the roads can be rather treacherous. It is normally a 2 week journey. When it comes to the cost, you might be in for a surprise due to your rare skill, Garrick might let you in for free. Maybe you can find a patron to help you pay for it as well, who knows? But it should be fine I think. Now, do not take off this bracelet as it will keep your magic in check for now as it is a makeshift control until you learn a casting style. But It is a little late and this letter should explain everything to your parents. Make sure to come visit me tomorrow so that we can begin our small lessons until your guard comes to take you to Acoport. Now, take yourself come cookies and enjoy the last few weeks here. Because after this, it will all be a blur."

Minnie offered the young woman a gentle hug as she gave the girl not only a bag of cookies to take back to her parents but also a letter to take back. Cael was asleep on his comfy chair as the kindly sage had let the younger woman go back home with the items in question. But things looked certainly brighter than before; the world was about to be open to her. Soon the open and lush fields that grew wheat and barley were going to be replaced by towering buildings and other magic casters. What was the big city like? How far was it? What was her guardian going to be like? These were all valid questions, but another question was about her parents, were they going to be favorable in her decision to leave this quiet town and become a mage? It would allow her to help this town in ways she couldn't before and that was important, no?

It was dark now, the night sky was a gentle blanket of starts that illuminated the sky and lit her path home. The gentle symphony of crickets rang out as the night town watch had taken their posts now, most of the town had gone to bed at this rate. Had that much time passed as she spoke with Minnie? It all seemed like a blur or time now but it made some kind of sense considering all of the topics they spoke about. But another nice part about the bracelet was that it was so bright that it helped light the way for her, she had no need for a torch. She soon enough reached her cozy cottage of a home. There was still light inside which meant that her mother was still up...

 

[SoftWhispers]

Lily’s heart pounded as she makes the life changing decision to pursue the impossible, and let her fantasies and dreams become reality. The young Velstram girl’s eyes shifted to the glowing gem on her wrist as Minnie speaks, having trouble keeping her gaze from it’s tempting beauty, until her attention is drawn back by the apothecary’s mention of what could have happened to her. The girls sky blue eyes widen at the thought and she feels her breath quicken, there had already been murmurings about her incidents, what if the townspeople had decided they were fed up with her before she sought out help? The thought made her tremble for a moment, imagining being shackled in a musty cellar, in the dark, for the rest of her days.

Shaking off the unpleasant thought, Lily watched as Minnie again enchants the quills to dip into the ink one by one and dance along the page with grace, leaving their marks as they move. It was still so jarring to see, objects given life with all the effort and attention as one would take shooing a fly. She pulled her gaze from the quills as they skip and dance along the page, pausing only to saunter to the inkwell. “How do you...” She started but lets the question drop as Minnie beckoned her to follow while she grabbed the little golden statuette. Lily’s eyes widen seeing the ornate little bird, it was clearly valuable, it’s gemmed eyes shined brightly under the flickering glow of the fireplace. “It’s beautiful.” She smiled and watched as the elder woman places the letter in its well crafted little talons. Was it some ornate paperweight? A way to keep the letter secure until the messenger made his pass in a few days?

All of her notions were scattered as the little bird turns its head slightly and begins to shift, its talons tightening on the letter and its eyes shimmering as it makes a curt nod of its head before its wings spread and with all the effortless ease of the tiny avian it was mimicking, the little statuette took to the air and bolted out of the opened window and off into the night.

As Minnie returned to speaking of her lessons, the older woman soon realized that Lily was only half listening, having shifted over toward the window to see if she could catch a glance of the little golden bird, but it was long gone, flying with haste toward its destination. Realizing she was being spoken to, the young girl’s gaze snapped back to the woman, giving a nod that she was listening, though her mind was still preoccupied. Could I learn to do that? She ponders, seeing how easily Minnie had manipulated the objects, she wondered if maybe she could do the same at some point, anything would have been better than setting fires all the time. Lily does her best to reign in her focus and listen to the details of her intended journey, glad to hear she would have an escort, the girl had never gone beyond the quaint trading town a dozen miles down the main road, let alone all the way to the capital.

The thought of payment was worrisome, she had nothing but a tiny bit of money from a few chores or odd jobs she had helped neighbors with, and those had dwindled to nothing when her penchant for fire had become common rumor, but if there was even a single change, then she had to take it. The golden haired girl followed Minnie back to the entrance of their home, happily accepting the letter and small bag of treats, easing close and embracing the older woman in the simple hug, her lithe arms holding it for a moment longer. “Thank you.” She whispers, still unsure of just what she had gotten herself into, but anything was better than the fear she had run from her home with.

Easing out of the door, she gave one final polite wave and a nod that she would certainly return, her active mind now filled with possibility and hope, curiosity and wonder. Lily stands out in the night as the wooden door is quietly shut, taking a slow breath before turning and beginning to move along the simple dirt road back toward her home. The night was brilliantly coated with stars, the sky looking as if it had been split open and filled with shimmering diamonds in intricate patterns. Lily takes her time walking along home, what would usually be a brisk jaunt to escape the dark was now a calming stride in the cool night air, the bracelet hanging from her wrist easily lighting the path with its glow, she had barely even noticed the trinket against her skin, it already felt natural, the metal slightly warm to the touch and comforting against her tiny wrist.

It could have been an eternity that she walked along the sleepy little town road before her farm came into view and she follows the side road down toward their cozy little home. Lily smiles seeing light casting a glow from inside, excitement filling her chest, her mother was probably worried why she was out so late. Clutching the letter close, she moves toward the door and reaches out toward it, stopping short for a moment and hesitates. The entire weight of the letter in her hand seems to become impossibly heavy, what would handing the letter to her mother do? Would she be excited? Angry? Would she be supportive, or even afraid? The doubt gives her pause and her hand begins to shake once more, but one look at the glowing gem on her wrist brings her clarity once more, that ember wasn’t in the gem, it was inside of her, and she needed to nurture it and let its light grow. With a slow breath, she opens the door and stepped inside, holding the letter in her hand. “Mom? I’m home, I have some news...”

 

[Cylian997]

The Velstram home was the model of cozy living in the quaint village of Clearwater rest; it was a modest two floors and made of rich oak and humble memories. Several chairs were all lovingly dressed with hand-made throws all shaped as cute little monsters. The dinner table was already set with a crusty rustic bread and butter with a large massive chair for the head of the household and smaller chairs for the ladies. The floors were, for lack of a better term, playfully adorned with various burn marks from Lily's incandescent mishaps. There was a small set of books, nothing too amazing but there was something set near the fireplace for Lily to read. The family dog, a fabulous beast by the name of Ronald happily chewed on a bone as the mere presence of his favorite human brought upon him some light. The fireplace was currently lit with a cast iron stew pot quietly simmered away with a delicious stew was stirred by a robust woman.

"Oh, evening my dear, you seem a little stressed. Is something wrong?" Her mother, a slightly taller woman with those same cerulean blue eyes but with sun-kissed skin and in form fitting farmer's attire turned over to her daughter. The woman has a wild mop of auburn hair that rests gently down her lower back, the filled out woman turns around and hugs her eldest child gently and looked her over and gave her a warm smile. "I hope you aren't upset about the few things that you burned. Your father was a little miffed but I can handle him, and what is that on your wrist and in your arms?" Her mother had quickly taken notice of the new bracelet and the letter. The woman, named Denise, quickly recognized the handwriting of the kind apothecary. That old Minnie had instantly won the trust of the entire family after the head of the household had contracted that terrible sickness several months ago. Denise took the letter and began to read it carefully.

"Good evening, to Lily's parents. It is no doubt that you know me as Minnie; the kind apothecary from that lovely home across the way. But I do carry another name. Many moons ago I was a 3rd circle sorceress who specialized in botany and potion making and my old name was Mairin Uí Briain. My name was a mouthful, don't worry Minnie is fine. It was why I was able to help so many people here so easily. But that is not the point at hand, your daughter has a very special talent and it is a shame that we cannot foster it here. I will gladly put a letter of recommendation for her to be accepted to the school in Acoport so that she may have a chance to truly live a life that young woman like her deserves. A lot of her accidents have come from a very unique connection to mana itself and, if we do not get her to the school it would be more disastrous than leaving her here. I can understand the fear of letting your child go, the bracelet on her wrist is an old focus that will keep her unique gifts in check for now. But, I do stress with great worry, that will not work for more than two months, Lily will need more professional help than I can offer her. Her best bet to get herself under control but to also even help this village is to go to Acoport. Garrick is an old friend of mine, he was actually one of my teachers when I studied and he has several programs to help students in more rural areas get help. I have already sent out a letter to him. Please, do not refuse my kindness and do not hamper the chance for your daughter to become one of the great mages of the world. I do believe she has a great well of skill within her. Mairin Uí Briain aka Minnie."

Denise's face turned crimson as she turned over to her daughter and she was unable to even say a thing, the silence was heavier than the steps that echoed outside, The steps, it was her father! A massive man soon entered the tiny abode he could almost barely fit in, Denise who stood at a rather normal 5'2 seemed to be almost child like next to the 6'6 size of her tall, blonde and tanned herculean husband as he looked over at the pair. The man of the household, named Maxwell, looked over to his precious two ladies as the sweat of a long days work rolled off his broad shoulders. He took a long stare to the two of them as his eyes forced on them.

"Is something a matter?" Denise quickly took her monster of a husband away as they took a moment away to read the letter from Minnie. Maxwell needed a long moment to read the letter, his body may have been made of granite but so was his brain. Denise had to explain various things to him from this letter but after several moments, and the several shouts the pair did eventually come out with a somber glare. They seemed to have been discussing things and the air was heavy, but soon enough her father took in a deep breath as his bass filled the air. "What do you wish to do my little flower?" He rested his hand gently across Lily's delicate features. "We will listen and support you anyway we can."