Stephan Hornick
Community Goblin & Master of the Archive
Platinum WoA
Wizard of Story
Wizard of Combat
Borderland Explorer
28.05.1021 NL - Holt-Lindeck
He stopped for a moment. Exhausted, he put down his heavy burden and swiped his head. Stretching his back he caught the last glimpses of the evening sun. Dusk settled quickly over Holt-Lindeck. It became quieter and all the people went to their homes. But he had none.
What a day, or rather, what a week!
Eremis had just passed the King's Gate before it closed for the night. Nine days ago, he had departured with his three companions into the wild, in search of magical artifacts. Now, he was alone. But luckily - and indeed it had been luck! - they all made it out alive. There had been some really close shots. But somehow, he had kept them all alive. And that was something he was quite proud of.
On their return, Bausum, their half-orc scout had stayed behind in the wilderniss. Teodvik, the strange magician, had been eager to return to the Free College. And although he had complained the last hour about his aching legs, once inside the city walls, he went off quickly to study those books that they had brought back as if he hadn't walked the whole day. And then there was Jacob, Benedikt's brother. The lad had been trouble all the way, besides his skills with traps, and again, as Eremis turned around to wish him a good night, he had just vanished as if he was also a magician.
A tankard of ale, a soothing bath and a nice massage... yeah, that would be great now. But first, I have to bring the loot to my room.
That was, when he saw a stream of fire rising into the darkening sky like a comet rising. Flames flickered in the distance. Eremis' eyes widened with surprise.
A fire?? Oh, no! And why now??!
Disappointed that his evening's plans had been destroyed, but instantly back to action, Eremis hurried towards the origin of the light, pushing himself forward, overcoming his exhaustion with sheer power of mind. Even from the distance, he heard that people had gathered. Speaking over each other, they at first seemed frantic or worried, but then some seemed to be enjoying the spectacle. The flames turned out to come from the marketplace. As he reached the old bridge and passed the former tax house, he found indeed many citizens gathered on the broad open space that was used as the marketplace in the mornings. Now, all stalls were gone, the cobblestones cleaned, and the tax house that was nowadays used as a guards house completely empty.
And there she was: A petite, slender figure, dancing within the flames that rose from her palms. He was instantly reminded of the first time he had seen Nichuan dance. It was still a magical moment. And not only because she was calling forth actual magic, but rather.... I probably shouldn't have crept up on her that evening, watching her as she was thinking that she was alone. His heart was beating faster and faster. Only by thinking of that moment in the Caravanserai of Salsee.
Now, as he was watching it begin - and it was still just the beginning as he knew - he affirmed his previous thoughts, that it didn't really look like when jugglers juggled with fire. It almost seemed that there was an actual entity she was dancing with.
But it suddenly ended, when the potter Heriguld called: "Isn't that the fire witch?" Horrified, the old washerwoman Orilia made the sign of Solus and backed away calling out to the people around her: "Be careful, people! She will burn the whole area down! Just like her master twelve years ago!"
Nichuan was shocked and angry. She stopped and turned around. People inhaled quickly and some actually backed away as if she would burn them for what had been said. Then she noticed Eremis and turned away, her steps quick and miserable.
Then, a deep baritone voice echoed loudly across the marketplace: "Never again, you will call my friend a witch! Else, your chin will land over there. Got it?" Eremis face was contorted with anger. Then he turned to Old Orilia, who everybody knew as a pious and talkative woman.
"You know nothing about her. If she wanted to, everything would already be burned. She is surely able to do this. But she wouldn't. Nichuan is an artist, a dancer, who tamed even fire to dance with her."
Then he turned to everybody else, locked eyes and spoke urgently to them, as he approached the center of the marketplace.
"Before you open your mouth, at least first take a look: She studied for years to show you something from her homeland that you would otherwise never see in your life. It's absolutely safe with her!"
Letting his heavy backpack slide off his shoulder with a thud, he gazes after Nichuan, to see whether she's already gone or whether she stayed. Luckily, she stopped as she heard his voice protecting her. Unsure of what to do though, she looks at the ground before her feet, then up at Eremis and back to the expectant mass of people, who had come together as she was training.
A sole "Thank you." is all that purrs from her mouth.
Eremis walks over and greets her with an exuberant hug. He feels happy to have met her at last. In the last days before his departure he hadn't had the chance. Not even to say goodbye. She had surely been too busy with her studies. She wouldn't have avoided him, but it almost seemed so.
"You won't believe what we have found in the Tower! But all in good time. Don't be intimidated by those people. Show us what you can do!"
Now, seeing her sound and safe, the last burden drops from his shoulders. With a friendly smile, he settles down in the dust of the street and looks expectantly up at her from below.
It has become dark and there are no clouds in the night sky. A few stars begin to shimmer into existence. Slowly it is getting a little cooler. And some people are even starting to shiver.
He stopped for a moment. Exhausted, he put down his heavy burden and swiped his head. Stretching his back he caught the last glimpses of the evening sun. Dusk settled quickly over Holt-Lindeck. It became quieter and all the people went to their homes. But he had none.
What a day, or rather, what a week!
Eremis had just passed the King's Gate before it closed for the night. Nine days ago, he had departured with his three companions into the wild, in search of magical artifacts. Now, he was alone. But luckily - and indeed it had been luck! - they all made it out alive. There had been some really close shots. But somehow, he had kept them all alive. And that was something he was quite proud of.
On their return, Bausum, their half-orc scout had stayed behind in the wilderniss. Teodvik, the strange magician, had been eager to return to the Free College. And although he had complained the last hour about his aching legs, once inside the city walls, he went off quickly to study those books that they had brought back as if he hadn't walked the whole day. And then there was Jacob, Benedikt's brother. The lad had been trouble all the way, besides his skills with traps, and again, as Eremis turned around to wish him a good night, he had just vanished as if he was also a magician.
A tankard of ale, a soothing bath and a nice massage... yeah, that would be great now. But first, I have to bring the loot to my room.
That was, when he saw a stream of fire rising into the darkening sky like a comet rising. Flames flickered in the distance. Eremis' eyes widened with surprise.
A fire?? Oh, no! And why now??!
Disappointed that his evening's plans had been destroyed, but instantly back to action, Eremis hurried towards the origin of the light, pushing himself forward, overcoming his exhaustion with sheer power of mind. Even from the distance, he heard that people had gathered. Speaking over each other, they at first seemed frantic or worried, but then some seemed to be enjoying the spectacle. The flames turned out to come from the marketplace. As he reached the old bridge and passed the former tax house, he found indeed many citizens gathered on the broad open space that was used as the marketplace in the mornings. Now, all stalls were gone, the cobblestones cleaned, and the tax house that was nowadays used as a guards house completely empty.
And there she was: A petite, slender figure, dancing within the flames that rose from her palms. He was instantly reminded of the first time he had seen Nichuan dance. It was still a magical moment. And not only because she was calling forth actual magic, but rather.... I probably shouldn't have crept up on her that evening, watching her as she was thinking that she was alone. His heart was beating faster and faster. Only by thinking of that moment in the Caravanserai of Salsee.
Now, as he was watching it begin - and it was still just the beginning as he knew - he affirmed his previous thoughts, that it didn't really look like when jugglers juggled with fire. It almost seemed that there was an actual entity she was dancing with.
But it suddenly ended, when the potter Heriguld called: "Isn't that the fire witch?" Horrified, the old washerwoman Orilia made the sign of Solus and backed away calling out to the people around her: "Be careful, people! She will burn the whole area down! Just like her master twelve years ago!"
Nichuan was shocked and angry. She stopped and turned around. People inhaled quickly and some actually backed away as if she would burn them for what had been said. Then she noticed Eremis and turned away, her steps quick and miserable.
Then, a deep baritone voice echoed loudly across the marketplace: "Never again, you will call my friend a witch! Else, your chin will land over there. Got it?" Eremis face was contorted with anger. Then he turned to Old Orilia, who everybody knew as a pious and talkative woman.
"You know nothing about her. If she wanted to, everything would already be burned. She is surely able to do this. But she wouldn't. Nichuan is an artist, a dancer, who tamed even fire to dance with her."
Then he turned to everybody else, locked eyes and spoke urgently to them, as he approached the center of the marketplace.
"Before you open your mouth, at least first take a look: She studied for years to show you something from her homeland that you would otherwise never see in your life. It's absolutely safe with her!"
Letting his heavy backpack slide off his shoulder with a thud, he gazes after Nichuan, to see whether she's already gone or whether she stayed. Luckily, she stopped as she heard his voice protecting her. Unsure of what to do though, she looks at the ground before her feet, then up at Eremis and back to the expectant mass of people, who had come together as she was training.
A sole "Thank you." is all that purrs from her mouth.
Eremis walks over and greets her with an exuberant hug. He feels happy to have met her at last. In the last days before his departure he hadn't had the chance. Not even to say goodbye. She had surely been too busy with her studies. She wouldn't have avoided him, but it almost seemed so.
"You won't believe what we have found in the Tower! But all in good time. Don't be intimidated by those people. Show us what you can do!"
Now, seeing her sound and safe, the last burden drops from his shoulders. With a friendly smile, he settles down in the dust of the street and looks expectantly up at her from below.
It has become dark and there are no clouds in the night sky. A few stars begin to shimmer into existence. Slowly it is getting a little cooler. And some people are even starting to shiver.
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