16

Wizardry

Karendle

As she sat in the Brown Boar, finishing her dinner, she thought about how her life had changed in the last few days. Twynne Rivers was nothing like she had expected.

After getting thrown out of the Wizard's Guild, and after shouting angry dwarvish curses over the fence at the guards standing by the CenterTown wall, she had stormed away. It was evening, and darker than usual because of the heavy clouds that had drifted over the city. She started walking, but had not gone far when the rains began.

The first inn she found was quite expensive, and she only had a few coins. She tried offering work, cleaning, in exchange for a meal and lodging. One by one, the inns turned her back out into the rain. As she got further down the RiverFront the prices did get lower, but not low enough.

Finally, after talking to an innkeeper, she shook the rain from her clothes and started toward the door. As she passed two men sitting at a table, one of them gestured to her, "It looks like you're having a difficult time, eh?"

The other was more finely dressed, thinner, and had features that looked elvish. He called the innkeeper over. "Give her a room," he said, tossing three silver pieces on the table, "And a good hot meal."

She froze. "No, sir. I'm not sure who you think I am!"

The man laughed. "Not to worry. We'll not harm you. Sit down, miss." Then added, gesturing to the chair, "Please?"

He took charge of the conversation, asking her name, and telling her that he had seen her shouting at the Wizard's Guild at the gates to CenterTown earlier that evening. Her shock that she had been followed lessened as he explained that they also had problems with the guild.

As the innkeeper brought out their food, the elf explained that criminal wizards had become a huge problem in the city, but that the guild blocked all efforts to bring them to justice. He worked with a faction that wanted to put all of the rogue mages behind bars, and would she be willing to get back at the guild by helping them?

She hesitated. "How?"

"It's simple, really. By finding and capturing rogue criminal wizards, and bringing them to justice."

She was intrigued, but also suspicious. "And how would I do that, if I haven't learned any powers?"

The elf scoffed. "Who needs to learn magic? That's the long, hard way." He leaned in, and spoke more intensely. "I can give you the easy way to throw magic around. Are you interested?"

Her eyes opened wide. I can use magic? Easily? It's always been so hard for me! "I am! Tell me how that works!"

He reached back and grabbed a pouch and set it on the table next to her dinner plate. She slowly picked it up and peeked inside. There were a number of gems, each big enough to fit in the palm of her hand. She reached in the bag, but the first man stopped her.

The elf explained, "We'd rather not have you display those here, for all to see." Nodding, she set the pouch back down on the table.

"Are they... Oculi?" She had heard of them from her father, who knew all about gems. She had never seen any like these, because the only ones that came to her city so far up in the hills were the ones on the river barges.

"Yes!" He explained, "Eyes of the Creator! With the red one, you can throw fire. With the blue one, you can move things using your mind. The grey ones? They're what you'll use to dimensionally entrap the foul mages that are sullying up our city. If... If, of course, you decide to help us."

He reached across the table and picked up the pouch with the oculi. Having finished their meal, and the conversation, the two men stood. The human put his hat on, and tipped it toward Karendle. "Miss, enjoy your dinner and your stay here. We'll talk more, tomorrow."

She had been unable think of anything to say as she had watched them step out the door and into the rain.

Back at the Brown Boar, she blinked her eyes, and came out of the reverie. She tossed a copper coin onto the table next to her plate and walked over to the stairs leading up to the rooms. As she passed the innkeeper's wife, she asked, "So, do you know where they took the wizard that your husband overcame?"

"I don't know." She put on a puzzled look, "Probably to the guard tower in the InnerWall, just down the sloping road a bit. That's the closest one, I'd think..."

Karendle smiled. "Thank you very much!"

"You're welcome. Bless your steps!"

17

Out In the Street

Thissraelle

Thissraelle stepped out of the inn, onto the street, and blinked up at the dull, gray, afternoon skies. The raining had stopped! She was happy about that. At first, it was thrilling to fly over the darkened city in the middle of the night with the rain in her face. Then, she felt the chill of the wet night air, and her will subsided and she had to land and look for shelter.

She had managed to get past the protection of the CenterTown walls, and had begun to walk through the silent shadowed streets. Before long, she found the glow of the oculus lamps on the main street of the RiverFront Quarter. It was still quiet, except for the rain, but there were lanterns shining through the windows of pubs and inns.

Her escape and wandering had taken much of the night, so once she settled into an inn, and a dry, warm bedroll, she slept long, way past the dawn.

This doesn't look so scary in the daylight! Yes, she had to admit to herself, in addition to being excited to be free in a new world, she also felt some fear. All up and down the street there was activity. Vendors pushing carts across the puddled cobblestones, women haggling over the price of a pig, and a man trying to coax a load, probably bags of grain, on to the back of an uncooperative donkey.

"You got copper?" The tiny voice jerked her gaze down. In front of her, there, no more than half her height, was a small human child, in ragged clothes. The child's long scraggly hair and unwashed face gave no clues as to whether it was a boy or a girl.

"I - I'm sorry?" Thissraelle stammered, off-guard.

The child held its open hand up higher. "You got copper?"

"Oh!" Thissraelle suddenly understood. "Yes! You poor waif!" She dug into her purse and pulled out two copper wedges, cut from a larger coin. She dropped them into the child's hand, who scurried away.

She stood, watching as the child vanished into the crowd and buildings. She had never seen anyone so poor before. I hope there's a family for him. Her? She stepped along the street, moving between vendors and residents, not really noticing the way they were looking at her.

She stopped abruptly when another child stepped in front of her. This one was a bit taller, a bit older, and her tattered clothing resembled a dress. She held out her hand and said, "Hey, you got copper!"

Thissraelle stepped back. She wasn't sure if that was a request or a statement. Maybe even a command. She reached into her purse as another child, a bit younger, rushed up and just started saying, "Copper, copper!" A third was following a short ways behind.

Thissraelle turned, and began to move more quickly in the other direction. The children followed, with their hands out. She grabbed some coins and wedges from her purse and tossed them to the side. As the kids scrambled to the ground to pick them up, she darted away, turning as quickly as she could.

The people on the street watched her go, then returned to their own efforts. Nobody noticed the one man who followed her.

18

The Confessor Priest

Antonerri

Antonerri was jarred from an uneasy sleep by a loud clanging. Startled, he shook his head and opened his eyes. Across the cell bars, next to the table stood two figures. They were mostly obscured by the dark and the incense smoke, but Antonerri knew who they were. One, a soldier guard, held a lantern low in one hand. It was swinging from side to side, jangling against the keys and tools on his belt, and casting shaking shadows around the room. The man's other hand swung back and forth, banging a sword against the bars of DeFrantis' cell.

"Get up, you!" He shouted in a scratchy voice, "Wake up! It's time to face your charges!"

Next to the guard stood a man in long, elaborate robes of fine white silk, trimmed in yellow and red piping. The robes bore elaborate embroidery of the emblem of the Church of Three Lights. He held a staff with a large, clear gemstone set in the head. He maintained his silence, glaring intently at Antonerri's huddled form. For a moment, their eyes met, and immediately the priest looked away, focusing on the other cell.

Antonerri looked to DeFrantis and saw her stir and sit up from the cold floor. She shook her head and ran her hand across her hair.

The soldier was losing patience. He banged his sword again. "Get up, you! On your knees before the Priesthood!"

She looked up at the priest, and Antonerri could see a shadow of fear cross her eyes, as she became fully awake and aware. Slowly, without removing her gaze, she knelt in the middle of the cell. He could tell already this was not going to go well for her. She needed to be strong, not timid. He shifted forward on the floor.

The priest spoke, "State your name!"

She dropped her gaze. "Are you the Confessor Priest?"

"SILENCE! I - ," He pounded the staff on the floor for emphasis, "I will ask the questions!"

She flinched and hid her face.

"What is your name?"

"DeFrantis." She whispered.

"Speak up!"

"DeFrantis. Of the OuterWall."

The priest snorted haughtily, and opened a small book carried under his arm. He held it in the light of the lantern and thumbed over the pages. "You are accused of thievery and robbery."

She straightened up, and reached out. "I didn't actually steal anything! I was attacked!"

"So, you are guilty, then?"

"I was only trying to feed the kids! They're hungry! There's no one to look after them!"

The priest pushed his shoulders back, raising the staff up higher. "I don't care! I'm not interested in your justifications! You are guilty, and you must be punished! Do you confess?" He stepped forward and hissed, "Do you also admit to being a practitioner of the Power of Shadow?"

Antonerri's mind raced. Oh, no. This is bad. He's going to go off on her, and She's not going to be able to take this! He rolled forward onto his feet.

She hesitated, "I -"

In a deep tone of righteous indignation, he intoned, "Are you a wizard of darkness?"

"No! I'm not!" She said, trembling, "I only know a little -"

"There is your confession!" The priest pointed the staff at her, "So, feel the purging power of light!"

"No!" Antonerri lunged ahead and threw himself at the the bars, reaching through and grabbing the staff. A flash of light exploded in the room, coursed through his arm and body, and sent him flying back into his cell. The fierce pain in his muscles made it hard to breathe.

The priest's rage was quick. "How dare you interfere! Your punishment will be severe!" He pointed the gem at Antonerri and unleashed another blast of brightness. Antonerri screamed as the power rushed through him.

DeFrantis looked on in horror. "STOP!"

Antonerri rolled over and got up on his hands and knees. He struggled to stand as a third blast threw him up against the back wall of the cell.

"So, this is what happens when you intervene!"

Antonerri lay back against the wall, breathing heavily. His body could not move, shaking in pain. He looked at the priest, then at DeFrantis. I tried. I tried to stop him.

She rushed to the bars between them as if she wanted to break through them and comfort him. She looked at the priest and soldier in fear. He saw her eyes darting from one to the other. The soldier looked on with a smile, while the priest shouted latin curses and invocations at Antonerri.

"Yes, Father. I have sinned," DeFrantis said. He looked back at her in confusion as she kneeled by the bars before the priest. What is she doing? She bowed her head, "I need redemption."