Mars

The door slammed against the wall the moment it was unlocked.

Mars jumped at the sound, his water bottle tumbling from his hands. The liquid inside sloshed heavy, but none spilled onto the pristine white carpet below. Leaning as far off the couch as he could, he tried peering into the other room. The only thing he could see was the edge of the table counter and the green wall behind it. For the second time, the door hit the frame wildly, and he watched as a girl paced past the archway.

Standing up cautiously, he took a step or two towards the foyer. "Umm, Mikaela?"

"Sometimes I'd just like to show her what for," the girl muttered, storming into the room.

"Are you okay? Who's 'her?'" he tried again, raising his eyebrows in concern.

"Hm?' Mikaela stopped mid-pace, her eyes falling on the boy for the first time. "Sorry, did I say something?"

"N-no," Mars responded quickly, rubbing the back of his neck to keep the hairs down. "I just- uh, the door," he said, gesturing to it halfheartedly.

The girl shook her head, peeling her coat off as she did so. "It's no big deal, some people are just," she shrugged to end the sentence.

He nodded, though his eyes had already caught on to a different subject. It wasn't as if he meant to stare, really, but it was kind of hard to not still be surprised. Even after seeing her walk through the door, part of him expected her to take off her coat and unfurl a pair of white, beautiful wings. Not that she wasn't beautiful already, he just hadn't noticed. Well, he had, but the point was that he wasn't interested or anything. Honestly, for all he knew, she was still one hundred percent planning to smite him in his sleep.

Mars watched as she dropped onto the couch, before catching sight of the sky outside. The sun had finally dropped below the horizon, moonlight just beginning to cast new shadows on the buildings below. It was honestly gorgeous outside. He had never seen so much green, the tree Vitu-Ghazi rested on providing everything with such life. Plenty of people were out wandering, blue and gold lights emitting softly to guide them through the city. A thought popped into his mind, and he hid a grin.

"Hey Mikaela, I'm going to head out for a bit," he paused to consider inviting her, but bit his lip instead and quickly ruled it out.

"Alright," she responded, giving him a short nod.

Taking that as a good sign, Mars grabbed his coat and walked out the door.

The hallway of the building was deserted. It smelled of pine and tree sap, though not in an over whelming way. Each of the doors looked carved out of wood, but he guessed it was more likely that they were all still part of the tree in some way or another. It was kind of fascinating, but Mars had never been very good in that area. It was more likely that he would've killed the plant if he had tried. Finding his way to the door labeled stairs, he pushed it open and started up.

His feet padded softly up the wooden planks. They reminded him of home, though maybe it was due to homesickness over anything else. They didn't creak beneath him or threaten to break if he accidentally tripped up them. Plus they were much longer, the stairwell leading all the way up to the roof instead of just a second story. Thankfully, it didn't take anywhere near hours to make it to the top.

Giving the door a gentle push, he stepped out onto the roof. Wind rustled his unruly hair, blowing white strands into his face. He tried briefly to fix them and then gave upon realizing the uselessness of doing so. Everything felt very high up as he peered over the edge, his height even taller than the blue domes spread out below him. Tall, gleaming white walls of the main church stood out to him, though they were a ling ways off. He hadn't truly realized how big Vitu-Ghazi was until then. Stepping up the edge of the roof, he peered over to look at the cobblestone streets below.

A clank sounded behind him, his body jumping out of his skin. Mars spun around to find a blonde girl staring back at him, her blue eyes somewhat worried.

"Sorry," she said, her voice carrying delicately across the breeze. "I thought I was the only one that came up here."

Mars throat clamped up, leaving him looking at her awkwardly. Desperately trying to clear his throat, he ran a hand through his tangled hair. "I-it's cool, I mean it's your spot so I'll-"

"No, no, your good," she walked up to the ledge and pushed herself up, letting her legs dangle over the street below as she sat back down.

"Are you sure that's safe?!" he asked with eyes wide.

"Of course," she laughed, glancing back up at him. "So, you got a name?"

"Mars."

"That's it?"

"Umm, Marigold," he admitted, purposely avoiding eye contact. "Mars is for short."

She nodded and stuck out a hand, "Clarabelle Divinity. You got a last name Marigold?"

Ignoring his own blush, he nodded. "L-lost," he knew he was fibbing somewhat but it was the best he could do.

"That's a bit odd," she commented, chewing on her lip. "Whatcha doing out here?"

"Trying to get a better view, I mean, I've only got a day," Mars admitted, leaning on edge with his elbows.

"You'd have more than that if you lived here," she joked.

He nodded, "Yeah, well, I don't think I'd fit in too well."

"Why not? Not like a lot of Selesnya are going to judge you for you being you."

The boy glanced over at her, "I'd argue with you on that."

"Really? I mean, peace, harmony, that's basically the entire motto."

He knew she was simplifying it, but it made him smile anyway. "Thanks."

She dipped her head, "Have you ever thought about it? I mean a place where it's always peaceful because everyone believes in the same thing."

"Isn't that supposed to be a bad thing?" Mars asked, more curious than argumentative.

"No, not if it's worth it. I mean you wouldn't have to stick out like a sore thumb here," she said, though the joke felt less like a joke the second time. "Everyone gets to be connected to each other, to the nature of the world. Why do you think it's so beautiful here?"

"It is very pretty," the boy admired, though a bad feeling began to coat his throat as he said the words.

"Have you ever thought of converting? I mean, just giving it a try," she corrected at the end upon catching his bewildered expression.

"Well-"

"What would you have to lose?"

My family's respect for one, he thought, though he kept his mouth shut.

"Think about it. If everyone followed the Selesnya way there'd be a lot more peace in the world," she coaxed, nudging him lightly with her elbow.

"I don't know," he mumbled, looking away at the city again.

"There's nothing like experiencing the voice of Mat'Selesnya, even just knowing she's there it's like- it's like truly finding yourself."

Mars stood back up sharply, her sudden pushiness getting to him. "Listen, I should probably-"

"I'm scaring you off, aren't I?" her soft tone brought him looking back down, his eyes locking with hers. "I'm not saying you have to, I'm just saying you give some other ways some consideration."

He suddenly felt somewhat queasy. The wind had died completely and in the sudden quiet of the night, the pressure snapped him. "I'll think about it," he choked out, turning on his heels and rushing inside without another word.

He let out a deep breathe the moment he got into the stairwell.

"I hope my heart makes it through this," he murmured, clutching at his chest.

Mars closed his eyes for a moment, his head thunking into the door behind him. All he could hear or feel was how fast his heart was inside his chest. It thumped against his ribcage and pounded in his ears like a drumbeat. He hoped the girl wasn't too upset. Or mad, that would be even worse if she was mad. The last thing he needed was her bursting into the stairwell and shoving him down a flight or two. She had just been getting so pushy and well, what else should he have done? At least they were only staying a night, so he wouldn't have to have any sort of second, incredibly awkward interaction.

Opening his eyes again, he gave the leaf ceiling a long, lingering look. Hopefully, the next trial would go better. Maybe it'd be something a little less philosophical, like fighting a dragon. Er, maybe not that, something simpler, like petting a cat. Petting a cat would be nice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Midnight Lynx

*7:00 A.M*

I awoke from my deep sleep. My skin was colder and more pale than usual, I was on edge. Today was a day unlike no other. Today is the day that I begin my intense journey to Vitu-Ghazi. Vitu-Ghazi is a land like no other, I myself have never been here before, but I've heard stories. My mother, she actually used to work for the Mistress of Selesnya before she.. Nevermind.

I however, have a dream to become a vicious member of Guildpact Dimir. In order to achieve this goal I have to prove my worth to the land by traveling to Vitu- Ghazi and receiving the black signet. I'm trepidatious as to how I will manage this alone, but I'm a warrior and refuse to give up.

*8:00 A.M*

Luckily for me, it was still early enough that the sun was hidden behind an arrangement of trees and clouds. I had began walking through Ravinca at this point, the world was still quiet and I seemed to be alone. According to my map I was only 20 miles short of Vitu-Ghazi, as I was studying my map I noticed a short cut that shaved off about 11 miles. I would have to cut through down where the Selesnya Conclave was located, and I'm sure if I kept quiet they won't mind. I started making my way towards the land when I was stopped by a burning sensation. I had been so focused on my destination that I failed to notice the sun slowly creeping its way out towards me, and the closer I got to Conclave the stronger the sun got. Before I had enough time to think of a logical solution, I hit the solid ground.

*10:00 A.M*

"Are you okay dear?" A light voice said to me

"W-who said that?" I replied in a nervous tone

"Look to your left dear" The voice said

I slowly crept up from off the floor, I seemed to be inside of a house of some sort. I looked to my left and standing there was a tall, very beautiful elf.

"I'm sorry, I must've stumbled in here by mistake, I will show myself to the door....uh where is it?" I asked

"No my dear, It was no mistake that you landed in my care. You are lucky I found you, had I not who know's what could have happened to you!" She exclaimed

"I'm confused." I said blankly

"Your skin, it was very blistered. You were unconscious as well. You must be a vampire yes? Don't worry dear, I am not going to chase you off." She said in a loving tone

I won't lie, I considered dropping everything and running at this point, but she seemed nice and I was in no position to piss off the people of Vitu-Ghazi.

"I uh appreciate that, thank you." I said

"Pleasure. Now you better run off if you want to complete your journey in this marvelous town." She said

"How did you know about th- yeah okay I'm going to head out of here. Thanks again for helping me." I said in a fast tone while sprinting towards the exit.

*10:30 A.M*

I quickly left the Elf's house and continued on my way. I was amazed to see the elegance of Vitu-Ghazi. The first aspect I noticed was the tree, the excellent tree. It was large and breath taking. If it fell it could probably kill an entire town, and everything surrounding that town. There were large golden gates blocking the perimeters, purple, pink, and other kinds of assorted flowers spread out across the rocky floor. The sky was a florescent crystal blue even though the sun was nowhere to be seen. I will still feeling weak and hungry from what had happened before, but that was a situation I would deal with later. I had to get to work, I was on a mission to find the Black Signet and nothing was going to kill my determination. I was doing my best to stay on the down low, because regardless of where I go people always tend to get nervous around me. I continued to study the world around me, I only had 24 hours to spend here and I was going to try and make the most of it. I felt like an outsider, I was still in my home land but none of these people were like the one's I'm used to. They were all mature and beautiful, they all seemed to have a purpose. None of them stopped to talk, they just rushed passed me to continue on with their sole purpose, whatever that is.

*12:00 P.M*

I was starving and weak, and it was only increasing by the minute. Back at home I had designated spots that I could find hearty food sources at without a problem, but here...I don't stand a chance. The only reasonable solution I could think of was finding a human, they're easy to take down and usually a quick kill. But I'm not sure how easy it's going to be to find anything in a place as large as Vitu-Ghazi.

*1:00 p.m*

I have been wandering around for what seems like an hour now, and I've found nothing to solve my "issue". It was starting to become the afternoon and my body was becoming too weak to carry itself. As I was starting to lose hope, I heard a faint voice from behind me,

"Miss....miss can you help me?" The voice whispered

I slowly turned around to be presented with a young girl, she couldn't have been older than 17.

"Yes. I'll help you." I responded sternly

" I'm trying to find my back to my forest but I took a wrong turn and I don't know where I'm at." She replied in a scared tone

At this point it was obvious that she was human, her lack of critical thinking and sense to recognize danger had "human" written all over it. I felt bad, not because I wasn't actually going to help her, but because she was too dense to realize that this was all one big scheme. I lured her into a corner where things would be less noticeable and I preyed. I wiped the dripping blood from my bottom lip and I walked away from the scene like nothing had ever happened.

*4:00 P.M*

I had reenergized and been walking all afternoon. I've been studying the climate and region, picking up on the differences in cultures from theirs and mine. It was beginning to get dark and I knew I would need to find a shelter soon, I was just amazed at how smooth this journey has gone. Getting the Black Signet will be the easiest mission I've ever attempted at this rate. I decided to head back towards that abnormally large tree, I figured I would be able to find a sense of safety and home at some area over there.

*6:00 P.M*

I Made it back to the tree and I began to climb up onto one of the branches when my attention was drawn towards something else.

"Hello child.'' Said a graceful voice

"uh...Hello?" I replied curiously

"Down here child." The voice replied

I climbed down the tree and followed the voice over to a large pond where a Merfolk poked their head out of the water. I was stunned, I had never seen a Merfolk in person before, but I was always warned to stay away from them. But for some reason I couldn't back away from the elegance of this creature.

" I'm glad you've come to me child, I have been waiting for you." She said elegantly

"Y-you have? How did you know I was here?" I replied nervously

"I know everything my child, and I know what you came here for." She replied

"And that would be?" I asked sarcastically

She looked me dead in the eye's as she held up the Black Signet. I was amazed and concerned at the same time.

"The Signet...you have it." I exclaimed

"Yes my child, and I'll give it to you if you follow my terms." She replied

"Okay, can I first have a name?" I asked kindly

"Bahari my child." She said up front

" I'm Midnight. Now what do you want from me?" I said bluntly

"I know who you are child, I live and breathe your every waking moments in life. But I can not help you if you refuse to help me. Will you help me?" Bahari asked

"Yes..Yes I'll help you. Anything you need." I replied in an eager tone

"I need you to collect some Amethyst stones for me to help me gain more power, can you do that for me child?"

"Yes, of course. I'll do that right now." I said eagerly while walking away from the pond.

*7:00 P.M*

This didn't really seem like a fair trade to me, I was collecting a few stones for her clan and she was going to give me the solution to all of my problems in return. Part of my brain was telling me that there was a nasty catch to this that I was too dense to realize, but I'm stubborn and refused to listen. I just wanted to go home, back to where I was comfortable, where people feared me, not the other way around. I just wanted to finally be apart of the Guild and have a designated home that I could call my own, a clan that I could fit in with properly. The only way I was going to achieve any of this was by following this woman's crazy antics and hoping she didn't just plan to kill me in the end.

*8:00 P.M*

I have been walking and collecting stones for the last hour now, I have an entire sack full. Surely this should be enough to please Bahari. I started making my way back to the pond when I began to hear faint whispers in the background.

"Join us..."

"Come to us"

"Join us."

"Come to us."

I Couldn't understand what they were saying, but it was very repetitive, and quiet enough that I almost swore it was in my head. I looked around to make sure no one was following me, surely enough I was alone. The whispers only increased the closer I got to the pond, but I brushed it off and let my determination motivate me to finish my mission. I approached the Pond that Bahari and I first interacted at, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Bahari!?" I Exclaimed

Slowly but surely Bahari rose from the water and stood 6 feet tall in front of me. I hesitated a bit before handing her the bag of stones.

"I did what you asked, may I have my reward now?" I asked hesitantly

"No child, you must join us first." She replied while putting her hand out

"I'm sorry?" I asked

"Join us child, we will teach you the way of Selesnya. We will guide you, help you grow. You will never be alone because you will always have us by your side. We will be your clan of elders." She said in a convincing tone

"I'm sorry, you said if I helped you, you would give me what I needed." I replied sternly

"I am offering what you need, only better. Do you not want to be like your mother once was? A ruler of Selesnya? You could hold all of the power child. Join us child....Join us." She exclaimed

I began to feel weak again, like all the willpower I had was being sucked out of me. I was trembling in fear because I had no way out. Was I going to be stuck here in Vitu-Ghazi for the rest of eternity? I didn't want to be like my mother, I don't want to be like them. I want to be me, Midnight, The next vampire to join Guildpact Dimir. And they weren't going to stop, even if they tried.

" Of course I'll join, I'd be honored." I replied in a notable tone

"Wise my child, very wise indeed." Bahari replied

I walked over to her to grab her hand, when I grabbed her hand I lunged at her and pulled her into the water, I quickly stole the Black Signet from her and I bolted faster than I had ever ran before. I didn't know if they were chasing me, and I sure as hell didn't want to know. I booked it and got out of there.

*12:00 A.M*

I sprinted back to my home in Ravinca and crashed onto the floor. I looked around the whole room to insure that no one unwelcomed was there. I was so weak at this point I could barely move, I tried to get up but I ended up passing out onto the hard floor..again.

*7:00 A.M*

It was the next day, I was still weak from the day before but the confidence I had gained from what I did kept me going. I'm aware that I've probably caused some future problems for myself, but right now we're going to take it one step at a time. I went out to the city and fed on the closest living thing I could find, a goblin, they're not particularly my favorite but I can't complain right now. I made my way into the darker parts of Ravinca, hoping to find a cloaked man by the name of Lazav. He was the last piece to my puzzle and I was eager to find him. I closed my eyes and I focused, hoping this would lead me in the true direction of the house he was located at. I saw a shadowed black house in the far distance, I began to sprint towards it.

*8:00 A.M*

I slowly crept up the stairs of this shadowed house and I pushed open the already cracked door. Inside there was a shadow in the corner.

"Hello." I said forcefully

"Ah yes, I've been expecting you." He replied sternly

The man slowly turned around and walked over to me, he touched my face with icy hands and then proceeded to rip the Black Signet from my hand.

"Good work child, I'm impressed." He said

I didn't know how to reply, I just chose to stare at him instead.

"What is it that you want from me child?" He asked sternly

"I was hoping, to join the guild. To become the next member of Dimir. Sir." I replied shakingly

He stared into my soul with his deep black eyes and let out a small sigh

"I suppose." He replied

"Wait, really?" I asked

"Yes child. You have proven your worth to the guild, but can you continue to prove your worth?" He Asked

"Yes." I said bluntly

"Welcome to Dimir my child. You may exit now." He said while pointing to the door

Excitement fluttered through me as I embraced the fact that I was the newest member of Guildpact Dimir. I knew this was only the beginning and things will only get harder from here, but I am so ready to fight. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tzun Greatbrain

  The first signet was supposed to be a breeze. Go to the Conclave and chill out for a bit with some elves and dryads. Eat some fruit maybe, shoot the breeze. If I'm gonna be the Guildpact, I gotta get cozy with the different people of Ravnica even though I don't really care for most folks. Pretty soon the whole world's gonna know the genius of Tzun Greatbrain! Then I'll finally get my word in to Niv-Mizzet.

Regardless, I made my way to Vitu-Ghazi and found a nice little bench to chill on for the next day as I waited for my signet. A nice scenic spot in a hidden little grotto in the main part of the Selesnyian capitol. Birds chirping, water trickling down rocks, all that jazz. Then this slim elven woman made her way to me, all smiling and ghost-like.

"Hello there, fair goblin," she said to me. She did this little head bow and then started looking at me with this empty gaze, her face smiling but yet not. You know, one of those "customer support" kinda looks you get at the market.

Anyway, she tilted her head at me as I gave her an offhanded glance and then laid down, turning away from her.

"Kind sir, would you like to take a moment to perhaps hear about the mission of the Selesnya Conclave?"

I gave her another glance before ignoring her again. She then put her hand out to touch my shoulder.

"Hey lady, what the hell do you think you're on about?" I exclaimed. I grimaced at her and she just kept on smiling.

"Well, I just think that if you're going to be our guest for the night you should perhaps sit and chat with me about the Conclave."

I made myself take up as much space as physically possible on the bench as if to say "buzz off," like my demeanor didn't give that aura off anyway. She then proceeded to kneel down next to my head.

"Oh kind goblin, what seems to be the bother?" she decided to ask me, obviously not getting the memo. I finally decided to give her a reply.

"My bother is an obnoxious spindly elf woman chittering into my ear about stuff I absolutely, 100% do not give a single care about."

She just nodded at me with that creepy smile of hers.

"Oh kind goblin, please do not find me bothersome, it's ever so upsetting. I just want to impart our teachings onto you!"

I scoffed and then sat up, gathering my things.

"Well, kind elf, I honestly do not give a damn about your teachings, I already have a guild."

She shook her head and then stood up with me. I started walking down the street to get away, and she followed suit.

"What the hell lady, buzz off!" I yelled, speeding up. She just laughed and sped up with me.

We made our way down the spindly, winding roads of the capitol, her blabbering at me without end and me attempting to shake her off every possible chance. She kept finding her way back to me until I finally managed to shake her off by slipping into an alleyway as soon as I turned a corner, before she caught up.

I caught my breath in the alley, before hearing a voice behind me.

"You won't lose me that easily, little one!" I heard an airy voice say as a shiver the speed of lightning shot up my spine.

"WHAT THE EVER LOVING HELL ARE YOU DOING BEHIND ME?" I yelled turning to face the obnoxious evangelist.

"I simply turned the corner with you. Now please, just listen to my message and I will leave you alone," she continued, still smiling at me emptily.

I sat down in that dank alley and turned my brain off, staring next to the elvish woman's head as I daydreamed about my soon-to-be title as Guildpact of Ravnica. Before I knew it I was conked out in that alley and I woke up to a flower crown on my head and a nice basket of fruits next to me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iracun Rumpig

Breaking open a seed takes time and effort. When that seed could potentially have been a person, it takes less time and effort. That's not to say Iracun was a killer. Oh no, he'd hit you for that. There's just a time and an age that a goblin reaches in which they quit trying to accept all the new laws and ways of people and just rely on instinct. That normally happens around age four. Iracun hit that at twenty three, on his way into his middle ages, and now, at a ripe twenty five, just perfectly through half of his life and knowing that the rest of his years could only come sooner, Iracun relishes in the belief that in order to get things done, things have to get done.

Now, why was Iracun breaking open a seed, one asks. That's not the right question, idiot. Iracun breaks open seeds for fun, pah! Also, because he enjoys eating. Anyone with half of a Vydalken's brain knows that. Why, you'd have to be an orge to be stupid enough to think that he was just going around and destroying something because he could. Iracun held himself to the upmost of the law.

Well, in public he did.

Back to the story at hand, however. Stop getting distracted already and just shut up. Thoughts merely cloud this when instead one should be flowing along, gently easing themselves in.

Writing was hard. It took time, effort, and a sense of fluidity that wasn't gifted to everyone. So with every scarlet drop of pen into damp ink, he sighed. Something had happened to his penmanship over the years. It used to be clean, yet lately it resembled that of a regular goblin. He tried so hard to hold himself to standards, to abstract himself from the ideals of people about goblins. That was hard. Public eyes would never change, after all. With a sigh, he wiped each nostril, making certain nothing was to drip on his precious paper. Things were costly, after all.

It was bright when he arrived. Of course, Selesnya was the prettiest place on the planet. Even prettier than merfolk, if one can believe it. With their dreamy eyes, their scales of exquisite colors...no! Task, task, task. The colors of the trees could catch any light. Greens of skin, shades far darker than any hair could be, lights of reds and poppy yellows that burst upon the woods. Dryads were truly fascinating creatures. It wasn't right to think of them in such an erotic way but it was hard not to. (Truly, the joke was not intended. Laugh anyways.) One thing Iracun couldn't, and wouldn't, stand about them was their inability to be individual.

Ah, but such was that. He stumbled through the city, trying to be careful where he stepped as not to hurt any said person. Trostani was the said Guildmaster--one that was three, all together into the voice of Mat-Selesnya. Iracun tried not to pass judgment but knew it was weird. How do they even have sex? he found himself wondering.

His pen stopped mid-stroke, remembering how it the wind felt against his cheeks as he'd walked up. Every step bounced off the ground, wobbling through the air as he did. Such a little man couldn't do much in a big place, yet he tried. Oh, Iracun had never felt so close to the world and so distant from it. Everything was just right and...no, there wasn't a word to describe it. He closed his brown eyes to soak in the light, his face lifted towards the sky. The memory wasn't from years and years ago. It was just yesterday, replaying as yesterday did in the minds of the young and old.

"Should have changed this morning," he grumbled. Traveling clothes weren't to be seen in, of course. Not with how dirty and burnt they were. It just enhanced the stereotypes that he already faced. Shame, yet life was life and it went on. He was good enough, at least, for a day of walking, exploring the beautiful land filled with people who filled his heart with strange feelings, and eventually, finding out if he was, in fact, good enough. "Better be. I walked all the way out here, havin' to leave my new shooter at home. It ain't got enough bolts, likely to explode. Ah, Suz will fix it if it does. Never leaves my house, lil one."

Suz wasn't his child, but she may have been. Things hadn't changed since he was a young thing, and Iracun may have been grumpy at times, but he had a beating heart that was locked away by fickle things called emotions. Iracun sighed thinking about her, wondering if she finally cleaned up his working room. It was always a mess and she was a cleaner. "Stupid girl," he said, walking further. Every step took him away from whatever home he had but that didn't hurt much. Even if Iracun didn't get to his ultimate goal, he could still be known as the guy who almost did. The one who fought for his people, for his Guild, to show that a goblin could be more than a small idiot.

Perhaps, Iracun should have been just a goblin. For walking and wondering was too much, and he found himself going to break often, sitting down at the base of a rock and sleeping through much of a glorious day. It wasn't long before he was approached. Vitu-Ghazi was beautiful, it was so much more than he'd assumed it could be, but it was also home of every Selesnyan there could be that would try to convert him. And there, it was that as he awoke and begin to tinker with the objects he'd left in his pockets, wondering how awful it'd be if he broke open a seed to eat. Some Dryads might not care, but what about those that did? Was it truly bad, was he bad, or was it just a fact of life? Ah, but to find out.

He cracked, slurped from the dry seed inside, and then threw away the shell. Naught came to kill him. Such was life.

The citadel was fantastic, but all Iracun wanted to know was why the largest tree he'd ever seen was such a competitor, and why a seed, which could have grown a number of things, was just to be eaten?

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what? Shut up, I don't need your advice!"

"Story, grandfather. Story."

They came to talk, their body of bark and their mind of wonder. That wasn't what stood out to Iracun. What stood out was the will of steal, that which could not be cut with a diamond, and he smiled as he spoke. Iracun lied to the man, of course. Goblins could spin a wild true story in their day, but lying? Oh, such fun intercourse.

"Out of all of Ravnica, Vitu-Ghazi?" the dryad asked. "You want leadership, yet here is so much more to be found. You've spent this day in the light and beauty of Selesnya, and now, do you wish to stay another night?"

"That I might," Iracaun said, wondering when he'd begin to hear the lies and conversation strategies. Knowing him, he'd be converted before he could truly say no. A night was a night, after all. "But I question you not of this, nor of that, for that's idiotic. You don't look like a young poppy, nor am I, so let us discuss and speak of our lands and listen to you spin a web of Selesnya that I will gladly listen to. Your world view is different, yes, so explain to me what your beliefs are. For as it stands, you are just a tree, and I am just a goblin."

The tree that was a man that was more than that did not appear offended by Iracun, which made the goblin smile. He did rather enjoy someone who could listen to offensive words and get on with their time. Pah! Too many weak children that did not listen. So when he spoke again, it was full of luster, filled with life. Speaking of times of trees and people and nature and connections that were known. Harmonic peace was there, the threads that kept so many alive, that kept people okay. Everyone there was happy.

"Happy--" Iracun had said, coughing into his shoulder. "Aye, happiness is subjective. Most in cults are happy."

The tree that was a man that was more than that smiled, stretching out limbs and nodding. While some were more human-like in appearance, this one was lesser, and Iracun liked that in a conversating partner.

"That's not even a word."

"Don't question me."

Long had the night came and went that Iracan spoke with the man. He didn't know where one view ended and the other began, but he knew what his were, and what the mans were, and what the lies he said he'd follow were. Maybe he was more inclined, or perhaps he wasn't, but Iracun didn't believe them bad, nor did he believe them alpha over all. There were levels to his thoughts, levels to his brains, and he would spend much of his life wondering what truly might have changed in his day and night there. In his guild, the Izzet League, things were spoken with statistics, experiments, things to be proven and things to be laughed at.

There, in a beautiful place, all Iracun was filled with was curiosity. He could have spent days and nights there, figuring out the people, figuring out the land, but he did not. In the morning he would stand and leave, to the next place on his journey. Wherever he stood in terms of going forward Iracun did not stay there.

"It's late, won't you write more in the morning?"

"When did I begin?"

"Yesterday-"

"Pah! On we go."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heccan Kirkeus

"'Drop thy pipe, thy happy pipe;

Sing thy songs of happy cheer!'

So I sung the same again,

While he wept with joy to hear."

- from "Introduction": William Blake, Songs of Innocence

Three feet away from him, a rabbit hops from bush to bush.

"Well, Fluffy? What do you think?"

Zoom in on a boy, seventeen at most. A human, almost. One of us, were it not for the magic in his features: the icy colour of his hair; the translucent quality of his skin; the delicacy of each of his traits. We would describe him as elfin, and we would be right; fantasy, after all, is rooted in the senses, and, though this is far from real, our senses still will not lie to us – won't they? There is an innocence to his air as he skips through the grasses, far different from most of his age. Is it the magic in him that makes this possible in him, where it is not so in us? I have no answer, only questions, and a story for you to judge. So listen, reader, to my story, then share what thoughts you have.

The trees he sees are not like the ones that are there. In the garden, beauty covers everything with bright colours and life. Trees dart to the sky. Vines cover the ground. Bluebells blossom underfoot, crafting a sea of blooms all floating in the wind. Amidst all this beauty, the skeletal rabbit seems grotesque – sacrilegious, even –, but that does not prevent it for hopping around, sniffing at the flowers with a nose of bone. Every now and then, a rustling erupts in the petals; following it comes the rabbit, gleeful as ever.

"You like it?" asks the boy. "I don't know. Everything's just too... bright, you know?"

Heccan squints. This is not nature – not to him, anyways. The Selesnyans like the Earth to be vibrant and potent, a resource of untapped potential with which they can exist in constant communion. In Golgari, trees have no leaves, and rather than perk up, they sit, broken, pointing in different directions. Flowers prefer hues of black and white, and their thorns prick whoever tries to pluck them. He cares for nature; is it wrong to love only what is beautiful, or is it just easier?

The rabbit – Fluffy – jumps onto his lap. His fingernails scratch against its bones. "It's just... the rabbits here would bully you, I think." Heccan pauses. "Because you don't have fur. Of course, that's not your fault, and I love you either way, but I think they care. That's shallow of them. You're fluffy on the inside, right?"

They would form a strange picture to our eyes: death and the macabre have no place in Eden. Nature, however, bears no such rules, and neither do they. Such a principle is purely human, and thus, I would say, purely imperfect – or have we, as a race, become so narcissistic as to think that our rules and innately flawed, and that the world revolves around how we understand it? Our world is not ours, no matter how much we might think otherwise. It is theirs, too, though we have long ago forced them into hiding, never to resurface again.

The trees part under the midday sun. From their midst comes a man, old and tattered. His robes speak of status, his staff of wisdom. Even to our simple eyes, it would be easy to recognize him as a priest of some sort. He has no beard, though, and his eyes shine with a youth that does not exist in those his age. Despite the wrinkles that cake his face, he seems timeless. Most Selesnyans – most of those who practice in life magic, actually – do. Whether this is a natural effect of their proximity to it, or a subconscious spell designed to keep them beautiful for as long as possible, however, nobody knows.

"Good morning, sir!" chirps Heccan. "Or is it afternoon, now? I can't really tell. In Golgari, you can always tell when it's afternoon, because the sun is already setting!" The old man blinks. "I'm sorry!" adds Heccan. "I didn't mean to offend you. It's very pretty here, and so is the sun. Just... not like home is all."

"I know," replies the man. "I used to live in Golgari.'

Heccan blinks. "Really?"

"Does it matter?"

"Well, yes," says Heccan. "If you didn't, then you're a liar."

The old man laughs. "You're a clever boy, aren't you?"

"I am!" Heccan nods. "At least, Ma always said I am – or used to, anyway. I'm Heccan!"

"It's nice to meet you," says the man. "I'm Demetran. Your mother sounds like a very clever woman."

"She was!" chirps Heccan. "She's dead now, though, but that's okay. On Saturdays, when I get lonely, I bring her and Pa back and we all have dinner together! Of course, it's a little different because they're dead and I'm not, but it's kind of funny, too! One day we're all going to be the same age, sitting at the same table, eating the same old steak! Weird, right?"

For a moment, Demetran simply stares, until finally, after what seems to be hours upon hours of confusion, piled atop of each other without an end, he breaks the silence: "Right. Anyway.... do you like Selesnya?"

"Sure!" says Heccan. Fluffy nods its skeletal head. "It's so beautiful. You must love living here."

"I do," replies Demetran. His eyes twinkle in a way that Heccan hasn't seen before. "You could live here too, you know."

No I couldn't. Heccan's stomach feels heavy in his stomach. Or, at least, Fluffy couldn't. And neither could Ma and Pa. As we all know, reader, there are things in the world that simply cannot fit together at the same time: water and fire; happiness and heartbreak; healthy snacks and Nutella; life and death. But wishes are not always rational. Sometimes, despite our best judgments, we allow ourselves to hope. To dream. "How?" he asks.

"Here in Selesnya," says Demetran, "there's a voice we listen to. The Earth Mother, we call her. She tells us all the secrets about how life works and how to look after it, and anyone can hear her. But" – Heccan's heart races. A smile spreads across his face – "you have to decide you want to listen to her. You have to turn your back on death."

"Like, on all of death?" asks Heccan. "Even Ma and Pa?"

Demetran nods. "Unfortunately. In order to pursue the greater good, sometimes sacrifices are necessary."

"But they're my family!" shouts Heccan. It's so pretty here... "What about Fluffy? Could he come with me?"

"No."

The rabbit let out an offended sneeze and jumped off Heccan's lap. He watched it hop a few feet away, freeze, then turn its head back towards him. Its skull tilts in an expectant sort of way, and Heccan snickers. He's adorable. And I'm his only friend.

"Thank you, Mister Demetran," he says. "Your offer is very generous, and I'd love to, but I can't. There are things I can't leave behind. Family, you know?"

The old man scoffs. As he walks away, Heccan turns his head back to Fluffy and smiles. "You're such a good boy," he says, and then proceeds to chasing the rabbit across the field, the flowers moving back and forth under the pressure of his feet. Heccan laughs.

Three feet in front of him, a rabbit hops from bush to bush.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vellatovarin Tempus

"They don't recognise us for our generosity and hospitality," Guildmaster Jarad said.

He poured himself a drink and left my glass empty, the way I prefered it, before continuing.

"We are the home for those who have none. We welcome and respect all. Our crops feed the poor and the destitute and our magic brings fertility to grounds that haven't seen life for decades. We cleanse the corruption of Ravnica above and below. And who are our members? The unwanted dead that have no more to offer us."

It sounded as if Jarad had spent time rehearsing.

"Yet because of that very fact, they treat us like dirt. The other guilds, all of them, look down on us, overlook our generous nature and for what? Who—"

I held up my hand, having had enough of his rambling. "What do you want me to do?"

His eyes caught fire for a second at my abruptness. "Jace Beleren is dead. Each guild must set forth two representatives and in the end one of them will become the new living guildpact. I've chosen you, Lady Tempus."

"Hmm." I crossed my legs in the blackwood chair, twirling the empty glass in one hand and holding my chin in the other. Me? "I assume I have no choice in the matter."

"You've assumed correctly." He drained his wine and set his glass down to lean over the table. "This is your chance, Lady Tempus, to be something bigger than any of us. To rise from the ashes and let the Golgari prosper. It's only fair for us and for you. It's only right."

And what do you know about being right, lich lord?

I considered his words for a moment though. He wanted to put me, his pawn, in perhaps the most powerful position in Ravinca. Of course that would benefit him. But how did he hope to continue commanding my loyalty? Did he expect to blackmail the guildpact? I traced the seam of my gloves with my fingers.

Then something of what he said struck me.

"Who's the other representative?"

"An elf."

"Heccan."

Jarad paused. "How did you know?"

It took some self control to not burst out laughing. "In a guild of the undead," I said, "it's not hard to remember all the living members. And he's perhaps one of the most powerful mages in Korozda. Who else would you choose?"

"He's only a contingency plan, should you fail." He waved his hand dismissively and went for the bottle of wine.

"And I suspect you've said the same to Heccan."

He froze, hand reaching for the wine.

I smirked. "It seems I've suspected correctly."

Jarad sat down, thoughts of refilling his glass forgotten. His eyes bored into mine and I met his gaze, unflinching, even though I knew he could kill me with a simple thought. His temper was unravelling, finally.

I looked to the side, out of the window where darkness reigned. You could make out shapes and shadows, shifting about in ways nothing natural ever could. But here in the Golgari Swarm, it didn't take long to realise that nature itself was subjective.

"What of Myczil?" I asked.

"My son will play no part in this."

I put my boots up on the table and tried to make eye contact with him again. Jarad refused to look at me. "You don't expect us to succeed. You're sending me and the elf to what you think is our doom, with the slightest hope that perhaps we will become the guildpact." This time I did laugh. "You haven't even bothered planning how you'll keep control of me should I actually triumph."

Jarad's gaze darkened. Angry tendrils of smoke gathered around him.

"Like you said, the choice isn't yours to make."

Another word out of my mouth and I knew he wouldn't hold back his power. Best to stay silent then, I told myself.

"You will travel to Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree, and spend tomorrow and the night after that in the custody of the Conclave. You'll receive the signet of Selesnya, then go on to undergo the trials of the other guilds. And succeed." The smoke dissipated, but his sudden smile was more dangerous. "Do not disappoint me, Lady Tempus, because death itself cannot hide you from my wrath."

Every guild will test us, he said. Every guild, including the House Dimir. And that'd be a meeting I won't survive.

I looked up at him, and he must have read something in my expression because the fire in his eyes dimmed. He threw a small leather pouch at me. I caught it.

"You're not as disposable as you think, child."

Inside was a ring. A simple, black iron band with three blue stones embedded on top.

"No." My hand flew to my mouth, not of my own accord. "How... How did you find it?"

"We have our methods," He replied with the most amiable expression a Lich Lord could muster. "And we always take care of our own." He closed my hand around the ring, his skin colder even than mine. "With this, you'll be immune to mind-magic."

"That won't be enough." I whispered. "I can't stand before Lazav. He'll kill me."

"No, child." He picked up another bottle of wine and poured it into my glass.

Not wine, I noticed now, but blood. The stench struck me like a punch to the gut, my hunger growling awake like a caged beast. But the cage has long since rusted away, and the beast must feed.

"The vampire side of you is stealing your magic for sustenance because you deny it blood. Your magic has withered. Here," He pushed the glass towards me, "drink and restore yourself to your former glory. There is no hope for you otherwise."

I picked up the glass. The blood called to me. My bones ached for it. Just one sip, I told myself, just... to taste it on my tongue.

Then other voices, the voice of my mother and father, my brothers and Oriden. Stop, they say, you're one of us, not one of them.

I put the glass back on the table and stood to leave, slipping the ring over a gloved finger. As I reached the door, Jarad spoke.

"You're walking to your doom, Lady Tempus."

***

The night over Vitu-Ghazi was certainly something. Stars gleamed against the inky surface and the constellations were painted over with an elegance so delicate it was almost unfit for man to behold.

Good thing I'm a woman then.

Then a small voice reminded me that, No, Vella, you're not a woman, you're a vampire, but I quietened it. It's easy when I can lose myself in the sky above. The moon was a beacon so bright, I'm surprised it didn't burn my skin, and the blackness behind it was stained with a divine purple. Every star had a colour of its own, it's own size and sight and strength, it's own story to tell, and I knew I could spend all night out here, watching them and telling their tales to myself.

"Beautiful, is it not?"

I turned, hand on a knife hiding in my cloak. It was a human, tall and broad and what some might call handsome. When I didn't respond, he crossed over to the balcony railing and leaned on it. Close enough to touch. Or stab.

"Welcome to Vitu-Ghazi, Lady Tempus." He said with a bow. "Guildmaster Trostani sends their regards."

As I watched the moon, he watched the trees below with wonder in his eyes. His green robes fluttered in the wind, like a butterfly about to take off. "You won't find a place like this anywhere, I can assure you."

I tore my gaze away from the sky and followed his gaze. Wood. Stone. Leaves. Mud.

"There's not much worthy of mention." I sniffed. My hand fell from my knife. The man stopped, offended perhaps, but then sat down on the bench beside the railing and patted the space next to him.

I watched him as I took the seat. He pretended to be relaxed but his mouth was stuck in a smile with forced warmness and his eyes were like a deer's: large, brown and showing signs of fleeing at the first sight of danger. Safe, then, to be in his company. I threw my hood off and crossed my legs when he began again.

"My name is Trem Shondor." He tried to make eye contact with me but looked away. Must be the intensity of my gaze. "I'm here to represent the Selesnya Conclave on your night here at our fair Guildhall."

"Hmm."

He fidgeted for a moment then controlled himself.

"The City-Tree might not seem like much during the night, of course, but you should see it in the day."

"Perhaps not." I replied.

"Ah." He nodded. "I see. So during the day—"

"I was asleep. But I was on the grounds of this little city of wood-and-stone, so well within the bounds of your ridiculous... trial."

Trem laughed at that, surprisingly. "Well, where some might say 'ridiculous', others would call it 'generous'." He grinned toothily at me and I noticed his muscles relaxing properly.

And then I realised how similar his words were to Jarad's. Does every guild believe themselves generous samaritans? I thought with a grimace.

"Why are you really here, Trem Shondor?"

He looked at me, still not quite meeting my gaze, swallowed, and tensed up again.

"I've come to give you a better choice."

Without me knowing it, my hand is back on the knife.

"Go on." I ordered.

"Look." He gestured widely, to the endless forest canopy below the balcony; to the city itself, carved upon a colossal tree; to the tiny pink flowers growing out of the cracks in the ground. Then to the stars. "You can't deny the beauty of it all. I believe nature reflects the purpose of the Selesnya Conclave, to beautify the world, to give life-" He plucked a flower off the ground- "and freedom."

He let it go, and a gust of wind blew it out into the sky, to chase the moon. The petals fell apart to follow their own path, leaving the flower to plummet. That's where freedom gets you.

"We see people like you all the time, Lady Tempus. People who are infected with vampirism but remain so brave and strong-willed that they abstain from blood as much as they can." Sympathy clouded his eyes for a moment. "They all die."

"I won't." I clenched my fists.

"You will." He pulled a glass from his robes and small blade out of his sleeve. "I know you are different from the rest. But your magic can only hold off the vampirism for so long. In the end, you must succumb to the hunger, or perish. Nature is at play here too."

"I won't drink another's blood, it—"

"Hear me out," He insisted. "So long as you don't pass the vampirism onto another or kill the person from whom you drink, who's to say that it's wrong? You're a good person at heart, you must know that. We can teach you here, how to live true and free. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

Then he slashed his wrist and held it over the glass. Blood dribbled into it, until it was half full, then the wound knitted itself back together, leaving the faintest of scars.

The beast inside stirred.

I could kill this man now, and drink him dry.

I jumped off the bench and turned my back to him, facing the moon, wishing for it to take me away.

"You don't belong with the Swarm, Lady Tempus."

I spat on the ground. "I was a necromancer once."

"We accept everyone. And we can teach you to hone your magic for the good of Ravnica." Trem's words seemed to melt, trickling over my thoughts like treacle. "You can join us and be free of Jarad. And Lazav. Our scouts have told us the truth."

He stepped behind me and whispered. "Live. For your family."

He placed the glass atop the railing. The fumes attacked my senses. My eyes swam out of focus.

Take it! The beast screamed.

I flicked the glass with a gloved finger, sending it off the balcony.

"I reject your blood." I stated. "And your petty 'freedom'."

My sense returned to normal, but not soon enough. I didn't feel the blade against my neck until it was pressed against my skin. It was warm, not cool. Whether that was from the blood on it or the relative temperature of my skin, I wasn't sure.

"You don't have a choice." Trem growled.

I laughed, letting the blade press closer.

"So this is the truth of the Conclave, Trem Shondor? Blackmailing with threats of murder?" My hand crept to one of my own knives. "How the noble have fallen."

"You don't understand." His hand trembled. More than likely, he'd never held someone's life in his hands before. A single jerk of his wrist and I'd be dead. "It will be on my head if you don't join the guild. I don't have a choice and neither do you!"

I was sick of people telling me that I don't have a choice. I'll make a choice.

I slashed his palm open with my knife, then whipped my elbow up and jammed it in his shoulder, twisting his knife-hand. He tried grabbing me with his other hand but I snapped my head backwards. His nose crunched.

He stumbled into a wall and I whirled around, knife in hand. He held his own in a shaky grip. Blood poured from his face but the adrenaline helped me ignore it.

Patience.

When he lunged, I kicked his knife out of the way and slashed widely with my own. A tree-root sprung up from the ground and intercepted the blade. But it was only a faint. With my other fist, I delivered a punch to the side of his head— then a powerful side-kick below the navel and he collapsed into a ball.

His knife clattered to the ground. I kicked it off the balcony, then leaned down and pressed my blade against his neck

"Shout for help and I'll slit your throat."

"Please," He croaked, "don't do this. If you don't join the Conclave. They'll kill me."

"Who?" I demanded. "Trostani?"

He nodded as much as he could. "She has the Quietmen at her beck and call. She swore she'd send them after me and my family if I fail. Please." Tears sprang to his eyes, "I have a newborn child. And a wife."

I looked at his eyes. For the first time, he made eye contact with me. And he didn't flinch. I sighed.

"Do you want to live?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Then clean yourself up." I dropped a handkerchief on to his face, hiding the blood from my sight. "And listen very carefully. I don't repeat myself."

***

Who'd have thought the Conclave and the Swarm could be so similar? I mused. People could call you mad for claiming that.

But they were. They might have different short-term goals in mind, but in truth they were opposite sides of the same coin. Perhaps the same could be said of every guild, and all magic. The House Dimir certainly fit in. Is there a single guild that never resorts to murder, or threats of it at least?

I hoped, maybe, that there was. If not in Ravnica, then somewhere else. Maybe that's where Oriden was.

"Deep in thought?"

I turned to Trem. His face was bandaged and he rubbed his sore shoulder. Behind him stood his wife, a woman who was younger than me by half a decade, or at least looked like she was. In her arms was a bundle wrapped in white.

"Something like that." I replied. "Is this Trem Junior?"

The woman laughed and rocked the baby gently. "Her name is Alysa."

"Ah."

I handed Trem a large satchel.

"That's enough food to last you about ten days."

"Should I inquire where you obtained it from?" He said with a smirk.

The Golgari's filthy underground farms, so... "No."

"I can't thank you enough for this, Lady Tempus—"

"Vella, Call me Vella."

"I can't thank you enough, Vella." He placed a hand on my shoulder, "Should you ever need anything, I'll find some way to help. It's the least I can do to repay you this."

I waved dismissively. "Consider it repaid. I didn't do this for you, I did it for you wife and child. It wouldn't be right for them to suffer for your mistake."

The baby began to mewl and the woman rocked her till she fell quiet again. Trem wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder.

"I think your husband is terrible," I told his wife. "But my judgement isn't reliable, and you know him better than me. Travel swiftly and get as far away from here as you can. And you-" I turned back to Trem- "had better protect that woman and baby with your life. Because if I found out they died and you lived, you won't have the Quietmen to worry about."

They both nodded, Trem more sombrely, then the baby began to wail again. As the wife calmed her down, Trem turned to me with a hesitant grin.

"You know, you completely ruined the Guildmaster's plans."

"Oh? Sorry to disappoint her, but joining the Conclave is nowhere on my list."

"No," His grin widened, "not that. You slept during the day."

"Hmm?"

"I was supposed to seduce you over the course of the day and bed you at night. Then profess my love and insist you join the Selesnya Conclave."

His wife's mouth opened up in indignation. That's a conversation they'll be having that I won't envy.

Trem went on. "They must have overlooked the fact that you're a vampire."

"I'm no vampire." I denied.

"No," He looked at me, properly, "perhaps not."

"And you're very much not my type."

"Oh? What is your 'type' then?" His eyebrow quirked up.

"An unmarried man. Also," I added, "A real man."

This time it was Trem's mouth that flew open, and his wife cackled.

One of the unconscious guards at my feet stirred.

"It's time you go." I shooed them out of the gates. "And don't ever come back if you value your lives. I don't suspect Trostani would be entirely forgiving."

Trem shook my hand, and his wife muttered her thanks. When he pulled away, I felt something hard in my hand. A sliver of wood, thrumming with magic. On it was carved the symbol of a tree and the sun. The signet of the Selesnyan Conclave. And I haven't died yet, so maybe, just maybe, I could become the Guildpact.

Then I could find Oriden.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Calais Agate

Selesnya was no place for an ogre. Of course, there had been many past experiences and encounters with the Selesnyan citizens, though of those Calais could remember, none seemed particularly fond of her. It was a fault of hers to see things in shades, without noting the emotional or subtle social cues that others provided. She was sure they looked down upon her—she was unlike most ogres, she seemed weaker. Her skin was just slightly off from the colour of most others, as she chose not to eat much of what those around her gathered. There was no mistaking it: an ogre without height was an ogre without status. And one thing was a fact untainted by the slightly smaller brain Calais had been gifted with: no one wanted to hear what an ogre had to say.

Vitu-Ghazi was beautiful, albeit unfit for an ogre of Calais' stature. It glimmered with carefully aligned lights that dotted each path and road, and the air was pure. Selesnya, with its wondrous green spaces and its tree-conscious worldview was a place Calais could have only dreamed of visiting before now. She had travelled outside of Gruul several times in her undefined age. She had been out to advocate for Gruul and the status of ogres in Azorius, and had visited the outskirts of Rakdos in order to retreat and think on her own. Oftentimes she found herself bombarded by the opinions of her superiors. She did not like to be opposed. Neither visitation to other clans provided any solace or rise in power. Rather, she felt it made her seem worse for wear. And yet, here she was now, in a seat made for a considerably smaller person, in the capitol of Selesnya, having been advocated by her own clan as a promising figure to rise in the political sphere.

She smiled to the tour guide in front of her, and while she hoped her smile was endearing, to the other—Simeon was his name—it seemed rather menacing. Simeon shuffled papers around on the metal-twine table.

"So, Calais, how do you like it here in Selesnya?"

"It is very nice," she said, though to him her words seemed choppy and slightly malformed—after all, not many in Gruul were ever expected to develop proper etiquette for talking with others of different races—it was simply frowned upon to want to interact with those that had taken over and ruined their land. She smiled again, a grimace of sorts, wonky teeth protruding from her mouth. Simeon remained courteous, although the cues indicated he wished to be elsewhere.

"In Selesnya, we value people like you: hard-working, caring of their environment." Simeon is tall—though, granted, not as tall as Calais—and has a lilting voice. He is an assuager of concerns and fears about Selesnya.

"Selesnya is good. Similar to Gruul. It is very pretty," she said.

"Yes, it is pretty, isn't it? It all comes from the work each individual does in order to keep our society running. Harmony and peace to all. You like harmony don't you? You wish to have harmony among your race?"

"Yes, ogres are the same as you, as the rest. We are one blood."

Simeon shifted in his seat. He was calm, he had dealt with plenty of ogres during his traipses through to Gruul and the outskirts of other clans. It was easy, a piece of cake. "Yes, well, of course, we accept here we are biologically different, but members of one society that cares for peace and—"

"I and the others are the same as you," Calais said. The seat creaked beneath her. She could feel judgment passing over to her, and without notice she began to get an inkling of annoyance.

"Of course, yes, of course." Simeon wrote something down in a notebook he took from his pocket. "We value peace. You value harmony. It is easy to see how the connection between Selesnya and Gruul can be made."

Calais frowned—a considerably more frightening expression than her smile. "We are peaceful. People like to take our places, our homes, our greens and land. We are peaceful."

If there was one thing no power could overturn, it was the emotional strength and resilience in the beliefs of an ogre—or, at least, in Calais. Calais could not stand being condescended. Many moons and many years had been spent under the scrutiny of others. She was kind, and peaceful, but only when those around her deserved that treatment. She was just like them, why couldn't anyone ever see that? She had power and strength and resilience: that was what was important. She felt herself tense up under the watchful eye of Simeon. A growl rose from her throat, but she forced it down by coughing. She needed to be the leader, needed to be a representative from Gruul, to rise up and take a stand and become something she was never expected to become.

And yet, emotions are difficult to control.

"Of course, yes. In Selesnya we value the subtle art of cooperation. Cooperation is a wonderful thing, isn't it? Don't you want to strive for that? We can help you with that here. We welcome everyone willing to learn and adapt. It's really a wonderful methodology. You would become more connected to the earth beneath your feet. We live our lives contributing pieces to a giant puzzle, everything always connected. I am sure you would like to feel connected, wouldn't you?"

"I am connected. I am the earth and the earth is my friend. I am just like you. I am equal. I am the same. See?" She beat her chest with a fist. "Same heart. Same soul. I don't need to adapt, to change." She grew increasingly volatile, and her voice rose into a crescendo.

There was nothing Simeon could do as she rose from her chair and stomped her foot, sending reverberations that were strong enough to send Simeon rising off his chair. Once again, Calais had done little but return to the self she was so eager to hide.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grunt-Man

DID NOT HAND IN

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elijah Karsur

Sunlight beat down like an old friend.

Or more accurately, like a new acquaintance. It wasn't like Elijah didn't know what sunlight was, he just never spent much time in it. The light danced over his eyelids, causing them to flutter as splotches of red and orange mingled with green. Throwing an arm over his face to shield it from the sun, he let out a heavy sigh. His shirt was beginning to stick to his back, his forehead hot enough to convince anyone else that he had a fever. Getting up, on the other hand, meant walking. The young man stretched again, the joints in his back popping loudly as he rearranged how he was laying on the stairs.

Footsteps echoed hollowly somewhere to his left, curiosity nudging Elijah into lifting his arm and peeling open one eye. He caught sight of the marble steps he was laying on first, sunlight bouncing off their well-polished surface. His own clothes were the exact opposite in comparison, much like when someone tried to mix oil and water together. Maybe that was why when he did find those walking down the stairway, he found their eyes on him as well. One look was all it took for Eli to throw his arm back over his eyes.

The dryads of the city held little interest to him, seeing one was the same as seeing them all. He could still feel their green eyes on him, but he merely closed his eyes tighter. There was no use feeling intimidated by a bunch of twigs. If he had been, he would've been spending his day in the city elsewhere.

As he let out a yawn, his arm slipped further over his face. The last spots of sunlight died out, and he tucked his other hand behind his head. It wasn't like they had anything to do, what was the harm of a quick catnap?

A foot caught on his arm, his eyes snapping opening as a heavy weight was thrown onto his chest. Blinking rapidly, he tried to regain his breath. A force continued to push down on his stomach, his lungs unable to refill. Elijah pressed against the stairs, propping himself up on his elbows to see the satchel resting on his abdomen. Following the strap with his eyes, he found it wrapped around the shoulder of a girl who was currently scraping her face off the marble. Her brown hair was a frazzled mess, most of her head hidden except for a pair of pale ears which were jutting out. Pushing herself to her knees, she ran her thin fingers quickly through the tangled mess and turned to see the young man staring directly at her.

"Watch where you're going," he instructed as he shoved her bag onto the stairs.

The girl huffed, her face flushed blue as she spat hair out of her mouth. "Me? Couldn't you have found a better place to nap?" she asked indignantly, gesturing to the grassy, tree-filled areas that sat on either side of the wide stairwell.

"So you did see I was here," Elijah responded, giving the girl an over the top scowl.

She narrowed her green eyes but didn't bother to argue. Eli watched as she stood back up and attempted to smooth fresh wrinkles out of her green jacket. Once satisfied, though clearly not happy about the ordeal in the first place, she slung her messenger bag back over her shoulder, its weight pulling it down to rest on her hip. The elf then crossed her arms and turned back to look down.

"Are you going to apologize for tripping me?"

Pretending to think about it, Elijah scrunched his face up in fake concentration as he shoved himself to his feet. "Only if you apologize for waking me up."

"You were sleeping on a public staircase! " she exclaimed as if he had already forgotten the fact.

Eli shrugged, twisting one of the red rings on his finger, "So?"

The girl rubbed her left temple angrily, "You're not from around here are you?"

He let out a bit of a laugh, "What gave it away?"

Looking him up and down, she pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow.

"Fair 'nough," he muttered, turning and starting down the stairs.

Elijah got half a second of silence before light footsteps sounded over his shoulder. His expression turned sour, and he opened his mouth without even bothering to glance behind him, "Why are you following me?"

An annoyed huff sounded from behind him, "Is it possible that I'm just heading in the same direction?"

Biting his lip, he ignored her the best he could. Instead, he took in the local surroundings. The stairs lead down to a long brick walkway, pathways branching off and intermingling like the roots of a tree. In between them lay patches of grass vibrant enough to pass for fake. Small trees popped up all over those areas, their limbs thin and filled to the snapping point with brightly colored leaves. Every aspect of the place just seemed to breathe life, and while to Elijah's credit he didn't find it sickening, it was still overwhelming to take in. All the plants and people that passed by were fresh and new, but the large white archways and buildings that lined the streets felt ancient in comparison, moss, and vines beginning to have their way with them.

Passing under an archway into a dimmer lit street, he shot a look over his shoulder, "Are you still 'just heading in the same direction?'"

The elf girl frowned, "Maybe I'm just making sure you don't trip any more people."

Elijah raised an eyebrow, "Don't you have better things to do, like pray to a giant tree or something?"

"Mat'Selesnya is not a tree," she corrected bitterly.

"My mistake," the young man responded airily, turning a corner and ending up in the middle of an odd farmers market of sorts. "Hey girl-"

"Harper."

"Right, Harper, where are we?"

A grin grew on her face, finally having the advantage of only for a moment. "We're on one of the main roads of the city. Once a week all the vendors take over this spot."

He nodded and turned left, eyes skimming over several booths filled with plants and other organic crap.

"So, how much do you know about Selesnya anyway?" she asked, prodding him with her elbow as they walked.

Elijah frowned, somewhat more alert about the girl still by his side then he had been before. "Not much," he admitted. "I don't usually keep up with politics."

Harper rolled her eyes, "It's more about finding your spiritual self, not politics."

"Everything's about politics," he argued back, giving her a sweet smile and increasing his pace to make it past a crowd of shoppers.

Furrowing her brows, she tried to reverse the conversation, "Okay, but like Trostani for instance. You at least know she's split into parts."

"They each stand for something, right? Justice, love, vitality, or something," he listed off on his left hand, sending the girl a wink as he named the third one.

Blue blush spread across her face, yet she hurried after him anyway. "They're order, life, and harmony," she corrected, glaring at him as if she were going to set him on fire with her mind alone.

"Right, right," he responded, dipping his head while his eyes wandered to another crowded booth.

"You're not listening. Don't you think it's important to know about other cultures? People have been living in vernadies for thousands of years, that wouldn't be true if they didn't work," she continued to rant as they turned the corner of the street again. "Mat'Selesnya is the voice of nature itself and she has done everything to ensure-"

"Why're we talking about this again?" he interrupted, stopping in the empty side street.

Harper took inhaled deeply before responding. "Because we got on the subject?"

"Right, but why'd we get on the subject?"

"Because you didn't seem to have any idea-"

"Why'd we start talking in the first place?

"Because I bumped into you a-"

"Why'd you bump into me?"

"Because you're one of the candidates for the G-" she cut herself off, green eyes wide.

A small victory smile slipped onto Elijah's lips, and he took a few steps back after having gotten extremely close to her. "Well played, however, I'm afraid your turn has ended."

Her face grew and entirely new shade of blue, the blush creeping all the way up to her ears. "No, but- How? I mean," she fumbled, trying to regain her easy confidence.

The young man clicked his tongue and ran a hand through his tousled hair, "I was sitting on that staircase almost all day, and only ten or so people walked down it. What are the odds of you bumping into me? Ten, maybe twenty percent if I'm being generous," he paused to hold up another finger. "Then, of all the people in Vitu-Ghazi, I happen to meet one who actually isn't all sunshine and rainbows, or instinctively hates my guts. Drop that down to three percent," he shook his head and held up a third one. "Then you went in the same direction, so knock that down to 1.5, leading us to the conversation topic of choice."

He took a breath to watch the girl's eyes narrow and her forehead scrunch up. Her hand had curled tightly around the strap of her satchel as if she was trying to cut off his circulation instead of its.

"I know a con when I see one," he stated firmly. "Don't take it personally. If they really wanted to do some proper sponsorship, they should have held us down and made us watch an educational video," he suggested, using air quotes around the word educational.

He gave a final shrug of his shoulders and began to walk away.

"Get back here," Harper shouted over his shoulder, the loud thump of her boot stomping the floor bouncing around the confined space

"What are you going to do? Riddle me with arrow holes?" Elijah laughed at his own joke, shaking his head as he continued on his way. "I'm pretty sure that's against your precious philosophy too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hesperia Haera

A crow caws in the night

and she awakes.

The moondrift highs;

Hesperia whines of a feather

fallen onto her cheek.

she's cold; she breathes.

Hesperia wakes up every night while the moon in the sky hangs threateningly, time equidistant from dusk and dawn. Tonight, it's full, blue and white yet drowned by midnight black. It takes her a few moments to adjust to the contrast- light and dark filtering through the trees above her. She can see morning's approach, tired beyond her own limbs and muscles and sight.

Drowsiness falls upon her lips, so still, somber to the scarlet touch. Wonder attacks her conscience: are we awake? are we standing? does the world quake beneath us? But she cannot listen. She yawns. It's long.

Then, the moon inches off its high mountain. Slowly, spinning, sporadic, and Hesperia reveals herself to the plains. Her feet are numb, veins unalive. She abandons the shade and starts towards the destination, the Selesnya Conclave, where she has to arrive before the sun scales the sky.

Her feet beat the floor, thrumming stones and kicking dirt. Morning approaches in footfalls, pausing between seconds to recover from the moon's presence. It takes everything inside of her to keep her eyes open; a monster claws at her to sleep...

She recalls: vampire.

It's been a few days since energy has flowed through her. Dozens of hours without pulsations and power and clarity. Each minute, a linear regression. Each second, a moment fleeting, closer then to death. She hobbles towards the citadel, an orchard of green surrounding and embracing her with niveous branches and columned, concrete walls. Vitu-Ghazi whispers of wind through leaves and runes collected together to form towering structure. Hesperia takes it in with blur.

Dryads move like roots, twisting through the vein-work of city. Hesperia sees skin of papyrus and seedling eyes, hair exiting scalps like stems, fingers and nails like the petals of roses and lilies. She's overwhelmed with the beauty of nature, flushed alive by the Selesnya Conclave. Silver entwines with the trees to form a dreamscape of fauna, enticing Hesperia to continue forward. Heartbeats align the makeshift streets, and Hesperia understands all at once; Vitu-Ghazi is alive.

In the corner of her eye, she spots the trunk of a tree. It's plain, likely to be oak or spruce or another derivative of the Dryad's garden. White flowers circle around it; the muscles in her legs cry out like children at the stars, and suddenly the city is quiet.

A voice echoes in her head; she hears it with whimsy. It's harmonious, like a melody of the dove, or silence of the crow. And simultaneously, a man stands before her, tinted green like the roots below her feet. His eyes are gallantly brown, somehow reflective and deep at once. The earth's mantle filters through him; she heats like magmatic core.

He gazes into her, lost in Hesperia's paling skin. "Hello, dear," he begins, a dance of the tongue. Practiced interaction, but convivial with flow. "Welcome to Selesnya."

There's a pause. It fleets quickly, but it's recognizable. Hesperia is so weary, she has to recover from the man's sudden presence, as if his arrival had caused a flinch, a quiver, a quake. Fatigue; it's trickery.

"Thank you," Hesperia says, eventually, dripping in formality. She tastes the sour tang of falsity simmer through her teeth. "It's an honor to be here." Vibrations travel down her arms; a tick creeps around her spine.

His head tilts to the side. "Where were you walking to, just now?" he asks, smoke and ash and fog superimposing his face. Suspicion? No; Hesperia thinks it curiosity.

"There's a spot over there." She turns and points to the tree. "I need rest." Hesperia steps back, hyperaware yet shrouded by mist. She feels consumed, devoured. She feels claustrophobic among the vines and the grass.

His voice...

it's

inside

She can see his teeth. He's taller than her, broader. A beast of a thing, but born by bark and brittle. He glances lowly at the tree; somehow, Hesperia is pulled with his lips, buried inside the creases.

"There?" he asks, expecting no reply. "With all this city has to offer?" She nods. She watches his jaw fall and rise, words spilled like ink and blood. The sound intoxicates, unnerves her to the edge. "Come." The man beckons, hands blossoming and enfolding to lure. Her gaze flickers from hand to face; skin to eyes; and she listens.

Once his back is turned, he tells her, "My name is Tasselis." The name runs like a rivulet, a cascade of sound; the brush caught in rain. His back contorts as he walks.

Without thinking, she responds. "Mine's Hesperia."

"Hesperia. Hesperia. What brings you to Vitu-Ghazi?"

The way he says her name makes her shift. Waterfalls lank up her calves and thighs and circle around her hips. Walls close in. Thorns arise to prick closed wounds. Scars scare to form.

"A task," she answers hesitantly. "For Guildpact."

Tasselis halts. Shadows from overcasting branches draw patterns across the roads and their bodies, an intertwining puzzle of lines and shapes. Shaded streaks cover his face; light peeks through for Hesperia.

"Guildpact?" he asks, though the question rears to knowing. "Hesperia, I would've never known."

"And that is why you asked."

Tasselis laughs, a seamless and rippling sound. "Yes, yes, Hesperia. You're right." He's shaking his head, relaxed, calm. Like friends bound by time.

He keeps saying her name.

His voice...

it's

inside, immersed

It soon left her mind that she was moving. It's flutter and fly and wisp and wander. It's floating through the air, weightless, her anchor tethered to Tasselis. She feels its pull, aware enough to know it's danger; yet she continues. Furthering his shadow over hers.

"Where are we going?" she asks, her voice now gone, frolicking from throat to tongue, carried by wind until dissolved. It's only when Tasselis responds that she remembers the question was asked in the first place.

"Vitu-Ghazi has a world to offer, Hesperia." As they walk, Hesperia's eyes sling, kept open by force alone. She sees Tasselis dance and glide and bounce- he's like a feather, drifting; his entire being is light.

"What exactly do you mean?" she asks, looking up- in desperation and caution- at the sky. The sun glares at her through natural curtains, its beams slipping through cracks to pain her, pale her.

The citadel is obsolete. It's only him and her- Hesperia, Tasselis, his voice and her skin.

His hands reach for hers- she doesn't recall him turning back. "Look around, Hesperia. Nature's illume is rather bright, isn't it?"

Her head levels. "I see it."

Their gaze meets for its final stand. It's wooden and winged- perched. Her bones become solely marrow, silk and untouchable; she ceases all movement and solidifies. Still, she is wavering psychosis.

"Harmonious...vibrato, sauntering like the heavens...undisturbed..." Tasselis' words echo in and out, adjectives flustered. She can feel her mind duress, its takeover near. "And Mat'Selesnya..."

His voice

it's

inside, immersed

injurious

Hesperia shakes her head. "No," she mutters, like the slither of a snake's forked tongue. And swiftly, her palms reach his body, his skin shivering from her cold touch, fingers stretched out to pull. The vignette lifts, its dim refocused. The citadel around her transforms into the forest it once was- encircling vines and planted mercy, concrete murals; a world of still-life paint.

Life seeps from his soul, leaking like a drip into her. She adjusts her shoulders and straightens her spine, smiling that easy smile of glint, uncovered from silhouette. "Nature's illume," she says. "Yes, it's bright indeed, Tasselis."

He falls; she laughs at the thud his body makes when it hits the ground- if she hadn't been near, there would've been no sound at all. "Why, timber," she murmurs. "Where's that voice of yours, now?"

A crow caws inter afternoon

and she stares.

The sunlight burns;

Hesperia is alight with life

flowing through her chest.

he's there; he dies.