Private Tales Fortune

[Aurra Brylee]

"Oban!"

Aurra turned around with he city walls behind her. She spread out her arms and looked at Nuir

"Land of pretty castles, gryphon riders and - perhaps for us - fame and fortune."

She was feeling quite optimistic. Her Elbion job had gone well and she had been well paid. No one hand tried to double cross her. She'd spent some alone time with Nuir and then dropped off the magical box and been handed a nice weighty coin purse.

"I say we find somewhere to stay and then head to the Shepards Crook. That's where the wizard Gideon tends to assemble groups for his expeditions to the abandoned cities."

 

[Nuir]

The city walls alone were quite impressive in their expanse. The tinge of salt in the air a familiar smell mingled with new scents of bustling city life. What little Nuir had seen of it so far was noticeably cleaner than Elbion or Alliria had been. Alliria was filled in many portions with folks who struggled too much getting by to be concerned about the state of the streets. Elbion had a somewhat chaotic air of the hazards of strewn magic. This city seemed to hold neither problem.
Like the others, Nuir was fresh and oblivious to any dangers lurking beneath the pale extravagant surface.
He gave Aurra a small smile and nodded in agreement. Nuir was glad to see her in such high spirits.
"I shall follow your lead!"
He gathered likely she had some notion of where to look, certainly more than he did. The healer's method to finding room and board before now had been to simply wander around until he came across such a place on chance. Aurra seemed to already know the city.
He hesitated then added with a hint of hope "I don't suppose.....do you think we will see any? Gryphons that is..." Nuir had seen many an unusual beast before but Gryphons weren't on the list.

 

[Aurra Brylee]

"We might!" she declared boldly, stepping with a light bounce.

The streets of Oban were alive with the rhythm of evening - traders calling out the last of their wares, guards changing watch, the faint toll of a bell somewhere high in the citadel.

Aurra moved through it all with the easy grace of someone who’d learned long ago how to disappear into a crowd, the hood of her cloak pulled just low enough to soften the sharp lines of her face.

She slowed as they crossed a wide square, where the cobbles gleamed from a recent rain. A sudden rush of wind tugged at her cloak and she glanced up just in time to see the dark sweep of wings passing overhead.

A gryphon, red-feathered and massive, banked low above the rooftops before climbing again toward the fortress spires. The sight drew a rare, genuine smile from her.

The creature’s rider - a knight in Oban’s colours - raised a gleaming spear in salute to those below before vanishing into the clouds. The crowd murmured in admiration. Aurra lingered a moment longer, watching the sky, then looked back at Nuir.

Nuir

 

[Nuir]

Nuir trailed behind Aurra with the stumbling uneven pace of a gawker. He had been to a few large cities by this point in his travels yet he still found himself unacquainted with hustle and bustle.
He did he best not to let his curiosity sway his attention so much as to lose him companion in the crowd.
She parted the parted the foot traffic much better than he and he used her wake to avoid being in the way.

His glances catching on passerby or busy stall as they walked. Sure enough when Aurra turned to look at Nuir he would have a sparkling wide eyed expression. Gryphons really had a majestic air to them. It was only after the figure of the saluting knight disappeared from sight that he caught her watching him. A small flush of embarrassment rose to his cheeks. "Well.....we checked that off the list rather quick!" Nuir remarked, amused and a little flustered.
"Do you know much about them? The gryphon riders? I rather envy the bravado of those who can ride a winged beast without fear of heights. The thought makes me a little dizzy."

Aurra Brylee

 

[Aurra Brylee]

Aurra’s smile deepened at his flustered tone, though she was careful not to let it turn into a grin.

“You hide it well, then,” she said, glancing sidelong at him as they walked. “Most folk I’ve seen from the ground tend to gape with their mouths open when they see one for the first time. You at least remembered how to breathe.”

The comment was teasing, but her voice softened at the end. She slowed her stride just enough that he could fall in step beside her, the press of the crowd easing as they left the square behind.

“As for the riders,” she went on, “they’re Oban’s pride. Every one of them trained from childhood, bonded to their gryphon through some ritual or another.” Her gaze drifted skyward again, thoughtful.

“Still… I’d rather have my feet on the ground. Easier to vanish when things go wrong.”

Nuir