Private Tales The Return and a Revelation

[Smiling One]

The Cow's Udder finally made port to the Elbion docks, Willis Reede was on the Starboard side leaning against the wooden rail. He thought about the mission Gerra was sending him on: To inform the College of Elbion that Maho Sparkhawk is alive and chose to serve Gerra that was the official mission. Unofficially, Willis was also sent to the College to steal an item that Gerra desires. The Half-Giant promised Willis that he would pay him handsomely. Achates encouraged Willis to take the job though she did not know the specifics of what he was going to do. Gerra gave Willis strict not to tell anyone.

Before he left the Savannah, Willis wrote to Philippa Ebonheart that he was coming back to Elbion and to meet him at the port in three days. Willis didn't want to delay this mission more than he already did. It was best to tell Philippa early so he can get it over with. Willis wasn't the best when it came to emotional moments then again he probably is a step up over Philippa so he'll need to tell the faculty and staff. Damn. Willis wondered if Gerra was telling the truth that Maho was alive, he didn't see him during the battle or in the palace. Maho was a secretive man, but he does share close friendship with Willis and is a father figure to Alistair Wren. If anything Maho would inform them that he is alive, what was Gerra hiding?

"Prepare to drop anchor!" The captain said as Willis sighed. He didn't even think about stealing an item from the College that will have to come later.

 

[Phillipa Ebonheart]

Phillipa had been waiting for Willis for some time, growing tired and leaving a messenger boy to inform her whenever the ship came into port. Supposedly he had information that was going to be valuable to the college, or at least to her since his note was sent directly. She wasn't entirely sure it would stay that way however given where he was coming from.

The messenger boy came running, patting her as she roused from her spot on a decorative bench below a tree. She thanked him and placed a few coins in his hand before heading to where the boat was weighing anchor.

 

[Alistair Wren]

Phillipa had told Alistair that Willis would be returning to Elbion to bring important information to the college. He wasn't sure what it was, but he suspected it had something to do with the battle of Ninagal and he travelled to the docks apprehensively to meet him. Wearing a set of black robes with rose gold trimmings, the young mage pulled up his hood and strode down the street to where the city met the sea.

Gulls squawked over the horizon, their cries splitting the gentle rush of the ocean as it hit the harbor. Gripping the hem of his robes, Alistair strode down the jetty and looked around. Standing a few feet away was Phillipa. She must have arrived before him. Alistair withdrew a breath and walked along the jetty to meet her, the ends of his mouth peeling upwards into a meek smile as he waved.

"Hello Professor Ebonheart, thank you for letting me know in advance regarding Willis' return," he said softly, his tone reserved and quiet.

He lowered his head in a curt bow and let go of his robes, letting them swish around his ankles and brush the deck. Turning around, he looked up, to see a ship docking. He wasn't sure if it was Willis' or not, but waited anxiously to find out. Sailors cried out to each other as the ship moved in, it's sails flapping in the breeze. Clasping his hands together, Alistair walked up to Phillipa and stood beside her. His head remained lowered and he avoided her gaze the whole time, his eyes still struck and cold from the trauma of the battle.

Pas Esvada had been and gone, and now Alistair was focused on studying for his hydromancy unit next year. He was taking a supplementary course on healing, as Phillipa had suggested, but was otherwise intent on passing his first hydromancy unit. After his next unit, he would travel back to the Spine and continue his training with the dragon keepers. Hands held together before his thighs, he stifled a chuckle and looked at the ground.

"I'm taking that supplementary course in healing like you suggested, I'm hoping it'll help with my training," he said, an eyebrow rising.

There was a pause.

Alistair looked up, the ends of his mouth slightly lowering, "do you have any idea what Willis is going to tell us?" He asked, more curious than anything. He had run into Willis at the college recently, and he had helped him talk to girls. That was all he knew about the monster hunter, his allegiances and who he fought for remained unknown to Alistair.

 

[Selina Della Altas]

It was a quiet journey so far. She had secured passage on an Alanthis trade caravan from Elbion to Alliria. She didn't know what they carried, only that she had a warm spot to sit amid stacks of crates. There was no snow on the ground but the air was still nippy as the winter months had yet to come to a complete close and she pulled her cloak closer around her as she sat on a crate.

The caravan had set out and been traveling for nearly three weeks. The journey was normally about a full month for this caravan, or so the master told her, and that was record time for any caravans before them due to secrets of the Alanthis trade empire not imparted to the public.
She decided not to pursue the subject after the crew clammed up the first time she asked about the secret, though she suspected some magic was involved.

She had plenty of time to kill, so instead of wasting it by hiding with her thoughts in the back of the wagon or watching the scenery roll by she had been experimenting with some spells, with permission from the caravan master of course.
She worked to distract herself from her own thoughts, though the spell she was working on was an idea she absently began exploring because of Maho Sparhawk. A scrying spell, nearly every good wizard had access to either an item or spell that could see over great distances and were essential for gathering information.

But she wanted to know if she could find Maho... She believed Alistair Wren when he told her that Maho was dead, but something inside of her held out hope that maybe he wasn't dead, perhaps Alistair was wrong or made a mistake. Even though she feared the truth, she always wanted to see things with her own eyes before believing them fully.
She had a working prototype of a scrying spell which she had on a scroll. It required something to focus it, so she filled a basin with water where the visual portion of the spell will be displayed. The way she designed it should give her audio as well, though she didn't know how it would do it exactly except that it would use the surface of the water as well.

The water basin prepared and the scroll in order, she began casting the scrying spell. She writes most of her spells in infernal, so that's the language she spoke to cast the spell, "Smas py zmy zirqyz xe wyyc, dyz py wyy zmyur oity vorv myir zmyur sarvw."
Once the words were spoken the scroll burned up and magic was cast into the water in front of her.
At first there was nothing, but as the water rippled she began to make out a scene... A ship and a dock, three people gathered... Alistair and Phillipa Ebonheart, and a man she had never seen before. She moved her hand over the water and the image responded, zooming in closer so she could see and hear better.

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Any with senses attuned enough would detect the magical scrying eye appearing in the air. The translucent eye would float in the air, hovering over the water as the group met on the dock, though without magical means it would be difficult to determine the caster or the source of this scrying eye.

 

[Kikwi]

Kikwi had never seen so many people in his life. As someone who was raised in a small forest village, he was not prepared for the towering metropolis that was Elbion. And as someone who stood less than three feet tall, he was likewise not prepared for the fast-moving throngs and the crushing wheels of carts and carriages.

He moved quickly and apprehensively through the crowds. The hems of his brick-red robes were heavily worn and stained with mud from his long journey. His head swiveled back and forth, keeping large yellow eyes on any sign of danger while the gentle sea breeze rustled the feathers on his head.

As terrifying as it should have been, Kikwi felt an exhilaration. He was so close now. It had taken a very long time, but finally he was in the great city that he had been dreaming of for more than two years (a significant time for the young kenku). The noises and people were frightening, but he could not help but wonder what secrets they held. What did people like this do all day? How did the great wooden cranes by the docks work? Did they live with the horses that they rode around town?

Suddenly, something caught his eye that blocked out everything else. There, resting in a fisherman's stand, was a great big fish. Kikwi gaped at it from afar and then scurried over to it.

It was magnificent. Great silver scales, sharp black fins, opalescent staring eyes. Kikwi poured over every detail, he had never seen a fish so large. Instinctually, he reached deep into his robes and pulled out a roughly-bound notebook and a piece of charcoal. Turning to an empty page, he started to sketch. His small clawed fingers took every detail that his eyes gathered and put them down on paper. He added small notes next to key features. Sharp fins, 4 teeth... carnivorous?

"'Ey!" a loud voice interrupted his studies. "What are you up to, then?" A large man loomed over the stall.

"Oh," Kikwi stuttered meekly, "I just... it's a very beautiful fish."

"And it's for sale, so if unless you're buying move aside and let my customers in!"

Kikwi bowed his head and stowed his supplies before hurrying away, cowed.

Perhaps those fish were common around here, that must be why no one else had cared to look at it for long. He looked out on the harbor, and the open blue waters beyond. So many boats, so many people. Where had they all come from? Where were they going?

An unusual pair caught his eye. They were not dressed like anyone else on the docks. One wore long robes and the other held herself in such a way that showed she was... important? Kikwi couldn't quite place it, but she definitely wasn't like the other people here.

Kikwi's face was round, lined with feathers that collected sound in a great dish before directing it to his ears, which were unevenly placed at different heights in his head. Through this, he could reliably triangulate even the faintest sounds to their source, and what he heard from the pair excited him greatly.

"Professor..." he whispered. A professor... in Elbion! That must mean they were from the college! And what's this... they knew Willis??

Fortune surely smiled on him this day. He had run into a member of the college he so desperately wished to join, and they knew his very good friend Willis! He ran over to the pair so quickly that he almost lost his footing, coming to a clumsy stop by grabbing onto Alistair's robes.

"Are you from the college? Do you know Willis? I'm Kikwi I know Willis and I am going to join the college and be a great scholar!" He inhaled deeply after a rapid-fire volley of words, his head moving back and forth from Phillipa to Alistair and back. For all his intellect, Kikwi hadn't the faintest idea what the word "tact" meant.