A brand new ownership

[Kalen_Rose]

Morning was creeping over the horizon with a reluctant gaze, her pale colors streaking the sky like arms unfolding from sleep. She thought these hours precious, the suspension of time where nothing--not demon, not person--stirred, where the whole world held a collective breath before life, good and evil, burst upon reality once more.

She sat in the middle of the shop, her legs tucked beneath her while the patchwork skirt of bright colors and strange patterns spilled around her in soft, worn folds. Her hair was gathered up and pinned on top of her head, thick sable waves tangled and knotted to keep them in place, thin tendrils falling free to brush over skin the color of roses and cream. It was skin soft as silk, as perfect as any fae creature, save for the intricate tattoos that traced over it like echoes, faint ghosts embedded in her flesh. They traced the high arch of her brows, kissed over her cheeks and followed the gentle arch of her neck, disappearing beneath the neckline of her gown. Only a lover could say how far they went.

She lifted a hand, thin bangles of beaten copper and gold jingling down her arms, and mentally traced all the windows and doors to this building, going over the list of openings she'd salted, doors she'd laid brick dust on. Around her neck a choker of beaten copper hugged her collar bone, a piece of seemingly impossible detail until the small dragon stirred, tiny claws flexing as it stretched and slithered down over her chest to coil in her lap, small wings flexing with curiosity. Glancing down at it, she smiled faintly and stroked a hand over slick metallic scales. Breaking her concentration to look around the room.

"I think all is safe as I can make it. There will be no demons coming in uninvited. What do you think of this place? Old, and somehow new still..."

She set the dragon on a nearby basket and pushed herself to bare feet, brushing her skirts off before she headed for the main door, pulling back the bolt and lifting up the heavy wooden bar.

"It's a good fresh start. This place has it's problems, but then... So do most places these days."

Behind her sunlight began to shine on the shop she'd taken ownership for, cleaning back layers of dust and disuse. Reorganizing all the goods she'd brought with her. The walls were lined with rough, dark shelves of walnut. Their surfaces lined with bottles, cages, baskets, and various containers. All metals, and glasses, strange mushrooms, and potions with objects floating in murky colors. Here and there the sunlight caught orbs that glittered and pulsed, touched upon things that moved and slithered in the shadows with raspy sounds. On the floor were great crates and bags filled with the exotic, the mundane, and the untouchable. Signs painted in the soft, scriptive ink of her own hand labeling most things. Behind the long counter at the back of the shop were the most precious, the hardest won objects. Magical things nestled in velvet or moss, bottled up in containers that shone. It all smelled of cinnamon and cloves, spices drifting in the air like heady magic. Everything shone and glimmered with her own brand of power, like glitter touching the whole place. She glanced back at her work and smiled in satisfaction. The place had been a mess when she arrived, as war torn as the town around her. But she'd patched the holes in the roof, closed off the back area that someon--well, something had used as a home for who knew how long. And though it was worse for the wear, it still fit her just right.

She shoved the door open to let in the smell of morning, thick mists coiling like islands across the ground.

"Alright... we're open for business."

[Ouranos]

'One would think this man wouldn't be here. One would think nobody like him could manage to hidein this demon-infested place. He is very clearly not a survivor, not someone stuck living in occupied territory, or a resistance fighter. He is an Outsider, not a native to this place. Even wrapped in his perfectly black, neat and clean cloak, his huge frame, over seven foot and clearly a deeply muscled man, marks him. But somehow the demons seem not to even notice him, as though he didn't even exist. He's also unarmed, when even these survivors here are all armed despite being oppressed. He's been seen by hundreds of the locals, though none have seen his face, or any feature of him except his size and cloak. He always seems to be searching for something, checking shops, salvagers, surviving pawn shops, anywhere that might have recovered ANYTHING from the battle.'

'He'd been told about the little curio shop before, but he was trying to avoid it. He can sense the magic within it, and works actively to keep from interacting with anyone that may potentially identify him. But the giant being finally must go. He ducks his head as he enters the shop, but he immedietly senses what he seeks. And instantly knows it isn't out on the shelf. He steps up towards the proprietor, trying to appear non threatening and trying to look like a mortal, but his voice gives him away as non-human right away. Its duality, two tones as one, one masculine and strong, but the other.... otherworldly, resonating and deep, like a powerful echo to his other tone, it's simply not normal.'

Good day. I am seeking an artifact, a specific item I am told you may possess here in your shop, and I am fairly certain you do. A shield, in fact. One that looks to be made from a single large dragon scale, shining and silver it was. I will pay any price to acquire this item if you do indeed have it.

[Kalen_Rose]

20:26:27 Kalen_Rose :She came out of the small back area of her shop just as Ouranos came through the door, her arms full of a dusty burlap sack full of... well, whatever it was, it was rather pungent smelling. Surprised to see a customer so soon--especially with the sun just barely above the horizon--she dumped the sack off at the nearest free spot and pushed her hands back through the hair that stubbornly escaped her pins, tilting her head to study this stranger with a suspicious eye while the small dragonlet crawled up the wall to coil in the high rafters.:: Take a good look around, stranger. Do I look like I sell weapons and armor? You must be mistaken. ::She turned and moved back behind the counter, smoothing her hands over the soft, polished wood. You wouldn't think she was nervous to look at her, rumpled with a smudge of dirt on her cheek, but regal all the same. She was though, very, very nervous.:: What would you be wantin' with a shield anyways? It won't do you much good around these parts.



20:31:50 [Ouranos] It is not for me. Nor am I here to claim property already mine, though by rights it should be. I have been told many things were traded to you for supplies right after the wa,r some of them very rare and valuable. This particular shield has very deep sentimental value to me, as it belonged to my son. He died in the war, though he was not of this country, and I would see it returned home for the family to keep. I will pay you whatever it takes to get it back.


20:38:09 Kalen :She murmured something softly under her breath, the serpent above stirring to make it's way down to where she stood.:: I might have something similiar to what you're talking about.... But it's rare...::The tiny dragon coiled about her arm, turning eyes of molten gold up to Kalen's face, twin pillars of smoke moving sinuous into the air from it's tiny maw.:: And precious. ::She wanted to demand proof he wasn't another demon with his strange voice, and the faint aura of magic she could sense in him, but....Times were times, and it wasn't for her to decide. Nodding at the dragon, she looked up at her newest customer again, her eyes dark and full of mistrust.:: I have it, but it will definitely cost you. ::With that she disappeared into the back, returning moments later with a large object wrapped carefully in layers of soft cloth.::


20:42:27 [Ouranos] You don't even understand the rarity of it yourself. The scale it was made from was the boy's grandmother's, the mithril it was attached to mined by dwarves, and the enchantments on it, I placed on it myself. 'He pulls his hood down, trusting that perhaps his appearance will not be revealed her to anyone else. His face... so much like his son's, like it was etched from marble, his eyes shining with pure silver light. His long black hair tied into a top knot on his head. but despite his naturally magical aura and the powerful force of his Outsider nature... he is sad in the eyes. A truly grieving father.' What will it cost? Any amount of coin, name it and I will see to it I get it.



20:50:09 Kalen :She studied his face, intelligence passing through that belied the simple shopkeeper that stood before him. Gently she laid the shield on the counter and peeled back the layers of cloth, each thicker layer giving way to something thinner, softer, protecting the precious bundle beneath. The dragonlet puffed smoked in Ouranos's direction, it's fathomless eyes taking him in.:: 20 copper and she's yours. ::She'd regret that later....she should be more ruthless than this.:



20:53:08 [Ouranos] 'He is genunely shocked. He is obviously so shaken, at the insignificant price. He almost feels insulted at that, but he immediatly reaches within his cloak and produces a sack, dropping it on her counter. It opens at the top and spews out at least a dozen gold coins, and it clearly contains easily twenty times that number. He doesn't even let the bag hit the counter befor grabbing the shield up and hugging it to his wide and powerful chest, falling to his knees as tears well up in his eyes.'




20:57:06 Kalen :She lifted a dark brow at the bag of gold coins, not to so much batting an eyelash as he snatched the shield away from him. The sadness in his eyes was enough to expect that. Never one to be unfair, she counted out 10 gold coins then closed his bag and left it at the edge of the counter, expectant and wary eyes watching the emotional display.:: All you'll do is take it home, nothing else? Nothing more?




21:00:22 [Ouranos] Keep the coins... They mean nothing to me. This shield belonged to my son, was one of the last things he held in his hand before he died, here, in this city. If I could find his sword as well, Then I could take back the set, return them to his home. I have not yet told his mother, and I know it will be much easier if I bring back his effects....



21:04:48 Kalen :She drummed her nails lightly on the counter, some silent exchange passing from woman to the tiny dragon that now paced the length of the counter.:: And what if you could find his sword? Is it that important to you, to linger until it shows up? ::The tiny dragon turned to look at her, the smallest lick of flame touching the air before it took back up it's pacing. She glared briefly at it before turning that way gaze back to Ouranous.:: Something lost never stays lost.




21:08:37 [Ouranos] 'His eyes flare with energy as he stands, putting the shield into his cloak, though the cloak seems to make the item dissappear.' You are right. Keep the coins though. I have lingered in this place for far too long looking for his blade, but I will continue to do so. When his blade is found, it, along with the shield, will be sent to his mother. But I still have things to do here. Lucien will one day pay for what he has done. I will see him struck down, see him cast from this plane forever into the Pits themselves for his dark deeds. For my boy's death....

[Kalen_Rose]

::Casually she moved through the shop, shrewd eyes taking in the way his cloak swallowed the shield without so much as a ripple, while graceful hands straightened items. Dusted bottles off and generally kept her busy while she spoke, casual and soft.::

Lucien needs to pay for a great many things. But he's not stupid. In fact, he's very, very smart. And that's what makes him so dangerous.


::She took a bottle down from a shelf, fetched an old stone bowl that was more of a rock, the depression in the middle worn into a concave shape after centuries of wear and tear.::


No matter how powerful, not matter how filled with vengeance, a single man cannot defeat an entire army.


::She filled the shallow bowl with water, watched as it gradually calmed into a mirror like surface, before she let a single solitary drop send ripples moving again.::


But many men can. Many men can do quite a lot.

[Ouranos]

'The Celestial's eyes flare, this time with rage, with determination, with resolve. The silver light seems to nearly light up the room with its intensity and power as he stands back to his feet. He is an extremely powerful being, and that's VERY obvious.' Lucien WILL pay. I may not be able to get into his throne room anymore like I did that first day, but I will find a way in. And in battle, I can defeat him. I don't have to destroy his entire army, just him.

[Oona Ondessa]

‘Then you are a fool, if you truly believe that Celestial’.

A shadowy figure said, her heels clicking against the floorboards. Oona lowered her hood and surveyed the shop carefully. Her long dark hair was tied up in bun behind her head, but long braids had snaked free and traveled down her back and shoulders. She was painfully beautiful and radiated a ferocious primal energy.

‘In fact I believe it your son who spouted the same nonsense. Only one person will finally end that creature and that is our Queen, make no mistake. It is fated’.

The Elven woman said silkily, she was tall, taller than most men and watched the Celestial carefully. She also took in the new Curiosity Shoppe Owner, she busied herself with relics and magicks and she smelt the spark of magic in her. Oona’s cloak was long and purple with intricate patterns around the trimming. The cloak was ridiculously long and trailed along the ground behind her.

‘The last Shoppe owner was murdered in this very space, did you know?’

She said to the woman as she picked up an old chalice from the shelf and looked at it carefully before putting it back where it belonged.

‘Why someone would open a shop in an occupied demon territory baffles me’.

Oona said calmly. She continued watching at the woman closely. Curiously she had similar tattoos to Oona. Oona’s eyes narrowed inquisitively.

‘My name is Oona Ondessa; the Queen has sent me to find the both of you. I’m sorry about the intrusion, but it’s imperative I question your loyalties. It’s clear where you stand Celestial, but you will not be able to avenge your son on your own. What of you Shop keep?’

She asked carefully, knowing that if the woman lied there was a chance she wouldn’t be able to tell, not with magic involved and not immediately, but she had a good feeling about the woman, she’d help their cause.

[Kalen_Rose]

"There are those who would be happ--"

She cut her words off as the elven woman stepped into the shop, the sheer force of being that flowed the door with her bringing Kalen's head up with an almost audible snap, her eyes widening briefly in surprise before suspicion and wariness turned them dark as storm clouds. She could almost smell the power and strength on her. Passing her hand over whatever she'd been doing in the shallow pool of water, she shrugged lightly brought the edge of the bowl against her stomach, her eyes flicking up to the rafters to find the dragonlet making his way silently back to her side of the room.

"Belief means different things for different people, and carries a power of it's own."

She'd been wary of the Celestial, but the danger was this woman. She'd had very little to do with the Queen, rumors mostly, would she ask? Or would she force? She was nervous--it was impossible not to be with these two filling her shop with their own pulse of power, but there was a certain arrogance to the tilt of her head, a strength of will she would not abandon.

"Yes, I am. I removed the old blood stains from the floor myself, and put the spirit behind to rest. What of it? Do you wish to claim ownership of his death?"

Irritated now for reasons only she could fathom, she made quick work of emptying the old stone bowl and placing it back on the shelves at behind her, drying her hands on the robin's blue apron she wore, tattered and thin. Her voice carried a hint of sharpness when she spoke now, musical and clear.

"Why someone would open shop here is, regardless of demons, regardless of war, this place is still where people come for the things they need. It is still a hub of activity for the entire kingdom. It's just more dangerous. Besides..."

She turned and leveled a steady gaze on Oona, rightly afraid of the woman, but still no coward. Not with the life she'd chosen.

"What better place to hide than in plain sight?"

She had the absurd urge to laugh, strong enough that she reached up to pass slim fingers over her mouth, her lashes sliding to half-mast over her eyes. Supportive, the small dragon had made his way back down to coil himself around her upper arm, all for the world like some decadent jewelry. She answered carefully, frowning as she did like she was still looking it from every angle, searching for the trap.

"If you're asking where my intentions lie... I cannot claim any great loyalty to your Queen, I know nothing but rumor of her, and Lucien has taught many us not to trust any monarch until proven. But I can say, with every fiber of my being, I am committed to whatever path rids us of Lucien and his demons."

She smiled faintly, sadly. Her hands brushing back the hair that escaped the hold of pins, flashing the tattoos that stood stark on her pale skin.

"Unlike most, I can still remember a time when it wasn't like this."

[Ouranos]

'His eyes flare again, but this time they aren't the only thing. His cloak billows and then unclasps, flying off his back and against the wall. This is a being wrought of magic, born to two Celestials himself, an extremely rare occurance. His kind are generally crafted by the hands of a Deity, not birthed of such beings. His hammer, the Foehammer, appears in his right hand as his face takes a frightening quality to it: Rage."

My son was an honest, pure lad. He fought for the good of the realms, to save the lives of good honest folk.

'He points the hammer at Oona for a moment, then slides it back down, setting the head against the flor and his hands on the pommel, his cloak returning and the air settling, the heavy cloth clasping itself back to his body.'

However, You are right. I cannot get into the Palace alone. And an army would make the battle much easier. I was ordered not to intercede here, but my Lord cannot stop me on this plane. You have my power at your side. Take me to this Queen, that plans may be laid for the coming conflict.

[Oona Ondessa]

Oona liked this woman.

The corners of her lips twitched. Kalen her name was, and she was a mystery, but anyone who could charm a Dragonkin deserved respect. Whatever the case, Oona made a point to remain wary, she’d been fooled before, they all had.

‘If that’s the case, consider yourself recruited into our army, we fight night and day to end Lucien’s reign, and you may prove very useful’.

She said to the woman, shifting her gaze to take a quick look outside and make sure they weren’t being watched.

‘It won’t take long for Lucien’s forces to notice someone new has moved into the shop, they’ll keep watch, but I can help you with protection and concealment charms, our greatest threat are the keen-eyed harpies’.

Oona said briskly, as if time was running out. Her eyes narrowed at Ouranos, she considered striking the Celestial down, teaching him a lesson, when he pointed his hammer in her face. Oona decided against it, the Shoppe would be destroyed, and it would lead Lucien’s followers’ right to their location. Everyone was always underestimating her abilities, especially men. She sighed exasperatedly.

‘I don’t have time for inflated egos, even if you are a Celestial, I mean no disrespect to your fallen son, but I have seen too many men with their large swords and magic’s ‘hammers’ come to join our forces only to be smote singlehandedly, one doesn’t declare his own power, one earns it’.

Oona snapped barring her teeth at Ouranos.

‘You will meet the Queen when she decided you are worthy, no sooner, no later’.

She said calming down. She risked another peek outside, the air was cold and still and fog rolled in from the horizon lazily, she could see Harpies patrolling the above skies. Pruaga had survived the battle with Sabis. She growled under her breath.

‘Plus, we believe your skills are better suited to this part of the country, we need men and woman fighting on this front, under Lucien’s nose while the Queen builds her military’.

[Kalen_Rose]

She rolled her eyes as the Celestial stood up and pushed him magic through the room like some avenging angle, worry crinkling the corners of her eyes as she searched the room to see if her own spells held, seeing a layer of intricate magic that to most simply looked like soft layers of pale glitter. If he was going to be so very determined to out them...Well, something would have to be done about that. But she was betting he'd calmed down, hoping against hope. She let her eyes rest with full weight back on Oona, imbuing them with meaning.

"A little help with my protection spells would be most appreciated if I'm going to be having regular guests with....issues."

The dragonlet coughed with a raspy wheeze, a whisp of smoke drifting into the air while for all the world he looked vastly amused. Watching Oona looking out the window, she left her counter to head for the other side of the room, stoking the warm firing burning in the hearth while lazy words fell from her lips, incoherent and too low to fathom. Outside the misty morning fog thickened gradually into great banks that obscured the landscape below and frustrated the harpies above.

"I can't protect this place too much. Demons will come, they will barter. All I can do is keep them from getting their hands on anything of use or potency. Look at my shelves, do you see anything beyond a few dazzles and toys? Anything of import I have is well hidden."

She stood and turned to face the room again, wiping her hands on that apron tied over her simple gown.

"If I refused to sell to Lucien's people, I wouldn't be here for very long. It's a safety measure of it's own."

[Ouranos]

Give me direction then. But point the way to where the front line is, and I will man it with a fury those soldiers hath not witnessed!

'Celestials. Despite their arrogance, (which even he is certainly not immune to) they ARE extremely powerful beings. This one, Ouranos the Elder, is not only no exception to that rule, but almost representative of it, rivaling even the direct avatars of some of the Gods. While not shaped by the hands of a God, he was birthed to those who were. He is Unique, an anomaly in the orders of the Heavens, a standout. And with his current state of rage, he's likely to cause ALOT of havoc among all of their mutual enemies.'

'He keeps his hands gently on the pommel of the uptured hammer, his face softening and aura shifting, his divine presence and calm seeming to seep from him and wash over the two room.'

And I apologize for my outburst earlier, madames. my son meant much to me, I never expected he would be killed so far from the lands of his birth.

[Oona Ondessa]

Oona nodded at Kalen. She really was a sorcerer. She was fiercely intelligent and more than a little wily; she was just ashamed she hadn’t seen it sooner.

‘I can help with the spells; make it look natural, without overdoing the protection enough to draw attention to yourself. Subtlety will get us far’.

Oona made her way to the front door and closed it quietly, keeping one eye on the Celestial.

‘There is no front line sir!’

Oona said frustrated.

‘We have lost the war!’

She hissed, getting tired of having to repeat herself. Oona drew herself up to her full height; she was tall from a man, let alone a woman. That mixed with her hypnotic beauty caste a terrifyingly imposing character.

‘From now on, we operate quietly, discreetly. Like Ghosts on the wind, and if you can’t do that Ouranos, then you are in the wrong place’.

Oona said softening gradually. She closed her eyes and began to breathe heavily. When she opened her eyes against her tattoos began to hover inches above her skin, they twisted around her face and skin, and her violet eyes had turned a milky red.

‘Your spell of protection is a powerful one; I see you’ve included Alaric’s Charm, very wise’.

Oona said gently, she leaned down and placed her palm against the floorboards. Immediately a purple light began to streak across the floor and eventually snake their way up the walls and ceilings, it’s almost looked like glowing paint.

‘I’m weaving a Sauryan charm into your existing spells. It will require fresh Lavender, Thyme, Wolfsbane and the Talon of a Raven for it to come into full effect’.

Oona’s eyes snapped upwards at Kalen, and as soon as it had appeared the strange twisting patterns vanished and all that was left was a soft purple vapour that hung heavy around at their feet. The smoke slowly vanished into Oona’s cloak.

‘Once you have all the ingredients, place them around the store at the four watchtower points. Anyone with ill intentions will overlook the very thought of causing harm, they won’t think about it, know about it or even remember it. It will simply be’.

Oona said breathlessly, her eyes slowly returned to normal.

‘As for you Celestial, you understand our predicament yes? There isn’t room for error, we don’t have the time, energy or manpower to storm Kendelah, and we must all get used to fighting under the cloak of shadow’.

Oona walked back to the Shoppe’s front door, she opened it quietly and took another peek outside, Kalen’s fog was still holding tight. She suspected it would be many years before the sorcerer’s spell dispelled completely, perhaps it would forever be known as ‘Kalen’s fog’.

[Ouranos]

I will meet your warriors. Join them in their battles. I know that they still combat the demon hordes, on a regular basis, to keep them far from the newly formed village your Queen resides within.

'He continues to stand with hand on the pommel of his might hammer, passive, calm, eerily serene. But with the blink of an eye a shimmering blue doorway cracks open behind him, an absurdly simple "POP" sound marking it's appearance.'

Lucien already knows of my presence in this region. Knows I am out for him. Would be better then, in your war of shadow, for him not to know I've joined your cause directly. So I shall find my own ways, the way of a mortal freelancer....

'Before either woman could respond, for he has grown weary of dealing with the elfen one, the "POP" emits again from the doorway and it vanishes, leaving no trace of the great Celestial.'

[Kalen_Rose]

Subtly she brushed a slender hand over a mouth that struggled to curve into a smile, mischief touching her eyes as she watched the Celestial and Oona bicker. She couldn't blame the elf, he was being as stubborn and dense as the stone path outside her shop. Though she supposed grief could do that to the best of people.

She shot the small dragon a telling look before the unmistakable swell of magic filled her small shop, dark lashes lifting high over eyes suddenly shrewd and avid as the power sank into the walls and floors, surrounding the windows with that electric glow while the wash bit along her skin with it's strength. Even her small companion swiveled his head around to watch Oona, something ageless and interested reflected in his molten eyes.

Her voice pitched no higher than a whisper, she nodded slightly while her mind skipped lightly over the location of each item--common enough by themselves, but now that Oona had pointed it out, very powerful when combined together.

"Yes, I have all of that in stock...."

She took a step out from behind her counter... then paused and simply grinned at Oona, a touch of excitement on her face. It was too long a story, too personal for strangers, but to see another person wield magic here, to not be afraid of harm, it was bittersweet but left her with the smallest spark of hope too.

"It's so unobtrusive, it's bloody brilliant. Who, or where did you study? Or is it something passed down in family? Mine is kind of..."

She was cut off at the sound of Ouranos's appearing, something like anger coming and going like a dark shadow through her eyes. She was too cautious to lash out, had spent too many years hiding. But she wanted to, this creature working magics she didn't know, didn't understand in her shop. Risking drawing attention to her and anyone else inside. Gritting her teeth at the gall of it, she shot Oona a glance then immediately went to a window as the Celestial disappeared, keen eyes searching the skies for any signs that the harpies--or hell, anything else--might've caught the scent.

"I don't think he quite grasps the shape of the situation. Or maybe male pride is a universal thing..."

She shook her head and kept watch, the dragonlet crawling through the rafters until it hung upside down over Oona's head, smoke coiling from it's nose as it studied her.

"What role are you thinking my shop will play in this, out of curiosity...?"

[Oona Ondessa]

"It's so unobtrusive, it's bloody brilliant. Who, or where did you study? Or is it something passed down in family? Mine is kind of..."

Oona nodded, it was clear Kalen didn’t want to reveal too much too soon, witches could be crafty creatures, just a name was enough sometimes.

‘I was created many centuries ago to battle a dark evil that will one day be born of the world. But it was only three hundred and thirty four years ago that I was born fully formed from a Willow. I roamed the Black Moss Forest for several years a wild terrible creature”.

Oona stood up to her full height and clicked her tongue as the Celestial vanished behind a magical door.

‘I learnt magic wherever I could, like a babe hungry for milk, much of it is inherent and primal. Iron moves through my veins, not blood’.

Oona smelt the air.

"I don't think he quite grasps the shape of the situation. Or maybe male pride is a universal thing..."

The Curves of Oona’s full lips twitched ever so slightly.

‘I believe it’s a little of both. Please. I could track that spell half way across Morthika...’

She noticed the small creature watching her closely with intelligent eyes. Oona smiled at the creature and clicked her tongue unusually.

‘My dragon is very rusty, we only have one in all of Morthika and he speaks common. He is an old and wise fellow’.

Oona was always more comfortable with animals than humans or even other elves, she was an elf only in appearance.

"What role are you thinking my shop will play in this, out of curiosity...?"

Oona nodded, she made her way to a large mirror that hung on the wall with a silver frame, she couldn’t sense any magic within the glass and silver.

‘If I’m completely honest, I don’t know. I imagine your shoppe will become a go between in communications with the Queen and her rebels. I will know more once I visit the Queen. First things first, we shall create a mirror of Agis. Have you heard of the spell?’

Oona shrugged off her coat and let it fall to the ground. Under the hooded coat she wore a sleeveless purple bodice, which could be mistaken for an undergarment. Oona breathed heavily again, careful not to invoke too much energies and draw attention to Kalen’s Shoppe.

‘It is a matter of changing the glass natural properties; glass is a metal of sorts. We must turn it into a liquid.

Glass for reflection, Glass to see, Glass that is brittle, smashing with glee,
Water for washing, drinking and with a birthing sea.
Agis kiss, her tears to see, for viewing and speaking her gift to thee’.

With the last word Oona flung her hand into the mirror, it smashed to pieces and Oona gave a sharp cry of pain. Behind the mirror however, a liquid churned. Oona pulled her arm out. It was covered in dripping blood, Liquid silver. The ripples of the mirror eventually stopped rippling until it looked like an ordinary mirror once again.

Oona turned to Kalen and began to wrap her hand up in a piece of cloth she pulled from her belt.

‘Eventually, when the same spell is performed at the Queens Encampment and we will be able to communicate via the mirror’.

She picked up her cloak and putting it back on.

‘Excuse the mess…’