Topic: Broken toys

Alysia Skye

Date: 2005-08-16 14:54 EST
The scrying bowl thrummed with a low tone before it split into three pieces with a soft crack, sending a spill of water over Alysia?s knees. She leapt to her feet with a yelp and gingerly stepped back from the steaming shards of black stone. Dismayed, she stared at the soaked hem of her robe and the fragments of the bowl.

What the . . ? The Priestess struggled to retain the memory of the last image she?d managed to observe in the glassy water. A gold emblem of the Guardian, outlined in lambent blue, twisted and blackened by heat and fire. Such visions were always cryptic, with as many possible meanings as there were minds to interpret them. Alysia snorted in annoyance, then blinked, suddenly quite unable to recall why she?d even picked up the scrying bowl in the first place.

Her concern and confusion was quickly replaced by awareness of the mess in her tower workshop, then wry amusement. She sat back on her heels and began to separate sodden, ink-blurred sheets of paper, calling a breeze as she did so.

Alysia Skye

Date: 2005-08-19 18:51 EST
The spellmerchant bellowed a gregarious greeting as the Priestess ducked into his shop. He was tall and thin, with brown skin, black eyes, and long silver hair. He wore a maroon robe festooned with an outrageous number of protective sigils and runes, most of which were glowing lurid green. Halo, for that the name the spellmerchant used in public, flaunted a cheerful demeanor more commonly seen in rotund, rosy-cheeked bakers and waved his arms in grandiose gestures as he spoke.

?So, madam, what brings you to my little corner of Marketplace today? Looking for a love philtre? Distillation of unicorn?s blood? An amulet of ice storms? Got a few imp skulls and aged dragon fangs in the corner over there. And I?ve recently procured several tomes which might be of interest to. . .uh, to even the most . . .oh. It?s you.?

Alysia lowered the cowl of her cloak and dourly regarded the prattling merchant for several uncomfortably long moments until he fell silent. To his credit, he didn?t turn pale; instead, he bowed. She flashed a scintillating and entirely false smile and approached the counter, commenting, ?Business in Rhy?din can?t be that bad that you have to make such an ass of yourself when a prospective customer enters.?

?Well,? he chuckled. ?Most mages tap directly into the Nexus node here and have no use for components or artifacts, Lady Skye.?

?Most mages,? She grumbled. ?If I had a gold coin for every time I?d heard you complain ?there?s no art among mages anymore, no style, no grace? I could buy a country, Halo.? Alysia paused and leaned forward, grinning. ?It?s all sheer power these days. Just like the vampires, hmm??

The spellmerchant took a startled step backward, mumbling something in protest. His eyes flicked toward an iron dagger on the counter, then back to the Priestess. Smirking, Alysia held up her hands in a neutral gesture.

She leveled a calm stare at Halo and ignored his look of disbelief as she asked him to show her his scrying devices.

Alysia Skye

Date: 2005-08-22 23:38 EST
"You don't have any imported from Rhilshen, do you?"

"I can imagine how that stone would work best for you, Lady Skye, but unfortunately, no, I don't. I've been having some difficulty even importing crimsor for inlay work. Some new trade regulations of some sort." Halo supported a smoky glass orb in the palm of both hands and lifted it up for her appraisal.

Alysia frowned. "That doesn't sound like something Alaric would do," she mused. "Wonder who came up with that idea. . . No, orbs are kind of unwieldy." She frowned and shook her head.

Halo patiently replaced the orb on a pedestal before guiding the Priestess to a display of several scrying bowls. He muttered something about leaving her to find what worked best for her inclination and headed up a narrow set of stairs. In his absence, Alysia glumly ran her hands over a shallow vessel of silky, dark gray stone and sighed.