[Flashback] Please let me on? (Minerva)

[Glyciera Litiiva]

Timestamp: 20 Spring 511 The air was crisp, and the sun had risen high enough to keep the chill out of your bones. It was a cool morning, the kind one would imagine spending under a tree or wandering through a field of some sorts. Unfortunately Glyciera was far from any such ideal surroundings. "Sorry! I - I'm sorry, excuse me." It was an immense relief to be off of the wretched boat she had spent so long floating in, but now trapped in a bustling crowd, she felt like she may as well be back wading through the water. Her hair was tied back, though looking quite a bit more unruly than usual. Grandad's satchel was clutched tightly against her. Face after face flew by, everyone moving in an overwhelming blur of people. She made another attempt to escape, but was only met by more people impatiently bumping into her. Out of nowhere her right arm was wrenched to the side. Like a mother impatiently trying to correct her child, she grabbed it with her left hand and held it down. Raei, please, I'm trying! If you would just behave for second-- Glycie hurry an opening! Snapping to attention, she spotted it, a momentary break in the crowd. Keeping her head down the woman made a run for it. Apology after apology was shouted to the people she couldn't help but run into as she passed. When finally she escaped the confines of chaos, she stopped and took a breath, hands propped against her knees. She had always preferred crowds of people; they were easy to disappear in. But that... That was shear madness and she was happy to be rid of it. A quick glance back to make sure that no one was watching her. They're all real busy, I think we're okay now. Glyciera nodded in agreement to the little voice of her 'sister.' Whatever sort of "market" had been set up on this particular ship, it was very popular. Straightening up she allowed herself to look around at the ships before her. She needed to get towards the outer edge and find a ship that would be willing to take her on board. At this point it no longer mattered where it was headed, she just wanted to get away from the Suvan and be back on some nice, safe, solid land. The maze of ropes, rickety walkways, and gangplanks made it almost impossible for her uncoordinated self to maneuver. A few times she slipped and nearly fell between ships. As such she was much more wide-eyed and wary than usual. To add to it, she didn't actually have a set direction she was heading for. Would ships for hire have signs? People advertising them? Surely there was some sort of indication. Uh... Maybe you should ask somebody? Yes, but who? The suggestion was logical but far from favorable. She was very obviously out of place among the seafarers here, and the Svefra didn't seem to be treating her all too hospitable for it. A boy was just stepping onto the ship she was currently walking over. Hey he looks pretty nice! He looked around 17, with a mop of dark hair. Dark tattooed skin stretched over toned muscles testified of his experience in sailing. Quickly, albeit hesitantly, Glyciera took her chance and called out to him. Her voice expressed her apprehensions audibly, but she made it an effort to be as polite as possible. "E-Excuse me young man? Could you tell me where there would be a ship available for hire?" He looked her up and down, his face twisted in an amused grin at her state. "Sure lady, that one - " He pointed off a ways to the right "Right there next to that red one, pretty sure they're vailable." "Oh good, thank you!" The woman gave him a nod and a small smile, then headed in the way he had directed her. It wasn't too far from where she was, but it would take her a while just to make her way without getting seriously injured.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

"This is important." "Aye, aye ya done tolds me 'at." "Minerva..." Tock glared at the old man. She HATED it when he called her by her name. She had told him time and again to call her 'Tock.' But the old fart never listened. She crossed her arms and glared at him. "This is perhaps the most important task I've ever assigned you," Archimaneus said. The old man had grey hair and long, white mustaches. He was dressed in dark robes, and had dark black eyes that always made Tock uncomfortable. He pulled the wand from his robes and handed it to her. "Be swift. Be sure. And return 'ere the sun sets. The Captain plans to leave then, with or without us, and I do NOT intend..." "Oy, I bloody 'eard ya the first time, ya melodramatic ol' bloke!" Tock replied, snatching the wand from his hands. It was Magecrafted, and surely invaluable. Not that she had much clue how it worked, aside from the instructions he'd given her. He had already 'attuned' it to the target, without explaining to her how that process worked. She just had to do the legwork. She turned away, ignoring the glares the old wizard gave her. She held the wand out, feeling the slight vibrations it made against her palm. She turned this way, then that, until the vibration was strongest. Archimaneus had explained how the wand was Magecrafted with the power of Auristics... once it had been attuned to search for a certain aura, it would track it and lead the user towards the source. Tock started heading in the direction where the vibration indicated the strongest aura trail was. Her target would be that way. A short while later, after weaving through some crowds, making her way across gangplanks that connected the ships of the Anchorage, and nearly falling into the water once (Archimaneus would have KILLED her if she dropped the wand into the sea!) when someone jostled her, she found herself nearing her target. Except that it kept moving. Grumbling, she picked up her pace, wishing the old fart had given her some 'get people out of the damn WAY' magic. Though she suddenly lost the trail when, out of nowhere, she collided with another young girl who didn't seem to be looking where she was going. Tock fell back on her ass, letting out a loud, "Oof!" She then glared up at Glyceria and shook the wand at her, shouting, "Oy, watch where ya bloody goin', Sheila!" OOCArchimaneus is the wizard who first taught Minerva Magecrafting. I worked his details out with Chevalier via pm's some time back. He lives in Syliras working for the Knights, making them magic swords, etc. He and Tock are on an expedition at the moment collecting reagents and such before returning to Syliras. The Auristics Wand is the property of the NPC and will remain in his possession after the thread ends. Tock's just using it on her 'errand' as the wizard's apprentice.

[Glyciera Litiiva]

As she was walking, Glyciera had become gradually less and less sure of the way she was headed. You know there's a red one over there too, what if that's the one he meant? Nuh-uh, he pointed at that one there, the one with the messed up sails, I know it. No, I'm fairly certain it had to be this one, the ship next to it is much more-- GLYCIE!! It was too late. Without realizing she wandered directly into the path of someone else, the force knocking her off balance and causing her to fall back onto the boards beneath her. Looking up she saw Tock had fallen as well. "Oh no... Oh no oh no oh no!" Scrambling to her feet she ran to the woman. I-I am so so so sorry mam, I know, I should have been paying attention, that-that was stupid of me, here, let me help you!" She held her hand out, offering to help the stranger onto her feet. Waiting for her to either accept or reject the offer, her eyes shifted to the wand in her hand. She swallowed hard. ... A mage... ... Ya know I bet under that glare she's a real happy mage, like, deep down there. While she appreciated Ditria's optimism, the positivity was lost on her, her mind racing to figure out how she could quickly make up for her stupid blunder.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock stubbornly refused the offer of help, getting her own self back to her feet without any aid. She brushed herself off, scowling and muttering under her breath. She cast the girl a glare, and snapped, "Bloody oughta watch out! 'Less ya done wanna wind up takin' a bath," she nodded her head past the edge of the boat into the water. She held up the slender white wand, which wasn't vibrating anymore. She growled and shook it, not knowing enough about the Magecrafting principles behind it to know what was wrong. "Oy, if ya bloody broke 'is, my Bossman's gunna 'as yer 'ead!" She smacked the wand with her palm a few times, trying to get it to work. Then she waved it about, until finally, far to the right of the previous location, the wand picked up a faint aura and started vibrating again. She growled in frustration and shouted, "It's gettin' away! Dagnub bloody worthless rollin' shyke balls on a stick!" She shook the wand in the girl's face and said, "Ya bloody better 'elps me find it! Else I's gonna done tells the ol' wizard what YOUS were the one what let it git away!!!" Irritated and not in the mood for argument, she turned in the direction the wand was indicating and hurried off.