The Question of a Fortune-Teller (Sliver)

by **Valkyrie** on November 18th, 2012, 3:43 am

Fall XX, 512

In the Frozen Falls Market a tent made of furs covered with a layer of purple cloth had been erected. It contrasted sharply with the plain wood of the other booths, something most of the vendors were displeased about. Word had spread quickly of the purple tent and the foreign woman who had set it up upon her arrival mid-way through the Fall season. Sliver had heard it quickly enough, the guards at the port kept the rest of the barracks updated about the gossip concerning new arrivals. It was said that the woman was dark of hair and tan of skin, that she claimed to be from a desert land in the far, far south. The concept of a desert was so different and opposite to the lifestyle and environment of Avanthal that most were divided as to whether they found her novel or felt threatened by her.

The woman had erected her purple tent and within days everyone was talking about the woman who claimed to sell fortunes. Many of the young men and women were immediately drawn to the woman to discover if they would ever meet their true loves while older people visited her a bit more secretly to find answers and hope for their life problems. Some believed her fortunes more than others, but all were certainly curious as to what she was about. The curiosity had bitten Sliver as well, Icewatch was divided on their opinion about her. Some were happy that the citizens had something to take their minds off the city problems for a while but others were worried about the prospect of people getting their hopes up and getting let down when their fortunes don’t happen.

Sliver found herself facing the outside of the purple and fur tent. Curiosity almost always led to action for the bold wolverine. When she found herself prepared to enter, inside she would find that the tent was quite small and the ground was covered in furs. A large brazier in the middle gently emanated heat to warm the tent. Around the brazier were large silk cushions and blankets to lay upon instead of the usual table and chairs that graced Avanthal establishments. On one of the cushions reclined the fortune-teller in question, plucking strange foreign fruits from a wooden bowl beside her and waiting for her next customer.

by **Sliver** on November 20th, 2012, 12:13 am

The first thing the Kelvic noticed was simply how gorgeous the woman was. She was older, crow’s feet accumulated around her eyes, and creases appeared in a well-worn face. Her age only seemed to add to the mysterious beauty the woman commanded however. Ebony hair fell well past her shoulders, and two golden eyes the color of mizas looked up at Sliver as she entered, a single eyebrow arching up in interest and curiosity at her new client. Her face was round and smooth, skin much darker than any Vantha she had ever seen seemed to give off a faint glow in the light of the brazier.

Both women stared at each other, admiring the other for a long moment. Though the temperatures of the city must have been quite the drastic change for the fortune teller, here in the heated and well insulated tent, she wore loose and light silks, revealing the curvature of her throat and a gold pendant that Sliver could only assume represented some deity. The silence dragged on, though not in any uncomfortable sort of way. Sliver rather felt as if the woman was appraising her as some kind of art piece, gauging her value before deciding whether or not to buy. Eventually a slow smile crept across the stranger’s features and her voice, heavily accented issued forth, soothing and welcoming.

“Two silver mizas for a palm reading, three gold for a look into your fortunes and love life, ten gold for….” She paused and smiled. “…How you say? The world in your hands.”

The Kelvic realized the woman probably didn’t have many takers on the last one, considering the price, so when she removed ten mizas from the pouch at her side and put them into the wooden bowl of fruit, she noticed the woman’s eyes widen ever so slightly before the smile consumed the entirety of her face. She swept a hand elegantly towards the cushions.

“I like you. Sit down, we will be here for a while.”

Sliver glanced around at the comfortable looking pillows, trying to find a spot that would best suit her purpose. Finally deciding upon a long cushion with a backrest so she could face her host, Sliver sat herself down, sighing a bit as she reclined, eyes on the stranger, who reached over to take her hands, head lowered in prayer or thought. Somewhere in the back of Sliver’s mind, she wondered what she had just gotten herself into.

by **Sliver** on November 24th, 2012, 9:14 pm

For a long while the older woman sat in silence. She requested Sliver's hand, and held it gently, running her fingers over her palm, eyes closed. It took all Sliver had not to laugh and grab her appendage away the way the woman's nails tickled against her skin, but she took a deep breath and held her cool, her lips torn in a small smile.

The heat of the space mixed with the pungent aroma of incense and whatever sweet fruits the woman was eating created an atmosphere Sliver almost felt she could fall asleep in. As the two sat their in silence, one learning about the other, the Kelvic practically did.

"Enough of that."

The woman's voice broke the heady silence and she released Sliver's hand, leaning back like a satisfied cat.

"I knew you were Kelvic the moment you walked in here, but wolverine? I do not think I have met one such as you, and if I did they didn't have the same...style."

She smiled from ear to ear and Sliver cocked her head to the side. She did not want to show her surprise or amazement, especially when for 10 gold mizas this was surely only the beginning of the display, but she wondered if magic truly was at work here or the woman just had a keen eye. She had seen people with no magical gifts at all, read people by their clothes, the way they walked, and the cologne they did or didn't wear. While the Kelvic only understood a measure of this, there were plenty of factors that could weigh into this woman's knowledge of her, so she simply nodded her ascent.

She closed her eyes a moment before speaking again.

"You have the air of one who is aloof, yet you care a great deal about what people think of you, even strangers from afar." Her teeth showed briefly at this. "You have failed those you cared for in the past, and you fear doing so again, but more than this...there is another concern much deeper, one that has made you like the magic of your race. You have never bonded, and are scared both that you shall never become one with another...and of what it will turn you into.

Sliver jerked back, blinking once, her eyebrows furrowing together. it was one thing for this woman to know what she liked to eat or why she had her tattoos, but to know such intimate details about her that were written into her soul as her purpose, that was something entirely different. And that last part, the part about being scared of bonding, that was completely ridiculous, all she wanted more than anything was to find someone to protect and love, that understood her as intimately as she understood the other, she was far from being scared of this union and was outraged by the woman's statement. She rose. 10 GM or no she was done with this farce, it was clear the woman had just gotten some information from around town and was just fishing.

The wolverine rose silently, eyes filled with anger and hurt and headed to the doorway. What the woman said next stopped her in her tracks.

"Don't be so angry Kelvic, your un-bonded days are at an end, and your future bondmate? I think you'll like him very much."

by **Sliver** on December 4th, 2012, 3:55 pm

She had no choice: Even if this lovely woman was baiting her, she couldn't simply turn around and leave now, not with those words that had just left her mouth. Slowly the Kelvic rotated, and almost as if being pulled by strings, walked back to the seat, lowering herself down again. Dark eyes held the twinkle of sheer amusement, and Sliver resented being so easy to manipulate in this situation, but though she had many weaknesses, surely this topic was the greatest source of tribulation for her.

"Alright Fortune-teller, tell me what you know."

She folded her arms in a relaxed manner before her and smiled knowingly. Sliver realized she had all the skills of an expert Vantha storyteller. She knew how to hook her audience, draw them in and make it seem as simple as catching a fish. Fraud or no Sliver became aware that this woman was worth every copper or silver thrown her way, for her life was clearly devoted to this task.

"He is handsome, strong, and caring. He takes his work very seriously, and though you may not know it, already has a soft spot for you. He is more fragile than he seems, for like many people, he has had his fair share of loss, but something tells me you are gentle when you want to be wolverine, and I know you will treat him with care."

Sliver growled low and thoughtfully. This woman had given her a whole fount of information that was vaguer than a smooth pebble on the beach on a misty day, yet she still felt as if she had been given some kind of gem of information. Now she beckoned Sliver forward.

"Enough of that, you are Kelvic, you'll know him without my babbling, I'm just giving you a nudge in the right direction. This is the fun part."

The woman pulled out a folded board from behind her, and opened it to reveal a small table. She took a length of silk out and covered the wooden surface, then gestured for Sliver to lay her hands down upon the surface as she pulled out a set of cards. They were black as night edged in gold that shimmered over the surface. From the sound they made when sliding together Sliver thought they might be made of metal, and wondered how exactly one came by a deck of cards so exquisite. She lay down five upon the table and put one to the side, removing the rest of the deck from sight. She flipped two cards simultaneously, one displayed a large building with a gleaming light atop its peak, and the other was an amorphous figure in a throne, almost appearing to physically glow. There were words on the cards, but even with her illiteracy Slvier could tell that it wasn't common, they actually looked more the language used for magical glyphs than regular writing. She glanced up at the fortune teller to see her reaction. The woman nodded, though all the smiles were gone from her face in favor of the utmost concentration.

"The Celestial and the Watchtower, these are good omens, it means that one or more are keeping tabs on you from their godly heights young one, take solace in the fact that you are never truly alone, no matter how you feel."

She flipped another two, putting them on either side of the other already face up cards. One displayed two people that looked to be engaged in rather intimate behavior, the other one had some furry monster that seemed to extend beyond the edges of the card like an optical illusion. Despite herself the fortune teller couldn't help the smirk that crossed her features before she continued.

"Having a little fun, are we? Ah right, you haven't had it yet, but don't worry, you will, you've gotten quite the attention on you as of late, and it will come to a peak soon...I hope you're ready, for the beast and the lovers in combination means you're in for an unforgettable time, wolverine."

Sliver coughed a bit, but the fortune teller was already moving on. Her fingers crept across the one lonely card, glancing at its partner turned on its side at the edge of the table. With a movement lightning swift she grab the two cards simultaneously, throwing them down upon one another so that one was perpendicular to the other. Sliver was unsure of what happened in that moment, but a great breeze seemed to sweep through the tent. Three of the four braziers were extinguished, and the silk and the cards that had been on the table were swept away, so that all that remained were the dimly lit cards, piled on one another.

The Kelvic leaned forward to see the images, the card on the bottom seemed to depict a figure with a bow and arrow that she couldn't fully make out since it was blocked out by the card on top of it. That form, the one of the Goddess of Death poised with a blood tipped dagger, a somber expression on her features, even the wolverine knew. When she looked up at the fortune tellers face, her skin was pale and white showed around her eyes. One tanned hand placed itself over hers.

"I'm so sorry young one."

Sliver had felt upset, intrigued, curious, and optimistic about this fortune telling endeavor, but part of her mind had always thought it a bit of a joke. No doubting the skill this woman had, but she still took every word with a grain of salt. This, however, the look of sadness and despair on the woman's face, the coldness of her hand despite the previous warmth of the room, and the way that when she looked at the card, Dira's face had changed from somber to a sly grin made the wolverine reconsider. She slid her hand away, freeing it from the frigid grasp of the woman.

"What does it mean?" Her voice came out a bit shaky, filled with a fear she didn't know cards could bring out of her. The fortune teller brought her hands together and Sliver slammed one hand on the table.

"What does it mean?!"

A long shaky breath was drawn in from her throat.

"You are used to pain and suffering, it was how you were raised. You had to endure many things that others couldn't even imagine. Yet you are not as others, magic made you, and though it damaged you too, you were young and you forgot or pushed it away. Despite this, death and sorrow have followed you where ever you have gone. You have escaped it here, at least for now, but soon it will come again. This peace you have found you know it cannot last forever. It seems death enjoys hunting you."

Sliver sat back wordlessly, and the fortune teller rose and went around the room, re-lighting the braziers. Sliver felt a chill crawl up her spine, and looked at death on top of the hunter for a long moment, her eyes glued to the surface of the cards. When the fortune teller sat back down she collected the two cards and shuffled them into the rest of her deck, then grabbed Sliver's hand and placed something into it.

"May Dira and Kihala bring balance to you. I am sorry I could not give you better tidings wolverine, your life has had enough sorrow for one much longer."

Sliver got up and nodded, walking slowly towards the entrance. Just before she left the tent she heard a noise from behind her, and wasn't sure if it was a snort of laughter or a sniffle holding back tears. She did not turn around to see which. When she escaped into the cool air, her head clearing from the experience, she opened her hand to see what the fortune teller had given her. It was a large wooden coin with intricate carvings on both sides. On one lay the jackal head symbolizing Dira, the other had a tree of life. Sliver curled her fist around the object and began to walk toward Morwen's temple. She had the sudden and acute urge to talk to her Goddess.

by **Valkyrie** on December 12th, 2012, 1:08 am

Sliver :

You Will Be Collected if Worthy

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can figure it out.

Closed The Question of a Fortune-Teller (Sliver)