65th of Summer, 515 AV
A well-used latch clattered with the turning of a key, locking the door to a simple home in East Street. Golden eyes turned up to the growing light of the sky, giving silent thanks for Syna’s warm touch before shifting to the street. Vazka sighed a little as she pocketed her key and set her booted feet moving on the route towards Priskil’s Spire. Along the way, her thoughts turned, as usual of late, towards her situation.
Life for Vazka had been tense since the middle of the Spring season. Work for her had faltered following the dovecote crisis, as she called it. For three full days, the doves had refused to fly. While the kelvic had certainly enjoyed an upswing in activity at that time, it had dropped off dramatically not long after the doves had returned to their normal patterns. Even they experienced a drop in use as traditional foot-powered couriers had been hired by many of the city’s factions, and their employment contracts weren’t easily voided. As a result, Vazka had found herself in a most unique situation: debt. Given her history with the city, she had been given a single season’s grace: fulfill her obligations, or suffer the consequences.
The bird keepers in the Spire, while understanding of her plight, could offer Vazka little in the way of support. The resident falconer (brought in years ago specifically for Vazka) did have an idea for her, one that she’d latched on to as easily as she had accepted her role as a public servant: broaden her range. While the common being didn’t typically have any real need for communication to and from another city, trading businesses and other organizations were another matter altogether. So it was that she had begun to discreetly publish the new addition to her services. At present her range was limited to Syliras, but with some time and effort she could probably reach other cities, as well.
Unfortunately, things were never so simple. Something new took it’s time to work into the fabric of society and business. Even though she’d started broadcasting within the first 10 days of Summer, there had been no bites. Not even a nibble or whisper of interest. She didn’t let that get her down, though. Vazka knew that, eventually, someone would want something to get somewhere else faster than a humanoid courier could take it.
All the while during her musings, Vazka had been walking; her thoughts were soon interrupted by her arrival at the Spire. Gleaming white stone rose up high above the ground, seemingly glowing as the morning light reflected off of its well-kept exterior. “Perhaps today will be the day,” she mused while reaching for the door. Glancing back as she crossed the threshold, her keen eyes caught sight of a figure walking down the road in the general direction of the Spire. Given the way the city was laid out around the bay there was no telling where his destination truly lay, so she put him out of her mind and closed the door behind her.
A well-used latch clattered with the turning of a key, locking the door to a simple home in East Street. Golden eyes turned up to the growing light of the sky, giving silent thanks for Syna’s warm touch before shifting to the street. Vazka sighed a little as she pocketed her key and set her booted feet moving on the route towards Priskil’s Spire. Along the way, her thoughts turned, as usual of late, towards her situation.
Life for Vazka had been tense since the middle of the Spring season. Work for her had faltered following the dovecote crisis, as she called it. For three full days, the doves had refused to fly. While the kelvic had certainly enjoyed an upswing in activity at that time, it had dropped off dramatically not long after the doves had returned to their normal patterns. Even they experienced a drop in use as traditional foot-powered couriers had been hired by many of the city’s factions, and their employment contracts weren’t easily voided. As a result, Vazka had found herself in a most unique situation: debt. Given her history with the city, she had been given a single season’s grace: fulfill her obligations, or suffer the consequences.
The bird keepers in the Spire, while understanding of her plight, could offer Vazka little in the way of support. The resident falconer (brought in years ago specifically for Vazka) did have an idea for her, one that she’d latched on to as easily as she had accepted her role as a public servant: broaden her range. While the common being didn’t typically have any real need for communication to and from another city, trading businesses and other organizations were another matter altogether. So it was that she had begun to discreetly publish the new addition to her services. At present her range was limited to Syliras, but with some time and effort she could probably reach other cities, as well.
Unfortunately, things were never so simple. Something new took it’s time to work into the fabric of society and business. Even though she’d started broadcasting within the first 10 days of Summer, there had been no bites. Not even a nibble or whisper of interest. She didn’t let that get her down, though. Vazka knew that, eventually, someone would want something to get somewhere else faster than a humanoid courier could take it.
All the while during her musings, Vazka had been walking; her thoughts were soon interrupted by her arrival at the Spire. Gleaming white stone rose up high above the ground, seemingly glowing as the morning light reflected off of its well-kept exterior. “Perhaps today will be the day,” she mused while reaching for the door. Glancing back as she crossed the threshold, her keen eyes caught sight of a figure walking down the road in the general direction of the Spire. Given the way the city was laid out around the bay there was no telling where his destination truly lay, so she put him out of her mind and closed the door behind her.