Fall 3, 516 AV
Grading noteI'm not entirely sure if my portrayal of Auristics is correct in this. If something isn't right, just let me know and I'll do my best to edit. Also, Est knows nothing about plants, but I figured calling them by name would help the reading flow at least.
Estrellir stretched and yawned as she stepped outside. It felt good to walk down the street carrying nothing but the clothes on her back, a few necessities and an apple in her pockets. She was wearing her usual black attire, hair pulled back into a tiny ponytail, boots supple around her feet. Her cloak billowed in a chilly breeze, she pulled it tighter. Fall had arrived, the mountain air felt colder in her lungs every day.
Few people were outside just after noon rest. Soon she came to the gates and turned towards the famous Trail of Waterfalls, a good path for strolls to Farpoint and back. Most importantly, it was supposed to be safe.
As she followed the wooden planks leading through high forest, Estrellir felt her body relax. First her limbs warmed from constant movement, then her heart grew lighter and fresh air cooled her mind. She’d been busy with plans and calculations recently. If all went well, that initial idea would manifest under her hands later in the season. She’d been planning and waiting for a while, so she could hardly resist the excitement of building her own business and workplace. She’d done a lot of investigation and analysis, to be able to do it properly, among other things. Get to know the market, culture, society, everything.
Lhavit still had its odd moments. She’d never truly understand why the three ancient families offered to train civilians in magic. For next to nothing. Estrellir had grown up in a place where every family honed skill and knowledge in secret. They never shared, and if they did, they loved to haggle. Most learned what objects and artefacts could sell for at an early age – by the time they were adults, they knew the game inside out.
Offering something as rare and valuable as magic for a few kina a season seemed suicidal. As long as she could benefit from that, Estrellir would be the last to criticize the system. Still, she wondered. Was it trust? Overwhelming self-confidence? A strategy to win the public’s favor?
Half a bell of walking brought her to a narrow bridge across a deep gorge in the landscape. A faint trickle hinted at the mountain stream carving its way down the stone far beneath. Next to the path, a bench and table beckoned. The top of it could be opened to reveal a box of smooth river stones and white ink. As the Konti was in no hurry, she sat on the table with a stone and a brush. After a moment or two of contemplation, she painted a single word on the stone in her chicken scratch handwriting: Capability.
The bridge, of course, was the famous Wishing Bridge. Estrellir leaned over the side as the stone tumbled down into the ravine, listening for the distant crack that told her it had landed. Yes, capability. Avalis, or perhaps the shadows had whispered it to her. As true as anything she’d ever uttered.
Grading noteI'm not entirely sure if my portrayal of Auristics is correct in this. If something isn't right, just let me know and I'll do my best to edit. Also, Est knows nothing about plants, but I figured calling them by name would help the reading flow at least.
Estrellir stretched and yawned as she stepped outside. It felt good to walk down the street carrying nothing but the clothes on her back, a few necessities and an apple in her pockets. She was wearing her usual black attire, hair pulled back into a tiny ponytail, boots supple around her feet. Her cloak billowed in a chilly breeze, she pulled it tighter. Fall had arrived, the mountain air felt colder in her lungs every day.
Few people were outside just after noon rest. Soon she came to the gates and turned towards the famous Trail of Waterfalls, a good path for strolls to Farpoint and back. Most importantly, it was supposed to be safe.
As she followed the wooden planks leading through high forest, Estrellir felt her body relax. First her limbs warmed from constant movement, then her heart grew lighter and fresh air cooled her mind. She’d been busy with plans and calculations recently. If all went well, that initial idea would manifest under her hands later in the season. She’d been planning and waiting for a while, so she could hardly resist the excitement of building her own business and workplace. She’d done a lot of investigation and analysis, to be able to do it properly, among other things. Get to know the market, culture, society, everything.
Lhavit still had its odd moments. She’d never truly understand why the three ancient families offered to train civilians in magic. For next to nothing. Estrellir had grown up in a place where every family honed skill and knowledge in secret. They never shared, and if they did, they loved to haggle. Most learned what objects and artefacts could sell for at an early age – by the time they were adults, they knew the game inside out.
Offering something as rare and valuable as magic for a few kina a season seemed suicidal. As long as she could benefit from that, Estrellir would be the last to criticize the system. Still, she wondered. Was it trust? Overwhelming self-confidence? A strategy to win the public’s favor?
Half a bell of walking brought her to a narrow bridge across a deep gorge in the landscape. A faint trickle hinted at the mountain stream carving its way down the stone far beneath. Next to the path, a bench and table beckoned. The top of it could be opened to reveal a box of smooth river stones and white ink. As the Konti was in no hurry, she sat on the table with a stone and a brush. After a moment or two of contemplation, she painted a single word on the stone in her chicken scratch handwriting: Capability.
The bridge, of course, was the famous Wishing Bridge. Estrellir leaned over the side as the stone tumbled down into the ravine, listening for the distant crack that told her it had landed. Yes, capability. Avalis, or perhaps the shadows had whispered it to her. As true as anything she’d ever uttered.