Author's notes: Before I start, I would like to point out that this story was inspired by a live RP with Wolfwitch, and is my part of a cooperation. Roughly, we're both using the same three main characters, originally called Healer, Firebird and Salamander.
While from story to story they will have different appearances, different histories, different weapons and/or equipment, even different names, and even though my style of writing may differ from Wolfwitch's, they are still fundamentally the same people, and so I find the need to write a disclaimer, so people don't go and say: "hey, you stole Wolfwitch's idea!" or say something similar to Wolfwitch.
Healer and Salamander were first created by Wolfwitch and her twin, and Firebird by me. Upon the growth of these three characters, Wolfwitch and I re-named them Griffin, Salamander and Phoenix.
For plot-related, and time-related reasons, we've decided to cut the work in half, since though both Salamander and Healer were Wolfwitch's, I contributed as much to the plot as she did.
With this first story, I intend to introduce a world I will mostly be writing exclusively about.
(By the way, Wolfwitch, this forces you to post Triple Fire, One Desire soon. Bwahahahahah!!)
The title of the first chapter was inspired by the first chapter in the story I hope Wolfwitch will post soon. Firebird's put-downs are really quite entertaining.
Rise of the Triple Fire
Chapter I: Another Day Another... Marriage?
Firebird entered her room with the dress her mother had given her. Her adoptive mother pampered her to no end. This was fine with Firebird. She loved her mother dearly and couldn't really think of a way to tell her that her pampering wasn't really needed. However, the Baroness de Aurar thought this was very necessary, given her husband's attitude.
The Baron seemed to see Firebird only as his heir and to this effect gave her harsh weapons training and martial arts training. Now, at the tender age of fourteen, she was already the best in the kingdom. Everyone knows, of course, that fighting isn't the only thing the heir of a Barony learns. Firebird had to study history and languages, etiquette and diplomacy until she was the one of the most cultured young ladies the plane of Arin had ever seen. The Baron strove to make her life as harsh as possible in order to make her the most competent leader she could be.
Though Firebird knew her father only wanted her to be the best she could be, she often thought he was going overboard, especially of late and fights erupted more and more frequently between them. One of the more frequent arguments they and in which the Baroness also took part of was Firebird's lack of social life. One of the side effects of her intensive studies and training was that, being tougher and more cultured than the rest of the ladies her age, she had no interest in the frivolous matters her peer so enjoyed talking about.
During the balls her very generous mother would hold, to 'keep being holed in with books to get to her', Firebird ended up getting fed up with the shallow conversation of the girls and unimpressed with the bragging the boys did, as she didn't care much about clothing and could outclass any swordsman in the country.
She unfolded the dress. It was long sleeved and went down to the calves and it was a nice light yellow. Surprisingly, it was very plain, save the long cuffs, the belt and the high collar which were encrusted with diamonds and rubies.
After putting it on, she headed to the dinning room.
"Ah, Firebird, we have an unexpected guest. The Duke's son has some matters he wishes to discuss." said the Baroness as she went to meet her at the stairs.
The son of the Duke of Soria, Genor, was a man Firebird did not like in the least. His good looks, spoiled by a piggy, pointy nose did not make up at all for his perverted ways. He also bragged too much about a skill with swords he had never demonstrated.
Firebird went into the dinning room. She immediately recognized Genor for his dark complexion and coal black hair. Of course, the nose was by far the most recognizable feature.
"Firebird, you look very elegant tonight." The young noble said. He was looking at her in an odd sort of way. Firebird often had people say things like that. She was indeed elegant. She had long, orange-blonde hair up in two braids which she rarely was seen without and gave her a charming, girlish look and sky blue eyes. The one thing that did not satisfy her was her rather small stature, that, compared with her pale complexion, made her seem fragile. One could not make a worse mistake. For some reason, Genor's compliment unsettled her as much as his gaze.
They sat down to supper. It passed in relative silence, broken only by requests like: "Could you pass the butter?"
After the meal, Firebird, wishing the Duke's son to have no more reason to stay, asked: "Why is it you came, anyway? If it were so terribly important, you would have announced it when you came."
"Well, ah, um, as a matter of fact, it is important, Firebird." Genor answered shyly.
"I would prefer you call me Lady de Aurar. Spit it out, whatever it is."
The noble nodded and turned to the Baroness and Baron.
"May I have your daughter in marriage?" he asked.
Two answers came at the same time:
The Baroness said in an uncertain voice: "Well, I daresay you should take it up with Firebird herself..."
The Baron, happy for a chance to establish an alliance with Soria, answered: "But of course, Firebird would be happy to..."
"Father, I think I can decided this for myself." Firebird interrupted.
"Firebird is right, Marel. It's her life. She's growing up. Let her decide."
"Too fast for my liking." The Baron muttered.
"Don't answer for me, Father. There is NO WAY IN HELL that I am going to marry that PERVERT!!!! I'm sorry, Genor, but I don't want to be married to a pig like you." Firebird raged.
She strode up the stairs and into her room. Firebird couldn't remember the last time she was so shocked and hurt. "Well," she thought to herself, "this is as good a time as any to run away."
The Baron cut her thoughts as he came into the room.
"I suppose you've come to ask me to think this over?" said Firebird, not even bothering to turn towards the intruder.
"Genor and I would like to ask you to reconsider." the nobleman confirmed, nodding.
Firebird noticed the Duke's son behind the Baron.
"You want to establish an alliance with Soria, which can be done easily by marrying me to that moron." Firebird fumed.
"Maybe so, but I don't want to make your life miserable!! I want you to grow up to be a successful woman!!!"
"What makes you think I'll succeed if I marry him? And how could you be so insensitive as not even to consider my feelings in all of this?" sighed Firebird.
"AND YOU! she continued, rounding on Genor, anger marking her features "What makes YOU think you can just BARGE in here, ASK my PARENTS to marry me to you like the BIG, OVERBEARING MALE CHAUVINISTIC PIG THAT YOU ARE, and actually EXPECT THEM to accept WHITHOUT EVEN consulting ME, THE WOULD-BE BRIDE????!!! The DAY I accept such a BLATANTLY STUPID and OLD-FASHIONED PROPOSAL is the day THE SUN FREEZES OVER!!!!! And besides, I don't find you in the least attractive, let alone like you. Even if you had the INTEGRITY to ask me, I would have said NO. So take your proposal and leave, before I decide to break that piggy, pointy nose of yours!
Genor, shocked at Firebird's very clear refusal, exited the room as silently as he had entered it. The Baron of Aurar, speechless at his adoptive daughter's display of emotions, stood there for a while, then left without a word.
"Well said." he commented quietly as he left.
"I really didn't have to twit him about his nose." Firebird thought, finally left alone. "I am such a sadist." She packed some of her plainest outfits and took her riding boots. She put on a cloak and sneaked out of the house and into the dark of the night.
Firebird didn't sleep well, her slumber punctuated by sick nightmares featuring Genor and other strange dreams.
Firebird was floating, a feat that, despite her discovered potential for air magic, she was not able to perform. Where she was, she didn't know yet. All she knew was that under her was a battle raging, terrible and gruesome as it was, she was to the combatants a ghost, unable to be seen, heard or felt. Finally, the mages in the fight, in an effort to end it, plagued the continent with disasters until the land was submerged by the ocean. Refugees escaped in ships to a nearby moon, others set a course toward nearer the sun. Firebird did a very rare thing for her; she cried in sympathetic sadness. Suddenly, a bird about the size of a dove whose feathers seemed to be made of flames flew to her.
"Phoenix." Firebird whispered the name of the bird.
Firebird woke up in cold sweat. For a moment, she inspected her surroundings. Ah yes, she was in her small spruce shelter on the side of the road where she had set up camp for the night. Only, where she had laid down on snow, there now was dry ground. She could see the snow banks from the opening of her shelter. Then, she noticed, for the first time, the fiery phoenix perched on a solid twig on the inside of the shelter.
Have you slept well? the phoenix asked in telepathy, cocking it's head to one side.
"Why, yes." Firebird answered, too astonished to speak another word.
I don't believe you to be an experienced adventurer. You don't look like a merchant either and yet you travel alone, unafraid of cold, hunger or danger? Who are you? the magnificent bird seemed to smile. It seemed to project an aura of mystery through the way it's feathers of fire danced back and forth. Firebird was sure she had never seen one of it's kind before, let alone this particular one but it seemed hauntingly familiar.
"You've had the whole night to figure it out. You tell me what YOUR name is." Firebird frowned.
As you wish. the marvelous creature smiled again. My name is Ares. But I fear I am still at a loss as to your name. Might I inquire about it? there was something smug in the bird's manner that seemed to indicate that he knew exactly who she was and the only information missing was her name. It pissed Firebird off. After all, who deserves to be surprised by a smug little bird at the crack of dawn?
"My name is Lady Firebird de Aurar. I am the Champion of the Kingdom of Faran'il, one of the most powerful vassals of Arin. It was predicted that I could be Queen of Faran'il in a few years, if I took it into my fancy. Minstrels are already singing songs about my power and intelligence!" a towering fib, obviously. Firebird was only the daughter of a Baron. It was highly unlikely that royalties would set notice a low-ranking noble's daughter.
Allow me to accompany you for the rest of your journeys as your familiar, Lady Firebird. Ares said.
"Just Firebird, please. I don't know if I could stand anyone calling me Lady all the time. It grates on my nerves even at parties." Firebird corrected.
The Baron and Baroness both woke up suddenly at the same time.
"Marel! Thank the Goddess it was only a dream." exclaimed the Baroness.
"My Lady, a dream about Firebird?" Baron Marel asked shakily.
"Running away?" supplied the lady.
"With hardly a preparation and without even finishing her studies?" finished the man.
"Marel, you had the same dream?" the Baroness asked in worry.
As one, they jumped out of bed and rushed towards Firebird's bedroom. Upon entering it, they knew immediately that the thing they feared had come to pass. Their adoptive daughter had left not a stone unturned. All of the girl's least extravagant clothing was gone as was her jewelry, the ancient, ornate broadsword her father had given her for her thirteenth birthday and the plush phoenix she had been found with. The only thing that caught their eyes was a note. The Baron picked it up and read it out loud:
"Most honored parents, my father, Marel, Baron of Aurar and my mother, Filari, Baroness of Aurar,
I am sorry to have to give you this pain, of learning that our ways now part. However, in the light of the events that happened tonight, I feel it would be preferable to go into hiding. I don't doubt you are both aware of Lord Genor's disposition. I fear that should I stay, he might declare war on the Barony and Aurar wouldn't last very long.
I know we didn't always see eye to eye, but in the present situation and forevermore, I am grateful to your teachings and confidences.
I must admit, I had been wanting to see the world for a while now, especially after learning so much about it and for a long time, I have been curious about my real family.
I therefore bid you farewell and give you all my love, for if I should ever find my real family, I shall think of you as my family and they, as no more than friends.
Firebird."
"Firebird." sobbed Baroness Filari.
"Don't cry, we always knew court life would stifle her." Her husband comforted her.
"Yes we did. We just didn't think she would leave that soon..."
Firebird and Ares arrived at an inn, a few days later. It was crowded with adventurers, as most inns usually were in winter. In fact, the name of the inn was The Adventurer's Lair.
* * *
Rams, an excellent thief, was in a good mood even though his coffee was cold; he hadn't touched it since he ordered it, a good two hours ago. Like most other Guilds, members of the Thieves' Guild raised within were bound to serve the Guild by contract until they reimbursed all the money the Guild had put into their rearing. Rams had just completed the theft that would free him from the Guild. He'd shuddered a bit, looking back on what he'd done in order to pull it off, but the feeling soon passed.
The man next to him had been staring at a young woman with a phoenix on her shoulder. Rams had also been staring at her; that cloak looked valuable. He couldn't see her face, but judging the rather dubious appearance of the man, he was sure she would turn him down flat like the other perverts that had tried to hit on her in the last two hours.
-I saw her first. I'm going for it. The man said.
-Listen, Mister necromancer, sir, have you seen what happened to the other men? She refused them as utterly and as completely as possible! Rams warned. I couldn't hear anything, but it looks like she won't give you the time of day even more than the others.
-I'm a light mage, not a necromancer.
Rams watched the man go. "This is gonna be good!" he thought. The mage came up to the lady's table and plopped down on a chair. A few minutes passed, and it looked as though he had succeeded until they stood up and the girl slapped the pervert hard. Rams heard a muffled cry: "You're sick!" under the laughter of the inn's other customers and finally caught a glimpse of the girl's face. He could tell she was very angry.
Rams Dragonsflame was an odd fire mage; he rarely lost his temper. However, his short red hair that appeared to defy gravity as well as being seemingly composed of flame and his golden eyes betrayed him. Where his temperament was far from that of a fire mage, it was very typical for that of a thief: rude, scheming and cynic. But faults were not the only things he possessed; he was loyal to his friends and followed the code of honor only half the thieves bothered to follow. He had a rather charming, mischievous personality that many admired and many cursed. The latter also cursed his skill with knives, knives of any kind: hunting knives, throwing knives, long knives, jackknives. He was deadly with anything under his hand, though he preferred the flashy, gallant look a rapier gave him. It was his opinion that the men trying to hit on her were being much too forward and lacked self-control. Besides, everyone knows that love just happens in no regard for reason.
The man the girl had dumped, however, was not happy at being embarrassed in public. And though the man wasn't a necromancer, he certainly the mental health of one. He silently crept up behind her brandishing a cutlass, in an attempt to kill her, a move that hadn't gone unnoticed by Rams. As the mage lifted his weapon up into the air, Rams yelled "WATCH OUT!!!". The girl ducked and unsheathed her... broadsword??? All the customers present turned to watch: a good old-fashioned brawl was one of the few forms of entertainment you could get in such a place.
The mage and the girl faced off. The mage attacked first. The girl threw off her cloak for freedom of movement and countered her opponent's attack. Rams recognized the style of fighting. The girl was swinging her broadsword around almost like a quarterstaff, the mark of the Kylanir school! That style was reputed to be the hardest to master, and yet here was this girl, barely out of childhood, wielding a huge, ornamented broadsword with the ease of a master.
Though it wasn't apparent at first, the mage was gaining the upper hand. He had created a ball of light that moved opposite the direction of the girl, blinding her wherever she moved. To Rams it was clear that if the mage won, he would kill his opponent, but if the girl won, she would likely spare the mage's life. He had to help the girl, but how to do so without being noticed? Then it came to him. He summoned a ball of fire, as was his own brand of magic, a rather weak brand, admittedly, as he was a thief, and didn't have the knowledge, skill or experience to cast any more than a fireball, and commanded it to always be in the mage's line of sight. As the fiery light got bigger and brighter, Rams muttered "How about a taste of your own medicine?" The phoenix also pitched in, diving and clawing at the mage's eyes. The girl looked at the phoenix and the blinded light mage, knocked him out with the flat of her sword, then she looked straight at Rams and walked away from her victim and in the thief's direction.
She sat down at Rams' table. They sat in awkward silence for a bit. The phoenix soon joined them.
"Thank you for your help in fighting that pervert. she said. I don't think I could have done it without you."
What about me? Just because I'm your familiar doesn't mean that you do not have to give me any credit! The phoenix sulked.
"Yeah, thank you also. You know, I'm under the impression that if your help was money, I would be pretty rich already and you've only been my familiar for a short time so give it a rest, okay?" The girl said.
Now that he got a good look at her, he found her very pretty. The phoenix glowed as a fiery jewel on her shoulder and complemented her orange-blond hair. Sky-blue eyes seemed out of place when compared to the girl's hair.
"Can I get a word in edgewise?" Rams asked. Phoenix and girl alike stared at him like they had never said a word. "I'll take that as a yes. Can I say you're welcome?"
"Sure you can. What do you think I am, rude?" the girl answered.
"Lots of people here are. What did you say to the guy, anyway?" Rams asked.
"Can't you guess? He got fresh with me, so I told him off. What's the deal with people these days, anyway? Flirting with a girl who's barely fourteen." the girl commented.
"Well, if you want my opinion, you do look older than you actually are." Rams answered.
"How old DO I look?" inquired the young swordswoman.
"I dunno, fifteen, sixteen, somewhere in the middle of your teens. Guys in these parts like younger women. I personally don't care who I'll eventually fall in love with, as long as it's not myself or a little old lady. I'm only seventeen myself. I decided I wanted to see the world, so I started adventuring." the thief shrugged.
The girl smiled a little.
"Your fighting style is very unique. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like a fourteen-year-old mastering the Kylanir techniques. When did you start learning?" said Rams, changing the subject.
"Ever since I could walk. My father always wanted me to be the best of the best." said the young girl, squirming a little. Rams could guess she was uncomfortable with the subject of her past.
"I can't brag about being the best. I'm just a poor simple adventurer, trying to find my way in the world." he commented.
"Who are you, anyway?" the girl asked suddenly.
"Huh?" Rams supplied.
"I said: what's your name? Surely you would want to know the name of the person who saved you were you in my place, wouldn't you?" insisted the young girl.
"I'm Rams Dragonsflame. Who are you?" answered the thief, a little startled at the abrupt change of pace.
"I'm Firebird and this is my phoenix, Ares." said the young swordswoman, looking at Rams straight in the eye, as if to say: 'I trusted you with my name, so don't go betraying me.'
"So where are you off to in this fine season?" smiled the fiery-haired thief.
"Fine season? I think not! I'm trying to get as far away as possible from the Aurar and Soria territories." Firebird scoffed a little at his first remark, then checked her tone of voice.
"Why?" asked Rams.
"I'm running away." confided the young lady.
"Run safely, then, Firebird..." said Rams, getting up and draping his cloak over his shoulders.
Rams left the inn. He stole a horse from the inn and rode off into the night.
"We will undoubtedly meet again." he tells himself, smiling. Could it be her? Just by chance? He had to contact a certain someone, who would be glad to hear of his discoveries. Now if only she could come back from wherever she was.
Early next morning, Firebird left the Adventurer's Lair and strode as far as possible from the perverted and now permanently blinded light mage.
While from story to story they will have different appearances, different histories, different weapons and/or equipment, even different names, and even though my style of writing may differ from Wolfwitch's, they are still fundamentally the same people, and so I find the need to write a disclaimer, so people don't go and say: "hey, you stole Wolfwitch's idea!" or say something similar to Wolfwitch.
Healer and Salamander were first created by Wolfwitch and her twin, and Firebird by me. Upon the growth of these three characters, Wolfwitch and I re-named them Griffin, Salamander and Phoenix.
For plot-related, and time-related reasons, we've decided to cut the work in half, since though both Salamander and Healer were Wolfwitch's, I contributed as much to the plot as she did.
With this first story, I intend to introduce a world I will mostly be writing exclusively about.
(By the way, Wolfwitch, this forces you to post Triple Fire, One Desire soon. Bwahahahahah!!)
The title of the first chapter was inspired by the first chapter in the story I hope Wolfwitch will post soon. Firebird's put-downs are really quite entertaining.
Rise of the Triple Fire
Chapter I: Another Day Another... Marriage?
Firebird entered her room with the dress her mother had given her. Her adoptive mother pampered her to no end. This was fine with Firebird. She loved her mother dearly and couldn't really think of a way to tell her that her pampering wasn't really needed. However, the Baroness de Aurar thought this was very necessary, given her husband's attitude.
The Baron seemed to see Firebird only as his heir and to this effect gave her harsh weapons training and martial arts training. Now, at the tender age of fourteen, she was already the best in the kingdom. Everyone knows, of course, that fighting isn't the only thing the heir of a Barony learns. Firebird had to study history and languages, etiquette and diplomacy until she was the one of the most cultured young ladies the plane of Arin had ever seen. The Baron strove to make her life as harsh as possible in order to make her the most competent leader she could be.
Though Firebird knew her father only wanted her to be the best she could be, she often thought he was going overboard, especially of late and fights erupted more and more frequently between them. One of the more frequent arguments they and in which the Baroness also took part of was Firebird's lack of social life. One of the side effects of her intensive studies and training was that, being tougher and more cultured than the rest of the ladies her age, she had no interest in the frivolous matters her peer so enjoyed talking about.
During the balls her very generous mother would hold, to 'keep being holed in with books to get to her', Firebird ended up getting fed up with the shallow conversation of the girls and unimpressed with the bragging the boys did, as she didn't care much about clothing and could outclass any swordsman in the country.
She unfolded the dress. It was long sleeved and went down to the calves and it was a nice light yellow. Surprisingly, it was very plain, save the long cuffs, the belt and the high collar which were encrusted with diamonds and rubies.
After putting it on, she headed to the dinning room.
"Ah, Firebird, we have an unexpected guest. The Duke's son has some matters he wishes to discuss." said the Baroness as she went to meet her at the stairs.
The son of the Duke of Soria, Genor, was a man Firebird did not like in the least. His good looks, spoiled by a piggy, pointy nose did not make up at all for his perverted ways. He also bragged too much about a skill with swords he had never demonstrated.
Firebird went into the dinning room. She immediately recognized Genor for his dark complexion and coal black hair. Of course, the nose was by far the most recognizable feature.
"Firebird, you look very elegant tonight." The young noble said. He was looking at her in an odd sort of way. Firebird often had people say things like that. She was indeed elegant. She had long, orange-blonde hair up in two braids which she rarely was seen without and gave her a charming, girlish look and sky blue eyes. The one thing that did not satisfy her was her rather small stature, that, compared with her pale complexion, made her seem fragile. One could not make a worse mistake. For some reason, Genor's compliment unsettled her as much as his gaze.
They sat down to supper. It passed in relative silence, broken only by requests like: "Could you pass the butter?"
After the meal, Firebird, wishing the Duke's son to have no more reason to stay, asked: "Why is it you came, anyway? If it were so terribly important, you would have announced it when you came."
"Well, ah, um, as a matter of fact, it is important, Firebird." Genor answered shyly.
"I would prefer you call me Lady de Aurar. Spit it out, whatever it is."
The noble nodded and turned to the Baroness and Baron.
"May I have your daughter in marriage?" he asked.
Two answers came at the same time:
The Baroness said in an uncertain voice: "Well, I daresay you should take it up with Firebird herself..."
The Baron, happy for a chance to establish an alliance with Soria, answered: "But of course, Firebird would be happy to..."
"Father, I think I can decided this for myself." Firebird interrupted.
"Firebird is right, Marel. It's her life. She's growing up. Let her decide."
"Too fast for my liking." The Baron muttered.
"Don't answer for me, Father. There is NO WAY IN HELL that I am going to marry that PERVERT!!!! I'm sorry, Genor, but I don't want to be married to a pig like you." Firebird raged.
She strode up the stairs and into her room. Firebird couldn't remember the last time she was so shocked and hurt. "Well," she thought to herself, "this is as good a time as any to run away."
The Baron cut her thoughts as he came into the room.
"I suppose you've come to ask me to think this over?" said Firebird, not even bothering to turn towards the intruder.
"Genor and I would like to ask you to reconsider." the nobleman confirmed, nodding.
Firebird noticed the Duke's son behind the Baron.
"You want to establish an alliance with Soria, which can be done easily by marrying me to that moron." Firebird fumed.
"Maybe so, but I don't want to make your life miserable!! I want you to grow up to be a successful woman!!!"
"What makes you think I'll succeed if I marry him? And how could you be so insensitive as not even to consider my feelings in all of this?" sighed Firebird.
"AND YOU! she continued, rounding on Genor, anger marking her features "What makes YOU think you can just BARGE in here, ASK my PARENTS to marry me to you like the BIG, OVERBEARING MALE CHAUVINISTIC PIG THAT YOU ARE, and actually EXPECT THEM to accept WHITHOUT EVEN consulting ME, THE WOULD-BE BRIDE????!!! The DAY I accept such a BLATANTLY STUPID and OLD-FASHIONED PROPOSAL is the day THE SUN FREEZES OVER!!!!! And besides, I don't find you in the least attractive, let alone like you. Even if you had the INTEGRITY to ask me, I would have said NO. So take your proposal and leave, before I decide to break that piggy, pointy nose of yours!
Genor, shocked at Firebird's very clear refusal, exited the room as silently as he had entered it. The Baron of Aurar, speechless at his adoptive daughter's display of emotions, stood there for a while, then left without a word.
"Well said." he commented quietly as he left.
"I really didn't have to twit him about his nose." Firebird thought, finally left alone. "I am such a sadist." She packed some of her plainest outfits and took her riding boots. She put on a cloak and sneaked out of the house and into the dark of the night.
Firebird didn't sleep well, her slumber punctuated by sick nightmares featuring Genor and other strange dreams.
Firebird was floating, a feat that, despite her discovered potential for air magic, she was not able to perform. Where she was, she didn't know yet. All she knew was that under her was a battle raging, terrible and gruesome as it was, she was to the combatants a ghost, unable to be seen, heard or felt. Finally, the mages in the fight, in an effort to end it, plagued the continent with disasters until the land was submerged by the ocean. Refugees escaped in ships to a nearby moon, others set a course toward nearer the sun. Firebird did a very rare thing for her; she cried in sympathetic sadness. Suddenly, a bird about the size of a dove whose feathers seemed to be made of flames flew to her.
"Phoenix." Firebird whispered the name of the bird.
Firebird woke up in cold sweat. For a moment, she inspected her surroundings. Ah yes, she was in her small spruce shelter on the side of the road where she had set up camp for the night. Only, where she had laid down on snow, there now was dry ground. She could see the snow banks from the opening of her shelter. Then, she noticed, for the first time, the fiery phoenix perched on a solid twig on the inside of the shelter.
Have you slept well? the phoenix asked in telepathy, cocking it's head to one side.
"Why, yes." Firebird answered, too astonished to speak another word.
I don't believe you to be an experienced adventurer. You don't look like a merchant either and yet you travel alone, unafraid of cold, hunger or danger? Who are you? the magnificent bird seemed to smile. It seemed to project an aura of mystery through the way it's feathers of fire danced back and forth. Firebird was sure she had never seen one of it's kind before, let alone this particular one but it seemed hauntingly familiar.
"You've had the whole night to figure it out. You tell me what YOUR name is." Firebird frowned.
As you wish. the marvelous creature smiled again. My name is Ares. But I fear I am still at a loss as to your name. Might I inquire about it? there was something smug in the bird's manner that seemed to indicate that he knew exactly who she was and the only information missing was her name. It pissed Firebird off. After all, who deserves to be surprised by a smug little bird at the crack of dawn?
"My name is Lady Firebird de Aurar. I am the Champion of the Kingdom of Faran'il, one of the most powerful vassals of Arin. It was predicted that I could be Queen of Faran'il in a few years, if I took it into my fancy. Minstrels are already singing songs about my power and intelligence!" a towering fib, obviously. Firebird was only the daughter of a Baron. It was highly unlikely that royalties would set notice a low-ranking noble's daughter.
Allow me to accompany you for the rest of your journeys as your familiar, Lady Firebird. Ares said.
"Just Firebird, please. I don't know if I could stand anyone calling me Lady all the time. It grates on my nerves even at parties." Firebird corrected.
The Baron and Baroness both woke up suddenly at the same time.
"Marel! Thank the Goddess it was only a dream." exclaimed the Baroness.
"My Lady, a dream about Firebird?" Baron Marel asked shakily.
"Running away?" supplied the lady.
"With hardly a preparation and without even finishing her studies?" finished the man.
"Marel, you had the same dream?" the Baroness asked in worry.
As one, they jumped out of bed and rushed towards Firebird's bedroom. Upon entering it, they knew immediately that the thing they feared had come to pass. Their adoptive daughter had left not a stone unturned. All of the girl's least extravagant clothing was gone as was her jewelry, the ancient, ornate broadsword her father had given her for her thirteenth birthday and the plush phoenix she had been found with. The only thing that caught their eyes was a note. The Baron picked it up and read it out loud:
"Most honored parents, my father, Marel, Baron of Aurar and my mother, Filari, Baroness of Aurar,
I am sorry to have to give you this pain, of learning that our ways now part. However, in the light of the events that happened tonight, I feel it would be preferable to go into hiding. I don't doubt you are both aware of Lord Genor's disposition. I fear that should I stay, he might declare war on the Barony and Aurar wouldn't last very long.
I know we didn't always see eye to eye, but in the present situation and forevermore, I am grateful to your teachings and confidences.
I must admit, I had been wanting to see the world for a while now, especially after learning so much about it and for a long time, I have been curious about my real family.
I therefore bid you farewell and give you all my love, for if I should ever find my real family, I shall think of you as my family and they, as no more than friends.
Firebird."
"Firebird." sobbed Baroness Filari.
"Don't cry, we always knew court life would stifle her." Her husband comforted her.
"Yes we did. We just didn't think she would leave that soon..."
Firebird and Ares arrived at an inn, a few days later. It was crowded with adventurers, as most inns usually were in winter. In fact, the name of the inn was The Adventurer's Lair.
* * *
Rams, an excellent thief, was in a good mood even though his coffee was cold; he hadn't touched it since he ordered it, a good two hours ago. Like most other Guilds, members of the Thieves' Guild raised within were bound to serve the Guild by contract until they reimbursed all the money the Guild had put into their rearing. Rams had just completed the theft that would free him from the Guild. He'd shuddered a bit, looking back on what he'd done in order to pull it off, but the feeling soon passed.
The man next to him had been staring at a young woman with a phoenix on her shoulder. Rams had also been staring at her; that cloak looked valuable. He couldn't see her face, but judging the rather dubious appearance of the man, he was sure she would turn him down flat like the other perverts that had tried to hit on her in the last two hours.
-I saw her first. I'm going for it. The man said.
-Listen, Mister necromancer, sir, have you seen what happened to the other men? She refused them as utterly and as completely as possible! Rams warned. I couldn't hear anything, but it looks like she won't give you the time of day even more than the others.
-I'm a light mage, not a necromancer.
Rams watched the man go. "This is gonna be good!" he thought. The mage came up to the lady's table and plopped down on a chair. A few minutes passed, and it looked as though he had succeeded until they stood up and the girl slapped the pervert hard. Rams heard a muffled cry: "You're sick!" under the laughter of the inn's other customers and finally caught a glimpse of the girl's face. He could tell she was very angry.
Rams Dragonsflame was an odd fire mage; he rarely lost his temper. However, his short red hair that appeared to defy gravity as well as being seemingly composed of flame and his golden eyes betrayed him. Where his temperament was far from that of a fire mage, it was very typical for that of a thief: rude, scheming and cynic. But faults were not the only things he possessed; he was loyal to his friends and followed the code of honor only half the thieves bothered to follow. He had a rather charming, mischievous personality that many admired and many cursed. The latter also cursed his skill with knives, knives of any kind: hunting knives, throwing knives, long knives, jackknives. He was deadly with anything under his hand, though he preferred the flashy, gallant look a rapier gave him. It was his opinion that the men trying to hit on her were being much too forward and lacked self-control. Besides, everyone knows that love just happens in no regard for reason.
The man the girl had dumped, however, was not happy at being embarrassed in public. And though the man wasn't a necromancer, he certainly the mental health of one. He silently crept up behind her brandishing a cutlass, in an attempt to kill her, a move that hadn't gone unnoticed by Rams. As the mage lifted his weapon up into the air, Rams yelled "WATCH OUT!!!". The girl ducked and unsheathed her... broadsword??? All the customers present turned to watch: a good old-fashioned brawl was one of the few forms of entertainment you could get in such a place.
The mage and the girl faced off. The mage attacked first. The girl threw off her cloak for freedom of movement and countered her opponent's attack. Rams recognized the style of fighting. The girl was swinging her broadsword around almost like a quarterstaff, the mark of the Kylanir school! That style was reputed to be the hardest to master, and yet here was this girl, barely out of childhood, wielding a huge, ornamented broadsword with the ease of a master.
Though it wasn't apparent at first, the mage was gaining the upper hand. He had created a ball of light that moved opposite the direction of the girl, blinding her wherever she moved. To Rams it was clear that if the mage won, he would kill his opponent, but if the girl won, she would likely spare the mage's life. He had to help the girl, but how to do so without being noticed? Then it came to him. He summoned a ball of fire, as was his own brand of magic, a rather weak brand, admittedly, as he was a thief, and didn't have the knowledge, skill or experience to cast any more than a fireball, and commanded it to always be in the mage's line of sight. As the fiery light got bigger and brighter, Rams muttered "How about a taste of your own medicine?" The phoenix also pitched in, diving and clawing at the mage's eyes. The girl looked at the phoenix and the blinded light mage, knocked him out with the flat of her sword, then she looked straight at Rams and walked away from her victim and in the thief's direction.
She sat down at Rams' table. They sat in awkward silence for a bit. The phoenix soon joined them.
"Thank you for your help in fighting that pervert. she said. I don't think I could have done it without you."
What about me? Just because I'm your familiar doesn't mean that you do not have to give me any credit! The phoenix sulked.
"Yeah, thank you also. You know, I'm under the impression that if your help was money, I would be pretty rich already and you've only been my familiar for a short time so give it a rest, okay?" The girl said.
Now that he got a good look at her, he found her very pretty. The phoenix glowed as a fiery jewel on her shoulder and complemented her orange-blond hair. Sky-blue eyes seemed out of place when compared to the girl's hair.
"Can I get a word in edgewise?" Rams asked. Phoenix and girl alike stared at him like they had never said a word. "I'll take that as a yes. Can I say you're welcome?"
"Sure you can. What do you think I am, rude?" the girl answered.
"Lots of people here are. What did you say to the guy, anyway?" Rams asked.
"Can't you guess? He got fresh with me, so I told him off. What's the deal with people these days, anyway? Flirting with a girl who's barely fourteen." the girl commented.
"Well, if you want my opinion, you do look older than you actually are." Rams answered.
"How old DO I look?" inquired the young swordswoman.
"I dunno, fifteen, sixteen, somewhere in the middle of your teens. Guys in these parts like younger women. I personally don't care who I'll eventually fall in love with, as long as it's not myself or a little old lady. I'm only seventeen myself. I decided I wanted to see the world, so I started adventuring." the thief shrugged.
The girl smiled a little.
"Your fighting style is very unique. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like a fourteen-year-old mastering the Kylanir techniques. When did you start learning?" said Rams, changing the subject.
"Ever since I could walk. My father always wanted me to be the best of the best." said the young girl, squirming a little. Rams could guess she was uncomfortable with the subject of her past.
"I can't brag about being the best. I'm just a poor simple adventurer, trying to find my way in the world." he commented.
"Who are you, anyway?" the girl asked suddenly.
"Huh?" Rams supplied.
"I said: what's your name? Surely you would want to know the name of the person who saved you were you in my place, wouldn't you?" insisted the young girl.
"I'm Rams Dragonsflame. Who are you?" answered the thief, a little startled at the abrupt change of pace.
"I'm Firebird and this is my phoenix, Ares." said the young swordswoman, looking at Rams straight in the eye, as if to say: 'I trusted you with my name, so don't go betraying me.'
"So where are you off to in this fine season?" smiled the fiery-haired thief.
"Fine season? I think not! I'm trying to get as far away as possible from the Aurar and Soria territories." Firebird scoffed a little at his first remark, then checked her tone of voice.
"Why?" asked Rams.
"I'm running away." confided the young lady.
"Run safely, then, Firebird..." said Rams, getting up and draping his cloak over his shoulders.
Rams left the inn. He stole a horse from the inn and rode off into the night.
"We will undoubtedly meet again." he tells himself, smiling. Could it be her? Just by chance? He had to contact a certain someone, who would be glad to hear of his discoveries. Now if only she could come back from wherever she was.
Early next morning, Firebird left the Adventurer's Lair and strode as far as possible from the perverted and now permanently blinded light mage.