Setting credits: This story is inspired by the Thorns Uprising RPG, whose link I can't seem to put on here, but any decent search engine will find it for you. As such, all the setting is not mine, but invented by the game's owner and copyrighted to Alexandra Prillaman. With my thanks for letting me use the settings, and for all the games participants who have been instrumental in making me want to write that.

Thanks to Emily (Crimsonoaks) for beta-reading this chapter.

When Noli first met Shi, he had just been awakened by a noisy bunch of party-goers under the dormitory windows. He was alone in the closed brewery while all the other apprentices were enjoying Maltalaan festivities. Being the master's favourite had its own set of drawbacks.

Not that the Mugrobi had a better place to go, he had the whole year to enjoy a drink with his friends whenever he wanted. And as the girls where concerned… He hadn't see Gracie since he had refused to commit to marrying her. Last news, she had hooked with that smith apprentice down her street. At least, I've been honest with her. He had always disliked how his friends could lie about their sentiments to get under a girl's dress.

And Ilna was probably laughing about him with her high-class friends. He loved the girl's wit, but they were simply not from the same world. No way had a relationship between her and a brewer apprentice any future, she'd been clear enough about that. For once more in several months, he wondered why he clung to her. Because she's witty, funny, has a perfect brown skin, and all the right curves in the right places, that's why! At least, he was allowed to see her. A good point at being in Mugroba. He remembered hearing that in other countries, no normal human would be high-class. That would be a golly position.

Galdori, or gollies in slang, were the part of humanity that mastered magic. They had used it to seize control of the world. But at least, here in the kingdom of Mugroba, they had not enslaved the human, who could still become successful and rich businessmen, like Ilna's father.

The young man sighed, and got up. He checked the light, or rather the absence of sunlight, outside the dormitory small window, and decided it must still be early in the night. He donned pants, and decided to stay bare-chested, in typical rural Mugrobi fashion. He liked his muscles to move freely. He was not that tall for a human, but it made him appear even larger. Big city fashion at the time was more around slim limbs, especially around people like Ilna. Muscles were for the lower class; but he loved working them too much. A left-over from when he thought he would follow his elder brother in the army, they also were mightily useful for heaving sacks of grain around the brewery.

Noli climbed down the stairs from his room in the apprentice's aisle to the main hall and stretched, watching the casks and brewing apparatus in dark underground, visible from the large platform that served both as an entrance and as the apprentice's dining room. Today, he was the master; he was responsible for all that. All those fine spirits, all these carefully brewed ales; the best in Mugroba. That was an exhilarating sensation.

He was descending the second volley of stairs when someone banged the door open. Four people entered the main hall, laughing loudly. No, five, the fifth one lagging behind, quieter and smaller. Noli climbed back the stairs to meet them, relieved to see that two of them were fellow apprentices. He didn't fancy explaining a gaggle of inebriated customers that the brewery was closed.

"Noli!" Azeen, the oldest, called him. "Come drink with us." His friend Falza was already at the table, digging a bottle of strong cheap beer from a bag where vodka and juices could also be seen.

Noli, who was the younger of the three, although the heaviest, scanned the strangers. The two with the loud laughs were gorgeous witches. Tall, curvy, deep brown tanned skin with enticing tattoos, under colourful and suggestive garments like wicks like to wear them. They introduced themselves proudly as Ania and Leni.

What species of human wicks were was not clear, but the popular theory was that long ago, gollies and normal humans had mixed, siring the wicks, lower magic-users that tended to gather in colourful nomadic tribes. Some said they still did it, but this was not to be told within hearing distance of a galdor. They did not take it kindly at all for members of their race to dilute the blood.

The third one was short and thin, with a pale complexion - contrasting strongly with the usual Mugrobi brown skin - and thin galdori green eyes. She was dressed in a much more modest way, what little curves she might have hidden in a burgundy desert tunic too large for her, and her hair hidden in a turban of the same fabric. She had a heavy looking bag slung on her shoulder, and was glaring suspiciously at Azeen above a small sunburned nose. She forced a more neutral face when Noli introduced himself, answering with a short sideway nod - in the style of the northern country of Hox - and just one word, "Shi" in a quiet voice.

"Yes, meet our sister" said Ania. Leni exchanged a wink with Azeen and the three of them started laughing. Noli knew this kind of laugh from his fellow apprentice. It generally meant a good joke at his expense. This time, the joke was probably pushing him to hook up with that waif girl while the other two courted beauties.

While the group loudly settled around the table, Shi, if that really was her name, sat on the floor in a corner of the room, casting an exasperated look at her loud sisters. Noli, having been raised in traditional Mugrobi manners, tried to act as the perfect host. He went to fetch six small glasses, the rest of bread and cheese from his dinner, and started serving the strong beer. During that time, the girl in the corner pulled a big book from her bag and started studying it. She refused the glass that Noli made the effort to bring her with a mere headshake.

"Don't bother. She thinks she's a golly princess."

"Miss toffin's too good to drink with us." Ania and Leni started taunting their half-sister in what was apparently a well practiced act.

"Miss Hoxian toffin, mind you."

"Cause she looks Hoxian, with those freckles?"

"I love them, they're pretty." Noli quipped in, trying to coat the pair's gibes. And he was honest. He really thought the freckles added a nice soft touch to what would have been an overly icy appearance without them. At least, the face was pretty, though unusual. Since he had moved to the capital city, Thul'Ka, Noli had stopped being bothered by the slanted eyes that the wicks had inherited from their galdori blood. That kind of prejudice was good for his parents. He just found them exotically pretty. But the sisters where not to be stopped like that.

"Of course they look good."

"They're the only thing she deigned take from Da."

The apprentice was feeling increasingly embarrassed now. He was failing in his host duties, by having a guest berated that way, however bad-looking or straight-necked she was. He tasted his glass, and decided to down it in one shot and get done with it. He blinked to clear his eyes, and emptied Shi's glass back in the bottle with a grimace.

"You should be ashamed of drinking this thing in Master Tilkrhim's brewery."

"Give us a break," answered Azeem. "What's brewed here's too expensive for us."

"I can offer you some of my brew." Pleased with Noli's promising progress, Master Tilkrhim had let him experiment with a brew of ale all his own, for which he was fully responsible. Noli was quite proud since it was something usually reserved for the older journeymen. "Or you could take some of the all-year-round. It's no more expensive than your bottles here."

"That light piss?"

"At least, it has flavour. What you're drinking now's the piss. Just with more alcohol. All in the kick, nothing for taste!" He sighed and strode back to the corner and crouched in front of Shi. "I'll never understand how someone can hope to become a master brewer with such a poor taste." The girl raised her eyes from her book and frowned at him. "What do you like to eat?"

She was eyeing him suspiciously now, and stayed silent.

"It would be nice if I knew. I could be a good host and bring you something with a taste that suits you." Last try before I let her brood alone. "A young daisy strives for dew, when a mature rose needs stronger foods." Leni was sticking her elbow in Azeen's ribs, and they looked at him and started laughing again. He forced himself to ignore them. "And it's a good host duty to make his guests comfortable."

The tirade got a reaction out of the girl, who suddenly seemed much more attentive to him, and even a little embarrassed. She stood and bowed again, tucking the book under her left arm. "I apologize for my rudeness, Noli? Chaperoning…" She cut short, probably believing excuses to be rude too.

"Noli Ol'Inalo" the apprentice repeated his name. At least, she's well mannered. "Don't worry, I know how tiring it can be to be the only sensible person around. Can you believe those two are supposed to be older than me?"

A short forced smile lit the young witch face, before she shook her head. "Thank you for your forgiveness, Noli Ol'Inalo. You're a good host. It's just that I don't have any desire to drink a human beverage."

"But you're not in any lowly brewery, distilling alcohol that just makes you blind! You're at Tilkrhim's here! The best in Mugroba. We even sell to Anaxas, to the palace suppliers!"

"After such a proud announcement, I suppose I have to at least try." She paused, remembering she was supposed to talk about her preferred food. "I miss my grandma's chayotes." If her face hadn't stayed so serious, Noli would have thought he had heard a sharp transition from a snooty adult to a homesick youngster. He wondered if his impression was false or her face a well practiced mask while he pondered the culinary information.

Something bland, then.That was disappointing. Unless… "Spicy?"

"No, just salt and a bit of garlic. But straight from the garden, not the one that have spent one week in the cellar. You cook them with an egg, and serve with rice. And if you have fish sauce to replace the salt, it's even better."

Very light, but definitely not bland. "I'd like to taste that, one day." As most Mugrobi, he loved spicy dishes. But he was proud to also be able to appreciate very subtle tastes. And to have finally found some common ground with his strange guest. "I think I have what you need. Just leave me a few minutes to fetch it. You'll be fine alone with those four?"

"I've been enduring them the whole day; I'll survive a few minutes more." This time, there was a real smile on her face. Short lived, but he was sure he had seen it. It still registered in her eyes.

Noli descended to the ales cave, humming a drinking lullaby. He was quite proud of himself. One day, sooner than later if the master continued to give him increased responsibilities, he'd become a journeyman. Being able to talk to customers like that would certainly prove useful. Too bad this girl was so thin, so pale, and so stuck-up. Her face was attractive when a smile lit her green eyes. Pretty dimples, too. He brought up a bottle of his own production. Grabbing two beer mugs, he shared its contents between the two pints, and went to crouch in front of the waif girl in the corner, who had resumed studying her book.

In the meantime, Falza had started mixing starflies for the girls.

"Where's the cherry?" complained Ania.

"Cherries don't make it look much better." Leni quipped. "Let me try something." She stood, snapped her fingers, and hissed something unintelligible for anyone not familiar with magic. And a flame appeared in her hand. She passed it on the glass, and the vodka vapours caught fire.

"Wahoo!" Azeen was visibly impressed. "A flaming starfly!"

In the corner, Shi snapped her book shut and cast an angry look at her sister, before looking back at Noli visibly fuming.

"As long as they don't set the house on fire." He shrugged, both at her attention and to shake the itching her angry magic field was giving him. The brewery used fire, and had a wooden structure. So there were buckets of sand and water in every room, and the apprentices were submitted to regular fire drills. He felt confident he could manage a spilled glass. And if one of them got singed by trying to drink it like that, maybe it would, at last, make them more cautious! Of course, the human, not knowing about noble uses or such other galdori concepts, couldn't fully comprehend Shi's exasperation. "Here, taste this. My own spring brew!"

Carefully setting her book back in her bag on the floor, Shi stood with the glass. She had to make a visible effort to ignore her sister before she took a sip of the ale. "It's bitter" was her first comment.

"That's to make it refreshing. You'll have to get used to the taste. Take your time. Then, if you still find it too bitter, I'll heed your advice and try less hops in the next batch."

"What's hops?"

"A flower."

"I had no idea. But I must admit I have no idea how you brew this, either."

Noli did not need more encouragement to start long explanations on the process. He loved explaining his job. He knew he could be boring, but could barely help it. That was his passion, and to his delight, Shi wasn't bored: she loved knowledge. Any knowledge, even totally irrelevant to her haughty ambitions on magic. She loved it so much that she wouldn't let him go away with quick explanations on obscure parts of the process: she asked questions, she demanded answers. Soon, they were letting the four party-goers to their flaming starflies, and were exploring the remote corners of the brewery, discussing the role of strange and seldom used apparatus.

They could have spent all night like that, and brewing wasn't the only subject. Shi had been trying to learn Mugrobi, the book she was studying was a Mugrobi novel, and her sisters hadn't been very helpful, except to mislead her in taking insults for salutations of course. While Noli came from an old-fashioned family, where you still spoke Mugrobi at home. But cries from the main room finally interrupted them. They ran upstairs, to find Falza and Ania retreating from a broken glass leaking flames on the table. While Noli ran towards the sand bucket, Shi intoned the airlessness spell, and soon the flames were interrupted.

"That was… useful." Noli was trying to find words, a rare occurrence for him, while his mouth tasted sulphur. He had been close to the target, and the sensation of the air being sucked out of his nose had been quite unpleasant. But he had to admit the spell had been helpful, which was a first for him. "Thanks." He examined the remains of the glass. "You put fire to a half-filled glass, didn't you?" Noli had never played with flaming alcohol, but it seemed obvious to him that a flame on naked glass would make it crack.

"I'd rather like to know why my sister's dress is lacking half its buttons." Shi interrupted, casting Falza a very dark glance. "And where's Leni?"

Ania nodded towards the steps leading to the dormitories.

"Tell her to get down." Shi spat at her sister. "Immediately. Or I'll go myself."

Regardless what her sisters thought of her golly manners, Shi must have had some authority within the family, because the two witches were quick to re-appear on top of the stairs. Leni was still re-adjusting her dress, and Azeen was nowhere to be found.

"That's it. We're going back to the camp."

"Oh no!" Leni started complaining. "We're not doing anything wrong. Just having a little fun." Ania went to support her sister.

"You want me to go back alone and tell Da what kind of fun you're having?"

"No, please." Ania looked quite fearful of her father.

"Not even one night without you dabbing?" It was the turn of Leni to support her sister. "We should kick your laoso ass out of our kint."

"I'd love to see you try!" Shi stepped towards her sisters, who took a step back. Either the two tanned witches were conscious of their intoxicated state, or the physical confrontation had already happened, and not to their advantage, despite them being taller, because they clearly weren't ready to act on their talk. "You know very well that if 'just one night' wasn't serious, Da wouldn't have me chaperoning you today. Actually, he knows first hand, because you wouldn't even have me around at all. And no, I'm not happy that he asked me to do that and bear with your nonsense!"

Noli now realized that the smaller witch might indeed know how to fight. There was something in her stance, in the way she moved, that reminded him of his brother when he came back home after army training. She looked anchored to the ground, like he had.

The trio finally reached the door, and Shi bowed to him, ignoring the two other boys.

"Good bye Noli Ol'Inalo. That was a pleasant conversation."

Noli thought he'd never hear about the three sisters again, and would store the events in the 'strange meetings' chapter of his memory. But he was wrong.

Two days later, Shi wasback with a long list of questions about her book.

And four days later, when she asked him for advice to find lodgings, wanting to stay studying in Thul'Ka while her Da's tribe made a short one-month trip, he found it simpler to get Master Tilkrhim to give her an empty bed in the apprentice's room in exchange for her help cooking and keeping the brewery clean. Much to the dismay of Azeen, who declared her field disturbed him in his sleep, and who would probably have preferred a less decent and more curvy girl to spy on.

When she finally left, Azeen loudly declared, to anyone who was ready to listen to him, how glad he was to be rid of that "underfed frigid golly". But Noli soon found himself missing her. Yes, she could be cold. Yes, she could be bossy. Yes, she had one of those annoying fields that you could not ignore. But she was cute, polite, respectful even with humans, as long as you showed her some respect too, hard-working, and quite smart. In retrospect, her bossy side had even been a refreshing change from the usual Mugrobi human girl raised to become a subservient wife and mother.

Probably because she bosses Azeen more than me. Noli, having been raised to be polite and hard-working himself, seemed to have earned her respect, or even something that looked like a restrained friendship. He'd love to speak with her again to understand better how she could be both a Hoxian galdor and a Mugrobi witch, or none of them; to learn more about the galdori who governed him and their point of view. And even worse, he soon realized he spent a lot of time wondering how her lithe body would feel in his arms; which struck him as very odd, as his gaze was usually drawn to better endowed women. Soon, he would be wondering whether her leaving was a good or a bad thing.