4 comments/ 4826 views/ 5 favorites Sphere of Chaos Ch. 01 By: Profess_to_Profane Singear, all of nineteen years of age, was trekking across the variegated landscape. She was surefooted, experienced, and rugged. She always had the same sort of base expression on her face-exhausted, but with a crazed look in her dark green eyes. She was fairly tall, but lithe. She had long, brunette hair that she kept loosely constrained with bits of leather. There were numerous scars across her tanned body, which was ever-so-slightly clothed in a makeshift uniform of light leather armor. Singear stopped momentarily to hoist her knapsack up on her shoulders, and that was when she saw it—the flashing orb of light shooting through the sky. Singear knew that there was a mages' college in the town nearby. Perhaps she could glean information from somebody there. She wasn't sure how to go about finding answers to her questions, since she was fearful of drawing attention to herself being discovered after she had been on the run for so long. But she was dangerously curious by nature. She took quick inventory of the small arsenal she maintained on her person, and then headed into town. Others in the town took notice of the orb of light shooting through the sky. Practically everyone in town had seen it, and for those that didn't, word shot off quickly with stories spreading like a wildfire to reach every ear. One of those to actually see it from the rooftop of one of the tallest buildings went by the name Abris. She stayed up at top of the roof, almost as though she had been expecting the sight all day. She watched as the orb descended quickly out of sight before standing up and stretching her arms over her head. Abris was perhaps in her early twenties with long auburn hair that trailed loosely past her shoulders and dark lilac-colored eyes. She was garbed in traditional clothing, normal for city-dwellers, consisting of a slit skirt that fell past her ankles, an olive-colored wrap about her waist, and a modest, breezy blouse with a scarf around her neck. She was about to head down when she caught sight of something else—something she hadn't been expecting. In the distance, she could just make out an unusual character making her way past the clusters of people already telling tall tales about the fallen orb and what it could mean. Abris stayed still, observing for just a moment longer before stepping through the open window that lead to the rooftop to get back inside. She went down a few floors to get to the second floor and then threw back the shutters from there, eyes quickly scanning to fall upon the stranger. "Hey you! Welcome to Anreaj," she called out to Singear, her expression warm and bright with something like amusement. "Are you lost? Do you need a place to stay tonight?" Singear jolted at the sound of the woman's voice, looking like she was ready for anything, including a fight. However, she didn't sense any animosity from the voice that wafted through the air, the sound of which she quickly tracked back to Abris. Singear wasn't used to generosity, however. She had a hard edge that seemed to rub everybody the wrong way. Singear pointed up at the sky, which was now clear of any trace of that strange orb. "I saw that giant ball of light, and I knew that there was a mages' college here in Anreaj." Singear glanced around a bit, getting a sense of the town. She had known of it for years, but had never actually been there before. "I thought that maybe someone there might know what in the hell that was. Can you tell me where I can find the college?" Abris smiled and nodded, leaning her arms on the windowsill as she peered over. "It's that way," she responded politely and pointed. "But you're not from around here, are you? You might get lost. Here, I can show you the way." Before Singear could refuse, Abris jumped back out of sight to come down and join her, rushing downstairs before the other woman could get away. By the sight of Abris's clothing, one might have figured that she was a merchant's daughter or something of that sort—wealthy but not of noble lineage, formal but not scholarly. She met Singear and pointed again the way she had indicated before, starting off at a steady pace. "So where are you from, then?" she asked casually, as if she was used to making this sort of chit chat. She wasn't exactly prying, and not exactly making small talk either. Singear reeled back a bit. Usually people would cross the street just to get away from her. Now this woman was getting close and personal. She gave Abris a bewildered look before following the outlined path with her eyes. Singear seemed uncomfortable with Abris's question, but the other woman seemed like she could be trusted with an answer or two. "You ever hear of a place called Graymoor?" It was almost a rhetorical question. Everybody knew about Graymoor. It was known for being an absolute shithole, dominated by a few obscenely rich and corrupt merchants. While all of those merchants were human, they had effectively enslaved both humans and halflings alike. "Graymoor?" Abris repeated with some excitement in her tone. "Yes, of course I've heard of it! I have met a few others from there too. I bet you have a lot of stories from such a place." She looked back a moment and tilted her head at Singear. "You look like you have a lot of stories." Rather than sounding cruel or sarcastic, she sounded attentive, almost like a little kid, and thus her tone almost sounded like a solicitation. Perhaps making conversation in Abris's mind meant hearing such stories, but as to what kind she might have been expecting was another thing. "Oh, that's right!" she said suddenly, as though interrupting herself. "My name is Abris. I work around here. What about you, warrior of Graymoor?" "I am not sure I have many stories from Graymoor. It seems more like I have one story—the story of my life. Certainly not the story of a warrior." Singear took a few more steps before acknowledging the second part of Abris's solicitation. "My name is Singear, but I have always gone by Sin." She waited a few moments to see if the name seemed at all familiar to the woman. Had word gotten out this far from Graymoor? All of the neighboring towns hated Graymoor because of how corrupt it was, and Sin had to wonder if the notoriety of her hometown had aided in her anonymity. At least Abris didn't seem to recognize Sin's name or Sin's face. "So, Abris, what is it you do here? Is everybody in this place as friendly and helpful as you?" Abris continued onwards without missing a step, leading into one of the more advanced parts of town. The roads were clean and cobbled and the buildings stuccoed in multicolored clays. The people around them were all babbling in discussion about the fallen orb, and Abris and Singear could easily pick out pieces of it as they passed, including those that felt—as some always would—that it was a sign of the end of the world. Abris paid those sudden shouts no heed either. Whatever it was that fell, Abris certainly didn't think it meant danger. Sin certainly got the impression that the flying orb was something of a bad omen, but in her mind, Armageddon was certainly just crazy talk of the masses. Put a group of people together, and she supposed you were bound to get those doomsayers. But what was that orb all about anyway? What was it made of? "My family owns an inn not far from here, so I just sort of help out with that." That particular tidbit explained why she had asked Singear if she needed a place to stay, as well as her ease in conversation. It had to be a part of her duties with helping patrons. Abris had to laugh a little at Sin's assertion that she was 'friendly' though, and Abris's amusement came out in a musical giggle. "I wouldn't say that everyone is as friendly as me, though. And I only am so to the right people anyway." "So I guess since you work at an inn, you're pretty on top of bounties that people have on their heads, right?" "Bounties...? I guess so," Abris said, a mite dismissively. Apparently bounties did not hold much interest for her, but then again, she was clearly no bounty hunter. Based on looks alone, she seemed to be much the normal human woman, perhaps even with no special abilities or knowledge. Sin was just glad that Abris paid little heed to the question of bounties, but she had been gauging the woman for just this type of information. Abris turned a corner at a dark maroon building and the street there ended in a dead-end, where she halted. "It's up that way." Sure enough, there was a scholarly looking building that made up the entire end of the street. It had peaked rooftops and stained-glass windows, along with a mystic sort of aura to it to indicate its status. Sin stopped suddenly to gaze upward at the towering building. It was definitely intimidating, and even demoralizing to look at it. "As far as friendly people go though... The mages are perhaps not the friendliest. A lot of them are snobs and judge by appearance," Abris said in a neutral tone, just giving a fair warning. Sin sighed softly. "Do you even think they will talk to me about that orb? And what do you suppose that thing even was?" If they judged on appearances, she would never get her answer. She wasn't even sure they would let her into the building with the way she looked. She peered over at Abris, who looked, for lack of a better term, normal. Maybe the mages would talk to her if they wouldn't talk to Sin? Abris perked up. "Well, it did look magical in origin... Powerful, too. I'm not quite sure what it could be though. You're right to come here. The magi may know more, if they're even available to speak now." She noticed the look that Sin was giving her and it made her giggle anew. "How about this... You can stay over at my inn and we can get you all cleaned up. Perhaps some of my clothing will even fit you. Then, we can come back tomorrow to see what they've found out. There may even be a public announcement of some sort. Right now, I doubt they want to sit and speculate with every civilian, after all... What do you think?" Sin looked down at her own body. She was muddy, with scratches covering the patches of skin that were not covered by her leather armor. She was hungry, too, she noticed. Ravenous, as a matter of fact. Probably dehydrated. Her water canteen could use a refill anyway, and she was running low on the ale that she carried in her bag. "I would really appreciate that. I guess I didn't notice how bad of shape I was in today. I've been trekking for so long." "It won't be free though..." Abris started, unable to keep the mischievousness out of her voice. She turned and started leading the way again back the way they had come, though took a different turn this time. "You're going to have to tell me more about your adventures in exchange. Like why you have been trekking for so long?" Though she was persistent in her questions, it all seemed innocent enough, as she was asking out of personal interest rather than any ulterior motive. People always came and went in taverns, from all over, and there were always new places to hear about and new tales to hear. It seemed like she was more interested in hearing about the journeys of others than the very chaos unfolding before her now. She acted like someone who had never left the city before, but even then, one would think she would be just as invested in speculation as the next passerby. "I wouldn't expect anything to be free. I'm from Graymoor, remember? What would you like to know of my adventures? I don't know how much I can tell you, honestly." "How much you can tell me..." Abris repeated thoughtfully, taking it to be more a matter of will than of ability. She smiled to herself and dropped the subject for the time being. There would be more time for it once Sin was fed and rested. Sin wondered why this woman stayed in Anreaj if she was so interested in life outside of the town. Was she here involuntarily? Did she have obligations or debts in the city? "You seem like you would be suited to a life of travel and exploration. Why don't you leave here?" Abris continued to lead the way, taking a route that was less crowded than the busier streets around the mages' college. Those streets were getting more packed by the second with others that had the very same idea as Sin—to ask what the mages knew. Anytime now, guards would probably have to bar the way and close the doors until a determination was made. Fortunately, the offshoot roads designed for commerce were more peaceful as they traveled through. "Well, I've always dreamed of leaving the city, but my family has need of me. City-dwellers are often tied to that, I'm sure you know. So I sort of just live vicariously through those that stop by and hear what they say." "Sometimes leaving your family behind is the best thing you could possibly do for them," Sin responded cryptically. She carefully scanned the neatly cobbled streets, more or less memorizing pathways in case she needed to recall them at a later time. After a few more turns, they made it to the inn that Abris had referred to, though they were still located within the wealthier part of town. The tavern was well-kept, with a burnt-orange exterior and a sign that proclaimed it to be 'The Strider's Sunset.' The downstairs portion had a bar as well as a raised platform for bards and other performers, which was currently empty, but the tables did have some groups of people milling about in deep discussion. Stairs lined the wall and obviously led to the rooms. Abris kept on going to the stairs without stopping to speak with anyone, taking Sin right to an empty room at the end of the hall. It had clean accommodations, including a bed and a four-legged tub, as well as a small writing desk and a chest for storing goods and clothing. "Go ahead and get started. I can get food brought up to you, and fresh garments too. You can head back downstairs if you want to mingle anytime though, of course." Sin almost wept when she saw her accommodations. A tub?! She couldn't remember the last time she had been able to bathe herself. It was probably sometime around the last rainstorm, about two months beforehand. "Thank you, Abris. I would greatly appreciate food and some clothes. And I really need to bathe. It's...been a long time," she said sheepishly. This was probably the first sign of embarrassment that she had exhibited about her appearance. She was so used to building up a tough shell of an exterior. Perhaps she was truly sensitive on the inside after all. Abris quirked a small smile. "I'll be back soon, so take the time you need." She exited and shut the door behind her to give Sin some time to herself. Sphere of Chaos Ch. 02 Abris returned after about a half an hour with a tray in one hand and a canvas bag over her shoulder, though she re-entered without knocking. The tray held a loaded bowl of what looked like a hearty stew and a half loaf of bread. The bag doubtlessly held the promised clothing. She set both on the desk and turned to Sin while beaming. Sin had obviously bathed at that point, her long hair twisted up in a towel she had found near the tub. She had wrapped her body in the second towel that she had found in the room. She was fairly shameless when it came to nudity, which was obvious with the manner in which she was sitting at the writing desk and staring at the other woman openly. Abris looked her over with a grin and then nodded satisfactorily. Abris stated, "I am a bit shorter than you, but I think these clothes will do for now. Surely an adventurer like you is not opposed to wearing skirts?" she asked playfully, an undeniable hint of mischief in her tone again. Hmm, skirts. Sin hadn't worn one since she was little. But she supposed that she may need to contend with that if she were to win over the acceptance of the magi. "Thank you," she muttered gruffly. Abris giggled once again. "You really meant what you had said before, didn't you? You're not used to this. There is a good reason for that though..." she asserted, as if she knew. "No, I'm not used to luxuries." It didn't occur to Sin that some people might not consider an inn to be a luxury. "Hell, I was raised poor and left home when I was about fifteen. That was about four years ago." The smell of the stew wafted in the air, and Sin's mouth began to water. "That smells delicious!" Her eyes bugged out a bit, then narrowed in suspicion. "How much is all of this going to cost?" Before Sin could think to go for the food, Abris put herself in front of it, her eyes sparkling more with the troublemaking intent that was impossible to miss. "It's going to cost you. I think maybe when you leave here, you can take me with you." Her tone had dropped to one of seriousness when she said that, though she still smiled all the while rather confidently. Though she didn't look like she could be one to actually prevent Sin from going for the food, or really anything else considering her slim build and apparently weaponless attire, she still asserted herself confidently. Sin looked over the woman, taking in her mischievous expression. Then she noticed the woman was barring her access to the food, which was on the table. "W-wait, what?" Did this woman seriously just invite herself along? Sin's expression soured. "You're holding food hostage?" She was a bit crazed with hunger and thought momentarily about stabbing the woman for the food, but she had already been in too much trouble with the law. It simply wasn't worth it to risk it all for a single bowl of stew and some bread. But she looked determined. "I travel alone. No exceptions." She was, in a sense, issuing a challenge. As in, I travel alone unless you can give me a better reason than free food and a place to sleep tonight. Abris blinked for a moment at Sin's determination. The silence drew out while she just stared with her own wide-eyed expression. Then she suddenly burst into another giggle fit. "Ahh, I like you, Sin. I think you have more stories to tell me." She moved off away from the table to leave it open to Sin and instead seated herself delicately on the edge of the four-post bed, smoothing her skirts over her legs as her giggles faded. Sin watched the woman move away from the table, an almost animalistic look in her eye, like she was watching a competitor back down from a fresh kill. Abris sure seemed to think most things were funny, which could have been a sign of a soft upbringing. Or insanity. Sin was certainly a bit annoyed that Abris was so lighthearted. Sin was just the opposite—so serious, so quick to anger, and completely untrusting. She was jealous, too. Jealous of the privileged upbringing this woman had (at least the upbringing she thought that Abris had—in actuality, she knew nothing about her). "It's no matter. I think you'll decide yourself that you need me." That too, Abris said simply and confidently. In that way, she could have easily been a merchant's daughter, though it still wouldn't have explained why she could have thought herself a competition against Sin. "Why would I need you? No offense, but you have never been outside city walls. Do you know what dangers lurk outside? I'll be rescuing your sorry ass from wolves, bears, giants, bandits..." She lurched over to the table, sitting down heavily, then ripped a piece of bread from the loaf and began digging into the stew. Abris didn't take offense at Sin's words, but probably wouldn't have even if offense had been intended. She smiled to herself and looked up at the ceiling in thought while swinging her legs childishly. "That's true. I don't know anything about things like that," she replied agreeably. "I know about other things though." She didn't elaborate on it, but after a minute of letting Sin eat in silence, she got up again, making ready to leave. "Is there anything else I can get for you? Will that be enough food?" she asked, sliding into the persona of the perfect hostess after she had practically been intruding only a minute before. Sin wolfed down the food at almost lightning speed. She had finished by the time Abris was ready to go. "Yes, I think that was plenty of food." She seemed to mellow out a little bit. Something about the other woman was nearly impossible to hate, no matter how hard Sin tried. "Are you going to be going with me to the mages' college tomorrow? I'll be going at sunrise, unless you recommend otherwise." "Yes, I will go with you. Sunrise will be as good a time as any. Since you likely get up early, I'm sure I won't even have to come collect you, will I? So then, I'll meet you outside of here just as the dawn comes?" She seemed to be all business then, even perhaps a little impatient, though as for what, it would have been hard to say. She didn't exactly seem to be in a rush to be leaving, either. "Oh yes, and while I know you're tired, if you want to go downstairs to drink or anything, you're welcome to. Any food or drink you want is on me." She smiled again. "For now." Sin tried to be patient while waiting for the woman to leave, but finally got up the gall to request to be left alone. She needed some space in order to decompress from the prolonged human contact. It was part of what she needed to do in order to prepare to leave the next morning. She was low on ale and water rations, but she figured she could fill canteens before they headed on the road the next day. Sin slept fitfully that night. She couldn't stop thinking about that orb again—it was frightening, but beautiful. She had never seen anything so mesmerizing in her life. Amidst her thoughts of the orb were her thoughts of her family. Most nights she would think about them and where they were. When they evaded her waking thoughts, they haunted her dreams, which were full of tortured screams and agonizing images. Abris didn't go to sleep immediately herself, though of course, she had no reason to be more tired than usual. She mingled with the patrons downstairs well into the night, collecting more tales and rumors about the fallen orb and its origins. Sphere of Chaos Ch. 03 When the sun came up, Sin had already been awake for a couple of hours. She swiftly put on the clothes that Abris had left for her and brushed her hair nicely so that she looked like she groomed herself every day like a normal person. At the very least, she looked kempt, but the style of Abris's green dress did not suit Sin in the slightest. Once she was prepared to leave, she headed downstairs with her knapsack so she could fill one canteen with mead and the other with water. When Sin was filling up her canteens, she overheard a conversation between the innkeeper at the bar and a customer on a stool. "...absolutely crazy. And were you here last night? You wouldn't have believed the sort she brought in with her, all covered in filth and grit. "Aye, well with all that's going on, can't expect people to keep their heads!" The innkeeper harrumphed at that. "Well, she's paying fine money, else I'd have none of it. All that's going on or not, we have standards here." It was clear that Abris and Sin were the topics of this discussion, and while the men weren't exactly keeping their voices down, they obviously didn't recognize Sin after she had cleaned up and changed clothing. But another thing became apparent then, which was that Abris wasn't at all who she had claimed to be. She didn't work at the inn, and furthermore, those who owned the inn were not her family. Sin was in the midst of filling her second canteen full of mead from a rusty spigot, after she had already deposited the water canteen in her bag. Overhearing the conversation about her and Abris caused her to lose focus and overfill the canteen, spilling the sappy alcohol onto the ground. "Shit!" she cursed, before looking at the men who were speaking. She stared openly for a few moments while she let everything settle in her mind. It was apparent that she would have to approach the woman who went by the name of Abris. Was that even her name? Who was she? What did she want with Sin? And perhaps most importantly, did she know who Sin was? Sin bagged the canteen of mead, and then checked her person. She had six daggers holstered on various parts of her body, and she compulsively checked each one to make sure they were still there. All was good. She figured she may need them if the upcoming conversation with Abris came to a head. All the while, Abris knew nothing of what had transpired inside the inn. She rocked back and forth on her heels while waiting for Sin to meet her outside. Her clothing was similar to what she had worn the day before, just in varying shades of blue instead. In Abris's mind, she was being perfectly careful. She was certain that she wouldn't be discovered. Abris took some time to check out the bounty board at the front of the inn. At least to Sin's advantage, there was no one resembling her on it. If the city was aware of her at all, apparently she had not become so infamous yet as to require it. The city did have its own plethora of goons and criminals to devote valuable resources to, after all. "Good morning!" Abris greeted Sin warmly upon seeing her. "My, didn't you clean up well. You just barely look suspicious at all now." She said it teasingly, though still far and away from cruelly, and started up back towards the mages' college. This early, the streets were only just beginning to fill in with life. The air smelled of fresh baked bread and pastries while miscellaneous vendors were just starting to open their doors. "Did you sleep well?" she asked, simply making idle chatter while they wound their way. Sin stood back as Abris took her first few steps, assessing the situation carefully. After a few moments, she began following the woman again so that Abris wouldn't think twice about her initial hesitation to follow her. "Yes, I slept just fine," Sin lied. Then again, she never slept well. As they were walking by one of the desolate alleyways, and nobody was aware of what was happening, Sin quickly—and silently—wrapped her left forearm underneath Abris's chin, pulling it up and exposing her throat. She then whipped out a dagger and held it against the skin. Any cry that Abris may have made was cut short upon feeling the blade to her neck. Sin pulled the woman into the alleyway, still remaining unseen. The motions all blurred together into one instantaneous movement. Abris barely tried to struggle, and simply tensed up in Sin's grasp. Sin breathed heavily a few times, waiting to make sure that they went unnoticed, then she spoke in a hushed whisper, "Alright, bitch, you'd better start talking now, or I'll fucking slit your throat. Who the hell are you?" Abris held her own breath and blinked down to look at the edge of the weapon she could barely just see. No, there were no laughs or giggles from her this time. The fear that went into her eyes was very real. And yet, that didn't stop her from making it difficult. "I can't tell you. I don't know that I can trust you yet," she whispered back breathlessly. "Besides, if you kill me, you'll never know about object that fell from the sky." It could have been a bluff. Or a lie to save herself. Would Sin be willing to risk it if that wasn't the case? Sin pulled up a little bit more, pressing the small serrated blade into the flesh, the flesh separating slightly and causing a very thin line of blood to emerge from beneath. The blood that trickled out from the mild cut wasn't at all what someone might have expected. To start with, it wasn't even red, but silver, and resembled something like mercury. It had a strange transparency to it and sparkled in the early morning light. Abris closed her eyes and shuddered. She was extremely averse to pain, so this sort of questioning certainly got through to her whereas probably nothing else would have. Sin didn't notice the strange quality of the blood at first. "You think I trust you to tell you about my life, when you won't even tell me who the fuck you are??" She backed off ever so slightly, just so she would stop cutting into the woman's throat. "Why the hell did you target me? What do you know?" "Are you in danger, Sin?" Abris asked, just barely audible. "As am I. I picked you out because you appear strong and well-traveled. But I know nothing about you beyond what you've told me." She tried to keep her voice calm and steady while talking, though that said nothing for her heartbeat that was thudding in her ears. She kept perfectly still then, if only to show Sin that she would cooperate. Sin finally took notice of the strange, silvery blood. She was scared, but to hell if she would let it show. "What are you? I've never encountered a race or species that spilled such strange looking blood on my boots before." She sneered a bit. "And trust me, there have been many that have spilled their good-for-nothing blood on my boots." Abris allowed just the tiniest smile to grace her lips at Sin's words. Sin certainly knew how to pull off the threatening role, though that was all the more reason not to provoke her further. "It should be sufficient to say that I am not human, nor halfling, nor demon. But if you really must know more, then I pray, let it be elsewhere. My blood will garner unwanted attention... Unwanted for you, as well." "In the future, Abris, you may want to be a little bit more careful about who you double-cross, or at least with how carefully you cover your tracks." Sin let the woman go, roughly, the sudden release causing Abris to fall to her knees in the streets. "Perhaps we need to lay down a few ground rules before we continue. First of all, any sort of information I share, you must share in equal portions. Two, I don't want you ever going into my bag and looking through my shit. And three, if I ever catch you fucking lying to me again, I'll fucking kill you." She looked at Abris before arching her eyebrow. "Got it?" Abris stayed where she was on her knees for a moment, putting a hand over her heart as though to still it while she recovered her breath. She inhaled deeply and let out her breath again in a tremulous sigh before tilting her head back to look up at Sin. Amazingly, she smiled. "I would never look through your things, Sin," she said eccentrically. Then she wasted no further time in taking care of what blood of hers had been spilled onto her neck. She pulled out a small vial that was filled with what looked to be water and dabbed some on the wound. When she did, the wound closed and vanished like it had never been. Then she wiped the rest of the trickle away with a cloth, and afterward, burned the cloth to nothing more than ash before she finally stood back up again. "I understand your conditions and will abide by them. Shall we be off again now?" Sin stared at her momentarily before reluctantly holstering the dagger. She simply nodded and suggested, "Lead the way." She glanced pensively at the blood that had fallen on the ground, hiding the track by kicking a mound of dirt over the small pool. "I don't much appreciate being lied to, however I seriously doubt that someone of your...species...would find me of particular interest. Because I need information, I have deemed you to be indispensable for the time being." Abris turned to lead again at a moderately quick pace, as though to make up for lost time. She continued the conversation in low tones, however, although anyone overhearing anything wouldn't be able to understand it out of context. "I do find it highly entertaining that you could say you are of no particular interest without knowing," she replied with a faint giggle. Then again, it was likely that she found most things highly entertaining so long as there was no immediate danger to herself. "I wonder myself, though, why is it that you need information? Is it just curiosity in that object? You know what they say about that..." "I reckon that the interest I have drawn over the years is by humans. I haven't slighted anybody else enough to make them thirst after my...blood." Try as she might to focus on the conversation at hand, she felt endlessly distracted by thoughts of the orb. It was driving her crazy. "I don't know what it is about that orb, but I have to know what it is. It just has...a draw to it. I noticed I wasn't the only person in this town that is obsessing over it." She stopped suddenly in her tracks. "You don't seem curious about it at all. You do know what it is, don't you?" Abris stopped too as Sin did, though they were then right around the corner from the mages' college, in one of the congested streets. "I do not know exactly," she admitted with a puzzled expression. "But I do intend to find out. So perhaps from me, the valuable information of which you need is not the what, but the where. I do know where it ended up. Now I am confirming that others do not." She gestured to the right, in the general direction of the college, revealing her purpose for coming along at all. Sin nodded silently, then began walking again, hoping that action itself would spur on the woman. "So, how do we garner the acceptance of the magi?" She stared openly at Abris, wondering if the whole venture was a fool's quest. "Is this the sort of setting where I, the lowly and bitter outsider, should shut my mouth and let you, the charismatic liar, lead the way?" "Charismatic liar...?" Abris repeated as she matched step with Sin again to join the congregations heading for the college. She pouted a little, seeming hurt by the association, but that didn't last long. She glanced over at Sin with a renewed musical giggle. "Did you not have a look at yourself in a viewing glass? You're likely to be far more convincing than I right now. I dare anyone to deny those fierce eyes of yours!" As they got closer to the college, it was clear why there were so many about outside rather than entreating with any of the magi inside. The doors were still barred, this time by armed guardsman. There was activity at the top of the stairs that lead to the entrance too, and more people shuffling at a gate near the bottom. A wagon was making its way through the throngs of people to join the activity happening there. Abris turned her gaze to make out what she could while still addressing Sin. "You should never pass up an opportunity to speak. I don't think anyone would recognize you as an outsider now, and you may like the results." Sin brought her voice down to a whisper, since they were surrounded by such massive swaths of people. "I don't know. The only time I ever get anything I demand is through coercion or sexual manipulation. Somehow I doubt those old guys in robes would want me wielding a blade or 'holstering their weapon.'" She tried to peer past the people to look into the gates. "What should we do? It would be so much easier to see if we killed all of these people." Abris choked down another laugh. "You really resort to violence easily, don't you? Well, I don't know what old guys you've met, but I doubt they would be so opposed as you might think, if that's your thing..." She bit her lower lip as she looked through the crowd. Sin did have a point—of course it would be easier to kill everyone, even if it only made things easier temporarily. She didn't think that would be necessary though, despite their impatience. "Despite what they tell you, sometimes violence does solve problems. And sometimes it's the only solution to a problem," Sin muttered under her breath. Amidst the movement up front, one of the high mages stepped up to a pedestal and the crowd began to quiet down. Within a minute, the mage's voice was magically amplified to speak out to everyone. "I know you're all here to learn more about the mysterious light that fell yesterday. There are prophecies that speak of such a thing, and we are deciphering the facts to determine the orb's origins and meanings. But let me tell you all, we do not have much information at this time. However, for those of you thinking to go out and find it for yourselves, we urge you not to. It is dangerous. See for yourselves." He waved a puffy sleeve and those at the wagon below pulled back a sheet that covered what could have only been bodies, though they were blackened and disfigured almost beyond recognition. Abris stood on her tiptoes, straining to see what caused all the gasps and shrieks in the crowd. She smirked over at Sin and tilted her head. "Heeey, maybe you can lift me up so I can see better too, then I'll tell you what's going on. You certainly handled me fine before." Sin listened intently, then nodded. She hoisted Abris up pretty easily. In that way, Abris hovered over the whole crowd. Certainly, Abris was able to see the bodies. Sin grumbled at Abris, "Do you think it's a ruse? Or do you really think that thing is as dangerous as they say? What do you see up there?" For someone that said she didn't know if she could trust Sin or not yet, Abris certainly went about being lifted up without any qualms or worries. She balanced herself and peered out over the crowd in thought. "I think it is dangerous," she started, taking in the sight of the bodies without much surprise. "They carted in some charred corpses. It could be a cover up, but I don't think so in this case." The high mage kept speaking out over everyone too, as some of the outcries started to die down. "These foolhardy souls sought to find riches and glory by seeking that very object. Though I have not seen it myself, I can tell you from others that went searching there is nothing to be seen. The area it had been in is contaminated, so those seekers ended up as you see now. The only people to return alive are under our care, but are blinded or worse, but all have said the same thing—it isn't there anymore. So take heed in my words and remain here. Once we have determined what prophecy it is linked to, all will know." "Well, shit. What do we do now?" Sin wasn't sure if they should trust the mage. The area was contaminated? With what? Where did the orb go? Where did it come from? So many questions... "I need to go there. I don't care if I end up a charred corpse. Are you coming with me?" There was something addictive about the orb. It was a need, not a want. She wasn't seeking power, but she had to know... "Of course we're going," Abris responded matter-of-factly and hopped gracefully down to the ground, ignoring the strange looks the pair of them were getting. "They might not know where it is, but I do. I knew I was right. With the right travel companion being you, that is. So if you want to find it, you will have to keep me alive." She didn't say it challengingly, just neutrally as the fact that it was. Abris continued, "We can get supplies and then be off right away, unless you wanted to ask the magi anything while you have the chance." Sure enough, that moment would be the most opportune time to do so as the crowd started to disperse in grumbles and most of the magi were herded around the stairs. Sin made her way to the front, eager as could be. She looked up to the head mage. "Excuse me sir, but how is the area contaminated? These corpses don't appear to have been contaminated. They appear to have been burned." She looked back at Abris, to see if she had any questions herself, before turning back. She seemed eager and enthusiastic to ask as many questions as she could, in rapid-fire succession. "And where did it go? Did somebody take it? And how big was it, really?" Abris stayed back a tick while Sin eagerly asked her questions. She was more amused by how Sin was acting than she was interested in anything else the high mage had to say. The high mage himself wasn't as old as the association to his title might have one think, but very likely his appearance was magically altered. He eyed Sin impatiently and was perhaps about to dismiss her too before taking a second look. Still, when he spoke, it was in utmost exasperation. "As I said, I have not seen it myself, nor has anyone as far as I'm aware. The first to arrive on the scene that stepped within the actual perimeter of the landing 'burned up,' as you put it. It is not natural heat and has not subsided despite our efforts. I don't see how anyone could have gotten within even a hundred paces of it and lived, much less taken it, but if I knew where it went, I would be there." When he finished, it sounded like he was about to make some sort of snide comment that he just barely repressed, but he surely seemed in no mood for further questioning. Sin sighed and turned back to face her companion. She spoke in whispers all over again. "Okay, I guess all that is left is to get some supplies and head out. But where are we going to get them?" She thought back to the tavern. Those people didn't want her there; it was obvious. "Where do you live, anyway?" "Hmm, well, I'll take you by the stores that most of the adventures frequent, and you can decide what is needed since you're the expert. Only, you won't have to worry about the cost of anything." She waved a hand and started off again, towards one of the bigger shops that had leather gear and weapons on display. "I haven't actually been here that long, so I don't live here. I usually do what I just did last night and was so careless about—just stay at other taverns." She seemed more amiable to being honest now that she had been so firmly found out. But that would depend on just how deep the topic delved. Those sorts of questions weren't anything big.