A tall young blue haired man with fine features, stylish clothing and a large sword, was studying the mug while sitting at an empty table in a bar. The mug was full of a powder blue liquid called ‘Darial’ a human specialty in Lostorn his mouth twisting in distaste as he doodled designs on the table with some of the spilled drink and his fingertip. The flavor of Darial was something like a cross between charcoal and the exceedingly bitter Wullumba plant bark, which was fitting as it was made from fermented dew from the Dacalla plant, a smaller and bluer cousin to the multipurpose purple-red Wullumba plant. The mug was resting on a Wollumba plant table, aged and ill kept, the stains on the surface almost turning the table brown from its natural off white color. Wollumba wasn’t the best material to build things like chairs and tables but it was so abundant it almost always was used by the poor for most of their furniture; which meant of course in this human city, nearly everything that wasn’t made of stone was made of Wollumba. Even the scaffolding and temporary roof over the damaged dome in the keep was such adorned.

Kelog had been in the city for just over 2 weeks, in those days he had witnessed one shocking or unexpected thing after another. He glanced at people in the crowded bar, mostly human men, no matter how the rules and laws changed human women were typically scarce. The men were awkward. He could tell they weren’t really sure what to do with themselves. Many of them were former slaves and looked uncomfortable, seemingly having a great deal of difficulty knowing what to do with their newfound freedom. The awkward stilted laughing, the over the top drunkenness, he couldn’t tell if anyone was actually happy with their freedom from slavery. Certainly, if he asked them if they’d rather be slaves he’d probably have an angry mob chase him from the bar, but he suspected, at night with no one around some of them, many of them were terrified of their newfound freedom.

So, they drank and tried to socialize, and tried to find their way in the ‘new’ Lotsorn. New Lotsorn of course still in its formative stage, it was still a place where blood ran in the streets constantly, yet now it was thanks to ‘Laws’ instead of base human brutality. He couldn’t be sure if all these changes were good or not. Either way he felt like this was a city on the edge of complete collapse.

That said it wasn’t all bad, the public fountains were all running, the cisterns were cleaned and working as were the aqueducts, bringing and storing fresh clean water to the city. In contrast to his prior visit there no longer was trash in the streets, the sewers were working and from what the people claimed, cleaned and repaired as one of the first acts by their new ‘Sorcerer King,’ Jace.

Of course, these were the good things. The problems mostly stemmed from the people adjusting poorly to the new laws. In the past week alone he had witnessed 87 men and 2 women put to death. All public executions. Spectacles really, as at every public execution the laws were read again. Those laws were basic. He sighed and looked at the wall where a copy of the city’s laws was posted in plain sight. Of course, only some people could read them, so at every major street corner there were people reading out the new laws. Employees of the palace he figured.

“Hurt someone, and die.” “rape a woman and die.” “abandon your children and die.” “abandon your wife and die.” “steal and lose a hand” “steal twice and die” “damage property, pay for the repair and be branded on your forehead” “kill someone and die by torture” “harm a child in a way not related to the child’s discipline and education and die” “by your 30th birthday have at least 3 children, or be expelled from the city, and dissolve your marriage”

SLAVE AND DEBT AMENDMENT: People are allowed to sell themselves into slavery to clear debt. Slavery shall never extend to decedents or people who did not accrue the debt. Debt does not pass on to further generations, but ends with the life of the debtor. The terms of the slave contract are between the debtor and lender; however, at no time shall the terms of the Slave contract be ‘intentionally’ for life, there shall be a finite number of years to the term of service not exceeding 20 years, nor invalidating their human rights to safe work and clean living.

He actually approved of the laws, for the most part they weren’t too far off the laws of the People of the World. For a human city, these laws were practically civilized. However, the animalistic way these people had lived for thousands of years wasn’t that easy to fix.

His eyes traveled to a young barmaid. The girl was probably an ex-slave. He could tell for several reasons. One she looked extremely uncomfortable in clothing. Two, she wasn’t wearing any shoes. Most of the former slaves didn’t. As many never wore clothing before, looking uncomfortable in them was expected, but shoes? Shoes were probably a step too far for many of them. Three, the skin was paler where a collar would have been around her neck. Four, she had a timidity that was unmistakable, ‘you can take the chains off the slave but a slave raised from birth as a slave pretty much will always be a slave in their heart.’ At least that’s what he was beginning to believe.

While he was musing about slavery, a graceful looking man joined him at the table. This man, unlike Kelog’s blue hair had orange hair, wild like a mane. He was also one of the People, though from another country, the nation of Eldorath. Eldorath and Ghanarai had a very tentative relationship, as they shared a long border, and due to their people’s fiercely territorial nature their peoples had been at almost constant war for centuries. Of course, the wars between Eldorath and Ghenarai were usually limited to border skirmishes. This was because the cities weren’t particularly close to each other, and because both cities were separated by a small mountain chain.

“Well?” Kelog kept his voice down, while what they were discussing wasn’t particularly important, and the fearful looks in the eyes of the humans told him none would cause him trouble, he still wanted to keep his voice down. There was no telling who might be trying to scry this conversation, especially since this Jace was likely a Sorcerer.

“It’s as we heard. The pirates gave up their slaves after this Jace slaughtered the captain and crew of the ‘Fairy Queen’. Furthermore this Jace seems to be giving them something called a [Letter of Marque].” The orange haired man spoke quietly.

“Le-Ter ov Marg?” Kelog sounded out the strange words with a confused look on his face. “Are you making things up Faris?”

Faris shook his head. “That’s what they were calling it. A [Letter of Marque]. It apparently is a royal decree which gives them legal permission to pirate under the flag of Lotsorn. The Sorcerer King is putting his name on the piracy apparently. He’s also made them ‘pay’ for the [Letter of Marque].

“Pay? What is this paper worth?” Kelog was puzzled.

“The cost is apparently to pay taxes on their gains, and to agree to not kill anyone who surrenders, and to give the palace the right to decide the fates of slaves, either slaves captured from the captured vessels, or slaves made from the crew of those vessels. They also had to release all their human slaves who had the moon mark released, and to agree to only enslave their captives for 20 years.” Faris spoke this all out slowly and quietly.

Kelog frowned. “This Jace, what is he doing?”

“Seems to be trying to remake humans. You saw those rules about thieves? Well you’d think the thieves would be the first to try to put a knife in this sorcerer’s back, yet he’s been hiring the former thieves into the army as scouts. The army is already frighteningly and almost fanatically devoted to him.

“You would be too Faris if you were neutered when you joined the guard and then not only had your freedom restored but had those missing parts repaired. I dare say those guards are going to defend this Jace till their last breath.”

A woman sitting at a table next to theirs by herself, suddenly turned around and pulled her chair up to them and sat down. She had the same pale skin around her neck as the serving girl, however this woman didn’t seem particularly uncomfortable in clothing. She was clean and well groomed, rather pretty by human standards, though she clearly lacked any sort of curves, rather she seemed bone thin. She then spoke in a pretty voice, joining their conversation.

“He’s actually rather smart, this ‘Sorcerer King’. Don’t you see what he’s doing? The pirates would have kept pirating unless he killed them all. Then new people would pirate. Pirating is one of the main means of income for this city. It’s not about a [Letter of Marque]. It’s about making the pirates part of the LEGAL system here. They’re going to be pirates anyway. This way he knows who they are and can restrain them a bit. In exchange the pirates now have a pretty strong backer, and the freedom to operate in the open, which should increase their profits.”

Kelog had problems keeping his mouth closed. A pretty human woman ex-slave just butted into their conversation, more so she was rather smart.

“Who are you?” Faris asked suspiciously. Kelog’s eyes widened when he noticed Faris reaching for his blade. His eyes going back to the human woman. He was too distracted by the girl’s face and had missed what Faris noticed immediately. His eyes caught the glint of steel and realized she had a drawn ‘something’ in her right hand, pointed at him under casual eyes/under the table. It took him a moment to realize it was likely a small crossbow.

Kelog winced and realized since it was unlikely Faris had seen the weapon in her right hand from where she was seated, it was likely she had something similar pointed at him. He couldn’t believe a human got the drop on him this effectively. As he was deciding how to deal with the situation the woman smiled a charming smile and spoke in answer to Faris’ question.

“Jaenin, though I’m sure you’re not asking me about my name.” Despite the situation her voice was light and carefree.

“Jaenin?” Faris seemed to pause in thought about the name. “I’ve heard this name…” he trailed off.

“You have?” She tilted her head letting her long pale blonde hair fall over her shoulder. It was uncombed and wild looking but clean like the rest of her.

‘She smells like the sea,’ Kelog thought to himself, something about the name Jaenin and the sea seemed to tickle his memories. Shocked he suddenly felt the pieces come together in his head. “Impossible, it’s not possible.” He spoke out loud.

Faris still was making a look on his face as if he didn’t know who she was but seemed to be thinking quickly.

“Oh, ho, who else would dare to call themselves Jaenin?” She spoke in that same carefree tone.

Faris went pale as a sheet seemingly recalling what Kelog recalled earlier, looking at her in abject terror. The fear on his face was what hammered home what Kelog was feeling. While Kelog was an aspiring blade master, Faris was a true blade master, to see that fear on his face said all Kelog needed to know about the likely identity of this ‘girl.’ He realized he was striding along a thin line of life and death and decided the path of wisdom and cowardice were often one and the same. Without regard for his pride he bowed his head to this ‘girl.’

“I’m sorry if I offended with my common tone.” The words escaped his mouth before he could think straight.

Jaenin frowned at his bowing of his head. “Stop that. Don’t make a scene. Jace is a sorcerer after all, no need to let him know I’m here yet.”

Knowing he was displeasing her he straightened immediately, and quickly placed his palms on the table top, away from his sword. The crossbows in her hands were laughable, they were nowhere near the danger this person represented. He still couldn’t help glance at the pale skin ringing her pretty neck and wonder what Jaenin was playing at.

“I actually met you two by accident. But sometimes my friend fate is like that. I’m not really all that interested in what this Jace going to do, so forgive me for butting into your conversation. His actions are interesting but nowhere near as fascinating as those of the Kindred woman at his side, and the Fairy girl she’s been ordering about. Tell me, what do you two know about this Kindred priestess Verna, and the Fairy Seer Easol?”

Kelog blinked at the question and couldn’t hide his surprise. ‘Jaenin is looking into Easol? What has she been doing?’ The thought troubled him. He had heard no word about Easol since arriving in Lotsorn and had already written her off as a casualty, now not only did he hear her name, but he heard it attached to this Sorcerer King. Kelog had a sinking feeling this chance meeting with Jaenin would turn out to be particularly troublesome for him. What surprised him was it was Faris who answered.

“I’ve been wondering the same thing. The girl seems to be carrying out the Kindred woman’s orders. But I can’t decide what the ultimate purpose is.”

“Wait, what? You had word of Easol and didn’t tell me?” Kelog looked at Faris with a frustrated look on his face.

“Why should I have? For all I knew you were already in contact with her and working together. She’s from Ghanarai, what other assumption was I to make?” Faris spoke unapologetically.

Wincing, Kelog spoke quickly to Jaenin to explain, “I didn’t know she was even here. She was my fiancé, her father asked me to look for her, but I had not received word of her presence in the city yet.”

Jaenin looked at him curiously, then dismissed him for the moment and spoke to Faris, “tell me what you’ve heard.”

Faris spoke slowly, “Well, not much, but it does seem like they’re operating independently.”

“Explain” Jaenin spoke quietly, and leaned closer.

Faris leaned closer and spoke quickly “This Jace is always around anything he does. I mean, granted I could see why he wouldn’t be around these actions, but it seems counterproductive for him not to put his face on it. So it seems to me someone else is doing something in the palace. Well Easol is clearly doing their bidding, as she’s had her hands on it quite publicly, and without attempts to hide it. Yet her actions don’t match either. Why would a Person of the World be willing to destroy all temples to Elis? Or even more so, to Vigelli? While Vigelli isn’t quite the patron of the People of the World, we’ve always had a good relationship with her. The statues and images to the grey king were all torn down and new ones to this sorcerer King appeared in their place. Why? What about the cults that sprung up to worship this Jace as the savior of mankind and the world? I mean there probably would be some organic desire for such a thing, but this is organized, and Easol’s hands are all over it.”

He paused then spoke again “any way you cut it she doesn’t have a motive to do these things. And almost all of these things would be aided by Jace’s presence. So, you can conclude he doesn’t know about it. This leaves one person, the Kindred women who is like his queen. This makes a lot of sense if it’s her behind this. However, beyond the obvious reasons why she would be doing this, I mean all of this only cements his position here. I can’t figure out why she’s doing it behind his back or even hiding her involvement by making Easol do it herself. Furthermore, now Easol is gathering up groups of people with nothing in common with each other and taking them to the palace.”

Jaenin nodded in agreement with Faris’s words then spoke, “I suspect it’s all connected. I just can’t decide how. This is why I want to be selected by this Easol, to enter the palace. And you two will help me.”

By which, Kelog was sure Jaenin meant ‘he’ would have to help her. Cursing to himself he couldn’t help but wonder what made a monster like Jaenin so interested in his rival and ex fiancé.

A beautiful sapphire blue haired girl hurried through the streets of Lotsorn. Her clothing was all black, and like all fairies her clothing seemed to drift and float with her hair as if she were submerged in water. Her eyes were a much deeper shade of blue, dark blue, nearly purple. Her delicate features and slight frame were indicative of her race, and though she hurried, passing through a tightly packed crowd of people, her feet made no sound on the stone, nor did she ever seem to touch anyone as she drifted through the crowd. Many people stopped to look at her, especially the men who got a good look at her face, as she really was breathtaking. But no one stopped her, and most quickly looked away in fear.

Easol was hurrying after someone in the crowd. She had not got a good look at them, just saw a glowing golden aura of fate and knew this might be the person Nana had sent her to chase after all those weeks ago. Nana, had sent her on a lot of tasks since that night when the moon vanished from the night sky. Just thinking about that night still gave her nightmares. She was a Seer, able to read and see the path of time, she could see current and past events, and was used to seeing some terrible things. However, that night was some of the most terrible moments she had lived through. Right up next to her baptism.

Six weeks ago, she had nearly become cursed by the horrible curse which afflicted mankind, a curse afflicted on man by the Sun god Elis. The curse was a blight upon this world, which affected all the humans born in it, some worse than others, but all of them none the less. Had that been all there was to the curse she would hardly give it much thought; however, the curse was doubly nefarious because it also was still active and spreading. The conditions for it to spread were fairly simple. It would spread to anyone who helped a human being. As a result, all the races, whether they were friends or foes of humans, no longer dealt with them in friendship, further oppressing the race into a ragged and desperate state. In her case, she had the curse triggered through her actions to keep herself alive. The Sorcerer Jace had just entered the throne room of the King, and an assassin had tried to kill him. Though she could see the future and knew that Jace would survive the assassination attempt, she also knew his rage would lead him to slaughtering all the nobles and herself in the throne room. Rather than die like that she chose to take a knife for him, a path she knew would win his sympathy and mercy.

Unfortunately, this also meant she was to be cursed because she acted to save a human; well she thought that might have been the reason. Whatever the reason she was cursed alongside Jace and the kindred vixen Nana; Jace had taken hours to create a massive magic circle and removed the curse. Not just from them, but from the city and all the cursed people within sight of the city walls.

She could never forget the image of that young human man, cutting off his leg. Or breaking through as a sorcerer. Or regrowing his lost limb. The image of him on his knees carving the last few runes in that monstrous magical circle by torchlight, while an icy rain fell was etched inter her mind. She never believed anything he would try to do would work. However she could FEEL the power of the circle he was creating. The very air seemed to warp and twist, she felt a crushing pressure on her as he finished the circle, almost as if this circle should not exist in this world, and the world was breaking down around it. It was a horrible sensation.

Of course the most terrifying part was yet to come, it happened as he channeled magic into the massive circle, she felt like her soul and fate were separated for a moment, then she felt fate itself bend, warp and leap, from one branch to the other of the plant of fate. She couldn’t even conceive of such an occurrence. From what she knew of magic, the glyph and fate it wasn’t even possible.

While she felt the curse torn from her, and fate flip, she had found herself kneeling on the stone floor, soaked in the icy rain eyes on the starlight sky, watching as the second moon disintegrated. Of all of the things that occurred that night this was the least impressive thing. Still it was momentous and she still couldn’t decipher how that had happened, but one thing she did know. Now there were two very angry gods, a missing moon and a red sun.

The events of that night were stressful enough. Then came her meeting with the Kindred woman Verna. Her heart had been in her throat the whole meeting. She couldn’t keep her eyes off the woman’s full lips, hips or bust. The way her clothing fit her figure was almost criminal. She knew when she met her that this was the woman for her. And needed to make Nana, her’s. Unfortunately, the woman seemed to not notice any of her advances. The knowledge that the alluring woman both ignored her advances and slept with that plain faced human Jace was frustrating. Worse, she was terrified of rejection. This was the first time she ever felt the desire for another person so strongly that it overwhelmed the longing her people felt when sleeping far from the ground they were born. The longing for the kindred woman was so intense she could barely sleep, yet she could not muster up the courage to tell her, or to try to romance her. She feared the woman’s rejection.

So she became Verna’s errand girl, voluntarily. Verna in the first days after Jace’s seizure of this city was looking for someone to carry her orders and do some tasks for her. Many of the tasks were seemingly innocuous, passing letters or collecting them. But then there was the order to destroy all the statues and likenesses of the grey king and replacing them with those of Jace. Or the order to find people with strong fate. Verna never explained any of the orders she gave but the last two definitely stressed her a bit.

Verna was definitely up to something, all the minor tasks seemed to point to it. She just wasn’t sure what it was. She would gather as many people as she could find with strong fate, and every couple of days Verna would do something with them, she never learned what. What frustrated her to no end was the fact that Verna never told her specifically she was looking for. As a result, she had been searching for this person or persons diligently for weeks.

“Who would have thought Kelog would help me find this treasure?” She was still confused about that meeting. It had come suddenly a few hours ago, Kelog told her to tell her parents she was still alive. He had that horribly arrogant air about him as if the act of talking to her alone was beneath him. It was infuriating as always. Yet he suddenly suggested she meet a friend of his, a human none the less, which lead to a misunderstanding which lead to this chase. She HAD to get her hands on this girl Jaenin.

Her thoughts came to a screeching halt as she spotted the golden aura again ducking into an ally way, she almost had her!