A Few Good People

[Sinna Mystika]

The cry came from the people quite unexpectedly. And loudly. It was very loud. A rogue Faery creature, a troll from the looks of it, had come out of the forest and into the village. This had never happened before. Several of the town's mages had tried to suppress it and failed. This troll was different, larger. The people had no choice but to flee to the next village.

The troll stayed for several days, consuming what it could and destroying what it couldn't. When it finished, it moved on to another village. The people of the destroyed village, having foreseen this, had prepared this village for an attack, but it was in vain. The troll was simply too strong. The village mages combined had little power as it was, as the village Council wanted to preven an uprising. The Heroes of the village were not heroes at all, but ordinary humans who claimed the title simply for the monetary benefits. The people again fled, finding a larger town, one they felt would be too large to be targeted.

When they had told their story, the village Council sent messengers down every road that left the village in hopes of finding someone who could defeat the troll. Many of the messengers would perish, they knew, but perhaps one would find his way to a village that could send help.

[Sinna Mystika]

It was two weeks until her fifth birthday, and Áinfean was out playing. She didn’t notice the small dust devil following her. It was about a foot high and was colored a grassy green. Her father noticed it, however, and called for the Academy.

Áinfean was watched by the men from the Academy until the dust devil formed again, then she was put onto a horse with a man who told her she was special. The man told her parents they could come visit her once her training was finished, and they could write her any time they pleased.

Her mother was crying, and her father was looking at her sternly. Áinfean realized then, her mother wasn’t crying because their only child was being taken away. She was crying because of the shame she felt at having birthed a mage. Áinfean looked away from her parents to the road ahead, and she didn’t look back.

Áinfean woke with a start. The dream plagued her every year about this time, but she was used to it now. She never had heard from her parents, nor had she tried to contact them. If they wanted no daughter, they had no daughter. Áinfean looked out the window. Sunrise.

She dressed quickly and walked to the local tavern. Perhaps there would be good news today. It was the meeting of the village’s Council, and Áinfean wanted to attend. It was open to the public today, and there was to be big news.

[Wheresmycow]

Sunlight entered through a thin space between the curtains, shining directly onto Brand's face.  Muttering to himself, Brand tossed off the covers and got up from bed.  Work had been short as of late, and he found himself in a cheap little inn in some random village after a small foray into the forest, trapping for for furs and meat.  The furs had paid for the room and not much else and Brand in need of finding a way to earn some more coin if he wanted to do something other than tromp through the woods for his next meal.

Putting on his clothes and strapping his weapons to his side, Brand looked into the small mirror he always carried with him.  The beard was going to need to be trimmed soon and there was just a little more gray in it today.  Grunting to himself, Brand tied his hair back and held it in place with his copper clasp before exiting the room, making his way down into the common area for some quick breakfast.  There was going to be a meeting of the village's council and since it was open to the public, Brand had gotten up this early to attend.  Ordinarily Brand wouldn't have bothered to attend, but it seemed like there would be an opportunity to find some well-paying work.

Finishing the greasy meal that was dumped in front of him, Brand headed towards the tavern where the meeting was being held.  He could already see some others making their way there.  Hopefully this wouldn't turn out to be a waste of his morning.