Elysian Chronicles: A Dance in the Darkness

Sudden Tempest

She rushed briskly through the main gate of the city of Elysia. She let herself blend into the crowd and there was no way the man could follow her without causing a big commotion. She couldn't sense anyone chasing her, so she let the thoughts of the woman drift to the back of her mind. "Something to discuss with Minos," she thought as she stepped onto the glossy obsidian streets. Artisans were busy preparing for the Day of Sagacity but the storm had the shopkeepers struggling to put protective spells on all of the merchandise they had set out. Hired members of the Houses of Magic were assisting the fancier uptown shops and the other shop owners were using magic devices produced by the charm factory. The temporary spells were advertised to protect themselves during the storms." If I ever find him, " she grumbled to herself, as she moved through the busy foot traffic of the city.

The wind whisked and she could smell the storm brewing. Up close, the view of the sky above the palace was growing more and more ominous. She felt the hairs on her arm raise in her amazement at the grand fountains of the two sages she saw almost touching the dark sky. "Wow," she thought as she pulled her cloak tightly around her, wisely picking up the pace in fear of the storm. It was too late. The alarm warning people of the storm sounded just before the rain came pounding to the ground. The ground seemed to shake as the thunder echoed over the shrieks of the people. "I have to find somewhere to go," she thought, determined to remain calm despite her growing fear. She glanced at the sky blanketed in darkness, dusted with lightning that could hardly be seen. The air was thick with a steamy fog caused when the chilly rain hit the dark pavement. Hard droplets fell all around Nina as she gasped for breath, barely making it into the main street of town before the worst of the tempest struck.

Just move.

Nina watched in amazement at the chaos as people ran left and right to escape the cold, hard rain, shrieking at the terrifying sound of thunder. She quickly noticed how The High Born, those belonging to the Court of the Royal Magical Houses, maintained their composure. Many of them vanished out of sight before a drop of rain could touch their expensive garments. She frowned at how quickly they abandoned the shop owners who they had hired. "Wow," she watched as their magic briefly illuminated the spot where they vanished, lighting the darkness in bursts of blues and reds. The quick flashes of light lasted but a longing second. She took off again, pausing only to avoid being drawn into someone's portal. After the Royals left with no hesitation, the rich shop owners were prepared for the worst. An annoyance of Nina's, they quickly used their portable portals and vanished. Because of the strength of the magic, it was easy for Nina to be pulled into one. "Ugh," she grunted as she moved out of the way of one of the portals.

Abandoned in the dark, the common people scrambled to the public portals that, for a fee, would transport them quickly out of the rain. Many were digging for loose change to pay for the suddenly inflated fares common in the city. The Royal Magic company would inflate portal travel prices and Spirehorse lifts to maximize profits. Nina stopped for a moment to watch the chaos. "I wonder where Minos would be in all of this?" she thought, watching as the privileged factory pulled out their company-issued portable portals, vanishing with no issue.

The common magic folk, but with no special, amount of magical powers mostly worked for the Charm Factory. They were enticed to work there to gain access to the many magical items that enhance their magic. It was convenient because most public magical carriages wouldn't take them to their homes in the lower levels of the city, too dangerous for anyone who had even a glimmer of wealth. The ground soon became slick with wetness and the sounds of lightning shook Nina from her entrancement of the chaos around her. "I should stick to the shadows," she quickly rushed to the nearest back street, deeper into the city, hoping to avoid most of the crowds.