21 Ash 121
Sprinting in a dead heat down the market street, Charlie looked for a way out of the mess he'd made. Behind him, he heard a few guards moving in his direction, but they were armored and did not seem to be terribly concerned with the minor theft. Reshi, the butcher, was the voice he heard above all others. While he shouted that Charlie was a thief, even the other people in the market did not seem to take his accusation too seriously.
Those that knew Charlie was a mage thought Reshi was a fool that had invited his own fate. Most merchants that made their living in these streets had been swindled by a Mesmer a time or two, and they viewed it as part of doing business in the Low City. Some even employed their own Mesmers to manipulate potential customer, so they too had no interest in trying to name or shame Charlie on the off chance it impacted their bottom line.
Even with the deck stacked in his favor, Charlie had no interest in taking his chances explaining himself to the guards. Breaking off from the main market street, Charlie darted down an alleyway. Once there, Charlie followed the alley until it met up with another, and then turned again. He did this a few times, the object not to actually get anywhere in particular, but instead to create uncertainty. It lowered his chances of being found even further if guards needed to check a dozen different alleyways rather than just one. It was a trick he had perfected in the Knob in Zaichaer, still worked well enough in the densely populated areas of Kalzasi.
He stayed in the alleys until he no longer heard the guards. This did not take much time, as they had given up almost as soon as he had slipped from their line of sight. Charlie caught his breath then, leaning up against a wall until he could force himself to breathe evenly again.
Stepping out onto another street a couple blocks from the first, Charlie made for the main road again. He spared a few looks over his shoulder, but was otherwise unconcerned with being followed this far. Once he was back on the central footpaths, Charlie walked up the road and back towards the commons.
Along the way he secured himself a loaf of bread, something to drink, and some corn to round out his dinner. He paid not a copper for it, having learned nothing from his prior encounter. None of these vendors had seemed to notice his influence over their emotions, and that did well to bolster the young man's mood.
He had always been that way though, confident and easygoing. Failure had never managed to dampen Charlie's dazzle, and ever did he have a plan to get himself right back on top.
He ate while he walked and just enjoyed the sights of Low City while he made his way back towards the tailor shop and his apartment above it. The city was beautiful at night, and Charlie often found himself staring at the stars. So transfixed on the beauty of the skies above him that he did not notice someone was waiting for him at the tailor shop until he was too close to change his course.
They were tall, well built, and wearing a cloak. They were facing him, but stood under the entryway leaning against the door so their features were cloaked in shadow. The ominous appearance did little to dissuade Charlie as he closed the distance.
“Hello, Charlie.” Vanessa said, and Charlie's concentration faltered when she pushed herself away from the door and stood before him. To anyone else, their proximity would have been uncomfortably close, but not to Charlie.
Vanessa looked tired, Charlie noticed. It was a long journey from Zaichaer to Kalzasi, and he simply must have been her first stop. He was so sure of it that he found no reason to even ask her about it. He was instead merely glad to see a familiar face again, and could only barely restrain himself from hugging her.
“Vanessa!” Charlie greeted her cheerfully after the initial surprise had worn off “So good to see you! You should have told me you were coming, I'd have brought you along.” He held up the empty packaging that had once held his food and beamed up at her in that damnably genuine way.
“Bit of an unplanned trip.” Vanessa replied, not sharing his same sweetness. She liked Charlie well enough, but could have never hoped to match his energy. “Listen, I got something to ask, and for once it's legal.”
That piqued Charlie's curiosity, and set his mind racing not long after. He was a man ever willing to perform a favor, even for Miss Quill. She was beautiful, her eyes breathtaking, her voice enrapturing despite her bluntness. He had done many things for her already on his prior trips to Zaichaer, but he had often been the one to approach her. A swell of pride warmed him now that she had come to visit him in his own city.
“It would be my honor, Vanessa. How can I help?” He responded as he unlocked the door to the tailor shop and stepped inside. “Come on in. Beats the cold, at least.”
Once inside, Vanessa took a seat and removed her cloak. She held it out to him, and he took it. Looking it over though, Charlie simply came away puzzled. “It's nice. No rips or frays. High quality fabric, too. What do you need me to do with it?”
“I need it lining a coat.” Vanessa explained. “It's a cloak of flight, magic. I can wear it under my jacket, but that makes me look mad.”
“Easy enough. You want me to just fix it to one of your doublets?” Charlie asked, and Vanessa shook her head.
“Nah, I need a new one altogether.” Vanessa told him. “Blue and white, but not like those damned skyguards. Here, I got a crest I need on it.” Vanessa dug into her pocket and handed over a piece of paper bearing a rendition of the House Michaelis blazon.
Charlie recognized it at once as one of the noble houses of Zaichaer, but did not recall which one.
“Put it on the left sleeve if you can. Dealer's choice otherwise, so long as it blends in with Zaichaeri fashion. That's important, you hear me?” Vanessa said harshly.
She need not have been so insistent on that point. Charlie already preferred working with Zaichaeri fashion, and he knew better than to design something that would make Vanessa stand out in her own city. He did not try to tell her this, of course. Rather the young mage simply nodded along, placing the cloak and the paper off to the side. “It'll take me some time. You can stay here while I work on it, if you'd like.”
“No.” was Vanessa's flat reply, but that was not enough to stop Charlie.
“Are you sure? the inns around here are killer on the pocketbook. Look, I'll sleep on the floor, you take the bed.”
On some level, Vanessa did admire his dedication. He did make it all manage to have his offer make so much sense. Had Vanessa not had a duty to perform back in Zaichaer, she might have taken him up on the offer. But alas, Vanessa held firm, and had no desire to spend more time away from House Michaelis.
“I'm sure, lad. You can bring it to me when you're done.” Vanessa said as though it were as simple as walking down the street.
“Of course!” Charlie said without thinking, his mind only catching up a few seconds later and a curious look overcoming his face. “Wait, to you in Zaichaer?” he asked, as though there could have been any other place she called home.
“Aye, that's where I live.” Vanessa replied as though Charlie had gone soft in the head. “Address is on the back of that paper I gave you. Just hand it off to whoever opens the door and say it's for me.”
On the back of the paper in question was not the address to Vanessa's apartment in the Knob, but rather the location of the Michaelis Estate. It had been written by someone else of course, Vanessa still had not learned how to write. She had been spending more and more time at the manse, so it only made sense for her to have it delivered there rather than the apartment she only occasionally visited.
Besides, Anton could always use more friends, and an easily manipulated Mesmer would serve him well.
“But be discreet. I fucking mean it. Keep your damn head down. No using your magic, don't even get within fifty feet of a member of the army. Get in, deliver the goods, and get out.” Vanessa instructed. While she saw no issue sending an unlicensed mage quite literally to Anton's front door, she drew the line at Charlie not being careful about the whole thing.
“I know, I know” Charlie said lackadaisically. He was better at stealth than she gave him credit for, but was hardly a master of his craft in that regard. “Can I ask why you're trying to blend in with the nobles? Got one hostage and need to make an escape?”
“Workin' for one, actually.” She confessed. She saw no reason to lie to him. He would have found out eventually, and it was better to get his questions out of the way now
The admission predictably shocked Charlie. “Really? I knew you were on the payroll after that job, but I thought that it was just hush money.”
“It was, for a while anyway. Guess I made an impression.” In truth, there was no guessing. She had known precisely the moment her fate was bound with House Michaelis and she became more than a brigand paid for her silence. Not much more, but more all the same.
“Well, I for one think that's great. So long as this noble isn't the incineration type, introduce me sometime?” Charlie accepted her new role without a second thought. To most, the pirate to bodyguard transition would have been an oddity demanding further questions, but not dear Charlie. The young Mesmer found no fault with Vanessa seeking to make her life more comfortable as she neared the end of her fourth decade on earth.
“Don't worry about that. He's a noble! They're all damned hypocrites about magic. That's why they're letting me use the damn cloak in the first place.” Vanessa assured him. “Anyway, what do I owe you?”
Charlie scoffed. “For a friend? You wound me! Seeing you wear it with pride is all the payment I'll need.”
Love was the only thing that could beat out Charlie's desire for a comfortable life. It just so happened that everyone else seemed to know that as well, even Vanessa. “You're a good kid, Charlie.” She said as she stood and stepped over to him so she could lay a hand on his shoulder.
“Everyone says so!” came Charlie's reply, remaining outwardly calm while his heart raced. She was so close, and had just complimented him, so she must have had some feelings for him He allowed himself now to see her symphony as he stared into her eyes. She was as straightforward as she remembered. The rhythm was precise and unflinching, and the melody beautiful in its simplicity. Each emotion she felt was in harmony with another, and none were complex. It was so beautiful that Charlie had not even noticed that none of the emotions dallied towards attraction. He could work on that.
In theory Vanessa's would have been an easy symphony to manipulate, but Charlie knew better. She well knew how it felt when a Mesmer begun to push or pull on her emotions, and Charlie rather liked his jaw unbroken. No, he simply enjoyed their closeness and made assumptions on its meaning. It was this look of doe eyed affection that had finally gave Vanessa the smallest change of heart.
“I guess I can stay for one night, just so I can make sure the fabric's right. I will be taking the bed though.” Vanessa said finally, and not a man alive could have been happier than Charlie.
“Oh, fantastic!” He said, reaching up and taking her hand in his own. He led her through the back room of the tailor shop, and then up the stairs to his abode above. All the while he was quizzing her over her favorite breakfast, heedless of how little Vanessa seemed to care about what he prepared or how he prepared it.
Yes, Charlie would make someone very happy one day, that much was true. If the gods were kind, he might even find someone that would return the favor.
Those that knew Charlie was a mage thought Reshi was a fool that had invited his own fate. Most merchants that made their living in these streets had been swindled by a Mesmer a time or two, and they viewed it as part of doing business in the Low City. Some even employed their own Mesmers to manipulate potential customer, so they too had no interest in trying to name or shame Charlie on the off chance it impacted their bottom line.
Even with the deck stacked in his favor, Charlie had no interest in taking his chances explaining himself to the guards. Breaking off from the main market street, Charlie darted down an alleyway. Once there, Charlie followed the alley until it met up with another, and then turned again. He did this a few times, the object not to actually get anywhere in particular, but instead to create uncertainty. It lowered his chances of being found even further if guards needed to check a dozen different alleyways rather than just one. It was a trick he had perfected in the Knob in Zaichaer, still worked well enough in the densely populated areas of Kalzasi.
He stayed in the alleys until he no longer heard the guards. This did not take much time, as they had given up almost as soon as he had slipped from their line of sight. Charlie caught his breath then, leaning up against a wall until he could force himself to breathe evenly again.
Stepping out onto another street a couple blocks from the first, Charlie made for the main road again. He spared a few looks over his shoulder, but was otherwise unconcerned with being followed this far. Once he was back on the central footpaths, Charlie walked up the road and back towards the commons.
Along the way he secured himself a loaf of bread, something to drink, and some corn to round out his dinner. He paid not a copper for it, having learned nothing from his prior encounter. None of these vendors had seemed to notice his influence over their emotions, and that did well to bolster the young man's mood.
He had always been that way though, confident and easygoing. Failure had never managed to dampen Charlie's dazzle, and ever did he have a plan to get himself right back on top.
He ate while he walked and just enjoyed the sights of Low City while he made his way back towards the tailor shop and his apartment above it. The city was beautiful at night, and Charlie often found himself staring at the stars. So transfixed on the beauty of the skies above him that he did not notice someone was waiting for him at the tailor shop until he was too close to change his course.
They were tall, well built, and wearing a cloak. They were facing him, but stood under the entryway leaning against the door so their features were cloaked in shadow. The ominous appearance did little to dissuade Charlie as he closed the distance.
“Hello, Charlie.” Vanessa said, and Charlie's concentration faltered when she pushed herself away from the door and stood before him. To anyone else, their proximity would have been uncomfortably close, but not to Charlie.
Vanessa looked tired, Charlie noticed. It was a long journey from Zaichaer to Kalzasi, and he simply must have been her first stop. He was so sure of it that he found no reason to even ask her about it. He was instead merely glad to see a familiar face again, and could only barely restrain himself from hugging her.
“Vanessa!” Charlie greeted her cheerfully after the initial surprise had worn off “So good to see you! You should have told me you were coming, I'd have brought you along.” He held up the empty packaging that had once held his food and beamed up at her in that damnably genuine way.
“Bit of an unplanned trip.” Vanessa replied, not sharing his same sweetness. She liked Charlie well enough, but could have never hoped to match his energy. “Listen, I got something to ask, and for once it's legal.”
That piqued Charlie's curiosity, and set his mind racing not long after. He was a man ever willing to perform a favor, even for Miss Quill. She was beautiful, her eyes breathtaking, her voice enrapturing despite her bluntness. He had done many things for her already on his prior trips to Zaichaer, but he had often been the one to approach her. A swell of pride warmed him now that she had come to visit him in his own city.
“It would be my honor, Vanessa. How can I help?” He responded as he unlocked the door to the tailor shop and stepped inside. “Come on in. Beats the cold, at least.”
Once inside, Vanessa took a seat and removed her cloak. She held it out to him, and he took it. Looking it over though, Charlie simply came away puzzled. “It's nice. No rips or frays. High quality fabric, too. What do you need me to do with it?”
“I need it lining a coat.” Vanessa explained. “It's a cloak of flight, magic. I can wear it under my jacket, but that makes me look mad.”
“Easy enough. You want me to just fix it to one of your doublets?” Charlie asked, and Vanessa shook her head.
“Nah, I need a new one altogether.” Vanessa told him. “Blue and white, but not like those damned skyguards. Here, I got a crest I need on it.” Vanessa dug into her pocket and handed over a piece of paper bearing a rendition of the House Michaelis blazon.
Charlie recognized it at once as one of the noble houses of Zaichaer, but did not recall which one.
“Put it on the left sleeve if you can. Dealer's choice otherwise, so long as it blends in with Zaichaeri fashion. That's important, you hear me?” Vanessa said harshly.
She need not have been so insistent on that point. Charlie already preferred working with Zaichaeri fashion, and he knew better than to design something that would make Vanessa stand out in her own city. He did not try to tell her this, of course. Rather the young mage simply nodded along, placing the cloak and the paper off to the side. “It'll take me some time. You can stay here while I work on it, if you'd like.”
“No.” was Vanessa's flat reply, but that was not enough to stop Charlie.
“Are you sure? the inns around here are killer on the pocketbook. Look, I'll sleep on the floor, you take the bed.”
On some level, Vanessa did admire his dedication. He did make it all manage to have his offer make so much sense. Had Vanessa not had a duty to perform back in Zaichaer, she might have taken him up on the offer. But alas, Vanessa held firm, and had no desire to spend more time away from House Michaelis.
“I'm sure, lad. You can bring it to me when you're done.” Vanessa said as though it were as simple as walking down the street.
“Of course!” Charlie said without thinking, his mind only catching up a few seconds later and a curious look overcoming his face. “Wait, to you in Zaichaer?” he asked, as though there could have been any other place she called home.
“Aye, that's where I live.” Vanessa replied as though Charlie had gone soft in the head. “Address is on the back of that paper I gave you. Just hand it off to whoever opens the door and say it's for me.”
On the back of the paper in question was not the address to Vanessa's apartment in the Knob, but rather the location of the Michaelis Estate. It had been written by someone else of course, Vanessa still had not learned how to write. She had been spending more and more time at the manse, so it only made sense for her to have it delivered there rather than the apartment she only occasionally visited.
Besides, Anton could always use more friends, and an easily manipulated Mesmer would serve him well.
“But be discreet. I fucking mean it. Keep your damn head down. No using your magic, don't even get within fifty feet of a member of the army. Get in, deliver the goods, and get out.” Vanessa instructed. While she saw no issue sending an unlicensed mage quite literally to Anton's front door, she drew the line at Charlie not being careful about the whole thing.
“I know, I know” Charlie said lackadaisically. He was better at stealth than she gave him credit for, but was hardly a master of his craft in that regard. “Can I ask why you're trying to blend in with the nobles? Got one hostage and need to make an escape?”
“Workin' for one, actually.” She confessed. She saw no reason to lie to him. He would have found out eventually, and it was better to get his questions out of the way now
The admission predictably shocked Charlie. “Really? I knew you were on the payroll after that job, but I thought that it was just hush money.”
“It was, for a while anyway. Guess I made an impression.” In truth, there was no guessing. She had known precisely the moment her fate was bound with House Michaelis and she became more than a brigand paid for her silence. Not much more, but more all the same.
“Well, I for one think that's great. So long as this noble isn't the incineration type, introduce me sometime?” Charlie accepted her new role without a second thought. To most, the pirate to bodyguard transition would have been an oddity demanding further questions, but not dear Charlie. The young Mesmer found no fault with Vanessa seeking to make her life more comfortable as she neared the end of her fourth decade on earth.
“Don't worry about that. He's a noble! They're all damned hypocrites about magic. That's why they're letting me use the damn cloak in the first place.” Vanessa assured him. “Anyway, what do I owe you?”
Charlie scoffed. “For a friend? You wound me! Seeing you wear it with pride is all the payment I'll need.”
Love was the only thing that could beat out Charlie's desire for a comfortable life. It just so happened that everyone else seemed to know that as well, even Vanessa. “You're a good kid, Charlie.” She said as she stood and stepped over to him so she could lay a hand on his shoulder.
“Everyone says so!” came Charlie's reply, remaining outwardly calm while his heart raced. She was so close, and had just complimented him, so she must have had some feelings for him He allowed himself now to see her symphony as he stared into her eyes. She was as straightforward as she remembered. The rhythm was precise and unflinching, and the melody beautiful in its simplicity. Each emotion she felt was in harmony with another, and none were complex. It was so beautiful that Charlie had not even noticed that none of the emotions dallied towards attraction. He could work on that.
In theory Vanessa's would have been an easy symphony to manipulate, but Charlie knew better. She well knew how it felt when a Mesmer begun to push or pull on her emotions, and Charlie rather liked his jaw unbroken. No, he simply enjoyed their closeness and made assumptions on its meaning. It was this look of doe eyed affection that had finally gave Vanessa the smallest change of heart.
“I guess I can stay for one night, just so I can make sure the fabric's right. I will be taking the bed though.” Vanessa said finally, and not a man alive could have been happier than Charlie.
“Oh, fantastic!” He said, reaching up and taking her hand in his own. He led her through the back room of the tailor shop, and then up the stairs to his abode above. All the while he was quizzing her over her favorite breakfast, heedless of how little Vanessa seemed to care about what he prepared or how he prepared it.
Yes, Charlie would make someone very happy one day, that much was true. If the gods were kind, he might even find someone that would return the favor.