pandakatiefominz
Wraith
The old stories claimed magic was, once upon a time, accessible to all, without effort, or payment, without having to source it, it was drawn from the bones of the earth as newborns drew breath and estuaries drew water. Rose believed it, somewhat. As a wood elf, her kind had lifespans twice as long as the next longest-living race, and before he died, her great grandmother swore that before the fall of the Last Great Elven Kingdom, nearly 3000 years ago, nobody needed to buy these crystals the overthrowers peddled. It simply was. And she was never a liar, but... it was difficult to imagine. What was only four generations for the elves, regardless of if they were woodland, high, or dark, but for most others? It was ages. The majority claimed elves were crazy, or they were misrepresenting how life used to be, or they were simply bitter over the fall of their kingdom.
"Even if it did used to be like that," the point was raised, among many others, "don't you think it's better now? This way the most powerful mages have the most access to magic, and the less skilled cannot access the same amount of magic required, so less harm will be done."
Frankly, it didn't matter much to Rose. It was how life was now, and she couldn't do anything to change it. So, her family paid their dues to keep their inn and tavern warm in winter and cool in summer, paid to keep their car running, paid for each little spell to keep their herbs fresh, or to heal injuries... she didn't use magic much herself, at least not any more than the average person needed to simply to survive. You simply could not live without magic, everything ran on it. Citizens weren't even meant to use sticks light fires, you were supposed to use these fancy contraptions they called 'lighters,' if not a magic spell, and if you were caught doing otherwise, you'd be fined. Heavily. And that was a minor infraction... but, it was life. Rose tried to keep her head down and not make waves. She adventured, somewhat, even though nowadays people who traveled as a career weren't particularly well thought of. They were considered more like vagrants than noble heros, but, well... she enjoyed wandering, helping others, and singing, playing instruments, exploring, and her family supported it, and it wasn't illegal. She still paid her dues to the High Mages in the Onyx Palace, and so despite her unconventional career choice, she kicked up no dust. She wasn't the only one, either. Although wandering bards weren't as common in the common day, there were still bounty hunters plentiful, and wandering merchants selling the much needed crystals and other goods.
Or, at least, she thought she wasn't making waves, until she received a sudden from the High Mages themselves, and suddenly found herself sitting, not only in the capital, but in the infamous castle itself. Young Rose McGann had been ushered into a meeting room and told to wait, was told another individual would be arriving shortly, and that the High Mages had a task for them. She didn't like the sound of it, but you don't argue with the High Mages, not ever. So she sat, ankles crossed, rubbing her thumb against the gentle curve of her bow, glancing occasionally at the stone faces of officials in the room, but mostly staring out the window, or at the door.
"Even if it did used to be like that," the point was raised, among many others, "don't you think it's better now? This way the most powerful mages have the most access to magic, and the less skilled cannot access the same amount of magic required, so less harm will be done."
Frankly, it didn't matter much to Rose. It was how life was now, and she couldn't do anything to change it. So, her family paid their dues to keep their inn and tavern warm in winter and cool in summer, paid to keep their car running, paid for each little spell to keep their herbs fresh, or to heal injuries... she didn't use magic much herself, at least not any more than the average person needed to simply to survive. You simply could not live without magic, everything ran on it. Citizens weren't even meant to use sticks light fires, you were supposed to use these fancy contraptions they called 'lighters,' if not a magic spell, and if you were caught doing otherwise, you'd be fined. Heavily. And that was a minor infraction... but, it was life. Rose tried to keep her head down and not make waves. She adventured, somewhat, even though nowadays people who traveled as a career weren't particularly well thought of. They were considered more like vagrants than noble heros, but, well... she enjoyed wandering, helping others, and singing, playing instruments, exploring, and her family supported it, and it wasn't illegal. She still paid her dues to the High Mages in the Onyx Palace, and so despite her unconventional career choice, she kicked up no dust. She wasn't the only one, either. Although wandering bards weren't as common in the common day, there were still bounty hunters plentiful, and wandering merchants selling the much needed crystals and other goods.
Or, at least, she thought she wasn't making waves, until she received a sudden from the High Mages themselves, and suddenly found herself sitting, not only in the capital, but in the infamous castle itself. Young Rose McGann had been ushered into a meeting room and told to wait, was told another individual would be arriving shortly, and that the High Mages had a task for them. She didn't like the sound of it, but you don't argue with the High Mages, not ever. So she sat, ankles crossed, rubbing her thumb against the gentle curve of her bow, glancing occasionally at the stone faces of officials in the room, but mostly staring out the window, or at the door.