Ravenna is a apprentice of Vesuvia's local magician. For the most part her life seemed pretty normal. She'd wake up to her teacher leaving for a few days at a time, then it was off to run errands around the city, come home to practice her magic, and...
When I wake, dawn light is shining through the dusty windows. I spend the early hours preparing my things, casting shadows on the walls. I'm suppose to meet the Countess at the Palace, for some unknown reason. She had come to the shop in the middle of the night. Asking for a reading and my assistance with a plan of hers. I throw on my traveling cloak and hurry outside, pulling the heavy wooden door shut behind me.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
After last night's intruder... I turn the first lock, and then the second and third. Almost satisfied, I press my right hand to the door. I begin to whisper a cross-me-not Spell. White whorls glow deep within the door, they slowly fade into the grain. Exhaling deeply, I make my way towards the steps to the marketplace. Even though it's early in the morning, the marketplace is already wide awake. All around me are the sounds of bartering, laughter, vendors hawking their wares. A voice I know all too well, calls out to me over the sea of noise. "Ravenna! Have you eaten?" The baker asks me. "I've got a loaf of banana nut bread you like in the oven. Won't be too much longer now." He says. I decide to stay and eat a quick bite before continuing my journey to the palace.
As I climb the heavily-worn steps, something catches my eye. A fortune teller's booth, tucked away in a shady corner. How nostalgic... Asra and Tia, his sister, once operated out of a place just like it. As I'm lost in thought, a patron emerges from the booth. "Lucky numbers, check. Groceries—" The woman says to herself. I don't notice her backing into me until we crash into each other. "Ack!" She cries. The impact makes me stumble, teetering on the edge of a step. It also upsets the basket balanced on the woman's hip...which sends a dozen pomegranates rolling down the stairs. "Oh, perfect! As if I wasn't already late..." She says to herself. I drop into a crouch beside the woman to help. I spot a pomegranate as it's about to be stomped under a stray hoof. Luckily, I manage grab it at the last second. When I hand it back to the woman, her eyes sparkle with delight. "Ooh, thank you! How sweet of you to help. And after I bumped into you in the first place." She says. Together, we hunt down the rest of the pomegranates. They're a little bruised but no worse for wear. "Well, I can't thank you enough!" The red headed woman says. She offers me a hand. The skin of her tiny palm is rough against mine, calloused. "Probably shouldn't do this, but..." She says to me. Rubbing it off on her sleeve, she offers me a fruit from the basket. When I accept it, the woman gives me a smile that warms my heart. "Take care, all right? I'll see you around—" The woman's eyes widen when she takes a closer look at me. "Wait, wait, wait! I know you!" She exclaims. "Er.." I begin, confusion evident on my face. I'm completely at a loss. I have no idea who she is. "You're Ravenna, the magician. Countess Nadia said we were expecting you." She explains. We? I think to myself. "You can call me Portia. I'm milady's head servant." She explains. Oh. All the pieces click together. The pomegranates were for the Palace. And Portia's name does ring a bell. I'm sure I've heard of her, through gossip in the market. "Well, how lucky were we?" She begins. "Come on. I'll show you the quickest path to the palace."
