Mercy and Magic

CH1 Gather

Studying within her library, various book on herbology, Tanya focuses on which herb combination will yield her the perfect healing potion. She casts a spell to beckon the call of a wood nymph to aid her in her herbal search. She sees a nymph at the window waving, which she points her canine familiar Maya to open. Tanya remembers this nymph by the scar upon its wing from when she saved it from a rose bush late Spring. She prepares her herbal pouch to embark on an excursion accompanied by the nymph and her Falcon follower Astral as she asks Maya to protect the house (Once an animal has bonded spiritually with someone, the magic that is shared between the companions gives the animal the knowledge and ability to shift into human form for more convenience and capability, if the master dies, the familiar soon follows since their souls are linked). As soon as she takes foot outside her door, she is welcomed by her dear neighbor and friend Laverdaine.

Laverdaine surprised Tanya, "Just in the nick of time Scarlet, I was wondering if you could lend me--" he paused, now noticing her attire, "-- I'm sorry, were you leaving somewhere? I can wait till you get back." Very few people call her Scarlet but it's obvious since her hair is as bright as red flames. Tanya sighs with a slight grin on her face "I was going to head to the market and then to the forest to stock up on herbs. You should tag along, I know you've been using some from my garden, Maya sniffed you out." Laverdaine chuckled nervously, he agreed to come with. As they travel with her staff named Beatrix, which has the ability to teleport and dis-spell other magic, they noticed something very off-putting about today's market. Looking around, many people are chatting quietly as if something hidden lies dormant. Tanya walks over to a dried fruit kiosk when she noticed something peculiar from her side view, the bulletin board had many reports on them, which is a rarity since most posts are about market improvements and lost items. Laverdaine follows my line of sight and pulls one of the reports, "There has been recent reports on magic activities within the area, signs point to necromancy from what I can tell." Tanya clicks her tongue in disgust about the reports and clenches her pendant seeing if this is the work of the ones who murdered her parents, when a mage is killed, their blood stains the murderer permanently by its magical properties, physically affecting them to an extent, Tanya's pendant was made with the blood of her parents to protect her overflowing power, it glows when near things her parents blood have scorched, but it didn't glow, meaning the necromancer must be long gone.

As they gather items with astral, perched on a tree overlooking most of the market, the wood nymph peers out from Tanya's inner cloak pocket peering ahead towards the Walen Forest, "I know there are roots used to help bone strength in that forest, come on." Tanya beckons to Laverdaine to follow her, Astral climbs into his basket which is strapped to his back, "Scarlet, can you tell your feathered friend, I'm no horse for him to carry?" Tanya smirks at Astral who then sits himself upon her shoulder. I collected the Ginseng root from it's flower while striking up a conversation with Laverdaine, "So, how many times have you studied today, it's still morning. Knowing you, you probably haven't slept yet due to the slight bags I see under your eyes." Laverdaine tripped over a tree trunk laughing nervously "I had about one hour of sleep until I remembered that I had scored an Eldric enchantment book at the night market yesterday, the knowledge was calling out to me, telling me to buy and learn," he said with sparkles in his eyes "I have about three chapters left I think." Tanya paused and turned towards him in shock "You do know those books have over two hundred chapters right?" Laverdaine turned pale, as if realization of how much of a workaholic he is was to high. They took a break, counting how much they've found from Ginseng to Karabi.

They venture deeper into Walen Woods where they came across random piles of ashes. It couldn't have been any fires since the trees remained unscorched. "Those are sea nymph ashes, I can feel their magical beings, why would they be so far from home?" Syran whispered, obviously about to break into tears. When nymphs die, their body forms into a flower that takes to the wind where they'll be reborn wherever they choose to land, if they die by magic, their bodies become statues which if touched, falls into ashes. Tanya reached down and waved her hand above the ashes, chanting a spell to awaken the spirits of the sea nymphs. The nymph spirit rose from the ashes, slightly disfigured with missing feet, it spoke, "Where am I? Please don't hurt us again. We'll obey this time." the sea nymph started to weep, not knowing what has become of himself. Tanya calmed herself, not letting her emotions take over. She asked the nymph spirit worryingly, "May I ask who captured you? Why were you captured and brought so far from home?" Laverdaine rests his hand upon her shoulder, knowing her intentions are sincere but also full of hatred, "Scarlet, I know what you're thinking." he said sternly, "revenge comes at a cost, that cost might be your life. Think about peace for once, your anger is written all over your face." Tanya sighs irritatingly, knowing that violence solves nothing, "You're right. But I won't allow anyone to commit such heinous crimes towards anyone, especially nature protectors." The sea nymph spirit explained that him and his companions were captured, forced to assist multiple necromancers. They were forced to use their energy to resurrect small creatures which is forbidden by Fae Law of magic.