Ink Forged

~By Decree of the Queen~

Maevus tugged her grey cloak up over her bright red hair, not wanting to draw the attention of the queen's men dotted around the village square. She'd been hearing rumors as she traveled across Escana, but she needed to know if it was true.

The sinuous dragon wrapped around her neck under her scarf made a small chirping sound of comfort.

"Sh, Veena," she soothed, whispering under her breath. "We'll be okay, just as long as they don't know what we are." Her voice turned dry. "Which would be easier if you would go back."

Veena growled, the sound disproportionately threatening for her miniature size, and Maevus understood that her battle-dragon would not be leaving until they were safely away from the soldiers. She just hoped no one would find it suspicious if her neck started to smoke. 

Glancing around, hoping she looked less than suspicious, she tugged self-consciously at her hood once more. The people of this town all seemed to have either dark brunette or deep blue hair. She would stand out like a Light-Charmed Encant on Midnight Day if she were to lose her hood.

She could only pray to Revana that the soldiers didn't have any Encants in their company. There was no way her level of magic would go unnoticed by another of her kind in such a little village. Right now, she was satisfied that she couldn't feel any other magic in any of the people around her.

People were still filtering into the town center, peering interestedly up at the captain as she stood on the auction block in the middle of the square. Her crisp, green uniform looked like it would be uncomfortably warm this far south, but her serene expression didn't let on even a hint of discomfort.

Veena growled and Maevus hushed her again, drawing her own overly-warm cloak tight, trying to make herself as small as possible in the shadow of one of the wood buildings that made up the border of the square. She knew the scarf and cloak might draw attention, making people wonder why she was wearing so many layers when others were walking around nearly naked in the heat. But she'd concluded that the cloak would draw less attention than her hair, and the silky scarf less attention than a dragon.

She leaned against the wall, the wood creaking slightly, waiting along with everyone else for the few stragglers being herded into the square by the queen's soldiers. Veena nudged irritably at the scarf. The dragon's body heat was like a strangling noose of warmth around her neck, but her presence was nevertheless comforting. 

So was the lightweight sword strapped across her back and the dagger at her hip, but they were nothing compared to her Charm. 

A few of the townspeople were giving her curious looks, but most of the crowd was focused on the captain, who nodded to one of her soldiers. He raised a plain, dull black pistol, muzzle pointed in the air and pulled the trigger, making Veena hiss and Maevus' ears ring.

Everything grew deathly silent as the report of the shot faded away. Maevus found herself holding her breath as the captain unrolled a scroll and cleared her throat. 

"Attention please," the captain called, her voice as serene as her face. Not even a breath of wind stirred the air, like the elements themselves were afraid to risk interrupting this woman. 

Veena, sensing Maevus' anxiety, wrapped more tightly around her throat in an affectionate squeeze. 

"By our queen, Her Majesty Selna Vorox, twenty-fourth of the House Vorox, the following will be recognized as law from this point forward."

My life is about to change.

The thought was melancholy and terrifying.

The captain once again cleared her throat. Maevus had started breathing again, but it was shallow and noisy to her ears.