The Quests of Fable

Ch. 1: Old Cedar Invites Fable To Tea

Somewhere in the kingdom of Amiys, in the small town of Sparrowvale, a girl by the name of Fable was daydreaming again.

Fable knew somewhere in her mind that she was supposed to be sewing, but the only thing on her mind was Tanzim's Academy of Magicks. Ever since she was young, Fable had wanted to be a mage adventurer. She wanted to learned how to do spells and make potions so she could go on quests and finally get some excitement. She thought her own life was rather dull, and envied the passing adventurers for their travels and stories. Sometimes, when her mother would let her go out to the market, she would manage to convince an adventurer to tell her about their latest quest. Strictly speaking, she wasn't supposed to talk to the adventurers because they were "bad influences", but that had never stopped Fable.

She tapped her fingers on her sewing table absentmindedly, ignoring the green fabrics and the iron sewing machine that sat in front of her. Fable wondered if she would have time to go the library later. After three months to go through the new books that had arrived with the last cycle shipment, she would finally get a new list to pick from. She only hoped there would be a spellbook this time.

A loud rapping at her door interrupted Fable's daydreams and made her jump as her mother came to check her progress.

"Fable? How's the coat coming? Are you done the sleeves yet?" The door opened, and Fable's mother walked in.

Fable was the daughter of Maris Ennocamy, a well-known seamstress and tailor throughout the western side of the kingdom. She had tan skin and dark brown hair, much like her daughter, and piercing green eyes hidden behind smudged glasses that always slid down her pointed nose. Maris was famous for her coats and her ability to sew leather armor as well as clothes, and she had sewn many an outfit for the royals and nobles of Amiys. Fable, of course, had been enlisted to help with the armor and coats, but never the upper class robes. Not that this bothered her, of course. The last thing Fable wanted was more sewing.

"I see you haven't finished the sleeves yet," Maris said disapprovingly. "Did you have to take out the stitches for some reason, or were you slacking off and daydreaming again?"

"I was- I was thinking," Fable protested. "About... sewing."

"Mhm. And when were you going to actually do it?"

"Um..."

"That's what I thought. Now, no more of this pipe-dream nonsense, or I won't let you go to the library until every coat for this order is finished."

"What? But-"

"We agree, then. Now, finish those sleeves. The coat isn't going to sew itself."

Fable sighed as her mother closed the door behind her. The sewing machine started clacking as she pumped the pedal with her foot.

"Mugh. Don't even like sewing," she muttered. "Can't go to the library. Can't learn magic. Can't talk to adventurers. Probably wouldn't let me leave my room if she thought she could get away with it. Just gonna make me sew the rest of my life and never have any fun."

When both sleeves were done, Fable brought them to her mother and laid them both out on the kitchen table.

"Is this good?" She said tiredly.

"Mhm. Your hemming could use work, but these will do fine."

"Okay. I'm gonna go on a walk, then."

Maris gave her a quick warning not to talk to adventurers and told her to be back by sundown, and Fable was off.

She wrapped her long green coat tighter around herself and pulled up the oversized hood. It wasn't very chilly out, but Fable liked to be warm. As she walked past the library she could see that it was closed, so she turned left and headed towards Sparrow's Wood, the forest that separated Sparrowvale and the neighboring port town of Tealing.