Day 227

[from Aura of Chaos]

The girl led Xeron and Tara through the Lower Quarter, winding her way through the back alleys and skilfully avoiding any potential trouble. Once or twice a street ruffian would glance over at them, then see that the girl was with them and look away again with a nod, as though silently understanding the situation.

"So, uhh… what's your name?" asked Tara after a little while.

"Martina," said the girl.

"I'm Tara," said Tara. "My friend here is Xeron." She gestured in Xeron's direction.

"Pleasure to meet you, I guess," said Martina.

"So… I'm guessing this place is somewhere here in the Lower Quarter?" asked Tara.

"Well… kinda," said Martina. "It sorta is, and it sorta isn't. You'll see what I mean in a minute. It ain't that far now."

 Sure enough, only a couple of minutes later, Martina came to a halt outside what appeared to be an ordinary herbal remedies shop. "Alright, here we are," she said, lowering her voice. "I gotta tell ya, though, this place is top-secret. Tell nobody about it unless you know they're a Witch. Got that?"

Tara nodded. She was well aware of the need for secrecy among the Witch community, and the potential consequences if the secret ever got out. "Alright, good," said Martina. "Now, follow my lead."

The trio entered the shop. Even now they were inside, it still appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary herbal remedies shop. The air was filled with the scents of dozens of different wild herbs and spices, mixing together into a mild, soothing aroma. It was a very pleasant atmosphere, and much unlike the emporium of arcane books and artefacts that Tara had been expecting. Now that she thought about it, of course, the magical items were most likely kept out back, away from view; putting them on display would be suicide.

Martina strode purposefully towards the elderly man at the front desk, and Xeron and Tara silently followed behind. "Good afternoon," said the old man, bowing slightly. "How may I help you?"

"I'm looking for a spice that reminds me of home," said Martina. "You got anything like that?"

 The old man gave her a knowing smile. "I'm sure I can find something out back," he said. "Are your two friends after such a spice as well?"

Martina nodded. "We all miss our homes very much," she said.

The old man nodded, and pulled a hidden lever under his desk. A small passageway silently opened in the wall behind him, seemingly leading underground. "Then I hope you find what you are looking for," he says. "Go quickly."

"Thanks," said Martina, before heading through the passageway. Xeron and Tara also extended their thanks to the man, before heading in after her.

The passageway did indeed lead underground, and quite some way; there were no lights, and it was hard to see where they were going, especially after the entrance to the passageway slid silently shut behind them. "Will we be able to get back out again?" asked Tara.

"Oh, of course," said Martina. "There's a special knock you'll have to do; I'll show you that on the way out."

"I assume what you told him was some kind of secret code?" said Xeron.

"The stuff about a spice that reminds me of home?" asked Martina. "Yeah, that's the entry code. It's shows you're a Witch… or at least, someone who can be trusted. If you don't know the code, this is just a place that sells herbal remedies. But if you do…"

Xeron and Tara noticed that the tunnel was starting to get lighter, and as the path levelled out, they suddenly found themselves in what could only be described as an underground marketplace, carved out into the rock and dirt several metres below the city. All around them were shops catering to both Black and White Witches, spelling spell books, potions, conjuring staffs, magical garments, and just about anything else a Witch could ever want. Dozens of Witches milled around the square, some carrying small sacks of goods, others clutching spell books or staves. The whole area was lit with blue torches that were no doubt magical in nature.

"…it becomes a whole lot more," Martina finished triumphantly.

Tara let out a gasp. "Wow… this place is amazing!" she said.

"Sure is," said Martina. "Welcome to the Reservoir: the greatest underground network of Witches in all of Albion. Whatever it is you want - books, staffs, whatever - you'll find it here." She turned to Xeron and Tara, revelling in the looks of awe on their faces. "So, we good now? All forgiven?"

Xeron nodded, an awestruck grin spreading across his face. "Yeah," he said. "We're good."

"Sweet," said Martina. "I'll go talk to my buddies, let 'em know you guys are off-limits. I'll leave you to your shopping; I'll be in the entrance tunnel waiting for you when you're done."

"Okay," said Tara. "Thanks, Martina. I don't know how we would have found this place without you."

"You wouldn't," said Martina, a hint of smugness passing into her expression. "Alright, see ya later then." With that, she headed off, and Xeron and Tara were left alone.

"So… you're the Witch here," said Xeron. "Where do you wanna go first?"

Tara had never been confronted with so many magical items for sale before. She had no idea where to start. She looked all around, taking in the various sights and smells of the Reservoir, growing more bewildered with every glance. "Uhh…"

Day 209

[from Aura of Chaos]

"So, what now?" asked Tara, as she and Xeron stepped back out into the streets. "We can't really make a move until that sorcerer does, so should we just stay in Clauston for now?"

"I think that would be best," said Xeron. "We can stock up on supplies, and I'm sure there are plenty of people here who'll have work for us. It's a huge city, after all."

"So, where should we go first?" asked Tara.

"I think if we're going to be spending a lot of time here, we should go find a place to stay first," said Xeron. "I saw a nice-looking inn near the city gates, we should see if they have any rooms spare."

"Good idea," said Tara.

The two headed off back towards the southern gates, and within half an hour they had booked a room at the Three Sisters Inn for the next week. This, they felt, would be ample time to earn some money, stock up on supplies, and sharpen their fighting skills, and given the pattern of his attacks so far, the sorcerer would most likely have shown himself again by then.

Their next destination was the Market District, in the southeast of the city. Not only was it conveniently close to the inn, but it contained the largest range of items for sale in one place in the whole kingdom. By the time they'd finished shopping, Tara had some new clothes, Xeron had a new iron chestplate and lance, and their supply of potions and remedies had been significantly replenished. Their funds, however, were starting to run low, and so the pair turned their attention to finding work.

"I wonder if it's worth checking the Lower Quarter, near the docks," said Xeron. "It's the poorest, roughest part of the city, and there's always a lot of crime happening there. It's a dangerous place, but we might be able to earn a lot of gold through collecting bounties, or righting wrongs or whatever."

"That sounds good to me," said Tara. "I mean, it can't be any more dangerous than when we defeated that Shoukan back in Hilston, can it?"

"Good point," said Xeron. "Alright, Lower Quarter it is, then."

The Lower Quarter was in the southwest of the city, located on the other side of the gate. There were significantly less people out in the streets of this part of town, perhaps because of its reputation as a hotbed of crime. Tara saw several run-down, dilapidated  buildings, some of which still seemed to be inhabited. The golden pavement beneath them was chipped and cracked, and in a few places missing completely, foot-wide chunks of earth poking out from amidst the tiles.

"Why doesn't the King try and renovate this part of the city?" asked Tara. "The longer it's left like this, the worse it'll get. Some of these buildings don't even look inhabitable!"

"He doesn't have any incentive," said Xeron. "It'd take too long, cost too much, and there'd be no guarantee it'd actually fix anything. So I guess he's just gonna leave this part of the city to rot."

Tara looked quite upset at this, but she realized there was nothing they could do about the state of the Lower Quarter. Fixing something like this was far beyond their power. Instead, she turned her attention back to the here and now. There appeared to be a street brawl happening a little way down the road they were walking on, and Tara felt Xeron tug on her shirt sleeve, gently steering her towards a side alley. "We should go a different way," he muttered. "We don't wanna get caught up in something like that."

"But we could help!" Tara objected. "We could stop the brawl, or something-"

"If the royal guard catch us getting involved in something like that, they'll probably arrest us too," said Xeron. "It's best that we try and stay out of trouble until-"

"Stop right there!" From out of the shadows in front of them burst a young woman with tanned skin and dirty grey clothes. Her left eye was covered with a black eyepatch, with a long scar just visible behind it. What caught Xeron and Tara's attention, though, was the jagged knife held in her hand, pointed straight at them. This young woman was trying to rob them.

"Hand over all your gold, and nobody gets hurt!" said the woman.

Xeron's response was to lift up his lance, as though to bring attention to it. "You sure you wanna do this?" he asked.

The woman seemed a little intimidated, no doubt realizing that the man she was trying to mug wasn't just some random citizen, but she tightened her grip on her knife and put on a brave face. "This is your last chance!" she said. "Hand over the money or I'll cut you!"

Xeron sighed, and launched himself into battle. The resulting fight happened too fast for Tara to make out what had happened, but at the end of it, the would-be robber was sprawled against the wall of the alleyway, wincing in pain, and Xeron was stood over her, holding her knife in one hand and his lance in the other. Judging from the lack of blood, he must have only used the shaft of his lance to strike her, rather than the tip. Xeron pocketed the knife, and reached out towards the girl, presumably to pull her to her feet.

"Whoa, whoa, wait!" said the girl hurriedly, holding up her hands in a gesture of peace. "Don't arrest me! I don't wanna go to jail again! Look, if you let me go, I can give you some good info! You guys aren't from around here, right? I can tell you all this city's little secrets!"

Xeron paused, a look of intrigue on his face. "What kind of secrets?" he asked.

Sensing Xeron was taking the bait, the girl relaxed a little. "Well, you're friend over there's a Witch, right?" she asked. "I can just tell, y'know? Don't worry, I ain't gonna tell anyone. Anyway, she's probably having a hard time looking for spellbooks and mana potions, right? Well, there's a place right here in the city where she can go to get more. But I'll only tell you where it is if you let me go. We got a deal?"

Xeron glanced over at Tara, seeking her approval, and Tara swiftly nodded. She really did need new spellbooks and a supply of mana potions if she was going to continue to be useful to Xeron, and besides, she felt rather sorry for this poor girl, reduced to  petty theft in order to get by. Judging from the looks of her, she was probably homeless as well. It seemed Xeron agreed with her sentiments, for he then nodded in turn. "We have a deal," he said.

The girl breathed a sigh of relief, and scrambled to her feet. "You won't regret this," she said. "Alright, follow me. It'll be easier if I just show you where it is."

"How do I know I can trust you?" asked Xeron.

"Well, what do I got to gain from tricking you?" asked the girl. "A one-way ticket to jail? No thanks."

"Point taken," said Xeron. "Lead the way."

Day 201 (Catch-Up)

[from Aura of Chaos]

The inside of the Great Library was immense in both size and grandeur. Towering bookshelves, elegantly carved from oak and marble, reached dozens of feet towards the gilded ceiling, and stretched almost as far as the eye could see. Stacked within their wooden frames was almost every conceivable kind of book, from epic war poetry to romance novels, as well as encyclopaedic volumes recounting the region's entire history. Almost every work of literature that Albion had ever known was contained within this vast repository, in some form or another.

Tara had never seen such a vast building in all her life. She gasped in astonishment, gazing around the library with her mouth open. "This place is... incredible..." she said.

"It really is," said Xeron. "I'd heard how vast the collection here was, but seeing it in person is really quite the sight."

"You've never been here before?" asked Tara.

"No," said Xeron. "I never felt the need to before, but now, things are different."

Tara nodded. "There has to be something in here that can help us... but what? And how will we ever find it?"

"Perhaps I can be of assistance?"

Xeron and Tara turned round to see an elderly man walking towards them. He wore a midnight blue robe, and half-moon spectacles. He gave off a definite air of wisdom and importance. "Are you the head librarian?" asked Xeron.

"I am indeed," said the man. "My name is Corwyn. I know almost everything there is to know about the contents of this library. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"We're looking for information about something called the Orb of Chaos," said Xeron. "Do you have any books that might shed some light on it?"

"The Orb of Chaos..." Corwyn repeated. "Yes, I believe I might have some information about it. Follow me."

Corwyn headed off through the maze of towering shelves, with Xeron and Tara following closely behind. Corwyn glanced over his shoulder every so often to make sure that they were still following him. "Did you travel far to get here?" he asked.

"We've come from Tirera," said Tara.

"Are you enjoying the capital so far?" asked Corwyn.

Tara nodded. "It's enormous..."

"I suppose it is," said Corwyn.

Corwyn stopped at a nearby shelf, perusing it. "Now let's see here... where would it be..." He climbed up onto a movable ladder and began to patiently browse the higher shelves. After several minutes of browsing, he produced a large, dusty volume. Brushing the dust off the cover, he peered over the top of his spectacles at the book, making sure it was the right one. "Yes, this is it," mumbled Corwyn.

"You found something?" asked Xeron.

"I believe I have," said Corwyn. Descending back down the ladder, Corwyn led the two adventurers to a nearby table and laid the book down upon it. The front cover read, "THE WORLDS BEYOND OUR OWN".

"Worlds beyond our own?" Xeron read aloud, as he and Tara sat down. "You mean, Heaven and Hell?"

"Not only those," said Corwyn. "You see, some historians have long theorised that, before the creation of our own world, there have existed other worlds." Corwyn opened the book, to a page depicting an Earth-like planet but with subtly different geometry. "Some believe they were failed attempts at creating the world we know, so-called "Precursor Worlds"; others believe them to be entirely separate, with their own deities, so-called "Parallel Worlds". Still others believe they do not exist at all."

"Do they?" asked Xeron. "And if they do, how is the Orb of Chaos connected to them?"

"Oh, these alternate worlds exist, all right." said Corwyn. "And the Orb of Chaos is the key to unlocking their secrets." Corwyn turned to another page, this one depicting a milky-white sphere with strange blue wisps swirling within it. "The various worlds are all separated by a swirling mass called Chaos, within which they all eternally drift," he explained. "The Orb of Chaos is a mythical artifact that is said to have the power to open gateways between the Chaos, linking two worlds together. It is even said that if a powerful enough Witch gains possession of it, they could perhaps open a gateway to Heaven or Hell themselves."

Xeron and Tara exchanged nervous glances. "There is a Black Witch in possession of the Orb," said Xeron. "He must have used its power to open gateways to other worlds, and summoned creatures from within them. That's where the monsters that attacked Hilston and Tirera came from."

"That would definitely explain it," said Tara. "Do you think he's trying to open a gateway to Hell?"

"Even if he is not, this is still a most disturbing development," said Corwyn. "These realms are thought to be home to monstrous creatures known as Shoukan, far more powerful than any monster found in our own world. Even if this Black Witch does not open a gate to Hell, a sufficiently powerful Shoukan would lay waste to Albion."

"Do you think that's his aim?" asked Tara. "Summon a powerful enough Shoukan, and use it to take over the world?"

"If this is his aim, then he is a fool," said Corwyn. "A Shoukan that powerful would be beyond the control of any one man. Whoever this Black Witch is, he must be stopped as soon as possible, and the Orb of Chaos destroyed."

"Why wasn't it destroyed before?" asked Xeron.

"Nobody knew where it was until now," said Corwyn. "Some even doubted its existence. How this Black Witch came to possess it is a mystery."

"Well, how he got it doesn't matter now," said Xeron. "What matters now is how we can stop him. I've fought him once before... well, it wasn't really much of a fight. He almost killed me in a single blow."

"If he is truly as powerful as you say," said Corwyn, "then only a highly powerful White Witch will be able to defeat him. Of course, finding such a person may not be easy, given the way Albion is at the moment."

Xeron and Tara exchanged knowing glances. "I wouldn't be so sure about that," said Xeron.

Corwyn seemed to catch their drift, but said nothing more than, "I see", before moving on. "Do you know where this Black Witch is now?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not," said Xeron. "He disappeared after we defeated the second Shoukan."

"You must find him and defeat him as soon as possible," said Corwyn. "The more he uses the Orb of Chaos, the stronger the summoned Shoukan will become. Soon, even he will not be able to control them."

"So, what do we do?" asked Tara. "Wait for him to open another gateway, and then attack him when he does?"

"That's the best plan available to us, I think," said Xeron. "We've got no other way of finding him, so as risky as it is, we have to wait for him to surface again." Xeron then turned to Corwyn. "What about the Orb of Chaos? I assume an artifact like that can't just be destroyed by ordinary means."

"The lava of Mt. Akron in neighbouring Akeda is powerful enough to destroy anything thrown into it," said Corwyn. "Once you obtain the Orb of Chaos, you must travel there and cast it into the heart of the volcano."

"That sounds a little far," said Tara.

"It'll be worth it, though," said Xeron. "It's not the hardest of journeys, either."

Tara nodded. "I'll trust you on that. Then, it looks like we have a plan."

"I just hope that when that Black Witch strikes next, we're close enough that we can catch him before he disappears again," said Xeron.

"Let us hope so," said Corwyn.

"Is there anything else we should know about the Orb of Chaos, or about the worlds beyond ours?" asked Xeron.

"There is one thing that might be worth mentioning," said Corwyn. "The gateways opened by the Orb of Chaos are one-way only. Once an object has passed through the gateway, it cannot travel back through it."

"I see," said Xeron. "Well, thank you for all your help, Corwyn. We had best be going. We have other preparations to make."

"Of course," said Corwyn, closing the book. "I wish you both the best of luck. The fate of the world rests in your hands."

Day 188

[from Aura of Chaos]

It took Xeron and Tara three days to reach Clauston, but finally the great walls of the city loomed large before them. Clauston was the capital of the kingdom of Albion, and was home to the nation's ruler, Claus III. The city had at first been called Ravensbury, but nearly forty years ago it had been renamed in honour of King Claus I, Claus III's grandfather. It had been the scene of many important events in Albion's history, not least the attempted assassination, thirty years ago, that had led to the present ban on witchcraft.

Finally, Xeron and Tara passed through the high-arched entrance and found themselves in the main city. A small park nearby greeted those entering the city, while off to the right sat a large inn, where weary travellers could rest. Looming over the rooftops a short distance away, the pair could see the rising spire of the Church of the Divine Spirits, one of the largest churches in the world, and over on the other end of town, they could just make out the immense royal castle, towering over the rest of the city. It truly was a massive city, and now that they were within its walls, it seemed to stretch in all directions for as far as the eye could see.

Tara, who had never known life beyond Tirera until less than a week ago, was completely overwhelmed by the size of it all. "It's so… enormous!" she gasped. "How will we ever find our way to the Great Library?"

"I've been here before," said Xeron. "If I remember correctly, there are signposts throughout the city, pointing the way to various landmarks. The Great Library will surely be one of them. If we still can't find it, we can always just ask around. There's plenty of locals who'll know where it is." He gestured at the crowds of people milling around them. The city's population had to number in the many thousands, at least.

"That's a good point," admitted Tara. "Okay, so do we try looking for a signpost?"

"That would be a good idea," said Xeron. "Okay, there's gotta be one nearby…"

It only took Xeron and Tara a minute or two to locate the nearest signpost: in the centre of the park. "Ah, here it is," said Xeron. "Okay, let's see… looks like the Great Library is straight down that road." He pointed to the north, along the road through which they had entered.

"Well, that's convenient," said Tara.

"It sure is," said Xeron. "Alright, let's get going."

The pair headed off through the wide cobbled streets. The streets of Clauston were not literally paved with gold, as was rumoured in certain parts of the world, but rather with sandstone quarried from neighbouring Akeda. The sandy yellow bricks certainly gave the fleeting illusion that one was walking on gold, and gave the whole city a rich, vibrant feel. As Tara followed Xeron through the crowds, her gaze swivelled in all directions, drinking in the sights all around her.

It wasn't long before the grey stone building of the Great Library began to loom large in their sights, and as they arrived in a large square, the library itself was suddenly right before them, sitting proudly at one corner of the square and stretching upwards for at least five storeys. In the centre of the square was a large marble fountain depicting two angelic figures. A plague set into the base of the fountain revealed its purpose:

ON THIS SPOT, ON 643.4.20 TE, KING CLAUS II WAS ATTACKED BY A VILLAINOUS BLACK WITCH. THE KING ESCAPED UNHARMED, BUT AN INNOCENT WOMAN LOST HER LIFE. THE CULPRIT HAS NEVER BEEN CAUGHT. THIS TRAVESTY WILL ENDURE FOR ALL TIME.

Tara gasped, clasping her hands to her chest. "This is…"

Xeron nodded solemnly. "This is where it all started, thirty years ago," he said. "This is where the old king was attacked. In his anger, and his thirst for revenge, he made witchcraft punishable by death. Of course, not everyone agrees with the law, and there are plenty of people out there who disobey it or refuse to enforce it, but… not everyone's like that."

Tara nodded. She had still not forgotten what had happened in Tirera only a few short days ago. "Do you think that… the law will ever be repealed?" she asked.

"I don't know," said Xeron. "I hope so, though. It's not right that y- that Witches have to live their lives in fear." Xeron breathed a little sigh of relief, having just barely avoided letting slip that Tara was a Witch. Even in this crowded square, somebody might still have overheard.

Tara nodded again. "Do you think, perhaps-?" She cut herself off mid-sentence, shaking her head. "No. That's silly. It would never…"

"What would never happen?" asked Xeron.

"Well… I was thinking…" Tara shifted a little uncomfortably. "If we manage to save the kingdom from this sorceror, do you think - maybe - the king would reward us by agreeing to repeal the law?"

"Perhaps," said Xeron. "We could certainly help prove to him that not all Witches are like the ones that attacked his father."

"I hope so," said Tara.

"Well, we'll see," said Xeron. "First, we have to figure out how we can stop him." He gestured at the Great Library's double doors. "Shall we?"

Tara nodded, and the two made their way inside the Great Library in search of answers.

Day 172

[from Aura of Chaos]

With the dragon-like monster defeated,  Xeron and Tara began to discuss their next course of action. "Should we head straight to Clauston," she asked, "or should we remain here for a while and help the people out?"

"Well, I'd like to let the people know that the town is safe again now, and the monster is gone," said Xeron. "I also wanna check if everyone's okay. I'd hate it if we'd been too late to save anyone."

"Well, there's a load of people in that big building over there," said Tara, pointing at the stone building she had visited before. "I don't know if everyone made it there in time, but the boy's mother was in there."

"So she made it at least, then?" asked Xeron. "That's a big relief. I guess we'd better head over there, then."

Tara nodded. "Also…" She glances nervously down at the monster's bloodied corpse. "…shouldn't we do something about this? It's kind of blocking the road."

"I'm not sure we'd be able to do anything about that," said Xeron. "That monster probably weighs a ton. Besides, I think these people have bigger problems than a dead monster in the middle of the road."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Tara, glancing guiltily at the damaged buildings all around them, some of which were still on fire. "Sorry, that was kind of a stupid question."

"Don't worry about it," said Xeron. "It's shows you're concerned about these people, and in my line of - uh, our line of work, that's an important mindset. It's hard to work for people you don't care about."

Tara nodded. "So, should we get going?" she asked.

"Yeah, let's go deliver the good news," said Xeron. The pair headed off towards the large stone building hewn into the hill nearby, leaving the monster's corpse where it was.

Just as before, the door to the building opened as they approached, and a group of anxious faces peered round the frame, anxious for news. Xeron distinctly heard someone within exclaim "What? They're alive?!", before a man called out, "Is it gone? Is that monster gone?"

"Yeah, that monster won't be causing you any more trouble," said Xeron. "We dealt with it."

All around the bunker, there were sighs of relief and cries of jubilation as the word of the monster's defeat spread like wildfire. Xeron and Tara were swiftly pulled inside the building and found themselves mobbed by the joyous townspeople. "Thank you!" they cried. "Thank you so much!" "You've saved our town!" "You've saved us all!"

"Please," said Xeron, trying to work himself free of the crowd. "It was nothing…"

"I can't… breathe…" gasped Tara.

Finally the crowd drew back, and an elderly man stepped forward to address the two. "I am the mayor of Hilston," he declared. "I cannot thank you enough for defeating that monster. I felt for sure that the entire town would be destroyed, but now we can attempt to rebuild. You have my most humble gratitude."

"It was no problem, really," said Xeron. "We were just doing what we had to. To be honest, it's really fortunate that we were here at the time."

"It truly is fortunate," said the mayor, "and for that I thank the Divines¹. We cannot offer you much in return - we have suffered great damage, after all - but please, allow us to hold a feast in your honour."

"A feast?" repeated Xeron, a little surprised by the offer. "Well… okay then."

"Excellent," said the mayor, clapping his hands together. "We shall begin the preparations immediately."

"Doesn't it seem a little… wrong to be holding a feast, after all this destruction?" asked Tara, as the townspeople busied themselves with preparing for the feast.

"Not really," said Xeron. "I presume they all wanna take their minds off it, and forget about their troubles for a night before they set about rebuilding."

"I suppose that makes sense," said Tara.

"Besides," said Xeron, "if this is the only way they feel they can pay us back, then we should allow them to."

***

It took a few hours for the feast to be fully prepared, but eventually, Xeron and Tara joined the rest of the townspeople at one of the many long tables laid out across the stone floor. A surprisingly large array of food had been procured and laid out across the tables, and Tara, who had never known a feast like it, happily joined Xeron in sampling the various delights on offer.

The two had now learned that the building they were currently in was in fact a disaster shelter, constructed fifty years ago after a devastating landslide had struck the town. Its purpose was to keep the townspeople safe in case of another landslide, and it had been built to withstand the strongest forces nature could throw at it, hence why everyone in the town had immediately fled to it when the monster attacked, and why it was almost completely intact.

Xeron and Tara had also learned, much to their dismay, that eleven people had been killed by the dragon monster before they had been able to make it to safety. A toast had been raised in their memory, followed by another to honour the two heroes who had slain the creature responsible.

"So, what do you plan to do after you leave here?" asked one of the townspeople through a mouthful of chicken.

"We're heading to Clauston, to the Great Library," said Xeron. "We need to find some information about the man responsible for these monster attacks."

The entire table suddenly fell into a state of shock. The man who had asked the question almost choked on his chicken. "You mean, somebody let that monster loose in our city on purpose?!" a woman exclaimed.

"So it would seem," said Xeron. "They also released one into the outskirts of Tirera, where Tara hails from." He gestured in the direction of his companion, who was now happily munching on an ear of corn.

"But why?" asked the woman. "What could they possibly hope to gain from doing such a thing?"

"I don't know," said Xeron. "I don't know how they're doing it either, or where these monsters are coming from; they're like nothing I've ever seen before. That's why I want to head to the Great Library, to see if I can find anything there that will help me stop him."

"Do you think he's going to strike again, then?" asked a worried-looking townsperson.

"Definitely," said Xeron. "Maybe not here, but somewhere. I just know it. Whatever his goal is, he's not going to stop until he's accomplished it."

"Do you think you can stop him?" asked another townsperson.

"Of course they can," said a woman who seemed to have had one too many glasses of ale. "They stopped the dragon, they can stop anything."

"Well, we'll certainly try our best to stop him," said Xeron. "I can't guarantee that we'll do so before he strikes again, but we'll do our best. Right, Tara?" Tara nodded, unable to reply since her mouth was still full of corn.

The feast continued until late at night, by which time all those present had grown sleepy from consuming so much food and drink. Blankets were laid out on the floor, so that even those without a home to go back to could stay the night at the shelter. Xeron and Tara gladly joined them, curling up on the floor a short distance apart and falling asleep almost immediately.

AUTHOR NOTE: I would just like to take this opportunity to express my profound sorrow at the passing of Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, who was just 55. Yesterday's post of Pokémon: Shattered Crystal was based on a game that Iwata helped code - indeed, he compressed the code of Gold and Silver so much that the developers were able to fit Kanto in as well as Johto - and today's post is based on one of the many video games I have conceived over the years, with Nintendo among others acting as my inspiration. Tomorrow I will write a full post in his honour, but today I will say simply this: Rest in peace, Satoru Iwata.

[FOOTNOTES]

¹Referring to the Divine Spirits, the six original goddesses who created the world

Day 165

[from Aura of Chaos]

As the trio approached Hilston, they were met with a shocking sight. In the time they had been gone, the city had been reduced to ruins. The buildings were all crumbled and burning, and the villagers were nowhere to be seen. The three let out a unified gasp of horror, the boy's eyes filling with tears as he saw what had become of his hometown. "What in Vita's name happened here…?" asked Tara.

A sudden ear-splitting roar caused the very ground they stood on to tremble and shake, and as Xeron and Tara looked round in horror, a large dragon-like creature suddenly swooped down from the skies, approaching them. "Is this what destroyed the town?" asked Tara.

"I'd bet my life on it," said Xeron, drawing and readying his spear. As the dragon creature landed, Xeron turned to Tara. "Tara, you get the kid to safety. I'll hold off the monster in the meantime."

"But I wanna help you!" said Tara.

"You can help me by getting that kid to safety!" insisted Xeron. "We can take this thing out together after you've done that."

Tara nodded. Xeron was right. They had to get this child away from the danger zone. Tugging at his hand, she tried to pull him away. "Come on, let's go find you some shelter," she said.

The little boy did not move. He continued to gaze despairingly at the destruction around him, tears spilling down his cheeks. "What about my mommy?" he asked. "Is she okay?"

Tara felt a pang of sorrow. "I'm sure your mother is okay," she said. "I'm sure she managed to find some shelter in time. Come on, let's go look for her." Tara tugged on the boy's hand once more, and this time he allowed himself to be led away, still crying silently as his hometown blazed around him.

Tara quickly noticed a large stone building hewn into the side of one of the hills surrounding the town. It seemed to have survived the rampage completely intact, so Tara decided that it had to be the ideal place to take shelter. She quickly made her way towards it, with the young boy hurrying along behind. To her surprise, the door opened automatically as she approached, and at least two pairs of hands began to usher her inside. "Hurry!" a voice hissed. "Hurry, before it comes back!"

As Tara reached the entrance, she saw that the building was packed with dozens if not hundreds of people, easily a good proportion of the town's population. They must have all fled here when the monster first attacked, no doubt knowing that it would be the best place to go. Tara quickly pushed the boy over the threshold, but did not step inside herself. "I'm sorry," she said. "My partner's out there fighting, and I have to help him."

"Your partner's going to get himself killed!" said one of the women incredulously.

As the boy was ushered inside, Tara suddenly heard a joyous cry, and saw the boy's mother rush out of the crowd and pull him into a tight embrace. "Oh, my boy!" she cried. "My darling boy! Oh, I was so worried about you!"

Relieved that the boy's mother was indeed safe, Tara decided that her job here was done. "I'm sorry," she said, "but I have to help him." With that, she turned on her heel and ran off.

"Hey, get back here!" one of the villagers called after her. "That monster will kill you!"

"If she wants to get herself killed, then just let her," said another of the villagers coldly, before the stone door was swung shut behind her.

***

Meanwhile, Xeron was having a tough time taking down the dragon creature. He had managed to dodge its blasts of fiery breath and had gotten in a couple of hits with his spear, but the creature's thick, scaly hide was hard to penetrate. I have to get to its underbelly somehow, he thought. That's its weak spot.

As Xeron circled round to try and get in another hit, the creature suddenly reared up and slashed at him with its front claws. It only got in a glancing blow, but it was still enough to knock Xeron off-balance, causing him to fall over backwards and land on his rear. As he quickly scrambled back to his feet, the creature prepared to launch another blast of flame-

"Xeron! Hold on, I'm coming!"

Tara's cry as she sprinted towards the battle grabbed the monster's attention. It looked over for her for a moment, then abandoned Xeron and went after the seemingly weaker prey. Its distraction was a big mistake. Xeron was able to keep up with the creature at a sprint, and by reaching underneath its side he was able to plunge his spear deep into the creature's soft underbelly. The creature roared out in pain, and immediately staggered back round to attack Xeron once more, only for Xeron to then plunge his spear into the creature's eye. It let out an even louder roar, forcing Tara to clamp her hands over her ears as she winced, then began to blindly spew flames in every direction, forcing Xeron to leap out of the way.

Finally, the dragon creature spread its large, leathery wings and tried to fly away from its tormentors, but it was too weakened to lift more than a couple of feet off the ground, and this did nothing more than expose its belly to Xeron. After two more fierce jabs, the monster collapsed to the ground, let out a low, feeble roar, and died. Xeron breathed a sigh of relief. "Man, I'm glad that's over," he said.

"Where did a monster like this even come from?" said Tara, approaching the creature's bloodied corpse with caution. "I didn't think monsters so big even existed!"

"Maybe not in this realm." Xeron and Tara turned round, startled, and saw a man in a dark hooded cloak standing a little way down the rubble-strewn street. Xeron immediately recognized him as the man who had appeared in Tirera, and who had blasted him unconscious. "Or at least, not yet," he said ominously. "I have to admit, I'm surprised," he continued, addressing Xeron. "Not only did you manage to survive our first encounter, but you also managed to defeat the second Shoukan. Perhaps you will prove to be more of a nuisance than I first thought."

Tara soon realized who was stood before her. "Wait a minute… is this the-"

"Yeah," said Xeron. "This is the man who attacked me back in Tirera. The one who was responsible for the monster outbreak there. All of this was his doing."

"That's right," said the man. "I am the one who summoned the monsters that attacked Tirera, and I am the one who summoned this draconic creature to attack Hilston. These creatures are called Shoukan, and so long as I possess the Orb of Chaos, I will continue to summon and control them as I see fit. Even if you may have defeated the first two, you cannot hope to stop me. Soon this entire realm will be under my control." With a dramatic sweep of his cloak, the man vanished into the night.

Tara seemed rather confused by it all. "Orb of Chaos? Shoukan?" she repeated. "What was he talking about?"

"I'm not sure," said Xeron, "but it seems like he has some kind of object that allows him to summon these creatures somehow. Perhaps we can find out more about it over at the Great Library, in Clauston."

"Isn’t that a few days away?" asked Tara.

"Yeah," said Xeron, "and he may well have attacked yet another village by then. But we have to find a way to stop him as soon as possible."

Tara nodded. "I agree," she said. "First my hometown, now here… he has to be stopped."

Day 146

[from Aura of Chaos]

The forest west of Hilston proved to be larger and more difficult to navigate than Xeron and Tara had anticipated. The thick canopy of the trees above blotted out much of the light, but fortunately, Tara was able to use her basic light magic to illuminate the path in front of them. After searching for about half an hour, Xeron suddenly threw up a hand, signalling for Tara to halt. "Quiet," he whispered. "I think I hear something."

 Tara fell silent, listening carefully. In amongst the gentle rustling of leaves and tweeting of birds, she could just make out what sounded like a low, pained moan. "I hear it," she said. "It's coming from over there." She pointed to the right.

"Do you think that's him?" asked Xeron.

"I don't know," said Tara, "but we should check it out anyway. Whoever it is, it sounds like they're in pain."

Xeron nodded, and he and Tara swiftly proceeded in the direction of the moans. As they brushed aside a group of low-hanging branches, they came across a small clearing surrounded by bushes. Lying there was the source of the moaning sounds: a young boy who was collapses on the floor, clutching his stomach. "That must be him," said Xeron.

The two adventurers exchanged uneasy glances, then quickly rushed to the boy's aid. "Are you alright?" asked Tara. "What happened to you?"

The boy cracked open an eye, looking up at them. "Ohhh… I ate some wild berries and now I feel sick…" he moaned.

Xeron let out a sigh of relief. For a moment he had been concerned that something serious had happened. "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to eat wild berries?" he asked.

"But I was hungry… and they looked so delicious…" moaned the child.

Xeron shook his head. "Honestly… Tara, do you have anything that could make this kid feel better?"

"You mean like a-" Realizing she was about to say "like a spell", Tara cut herself off at the last moment. "…like a medicine?"

"Yeah, like that," said Xeron, glad that Tara had caught on immediately.

"I don't think I have anything specifically for berry poisoning," said Tara, "but I could try a basic healing remedy and see if that does anything. Uhh…"

Thinking quickly, Tara scrabbled around in a nearby bush and plucked off a small leaf, which she held out to the boy. "Here, chew on this," she said. "It'll help you feel better."

The boy was in so much pain that he did not argue. He immediately snatched up the leaf and put it in his mouth, chewing weakly on it. While he was distracted by doing this, Tara began muttering a healing chant, placing a hand on the boy's stomach. Her hand gently glowed white as her magic began to relieve the boy's pain. Xeron, meanwhile, couldn't help admiring Tara's ingenuity in disguising her White Magic. Presumably, she had had to spend most of her life disguising it.

"Does that feel better?" asked Tara, after a minute or two.

The boy nodded. "Yeah… it hurts a lot less now…"

Tara sighed. "Okay, that's a relief," she said. "Oh, and you can spit out the leaf now."

The boy promptly did so, then sat up. "Good," he said. "That tasted awful."

"Well, I hope you learned your lesson," said Xeron.

"I did," said the boy, nodding. "No more wild berries for me. Maybe I should take some snacks with me next time…"

"Might be a good idea," said Xeron. "Alright, let's take you home to your mother."

"Thanks," said the boy, standing up. "Did she send you to look for me?"

Tara nodded. "She was very worried about you," she said.

"Alright, let's see if we can find our way back," said Xeron.

"That shouldn't be too hard," said Tara. "We just find where we entered the clearing and, uhh… work our way back from there…" However, as she looked around the clearing, Tara could not see where it was that they had entered from. Their surroundings looked entirely identical in every direction: an endless ocean of leaves.

"We'll find our way back, don't worry," said Xeron. "All we have to do is head east."

Tara nods. "Okay," she said. "And, uhh… which way is east?"

Xeron proceeded to pull out a compass, something Tara had evidently not thought of. "That way," he said, pointing.

"Okay," said Tara. "Let's head that way, then." The three of them set off in the direction Xeron had indicated, heading back towards Hilston.

It took them another half-hour to leave the forest, and as the trio approached Hilston, they were met with a shocking sight. In the time they had been gone, the city had been reduced to ruins. The buildings were all crumbled and burning, and the villagers were nowhere to be seen. The three let out a unified gasp of horror, the boy's eyes filling with tears as he saw what had become of his hometown. "What in Vita's name happened here…?" asked Tara.

Day 138

[from Aura of Chaos]

As the other wolf set its sights on her, Tara began to mutter an incantation under her breath, preparing one of her light spells. However, before she could finish the incantation, and before Xeron could tuck his spear free, the wolf pounced… and missed. Tara finished the incantation just in time and a bright flash of light erupted from her hands, blinding the wolf and causing its leap to miss her by about a foot. It crashed to the floor, its momentum sending it tumbling before coming to a stop in a heap.

As Xeron finally retrieved his spear from the first wolf with a sickening squelch, he swiftly thrust it into the second wolf's throat, killing it. "Are you alright?" he asked Tara.

Tara nodded. "I'm fine," she said.

"You look a little shaken," Xeron remarked, as he pulled his spear out of the second wolf's corpse. "I don't blame you. This is your first time fighting, after all. I can't imagine you're too used to seeing blood, either."

Tara shook her head, glancing uneasily at the bloodied corpses of the two wolves. "I've seen animals at the communal farm getting slaughtered for meat, but… nothing as violent as this," she said. "But they were attacking us, and they were only wild animals, so there's nothing wrong with it…"

"Of course not," said Xeron, wiping the blood off his spear with an old rag. "You'll get used to it pretty quickly, don't worry. Now then, we'd better continue onwards, towards Hilston."

Tara nodded, and she and Xeron continued on down the path through the valleys towards Hilston. As the town grew larger in front of them, Tara noticed that the stone-built houses seemed rather less colourful than those in Tirera, with dull grey facades and grey-green rooftops in contrast to the bright red shingles of her hometown. Silently, she hoped that not all of the places they would visit on their journey would be quite so colourless.

Finally, the dirt road gave way to cobbled stone, and a sign at the side of the road welcomed them to the town of Hilston as they came upon the first of the town's buildings. "So, where should we go first?" asked Tara.

"Well, first I think we should get something to eat," said Xeron. "I don't know about you, but I'm pretty hungry."

"I guess I am as well," said Tara, who hadn't really noticed until now. "But I don't have any money…"

"We're partners now, remember?" said Xeron. "That means we share our supplies, including money. Did you really think I was gonna let you starve, Tara?"

"I, uhh… I guess not…" admitted Tara.

"Of course not," said Xeron. "Now, I reckon we should head to the tavern first. They'll serve food there, and with any luck, we might find some work there as well."

***

Sure enough, as Xeron and Tara were tucking into their lunches, they were approached by an anxious-looking local. "Excuse me," she said. "Are you two adventurers?"

Xeron swallowed his mouthful and nodded at the woman. "That's right, we are," he said. "Is there anything we can help you with, madam?"

The woman nodded. "My son went off playing in the woods to the west this morning, and he hasn't come back yet. I'm getting worried. It's not like him to forget about lunchtime."

This seemed like a remarkably straightforward job to Xeron, but still, work was work. "You want us to go look for him and bring him back?" he asked.

The woman nodded. "Yes please," she said. "I'd go myself, but there are plants in there that I'm allergic to, and if I set foot in there I'd end up with a severe allergic reaction."

"Wait… wouldn't your son bring the plants' pollen back with him when he returns?" asked Tara.

The woman shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "If he does, it doesn't affect me. I always make him take a bath when he comes back, just to be sure. But he loves playing out there, so I didn't want to stop him, but… now I'm worried."

"Don't worry, madam," said Xeron. "We'll find him and bring him back safely. I promise."

The woman give Xeron a sincere smile. "Thank you," she said. "I'll be waiting here in the tavern. Please, bring him back as soon as you can, alright?"

Xeron nodded. "We will," he said. "Just let us finish our meals first, and then we'll be on our way."

"Oh, of course," said the woman, nodding understandingly. "I'm sorry for interrupting your meal together."

The insinuation of the word "together" sailed straight over both Xeron and Tara's heads. "It's no problem, really," said Xeron.

"Okay," said the woman. "Thank you again, honestly." With that, the woman departed, heading back to her own seat and looking a little less anxious than before.

"Are you sure we should be charging her for work like this?" asked Tara.

"I never said anything about charging her," said Xeron. "However, if she wants to reward me afterwards, then that's her decision, and I'm not going to turn it down."

"I see," said Tara. "I guess I'll have to get used to charging people for things I'd normally do out of the kindness of my heart."

"Sadly, you will," said Xeron. "It's not a particularly nice feeling, but the sad fact is, doing things out of the kindness of our hearts isn't going to put food in our stomachs. You don't get something for nothing in this world. The people we help know that, that's why they often offer us rewards without us asking."

Tara nodded. "To be honest, this sounds like an easy enough mission."

"It does, doesn't it?" said Xeron. "But in my experience, things are never quite that easy. I guess we'll find out, though, once we head out there."

Tara nodded once more, and carried on eating her lunch, all the while silently looking forward to carrying out their first job together.

Day 127

[from Aura of Chaos]

The nearest settlement to Tirera was Palent, a small village to the north. Xeron and Tara decided to rest there for the night, staying at the local inn, before moving on in the morning. At Xeron's suggestion, the pair entered the inn separately and rented separate rooms, lest their visit be mistaken for some sort of illicit tryst.

Tara slept in late that morning, as she recovered physically and mentally from the previous night's events. By the time she had woken up, washed her face, and proceeded downstairs to the inn's lobby, Xeron was already there waiting for her. He was sitting at a table, dressed in his full armour with his spear embedded point-down in the floorboards next to him. "Good morning, Tara," he said. "Did you sleep well?"

"I guess," said Tara, stretching a little. "I'll go and get myself some breakfast, and then we can be off."

Xeron, who had already eaten, nodded. "Take your time," he said. "I don't have anywhere to be in particular."

Tara spent the last of her money on a hearty breakfast, washed down with a pint of weak ale. Feeling refreshed, and ready to put the past behind her, she set off with Xeron to begin her new life. "So, where are we headed to first?" she asked.

"Well, if we head through the valleys to the west, we'll reach Hilston," said Xeron. "It's a pretty big town, so we're guaranteed to find some kind of work there. I should warn you, though: it's not just a straight path there. From this point on, we'll be encountering all sorts of wild creatures, and if necessary, we may have to fight. You're prepared for that, right?"

Tara nodded. "I want to be useful to you," she said. "I don't want to be a burden to you. So if we have to fight, then I'll help you."

Xeron smiled at her. "Good," he said. "Thank you. I just want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. This isn't an easy life."

"I know," said Tara. "But in a way, neither was my old life. And right now, this is the only life I have."

Xeron nodded. "Alright then," he said. "Speaking of which…" He lowered his voice slightly, as they hadn't quite left the village yet. "What magic spells do you know, exactly?"

Tara glanced around uneasily, understandably quite paranoid that somebody might overhear this conversation. She moved closer to Xeron and spoke in a voice barely louder than a whisper. "Well, my spell books were all destroyed in the fire, and I'd only memorized a few of the incantations in them, the ones I used the most often. As you already know, I'm very good at healing magic, and I also know a couple of water and light-based spells."

"So you're a White Witch¹?" asked Xeron.

Tara nodded. "That's right," she said. "I tried learning some black magic once, but it seems I don't have an affinity for it."

"Fair enough," said Xeron. "Healing spells should come in more handy than fire spells anyway. They'll save me a fortune in health potions."

Tara truly smiled for the first time since Xeron had woken up the previous day. "I suppose they will," she said. "They might even safe your life again."

"I hope it doesn't come to that," said Xeron, "but if so, then yeah."

The pair fell silent for a while as they made their way along the valley trail that snaked its way westwards towards Hilston. It was an easy enough trail to follow, without too many steep inclines, but at the same time there wasn't a lot to do or see on the journey, only the occasional bird passing overhead or the occasional trinket lying on the ground. "Finders keepers" was very much the rule among adventurers, and when Xeron came across an abandoned purse with 50 gold pieces in it, he pocketed the money without a second thought. There was no way of tracking down the owner to return it, and in any case, it was entirely possible that the owner had been killed by a pack of wild animals or something.

Just after midday, Hilston finally started to appear on the horizon. But the journey wasn't quite over yet. Xeron suddenly threw up an arm, signalling for Tara to halt. To his right, he could make out the unmistakeable low snarl of an approaching wolf. He readied his spear, shifting into a combat stance. "Get ready, Tara," he said. "You're about to get your first taste of battle."

"What is it?" she asked warily. "Bandits?"

"No," said Xeron. "A wolf. Or rather… two wolves," he added, as the pair of wolves sprang forwards from out of the bushes. They sized up the two adventurers for a moment, then the larger of the two pounced, headed in Tara's direction. The young Witch gasped, flinching back at the sharp fangs lunged at her.

The wolf never reached her. Xeron turned and hurled his spear in the nick of time, impaling the wolf right through its midriff. The stricken wolf collapsed to the ground mere inches from Tara, its fur matted with blood. Tara was shocked for a moment, but realized that she could not let her guard down, as the second wolf was still at large and ready to pounce.

Xeron tugged on the spear to try and pull it out of the dead wolf, but it seemed to be stuck. "This might take a while," he said. "Sorry, Tara, but could you help me out with the other one, please?"

Tara nodded. She wasn't sure what good her spells would be against the wolf, but she had no choice but to try. As the other wolf set its sights on her, Tara began to mutter an incantation under her breath, preparing one of her light spells. However, before she could finish the incantation, and before Xeron could tuck his spear free, the wolf pounced…

[FOOTNOTES]

¹A "White Witch" is a Witch that specializes in healing and non-offensive magic. A "Black Witch" is a Witch that specializes in offensive, often destructive magic, such as fire, lightning, and earth. "Silver Witches", who are adept at both non-offensive and offensive magic, are very rare.

Day 111

A long time ago, there were three sisters, who lived in a village in the eastern woods. Their father was a proud warrior who had died in battle, leaving their poor mother to raise them. While the youngest sister was fairly attractive, her two elder sisters were exceptionally beautiful, and very proud of it. They constantly ridiculed their younger sister, telling her that she was ugly, that no man would ever want her, and that she would never find happiness. They boasted of the wealthy men from the cities that they were going to marry, men they claimed were out of the younger sister's reach. The poor girl would go running off to her bedroom in tears, and cry herself to sleep. Taking her sisters' words to heart, she began to loathe her appearance.

Finally the time came for the three sisters to be married and have families of their own, and so they went out into the world to find husbands. The eldest sister traveled to the capital city, where a rich baron fell in love with her and asked her to marry him. She agreed in an instant. The middle sister traveled to a nearby town, and married a wealthy merchant. The elder sisters were very proud of their catches, and bragged about them endlessly to the poor youngest sister.

The youngest sister remained in the village, too afraid to go into the wider world. She was convinced, due to her perceived ugliness, that no man would ever want her. However, a young farmhand from the village fell in love with her, and after courting her for some time, he finally convinced the reluctant girl to marry him. The elder sisters were delirious with laughter. How could a farmhand compare to a baron, or a rich merchant?

They were about to find out.

The eldest sister moved into the baron's castle, where to her horror, her new husband treated her like a slave. He forced her to cook all his meals, wash all his clothes, scrub the castle, and make love to him every night. This was not the life the woman had expected, and when she asked to be treated with the respect she felt she deserved, the baron just laughed in her face.

When it became clear that the woman could not produce an heir for the baron, he grew tired of her. One night, he decided to get rid of her. He smothered her with a pillow, and dumped her body in the moat. He married another woman who could bear children, and acted like the eldest sister had never existed.

The middle sister, by contrast, found that her new husband paid her no attention at all. He spent all his time travelling the land, buying and selling, as merchants do. The few times he did venture home were not enough for the woman, who began to crave male attention.

She caught the eye of another merchant, and the two began a passionate affair. However, word soon got out about it, and when her husband heard he was furious. He kicked her out of the home that he barely visited himself, and she was forced to live on the streets, branded a whore by the locals for her adultery. A month later her body was found drowned in the local river. The shame and humiliation had been more than the proud middle sister could bear, and had driven her to suicide.

The youngest sister, meanwhile, lived out her days in the village where she grew up, together with her husband the farmhand. She learned of her sister's fates, born of their own pride and selfishness, and finally realized that inner beauty was more important than outward looks. Her sisters had had ugly hearts, and had met ugly ends. But her heart was pure and beautiful, and she lived her days in peace and joy. In the end, the youngest sister - constantly told she would never experience true happiness - was the only one of the sisters that did.

Day 99

[from Aura of Chaos]

[AURA OF CHAOS LORE COMPENDIUM]

[THE WAR ON MAGIC]

On the day of 643.4.20, Third Era, King Claus II of Albion was travelling through the capital city of Clauston on an official visit. Thousands of citizens lined up on the streets to watch the royal procession as it made its way through the city. Claus' carriage was the centremost of the five royal horse-drawn carriages in the procession; accompanying him in it were Michael Arberton, one of Claus II's closest advisors, and two royal guards. The other four carriages each contained four royal guards, for a total of eighteen guards plus Claus and Arberton.

On several occassions, people attempted to step forward and approach the king, something that had occurred on several previous royal visits. As the procession rounded a corner, a woman later identified as 23-year-old peasant girl Eleanor Woodfield rushed towards the king's carriage from the right-hand side, simply wishing to touch the king; she instead collided with the carriage and the right wheel ran over her right foot and ankle, shattering her foot and dragging her beneath the wheel, severely injuring her and causing Claus' carriage to jolt. The carriage behind was forced to immediately halt in order to prevent the horses from trampling the stricken Woodfield underfoot, and the entire procession was thus brought to a halt.

Having noticed the cause of the disturbance, Claus II leaned out of his carriage, looking back at Woodfield, who was lying bloodied in the street. "Is that girl alright?" he asked. Arberton remarked in response that "They need to stop throwing themselves at you; one of them's going to get trampled to death one of these days." With the procession stopped, Claus signalled for the guards in the fourth carriage to check on Woodfield; they exited their carriage and attended to the girl, who by now had fallen unconscious and was bleeding from her mouth. Later reports suggest Claus had been considering ordering the men to bring the injured Woodfield into their carriage and to then peel off from the procession in order to take her to the nearest hospital.

Before he could give this order, however, a man stepped out of the crowd from between the second and third carriages. The man was wearing a long black hooded cloak that obscured his face, and has never been identified. It is unknown whether the man would have proceeded with his assassination attempt regardless of the delay, whether Woodfield was a co-conspirator who willingly threw herself under the carriage's wheel in order to halt the procession, or whether the man simply took advantage of the situation. However, it is generally believed that Woodfield was, at the very least, not aware of the man's plans.

As the man stepped forward, he cast a fire spell aimed at Claus II's carriage, with the intention of setting the king on fire. His guards were immolated and killed within seconds, but Arberton pushed Claus out of the carriage almost immediately and followed him out seconds later. The king suffered only minor burns to his right hand, but was reported to have escaped unscathed, while Arberton's left trouser leg had caught fire, mildly burning him.

Claus was immediately angered by the attempt on his life. As Arberton patted out the flames on his leg, and the other guards rushed to the king's aid, Claus demanded, "Where is the man who did this?", but the assassin had already teleported away. When this was relayed to the king, he angrily replied, "Find him, then! Search the entire city if you must, but bring me that scoundrel's head!" A city-wide search immediately began, but was unsuccessful. Woodfield, meanwhile, was carried to hospital by a group of onlookers, but died of her injuries three hours after the assassination attempt.

The following day, Claus II issued the Magic Prohibition Act, banning the use of all magic within the kingdom with immediate effect. The day after that, with the assassin still at large, Claus expanded the search area to encompass the entire kingdom.

By 643.4.30, the assassin had still not been captured, and Claus had grown frustrated. Despite pleas from some of his advisors, Claus, knowing that the assassin had to have been a Black Witch, issued the Witch Extermination Act, ordering that all known Witches in Albion were to be executed by royal decree. Knowingly sheltering a Witch, or refusing to execute one, also became offences.

The Act immediately proved controversial, with a large number of citizens and even some of the royal guard publicly opposing the law. At least six public protests took place, including one in Clauston; at least one was violently put down by the Royal Guard with dozens of protestors killed. Many in the Royal Guard, however, also opposed the law, and also feared that rising public anger about it could lead to a full-scale revolt or even civil war. A number of Witches were thus spared by sympathetic guards, some of whom helped survivors escape into Niami (where the Act did not apply) or Akeda.

On 643.6.22, at the behest of his advisors, Claus II reluctantly repealed the Witch Extermination Act, but refused to repeal the Magic Prohibition Act. A few days later, Claus amended the Magic Prohibition Act so that the use of magic was now punishable by death; known Witches were no longer executed so long as they promised never to practice magic again.

Over the following thirty years, however, magic in Albion did not completely die out. Though anti-Witch sentiment began to run throughout the kingdom, particularly in more rural areas, this was by no means unanimous, and many continued to oppose Claus II's anti-magic policies. Underground communities of Witches began to form, practicing their craft in secret and developing their own unique slang to help each other communicate. A "Desert", for example, is a location that does not welcome Witches, whereas an "Oasis" is a location that openly shelters them; a "Mirage" is a person or location who pretends to shelter magic users in order to report them to the Royal Guard.

In 662 TE, Claus II passed away and was succeeded to the throne by his son, Claus III, who also became King of Niami shortly thereafter. Claus III, who was only four years old at the time of the attack on his father, is thought to be more tolerant than his father in terms of magic. However, while magic remains legal and unregulated in Niami, as of 673.7 the Magic Prohibition Act, and the death penalty for performing magic, is still in force in Albion.