Alexandria

Chapter 1: Wake up!

When each of us came to Lichen, we came knowing different things, being able to do different things and with different goals. You could say it's brought us together living here. The garden in front of the house is nice at first, then sinister once you get a closer look, then nice again when you've been to Lichen for the first time. From the outside Lichen is a nice town, it's peaceful though a bit strange, there's something off and you can't put a finger on it, but everyone is relaxed, the flowers are pretty and nobody is at each others throats, so you try to let go of the feeling and enjoy the town for a bit. You can't do that for long, so I'd tell anyone to leave before they find out - If you leave you'd have a nice story to tell, one without violence and war, but of good things, those seem to be rarer nowadays. If you choose to stay, you'll soon enough meet the mayor and you'll find out. I met him once, you know, in his house in the northern part of the town, close to the tower. I was sick and that was my reason for traveling all the way here from the capitol with my farther. I don't know if it's for the better or the worse that I've come here, but had I stayed home I probably wouldn't have been alive, I would have died slowly, but with a maid to watch over me, warm baths, refreshments, lots of books and a promise of entering the light when I passed on. Now I'm not so sure. But it seems I've wandered from the subject a bit, my visit at the mayor...

So, we arrived by carriage to Lichen late in the evening and we were, of course, let in by the guards once my dad showed off his sigil as royal astrological counsellor. The guards we had hired were positioned around the carriage, with their bayonets glinting in the air and opening a way before us by showing the rabble more or less gently aside. We asked around town, but nobody seemed to know of the miracolus cure that had been written of in the professor's letter. Instead they urged us to the mayor's house, if we really wanted to know, as he was one of the oldest in the town so he'd be the one to know, if anyone did. The mayor's house had a lovely garden filled with old statues, flowers and bushes, it could use a kind hand from a gardener, but that was not why we were here. Looking at the house itself gave me chills, even in the hurry; the wooden planks were dark and faded; a window had broken from a stone and there were holes in the roof, hastily filled; the stairs leading to the door were chipped and in bad shape, and over the door an old crest were inlaid portraying a chrushed skull with snakes slithering out of every orifice. I didn't say anything and nobody else seemed to notice, but the place reminded me more of a shack than a housing fit for a mayor. Suffice to say, I was a tiny bit panicky.

After a minute of urgent knocking a young, and very pretty, lady opened the door and let us in, while the guards waited outside. I guessed at the time that she had to be the mayors daughter. She led us to a study where the mayor waited, an old fella as bound to his chair as I were to my bed. He wore old fine clothing and held on to an ornamented staff or scepter, while he judged us with his eyes.

"We've heard that in this city any illment can be..." My farther started, but was cut off.

"All but a few, yes" the mayor rasped, holding a pause for dramatic effect, "though a lot more people would come here if it was so easy. Nothing in this world comes without a price." My farther sighed of relief, sure he could match any price the old man could demand, but before he could say anything the old man coninued. "I'm not talking about money." He said with a smile creeping to his face, "There are other ways to pay, older ways. Are you sure you're willing to pay the price?"

"Of course, I wouldn't have come this far off land for nothing"

"Hmm, of course not, how silly of me to question," he answered with an apologetic look on his face, before continuing with a grimmer look, "but are you sure the young missus can handle the medicine? It'll cure her body, but her m.."

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"Yes, yes, I'm sure my Alexandria can handle whatever drawbacks there is, it can hardly be worse than the condition she's in now."My farther impatiently cut him off before the old man could finish. Looked at me sternly, not taking no for an answer. I was the only one of his children with magical aptitude and therefore his only shot at a sucessor at the court. I got better or died trying. The mayor looked at me, almost greedily, something I utterly despised men doing and then he nodded.

"I see, in that case please take her to the guest room, Claire, I'll be down after I've bagained for a price." he said, but hastily added "if that's fine by you sir?" whereto my dad nooded. Claire lifted me as if I were made of feathers, her strong arms holding me easily to her chest and gently taking me to the next room and putting me in a bed. Some good had come of this trip after all and I wasn't as on edge as I'd been when we first arived. Pretty women have that effect on me at times. I fell asleep shortly after, as my sickness burned through my energy faster than climbing up and down the cathedral walls would have.

When I woke up later the pale moon was rising on the horizon that I could see through the little window (one with another big hole in it)  on the northern wall. On the other side of the room the old man sat in his rocking chair, fiddeling with something I couldn't make out, probably a needle. Ugh, I absolutely hated needles, but I hated being immobile more, so I waited patiently without a complaint. When he was finally done rummaging around he had Claire pull him over besides my bed and to my relief he wasn't holding a needle, but a round stone with a wierd looking eye rune engraved in it. He looked at me, and I couldn't make out his expression for all the wrinkels.

"Wake up Alexandria, I have something for you, a gift." he said and opened his hand a bit more so I could take the stone from him. I stared at him for a bit, then managed to roll my eyes.

"I can move just as well as you can old man..." His expression shifted to confusion for a bit before becomming blank again.

"Oh. Right - Claire would you give her the rune?" As instructed she handed the rune from him to me, without an expression. She was pretty, but very cold. Sigh. The stone that had looked round and flat was a lot sharper on edges than I'd have imagined, and the inside of my left hand was cut, as Claire closed my hand around the rune. I croaked in pain and surprise (the best I could manage) and wheezed angrily at her:

"What was that for? That hurt!" she looked expressionlessly at me for a bit and then spoke with a surprisingly clear voice:

"No, it didn't really hurt, but it did serve a purpose. you'll understand later." She grabbed my hand harder, forcing the rune to cut my skin deeper and I started to bleed. It took me a couple of seconds before I realized what they were doing, making me bleed on the rune. I could feel some of my magical energy leaving with the blood and dissapearing into the stone, powering it. Blood magic. My eyes widened and I could feel the color rushing from my face. They were using bloodmagic on me. With my own blood nonetheless. I remembered that bloodmagic was outlawed by the church, it was powerful old magic, that attracted demons, drained your lifeforce, ripped your essence to pieces and banished you from the light, according to my arcanus tutor Professor Scapidius. Claire didn't seem so attractive anymore, her iron grip locking my hand together and her expressionless face looking at me like I was laundry. I felt a pulse running up from the palm of my hand and up into my skull as my vision turned pleadingly to the old man. He stared intensely at me, his expression urgent, and said the last thing I remember before I blacked out:

"Wake up."