It was a normal day, much like any other day, or rather night. The sun had long since set, and the light of the twin moons, their blue-green spheres shone down on the world. For the young mage it was already getting te, as she sat there in a tree, her legs dangling from a branch. Why she had come out to this tree, she didn’t really recall, but she found it quite rexing, she would often come here when she needed to think. Yet she couldn’t really say things were out of the ordinary or that there was anything of real note going on in Voros. The vil was much as it has always been, quiet and tranquil. The hunters came back just this morning with quite the haul, and the merchants had left once again not to be back for many days.

  She stretched and turned her gaze away from the moons. It was te enough, so she swung off the branch, her robes fluttering a bit in the breeze as she made her way down. Finding her boots where she left them hanging from a lower branch, she settled onto a rock and began to pull them back on her feet.

  A rustling sound drew her attention, and with barely a thought she brought one of her best elements to bear, casting a spell towards a bush. The calm night was suddenly broken by a bright fsh and a crack, “GAHHH! Arlie! It’s fucking me!”

  Her gaze turned to the figure stumbling out of the bushes, his hair sticking out all over the pce and she couldn’t help ughing, “Sorry, ha aah ha ha, just don’t go sneaking up on... a girl like that.”

  “Yeah, yeah ugh it up, but I guess I now know what Thron feels when you zap him.”

  She giggled some more, “Um, I went easy on you that was a very low power lightning bolt. I wouldn’t even call it an Alpha css spell, more of a warning bolt, you know? I hit Thron with a lot more voltage when he’s being, well you know.”

  The other man sighed, “... I know.”

  “Right um, Horon? What were you doing in the bushes anyway?”

  He pulled his bag up, “Dad needed some more ash for his new project, I was looking for some good wood. What about you? Aren’t you usually home by now?”

  “I couldn’t sleep, I don’t know why, but something is bothering me. I just can’t put my finger on it, but I can feel it in my soul.”

  Horon scratched his cheek, awkwardly, “That doesn’t sound very... assuring.”

  “Ah it’s probably nothing.”

  Horon gave her a look, “The st time you had a funny feeling, a Spineback tried to eat me the next day and the time before that the Twins were nearly spirited away by Ryrks.”

  “For the Record, it didn’t try to eat you, it wanted your hammer and I killed the Ryrks.”

  “Right, right, well mind if I walk you home?”

  “Ah sure, I could use the company.”

  He chuckled and then gestured towards her house. She stayed where she was for a moment while she pulled her other boot on before moving to follow. Given the time, the vilge was quiet without any souls in sight. There wasn’t much reason to stay up after dark, but there were a few lights from the vilge walls, where the local guards were still up keeping an eye out for monsters.

  Life in the Varixyies region wasn’t easy, the nd was mountainous and much of it was covered with trees. The dense mountain forests were poorly suited to farming, but the local trees were all valuable and hardy, one of the Vil’s chief exports was in fact Ironwood, although her family’s potions were also pretty important. The Contrey family was also well known for producing some of the finest archmages in the kingdom, but she wasn’t at that level. Perhaps she would reach that level one day, but that day wasn’t today.

  “Do you think your funny feeling has something to do with that letter you got...”

  “The letter?” she shook her hand, “Nah, that was just Auntie Ria keeping in touch. I sent a reply already, told her I was thinking of seeing her in Arcs.”

  “Heading out to Arcs? Mind if I come with you?”

  “Not particurly, mind if I ask why?”

  “Well I still need a new hammer, Dad helped me get a shaft made, but...”

  “You still need a new head?”

  “Yup, I was hoping for some steel of the right grade with the merchants but no such luck. Arcs being a bigger town might just have some in stock.”

  “Yeah a bcksmith without his hammer isn’t really a bcksmith.”

  “Exactly my point,” said Horon, “So I can come with?”

  “Sure, would be nice to have company on the trip. I was already pnning to invite the twins along for that reason.”

  “I’m sure they would love that, good chance to get out of the vilge there isn’t much to do out here.”

  Arlie giggled, “That’s not true, we have lots of fun in the vilge.”

  Horon pulled her up some familiar steps, “I guess we do, anyway we’ve arrived.”

  She nodded and turned towards the familiar door to her house. It had been in the family for generations, each one adding to the ancient wards that protected the pce. She slipped her key into the lock while pushing the wards on the heavy reinforced door aside. With a slight creak the door swung open to reveal her main room. It was a cozy space with warm wooden walls, and an aged hardwood floor. To the left was a comfy sitting area with some low chairs and several rows of bookshelves, while in the center of the room sat a small table with several chairs. There were several other doors in the room leading off to various other parts of the house. One door led to the bedrooms, another led straight to her backyard, while a third led to the family kitchen. Old family portraits hung on the walls, and a few flowers grew in pots on the windowsill. “Care to come in?”

  He smiled, “I would but I still have to find the right wood for Dad’s ash, perhaps another time?”

  She shrank a little, “See you tomorrow?”

  “Sure,” he replied as he left her there. Sighing, she closed and locked the door before heading for her backdoor. Slipping through it, she left behind the L-shaped main structure and entered the gardens, numerous herbs and flowers grew back here, many of them vital for her potions. She ignored them all as she walked down the worn stone path to the family bathhouse. Its stone facade was worn, yet dignified, the mark of many years. She pushed the door open, and closed it behind her.

  A mirror caught her reflection. Arlie wasn’t a rge girl by any means, standing just shy of a hundred and thirty-five centimeters tall. From a distance she might be mistaken for a child if not for her other features. Arlie had a lovely heart-shaped face with a small nose, and dark eyes framed by long dark brown hair, so dark it was almost bck. The darkness of her hair contrasted with the paleness of her skin which was as smooth as polished marble yet never tanned despite her years in the sun. Of course, her eyes were quite striking as well, especially since they had a mystic blue glow to them which contrasted with their darkness.

  Equally striking however was her bust which strained against the tight fabric of her mage robes. Idly she fingered her chest and not for the first time wondered what she had eaten to make them grow so big. It was all the boys and for that matter, the other girls saw when they met her. Part of why she liked Horon so much, he actually saw her and not her boobs. The Twins were pretty fun as well, and oh so very cute, like a pair of identical fairies. Almost perfect mirrors of each other, the two had sometimes pretended to be the other. It wasn’t easy to tell them apart at the best of times, but Arlie had a trick for telling them apart.

  Thoughts of taking them to Arcs flitted through her mind, as she pictured a stroll along the river and a nice lunch on that hill south of town overlooking the flowers as they bloomed. A smile graced her face as she slipped out of her robes and undid her breastwrap. The st to fall to the floor was her panties.

  Pcing her boots by the door, she moved away from the mirror and towards the tub. Immersing herself in the warm clear water that waited within, as her mind lost itself in the fantasies of the upcoming trip. Yet she couldn’t help reveling in the luxury of her private bath, something not often found out here, certainly not one like this. It would rival the bathes of a pace, one of the joys of coming from a long line of mages. The Contrey family had a lovely private bath, the waters warmed by age-old enchantments and purified by the same, so no matter what, the water was always perfect and ready.

  Eventually, she left the bath, grabbing one of the robes she kept in the bathroom for te-night baths and wrapped it around herself. Tossing her previous outfit into her undry basket, and grabbing her boots, she made her way back to the main house. Barely giving the main room a gnce she made her way down the hall to the bedrooms, there were several in the house but she was the only one living here at the moment. In the past the halls had been a little more lively, but it had been years since Mom passed away and her cousin Auntie Ria had moved to Arcs. Arlie didn’t really know what the story behind her father was, Mom never told her.

  She passed several empty bedrooms before reaching her own, and pushed the door open. The room within was well furnished with a rustic wardrobe, an old desk in the corner, several walls lined with bookshelves. A rge bed sat in the opposite corner, while a fur rug completed the room on the floor. A magical mp sat on a small table next to the bed, the only source of light at this hour. Arlie stowed her boots, hung her bathrobe on a hook by the door and slipped into bed. She was out almost as soon as she hit the pillow.

  It was peaceful, the sun was shining, the birds chirping. A girl appeared waving her on, she followed.

  All around were flowers in bloom, kids were pying. A young boy noticed her, he smiled. She smiled back.

  Thunder cracked.

  She looked around, fire burned. Screams echoed through the air, as the beast bounded down the street. A man was caught, his legs went flying.

  Darkness fshed, the ground melted, from the cracks things of darkness without form or reason flowed out. She ran.

  Laughter echoed, thunder boomed.

  Yawning teeth rushed to swallow her, she reached for her magic. It wasn’t there!

  Wings beat, the air cracked. A form appeared in the shadows, “Awaken!” a voice boomed.

  Arlie shot up, the room dark. Yet she didn’t really see it, as her heart raced. “What kind of dream was that?”