Heraldic Mage
Long ago;
A day away;
The friends you had;
Have gone to stay.
Celine finally made a hard decision. She went to a shop in Click and sold all of her
jewelry. After she did this, she hoped that she would have enough for that map. As she is
leaving, she hears someone yelling. Out on the plaza, she sees someone attracting a huge crowd.
Curious, she decides to see what is going on.
"The Sorcery Globe will kill us all!! There is no escape!!" The young girl was saying.
"We must all prepare for our journey to the heavens!! Tria awaits us!!"
Celine wonders where she got these ideas. She just shakes her head and walks out of the
town. she thinks. She leaves and heads for the castle town of Cross. Yet again, she encounters many
monsters. She is
able to make it to the town before nightfall. She enters Cross quickly, not interested in how
the monsters, and their newfound aggression, would treat a traveler at night. At the inn, she
pays for her room. The auction is tomorrow. she
thinks angrily.
The morning brings excitement. Celine is naturally an early riser, and she is awake and
aware by about 7am. She gathers her belongings and leaves the inn. There are few people about,
but the organizers of the auction are already setting up. She approaches one of them.
"Excuse me, darling..." The man looks up at her.
"What can I do for you Miss?"
"I was wondering when the auction started. Could you tell me?"
"Of course. Starts at 1pm sharp."
"Thank you very much." Celine leaves and heads for the castle.
**Inside the castle**
Celine walks around exploring. This is the first time she has had any real opportunity
to do so. As she is walking around, she overhears some guards speaking. She stops, and pretends
to be admiring one of the castle's paintings.
"They are doing what?" One of the guards says.
"They have an introduction from the Mayor of Arlia. That is a special feat."
"Arlia? That backwater town?"
"Apparently, the King is familiar with one of them... but Mayor Regis doesn't give those
introductions lightly... something must be up."
"So they are actually pushing people back?"
"They are to be considered 'special guests' and are being admitted as soon as possible."
"Wow. Nice to have some pull, huh?" Celine heard enough.
"Like it?" Celine turns quickly to find one of the maids speaking directly to her. She
quickly improvises.
"Yes, very much... too bad I couldn't take it home... heh,heh." The maid smiles.
"It was brought over by the new Princess when she wed. It gives this hallway a brighter
look, don't you think?"
"Of course... I'm sorry to bother you, but do you have the time?"
"Yes... it is about 10:30."
"Oh dear, I didn't mean to be here that long, I must be going." Celine leaves, but she
can't resist. She goes over to one of the side entrances to the throne room and peeks in. Since
she isn't being disruptive, the guard just watches her. Her eyes go wide when she sees the
"special guests".
As she listens, she hears their
purpose. When the audience ends, she leaves
quickly. She is glad they didn't see her. She goes back out to the town proper and looks at the
time. She just made it to the auction. She takes a seat and begins.
The auctioneer begins with other stuff... medicine that will cure anything, a pill that
supposedly make you not need food for weeks, and other assorted items. Finally, near the end,
the map comes up. Celine immediately comes up. Soon, only her and one other man are left, but
she still has some money. The man looks at her, and finally recognizes her as a user of
Heraldry. He backs down. Celine won. However, the Heraldic Wizard who runs the auction comes
up.
"You witch!!" Celine is unperturbed.
"Is something wrong, sir?" She says in her sweetest voice. But he isn't going for it.
"Hand over the map!"
"Why? I won it fair and square."
"You only won because of trickery!"
Celine seethes. "Trickery?! I think not my dear wizard."
The wizard is even madder. "Hand it over you witch!"
"Excuse me." Both of them turn to see a young blond haired boy. Celine recognizes him as
the one who just had an audience with the king.
"What do you want boy?!" The wizard says.
"That is no way to speak to a lady."
"WHAT!!" Celine represses the urge to laugh.
The boy continues. "Please behave more like a gentleman."
"Now you will die too!!" Celine feels that was enough.
"Back off." She says. "You had something to say to me didn't you?"
The Wizard is really mad now. "Now you are really going to die." He begins to chant for
a spell. Celine recognizes it, and out of the corner of her eye she can see that the boy, even
if he isn't familiar with the Heraldic Arts, knows something bad is happening. She has a very
easy way to stop it. Very quickly, she pulls up her own Fireball spell and interrupts the
Wizard. The spell blows up in his face.
"Next time you want a fight, choose your opponent wisely." The wizard doesn't even give
her a second glance, but just leaves.
Celine makes sure the map is undamaged, and then turns to the boy and his female
companion. "Thank you very much. You have some guts for going up to him like that."
The boy blushes. His companion just rolls her eyes.
"I don't believe we have been introduced." She says. Celine realizes it for herself as
well.
"Why, so we haven't! I'm dreadfully sorry, I completely forgot my manners!! My name is
Celine Jules, and I am a treasure hunter."
"I'm Rena Lanford. This is my friend Claude Kenni." The female says. Celine gives a
small bow in each direction.
"What was that about anyway?" Claude asks. Celine just sighs.
"I won, they didn't want to admit it. That about sums it up." She sighs. She had to
give up a lot of her belongings to get the money for this map. She never realized that they
would accuse her of cheating to get it. She looks at it, then gets an idea.
"Forgive me for asking, but didn't you just have an audience with the King?" Rena and
Claude look at each other, then back to her.
"How..." Claude begins.
"I was visiting the palace, and I overheard some guards talking about delaying audiences
for two special guests. I couldn't get it out of my head, so I went and looked."
"I told you I felt we were being watched." Claude said to Rena. Rena laughs. Celine
feels that this is the best time to ask.
"I hope you don't think me rude, but how would you like to come with me on a treasure
hunt? I will give you part of whatever we find."
The two look at each other. "Sorry," Claude says, "We have more important things to do
than search for treasure."
Celine's mind works fast. I can't keep this up. Those monsters are getting stronger...
WAIT!! "But maybe you will find something to help you on your own quest."
Rena and Claude consult for a moment, then turn back. "Well, perhaps you're right.
Sure, then. We would be honored."
"GREAT!!" Celine says excitedly. Claude gives her a weird look, and Rena stifles a
giggle. Celine sweatdrops. I really didn't mean to do that... She thinks. "Well, let's look
at the map." She rolls it out.
Rena comes around so she can see. "Wait, isn't this a map of Cross Cave? It has already
been completely explored."
"Actually, if you look over here..." Celine points to a section of the map. "This has
never appeared on the other maps. That is where the treasure is."
Claude looks up. "Well, then. Let's get equipped and get going!"
"Yes," Celine says. "And we can leave first thing in the morning."
Long ago;
A day away;
The friends you had;
Have gone to stay.
Celine finally made a hard decision. She went to a shop in Click and sold all of her
jewelry. After she did this, she hoped that she would have enough for that map. As she is
leaving, she hears someone yelling. Out on the plaza, she sees someone attracting a huge crowd.
Curious, she decides to see what is going on.
"The Sorcery Globe will kill us all!! There is no escape!!" The young girl was saying.
"We must all prepare for our journey to the heavens!! Tria awaits us!!"
Celine wonders where she got these ideas. She just shakes her head and walks out of the
town. she thinks. She leaves and heads for the castle town of Cross. Yet again, she encounters many
monsters. She is
able to make it to the town before nightfall. She enters Cross quickly, not interested in how
the monsters, and their newfound aggression, would treat a traveler at night. At the inn, she
pays for her room. The auction is tomorrow. she
thinks angrily.
The morning brings excitement. Celine is naturally an early riser, and she is awake and
aware by about 7am. She gathers her belongings and leaves the inn. There are few people about,
but the organizers of the auction are already setting up. She approaches one of them.
"Excuse me, darling..." The man looks up at her.
"What can I do for you Miss?"
"I was wondering when the auction started. Could you tell me?"
"Of course. Starts at 1pm sharp."
"Thank you very much." Celine leaves and heads for the castle.
**Inside the castle**
Celine walks around exploring. This is the first time she has had any real opportunity
to do so. As she is walking around, she overhears some guards speaking. She stops, and pretends
to be admiring one of the castle's paintings.
"They are doing what?" One of the guards says.
"They have an introduction from the Mayor of Arlia. That is a special feat."
"Arlia? That backwater town?"
"Apparently, the King is familiar with one of them... but Mayor Regis doesn't give those
introductions lightly... something must be up."
"So they are actually pushing people back?"
"They are to be considered 'special guests' and are being admitted as soon as possible."
"Wow. Nice to have some pull, huh?" Celine heard enough.
"Like it?" Celine turns quickly to find one of the maids speaking directly to her. She
quickly improvises.
"Yes, very much... too bad I couldn't take it home... heh,heh." The maid smiles.
"It was brought over by the new Princess when she wed. It gives this hallway a brighter
look, don't you think?"
"Of course... I'm sorry to bother you, but do you have the time?"
"Yes... it is about 10:30."
"Oh dear, I didn't mean to be here that long, I must be going." Celine leaves, but she
can't resist. She goes over to one of the side entrances to the throne room and peeks in. Since
she isn't being disruptive, the guard just watches her. Her eyes go wide when she sees the
"special guests".
As she listens, she hears their
purpose. When the audience ends, she leaves
quickly. She is glad they didn't see her. She goes back out to the town proper and looks at the
time. She just made it to the auction. She takes a seat and begins.
The auctioneer begins with other stuff... medicine that will cure anything, a pill that
supposedly make you not need food for weeks, and other assorted items. Finally, near the end,
the map comes up. Celine immediately comes up. Soon, only her and one other man are left, but
she still has some money. The man looks at her, and finally recognizes her as a user of
Heraldry. He backs down. Celine won. However, the Heraldic Wizard who runs the auction comes
up.
"You witch!!" Celine is unperturbed.
"Is something wrong, sir?" She says in her sweetest voice. But he isn't going for it.
"Hand over the map!"
"Why? I won it fair and square."
"You only won because of trickery!"
Celine seethes. "Trickery?! I think not my dear wizard."
The wizard is even madder. "Hand it over you witch!"
"Excuse me." Both of them turn to see a young blond haired boy. Celine recognizes him as
the one who just had an audience with the king.
"What do you want boy?!" The wizard says.
"That is no way to speak to a lady."
"WHAT!!" Celine represses the urge to laugh.
The boy continues. "Please behave more like a gentleman."
"Now you will die too!!" Celine feels that was enough.
"Back off." She says. "You had something to say to me didn't you?"
The Wizard is really mad now. "Now you are really going to die." He begins to chant for
a spell. Celine recognizes it, and out of the corner of her eye she can see that the boy, even
if he isn't familiar with the Heraldic Arts, knows something bad is happening. She has a very
easy way to stop it. Very quickly, she pulls up her own Fireball spell and interrupts the
Wizard. The spell blows up in his face.
"Next time you want a fight, choose your opponent wisely." The wizard doesn't even give
her a second glance, but just leaves.
Celine makes sure the map is undamaged, and then turns to the boy and his female
companion. "Thank you very much. You have some guts for going up to him like that."
The boy blushes. His companion just rolls her eyes.
"I don't believe we have been introduced." She says. Celine realizes it for herself as
well.
"Why, so we haven't! I'm dreadfully sorry, I completely forgot my manners!! My name is
Celine Jules, and I am a treasure hunter."
"I'm Rena Lanford. This is my friend Claude Kenni." The female says. Celine gives a
small bow in each direction.
"What was that about anyway?" Claude asks. Celine just sighs.
"I won, they didn't want to admit it. That about sums it up." She sighs. She had to
give up a lot of her belongings to get the money for this map. She never realized that they
would accuse her of cheating to get it. She looks at it, then gets an idea.
"Forgive me for asking, but didn't you just have an audience with the King?" Rena and
Claude look at each other, then back to her.
"How..." Claude begins.
"I was visiting the palace, and I overheard some guards talking about delaying audiences
for two special guests. I couldn't get it out of my head, so I went and looked."
"I told you I felt we were being watched." Claude said to Rena. Rena laughs. Celine
feels that this is the best time to ask.
"I hope you don't think me rude, but how would you like to come with me on a treasure
hunt? I will give you part of whatever we find."
The two look at each other. "Sorry," Claude says, "We have more important things to do
than search for treasure."
Celine's mind works fast. I can't keep this up. Those monsters are getting stronger...
WAIT!! "But maybe you will find something to help you on your own quest."
Rena and Claude consult for a moment, then turn back. "Well, perhaps you're right.
Sure, then. We would be honored."
"GREAT!!" Celine says excitedly. Claude gives her a weird look, and Rena stifles a
giggle. Celine sweatdrops. I really didn't mean to do that... She thinks. "Well, let's look
at the map." She rolls it out.
Rena comes around so she can see. "Wait, isn't this a map of Cross Cave? It has already
been completely explored."
"Actually, if you look over here..." Celine points to a section of the map. "This has
never appeared on the other maps. That is where the treasure is."
Claude looks up. "Well, then. Let's get equipped and get going!"
"Yes," Celine says. "And we can leave first thing in the morning."