-1"Ugh, note to self, next time never sleep in an alleyway
There Rose sat, in a nearby cubicle of a nearby restroom. Grabbing as much toilet paper, she wiped as much dirt off her face. Sighing, she took another wad of paper and started dabbing at the many cuts she had across her arms and legs, praying that she would not get any infections from them.
Believing she did the best that she could do, Rose lifted herself up off the toilet, and she exited, amongst shameful glares of the other women in the facility.
Al de Baran, Rune Midgards most northern frontier. Here was where almost all of the northern frontier marketed. Though very busy, Rose felt that Al de Baran had a serene, or a very tranquil atmosphere to it.
Crossing one of the many stone bridges that loomed over Al de Baran's famous waterways, Rose made her way to the center of the busy city. People always looked at her when she walked by them, so she grew accustomed to ignore all the stares, and just continue to walk forward. She understood why people looked at her in a peculiar way; Merchants, the most richest job of them all, and here was one merchant, with patched up skirt, holes in her gloves, a belt knotted at where it had snapped, and hair that contained a million tangles.
She again ignored all the stares, but she could not ignore the massive rumbling of her stomach.
"My, what to eat today," she sighed.
She lightly touched her stained money pouch, and was happy that it was light, because if it were heavier, she'd die of using whatever energy she had left to carry it, but quite sad that she knew she'd have to find more money soon just to feed herself. But today, instead of starving herself even more, she decided to eat on such a beautiful day.
She made her way past Al de Baran's main tourist attraction, the gigantic Clock Tower, and headed across another bridge. After a few minutes of walking, she stopped by a cafe near the northern exit of Al de Baran. As she entered, she immediately looked down due to the immediate stares she received from the other customers. Approaching the cashier, Rose quietly ordered a small loaf of bread and a bit of butter, only receiving a quick nod and a pitied look from the cashier.
Receiving her order, she looked around and found the perfect place for her to eat. She headed to a dark corner near the back of the cafe. There she believed no one would mind her. Though tempted, Rose ate her bread slowly, willing to prove to everyone that she was not as desperate for food as they thought.
She looked down again at her worn out boots, here she was, sitting far from society, money almost all gone, and in all desperation, still trying to prove to everyone else that she could still fit in. This depressed her, but she enjoyed the silence that was around her. Unfortunately that was taken away when she heard the chair opposite to her pull back and a voice engulfed her ears.
"My, my you should not look down with such a pretty face," remarked the stranger, a female stranger from what Rose could guess.
Remembering her manners, she looked up and apologized to the stranger.
"No need to apologize, young miss, you have not done anything wrong," said the stranger, giving Rose a rare sincere smile.
The stranger, from what Rose could assume, couldn't have been any older than she was. She had a figure similar to Rose, but heir's looked like she worked hard to keep that figure, Rose was just because she starved herself to save money. She scrutinized the stranger, her blonde hair cascaded down her back, and she noticed that the stranger wasn't wearing that much, only a breastplate and a few, long pieces of cloth to hide her lower extremities. Then she remembered that it wasn't polite to stare at people, and immediately looked down again
"Now, what did I just say?" laughed the stranger
"I'm...I'm really sorry," apologized Rose, again looking up at the stranger.
"I guess, we're back to square one," sighed the stranger, and for once, Rose laughed.
"Ah you must have better manners than me, I come barging into your little area here, and forgot to introduce myself," said the stranger. "My name is Adeline, Adeline Enigma." She stretched out her hand, across the table towards Rose.
"My..my name is Rose, Rose Kemichi," replied Rose, taking Adeline's hand, and giving a welcomed handshake.
Feeling much more secure now, Rose looked again at who this stranger was, her job clothing was very similar to what female Mages wore, with the very revealing midsection and legs, but she looked much more mature and much more respectable than the usual mages she finds roaming around Al de Baran.
Rose wondered where this person had come from, and then she started to worry, maybe she was some alien from far away, or even a Mage fugitive, trying to run away from authority.
"Judging from the surprised look you're giving me, I can tell you I'm not from around here," remarked Adeline, her face very passive.
From there, Adeline extended into a very detailed explanation of where she came from. She said she was from a city floating high in the sky, called Yuno, further up north, passed the mountain ranges that Al de Baran sat next too. She went into much more explanation of all the libraries that filled the streets of this magnificent city, and how it was the capital of a whole new country.
Rose just sat there ears taking in all the words that Adeline had said. Adeline talked with such maturity, occasionally using big words that Rose had to think twice to try to figure out, but she must be telling the truth, Adeline did not look like the person who would lie to you.
"Yuno, is one of the most magnificent places you can find, its amazing to float high in the sky, and it's also where I chose to use my magic elsewhere," explained Adeline. "You see I'm a massive researcher, I came down south to learn as much as I can about Rune Midgard, and I can say I am as impressed at what you people can do with wizardry"
Rose remembered one time, as she walked down the busy streets of Al de Baran, she saw a Wizard, draped in magnificent cloaks, performing a few spells to entertain the crowd around him. She saw him close his eyes and start to mutter a few words, and in the massive heat wave Al de Baran was having, the Wizard managed to make it snow around him. Amazed at that, Rose regretted becoming a Merchant, and yearned to learn wizardry.
"As you can see..." continued Adeline. "Your mages can form such powerful magic, calling forth the powers from the heavenly skies, but unfortunately they lack the defense that Sagery can tap into, they lack the power to be able to mess with a persons mind, the power source of any magic."
Adeline took out a battered book, from her nearby bag, and opened it to a random page. She placed both hands above the pages and started to mutter a distinct language. Rose looked at the book, and was startled when a faint yellow glow came forth from the pages. The glow grew bigger, and started to form delicate shapes, and after a few more seconds, a faint flower, engulfed in a bright yellow aura was formed.
Rose did not doubt the power of Sages anymore, sure a Wizard could call forth large storms, but she didn't believe that a Wizard could have such control over their powers to form such a delicate form of magic. Slowly reaching out, having the urge to touch the delicate flower, she was surprised again when the flower had reached its precious head at her and tried to snap at her fingers. Immediate, Adeline closed her book with a loud BAM, that the other occupants of the cafe stared at them.
"One with such little experience with magic Rose, should never delve into the complexity of it," warned Adeline. "Magic can be so delicate as you have seen in the flower, but it can also be as dangerous as the mighty storms themselves."
Looking away from Rose, Adeline felt sorry that she had scolded such a delicate person. Trying to change the subject, she noticed a piece of paper on a nearby table. Reaching out to grab it, she looked at the paper, and looked at Rose.
"Hmm Rose, do you happen to know who this person is?" asked Adeline, handing Rose the flyer.
"This is Richmond Maxwell," replied Rose, having some sort of satisfaction that she knew something the Sage did not. "Us Merchants should know him, he's the richest Blacksmith out there, spends millions investing in this and that, and the next day makes twice as much as he spent."
She took another look at the flyer, it showed a max drabbed in a pure white tuxedo, smiling at her. Guessing near his mid 30s, Maxwell looked as if he were barely 20.
"I guess he's advertising for more Merchants to become Blacksmiths," remarked Rose. "I mean, its almost every merchant's dream to become rich, and I guess being a Blacksmith like Richmond Maxwell helps a lot."
"Then why don't you become a Blacksmith?" asked Adeline. "I mean I bet you the Blacksmith guild can help you start out, and you'd get new clothes." Right after that, Adeline mentally kicked herself in the head for making Rose look down again in embarrassment.
"I dunno," quietly responded Rose, looking down at her feet. "If you've seen Blacksmiths, especially the female ones, they're all strong, and pretty; me I'm just lame and...and"
"...delicate?" finished Adeline, look right at Rose. "That's all perfectly true Rose, and I apologize for me asking, and to show you I'm sorry, i'll help you, just follow me." With that Adeline briskly pushed her chair back, grabbed Rose's wrist and dragged her out of the cafe, into the loud streets of Al de Baran.