To Fight Against Fate

They got back on the road the next day. Illnyea decided to ride within the carriage with Arnold when they set out, leaning against the pile of cheese they had received from the villagers of Caershire.

Illnyea loved riding horses, especially her new steed, a lovely tawny horse with white spots around her muzzle Illnyea had named Misty. She loved the way that she connected with her steed as they learned to trust one another, loved the way she slowly learned Misty's likes and dislikes, loved the way it felt like they were an extension of one another as they flew across the ground.

But, for the first time in Illnyea's entire life, she was more interested in reading a book than getting into the saddle.

While Illnyea respected that Sulaiman loved to read and did her best to not bother him while he read, Illnyea had never enjoyed reading herself. She found focusing on just one thing at once to be boring, especially when she was expected to sit there, completely still, and usually failed as her bouncing, jittery knee bothered everyone else around her as the pent up energy begged to be free.

Reading about enchanting was not great, admittedly, but Illnyea had tried her best to understand the content on her own. It had been a struggle, and some days she barely got through a few paragraphs before she had to take a break, but Illnyea was determined to learn.

The topic of magical artifacts was fascinating and Illnyea hoped to one day present her own creations to her friends to help keep them safe. She hoped to one day give Sulaiman a shield that would withstand the full might from a blow of Beowulf's club, though Illnyea was still unsure of what she would make Kavil or Priscilla. Maybe a more subtle piece of armor for Kavil, one that was lightweight and redirected any hits to slide off his body so he could move around the battlefield as a healer without fear of being hurt. Priscilla might like a gauntlet because she enjoyed punching her enemies, but Illnyea wasn't sure if she would ever have the capability of creating something better than a shape-changing artifact, so Illnyea stared at a blank list of ideas often like that might help her brain come up with something.

Unfortunately, Illnyea had found out there was just so much math needed to make a basic enchantment work, let alone create an artifact that could stand the test of time. So many minute calculations and variables had to be considered in the creation, or else you would, as Arnold bluntly put it, "Blow us all fucking sky high." Even though she didn't like math, Illnyea had diligently completed the questions Arnold presented to herself, puzzling them out slowly to make sure there was no mistake with her arithmetic.

Illnyea had never been a good student, only putting in enough effort so her tutor didn't tell her parents she was failing, but Illnyea had finally found something she wanted to learn and she was prepared to dedicate herself to it.

Which was why Illnyea was squished in between cheese and the master enchanter Arnold, who was staring at the pouch that held the gem from the blight cluster. He was frowning in a way that had Illnyea wondering if Arnold could see the enchantments through the cloth bag.

Arnold's lecture had stung yesterday, his disappointment cutting far deeper than any of his biting comments had. He had only been Illnyea's teacher for just over two weeks now, but Illnyea wanted to impress Arnold, wanted his approval. Arnold actually took the time to make sure that Illnyea understood what he was teaching her instead of breezing through the material. Sure, sometimes his words were caustic and sarcastic, but Illnyea knew Arnold was just trying to make sure she was doing this safely, and he truly believed that she could do this.

No other teacher had believed in Illnyea so easily, like her success was a given, and Illnyea wanted so desperately to live up to that belief.

"So, brat," Arnold said, looking away from the gem. "Tell me the three M's of enchanting."

While it wasn't the kindest of nicknames, being called a brat actually made Illnyea smile. Hearing Arnold call her by her true name yesterday had felt unnatural because Illnyea had come to learn that Arnold insulted the people he liked.

"Motive, materials, and magic," Illnyea recited. "You need to have a clear motive of what you want the enchantment to accomplish; you must make sure that whatever materials you gather don't work against the motive you established; and you need to provide enough magic to the system so that the enchantment can both be activated and continue to sustain itself."

Arnold hummed, a mildly approving look in his eyes. Illnyea didn't preen (though she wanted to), waiting patiently for the next question.

"What happens if you don't provide enough magic for the enchantment to sustain itself?"

"Then the materials will lose their potency as the enchantment will burn through the materials' innate magical properties in an attempt to last longer, which can lead to catastrophic failure."

"What are the different types of catastrophic failures?"

On they went, with Arnold asking her questions about the theory they had already covered for nearly two hours before he cracked open the tome to start Illnyea on some new material. Illnyea's brain was a little tired by this point, but she sat a little straighter because Arnold always provided real life examples that made it all easier to understand.

He tapped his finger along the edge of the book and flipped a few pages forward before turning it around.

"Look here, brat," Arnold said, pointing at several clusters of symbols Illnyea vaguely recognized at the bottom of the page. "These here are some of the most commonly used runes for enchanting, and you better get yourself real familiar with them."

Illnyea squinted at the squiggles and thought they looked like pure nonsense. Marsha had probably used runes when she was enchanting the horses, but Illnyea hadn't paid much attention to what was being inscribed. She had assumed it was normal writing then and now realized that was a stupid assumption, wishing she had asked Marsha more about the type of enchanting the royal mage had specialized in.

"Do I have to memorize them all?" Illnyea asked, trying and failing to keep the dread out of her tone.

Arnold let out a bark of laughter. "It's not necessary, unless you think you'll often be trying to decipher other people's enchantments. Lotsa folks use runes to help with their motive and amplify their magic but you —" Arnold paused to smirk at Illnyea. "—you have enough magic and stubbornness, I don't think you'll need to use runes at all if you don't want to."

Illnyea felt a pleased flush settle onto her cheeks. She had always known she had access to more magic than most, and it had been difficult to control when she was younger, sometimes being a burden more than a blessing. It had threatened to overwhelm her in the fens, but now it was a boon, something that would help her make artifacts to keep her friends safe.

"Then why mention runes?" Illnyea asked, forcing herself to not get a big head.

"Because if you're going to purify those shards," Arnold said, jerking a thumb at the bag, "you're going to need to understand the enchantment that was on the original gem so you can root out its influence, got it?"

Illnyea nodded, excited for the chance to make the crystal sing a tune that wasn't quite so hurtful. Perhaps memorization wouldn't be so bad after all.

Memorization was so, so bad.

Illnyea had been studying runes for the past week and her brain hurt. It wasn't as simple as just learning how to write one system of magical lettering — she had to learn the meaning, history, and precise way to carve the rune of three different types of runes, plus the way that runes modified one another depending on their placement. If a rune was inscribed improperly, it could cause the magic flowing through the system to backfire and ruin all your hard work, and if you put two runes that had conflicting meanings next to each other, it could also backfire. There were just many ways things could go wrong, so Illnyea had to really study if she wanted to make sure her future creations were safe.

Apparently the gem of evil horribleness (as Illnyea had dubbed it in her mind) used three different rune systems, combining them in a way that was "a stroke of malevolent genius" according to Arnold. It took the strengths of one type of runes to shore up another set, and made the enchantment a lot more potent than if just one system had been used. The combination made it near impossible for an apprentice enchanter to decipher the enchantment, but Illnyea so desperately wanted to know how to dismantle the architect's creations. She had a feeling in her gut that wouldn't be the last time she would encounter a gem of evil horribleness in her travels, and she wanted to be ready.

Arnold laughed when Illnyea asked if there was an easier way to learn runes than through memorization.

"Brat," Arnold said, shaking his head, "you're lucky that I'm not treating you like my master did me — she forced me to write out each of the eight alphabets a hundred times each before she even let me start learning the meaning of each rune."

"And then she made you repeat the definition until you passed out," Mr. Ordan said, his smile fond despite the horrific picture.

"Just keep working at it," Arnold said with a shrug. "I know it sucks, but I'm sure you'll get a handle on it — you're a smart brat, so don't give up, okay?"

Arnold clapped Illnyea on the back and she tried to keep from sighing heavily at the burden she had placed upon her own shoulders.

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Illnyea's friends helped the best they could, with Priscilla creating something called 'flash cards,' in which Priscilla would hold up a piece of paper with a rune written on it so Illnyea could repeat what she remembered about it. The flash cards were helpful, but Illnyea's mind often felt so full of foreign symbols she thought it might explode.

Sparring, helping Kavil and Priscilla build their stamina, and playing Drake's Hoard were a great way to relax, but sometimes all Illnyea wanted to do was sit by their campfire, look into the flames, and think about nothing at all.

A total blankness of the mind devoid of runes, theory, and catastrophic failures.

It was peaceful to 'zone out,' as Priscilla put it.

Sulaiman often sat beside her with a pile of leaves next to him. He would pick one up, glared at it like it owed him money, and then a small part of it would catch on fire. The first time it happened, the leaf burnt so quickly Illnyea barely had enough time to blink and Sulaiman swore as it burnt his fingertips. But though Sulaiman was clearly frustrated, he would pick up another leaf and try again. The burn was better controlled with each attempt, and Sulaiman seemed pleased. Illnyea thought it was an exercise in precision and control, and wished she had an earthen version to try herself.

Maybe one day she'd try to make sculptures?

Even thinking about concentrating as deeply as Sulaiman did made Illnyea get a phantom headache, so Illnyea enjoyed the time where she didn't use her brain at all.

Priscilla would often comb through Illnyea's hair before braiding it while chatting with Kavil about beasts, cooking, and everything in between, sometimes roping Sulaiman into answering wild hypotheticals like if they'd still be friends if they were all worms. (Illnyea thought yes, but it was hilarious to hear the scorn dripping from Sulaiman as he asked what the hell was wrong with Priscilla's brain.)

Illnyea laid her head on Priscilla's lap and tried her best to not drift off to sleep as she listened to sister talk with their friends. It was warm and comfortable, the feeling of someone running their fingers through her hair was a sensation that made you want to melt into a pleased puddle of goo, and Illnyea suddenly understood why cats spent so much time napping on people's laps and demanding affection.

By the time they reached Roydorn, Illnyea needed a break from stupid runes, math, and enchanting so badly she nearly cried upon cresting the hill and seeing the city spread out before them.

Roydorn wasn't a city that Illnyea had the chance to visit before, but she had heard so much about it from the adventurers at the guild. It was nicknamed the city of art because artists of every path of life flocked here. Fortulum was the patron god of Roydorn, as it was said that the goddess of luck and sky enjoyed the beauty that humanity had to offer and blessed those that would stake their life on the chance to share their beauty with the world.

The city was built into the side of a lake that stretched as far as the eye could see, with sunlight reflecting in the water marred by small spots that could only be boats far from shore. The rooftops of the city created a colorful picture from afar, depicting a mockingbird in flight, which was one of Fortulum's symbols, and Illnyea wondered what it would be like to view it from a bird's perspective.

Illnyea could see the famed Chantillian Opera House from far beyond the city's limits, the bright purple multi-tiered building standing tall above its surroundings. A mural of Fortulum was painted on the side of the opera house, a rendition of the goddess resting amongst the clouds, a golden laurel of willow leaves upon her brow as she gazed down upon her loving believers. Fortulum's wild white curls blended into the clouds, her smile a subtle streak of sunshine lighting the sky as she reached a hand down towards the ones she blessed. The opera house was where actors and singers flocked, hoping for a chance to capture the audience's heart on the stage. It was said that magic was intricately woven into the performances to elevate them to a level that made each one extraordinary.

While reading may not interest Illnyea much, she always adored plays and operas because she got to see the story play out in front of her instead of having to use her imagination to generate everything. It was so much easier to sit back and experience the story in a way that was far more engaging — music added to the ambiance, costumes made it all more vibrant, and the subtle changes in actor's voices and physicalities made it a delight for the senses. Few plays visited Meadowyar, but Illnyea had been to every one she could attend. It had been something she and her mother had both enjoyed, making a day of it by getting dinner together and…

Illnyea shook her head to rid it of thoughts of her mother and focused on what else she could see, committing the sights to memory.

Even the stone gates that served as the entrance to the city were majestic, a depiction of Fortulum's ascension into godhood as she dethroned the previous corrupt god of the sky with luck and cunning carved into the marble. There were guards at the gate, but they only spoke briefly to Mr. Ordan (who they had volunteered to be the face of their group as he had actually been to the city before) before waving them all through.

The streets were packed and even the cobblestones were a feast for the eyes, arranged in vibrant patterns of varying shades of pinks and reds, and as they walked, Illnyea realized that reds faded into orange and then yellow, depicting a rainbow beneath their feet.

Mr. Ordan expertly navigated to where guest lodging was, which was good because Illnyea's gaze was locked on the ground. Priscilla vetoed a simple tavern, insisting on checking into a hotel with outer furnishings that were far more opulent.

"After we turn in the bounties," Priscilla said over the protests, "we'll be more than good on gold — just shut up and let me treat you!"

Illnyea knew that managing one's money was important to being an adventurer, but she was also human. She knew that the best beds were going to be in the rooms with the highest price tag, and Illnyea looked forward to collapsing into the goose down pillows after taking a nice soaking bath to soothe her saddle sore muscles.

It didn't take long to get settled into their rooms, and then they made a bee line to the adventurer's guild, sans Arnold and Mr. Ordan, who said they wanted to rest. Turning in the bounties was a quick affair, as there weren't actually that many adventurers in Roydorn, nor did there seem to be many mercenaries. Maybe since the city attracted so many artists, there were less problems that needed physical strength to solve.

"Okay!" Priscilla said after they returned to their rooms. They were currently in the room Priscilla and Illnyea would share, but Priscilla had the boys bring their packs into the room as well. "Let's see what clothes you have to work with — we can't do much about our shoes, but we can at least dress the part so we aren't tossed out."

Sulaiman rolled his eyes and grumbled, but Kavil happily laid out his wardrobe before looking up at Priscilla with wide, expectant eyes, like he hoped she would give him the stamp of approval for his promptness. Illnyea let out a quiet snort as she pulled out the few dresses she had brought, and pulled one she thought would best to the side.

Kavil was always looking for Priscilla's acknowledgement, which he usually got, but Illnyea wondered if Priscilla knew how differently Kavil acted with her. He looked towards Sulaiman for the same type of validation, but it was tinged more with admiration than reverence like he treated Priscilla with.

It wasn't like that Kavil was mean to Illnyea, it was more like Kavil was sassier with her, less afraid to offend Illnyea if his joke landed harsher than intended. She enjoyed their dynamics, especially since it seemed like Priscilla and Sulaiman were unwilling to admit that Illnyea did have faults, and Kavil was far more willing to challenge Illnyea.

Priscilla eyed Sulaiman's clothing critically, green eyes narrowed before she plucked pieces and presented them.

"This shirt matches your hair and will look great with your skin," Priscilla said as she handed Sulaiman a dark blue shirt and black pants, "and black goes great with everything, especially since they match your eyes. I wish you had more button ups because they'd make your forearms look killer, but, alas, it is cold and I must work with what I got."

Priscilla breezed past Sulaiman, totally unaware of the slightly slack jawed expression he was sending her. A flush dusted his cheeks as he turned away, and Illnyea refrained from rolling her eyes at Priscilla casually dropping a compliment and moving quickly away from the site of the crime.

At first Illnyea had thought Priscilla might be doing it on purpose because Priscilla was competent socially, but as she watched her sister interact with both Sulaiman and Kavil, Illnyea realized that Priscilla delivered the words as if they were objective facts, without a hint of flirtation. Sulaiman was weak to these 'objective facts' but despite the fact his cheeks were red, he had done absolutely nothing about it — the closest Illnyea had seen her best friend flirting was when he had Priscilla in his lap, and Illnyea was sure that flirting was the furthest thing from his mind. Knowing him, Sulaiman was focused on Priscilla's safety more than anything, totally unaware that his words would be considered flirting by an outside party.

"As for you," Priscilla said to Kavil, "purple really is your color, especially jewel tones, so let's go with this." Priscilla plucked a long sleeved purple shirt with black embroidery and then a white pair of pants. "We'll have to look into getting you some gold jewelry because I think they'd really bring out your eyes since they're such a lovely color, but this'll do for now."

Kavil soaked up the compliment like a flower did sunlight. Illnyea knew for a fact that Kavil knew Priscilla wasn't actively flirting with her words, but his eyes always darkened with anticipation whenever Priscilla's back was turned.

Now, Illnyea really had no leg to stand on here because she had no romantic experience herself, but she thought that Kavil's attempts at flirting were far too subtle, regardless if they were aimed at Sulaiman or Priscilla. Kavil relied on implication and stressing words combined with occasional physical closeness, but even if that flustered his targets, it usually didn't last as their attention was drawn away.

Illnyea wasn't sure how to feel about Kavil attempting to pursue both Sulaiman and Priscilla, but she knew that Kavil didn't have nefarious intentions with her sister or best friend. He was kind to a fault and saw the best in both of them, and those were traits Illnyea thought Sulaiman and Priscilla deserved in a partner. She had never seen a relationship between three people before, but they complimented each other, inspiring each to be better, so Illnyea thought that it could work.

Not that Illnyea thought there'd be development any time soon based on what she saw — Sulaiman was hip deep in denial, Priscilla floated on an oblivious cloud, and Kavil wouldn't come outright and say, 'Hey I think we should kiss.'

Okay, maybe that was too blunt, but Illnyea thought directness would work best if you were trying to flirt, and would be the way she approached it if she ever found someone she was interested in.

"Ooh," Priscilla said as she finally reached Illnyea's side to see the dress laid on the bed. "This is perfect!"

Illnyea beamed, as Priscilla was looking at the outfit Illnyea had picked out. Before reconnecting with Priscilla, Illnyea hadn't had much interest in fashion, just wearing whatever was comfortable and got the job done. But Illnyea had tried to be more deliberate about her appearance lately, listening when Priscilla lectured about what colors and styles suited Illnyea best when they had fun with dress up.

The dress was long, ending at the ankles and made of a soft golden material that shimmered like molten metal with several white underlayers for warmth. The sleeves were long but made of lace, which was a little itchy and would be cold but Illnyea wasn't about to dress down when going to the Chantillian Opera House. Illnyea didn't have a lot of jewelry, but she did have a simple black diamond necklace to wear around her neck.

"Will you help me braid my hair?" Illnyea asked, holding up the final additions to her outfit, which were a pair of black ribbons to thread through her hair. Illnyea could probably do the braid by herself by now since Priscilla had let her practice on her hair a few times, but it was a good excuse to be close to her sister.

"Of course," Priscilla said immediately, grinning as she reached for the ribbon.

"See you guys later," Illnyea said, smiling at the boys.

Kavil mockingly glared at her for stealing Priscilla's attention as he collected his clothes, but Illnyea's smile turned smug as Priscilla was focused on undoing Illnyea's current braid to start combing through her hair.

Kavil may be cute and conniving, but Priscilla was Illnyea's sister after all, and everyone knew that little sisters knew the best ways to get what they want.