Isadora thanked the merchant as she piled new spell ingredients into her bag, her tattoo a blazing an enraged red.

  ‘Whatcha got in the bag?’ She felt it be ripped from her shoulder.

  Sharply turning she snatched it back, ‘the usual, Bane.’ Rolling her eyes she slung it back around.

  ‘Boring. Check out what I got!’ The cephalon, a snow white skinned race with bright hair, grabbed a few items from his deep pockets, including explosive powder and fire toad blood. She noticed is Battle Goddess tattoo on his forearm, slightly concealed from his red hand wrappings which, unlike hers, went all the way up to his elbow. Once again he got another tattoo. If one didn’t know the Goddess’s face they’d think it be his wife with how devoted he was.

  ‘Wow, you can lose even more fingers with those potions!’

  The cephalon, only a few years older, narrowed his eyes as he pocketed the vial with a three fingered hand. ‘Whatever. You seen 'Ra yet?’

  ‘Not for a while. I’ve been up top.’ She gave a sly smile before flashing gold.

  ‘Damn!’ He instinctually went for it but she clamped her hand shut too fast for him.

  ‘You’re trying to get a wand?’

  ‘I’m a geoptic, I shouldn’t even need one!’

  ‘Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard to whine about it enough.’

  ‘Veyra said she’d give me hers but yet another year and nothing.’ She began to chew on the chain of her amulet.

  ‘Well… she said she’d give you hers when you actually earned it, you’re still terrible with potions.’

  She spat out the metal. ‘I’m… I know…’

  ‘You’re the first and geoptic I know stuck on the basics!’

  ‘You’re on potions too!’

  ‘I’m a cephalon! ! It’s a miracle I’m learning at all.’

  ‘Whatever- is Zane around?’

  ‘At his stall like always.’

  The two pushed through the crowds until a burst of blue crackled through the air, Zane’s voice filtering through the general thump of chaos. ‘Ice magic- the truest beauty of any class!’ He had a bold, blue tattoo of the Arctic God on his neck which contrasted well against his white skin. The cephalon unfurled his hand and bright blue ice flakes flew out like birds, into the air and exploded like a firework. The geoptic spun his palms together and a greater, brighter explosion cast snowflakes onto the enthralled crowd. Psychic magic was without a doubt the most impressive class to any other race but geoptics. But for geoptics intense spells could be cast with whimsy. Every geoptic but her it seemed. ‘With my ice-power infused crystals!’ He held up a cold blue one, ‘potions to wands to hands- everything is stronger!’ He mumbled a spell word and ice shot out of it only for him to reshape it into whatever he wanted like clay. On the third reshape of an intricate, massive snowflake he threw it in the air and it shattered to cast a light, refreshing snowfall onto the mages. The majority walked past but a few dozen purchased some of his crystals until the crowd thinned enough for the pair to approach. ‘Mmm, pretty.’ Bane dismissed.

  ‘’ould I-?’ Isadora began but he already handed her a free one.

  ‘Yeah, yeah.’ Zane dismissed her and shook some snow from his near white hair. ‘I’d like to hear back you actually made the spell work this time.’

  ‘My… magic is still-.’

  ‘Adjusting. It’s just a matter of time. I know.’ He echoed Veyra’s words.

  A forth voice chimed in ‘it’s not like she had a bad teacher.’ Isadora and Zane looked to see Veyra who smiled on her approach. Isadora beamed at Zane who walked out to kiss his fiancée. They both had the engagement bracelet around their wrists to prove it. One strand of blue twine was interlaced with white to represent Zane’s sapphire eyes and Veyra’s white opals. Usually it was done with real gems and silk rope, but such luxuries weren’t for people sleeping in the dirt.

  ‘Gag.’ Bane voiced his distain of his brothers’ attachment loudly. But looking at his hands he didn’t like attachments either- like his fingers. Isadora scoffed at her own thought before pocketing the ice crystal.

  ‘Guess what I have.’ Veyra slipped a packet from her bag.  Isadora recognised it instantly. ‘New cards?!’ She stepped closer with a smile.

  Veyra smirked at Bane. ‘Considering burnt the last pack.’

  ‘It was Zane.’ Bane mumbled with an eye roll.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Veyra sorted the cards. ‘I figured a new one was needed eventually.’

  Zane looked at his ticker for the time. ‘I’ve got time for a round.’

  The quadrate on the floor of Zane’s tent surveyed their hands. Isadora’s mind glazed to mages wandering on by. The majority held wands or staffs. Those didn’t were geoptics who didn’t need aid in spell casting… Every geoptic she knew. So why couldn’t she get it right? Veyra was a fine teacher… what was she missing to still be stuck on potions?

  Humphrey clicked his fingers and every flame in his secret study lit. A well worn chair was pushed up against a paper-choked desk. ‘Tiso’ he extended a hand and a tome flew into it, the sound of the spine cracking open filled the room as an earthy scent wafted from its pages. Plant magic. His chest fluttered at the thought of a new class as his eyes admired the drawings of plants and forests… The Forestry Goddess. She had rituals to be done three times a day.

  Sitting in his well worn chair he pushed from some forgotten corner of the library he glanced at his schedule. An ice summoning test was in a few days. Everyone was terrified the next academic year was depending on the test. He rolled his eyes, realizing he had to study for that. Mumbling a spell word and spinning his palm a burst of ice exploded from his palm before furling back into itself and reshaping effortlessly into different shapes. Every time he cast freely, without a crystal or staff he felt all his muscles freeze up, lungs stiffen. The more complex the spell, worse the paralysation was. Mages have even suffocated to death in some cases. To be unable to move when casting psy spells was a terrible drawback for combat. Luckily, that wasn’t a problem of his. Anyway, now that was affirmed and done he could continue with his own works…

  Isadora poked her head out from the alley, on the verge of the upper and lower city and spied a felden practically dripping with gold… and felt her grip tighten on a steel pipe, breathing heavier.

  Isadora counted the rings and necklaces she had taken, the pipe thankfully not bloodied… yet.

  ‘Hey!’ A voice demanded, making her turn. ‘Hand it over.’ Isadora looked the geoptic up and down then scoffed. She was at least a few inches shorter, weaker build, younger… She held shattered glass fashioned into a knife.

  ‘Really?’ She rolled her eyes before spinning the pipe. ‘Get out of here, Zoe! This is mine!’

  ‘I need that gold! Frankie’s boat is almost full!’

  ‘Why do you think need it!?’ She gripped the gold tighter.

  ‘Give it over!’

  She took a step forward. ‘Make me.’ She smirked, coldly.

  Isadora wiped the dripping blood from her cheek. She had angered herself for going so soft and getting hurt. A simple whack with the pipe and she wouldn’t have gotten scratched. But the drawback of Zoe using glass meant she shattered it with her iron. Her pipe wasn’t too bloodied but her knuckles were sore.

  It didn’t matter, she looked down at her gold and it was as if the pain vanished. Suddenly, she was shoved as a few geoptics smashed her into an alley wall. ‘Give us your haul!’ One demanded. Two were slightly older as one was significantly younger than her.

  She looked between the three. Without warning she threw a punch at the one pinning her, but another jumped at her and hit her hard back into the wall! A fist landed hard into her gut, winding her. She threw down the metal pipe, connecting with another’s nose! Suddenly, a blindingly dizzying hit made her drop to her knees. It took her a moment to realize she must have been hit in the back of the head! With her vision tunnelling she saw the trio take her rings and gems. ‘St-!’ She coughed on the dirt as she could feel warm liquid drool down her neck. Her eyes fluttered shut. She woke up in only what felt like a blink later. Breath returned to her and as she stood, yet the few geoptics were already gone. She tried to follow but she had already stumbled and fell back onto her knees. Her crimson blood mixed with the filthy slosh of the ground. She picked up her pipe between limp fingers coloured with her own blood. Her back thudded against the rough wall, saddened.

  A shadow eclipsed the fading sun to leave her in shadows. No… it was someone’s shadow. She looked up to see a Knight. All remaining colour drained from her face. The land darkened as the sun dipped below the horizon. His blue eyes were as sharp as the spear which was levelled to her throat. She battered it away and sprinted for - but he kicked her into the wall and everything went black!