Conquest's Influence - Prologue

Edited July 21, 2014

Prologue

The Auguryan market was thick with mages of all sorts and ages, plodding to line up in front of their favorite vendors carts to buy their wares and trinkets. The smell of various cooked meats mixed with the patrons sweat from the hot day created a melting pot of undesirable scents for everyone in the vicinity. Dust wafted through the air with each footstep, dirtying sandals, shoes, pant-cuffs and hem lines.

Within the mix, a man wearing a heavy cloak and hood slipped between the open spaces undetected. Cragat had no interest in shopping, but instead used the north market as a waypoint to his destination. His philosophy of hiding in plain sight appeared to be working in his favor; everyone  was too absorbed in their own daily business to pay him proper attention.

Vendors waved panaceas and charms in the citizen’s faces left and right hollering over each other to become the center of attention. The bare street became hidden at times, lost to the conglomeration of mages. Cragat attempted to squeeze through as nondescript as possible to go unnoticed. He moved with careful, calculated steps ensuring he didn’t bump into anyone.

The bright sun shone in his eyes, forcing Cragat to pull his hood farther over his brow. He swiped his right hand across his sweaty forehead and wiped it on his pant leg. A weakened state would make his task more difficult. He realized he needed to purchase a drink to stave off dehydration. He searched for a vendor with the fewest customers in line to allow minimal contact with the public as well as being able to keep his pace.

A woman stood detached from the hectic day behind her counter with the lines of shoppers having abandoned her. Sweaty bottles of unsold purified water kept her company. The light mages took charge of cleaning the city’s water supply with no shortage to be drunk. Pure water was not enough for the spoiled people that lived in Augurya. Instead, they drank water that carried the ripest fruit juices. This vendor wasn’t selling infused waters, thus having a slow day to Cragat’s benefit.

Without speaking a word, she offered all her attention to one of the few customers she’d had that day. Cragat rooted through his pockets and dropped three clips, warm from being stored in his clothing,  into her hand. In return, the woman picked up one of her many wet bottles and offered it to Cragat in exchange. A polite smile from her finished the transaction and Cragat walked away providing a wave of thanks. As he left, she returned her gaze to the crowds of people that bustled by.

While he continued along his path, an herb salesman stepped in front of him waving bundles of Andrographis in Cragat’s face. “Cure your fevers and colds overnight! Cheapest, most effective herb in the market and the entire island!” His breathe stunk from speaking all day with a dry mouth.

Even with Cragat ignoring him, the salesman continued his pitch. “You look like you may need a remedy to take away your troubles. For you, my friend, I will bring down the price if you buy two bundles. These are one of the most popular items in the market! You’d be a fool to pass such an offer!”
Avoiding eye contact, Cragat pushed him to the side. The vendor, having experienced the blow off one too many times that day, followed him continuing his rant. “You’ll not find a better deal on this herb from anyone else in the city! Buy three bundles and I’ll throw in a grinder for half the price!” The salesman was less concerned than Cragat with pushing mages out of his way. He kept his focus ignoring the glares of the people he gave little regard to.

The relentless nature of the vendor frustrated Cragat to no end. Under normal circumstances his fuse was short, let alone his current circumstances. He continued to walk while clenching his fists, deciding unnecessary actions were not worth it. Any other day he would have a pack of Grimps rip the salesman’s face off with their long sharp claws, but today was not that day. Cragat would have to find a more subtle way of getting rid of the salesman.

With deep calming breathes through his nose, Cragat tried to imagine a solution to his problem. Nearby, a small rat scurried between burlap sacks searching for a quick meal. Cragat focused his energy on the rat and not a moment before the vendor grabbed him by his shoulder, a woman screamed at the top of her lungs. “A rat! There’s a giant rat in my remedies!”

People began bustling in a panic, falling over each other trying to get away. A crowd of people ran past Cragat, almost pushing him over. He did not turn around to see the vendor give up on him, deciding instead to run back to ensure the rat didn’t get into his exposed herbs. Cragat took a deep inhale thankful no one took the time to notice or make note of him. The vendor had seen so many people he may not think twice about the hooded man.

Down a less travelled street, Cragat left the market to stop and take a swig of the water he’d purchased. While he removed the lid he basked in relief from no longer having to endure the crowds and noise. The long cold swigs refreshed his warm dry throat and he managed to finish the bottle in seconds. He set the empty bottle at the edge of the street, then looked around to give himself bearing. The Institute of the light mages was to the north, so that meant the Ataraxian pool was close. Cragat continued towards his goal, moving faster with heightened anxiousness.

After a few more minutes of walking, he glanced the pool at the end of the street. Ataraxia was by the eastern edge of the city and the most popular spot for both classes of mages due to its relaxing and peaceful atmosphere. The east side of the pool lacked buildings, allowing everyone a view of the ocean that appeared to stretch beyond infinity.  The pool itself was in the shape of a large Painted Pony bean and used by everyone in the city as a place to unwind, meet with friends and swim.

Marble ledges surrounded the ewer for people to sit and wade their feet in the water. The pool itself was perfect with no trace of contaminate. Each reflection cast a perfect representation of the object above. When the water was still, anyone might mistake the surface for glass. The white mages prided themselves on the cleanliness of the pool.

Children swam, laughed and splashed each other  while their parents watched from a short distance, talking amongst themselves. One girl grew upset by the commotion and removed herself from the equation. She ran right past Cragat without even so much as glancing at him. The other children called and chanted to her as she left. Cragat’s worry heightened with the difficulty it may prove to release his companion without someone noticing. The location of his drop had to be the south-east side of the pool where fewer mages lounged.

The warm day drew as many people to the pool as the market, forcing Cragat to wade through them as he’d done before. Once he arrived at his destination he drew a small glass bottle from his pocket which held water and a tadpole. The tadpole swam in vigorous circles being exposed to natural light. Cragat uncorked the bottle, made sure no one watched him and emptied it into the pool. The tadpole swam around his new home exploring the surrounding space. Cragat corked the bottle again and replaced it in his pocket. He sat at the edge of the pool and took in his surroundings while the heat of the day started coming back to him. This time, he did remove his hood to blend in better. Sweat matted his dark hair and dripped down his face. Cragat swiped a handful of water and splashed it over himself. The initial shock of the cold was overtaken by the euphoric relief the water offered. He did it once more for enjoyment rather than necessity.

The screams of upset children broke Cragat’s hypnotic state reminding him of his task at hand. The first part of his mission was complete and the finish line in plain sight. His success hinged on chaos and the mages terror. Shilder gave Cragat a job he intended to do with the fullest of his abilities. Cragat stood to find higher ground for his finale.

Nearby, a few tall rooftops grabbed his interest. Cragat wanted a location that allowed for both the perfect hiding place and view of the pool. His mark was a four story residence building one hundred yards away, if he could reach the roof.

Cragat felt nothing for the people he passed who played and laughed naive of the troubles that surrounded them. This time, he made a point to scan the people surrounding him. He saw a mix of light and dark mages, but did not notice any nobles. They were powerful mages, but not old enough to be on the council. Less concerned about a noble mage, he ensured there were no Elders in the area. These were the oldest and wisest mages in Augurya. They would be able to stop his plan with little effort. Satisfied no one was around to pose a threat to him, Cragat walked towards his chosen building.

A young child ran into his path and the two collided. The child fell to the ground dazed for a moment before hopping back to his feet apologizing. His father came over right away apologizing as well. Cragat nodded turning away from their faces. The amount of people that saw him that day began to make him uncomfortable forcing him to draw his hood over his head again. Better to have suspicious clothes than a suspicious face, he supposed.

The tight fastened lock prevented Cragat from entering his chosen building. Destruction magic on the door would be too loud. The white mages sealed every lock in the city to prevent rogue black mages from doing whatever he or she pleased. Cragat decided to search the building for another way to the top. He noticed the neighboring building was close enough that if he were to get to the top, he could jump across with little effort. This was by no means an optimal plan, since it would allow more people to see him. He walked around the remainder of the residence relishing the shade it offered and decided there would be no easier way for him.

The building beside the residence was a small shop selling leathers. The dark mage who owned the shop had dyed the skins a multitude of different colors lining the walls with the pride of his workmanship. Four customers browsed the hides set on the walls searching for the best ones they could find. No one seemed bothered by the sharp smell of the leathers or the weaker scent of death. Each customer regarded the others as competition offering each other minimal pleasantries during the process. A woman who appeared to have more clips than she knew what to do with held the shopkeepers attention. He gripped three hides on his arms as she contemplated her options.  A few people looked at Cragat enter the shop and returned to their own business having satiated their curiosity.

A set of stairs behind the counter pulled at his attention. The woman holding the clerk would keep him busy enough to sneak upstairs. While Cragat walked towards the stairwell he touched and browsed skins to appear like he was shopping. He kept his eye on the clerk and his customers as he snuck behind the counter and up the stairwell looking back to ensure no one followed him during his ascent. One man standing near the door saw what he was doing and began walking over to the shop owner to inform him. Cragat bolted upstairs hoping to be back outside before his pursuers caught him.

The majority of small shop owners had their residences on the floor above their business; this place being no different. On the second floor, an open door revealed the home of the shop’s owner. To Cragat’s dismay, the stairs ended at the second floor. Access to the third and fourth floors was from a different set forcing Cragat to go through the owner’s residence to find a better way up. He walked through the doorway and entered the private home having no other choice in the matter. The owner had minimal amounts of furniture. A few lamps, a couch and a chair sat on a large rug in the common room. Against the wall a tall bookshelf stood half full of books Cragat didn't have time to browse. The first impression given was that the man’s business did well enough for him to live by less than extravagant means.

Behind him, footsteps followed up the stairs making Cragat’s race with time more critical. His pursuers added to his anxiety of worrying about someone finding the tadpole and removing it. He ran through the man’s sitting room to a window on the other side sticking his head out to investigate. At the top of the roof a few green leaves poked over the edge. His only hope was that the leaves were from a properly anchored plant. He closed his eyes concentrating on the plant. The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs disappeared in his mind. The sound of the plant scraping against the wall signaled completion. After opening his eyes, a thick vine hung outside the window.

At the same time, he heard a voice behind him. “Who’s up here? You’d better leave before I call the gendaros to arrest you!”
Sliding out the window and grabbing the vine, Cragat climbed without looking down, thankful he escaped unscathed and unidentified. At the top he found himself standing in a rooftop garden. Someone had planted tomatoes, peppers and onions. Cragat pulled the vine up to stop someone else from climbing behind. The weight of the vine tugged at his arms while he gathered it taking more roof space than intended crushing some of the bountiful plants.

With his target building in front, Cragat walked towards the ledge. The jump between the similar sized buildings shouldn't be difficult. He walked back a few paces and began his run towards the ledge. Once there, he jumped and landed on the roof of the adjacent building free from injury. At his destination, he stared down at the mages and pool below.

The tadpole appeared to have gone unnoticed. Everyone below continued to play and laugh. Cragat smiled and brought his hands up to his chest. His task would take every ounce of concentration he had left in him. He closed his eyes and began to mumble indistinguishable phrases to himself listening to the water splash against the ledges. Parents called to their children to get out of the pool. The longer he waited, the more urgent the situation became; calls turned to panicked yells. As the yelling grew in volume, a small pain he had to ignore began growing in his head. The water crashed from the pool and fearful yells turned into horrific screams. His temples pounded as if something inside his head was trying to escape. The ground shook and the last thing he heard was the beast’s roar before he collapsed.