After
joining the Society, I was able to find steady work and resume my magical
studies. Though I didn’t have Windy to teach me any longer, I was able to make
my own way and performed minor enchantments for people, mostly to enhance their
senses, which became very popular with those in my Faction.
I wandered
afield, exploring the city, save for the Hive, which I had already spent enough
time in. I had been warned by Annali that the City could be very dangerous,
especially for those who were too trusting or unsuspecting, but I had nothing
to fear on that count. I had lived in a world ruled by nightmares who had their
own private fiefdoms. The mists bore out true nightmarish creatures, but even
neighbors in towns and villages could not be trusted.
Rina had
taught me well how to hold on to my purse, and what to look for in people.
Even so
jaded, I had no trouble appreciating the beauty the city presented. I found
myself favoring streets with artists showing off their paintings or musicians
entertaining the passersby with their songs, all for the hope of a few coins in
a cup. Smiths accompanied the music with the ring of their hammers as they
forged weapons, armor, and house wares. I watched as people danced, both to
music and to deadlier duels.
I could
have gotten much of the same by staying close to the Festhall, for it was the
heart of such artisans, but to see how it was different throughout the city felt
right to me, an experience I needed. So while I took lessons for free at the Festhall
on how to play Virgil’s flute. I tossed a few coins into a cup and asked a
tiefling woman for some lessons. Though skeptical, she agreed and put up with
my squeaks until I produced a soft string of notes that accompanied her own
playing.
I knew I would
return to these streets many times.