I've decided to just go ahead and put everything I've written so far into this post, no idea if there is a character limit but I guess we will find out! Check out this story if you like Fantasy/D&D/Sword&Sorcery type stuff! Thank you! (I'm posting new entries for this story daily btw!) Entry 1 - The Silver Sapphire Fiera closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, her heart beating rapidly. She felt the wood beneath her clawed fingers and tried to focus on its texture. Anything to distract her from the panic that had set in as she settled into her nook. Everyone had gotten caught, except her. She hoped that her friends would, at most, be jailed, and hopefully not worse. A hanging was a typical fate for a thief. Being imprisoned was almost like a challenge, if you were good enough. Fiera had gotten herself out of her fair share of prisons. This time there would be no escape for her friends. Not when the Platinum Guard were the ones in charge. Your typical guard could be bribed, intimidated, even blackmailed, but the Platinum Guard was notorious for being the best. She had no idea they were the ones hidden away, guarding that caravan. She ran her friends names through her head as she contained her rage, her guilt. Garret, Mary, Feerio, Emmia. Friends that she had bonded with over the last three years. All their success, everything they had achieved together, gone. She felt her claws dig into the wood of the ship beneath her. The waves lapped at the wood loudly and she felt herself choke up, but she swallowed her sorrow. They had agreed if a job ever went bad, it was everyone for themselves. That was always the rule. The problem was, Fiera had never had a job go this wrong before. Sure, Mary and Garret had gotten locked up, but between her, Feerio, and Emmia, they had always been able to break them out. But the Platinum Guard? There was no chance of her breaking out four different prisoners, all on her own. The guards had carried magical weapons, and they had some kind of protective enchantments. Mary’s crossbow bolt had hit an invisible force field, and all of Feerio’s darts missed their mark. Magic was the only possible answer. In Silco City, magic was rare. You would occasionally get a trickster or tinkerer that would come through town with a few minor enchantments or trinkets. They would sell you a bobble that would run out of magic after a few uses, and it was always much too expensive. Potions were more common, but still expensive. People in Silco had developed a mistrust of magic over the years. Ever since she was a small girl, Fiera dreamed of magical enchantments, and items that could make her do amazing things. One item that she always wanted was one that could change your appearance. According to the stories she heard, you could change your clothes, your hair, even your race. Having draconic ancestry meant that everywhere Fiera went, people gave her strange looks, and hardly anyone treated her with kindness. She would give anything to look normal, to be treated fairly. Instead, she was an outcast. That was why she stuck to the shadows. That was why she stuck to thievery. Fiera felt the ship begin to set out, a bell ringing faintly from the top of the crows nest. She was nestled deep below deck, near the bottom of the ship. She rested between two wooden crates, a tarp pulled over the top to conceal her. When she had boarded the vessel, she had barely registered the silver sails, or the blue windfish painted on its hull. As the ship pulled away from port, she began to relax. At least now if they did find her, they would have to take her with them. Fiera closed her eyes and allowed the waves to rock her slightly, lulling her to sleep. She felt a connection to the sea. Every night she would watch the sun set beneath the waves. It was like something primal within her felt the motion of the water and she anticipated which way it would move. As Fiera swayed gently with the waves, her unconscious thoughts drifted to each of her friends, and the fates they may already be facing. Entry 2 - Into the Sky A low rumble woke Fiera. It sounded like they were dragging against a sandbar, the entire ship shaking with the rumble. Fiera’s back ached as she sat forward, peeking out from under her tarp. Her stomach rumbled, but it was inaudible compared to the sound emanating from below the floorboards. She had been asleep for hours. She had no idea where this ship had been heading, but she knew they couldn't be there yet. The closest port to them was over a day's journey by sea, and that was a small military encampment. She hadn't gotten a chance yet to look at the cargo they were carrying. Much of it was locked up tight in crates and barrels, though a few things were labeled. She saw crates loaded with different cheeses, something that Silco City was known for. There were barrels labeled with assorted wines, wool, leathers, and several crates with images of teeth stamped onto them. She was intrigued by those crates, but had to hide as she heard footfalls coming down the steps from above. “Should be taking off soon. Captain said to check the cargo was secure before take-off. Gravrock’s just gotta warm up. I still think it's strange we have to do this every time we go to Silco for this damn cheese,” said a gruff voice. “Yeah, but it's worth it. The questions and spectacle alone wouldn't be worth the trouble. Plus, you know how the captain gets about his cheese. He can't get enough of the stuff. We’ll probably keep half of what we picked up to deliver. Can’t beat that Silco cheese…” another voice trailed off as they walked around the lower deck. They passed by Fiera’s hiding spot without trouble, and headed back up above deck. Soon after they left, Fiera felt the rumbling below her grow stronger and her vision began to blur slightly. All of a sudden she felt her stomach drop out from under her as she felt the ship pick up speed and shoot upward. She had no idea what was going on, so she crawled over to a porthole embedded in the hull, peeking out the darkened glass. She saw the water below them, and a land mass far in the distance, both shrinking as the ship began to ascend upward. Fiera’s jaw dropped. This wasn’t just any ship she had stowed away upon. This was a skyship. And it was rapidly gaining speed as they zoomed into the clouds. She had once read a book detailing their design and function. They supposedly ran off a type of rock that had a natural buoyancy that was found floating in the air. These gravity rocks were then broken down into whatever size was needed for the ship being built, and then an arcane channeler would either pour energy into the rock to make it rise up, or suck the power out, causing it to lose its levitation ability. Fiera’s copy of the book was unfortunately stolen by another child, and thrown into the kitchen's hearth. Fiera cried for days after that had happened. She blinked and turned to look out the window again, the memory passing. This was real. She was actually headed somewhere in a real skyship. Her stomach grumbled again and she took out her dagger, making quick work of one of the cheese crates. She hacked off a chunk and put the lid back on the crate carefully, ensuring she would have access to it later. She hunkered down again in her hiding spot, chewing through the soft cheese quickly. It wasn’t a perfect meal, but it would keep her stomach from growling at her. Two days went by like this, Fiera stealing bits of cheese when she could, and she even had to break into one of the wine casks to quench her thirst. The crew came down a few more times to grab a few things, but for the most part they left the cargo hold alone. By sunset of the second day, she heard a commotion from above and risked a peek out of the porthole again. She still wasn’t tired of watching the endless clouds pass by - she saw mountains far off in the distance, huge plots of land, small villages and farms, and now as she gazed out, she saw they approached a city. One side featured a port full of skyships of all sizes and colors. As she gazed at the incredible city, a name popped into her head that she remembered from the book she had read. Brimstorm, the city known for creating skyships. It was located on a series of mountain peaks, and used gravity rocks to help keep the entire city from falling out of the sky. Looking out in amazement, Fiera knew this place was going to be nothing like Silco City. This was a place of magic and adventure, but most of all, a place of opportunity. Entry 3 - Glozzed The Silver Sapphire pulled into port. Fiera could hear men shouting greetings to other dock workers who helped secure the ship. She knew that she couldn’t stay here long, they would probably be unloading soon. Her best option was most likely stealth - she was, by nature, incredibly stealthy. Her obsidian scales blended in well with the shadows, and at night she was nearly invisible. The only problem was, her draconic ancestors forgot to give her the ability to see in the dark. As she snuck slowly up the stairs, Fiera listened intently for anyone coming her direction. As she worked her way onto the main deck, she noticed many of the sailors were heading her direction - some working on securing the rigging or sails, and others started moving to the cargo hold. As Fiera ducked low on the steps of the deck, she could see the main bridge that connected the ship to the dock was currently unoccupied. There was a portly man wearing a wide-brimmed hat discussing something with what looked like a guard. He wore gold and silvered armor, a clipboard in hand, and a sword at his side. Deciding it was now or never, Fiera pulled her hood up and began to stride forward, confident and with purpose. If she looked like she belonged, there shouldn't be a problem. Fiera started down the bridge, and immediately the guard noticed the movement and held up a hand. “Just a moment, I’m just speaking with your captain. You can start unloading as soon as we get this paperwork over with,” the guard said, turning back to the captain. The captain turned as he spoke, and immediately his eyes opened wide as he saw her. “But she’s not one of mine, I’ve never seen this person. Who are you?” he said, walking toward Fiera, hand reaching for something on his belt. She paused, then with a sudden burst of speed, sprinted down the plank. She jumped onto the railing and somersaulted over the captain and the guard, landing in a roll before continuing to sprint down the docks. She barely had time to take in the sprawling city in front of her before she heard the shouts from behind her. Ahead, she saw many dock workers looking in her direction, but thankfully, none stopped her. She continued on with a renewed strength, seeing the end of the wooden docks and the start of a street only 200 feet away. Fiera sprinted even faster, and she saw ahead that two more guards carrying spears had noticed the commotion. They sprinted towards her. She risked a look behind her and saw the guard that had shouted at her was already on her heels. As she approached the other two, she bolted to the right side of the docks where a bunch of crates had been piled high. Fiera sprinted up onto them and jumped, bypassing the two guards. She was nearly free, only twenty feet to go. As she hit the pavement, she felt something collide with her back, and a rope wrapped itself around her, tightening on its own. Fiera used all her strength, but the rope had turned to iron. Her arms were stuck to her side, and she couldn't reach her dagger. As the guards caught up, she saw a flash of yellow, and a cloud of powder erupted around her head. One of the guards had thrown down something on the ground, and immediately Fiera began to cough and choke as she inhaled the salty, musty, powdered substance. A moment passed and it dissipated, but the powder already began to take effect. Two of the guards picked her up and she swayed. Had the two guards not been holding her up, she would’ve fallen back down. It felt like she had drank far too much wine, and her muscles didn't want to function. “Now, who are you?” asked the guardsman with the sword. He wore a fierce expression, like her little stunt was a personal insult. Fiera tried to spit in his face, but all she got was a glob of saliva down her chin. “Nice job, Errick, you glozzed her. She won’t be able to answer any of our questions for at least an hour or two,” said one of the guards holding her. Fiera looked up into the sky. The clouds nearby were an incredible golden color, and she immediately was distracted by them. She nearly fell backward as her head rolled back and she shifted her weight suddenly. The guards hauled her forward and the one named Errick pointed down the street. “Take her to the hold, then. We’ll have to question her tomorrow. My shift is nearly up, and I don’t feel like doing any more overtime. Gilroy owes me enough as is,” he said, walking back to speak with the ship's captain. Fiera’s eyes rolled back into her head as she began to slip in and out of consciousness. “Make sure to search her before you put her away for the evening,” the guard called. “We don’t need my perfect record being ruined by a draconian.” The last thing Fiera heard was one of the guards swearing as they began to carry her down the street. Entry 4 - The Electrum Guard As Fiera came to, her head throbbed immensely. She opened her eyes, and tried to take in her surroundings. After a few moments, a dark room slowly came into focus. She was in a cell somewhere. Memories flooded back as she doubled over, emptying what little remained inside her stomach. “Yeah, getting glozzed isn’t very fun. Sorry about that. You’ll feel better soon. About fifteen more minutes until you’re back to normal,” a voice said to her left. Fiera looked over and could barely make out a set of greenish, glowing eyes. “Who said that? Who are you? Where are we?” Fiera gasped, trying to get up. Her muscles ached as she stood. “Well, I said that, my name is Lirna. We’re in a holding pen near the docks, I believe. Most of the other pens are full, I guess. They caught me trying to sneak into the Gilded District. The guy who sold me that pass swore it was legit,” she mumbled to herself. “Guess I gotta be more careful next time. If they don’t chuck me out with you, that is,” said Lirna. As Fiera’s vision came into focus, she saw a young, female rabbitfolk wearing an apron sitting ten feet from her inside the same cell. “What are you talking about? They wouldn't just throw me out of the city, would they?” Fiera asked as she massaged her temples. “Take a seat, I’ll explain.” She hopped closer and used a nearby stone to scrape a rough map onto the floor. “This is Brimstorm, and currently we are inside the Silver District - that’s where most of the residents of Brimstorm work and live. There’s also the Gilded District - all the fancy, expensive nobles and merchants live there. “Our city functions on a pass system. Each year when you pay your taxes to the lord, they give you either a gold or silver pass that will allow you entry into their respective districts. A Silver District resident is allowed inside the Gilded District, but you have to pay for a day pass, and those are extremely expensive. I’m assuming this is all new to you?” she asked dully, as she used the stone to idly scratch at the cobbles beneath her. “Yeah, this is all new. Wait, so if I had a pass the guards wouldn’t bother me?” said Fiera. “If it was a legitimate pass? Yes. You’re passed the enrollment period unfortunately, and the list to apply for citizenship here is insanely long anyway.” “No matter. I’m used to sticking to the shadows. I’ll be out of here in no time. I’ll just have to be more careful with the guards.” Fiera schemed, inspecting her shackles. "Good luck with that,” Lirna said sarcastically, “getting glozzed is only one of the ways the Electrum Guard has of taking down runners. Besides, they’re not exactly going to let you off with a warning. Most likely, you’ll be sent to the prison down below.” “The Electrum Guard…are they related to the Platinum Guard? And not to worry, I don’t think they found my hidden pick,” said Fiera, pulling off a false scale on her shoulder and removing a small, metallic lockpick. “Uh, I guess they are, yeah. Never heard of any Platinum Guard, though. Hey, wait, are you going to try to escape?” Lirna’s ears pricked up in surprise. “I’m not going to try. I’m getting out of here. These fools don’t know who they’re dealing with,” she said fiercely. A half-second later, a small click emanated from her manacles and she was free. Fiera started toward the door. “Wait, if you free me too, I can get you a temporary worker’s pass! That should keep the guards off your back if they see you again,” she pleaded. She had moved even closer now, and Fiera could see her rabbit nose was wiggling with anxiety. Fiera paused and turned to look at Lirna. “A worker’s pass, huh? And I’m guessing that's only good for the Silver District…” she said. “Yes, but it's foolproof. The worker’s passes are given out by the merchants of the Gilded District. I happen to know one that makes trips to this district regularly. Let me free and I’ll take you to him.” Lirna raised her bound hands towards her. In the low light, the small rabbitfolk looked helpless. Fiera paused to consider her offer. “Fine, I suppose it couldn’t hurt to have a friend in a new city,” replied Fiera. She approached Lirna and quickly unlocked her manacles. They approached the cell door and that too was unlocked with remarkable speed. “Wow, nice job. I’ve never heard of anyone breaking out of here before.” Lirna peeked around the doorframe. “Usually they do a good job of searching anyone they bring in here, and they trust in the locks and security system so much that they don't actually have anyone guarding us most of the time. I expect someone will be back soon to give us a meal, though. We should hurry. The office with your things should be over there in the corner.” Fiera hurried over to the office in the corner and was surprised to find it unlocked. There, on a peg hanging on the wall, she saw her satchel. She grabbed it quickly and then swiped the four coins on the desk - due to the low lighting, she couldn't see which denomination they were - and half of a hard loaf of bread, before hurrying out of the room. As they headed out the door of the cell block, a shrieking sound emanated from directly above them. They covered their ears and looked upward and saw a large crystal now flashing red, bathing the hall in crimson light. “Come on!” shouted Lirna, running down the hall, leading them out onto the street. Fiera followed with haste, entering a back alley and down into a sewer grate that Lirna opened up for her. “They won’t be able to track us down in the waterways.” Fiera hurried down the ladder, careful when she jumped the last few feet. She landed with a slight splash and took in the small sewer. It smelled awful. “Come on, this way. We shouldn't have to spend too much time down here,” said Lirna. Fiera followed her cautiously, taking in as much detail as she could. If there was a sewer system here that the guards didn’t use, it was worth learning about. Entry 5 - Grandad’s Chest As they jogged down the sewer, Fiera internally mapped each path they took. It was dim, nearly dark, but the slow-flowing waterways glowed an iridescent green and blue color, allowing them to navigate without a torch. The smell was incredibly pungent, and Fiera was nervous about travelling for long distances. Eventually Lirna led them to a ladder, slick with moisture, which they both swiftly ascended. There was a grate that Lirna pushed up, using her shoulder to flip up its rusted hinges. As they emerged out onto the street, they could feel mist beginning to fall from the sky, and the sky above was incredibly dark. Fiera followed Lirna down the alley and across the street, which was dark and vacant save for a stumbling old man down the way. Lirna entered a small shop door, with a large sign above it that read, “Grandad’s Chest.” Fiera followed with caution, very aware of the putrid scent coming from the two of them. “There ya are, Lirna, I’ve been getting worried. Who’s this you’ve got with ya? And why do you two smell like you’ve been wrestling with the Lizpigs?” said a gruff voice coming from a corner. There, in a small arm chair, was an old, halfling fellow. He had many wrinkles on his clean shaven face, and a large book sat in his lap. He was frowning at the two of them. “Sorry, Grandad. This is Fiera - she helped me, and now I’m helping her.” Lirna nodded to Fiera. “Hello, it’s nice to meet you,” Fiera replied. “I’m new to Brimstorm.” She cringed when she thought of how she must look and wished they had taken a cleaner path to the shop. “Yes, I expect you’re wanting to speak with old Fevenworth. He should be here soon for our midnight tea. Good to meet you, Fiera,” he smiled. He reached over to the table beside him and grabbed a small, fist-sized object, tossing it to Lirna. “Freshen up, would you? Otherwise the Guard will be able to smell you from here,” he remarked. Lirna nodded and raised the stone to her forehead, and uttered a strange word. Blue mist cascaded around her, instantly cleaning her sodden clothes. A strong smell of wildflowers emanated from her now as the mist faded. Lirna approached, holding out the stone towards Fiera’s head. “May I?” she asked. “Of course, go ahead,” said Fiera, still shocked to see magic being used so casually. Lirna pressed the smooth, warm stone to her forehead and said the strange word once more. Instantly, the same blue mist appeared, this time mixing with a green mist to cleanse the muck and grime from her. The smell of lilac and lavender mixed around her. As the mist faded, Fiera could see her scales were more shiny and clean than they ever had been. Her clothes too were immaculate, cleaner than the day she first put her second-hand cloak on. Fiera composed herself as Lirna handed back the stone to Grandad. “That's much better. Now, before he gets here, there’s something you should probably know about Buranos Fevenworth,” said Lirna, walking back over to Fiera. Before she could get out another word, there were two knocks at the door, and it opened, a cloaked figure stepping into the room. It was now raining harder, and the figure moved their hand in the air, lifting all the water droplets that had collected on the cloak. With a flick of the wrist, the figure flung them out the door. “Ah, much better, I didn't realize we were due for rain tonight,” said the figure, turning around. Fiera felt shock overwhelm her once more as she watched the blue draconian pull down his hood. Entry 6 - Buranos Fevenworth “Ah, I see you’ve got some other visitors for tea time as well, and another draconian, at that. How wonderful! You don’t see too many of us around, even in Brimstorm. Pleasure to meet you, I am Buranos Fevenworth, though you can call me Feven, for short,” said the blue draconian. He bowed, then began to walk slowly towards the couch near where Grandad was sitting. Fiera was too stunned to speak. She had never encountered another draconian before, and she was stunned to see him. “Hello, I’m Fiera, it's nice to meet you. I’ve never met another one of our kind before. Forgive me if I can’t quite think right now. I’ve sort of been through a lot in the last couple of hours. I’m from Silco City, by the way - I’m not sure you have heard of it,” Fiera trailed off, embarrassed. “Silco City, you say? That’s the city they say to steer clear of if you use magic. Lots of witch burnings, supposedly. Any of that true?” asked Feven. “Uh, I think that was a long time ago. I’ve never seen anyone get burned alive for using magic. We’ve had a few people come through that tried to show off some tricks, but I think most people just think it's foolish tricks and that nothing good or useful comes of magic. I’ve learned quite the opposite even just in my first few hours here,” said Fiera, taking a bench from a nearby table and sitting down. Lirna plopped herself down next to her, chewing on a hard biscuit she had grabbed from a bowl on the coffee table. “I see. Well, welcome. I assume you have a worker's pass, or have just been granted citizenship with us?” Feven questioned, raising a brow. “Actually, Feven, I wanted to ask you something about that,” Lirna interjected. “You’re looking for a new assistant right? Well, Fiera here is quite fearless - she would be an excellent candidate for your shop,” she added. “Is that so? No fear of blood or teeth?” asked Feven. “Teeth? Uh, no, I’m not too afraid of anything,” said Fiera slowly. “Well, it's settled then. I can provide you with a tarnished worker’s pass, and you’ll work for me at my dentistry shop. My last assistant left due to, well, an unnatural fear she developed. Not to worry though, You won’t need to assist in any medical fashion. That’s what Dimmerson is for!” Feven said. “A denti-huh? Uh, I’m guessing you work on people’s teeth, then. Well, what would I need to do?” asked Fiera, sitting forward intently. “Oh, not too much, just sweep the shop each day, collect any packages that arrive for me, and keep the place cleaned up. There can be a fair amount of blood and other fluids from some of our patients. Not to worry though, it will leave you plenty of time in the evenings to explore our fine city! I’d love nothing more than to help out one of our kind.” Feven smiled at her. “Sounds great. Uh, so this tarnished worker's pass is good for three months?” asked Fiera. “Yes, it’s good for three months, after which I’ll be able to help you apply for a full-time silver pass. You’ll be able to skip the line, so to speak. I’ll provide you enough of an income to live on, and there’s a spare apartment above the shop you can stay in. I will ask you to keep an eye on the shop while we’re closed, however. Spook off anyone trying to break in, that sort of thing,” He took a sip of tea that Grandad had poured for him. It was at this point Fiera realized that a cup had floated its way over to her and was bumping into her arm. She grabbed it and took a sip. It tasted amazing, with a sweet, yet robust flavor. It made her mouth tingle slightly as she drank it. “So, who’s Dimmerson?” Fiera asked as she sipped her tea. “Ah, you’ll meet him when we get there. I assume you’ll want to get settled in tonight, unless you have another place to stay?” said Feven, giving Grandad a look. “Of course she is welcome to stay here, if she desires,” said Grandad, looking at Fiera. “I wouldn’t want to intrude. I would prefer to get settled into the apartment, I suppose. I can start keeping a watch tonight,” she offered. “Oh, no need to stay up and watch for anyone, I just meant you can keep a watch on the shop in a general sense. If you ever hear someone breaking in, call the guards, or deal with them yourself - if you’re able,” he said with a wink. “Understood. Shall we head out?” Fiera stood up. Her cup was empty. “Soon, soon, I just need to speak with Grandad here about a few things, then I’ll be ready. Feel free to wait outside. Here,” he said, flicking his hand outward toward her. A shimmer of blue energy shot out of his palm and encased Fiera, though it was nearly undetectable. “That will keep the rain off you. I’d still suggest putting your hood up until we get a glamour for you,” he added, sipping his tea. Fiera nodded, putting up her hood, and gave a wave to Lirna. “It was great to meet you, Fiera, thank you for getting me out tonight. I owe you one,” she said with a wave. “Stop by the shop sometime and we can settle our debts,” Fiera joked. With that, she stepped out into the dark, cold rain. She watched as the droplets of water bounced off her, refusing to get more than an inch from her body. Leaning against the shop’s entryway, Fiera smiled to herself. Not only had she managed to secure a job, a place to crash, and a worker’s pass, but that old draconian had said something about a glamour too. For the first time she wouldn’t have to worry about people seeing her as a weird, dragon girl. She would just be another person, working to earn a living. There was something respectable about that. Fiera knew that trouble had a way of finding her, but for now, at least, it seemed she was safe. Thanks for reading! There will be another entry tomorrow!