The Sorcerer of Azurai

"Because we want to know what Sage is, and the day after we'll go somewhere fun."

"Promise?"

"Do you want a pinky swear?"

"No-

"Then come on." Nyris led them further through the books until they were back at the end of the wall. Nyris placed his hand on the cover of one of the books which glowed, the panels in the wall started to buckle and turn, opening a doorway. Nyris went in first then Sage, and lastly Piper.

It was dark and small, so each had to feel around the wall until the light came. They were in anther room, there were candles all around them in a circle. In front of them were an abundance of pillows where a woman was sitting, humming to herself.

"Seriously?" Piper asked "A seer? You could have just whipped up a spe-

"Come." The woman beckoned, Sage and Nyris went despite Piper's protest, they all sat down and Nyris looked from the woman to Sage. Understanding the motion she placed her hands on Sage's, but when Sage felt nothing she thought all was lost. Maybe this woman was a con or maybe she was just human.

The air in the room was stale and hot, it made Piper queasy being there "Nothing happened, can we leave now?"

"Look around you daughter of the sea, and tell me do you not see the truth?" The woman motioned her hand around them. Nyris didn't feel much either, just a breeze and nothing more, but when he turned around he saw lush grass starting to grow from the corners, tulips and lilies growing in full bloom right there on the floor spreading underneath the candles.

"The Fae is in her, she has it in her."

"I'm part fairy?" Sage questioned.

"Part Fae, do you have wings my dear? I think not, you are a spirit of nature, of earth and wind."

"Pleased?" Nyris asked Piper who just shrugged. "Fae are rare, very rare. But it seems you haven't developed powers yet, they lay dormant."

"For a time." The woman said "But one day they will be in full bloom. Nyris what do you have for me today?"

Nyris looked to Sage and leaned his mouth next to her ear "She looks for payment." His breathe tickled at her skin.

"Oh, how much?"

"Three pieces." Sage got out her little pouch and took out four silver coins and handed them to her. The woman grinned "As kind hearted as an angel, thank you. Blessing to you on your way."

"And to you." Nyris gave a small bow, taking ten new books with him from the librarian on their way out, and they left. Fae, they were practically nature itself, Sage was still learning, maybe she'd accessed those powers one day. Then Nyris would have himself a pupil.

The three travelers made their down the rough roads to the nearest inn, it wasn't the best or the worst, moderate was the word. They only offered rooms with two beds, the girls would have to share. Nyris took the key in hand and opened the door to the cozy room, the beds were freshly made and there was a nice view of the entire town.

Piper pounced onto one bed and Nyris sat on the other, he was by the window and Piper nearest to the door. Sage sat beside her, finally relieved with the truth. Fae were sought after creatures who could make miracles happen. In the wrong hands their powers could gravely destroy rather than create.

"This was fun, really fun, Ny."

"I said tomorrow, lets rest for the evening." As soon as he had spoke those words there was a slamming noise in the next room. Over and over until a delightful moan lifted from the room, an 'Ahh' and a few 'Ohh's.

"That sounds really fun." Piper smirked.

"Ignore it." Nyris told Sage "Let the sleep wash over you."

"Ohhh Zell!" Someone shouted.

Sage blushed rubbing her ears "Easier said than done." Nyris waved his hand once and sound was muted.

"Hey...I was beginning to drift off." Piper groaned "That was like a lullaby."

"Thank you." Sage smiled, Nyris laid back down onto the bed "Don't worry about it, once we're back home you'll never have worry about the sounds of a bustling city or a town."

Sage felt warmth sink into her heart when he said the word home, he'd let his island be her home. At times he was cold, at times he was angry, sometimes he was rude and sarcastic, but at this moment he was very sweet. It had to take him time to warm up to the idea of sharing something he claimed as his to her.

So all she could do was smile back him "Yes, home."

As Nyris turned his back to her he couldn't help, but smile at the thought of home, and of Sage helping him maintain it. She wasn't as useless as he once believed, she was a good person, just not full on the lessons of life that he was full on. And maybe that wasn't a bad thing, that's what he thought as he closed his eyes.

In the morning as Nyris slept in as Piper and Sage headed towards the inn's bathrooms. Neither wanted to stay in the town long, so they would wash up, change, and then pack anything that Nyris conjured as clothing along the way. There were two wooden doors, one indicating male and the other female.

"Think Ny will be awake by the time we get back?" Piper yawned rubbing at her eyes.

"Maybe, all the magic from the spell must be really tiring him ou-

"Zell..." Both women turned the door marked male "Zell. Zell. Zell, don't stop."

Sage sighed, again? Couldn't they just keep their impulses to a minimum? Sage was about to walk into the ladies room, but Piper already had the men's room door cracked, her eye spied all over the bathroom.

"Wow..You have to see this-

"No way and that's wrong." Piper raised an eyebrow at her.

"It's nothing bad." Piper grabbed her arm and steered her towards the door, Sage caught a glimpse of a man moving his body upward, then of a woman holding onto him, leaning against the wall clawing at his back.

"Here." Piper moved Sage to where she could see the entire show.

"This is peeping." She whispered.

"Shhh, before they hear us." Two bodies entangled in passion, the lower half the man's body thrusted into the half of the woman's body that was partially hidden from view. Over and over again their bodies danced together in harmony.

"Zell..Zell!" The woman groaned as her lover filled her to her peak of pleasure. Sage's face was flush, she felt perverted watching this, but she was wondering was this what love was like? The embodiment of it, the motion of what two who completely trusted one another, who shared their heartaches and touching moments as well as one heart. Was that what love was like?

"He has good stamina." Piper nearly had a heart attack when she saw Nyris leaning over them.

"You nearly scared the life out of me." Piper hit his chest with her fist, not that it did anything.

"Enjoying the show?" This was to Sage who looked down.

"Umm, we just heard a noise and-

"And you were afraid that it was someone in trouble? So you came to their rescue?" Nyris tried hard not to laugh.

"Shut up, come on Sage." Piper pulled her away into the bathroom where Sage washed all of what she saw out of mind.

The winds threw them across the seas to Ambirose, a city of wonders. Homes made of terracotta intersected together giving more space for aisles and streets. There were vendors, spherical glass lanterns with butterflies on their surfaces that stood on every corner of every street. As they walked they saw where the festival was held, somewhere near the docks where vendors sold foods, hosted games, offered fortunes, and all sorts of fashions as well as gifts.

Piper walked ahead looking at the clothing carts.

"We really didn't have to stop by here." Sage said, she held her hand with Nyris' so that they wouldn't lose one another in the crowd.

"Piper wanted fun, this is all that I'm willing to give her." Nyris kept looking at the glass lanterns, how the light from the sun shone through, giving spots of color on the ground as they walked.

"I know you get tired of me thanking you, but this really amazing, Nyris."

"It's a festival."

"I haven't been to one in eight years." Piper pointed at the a stall offering candy coated apples which propped Sage to reach for her small pouch and pull out a silver coin.

"We can get three from this coin, would you like one?" Sage offered.

"Uh, sure." Nyris shrugged as he walked with her to the stall. Piper gave the man behind the counter the coin.

"Three please." Piper grinned as she exchanged the coin for three ruby red apples on sticks. Piper licked hers as Nyris and Sage stared at her oddly, biting their apples.

"Have you ever had a candy apple before, Piper?" Sage asked.

"No, but they looked yummy. What's with the faces guys?" Nyris shook his head and walked on. Piper really was a child, she knew what an apple was, but a candy apple was this alien form of the same fruit. As they made their way down the stalls they watched a scene unfold.

A woman was caught trying to steal food from a stall for her child, the woman who ran the stall had called for guards to come and take her away. Poor her, Sage sighed, from the way she dressed, she guessed that the woman was less fortunate. The guard tugged at her arm as her son held onto her leg.

"Away with the harpy! I'll teach you to steal from me!" The stall keeper yelled.

"Aww, that's sad." Piper said licking her apple up the sides like a lollipop. It wasn't something new to Sage, she'd seen those without and those who had less than that be dragged away, because they couldn't afford the price of living. She always felt bad when here parents turned her from such places, from the people. It wasn't pity, but guilt that ate at her heart.

Sage started to pull away from Nyris.

"What are you doing?" He furrowed his eyebrows at her, it was one soul among a billion who had to deal with the issue of lack of funds. She needn't be involved.

Sage didn't answer him, she pulled her hand from his and took off her gilded necklace. She pulled the chain from the loop of the crest and smacked it into the stall keeper's hand. The woman looked stunned.

"What is this?"

"Payment for her and her son, please release her." The woman looked at the golden chained stretching it in her hands examining it up close by her eyes.

"Wait." The stall keeper approached the guard revealing the gold chain in hand, and just like magic the woman was released. "Thank your lucky stars, beggar."

The woman approached Sage quietly "Thank you, thank you."

"It was no problem, ma'am. I hope that you can give them their worth in that chain. miss." Sage was speaking to the stall keeper who nodded obediently.

"Yes, yes. But only the chain worth, nothing more." The woman and her son approached an marveled at the spread before them, Sage took that as cue to sneak back to where Nyris and Piper stood.

"Is something wrong?" Nyris' face was like a stone, she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Nyris patted her on the head "You're too giving, little one." Sage blushed in embarrassment, he was treating her like a kid again.

"I am not a child, Nyris-

"Calm down, I know. I'm just...proud." Sage smiled up at him again, and as nice as it was to see her smile, feel the warm vibes in the air, Nyris couldn't help, but feel something dark, a small splotch against the otherwise bright day. He placed the feeling in the back of his mind as he and the girls made rounds to other stalls down docks.

In the evening they came to check themselves into a small inn, it was Nyris' choice , a stuffy aristocratic stop. He believed it to be better than the lower ranked inns around, safer too. It all cost a pretty worth of five silver to stay the night, but before they returned to their island paradise the next day they would replenish their strengths with a hearty meal down in the dining hall.

Despite the upper-crust stats that the place came with, the dining hall was like any rustic bar, wooden accommodations (white oak), a bar, and kitchen out back. The trio took a center table that had a simple silk cloth over it with one candlestick in the middle of the table. How did that pass around as ambience there of all places? To their far right was a couple that kept bursting in hysterical laughter every five minutes, to the left were three drunk noble men chatting it up as they waited for their next round.

As the trio waited for their dinner to arrive they picked up on chatter to the left of them.

"What a knock out." One men laughed "The size of her breasts alone made the bulge in my pants swell."

"Like ripe cantaloupe." Another spoke "Did she make you wait a whole three months as she did with her last companion?"

"No, I caressed her so much that she couldn't even make it to one. She tasted like sugar."

"Who cares about what she tasted like?" The other man chuckled "How did that cherry red cunt of hers feel?"

"Like velvet. I was so stiff, I almost lost all feeling. Warm like fresh milk, and just as moist. Lady Joette was the lady of my dreams."

"For that night." All three men hooted and hollered.

"They're pigs." Piper said.

"Disgusting pigs." Sage agreed when the server brought their meals to them. He had dark eyes and hair to match, probably the son of a servant. But he leaned down to look at Piper.

"I heard what you said, if they're disturbing you I can have them thrown out."

"Oh? Are you that powerful?" Piper teased giving a half smile.

"My father owns the inn. And we like to keep all our guests as happy as possible."

"It's just nonsense that they're prattling on about, but thank you..

"Magnus Harrin, but if you need anything, any of you please call on me."

"Thank you, but I think we'll tune them out." Nyris said, he had already eaten half of his plate as they were talking. Sage leered at him. "What?" He whispered. She just rubbed her forehead, he could be a bit much sometimes.

"Well then I'll leave you to your meals. I hope you enjoy." Magnus' eyes were already absorbed into Piper, he smiled at her as he returned to the kitchen and every chance he got all throughout dinner. Afterwards as Nyris walked up to the prepared suite, the dark feeling came over him again, his body froze in time, and everything else was absorbed in pitch blackness. For the first time in a long time Nyris felt true fear surge inside his heart.

Pain, heavy, burning pain. Nyris felt how heavy his body was and how light headed he became as his eyes adjusted to his new surroundings. No longer at the inn, they were in a clay cavern of some sort, it was dim, but not completely hard to see in, specks of light found their way inside. Sage was sitting on the ground next to Piper who both had their hands tied by rope, both leaning against the wall far from him. Nyris wasn't tied by rope, but by...cold...metallic...chains? Around his wrists were chains, his mouth covered by a sash.

"Ny.." Piper cried out, her voice a bit dry. Nyris tried to move, but he couldn't, his magic wasn't there, it was like a pit formed in his stomach and was blocking everything out. Nyris looked down to see splotches of blood on his shirt, was he injured?

"Ny can't help you now." A voice said, two men stood in the corner facing Nyris, one seemed like a common crook, the other was recognizable. He was a foot under Nyris' height with gray strands of hair and brown eyes. He smiled at Nyris, point teeth, fangs. He had fangs, vampire, Nyris thought.

"Ah there it is. The recognition."

"What do you want?" Piper asked.

"For Nyris to suffer, but I guess overall I want him to die."

"What for?" Sage glared "This doesn't make sense to kidnap us like this-

"But it does." The man sat down on the floor "I'll tell you a story." Nyris breathed deeply, inhaling the memories from his past, blood, a field covered in ash, a life in ruin, and then nothing, because nothing remained after what he had done.

"I won't make it long. To summarize, a clan of paranormals who were on the brink of death fed a little here and there from passing towns. One fell into a deep thirst and started to lead a trail of bodies behind. The people, humans, were scared. They called on their deity, an omnipotent sorcerer to clear them out."

"But the clan put up a fight for their survival, it was only one who was in ruin, not the others. But their fate was sealed and the sorcerer turned them into cinders, in a flash of light. They were wiped out. The sorcerer left, and the one clansman who hid as instructed came out of hiding to see his work at hand. And that set the course. Didn't Nyris?"

Nyris's eyes had lost strength and he could barely hold his head up. A vampire, an avenger of his people who always followed Nyris throughout the years to haunt him. He was at first harmless, and then turned into a danger following incidents where he fed on witches and sorcerers, leaving their bodies for him to find. Eventually this landed him in a sealed coffin, once again by Nyris' hand.

Nyris' eyes flickered to Sage and Piper, they were now stuck in his nightmare.

"Don't worry friend, I won't hurt the girls. Not yet, not until I see you die."

"Boss, do you know how much a mermaid's worth?" His minion asked "All them pretty scales."

"So right, Delby. A pretty thing like her would be worth a lot." The man craned his neck to view Piper "Trading her, selling her, she'll fetch high fortune. But her." His gaze turned towards Sage with great hunger "It's hard to restrain myself from that delicious smell, what are you?"

"Human."

"No human smells as good as you do. Be honest, you aren't human, and even if you were you're not completely human. Am I right?"

Sage became quiet and looked back at Nyris who was still bleeding from his chest wound.

"I'd be focused on your survival, not his.." The man frowned and nodded at his friend who took out a steel blade that he stuck into Nyris' chest again, Nyris didn't groan, but squinted in pain as it ripped through his flesh out through his backside. The blade then slid out of him, his blood was seeping into his shirt, filling faster. Think. Think. Think. But nothing came to Nyris as he tried to think of a way to save Sage and Piper, this was not their mess, nor their burden to bare.

"Stop!" Piper screamed "He doesn't deserve this!"

"I say who deserves what!" He roughly slapped Piper against the face "Be quiet unless you want to die as well."

Piper was sobbing quietly, a small stream of water falling across her coral skin, she was afraid.

"It'll be okay." Sage breathed "Piper, please settle, we'll be alright." She could only hold onto her prayers, her wit, and not let her nerves get the best of her. She had believed in Nyris' abilities, in him, even now as they faced an impossible situation, she kept her faith him.

"Such faith, such loyalty. But due to this." The man tapped his foot on the floor "Even the Great Nyris can't free himself from this."

The floor. Nyris' head was already half way looking down, his vision blurring in and out as he saw a large symbol underneath him, drawn in his own blood. That was what was blocking his magic. But he had to break free, if not for him, then for them. He couldn't let them suffer further than what they had in life, from family, because who did they have now besides him? He wouldn't break the promise he made to Laylia.

Think. Think. Think. There was always a way, even in a helpless situation.

"Your blood is becoming more appetizing by the minute, miss." The man licks his lips watching Sage, she didn't squirm or shout which struck him as odd "Aren't you the brave heart? After I'm done with him, I'm going to make you my personal blood bag. How does that sound, Ny?"

Nyris tried to glare, but he wanted focus on his thoughts, he knew a way around this, it was just that he was losing too much blood, his consciousness fading in and out.

"A few more strikes with the blade could do it. Do you know that they can craft star fragments into weapons?" The man asked "They have their own mystical properties, I had this forged special by a friend, enhanced it a bit so that you'd feel every cut, every-