From Ashes

The map she held open in her hands was far too flimsy. It threatened to fall to pieces if the soft breeze became little more than gentle and it didn't help that the information on the rusty yellow paper was likely to be long outdated. But the girl stubbornly squinted at the faded lines and worn ink as she hesitantly made her way down the road, inch by inch.

This was the moment in which Rory would begin to question her decision to leave home and venture out on her own. She came from a small town that never received a strong string of travelers and she knew very little about the world outside her own. Her parents were to blame for that because they reacted severely whenever she expressed any curiosities that extended beyond the borders of her village. In time, she learned to keep silent, but she still continued to dream.

Rory was beginning to wonder if her parents were right after all, that there was nothing to be gained by leaving the village. The world was much bigger and more intimidating than she ever imagined it to be. This 'small' town was said to hardly compare to the central city, Garche. Rory was already starting to doubt her ability to make it through the night.

"That map is ancient!" A voice declared. "Did you steal that off of someone's wall?"

Rory stiffened in fright as she clutched the map to her chest and flushed red, whipping around to deny such allegations in a pitched voice. "N-no! Of course not!" She insisted, though the person was not at all far from the truth. "I paid for it…"

It turned out to be a slightly taller young woman with inky black hair and deep, wine colored eyes. Her mouth pressed into an amused smile as she tilted her head curiously at the flustered girl and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I was only joking. Did I scare you?" She asked. "You seem a little lost though. Where you headed?"

"O-oh, I wasn't-" Rory blushed and cleared her throat. "I was just looking for the inn… I'm going to Garche."

"You're going to Garche? By yourself?" The young woman's brows immediately came together as a frown marred her features. Then she chuckled. "You've never traveled before, have you?"

"N-no," the younger girl stuttered, not used to speaking with such bold strangers. Most women in her hometown were soft spoken and coy. "No one really travels in my hometown and the merchants wouldn't let me tag along…"

"The road to Garshe is a pretty dangerous road to travel alone," she murmured. "Especially if you're inexperienced… but what sorts of skills do you have?"

"Skills?" Rory was bewildered. "I don't… really have any. I can do minor fire spells… but I'm going to go to the central city so I can be a magician."

The woman stared at Rory and she stared back. It seemed that she really couldn't fathom just how Rory made it to this town without a scratch, especially with that bright head of hers that shined like a beacon amongst a drab crowd of common folk. Bandits and rogues were not scarce in the areas outside of towns and cities. In addition to that, they were quite indiscriminate when it came to robbing and killing, which is why most people opted to travel with hired help or in packs. A person never really traveled alone unless they had the strength of at least three men.

"Look. Call me Nyx," she finally said, thrusting a hand towards her. "How about I tag along with you? Just to the city."

"My name is Rory," the girl said, her mood lightening as she shook Nyx's hand. "You're going to Garshe too?"

"Well, I'm a top notch wanderer. I have no set destination," Nyx said, gesturing for her to follow along as she led the way through the back alleys. "I haven't been there in a while and I can't let you go off on your own. So, why not?"

"I- Uh," Rory scurried to keep up with her pace. "I don't have much money. I can't really pay you."

"It's fine, Rory," Nyx assured her, peeking out of the shadows of the alley before stepping out onto another main street. "I bring in money through other means."

"Oh, you mean you're a… a…" Rory blushed furiously.

"What are you thinking? I'm a bounty hunter," she exclaimed, laughing at the younger girl's expression when she glanced back. "There are plenty of bounties out there that pay pretty well."

"Isn't that dangerous?" The vibrant, fire haired girl followed Nyx's lead as they ducked into what appeared to be the back entrance of a cottage.

Nyx moved with such fluidity that Rory wasn't sure if she was real or a mere figment of her imagination. Maybe this was a dream and she was going to wake up back in the safety of her own room in just a few moments. She wondered about it, but then she realized that there was no way she'd be able to even dream up a character with as strong of an impression as Nyx.

"A little bit of danger here and there never hurt," she said.

The taller woman spared her a glance over her shoulder, dark locks curling seductively and bouncing in time with each confident strut she took forward. If there was anything to note about the mysterious woman it was that when she walked, people stepped out of her way. Rory was not the first one to be instantly smitten with Nyx, nor would she be the last.

"Saff, could you send some extra pillows up to my room? I've found a companion to travel with," Nyx spoke to the old woman standing behind the front counter of the tiny lobby. She didn't stop or slow, but the older woman promptly lifted her hand in acknowledgement with a fleeting glance at Rory as she scampered after Nyx.

"Do you stay here often?" Rory asked as they came to a stop at the end of the hall.

"I've been here for about a week, so it's given me plenty of time to become friendly with the host," Nyx flashed the girl a casual grin as she unlocked the door and stepped inside. "Come inside. You haven't had a rest yet, have you?"

Rory shook her head, stepping in after her and peering around the room. It was a basic accommodation, furnished with two beds and a nightstand. Nyx came around and sat down on the bed closest to the window dropping her satchel on the floor. She gestured to the other bed and Rory carefully set her pack down before taking a seat herself.

"So you practice fire magic?" Nyx asked.

"Sort of… I can just do a small flame to light the stove or start a campfire, really," Rory sighed. "It's practically nothing."

"Why do you want to become a magician anyway?"

"I don't know, it's just something I've always wanted to do," she said. "It just kind of calls to me, I guess. I'm sorry, that sounds a little silly."

It sounded crazy and entirely unreasonable, Rory realized as a blush darkened her cheeks. Nyx just smiled and shrugged her shoulders, shaking her head in disagreement.

"I don't think so. You don't really need any more reason than that," she murmured. "Kind of like me and wandering."

"How long have you been traveling, Nyx?"

"A very long time," she answered vaguely, eyes squinting in thought. "But I'm just an old woman, so enough about me. Tell about you, Rory."

"I don't really have much to tell," Rory murmured, looking down at her toes. "My parents were against the idea of me becoming a magician. I don't know why, but they've hated magic since I was a little girl. I still practiced in secret after browsing the merchant's books. To be honest, I took the map from the wall of our local inn and ran away from home… But there's nothing that I want more than this. It's the only thing I'm sure of."

"I was young once, I know how it is," Nyx said with a sympathetic smile. "We'll get you to Garshe and find a good magician you can be an apprentice to. But once you do that, you should let your parents know that you weren't filleted by the bandits."

Rory flushed in embarrassment when she realized how childish she must have seemed, running away from home and defying her parents. But she agreed, knowing that it was the best thing to do instead of letting her parents worry themselves sick. The last thing she wanted to do was let her parents spend every waking moment wondering what happened to their beloved daughter.

"Thanks, Nyx," the red head said, looking down. "Really."

"It's nothing!" Nyx grinned. "Besides, I just had to scoop such an adorable thing like you up before some slime ball did. And didn't your parents ever teach you not to go along with strangers? What if I'm actually a lecherous woman who might only lead you to your doom?"

Rory stiffened and stared at the woman with eyes as wide as saucers. She'd never even stopped to think that Nyx had any ill intentions since she was so fascinated. Nyx tilted her head and laughed shortly after, shaking her head and wiping a tear from her eye.

"Relax, Rory, I'm not," she snickered. "You're lucky this time, but you should really be more wary from now on. Thieves love victimizing small town girls like you."

"But you're different." Rory mumbled with a mild pout.

"You're right," Nyx smiled warmly. "You have a good eye."

Rory looked up and mirrored her smile, feeling much better about her future now that the woman had so graciously offered to take her under her wing. Maybe her dreams weren't as far out of her grasp as she initially believed.