High Hopes and Bright Futures REDUX (IC)

[Esprit15]

52nd Year of the 48th Age

Summer

The morning sun rises over the city of Kern, dispersing the cold mist that tends to gather in the pre-daylight hours. Already, the town quickly awakens, shopkeepers, businessmen, and laborers leaving their homes to make the daily preparations for a new day of work. In the distance, the Church of Kelerth can be heard ringing out the hour - six in the morning.

Aldar Ashhammer
You awaken in your bed as the sun creeps toward the horizon, wood and stone ceiling above you. You slept lightly, like your sleep had been interrupted, but it takes you several seconds to sort out why. A wyrmling, a deal... no, surely it was but a dream, yes?

"Aldar! If they skies are red, be out of bed!" comes the voice of your mother from downstairs. The city of Kern wakes early as always. As you pull yourself from the blankets, you feel lighter. More confident. Quicker. You feel like this is going to be a good day. A profitable day. Some of your siblings are already up, but Willow, the youngest, is also still asleep, and appears to have not heard your mother's call.

Melody Salem
You wake just moments before the bells ring out over the city. In the next room over, Elyssa can be heard getting dressed, her work boots clomping around on the wooden floor and out the door toward the animals. Ever since Raully's Mounts had expanded to Kern, your aunt has been extra busy, supplying the fastest horses and the strongest mules of each summer to the emporium. It's a strange change from what she's used to, but the extra gold makes it not an unwelcome one.

The noises around you almost manage to distract you from the strange dream last night. A baby dragon? Wishes? Surely that's just the stuff of stories for children.

Feel free to narrate your morning routines

[YuweaCurtis]

Momentarily distracted by the sounds of the day, she refocuses on what she could remember of the dream... It was very unusual indeed. Sitting up and pushing her blanket aside she stretches. Rubbing the sleep out her eyes, she walks over to a small wardrobe and pulls out some work clothes. Consisting of a shirt and skirt made of tough materials, they weren't terrible but obviously better suited for working in a barn.

She would go to pull her night shirt off, but something seemed to be getting in the way. Letting the shirt back down she'd look towards the vanity mirror and turns around while craning her head back and running her hands down her back. She let's out a small yelp as she feels the fleshy membranes under her clothing. She slowly lifts her shirt to get a direct view.

"Oh my God, what the Baatar is this!"

[Esprit15]

Fumbling the nigh shirt off is a bit difficult. Tangled among the cloth are two grey, chiropteran wings, with a span slightly longer than your own arm span.

[Jacior]

The young Goliath greeted the day by stretching out of sleep and his bed, tendons snapping from their night time tensions. Seeing the still snoring form of his sister, he smirked before grabbing the edge of the mattress and flipping it and Willow onto the floor. "Wake up, you slackabout! If you're last to breakfast, you know you'll get stuck mucking out the rams stalls again!" Even saying this, Aldar was already dressing himself and heading out the door. He wasn’t going to get stuck with mucking out the stables that was for sure.

Stepping down the stairs, Aldar notes more the lightness in his steps and takes them 2 at a time. "Must've slept very well indeed…" At the table, breakfast was already laid out, one of the few bits of laziness his family indulged in were the cooks. And Aldar definitely appreciated not having to prepare himself the honeyed oatmeal and fruit, rasher of bacon and cups of both fresh juice and rams milk that he dug into, half his siblings eating while the others cleaning up their dishes already.

Father was at the customary spot at the head of the table going over reports and minding a rather large mug of Dwarven coffee. Mother was at his side, touching up his fathers markings for the day and engaging him in discussion of the mercantile business on the table below. It warmed Aldar's heart to see the love between his parents so strong. That could also be the still hot breakfast he'd been eating, but he chose the thought that made him happier.

After breakfast and the dishes, Aldar engaged in his morning exercise routine, noting the sharp uptick in both weight and reps he was able to handle seemingly overnight. The thought of the dream tickled the back of his mind as he absolutely plowed through a routine that should have taken nearly half an hour longer. "I shall have to see about changing that around then." After exercise were the visits with the tutors, long and somewhat laborious they droned on and he found himself drifting again to his dreams and the strangely… empowered morning he was having? Perhaps it was wrong to just dismiss them… but then perhaps he was just growing into himself more.

After the tutors, Aldar set to the task of grooming his ram and maintaining his set of tack, the beastly thing having been fed by the stable hands in the early hours. After nearly an hour of care, his ram was pristine and he was satisfied. Then, it was lunch time.

[Esprit15]

As the church rings out noon, your mother calls you in for lunch. Sitting down at the table, your family digs into a meal of greens and bread as the cook brings out a soup of potatoes and beef. After a few minutes, everyone's pace of eating slows and your father speaks up. "You've gotten faster at your chores, Aldar. Somewhere you're looking to be this afternoon?"

[YuweaCurtis]

She pulls at one of the wings, her muscles reflexively pull it back when she let's go. She also inadvertently hurts herself. "Ouch!" She winces, then takes the shirt the rest of the way off before standing cross armed looking at the wings with her back to the mirror. She attempts to move them around a bit. I don't have time to gawk, I'll have to figure this out later...

Huffing she looks through a drawer of various belts and selects two to try and secure her wings with. Putting her work clothes on she checks to make sure her new appendages aren't visible and then heads to the kitchen to grab some breakfast. Her food of choice is some bread and fruit. I'll just have to keep cool until I can get some time to myself to figure things out. Alright girl, showtime!

After scarfing down her meal she would leave the main house and go into the stables. Wearing a sly grin, she would stop and catch herself Too much, hold it back a bit. Her face would take a more neutral countenance and she would enter the stables. "I'm here Auntie!" If she was in sight she would wave at Elyssa, but either way she would head to her designated section and start working.

[Jacior]

Aldar looked up from his mouth full of bread, taking a moment to finish chewing and swallowing before answering. "Not in particular, just feeling... invigorated today, I suppose, Father. I might head into town if time permits, but nothing pressing." It was always a gamble talking to Father if he noticed something off. You never knew quite what he was planning. Part of what made him such a shrewd businessman.

[Esprit15]

Aldar
Your father takes another bite of bread with his soup, thinking. "Hm... I suppose there isn't any harm in letting you wander the town as a reward. Of course, now I know you can work this fast," he says with a grin that is one part fatherly and one part business. "I think next week we'll see about you coming along on a trade. We'll be buying some goods from some intermediaries to the Corinthians. Figure it's time to start taking you along on these trips anyways. Whatdya think, Aldar?"

Melody
"Morn' dear!" Elyssa calls from one of the stables, only barely looking up to see you before returning to caring for one of the newborns.

The day's work is hard, but not as hard as it usually is. The feed bags feel a little lighter, the dung doesn't quite reek as bad, and by noon you just aren't as sore as you usually are.

As you both sit down for a break and lunch (more bread, and some stewed vegetables), Elyssa looks you up and down. "You eat somethin' weird this mornin'? Y'ain't as tired as usual," she says before taking a huge bite of bread.

[Jacior]

Aldar knew if he'd had a tail it'd be wagging at the mere suggestion. It was bad enough that his people were the masters of reading others as it was. Choking on a bite of crisp greens, he clears his throat. "A-Ah, yes, that sounds wonderful Father! I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to learn the business on the front lines, as they are." Aldar smirked at Buroke, a quick flash of smugness at the table. "And if I am so burdened with more responsibilities... the price of greatness I suppose." He hoped, under the surface, this wasn't a one morning affair.

[Esprit15]

"Don't wonder - ask. If you want something from someone, never be afraid to probe them for information. Learn what they want, what they expect. For example, I wanted to see initiative without expectation from you before bringing you along. Without that, what separates us from a mere baker, or farmer? If you don't truly want to run the business, one of your siblings might be more up to task." Always the pragmatic businessman. You know that your family has a history of business. Before your grandfather moved to Kern to establish connections in the south, his father ran a sizeable part of the iron trade from the Golka Mountains in the north. Before that, his great grandfather imported tin from the elves. Before him, his grandmother traded in beasts of burden, and so on, and so on. Passing leadership down the family was passing a torch that had been alight for centuries, from before the Age of the Demilich (the age before this one), from before the Age of the Leviathan.

[YuweaCurtis]

Melody stops eating for a moment as she contemplated the question. She hadn't even fully realize just how much energy she had left. She shakes her head vigorously, "Just the usual. I probably just got some extra good sleep last night. Hmmm," she grins, "But this means I'm done for today right? I can go play my music now?" You know, my real job? That last part was totally in her head. As brazen as she was, she respected her aunt and didn't want to unnecessarily incite any wraith. A thought occurs. "Unless I can get some extra pay for some extra work? After all she was feeling pretty good today.

[Esprit15]

Elyssa sighs. "You're free to do what you want this afternoon. Honestly though, I don't see where you think this will go. We all have to grow up eventually. Music is nice and all, but it's never going to put food on the table." She takes a bite of food, an annoyed look on her face. "Not for our kind anyways."

[YuweaCurtis]

"Entertainment has a better chance of getting money then whatever mother does. Unless she's been holding out on us." she interjects between bites. Melody flourishes her eating utensil, "I just have to have the right person notice my talent and I could get hefty sack of gold. The rich have to get their entertainment from somewhere." Momentarily she stares at the door. She wouldn't mention the other hobby she has that could get her some money if need. One which she expects is what her mother is up... But why aren't they living better? She must be a terrible thief.

[Jacior]

Aldar resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his father. "True... but pressing too hard can also cause a deal to fall through. It can make you look demanding and/or aggressive and could say that you need the business because you need the money from it urgently. A merchant who needs the coin is a poor merchant indeed." This was normally the conversation reserved for dinner, there was definitely something strange in the air today... "Or am I misremembering that saying in particular?"

[Esprit15]

"Entertainment has a better chance of getting money then whatever mother does. Unless she's been holding out on us." she interjects between bites. Melody flourishes her eating utensil, "I just have to have the right person notice my talent and I could get hefty sack of gold. The rich have to get their entertainment from somewhere." Momentarily she stares at the door. She wouldn't mention the other hobby she has that could get her some money if need. One which she expects is what her mother is up... But why aren't they living better? She must be a terrible thief.
"Your mother's means need not be your own," Elyssa says, harshness just detectable in her voice. "The rich can get their entertainment from the slightly less rich. Why do you want to entertain those pompous jerks for, anyhow?"


Aldar resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his father. "True... but pressing too hard can also cause a deal to fall through. It can make you look demanding and/or aggressive and could say that you need the business because you need the money from it urgently. A merchant who needs the coin is a poor merchant indeed." This was normally the conversation reserved for dinner, there was definitely something strange in the air today... "Or am I misremembering that saying in particular?"
Your father gives a small but proud smile. "Exactly, my boy. It's an art, not a science, and one which our people excel at. There's a right way to ask any question of anyone.

Speaking of questions: What are you thinking of doing while in town?"

[YuweaCurtis]

"Exactly, unless she's living another life as a music entertainer," she says smugly, taking a drink of her water. She chuckles, "I could care less about the rich, I just want to be recognized for my talent. I was only saying I could make a living out of it, and I intend to." Melody finishes her meal, waiting for her aunt to so she could put the dishes away.

[Jacior]

"I didn't imagine having the afternoon to myself when I woke up, I really don't know. Window shop perhaps." Aldar smirked only internally to himself. That was the right answer indeed. He gave a small side-eye to Balsam before returning his attention to Father. "Though I'll admit I feel like that's another loaded question so I'll counter by asking: Is there something in town you think I should be doing today? It feels like there's something strange in the air today."

[Esprit15]

Melody
Your aunt sighs, another attempt to dissuade you failed. Your aunt gets up and lets you take care of the dishes, heading back out to the fields without another word.

Aldar
Your father smiles. "Nope, nothing ulterior today. But thank you for asking, Aldar." As your family finishes their meals, one of the servants comes by and collects bowls and plates. The afternoon was yours to do with as you saw fit.

[YuweaCurtis]

She watches her aunt exit with a frown on her face, then gets up to deal with the lunch mess. "Why so serious?" she saids aloud but not too loud. Didn't she used to be some sort of adventurer like mom? Oh well, She'd hurriedly finish up in the kitchen then head to her room to grab her guitar and prop case. After securely tucking the daggers her mom gifted her with under pants (she is still currently in her work clothes), she grab the cases and heads out.

Walking at a casual pace, she would head towards her best friend's house. Wasn't much of a rush because the other young girl, Emily, was likely reading some sort of assignment given by her parents. Not that the mute girl minded, she loved to read.

[Jacior]

Aldar wasn't... exactly sure he believed that but no use ruining a nice lunch. Especially cause it seemed tomorrow life would be much more difficult. Finishing up, he prepared his ram to go into town, saddle and horn harness in place. They really weren't like horses, the horns were the parts you pulled on if you wanted to move. Always funny watching newbies try it. Thinking thrice, Aldar decided to bring some spending coin into town as well, his siblings had been behaving themselves and a treat wouldn't be off the table if he found something suitable. Humming a tune, he drove the ram from the estate and down the road. What adventure would the afternoon hold!

[Esprit15]

She watches her aunt exit with a frown on her face, then gets up to deal with the lunch mess. "Why so serious?" she saids aloud but not too loud. Didn't she used to be some sort of adventurer like mom? Oh well, She'd hurriedly finish up in the kitchen then head to her room to grab her guitar and prop case. After securely tucking the daggers her mom gifted her with under pants (she is still currently in her work clothes), she grab the cases and heads out.

Walking at a casual pace, she would head towards her best friend's house. Wasn't much of a rush because the other young girl, Emily, was likely reading some sort of assignment given by her parents. Not that the mute girl minded, she loved to read.
Within a few minutes, you are welcomed into Emily's home. Indeed, Emily is sitting at the family table, a book at one side and a quill with writing exercises on the other. When she hears her mother welcome you in, she gets up and rushes to greet you with a hug, and begins signing rapidly. While you don't know it well enough to sign back, you understand the gist of things. Morning good. Now study writing. Damian Church consider making me apprentice. Your morning good?


Aldar wasn't... exactly sure he believed that but no use ruining a nice lunch. Especially cause it seemed tomorrow life would be much more difficult. Finishing up, he prepared his ram to go into town, saddle and horn harness in place. They really weren't like horses, the horns were the parts you pulled on if you wanted to move. Always funny watching newbies try it. Thinking thrice, Aldar decided to bring some spending coin into town as well, his siblings had been behaving themselves and a treat wouldn't be off the table if he found something suitable. Humming a tune, he drove the ram from the estate and down the road. What adventure would the afternoon hold!
You make your way into town with some silver in hand. You spot a girl with light, brown hair - the Swifthearts's girl was promoting their strange baked goods again. Her father insisted that yeast was old fashioned, that sweetened breads tasted better without it, and his family's recipe was the best in town for cakes and dessert breads was the best in town. Your father was skeptical of cuisine from Tathlikians, though. And Tathlikians in general. "The empire is gone, but their leader had foul magic in his blood. Never know where that kind of witchery will show up again," his words echo in your head. Next door to them though are the Aaronsons and their butchery. Across the way was another baker, the Psomis - a snow elf family that your father occasionally did business with.

[YuweaCurtis]

Melody half winces, "A church? Well that's still good news, they'd take good care of you..." She stops and reminds herself of the news she had came bearing. "I'm doing good, surprisingly energetic. I did all my chores before lunch. She's looks around, from Emily can tell nervously. "So when can you hang out? I got something neat to show you, but it's a secret." Melody hoped her parents weren't in hearing range. The mute girl's parents weren't particularly nosy, but they were pretty observant.

[Jacior]

Father's apprehension against magic was... justifiable if shortsighted, in Aldar's opinion. Surely there's a need to have magecraft overseen... Perhaps a council of some kind to monitor and control them. But the advances in industry that could made with the application of some of the tools of old... it was downright bad business sense. Aldar shook his head free of the cobwebs of tomfoolery and glanced at all three things that caught his attention. Hefting the weight of his coin pouch, he decided there was no reason not to stop off at all three. All the members of his family liked different things because of course they'd make him go to multiple shops.

Aldar went to each location to place orders. Starting with the butcher, he ordered some exotic cuts for himself, Father and his youngest Sister Willow. At the Psomis', he ordered three loaves of hearty nut breads for his middle brothers and a small herbed loaf for himself. At the Swiftheart's Bakery, he ordered a large strawberry tart for Mother, a glazed dessert bread for his oldest brother and a small, cream filled pastry for himself. Setting the orders to be ready to be picked up on his way back to the house, he hitched his ram to the post in front of one of the nicer taverns and started a more leisurely stroll through the town.

[Esprit15]

Melody half winces, "A church? Well that's still good news, they'd take good care of you..." She stops and reminds herself of the news she had came bearing. "I'm doing good, surprisingly energetic. I did all my chores before lunch. She's looks around, from Emily can tell nervously. "So when can you hang out? I got something neat to show you, but it's a secret." Melody hoped her parents weren't in hearing range. The mute girl's parents weren't particularly nosy, but they were pretty observant.
Emily frowns. Her gestures emphasize the first word. Damian Church. Become apprentice. Learn magic. Her eyes light up though when you talk about secrets. Secret? Tell! Tell!


Father's apprehension against magic was... justifiable if shortsighted, in Aldar's opinion. Surely there's a need to have magecraft overseen... Perhaps a council of some kind to monitor and control them. But the advances in industry that could made with the application of some of the tools of old... it was downright bad business sense. Aldar shook his head free of the cobwebs of tomfoolery and glanced at all three things that caught his attention. Hefting the weight of his coin pouch, he decided there was no reason not to stop off at all three. All the members of his family liked different things because of course they'd make him go to multiple shops.

Aldar went to each location to place orders. Starting with the butcher, he ordered some exotic cuts for himself, Father and his youngest Sister Willow. At the Psomis', he ordered three loaves of hearty nut breads for his middle brothers and a small herbed loaf for himself. At the Swiftheart's Bakery, he ordered a large strawberry tart for Mother, a glazed dessert bread for his oldest brother and a small, cream filled pastry for himself. Setting the orders to be ready to be picked up on his way back to the house, he hitched his ram to the post in front of one of the nicer taverns and started a more leisurely stroll through the town.
The shopkeeps all recognize you (and more importantly, your last name) instantly, and are more than happy to ready your orders to be ready at the appropriate time.

As you wander the town, you find yourself noticing the people. Not them individually, but how they flow through the city. Where points of congestion happen, and at some points how even the different races move amongst each other. There's an odd little beauty to the motion - all of these people moving around and living their lives, coming together to build this little city on the bones of an old one. Off in the distance, you can see the little bits of smoke from the hills, where miners brought back the metals, gems, and coal that put the city on the map in the first place - roots that feed the beautiful tree of industry. There's a feeling of pride in your chest, that you're part of this tree. And yet... something nags at the back of your head. It's... not a logical feeling, much more instinctive. Somewhere in this fine tree, there is a sliver of wood rot, comes the faint thought. It takes you a moment to realize that it is not your own.

[YuweaCurtis]

"Heh, calm down." she says gesturing for the girl to hold on with her outstretched hands. She looks around the leans in closer. "It started with a weird dream... But turns out the dream did happen. But I'm sure I was asleep..." The situation had Melody slightly confused. "Anyways, we'll need more privacy before I can show you my secret."

[Esprit15]

Emily nods, then looks around. She carefully picks up the small book that she was studying from, straps it shut, and places it in a bag. I study later. Secret now. You lead.

[YuweaCurtis]

Melody grins when she sees the determination of her friend. Nodding, she leads the way outside to their secret hideout that was a bit towards the edge of town. It was a place they could get away and stash some stuff that they didn't want to take home. Not that Emily was prone to permanently borrow things as Melody so it was mostly the laters place.

After making sure they hadn't been followed, she places her case and bag on a partially collapsed piece of furniture of some sort and then turns her back to her friend. "So I had this dream about making some sort of deal... I'm supposed to fit for the light or something, but in return I got this... she unhooks the belt contraption she set up, then pulls her shirt over her head so she can remove it from around her new wings. She'd then let her shirt hang, though it only got as far as the top of the base of the wings in the back. She stretches them out. She looks back at her friend. "Isn't this the craziest thing ever? she says dropping the belts. She wonders what she was gonna do about shirts getting in the way.

[Jacior]

Aldar frowned at that. It was bad enough to hear his father admonishing him in his head for certain frivolities. This wasn't... any better. Worse in a way. With that thought, he decided to pursue his intention, walking more deliberately and trying to find where, if it came back at all, that nagging instinct tried to direct him. "Rot must be cut away for the tree to grow right." He murmured to himself as he walked

[Esprit15]

Aldar frowned at that. It was bad enough to hear his father admonishing him in his head for certain frivolities. This wasn't... any better. Worse in a way. With that thought, he decided to pursue his intention, walking more deliberately and trying to find where, if it came back at all, that nagging instinct tried to direct him. "Rot must be cut away for the tree to grow right." He murmured to himself as he walked
You walk with purpose up and down the streets, but nothing jumps out to you as peculiar enough to investigate. The same old faces, the same kind of new faces… …no. There was something off. A single door. Every other entry portal was being used with relative frequency as the denizens moved to and fro, but as you circle back in the market, one building’s door is untouched. Almost… avoided. The structure itself is entirely unremarkable, at most looking like someone crammed a building into an alley.


Melody grins when she sees the determination of her friend. Nodding, she leads the way outside to their secret hideout that was a bit towards the edge of town. It was a place they could get away and stash some stuff that they didn't want to take home. Not that Emily was prone to permanently borrow things as Melody so it was mostly the laters place.

After making sure they hadn't been followed, she places her case and bag on a partially collapsed piece of furniture of some sort and then turns her back to her friend. "So I had this dream about making some sort of deal... I'm supposed to fit for the light or something, but in return I got this... she unhooks the belt contraption she set up, then pulls her shirt over her head so she can remove it from around her new wings. She'd then let her shirt hang, though it only got as far as the top of the base of the wings in the back. She stretches them out. She looks back at her friend. "Isn't this the craziest thing ever? she says dropping the belts. She wonders what she was gonna do about shirts getting in the way.

The other girl is wide eyed. Amazing! Who deal? If you permit, she reaches out to touch the wings.

[YuweaCurtis]

Melody stretches her wings and moves them towards her friend. "It was a dream... Or so I thought. I made a deal with a dragon named Dee... 'Protect people. Be a light in the darkness.' he said..." She stops and thinks. She hadn't taken it too seriously, but indeed she had wings and felt more vigorous. "I admit I didn't give it much thought but something really happened. This means I'll have to keep my end of the bargain." She scratches her head. "How am I supposed to do that? I'm not the type for direct physical confrontation."

[Jacior]

Aldar watches the door for a good twenty minutes before grabbing, literally, the shoulder of a passing person and physically turning them towards the door. "That building, what is that there?"

[Esprit15]

Melody stretches her wings and moves them towards her friend. "It was a dream... Or so I thought. I made a deal with a dragon named Dee... 'Protect people. Be a light in the darkness.' he said..." She stops and thinks. She hadn't taken it too seriously, but indeed she had wings and felt more vigorous. "I admit I didn't give it much thought but something really happened. This means I'll have to keep my end of the bargain." She scratches her head. "How am I supposed to do that? I'm not the type for direct physical confrontation."
Emily looks at you pensive, then shrugs. Stop thief?


Aldar watches the door for a good twenty minutes before grabbing, literally, the shoulder of a passing person and physically turning them towards the door. "That building, what is that there?"

"That? I don't know, get your mits-" the young man says, pausing as he looks you up and down and notices your clothing. "Erm, excuse me. I am not sure, I've never been in there before. Might be a small home, might be a storage place. I really must be going now..." he says, trying to squirm away.

[Jacior]

Aldar looks down at the man for a moment and then palms the man a gold coin. "Thank you, enjoy your afternoon." Without much more fanfare, he walks up to the door and tries to open it, no point in hesitation.

[Esprit15]

Aldar looks down at the man for a moment and then palms the man a gold coin. "Thank you, enjoy your afternoon." Without much more fanfare, he walks up to the door and tries to open it, no point in hesitation.
The man looks at the two week’s wage you handed him with suspicion, but doesn’t say anything as he walks away.

The wooden door doesn’t budge - it appears to be locked.

[Jacior]

Actually surprised by the fact the door didn't open, Aldar sighs and knocks on the strange door.

[Esprit15]

You wait, and nobody comes to the door. Knocking again and more firmly, you hear the sounds of shuffling on the other side of the door. What sounds like at least three locks being unlatched comes through the door, followed by a human man dressed in normal clothing rimmed with white. “Can I help you, sir?” he asks, fatigue and exhaustion in his voice. It seems like he may have been, until recently, sleeping.