Tales of Azuria

The firelight cast shadows through the forest, making it easier for Ellijah to sneak up on the group of travelers around it. She did not intend to hurt them, but she needed things. Money, food. A flask of mead would be nice. Water is refreshing, but the taste gets tiring. If everything went well tonight, she would be able to get what she needed and leave without having to worry.

A fairly seasoned thief at this point, Ellijah knew how to get a job done without being noticed. She was seventeen now, and had been alone since she was nine years old- a girl had to survive somehow. Not that being a good thief made the food taste any better or the stolen coin any easier to spend. Yet this was the life she had come to know. Changing her ways now would be more effort than Ellijah was willing to put in.

Besides, being a thief was entertaining in ways no ordinary job ever could be.

She waited silently as the group settled in for the night.

There were two human men, a female dwarf, and a young elven boy. They decided to give the boy first watch. Ellijah rolled her gray eyes. What a mistake, she thought. Putting the elven boy on watch made her life easier, but she preferred it when the groups she stole from made better choices. More of a challenge would have made it feel a little more like she had earned whatever she made out with tonight.

As she expected, the boy didn’t even last an hour until he was fast asleep with the others and Ellijah was carefully picking through their things. What a haul, Ellijah grinned. Two loaves of bread, the last of the rabbit they’d been cooking over the fire, a pouch of coin, and oh yes! one beautiful flask of mead. This would be enough to get her over to the next town and even stay at an inn for a night. Gods, she would kill for a bath and a bed.

Having gotten what she came for, she made her way back around the others, pulling the hood of her soft purple cloak up closer around her face. She gently tapped the boy on the shoulder and hid in the bushes nearby. As his eyes opened, startled, she cast a spell that made her whispers bounce through different parts of the air.

She whispered mockingly, “Better watch yourself boy, I would hate to see what happens to your friends next time you decide to fall asleep.” Ellijah wasn't trying to be malicious, but the boy had to learn somehow. She giggled softly as he frantically spun in circles, dagger in hand, attempting to pinpoint the location of her voice.

Then she quickly turned and started to run, crashing face first into someone’s smooth, muscular chest. Falling down to the forested ground, she looked up to see someone who had most certainly not been a part of the group she had just turned from. This was a man, yes. But not a human man. He had to be eight feet tall. Curly white hair, with matching curling horns like one of the mountain sheep- a crown of flowers atop it all. He was wearing what appeared to be a toga. People still wear those? He grinned down at her mischievously. His lips looked so soft, like they were made of the same flower petals that grew from the flowers in his crown. His eyes were an almost frighteningly light green.

Quickly, she looked at his feet, making sure they weren’t hooves. They were not. Other than his height, horns, and aura of impending mischief, he could have been human.

“Good evening, Ellijah.” The horned man smiled down at her “I am so glad to finally meet you. Come my dear, there is no need for you to stay on the ground with your mouth agape.” He reached a hand down towards her. As he did, she snapped her mouth shut, embarrassed that he had pointed out her rather unrefined reaction to him.

“I’ve hit the ground enough times to help myself up, thank you” Ellijah responded, somewhat haughtily.

The strange man attempted to cover a laugh. “Indeed you have, little Ellijah, though this is the first time I have caused one of your falls. As such it would only be right for me to offer you some aid. Though I suppose, I’ll be offering you aid in other ways on this night. So your decline of said offer, is not unappreciated.” He winked at her as he carelessly pulled his hand back and she instantly became more on edge than she had been before.

She put her hand to her dagger but forced herself keep it in place. There was a sense that, if she showed too much weakness, it would only lead this man to toy with her further. “Who are you?” Ellijah asked. “You are neither human, elf, or dwarf, nor have I ever heard of anyone with horns such as yours on their head. You are too short to be a giant. Tell me, stranger, who are you?”

The man’s smile toned down slightly. He stepped closer to her and put a hand tenderly on her cheek. The flowers on his crown seemed to explode quietly and pink petals began swirling all around them.

Suddenly, Ellijah was not looking at a horned man anymore, but an equally tall woman.

A reflective crown topped her head of snow-white hair, a shimmering silver dress hugged her body and pooled to the ground around her feet like liquid. Though she still wore a smile, it was somehow colder.

Ellijah began to look around frantically for the man, at least he seemed less threatening. And as she did so, suddenly he was the one in front of her again, grinning the same mischievous grin as before.

The flower petals continued to swirl, but the swirling began to slow.

They then softly drifted to the ground, fading into it. In their place, small flowers bloomed.

“My dear girl, I am wonder. I am thievery and firelight. Entertainment and illusion. I, sweet girl, am Aramis. And I will be your god.”