--- o The Magician II o ---

❝ To stay or to leave the nest, the Fool finds familiar faces and a decision to be made. ❞

--- o 22-07-1217 o ---

   ❝ Ta ‘ell you say, ya’ wee fuck? ❞

   Asked a squat, messy man who regarded the young girl behind a set of thick, metal-brimmed goggles that seemed too small, or rather, too big on his oddly shaped head. One would find great difficulty discerning beneath the thicket of straggly hair and beard. The feature piece of this would be the unnecessarily long moustache that curled with a neat flourish, and the needlessly large amount of gold and gems. He was no taller than Elly and almost as round as he was tall, corpulent, as one may call it. ❛ Fat cunt works too. ❜

   He unceremoniously whipped whatever it was that covered his hand onto the already filthy, expensive gown he wore. Not pleasant in appearance, yet the tone and expression he took was far too friendly for an apparently displeased customer.

   ❝ Twenty Awen. ❞ Elly repeated her earlier comment, her voice laced with amused sarcasm, reflected in the smile she wore.

   ❝ Yer’ chargin’ me? Fer me own food?! ❞ The supposed item of purchase was a half-eaten sandwich the man had placed on the counter not a moment prior. The absurdity and gall caused him to bellow a hearty chuckle, one that she mirrored with exaggeration. ❝ Ah see ya grown not in size but in snark. Zeeky brat! tis’ good to see ya! ❞

   ❝ La bise! ❞ He clasped his hands together with a smile and kissed her cheeks as one does when greeting an old friend. As always, he wore far too much cologne, most likely to hide the mix of booze and other ungodly vices he indulged.

   ❝ La bitch! ❞ Elly replies, she knew how to say it, but she preferred her way.

   ❝ Hey Judge! ❞ Elly smiled warmly as he ruffled her hair, rather, the already messy cap she wore. He was one of the very few she trusted, let alone liked enough to get close to her. ❝ Sup? ❞

   ❝ Euh, new liver, same eagles. ❞ Judge shrugged as he retrieved his stolen food, taking a bite with little care for the wrapping around it. Was the paper edible to him? Probably, she’s seen him literally chew on metal before. ❝ Wers’ za’ old vanker? ❞

   ❝ Fuck knows. ❞

   Elly shrugged too, leaning over the counter to peer at the large crate Judge hauled in with little effort. Her language often gets her in trouble with most people, but Judge? He taught her every curse word she knows. ❝ What’s in the box? ❞

   ❝ Fuck knows! ❞ Jude laughed, repeating her earlier comment. The fact is, he didn’t know what was inside. Veld often had him collect certain things, and oftentimes he couldn’t, or rather even wanted to know what they were. And this was no exception, it seemed.

   ❝ Jus’ sumetin’ picked up in Brunellesco. Dunno vat’, kno not ta’ ask. ❞ He added as he scratched his beard and gingerly scanned the shop. His accent was oddly similar to Elly’s, not so much the Brogue, but the nasal staccato undertone that surfaces when she gets mad. He was, after all, from Lucidor just like her, and she knew him long before she met Veld.

   ❝ Ya’nno ven e’ll be back? Gots a few tings need fixin’. ❞ Judge appeared to browse the stock of pills and potions. ❝ Oh! ‘ow’s za’ arm been? ❞

   ❝ Eh —still aches sometimes. ❞ Elly replied as she rolled her shoulder. Thankfully, she hadn’t broken it again as she often did. Judge was a busy man, and he wouldn’t let anyone else touch his work of art.

   ❝ Good good. me’ll look it over later anywhat. ❞ Judge nodded, a little surprised, and impressed that it was actually in one piece for once.

   By now, Elly had wandered over to the shop doors and reached for the signs indicating they were no longer open. Just as she was about to close the doors, she froze, sensing something outside. Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

   ❝ Think fast! ❞

   A bulk of white leapt toward her, landing face-first into the door she instinctively slammed in his face, hard enough for it to rebound on its hinges. She didn’t need to confirm who it was; there was only one man dumb enough to try such a thing and even give her a thumbs-up in approval as he staggered inside, slumped over and fell into a rack of potions. And the overly energetic, boisterous voice was unmistakably Veld’s. ❛ I jus’ finished cleanin’, fuckwad! ❜

   ❝ Nice reflexes! ❞ The old man shot up completely unperturbed by the fact that he just smashed into doors that were essentially a carved tree trunk at full bore. He showed no signs of injury, but Elly figured he long since lost any brains he could damage anyway.

   ❝ Ee told’ya! Dun’ —Do. Zat —Cac’wr! ❞

   Elly growled, walking over to him, dropping the few remaining vials on his head and pouring out a few more for good measure. If one was broken, they may as well all be broken, right? Besides, they were old stocks, so they needed to be used.

   Somewhere, or somehow, he produced a box of what could be passed as popcorn from afar. This was apparently nothing new, as Judge said nothing and simply watched with an amused smile. Expressing herself was just as difficult as talking, so her reactions to things were often volatile and extreme, even when she didn’t intend them to be so.

   ❝ Hey! This aren’t no way to greet ya’ dear ol’ pa! ❞ Veld cried out as he sat up, rubbing his neck. He always spoke weirdly, even for Elly, and his accent was just as strange. He seemed unfazed, drenched in all sorts of brews. He stunk of alcohol, so it served to mask that, but Elly already knew he had been drinking by how flushed his face was.

   ❝ Wait, lass! ❞ Judge interjected, yet promptly backed off when Elly hurled a thick-looking glass decanter at him. He raised his hands in defeat. ❝ Euh, me tried. ❞

   ❝ You! —Fuck ya! ❞

   Elly puffed up but stopped herself as well as Veld, with her foot now planted on his face. Veld tried to tell her something, but she couldn’t quite hear him through the now-bent metal dish he raised to block her.

   ❝ An’ —ta’ ‘ell’ve ya’ been!? ❞ She scolded, her voice a mix of anger and relief, though strained as she didn’t raise her voice. ❝ Y’were gon’ a veek! ❞

   ❝ You know she hates it when people jump out at her. ❞

   Another voice accompanied a tall blonde who now stood in the doorway, pinching the bridge of her nose in mild vexation. ❝ He was helping me with something, we bumped into eachother on my way back from Luria. ❞

   ❝ I swear, sometimes I wonder which one of you is the child here. ❞ Iris approached the two and picked up an empty tray. She clipped it across Veld’s head before turning to face Elly, lightly tapping it on her head as she added. ❝ And you, little lady, need to control that temper of yours. ❞

   Her voice was as elegant as her features; she was a tall, slender woman with long golden hair and eyes of a similar hue. The familiar fragrance of Magnolia and petrichor, with a hint of cinnamon, vanilla, and something else she did not know immediately, put her at ease. It was her scent, the scent of her beloved sister. The scent of home.

   ❝ Ah! Lady Isobel! La bise! La bise! ❞ Judge smacked his lips and clasped his hands, giving a gold-toothy grin as he took her hand in his, kissing it, bowing politely to another who walked inside. ❝ Alvays a pleasure. ❞

   ❝ Cesarae. ❞ Iris visibly cringed and greeted Judge rather coldly, and by a name he typically avoided using for various reasons. She flicked her hand as beads of water appeared before shaking it off, cleaning the shame of touching him. ❝ Been far too short. ❞ She added flatly, she really didn’t like him at all.

   ❝ Euh, vas only been’ polite. ❞ Judge grimaced, but shrugged it off. The two of them seemed to have bad blood, but the interaction was surely from Iris’s end. ❝ Still good ta’ see ya  een one peece. ❞

   ❝ Iris?! ❞ Elly, who had the scruff of Veld’s shirt in hand, let go. The sight of her alone brought a smile to her face, even when she was scolded by her. Almost beaming with glee and giddiness, she turned to face the woman behind her, throwing herself into her arms without a moment’s hesitation.

   ❝ I miss’dya’! ❞

   Isobel, or as Elly calls her, Iris, is her adopted elder sister. Unrelated to Veld; in fact, the two don’t seem to get along at all, though they share deep respect and trust between them. Iris found Elly and took her off the streets when she was eight, well, more accurately, pulled her from that bridge. She saved Elly in more ways than one, and she wouldn’t be here if they never met. Wanting the Monastery to take her in for a while until she convinced Veld to look after her, as it had become far too dangerous to stay in Cadwaladr.

   ❝ Hey! ❞ Iris smiled, sounding surprised as Elly jumped into her, returning the embrace and patted Elly’s head once she grounded herself as the eager girl almost toppled her over. Energetic as ever. ❝ I missed you, too, El. ❞

   ❝ Ya didn’ come —last time, ❞ Elly spoke, refusing to let go of her. ❝ Was worried. ❞

   ❝ Sorry, I had to tend to some things. ❞ Iris petted her head. Indeed, it had been almost two months since she dropped in to visit Elly, but even she knew Iris couldn’t drop her work unless it was truly necessary. ❝ Knight stuff, ya know? ❞

   ❝ Tell me bout it? ❞ Elly beamed; one of her favourite pastimes was listening to Iris’s stories. Though for obvious reasons, a lot of the details had to be left out. She glanced over to Veld, wondering if he, too, had new stories to tell. It was he, after all, who sparked her infatuation with them.

   ❝ Ok, ok, I’ll tell you them later. ❞ Iris chuckled, pinching her cheek. ❝ But first, you should get yourself cleaned up; you stink! ❞

   ❝ Don’ wanna. ❞ Elly pouted; she bathed the other day, so that counted to her. Petulant too, but that’s nothing new.

   With her now preoccupied, Judge waddled over to give Veld a hand getting up. Both of them with a wide grin and a nod of acknowledgement.

   ❝ Got ta’ order fer ya, Cashmir sends ‘er regards. ❞ Judge shook Veld’s hand as he motioned over to the large box he had hauled in earlier. He whispered the person’s name, as though he didn’t want a certain someone to hear it.

   Veld, seeing this, noticeably sobered as he cast a glance over to Elly and Iris, then back to Judge. ❝ Take it out back. I don’t want it in here. ❞

   ❝ Annnd? ❞ Judge held out his hand with a wide grin, even for Veld, nothing was free. Cheap fuck.

   ❝ Put it on the tab? ❞ Veld asked with feigned meekness; he was even worse for it.

   ❝ Eug, ya betta not deny me favours wen me comes acallin’ ❞

--- o II o ---

   ❝ Ah fuck! ❞ Elly whined and squirmed with protest as Judge tinkered with her arm. Her protest would be met with a flick to her forehead form Iris, who watched curiously.

   ❝ Language, Elly. ❞ Iris warned her, as she was resting on her lap, that Elly didn’t want to push her luck.

   ❝ Now now, Jussments like tees’ are painful, ‘specially since workin’ wit nerves an’ not magiks. ❞ Judge waited patiently for Elly to stop moving before he continued, his focus now on the partially dismantled arm. ❝ Woulda been easier if ya wern’t an anomeely. ❞

   ❝ Yer an Anomono —what? ❞ Elly looked at Judge with a knitted brow, unsure if he just insulted her or not. She yelped as he tightened another screw. ❝ Fuck ya! ❞ Another tap, this time a little harder.

   ❝ Anomaly, ❞ Iris added,❝ It just means you’re different, special. ❞

   ❝ More ment weird, but ye do ye. ❞ Jude added with a hearty chuckle, this time he received a tap on his head from Iris.

   ❝ Almost done, sta’ still. ❞ Judge gave Iris a brief nod, who kept Elly in place as he tightened the pseudo-nerves and elicited a muffled yell from Elly as she bit down on a bit of cloth. She visibly relaxed when he was done, barely managing to wait patiently as he reassembled it with some new parts, noting down the pieces he was missing so he could tend to them later.

   ❝ An’ done! ❞ Judge chuckled as he wiped down her arm and proceeded to go through his tools and count for anything he may have missed. He nodded to himself and packed everything away. ❝ Me still needa get sum new parts since ya’ grow an all. ❞

   ❝ Jus’ don’t go usin’ et fer mishcief as ya always do. ❞

   ❝ I won’t! ❞ She bit her tongue. She lied, and they all knew it. ❝ I won’t! ❞

   ❝ We get some new orders in, El? ❞ Veld asked curiously as he walked over to them, holding the scroll Achaius had handed to Elly the other day.

   ❝ Oh! ❞ Elly shot up. ❝ Some old guy, Archy, I think?  from the Monastery. ❞ She didn’t sound entirely sure; she was known to forget things, but the strange man stuck in her mind. ❝ Wanted to talk —to talk to you too. ❞

   ❝ Father Achaius? ❞ Iris asked, bemused. She knew Achaius as she, too, was raised in the Monastery, and he was somewhat of a father figure to her. ❝ It must have been important, he wouldn’t go this far from the Monastery if it wasn’t. ❞ Iris added as she stood, helping Elly up.

   ❝ Mm, ❞ Veld nodded, ❝ Quite a tall order, too, when did he drop by? ❞ He opened the scroll to read the frankly absurd list of items. By his expression, he was unsure whether he could manage, but he had a few favours he could call on to meet the quota.

   ❝ Um —Three days? ❞ Elly shrugged, buttoning her shirt. ❝ I tried lookin’. Can’t read much, but some things! ❞ She smiled and gestured to the far corner where a decent pile of crates were stacked and labelled. Even if she struggled to read, she knew some names and did her best.

   ❝ Nice work! ❞ Veld bellowed proudly, ruffling her hair.

   ❝ Cadwaladr? ❞ Judge asked dreamily, reminiscing on the reason why he is banned from even setting foot in the surrounding town.

   ❝ The Monastery was already running low on supplies when I last visited, but I didn’t think it was this bad. ❞ Iris frowned, taking the scroll for Veld to see for herself. Her expression changed as a thought crossed her mind.

   ❝ How long would you need? I can see whether I can keep my men until you’re ready, and we can head back together. It would be safer that way. ❞

   ❝ I still have plenty left over, and fresh stock that’s ready to be harvested, though Elly saw to that. ❞ Veld scratched his chin, eyeing the stock Elly already prepared. He’d need to double-check things, but she was smart enough to get an accurate approximation. ❝ A week at the least? ❞

   ❝ But I may need to make a detour or two so I can make up for it. ❞ Veld lost to his thoughts briefly. ❝ I don’t want to fall short again. ❞

   ❝ Sound leeka’ plan. Me’ll tag along for abit az me headin tat wey any’ows. ❞ Judge added, to Iris’s disdain. He didn’t ask, and he never did. Asking things meant he had to listen to people, and he couldn’t do that. Now, Iris knew where Elly got that particular habit.

   ❝ I hope Rhodi can wait that long. ❞ Iris added, remembering how angsty he had been to return to Hywel. He didn’t like to be kept waiting.

--- o III o ---

   Elly took shelter by the hearth, contentedly resting her head on Iris’ lap, who seemed engrossed in a book quietly read. It was peaceful. Veld and Judge had gone off somewhere to discuss whatever it was that took their attention for the moment. By the muffled amusement that wafted from his study, it was clear they were drinking again, as always.

   ❝ Ya ‘ere ta port in Paracelsus got bombed, again? ❞ Judge unceremoniously scratched his balls. ❝ ‘Parrently twas tat Eleazar fellow, sooner ve get rid’ of tat syphilis-ridden cockhound ta better. ❞

   ❝ Tis’ not lookin’ good. Trade route’s tite asa rabbits ass wif Luria an’ Alcofribas flirtin’,  ❞ Judge ranted, admiring the swirl of whiskey in his glass as he sat back against the wall. There were seats, but he didn’t believe in them. ❝ An’now Vesalius has been jumpin’ in an’ royally fuckin’ about tariffs or sumshite’ ❞

   ❝ Mm, I’ve been looking at alternatives, but you’ll need to make do for now. ❞ Veld pondered his glass as he quietly assessed the current situation; the only word to come to mind was fucked.

   ❝ Euh, Ah know, ah know. ❞ Judges splayed his fingers, ❝ Bosveen’s been lookin’ fer new routes —❞

   ❝ I’m worried. Things are happening too quickly. ❞

   Veld now spoke with a far more serious tone that didn’t quite seem to fit his features. Wiping the blood from his nose left from earlier as he set his own empty glass on the unusually tidy desk. His whole study was spotless, rustic like the rest of his home, yet it held a quiet opulence that only surfaced behind closed doors.

   He fell silent as his gaze shifted to the door, which creaked as Iris peered inside, stepping in and closing the door behind her as she regarded the two men.

   ❝ How long, ❞ Iris cut the silence off. ❝ How long have you been letting her run the shop on her own? ❞

   ❝ More than I should, ❞ Veld raised his hand dismissively, his tone sharpening with his gaze. ❝ But not without good reason. ❞

   ❝ And what reason would that be? ❞ Her tone and face darkened. She knew exactly what he was getting at, but it did nothing to stay her ire. ❝ You couldn’t get someone to keep an eye on her? ❞

   ❝ Me’ve been ‘ere many a times, ❞ Jude interjected, pouring himself another glass. ❝ El’s old enuff’ to look after herself. ❞

   ❝ And that’s supposed to reassure me? ❞ Iris pointed her ire to Judge. She knew she was being overprotective with Elly, but for good reason. ❝ Need I remind you of the last time? ❞ Her voice was raised somewhat, even if she was trying to keep the noise low so as to not wake Elly.

   ❝ It took months to get her clean again! ❞ She bit her lip to stifle her anger. ❝ If— ❞

   ❝ I know you’re concerned for her safety, but you need to put more trust in her. ❞ Veld cut her off; now, a brief flash of his anger came through. ❝ And don’t forget, it was you who brought her to me, so trust in my judgement. I’d never do something to harm her, ❞

   ❝ Now now, ❞ Judge piped up this time, trying to quell the tension. ❝ Me been lookin’ out fer ‘er, ‘specially round ta’ lab. Caut ‘er sneakin’ in once or twice. Went to stop‘er, ❞ He added, swirling his glass with a hint of pride in his eyes. ❝ Didn’t, an’ didn’t need to! ❞

   ❝ El’s grown since ye brout‘er here. Girl’s gots a good mind wen’ ya let’er do thins on ‘er own. ❞

   ❝ Yup! You know she’s been helping me more around the shop, and she can finally brew without making a mess of things! ❞ Veld chuckled, filling his own glass. His demeanour changed to that of a proud father. ❝ She’s been teaching herself when I’m not around! ❞

   ❝ I know, I just worry for her, ❞ Iris breathed sharply. She knew he was right, and she took a moment to catch herself before she made a fool of herself. ❝ Has she—? ❞

   ❝ Not as often, ❞ Veld replied, much calmer now. ❝ We’ve managed to find ways to reduce the symptoms, but I’m afraid we can’t be rid of them. ❞

   ❝ Good. ❞ Iris sighed, finally subduing her nerves.

   ❝ Iris. ❞ Veld spoke, breaking the moment of awkward silence.

   ❝ Yes? ❞ Iris replied.

   ❝ Is it possible for the Monastery to take her in for a while? ❞ Veld shot her a knowing look, continuing before Iris had a chance to reply. ❝ I have some very important matters to attend to. ❞

   Iris opened her mouth but did not reply. By the look on Veld’s face, she knew what he meant, and simply nodded, albeit hesitantly. ❝ The war is still ongoing, so it isn’t the best place for her, but it is the safest. The Sisters will look after her, though I don’t know if such an environment would be good for her. ❞

   ❝ Convincing her, ❞ Iris continued, ❝ Will be a pain, but I think I can do it. ❞

   ❝ She’ll be fine. ❞

   ❝ But why don’t we ask her first? ❞ Veld smiled, gesturing over to the door where Elly peered inside. ❝ Well? ❞

   ❝ El? ❞ Iris turned to face her; had she been listening the whole time?

   ❝ Um —I wanna.❞ Elly wasn’t sure if she did, but if it was an excuse to be closer to Iris, she wouldn’t hesitate. However, she paled somewhat as she recalled how the sisters dealt with her issues. She breathed sharply and nodded to herself.

   ❝ I wanna go. ❞

 --- o The Magician II o ---