Aditsan’s Gateway
I’m actually not unhappy with this. It’s late so if there any mistakes I’ll fix it in the later. @thearcanaweek
If magicians make their gate when their young. It doesn't make sense to me why they would connect to cards Asra created. If anything they would connect to some magical artifact they created or entity they associated with magic.
The villages curse they'd been hired to break was far more complicated than they had been led to believe. It was hardly the run-of-the-mill livestock killing curse. They needed to dispel it without activating the secondary curse. A curse hidden within a curse. One that might kill everyone in the vicinity of the magician, if it was just plainly dispelled.
Asra watched Aditsan pace around the now fetid remains of the very lively chicken the villager had brought with them, naught but a few hours ago. They thumbed their silver pendant the enchantment lighting up under their fingers.
"I'm going to search for answers.” They pause briefly looking around the village. “Asra…. If I'm not back by midnight, wake me up.”
Aditsan’s methodical approach was evident, the moment he first saw them cast. Nothing they have done comes close to how they were preparing today. They laid down a magic amplifying sigil on a leyline in salt-chalk to reach their own gate.
Asra almost told them it’s not necessary, just take a few deep breaths like you normally do. Then they noticed how their hand shook as they carefully lit cone of sage and clover incense in the focal point. Aditsan’s afraid, trying to hide it by going through all these steps. Asra stayed close, trying not to hover over them protectively even after they sat comfortably in the center, and closed their eyes.
They finally began to look relaxed. Asra leaned against the smooth worn brick of the villages inn, now able relax as well.
Asra yawned, with a tired smile, a short nap sounded like a wonderful idea. Ara slid further off the wall the ground until only his shoulders were off the ground and touching the brick wall, drifting off to sleep.
Asra awoke to a gaunt hand shaking them violently. “I thought we were you paying to break the curse not sleep the whole day and night away! If you can’t break the curse just leave! Don’t give us more false hope...”
Asra took a deep breath, carefully formulating a reply. “Whoever was upset with you has a great deal of power. We’re proceeding with caution.”
Asra moved placing their hand on Aditsan’s shoulder to wake them. It felt like something's pulling them into quicksand. For a moment Asra struggled until realized that they are headed to their gateway.
It’s blindingly bright, humid and hot. When their eyes adjust to the bright light Asra found himself in a small, lush, overgrown orchard. The trees branches are heavy with cherries, and peaches. Various berry bushes, once planted neatly in a row along the center now overcrowding the path-worn grass trail.
There was a short stacked basalt stonewall to the left. Beyond it laid a desert in the rainy season, cacti and dormant wild flowers blooming as rain continued to fall. To his right in the distance another slightly taller stacked basalt wall. Past the waist leveled fence laid glittering, jewel encrusted, gold and silver ruins covered in fallen leaves and moss.
How old were they when they made this? Asra can’t help but wonder.
Asra curiously plucked what looked like a raspberry from a bush carefully avoiding the brambles.
"They won't fill you but they do taste the same." A poised feminine voice called out from behind him.
Turning Asra found a curvaceous and tall woman in a long resplendent silk robe with flowing silver and black hair and glowing green eyes. She wore a crown of golden flowers along with silk shawl; from which greenery spilled outward draping her with vines, flowers and moss.