"Just this once more..." Arya whispered under her sharply exhaled breath. She knew all too well the cost of casting such a spell, or rather, she understood there were dire consequences. She may have been in Mystra's favor, but even a goddess' grace had its limits.
" 'Only when absolutely necessary'..." She quoted her patron's warning as she calmed herself, already feeling the taut threads of the Weave around her quivering in anticipation for her next words.
"I wish-.." Arya began, her very voice imbued with magic. She hesitated but for a moment, considering if perhaps she was making a mistake.
No, of course not - after all, this entire endeavor was to further her progress on a mission Mystra herself assigned. A test of faith, perhaps...
With her nerves steeled for the time being, she continued, brow furrowed in determination.
"I wish to find Luthen's Library." The statement pulsed through the room with a violent thrum of energy, the rippling wave in the Weave carrying on for miles. Any spellcaster worth their salt was sure to have felt the disturbance, though not much more than an off tingle in the back of their mind. In an instant, though, the blast reversed with the same force, this time entirely channeled into Arya. The impact knocked the small sorcereress onto the floor, her body writhing in pain as rapid-fire visions assaulted her mind.
The vast expanse of sand and sun, a sight she had never laid eyes on. The vision stretched itself thin, reaching as far as it could toward the object of her desire before failing.
Something was shielding the location from even a mastery level spell.
Too quickly to even process, the spell changed direction, attempting to fulfill her wish another way. She was given the aerial view of a neighboring city she had flown over before, a peculiar looking violet tent, an inquisitive raven, and... stars?
Before she could make sense of it, the visions ceased, feeling to her almost as if the very air was drawn out of her lungs. She rolled over onto her front and retched, face twisted into a grimace as she waited for the pain to subside.
Finally, she rose to her feet, albeit shakily, panting in an attempt to catch her breath. She had no time to waste- not only was her goddess counting on her, but the use of such an illegal spell had surely garnered her some unwanted attention, and she wasn't one to simply wait for trouble to find her.
Slipping her necessary belongings into her pack, Arya ducked out into the night, heading for the stables. While she had never been particularly adept at stealth due to her heritage, she did not find a need for it this night. Her short jog to her steed's stall was uneventful, other than the waves of exhaustion and nausea that persisted in the aftermath of her spell.
"Icarus, come on-" she beckoned in a hushed command, clicking her tongue a few times. The large, flame-lapped griffin sauntered out of his pen, his beak extending in a wide yawn.
"I see you've maintained your sense of urgency, hm?" She chided him with sarcasm before exhaling a small chuckle.
"Come then, we've not much time before -" It was as if her unspoken words had manifested, prompting a frustrated hiss as a guard rounded the corner on patrol.
"Go, go, go!" She whisper-yelled, hopping onto the griffins back as it began its takeoff gallop. The thumping of it's footsteps alerted the guard, but as he called out to the pair, they were already in the air, soaring away from a place Arya had once dreamed of being. As she watched her post disappear into the distance, Arya couldn't help but reflect on how quickly a dream could change and how oft they turned out to be nothing more than a fantasy.
Even still, as the wind whipped her hair and all within her vision was sky, the buzz of cautious excitement was palpable. The thoughts of her position and the consequences of desertion were left behind with the barracks. All that remained to her now was the future and what it might hold.
-----------------
After flying through the night, a familair sight sprawled out below- the city she had seen in her vision. With a sharp whistle, Arya directed Icarus downward, and the two began their descent. The blazing duo appeared to the few waking onlookers like a streaking comet against the dark cobalt sky, the sight certainly conspicuous.
Arya could not mind the stray looks any less, entirely honed on finding the blur of purple her vision had promised. It wasn't long until she spotted it, circling the area a few times before finally landing.
She slid from her steed's back with a practiced grace, heavy boots sounding with a thump against the dirt. She did not approach the tent, however, opting to simply stare at it. It was funny to her, the fact that she had just spent hours trying to find it, amd yet, now that she was here...
"...Hello? " Her mouth spoke before her brain gave it permission, and she instantly cringed at the choice of word.
'Hello? Really? A good hundred kilometers and all you could concoct in your addled mind is-' she thought to herself, though the stream of consciousness was again rudely interrupted by her far too eager mouth.
"Pardon the early intrusion, but might I speak with you?"
'Well... At the very least, that one was polite...'
{ @fortune-feather }
