by Irene tossed the scrunched up job description into the trash as she passed the bin on the way out the door. Her memory wasn’t very good, but the raven haired girl couldn’t be bothered to smooth out the paper and refold it to fit into the pocket of her jeans without being torn out by the slightest gust of wind. Apparently, the mage had to capture a few wild animals-- alive. Lately Irene had been accepting and fulfilling the most boring of requests, so hopefully this would pose more of a challenge. Or at least... well, the girl could always make it entertaining, herself. Smiling, the girl raised up her head to the grey, murky sky. Her amber eyes glinted as the clouds shifted, but the bright star of the sun did not emerge. Shrugging, the mage thrust her hands into her pockets and walked on, the hint of a smile tracing her lips. Today, I don’t need the sun. It will be a bright day, and I’ll make it my own, Irene thought as she strode through the streets of Hargeon Town.
After she had walked about half of the way to the train station, the girl paused at a small café to buy breakfast, as well as perhaps a bottle of water for the remainder of her mission. While she was eating, Irene reflected upon what she had accomplished so far in life. Not much, the girl thought, perhaps a bit ruefully. Here I am, working as an everyday mage in one of the largest cities in Fiore. The crowd... I’m just one of them. Do I mind, though? The girl shrugged and paid her bill, exiting the shop with a hand over her eyes, shielding a nonexistent sun. A few minutes later, Irene gave herself a once over in a nearby store window display as she passed, wondering whether she was actually worthy of becoming a great mage someday. Dark raven hair and bangs with gleaming amber eyes and a pale complexion, Irene looked like an ordinary teenager. Nothing special, but... did that matter? Why do I want to be “special” so much? It doesn’t really mean anything at all, the girl argued, but still there remained a certain nagging desire inside.
Continuing on, Irene finally managed to reach the train station, buying a ticket to Magnolia Town before remembering a few key points which were mentioned in the job’s request slip-- the one she had thrown away. Firstly, the animals which she was assigned to capture had made their home on Sphere Island, which was absolutely nowhere near Magnolia Town. And secondly, the ship to get to the rocky, giant island was most likely docked at the port of Hargeon Town... the city that Irene was about to leave right now. Immediately the raven haired girl’s body became a blur as she charged through the doors of the train just as they were about to close, slipping through and deftly jumping over the rotating gate which blocked access to and from the train, to and from the platform. The mage sprinted away from the station, knocking over a few puzzled onlookers and any passerby who didn’t manage to move out of her way swiftly enough.
After running for a few minutes, Irene was exhausted-- but she wasn’t done yet. Skidding to a stop, the girl threw off her jacket, revealing a slightly tight black halter top, with a low and open back. Which was exactly what she needed, because in the next moment Irene was leaping into the air, wide butterfly wings unfurling from somewhere within her back. They matched her hair and the outfit’s general color scheme, excepting the pink sections. With her wings, Irene managed a speed equal to that of her normal sprinting, while not really becoming fatigued as she did while on the ground. The girl was able to reach the port of Hargeon Town in record time, alighting delicately on the top of a nearby, twisted metal street lamp. She glanced around, wondering which ship was the one headed to Sphere Island, eventually deciding that it could possibly be a good idea to ask a nearby resident of the city. Scanning the streets, her dark orange eyes keenly taking in every detail, Irene was finally able to pick out a person whose desired destination was Sphere Island. And thankfully, they seemed to know which ship to take.
The raven haired girl’s wings retreated, glimmering slightly as they sunk back into the skin of her back. Irene twisted around a few times to check that there was no sign of them having ever been materialized, then glanced down at the ground to realize that she was still standing on the lamp post and that the specified ground was several meters away. Shrugging, the mage ignored the gaping stares of passerby as she leaped off of the lamp post, managing to absorb post of the impact into the balls of her feet. Leaning forward slightly, the girl balanced out her weight and then stood up straight, ignoring everyone else as she marched forward, eyes trained on the young man she had spotted before-- the one who had been headed to Sphere Island. Darting between the small openings and spreading her arms to increase the amount of space, Irene made her way through the crowd at a swift speed, managing to catch the young man by the arm just before he was about to leave the crowd. Not saying a word, the girl simply said, “You’re going to take me to Sphere Island,” and then held up her Celestial Spirit Keys to prove that she wasn’t simply a silly girl who wanted to go an adventure. Rather, she was a magical silly girl who wanted to go on an adventure. The young man simply attempted to stutter a response, but caved under the intense glare of Irene’s amber eyes, leading her away to a petite, inconspicuous ship, docked a ways away in the port of Hargeon Town.
Once the girl had been settled onto the ship, she remembered that it was probably one where passage had to be paid-- and the captain was most likely above, on deck. Relieved to escape the stuffy, enclosed chambers below deck, Irene walked up the stairs and emerged to a fresh breeze in her face, along with glimmering sun. The bright orb was descending in the sky, and the shadows were lengthening-- it was likely that the journey would be made over the course of a few days, but Irene did not really mind. She could have flown most of the distance, but wouldn’t have had a place to stop for the night. After all, it would have been in the middle of the great expanse of the sea. Sighing with content as she gazed at the sunset, Irene ignored the fact that she probably should have checked with the captain, as was her original reason for emerging from the body of the ship. The mage didn’t want to take the chance of either being sent back beneath, or being thrown off of the vessel entirely-- so, she simply stayed quiet and hoped that none would notice a lone figure, standing by the railing and gazing at the sunset.
A few hours later, Irene had been noticed by a member of the crew, who forcefully shoved her back into the passageway to below deck. Apparently, the sailor was extremely suspicious and did not approve of having women aboard while sailing-- well, that was complete and utter nonsense to Irene, but she went along with it anyways. After all, despite her often rudeness and abrupt, demanding nature, the mage didn’t like to make a habit of disturbing people who were being generous and had offered help. Shrugging, the girl turned over on her side, attempting to sleep. The darkness of the space down here was comforting, for it hid how close the walls were to her face-- no, Irene refused to think about it. Her claustrophobia would make the journey unbearable if she didn’t simply attempt to ignore the cramped-ness of the chambers, so Irene turned over once again and relaxed the best she could, eventually managing to fall asleep.
The next morning, the girl was loath to emerge above deck. Despite the fact that it was so stuffy and cramped down here that Irene nearly couldn’t bear it, the sunlight was harsh and far too bright for her liking, despite the cool gales which passed over the ship every few minutes. Eventually finding a balance in poking her head above deck but keeping her eyes closed and covering up with a blanket, Irene tried not to count down the seconds until she could escape off of the ship. Sphere Island was still a little ways away, and she had to be close enough where flying the rest of the distance was reasonable. Frowning in annoyance, the girl scanned the horizon, wondering if she would be able to recognize the mass of land when she saw it. After all, the island was one of the largest in this entire country, and several pictures could be scene everywhere in Fiore. Shrugging to herself, Irene clambered up onto the deck and lifted the blanket over her head, letting a section flop down in front of her face to prevent the sun from blinding her. After confirming that her cover was securely in place, the mage walked a little ways closer to the deck, squinting into the distance. She could swear that she saw something dark colored-- but it was a bit misty now, surprisingly. Where had the fog come from-- !
Abruptly, the thick wall of white shifted, and an enormous ship slinked out of the mist. It caught up to their little vessel in no time, and immediately Irene recognized the intruding ship as one belonging to slavers. And it seemed that they possessed powerful magic, given that the fog had appeared almost instantly-- the mage would rank their ability of equal to at least an A Rank legal mage. Shrugging the blanket off of her head and shoulders, the girl’s skin rose with goosebumps at the sudden cold. But it was necessary to wear such an open shirt all the time, for in the next moment Irene’s wings flared out and she took off, flying in the direction that the little ship had been headed, previously to being blocked by the larger slavers’ vessel. Unfortunately for her however, the group of criminals had been expecting other mages to be on board... and therefore, they had made certain to eliminate any possibility of people escaping with flying or levitation magic. A net was fired at the girl, wrapping around her in the sky. The ropes were under the influence of a mage, and soon dragged Irene onto the larger ship, where she received a powerful blow to the temple, rendering the girl unconscious immediately.
Some hours later, Irene woke up with a pounding headache and to utter darkness. She felt at her belt for her keys, panicking when she found that they were missing. Her magic was useless without those keys... and her wings? As much as the girl tried, it seemed that she couldn’t activate any magic whatsoever and clenched her fists in frustration. Glancing around, Irene murmured quietly, “Is anyone here?” If these were slavers like she had been expecting, and ones who were familiar with using anti-mage tactics as well, there was sure to be others like her around. ... That was, hopefully. She felt around a bit with her hands, remembering to move slowly and to always have her sense of touch alert-- if she did bump into someone, she wanted to be able to withdraw immediately. The girl called out again, her voice low and hesitant, “Is anyone else inside this room with me?” There could be slavers guarding outside this chamber, and she didn’t want them to hear. “Please, answer me if there is!”
After she had walked about half of the way to the train station, the girl paused at a small café to buy breakfast, as well as perhaps a bottle of water for the remainder of her mission. While she was eating, Irene reflected upon what she had accomplished so far in life. Not much, the girl thought, perhaps a bit ruefully. Here I am, working as an everyday mage in one of the largest cities in Fiore. The crowd... I’m just one of them. Do I mind, though? The girl shrugged and paid her bill, exiting the shop with a hand over her eyes, shielding a nonexistent sun. A few minutes later, Irene gave herself a once over in a nearby store window display as she passed, wondering whether she was actually worthy of becoming a great mage someday. Dark raven hair and bangs with gleaming amber eyes and a pale complexion, Irene looked like an ordinary teenager. Nothing special, but... did that matter? Why do I want to be “special” so much? It doesn’t really mean anything at all, the girl argued, but still there remained a certain nagging desire inside.
Continuing on, Irene finally managed to reach the train station, buying a ticket to Magnolia Town before remembering a few key points which were mentioned in the job’s request slip-- the one she had thrown away. Firstly, the animals which she was assigned to capture had made their home on Sphere Island, which was absolutely nowhere near Magnolia Town. And secondly, the ship to get to the rocky, giant island was most likely docked at the port of Hargeon Town... the city that Irene was about to leave right now. Immediately the raven haired girl’s body became a blur as she charged through the doors of the train just as they were about to close, slipping through and deftly jumping over the rotating gate which blocked access to and from the train, to and from the platform. The mage sprinted away from the station, knocking over a few puzzled onlookers and any passerby who didn’t manage to move out of her way swiftly enough.
After running for a few minutes, Irene was exhausted-- but she wasn’t done yet. Skidding to a stop, the girl threw off her jacket, revealing a slightly tight black halter top, with a low and open back. Which was exactly what she needed, because in the next moment Irene was leaping into the air, wide butterfly wings unfurling from somewhere within her back. They matched her hair and the outfit’s general color scheme, excepting the pink sections. With her wings, Irene managed a speed equal to that of her normal sprinting, while not really becoming fatigued as she did while on the ground. The girl was able to reach the port of Hargeon Town in record time, alighting delicately on the top of a nearby, twisted metal street lamp. She glanced around, wondering which ship was the one headed to Sphere Island, eventually deciding that it could possibly be a good idea to ask a nearby resident of the city. Scanning the streets, her dark orange eyes keenly taking in every detail, Irene was finally able to pick out a person whose desired destination was Sphere Island. And thankfully, they seemed to know which ship to take.
The raven haired girl’s wings retreated, glimmering slightly as they sunk back into the skin of her back. Irene twisted around a few times to check that there was no sign of them having ever been materialized, then glanced down at the ground to realize that she was still standing on the lamp post and that the specified ground was several meters away. Shrugging, the mage ignored the gaping stares of passerby as she leaped off of the lamp post, managing to absorb post of the impact into the balls of her feet. Leaning forward slightly, the girl balanced out her weight and then stood up straight, ignoring everyone else as she marched forward, eyes trained on the young man she had spotted before-- the one who had been headed to Sphere Island. Darting between the small openings and spreading her arms to increase the amount of space, Irene made her way through the crowd at a swift speed, managing to catch the young man by the arm just before he was about to leave the crowd. Not saying a word, the girl simply said, “You’re going to take me to Sphere Island,” and then held up her Celestial Spirit Keys to prove that she wasn’t simply a silly girl who wanted to go an adventure. Rather, she was a magical silly girl who wanted to go on an adventure. The young man simply attempted to stutter a response, but caved under the intense glare of Irene’s amber eyes, leading her away to a petite, inconspicuous ship, docked a ways away in the port of Hargeon Town.
Once the girl had been settled onto the ship, she remembered that it was probably one where passage had to be paid-- and the captain was most likely above, on deck. Relieved to escape the stuffy, enclosed chambers below deck, Irene walked up the stairs and emerged to a fresh breeze in her face, along with glimmering sun. The bright orb was descending in the sky, and the shadows were lengthening-- it was likely that the journey would be made over the course of a few days, but Irene did not really mind. She could have flown most of the distance, but wouldn’t have had a place to stop for the night. After all, it would have been in the middle of the great expanse of the sea. Sighing with content as she gazed at the sunset, Irene ignored the fact that she probably should have checked with the captain, as was her original reason for emerging from the body of the ship. The mage didn’t want to take the chance of either being sent back beneath, or being thrown off of the vessel entirely-- so, she simply stayed quiet and hoped that none would notice a lone figure, standing by the railing and gazing at the sunset.
A few hours later, Irene had been noticed by a member of the crew, who forcefully shoved her back into the passageway to below deck. Apparently, the sailor was extremely suspicious and did not approve of having women aboard while sailing-- well, that was complete and utter nonsense to Irene, but she went along with it anyways. After all, despite her often rudeness and abrupt, demanding nature, the mage didn’t like to make a habit of disturbing people who were being generous and had offered help. Shrugging, the girl turned over on her side, attempting to sleep. The darkness of the space down here was comforting, for it hid how close the walls were to her face-- no, Irene refused to think about it. Her claustrophobia would make the journey unbearable if she didn’t simply attempt to ignore the cramped-ness of the chambers, so Irene turned over once again and relaxed the best she could, eventually managing to fall asleep.
The next morning, the girl was loath to emerge above deck. Despite the fact that it was so stuffy and cramped down here that Irene nearly couldn’t bear it, the sunlight was harsh and far too bright for her liking, despite the cool gales which passed over the ship every few minutes. Eventually finding a balance in poking her head above deck but keeping her eyes closed and covering up with a blanket, Irene tried not to count down the seconds until she could escape off of the ship. Sphere Island was still a little ways away, and she had to be close enough where flying the rest of the distance was reasonable. Frowning in annoyance, the girl scanned the horizon, wondering if she would be able to recognize the mass of land when she saw it. After all, the island was one of the largest in this entire country, and several pictures could be scene everywhere in Fiore. Shrugging to herself, Irene clambered up onto the deck and lifted the blanket over her head, letting a section flop down in front of her face to prevent the sun from blinding her. After confirming that her cover was securely in place, the mage walked a little ways closer to the deck, squinting into the distance. She could swear that she saw something dark colored-- but it was a bit misty now, surprisingly. Where had the fog come from-- !
Abruptly, the thick wall of white shifted, and an enormous ship slinked out of the mist. It caught up to their little vessel in no time, and immediately Irene recognized the intruding ship as one belonging to slavers. And it seemed that they possessed powerful magic, given that the fog had appeared almost instantly-- the mage would rank their ability of equal to at least an A Rank legal mage. Shrugging the blanket off of her head and shoulders, the girl’s skin rose with goosebumps at the sudden cold. But it was necessary to wear such an open shirt all the time, for in the next moment Irene’s wings flared out and she took off, flying in the direction that the little ship had been headed, previously to being blocked by the larger slavers’ vessel. Unfortunately for her however, the group of criminals had been expecting other mages to be on board... and therefore, they had made certain to eliminate any possibility of people escaping with flying or levitation magic. A net was fired at the girl, wrapping around her in the sky. The ropes were under the influence of a mage, and soon dragged Irene onto the larger ship, where she received a powerful blow to the temple, rendering the girl unconscious immediately.
Some hours later, Irene woke up with a pounding headache and to utter darkness. She felt at her belt for her keys, panicking when she found that they were missing. Her magic was useless without those keys... and her wings? As much as the girl tried, it seemed that she couldn’t activate any magic whatsoever and clenched her fists in frustration. Glancing around, Irene murmured quietly, “Is anyone here?” If these were slavers like she had been expecting, and ones who were familiar with using anti-mage tactics as well, there was sure to be others like her around. ... That was, hopefully. She felt around a bit with her hands, remembering to move slowly and to always have her sense of touch alert-- if she did bump into someone, she wanted to be able to withdraw immediately. The girl called out again, her voice low and hesitant, “Is anyone else inside this room with me?” There could be slavers guarding outside this chamber, and she didn’t want them to hear. “Please, answer me if there is!”
