Rosa steadied her breathing and felt the sweat drip down her back. The burnt elm staff in her right hand shook as she tried to focus on regaining her lost mana. The temperature of the room was scorching, but the young mage didn't mind it. Instead, she felt like the sweltering heat was a fruit of her labors.
It had only been a day since she had left Emil and Cyn to do her duties as a curator of the Mage's Library. The items she had acquired needed to be catalogued and sorted away into their respective homes. After that, she had to rest and eat, and she had cleaned herself up. Her clothing was no longer the plain desert garb she had been wearing during her trip, but instead was a white robe with a few beads made of semi-precious stones woven into the shoulders. The enchantments in the stones were dormant, so they seemed dim and uninteresting.
A smoldering dummy was in the center of the training room. Despite the fire retardant nature of the dummy's material, there were a few places where the fire had left a mark, and some small lines of smoke were trailing off the thin wooden arms. Rosa smiled at the results, amazed at how knowing the key to pyromancy had dramatically improved her abilities. She couldn't summon a pillar of flame, as Cyn had, but the fire she was capable of bringing out was significantly larger than she expected.
Shaking the weariness away, Rosa roused herself to open the room's window to let the heat out. The morning sun was just rising, so the air outside was chilly and refreshing. Most of the outside torches had been extinguished, and a few magical lights were twinkling nearby.
Rosa's eyes returned to the dummy. Her head was swimming with new questions about pyromancy, but she felt annoyed by the roadblock that placed in front of her. The old tomes she had at her disposal hadn't even hinted at the emotional key to pyromancy, and she was hesitant to rely on those to continue her training. She wanted to find Cyn and ask him questions, but she had no idea where to find him. He had left no means of contacting him, and the Archmage had stacked various duties on her as if to distract her away from him.
The mysterious man's image stood out in her mind. His dirty blonde hair and brown eyes, stuck in that smirking, self-assured aura, made her want to pout even more. She was still troubled by several things she had been unable to confirm about him, and his disinterested, nonchalant nature made him hard to approach. Were all pyromancers so aloof? Additionally, were they all so powerful? His ability to summon fire without the aid of a staff, or with any magical device, made him a unique existance.
The desire to walk around the city gripped Rosa. Even if she didn't find that wanderer on her travels, she might clear her head and think of something new.
On her way out of the room, Rosa returned the training dummy to a closet and wiped away her sweat. It was a short walk from there to the entrance to the Mage's Library.
The sky was crisp and clear, with the sun having climbed above the horizon. Several magic users and magical guards walked in different directions, few paying attention to Rosa. The silver runes of the various domes glinted as they reflected the sunlight, making the domes seem more lustrous in the morning air. A few people were shouting back and forth about various topics, and some of the magical guards were crouched near each other, mumbling about events from the night before.
Dove was arranged in three separate rings. In the center, where the Mage's Library was housed, was the heart of the city and the residential area for the more prominent members of the city. After that, ringed around the center, was the merchant area. There, various wares of both magical and mundane natures were sold. People of all classes mixed there, and it could arguably be said that the merchant ring was what kept the city running. If not for the raw materials provided, and the avenue for the mages to sell their wares, the city would likely wither away.
On the outer edge of the city was the basic residential area. There, the non-magical class of workers and citizens were housed. It was also the ring where religious worship was practiced. Without much thought to her destination, Rosa began walking around the merchant ring, her mind still swimming with her questions on pyromancy.
It wasn't long before someone called out to her. When Rosa looked, she saw Emil with several young Desert Rats members in tow.
"Has everything been accounted for from our journey, Miss Dupardone?" Emil asked after he waved his young charges away.
Rosa nodded politely and smiled at her former guardian. "Yes, it was all taken care of. My father was pleased with the materials we brought back. I will let you know if there are more chances at employment, though I'm not sure when the next expedition will be. The threat of the sand worms will need to be specifically dealt with before we move out again."
Emil nodded and stroked his chin. "Quite the bad bit of luck, that. Monsters, this close to the city. It's a good thing we met our strange friend when we did."
Rosa perked up at the mention of the pyromancer. "Do you know where I could find Cyn? He left before I could speak with him further yesterday. I have a few questions for him."
Emil's expression reddened for a moment and he gave off an uncharacteristic chuckle. "Ah, that. I think I know where to find him, but... erm, how do I put it? He said he was looking for a nice place to stay the night. I pointed him in the right direction, but I cannot guarantee he actually went there...."
Rosa tilted her head to the side at Emil's strange actions, her expression still hopeful. "I can go there myself, just tell me where it's at. What's the inn's name?"
Emil laughed awkwardly, "No, I'll take you there." He added under his breath, "I wouldn't want there to be some mix up with the clients they have there." Turning his head north, he pointed down a slightly more narrow street. "It's a short walk from the merchant area, I'll lead you there now. My companions will be fine on their own, they know this area well."
After several minutes of walking, they arrived at the building in question. Despite it being morning, several women were already outside, chatting with a few travelling men as they departed. An argument was ongoing near the front door between a grumpy man and a couple large armed men who clearly worked there.
"I demand my belongings back. Those are important trade tools. Furthermore, I never actually asked to spend the night-"
One of the large men stepped forward, tapping his forehead. "Sure you didn't, friend. You were just kidnapped and woke up with a couple scantily clad ladies in a bed you didn't own. Sounds like the dumbest thing I've ever heard. If you want, I can get some guards to settle things - we run a reputable business. You want your belongings back? We want our payment for services rendered. Come back and foot the bill, we can talk then. Til then, scram."
The smaller man grumbled and backed down, his shoulders slumping. He reached down to the belt of his clothes and gripped as if reaching for a weapon, but there was nothing to be had there. His hands eventually slackened, and he walked away, mumbling his issues to himself. On his way leaving the area, he bumped past Rosa.
"All because of that damn irregular-" Rosa heard the man say before he continued onwards. He seemed to take no notice of bumping into her and continued onwards, a grim expression painted on his face.
"Master Emil! It's been a while!" A female voice shouted out. A few ladies in front of the building started waving to Emil and a few even stepped out onto the balcony to acknowledge him. Rosa suddenly felt very uncomfortable as many scantily clad ladies were now paying attention to her and the mercenary. Emil's face was a crimson color, and he kept clearing his throat as if the action would disarm the situation. Realizing the establishment and its purpose, Rosa also felt herself getting red in the face. So this was why Emil had been so reluctant to bring her here to look for Cyn.
"To what do we owe the pleasure?" One of the outside women asked, her tall slender frame bending down slightly so that she could be on eye level with the mercenary. "Here for another payday celebration? We're always happy to-"
Emil cleared his throat so loudly it drowned out the woman's words. Taking the hint, the conversation took a more professional turn as Emil responded to her. "Sorry to bother you ladies, I'm here on a request actually. I may have recommended your... services to a friend yesterday, did he come here? His name is Cyn he's a- er, a mage of sorts. Dirty blonde hair, tall..."
The woman's face twisted into a comedic smile as a memory dawned on her. "Ah, that one. He must have been away from town for some time. He paid in full, enough for two people, then proceeded to get drunk and pass out. Such a waste. He seemed merry enough when he was awake, at least. Anyway, he must have woken up in the night and decided to stumble off somewhere. He was gone before the sun came up."
Rosa listened intently to the description of events. Why would someone come to a brothel to get drunk? And where had he disappeared to during the night?
Emil thanked the woman and shrugged, looking at Rosa. "So it seems we missed our friend. What do you want to do now?"
Rosa shrugged back, "I was hopeful I could talk to him before he departed, but for all I know Cyn already left the city. It's pointless without further information. Let's go back to the market area."
Emil agreed and they returned to where they had met each other. Several stalls that hadn't been opened before were now in full swing, with several merchants selling everything from cooked food to magical wares. Of course, since it wasn't the area near the Mage's Library, most of the magical trinkets were simple and harmless.
The two bid each other farewell and Rosa returned to her walk, new questions about Cyn and his character swirling around in her head.
As she turned back to return to the Mage's Library, a stall selling glass trinkets caught her eye. Several of the small ornaments were shaped like birds or mythical creatures, and the detail was quite exceptional. There was even a small glass dragon!
"Oh, long time no see!" the salesman said, giving an awkward wave.
It took a moment before Rosa's mind could make sense of who she saw sitting on the other side of the stall, selling the glass ornaments.
Cyn sat leisurely at the wooden table, looking for all intents and purposes like a regular merchant, his nostalgic smirk showing no surprise, nor awkwardness at the situation.