The first snowfall blankets the once green and flowering fields that surround our home in the countryside. It's the first time I get to see snow in a rural setting. It gives the impression of being trapped within a snow globe, the distant opaque skies filled with scattering snowflakes blocking out the horizon, keeping visibility relatively obscured but not pitch white.
It's fascinating seeing my breath visible in the air, much akin to my sight seeing the radiant Etheric flow when I concentrate. My steps are light in the snow, and while I am constricted by a two layers of clothing, a winter coat, mitts, hat, and boots, I am able to balance across it like a certain famed elven archer unknown to these lands. Fvenn, on the other hand, trudges through several feet of snow with heavy steps as we explore our snowy wonderland.
"I want to try making a snowman. And then maybe we can do snow angels! I've always wanted to do those," I say excitedly.
"Raelle, wait up!" Fvenn calls out in exasperation, lifting one foot in front of the other. He coughs and sniffles, his nose red and cheeks flushed.
"We could even do a snowball fight before we head back maybe!"
"Raelle!"
I stop and turn to see Fvenn falling behind about twenty feet or so.
"Wait . . . up," Fvenn says in between coughs and sneezes.
"You're awfully slow, Fvenn," I tease with a raised finger.
"And you're awfully getting too close to the woods. Let's head back and make a snowman closer to home."
I let out an annoyed sigh. He's right – in the wintery haze I can see the outlines of the Woods. Maybe I'm getting a little too carried away with the winter weather? I feel like a spunky little pup that gets excited after being out in the outside chill, zooming around with energy.
We head back so that the manor is visible and start assembling our snowman.
"How's your training coming along? Are you moving like molasses because you're too sore?" I ask, forming one part of the snowman's thorax.
"Had to . . . train first thing in the . . . morning. Your dad— I mean, my Lord says that it helps build stamina," Fvenn says.
I roll my eyes.
"Fvenn, you don't have to keep calling him 'my Lord' around me. I mean, you're practically family now," I say.
Fvenn sneezes, his face becoming rubier.
"I-I know that, it's just weird. You know?" Fvenn says.
"I don't but whatever," I say with a shrug. "How's your part coming along?"
"Here you go," Fvenn says.
We start to compile the snowman together and manage to get its three pillar body assembled within the half hour. We are still missing its iconic eyes, small, and carrot nose.
"I'm going to run inside and find something for its face. Think you can find it some arms?" I ask.
"Yeah," Fvenn says after clearing his throat.
"You coming down with something?" I ask.
"Were you up at dawn training in the snow?"
"Oh."
Kind of a dumb question, I know. I pat Fvenn on the shoulder in apology, his gaze skewing away from mine.
"Stop acting weird before I start having you call me 'm'lady'," I say half jokingly.
"B-but you technically are," Fvenn stutters out.
I let out a sigh and start walking back towards the house. "Be that way," I say with a wave, leaving him to find branches for his side of our winter project. I kind of wish things would return back to what they used to be – he's become stiffer over the next few months. I hope my father hadn't planted a chivalric code in Fvenn's head. I really just want to have a friend again. And with household preparations done, we have more time to conspire – I mean, make time for adventure.
I enter the back through the rear foyer and into the kitchen, walking in on the sight of Huntsman Nystrom. He is knelt by the furnace, his hand inside it. An intense heat radiates from his hand and ignites the kindling in a snap. I blink in surprise – not only is he a skilled alchemist, but he can use Fire magic as well?
I close the door behind me and Nystrom is jostled. He shakes his hand, extinguishing the flame and we stare at each other. Why do I feel like I walked in on something I wasn't supposed to see? One of us had to break the silence and I choose to be the one.
"I didn't know you could use that sort of magic. And without a wand," I say.
"Aye, my Lady. Do you know why?" Nystrom says, straightening himself up from the stove and placing a glove on his hand.
"Are . . . you a [Pyrokenetic] or perhaps . . .?"
"The latter. I am Faekin – or at least part, as yourself," Nystrom says with a frown.
There are indeed multiple races that make up the demography of Azure Blue Online. You had the mortalkin which included all of mankind and their subtypes (e.g., Nassin, Strovosi, etc), beastkin which included humanoids with animal characteristics of varying degrees (think as vanilla as a cat or wolf girl, and as intensely anthropomorphic as a werebear), and the Faekin which included the Vasque, Yuurei, and Nazarem. Lorewise, it is the Faekin that are closest to the Etheric nature of the world so unless you were a type of kinetic (who are said to have distant Fae ancestry or were given their abilities by miracle ordained by a god), wandless and staveless magic would not be possible. In game this had its advantages where Faekin players were able to perform magic regardless of their gear setup. Mortalkin and Beastkin, however, needed to potentially carry one to three types of wands or staves to cast certain spells. The developers tried to balance this by the charm system in which wands/staves could be upgraded to do bonus damage and/or use two or more schools of magic at a time and by changing race stat values to compensate, essentially making Faekin more "glass cannon" magic casters. A melee or hybrid class Vasque was certainly viable but not considered the meta; you'd be laughed at and never taken seriously in pvp or Ancients (a type of End Game Raid).
"But why are you hiding it? Are you hiding it?" I continue my questioning. I don't mean to be the inquisition, but considering what I saw and the woods and just now it definitely confuses me.
"I am not as blessed as my Lady to be afforded an education beneath a certified Court Mage. My magic is self-taught and I did not enter an academy nor could I afford a licensed tutor," Nystrom explains.
I don't recall these types of "gates" that prevented someone from learning magic or any kind of skill. There were skill-line and class quests definitely but if this is how they are translated in this world . . .
"That's not fair," I say.
"Aye, to that I agree. I am an orphan – I have not the honor of a clan name nor the tuition that comes with it," Nystrom says.
"I'm sorry," I say. I truly do feel sorry for him. Upon character creation, I had the choice of a variety of backgrounds. If I had chosen a different path, I might have had a much harder upbringing. Perhaps as a street urchin surviving on scraps from strangers, begged or stolen.
"You didn't hurt my feelings, lass," Nystrom smiles. "We all have our lot in life, and I am happy to be in employment of your Ladyship and your family."
I nod.
"I do ask though that this be kept between the two of us. While [Alchemy] is another story, I wish not to run afoul of the Thaumaturgy Registrar."
I nod again empathically.
"So what brings you to the kitchen? Snacking before lunch time?" Nystrom asks, breaking the tension and moving on from the previous topic.
"Fvenn and I are making a snowman and we needed something from his eyes and mouth. Maybe a carrot for the nose," I say.
Nystrom pauses in thought for a moment and heads over to several sacks that contain provisions he had brought from town. After a minute of rummaging, Nystrom hands me a carrot with an assortment of nuts and seed for a make-shift face.
"Thank you!" I say and Nystrom smiles.
I turn to leave as Nystrom returns to attending to the furnace and stop at the door, a rogue thought penetrating my mind.
. . .