A Letter from the Archmage to the Keeper of Fire

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Bailey Raptis
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A Letter from the Archmage to the Keeper of Fire

Post by Bailey Raptis »

April 22, 2019
Twilight Isle


Twilight Isle’s unofficial postman goblin was being run ragged by the Archmage’s final flurry of letters. Bailey could feel the clock potentially ticking down on his time in the Tower, and he wanted to make sure he could make his gratitude plainly know, through deeds, words, and gifts.

Fortunately for the goblin, the first letter he sent out today only required him to travel across the Isle, from the sands near the dueling rings to the volcano that served as the Keeper of Fire’s home. The mailman carried an envelope addressed to Andrea Anderson, its ribbons of blue, orange, and red designed to imitate the colors of Twilight Isle itself. Within the envelope, Bailey’s letter was written on stationery graced with yellow stars scattered in the margins. At the top of the page, his name and title of 67th Archmage had been stamped in some sort of gold leaf. The note itself, however, was handwritten in neat and precise black ink.

***

Dear Keeper Andrea Anderson,

I hope this missive finds you well. As my time in the Citadel of the Stars potentially draws to a close, I have been pondering my past, present, and future as a duelist across the sports. I have been trying, as best as I can, to settle old debts and express gratitudes to those who got me to where I am today.

When you first offered me the position of Squire of New Haven, I could scarcely believe my ears. I thought to myself,
Me? Someone wants me as a squire? At the time, I had just started my dueling career, as much as a favor for my boss at the time as anything else. I had no way of knowing where dueling would take me. Not just the successes, which I will not bore you with by sharing the details of here, except to say that I would like to think I have had some success in the rings. But, more importantly, I could not foresee the friendships I have made. Without Hydra, and without that additional push that you gave me by naming me to be your Squire, I do not know that I would have stuck with it long enough to meet the people I have met through the duels. Although I still think that rapier is damned annoying.

In addition to thanking you for making me your Squire so many years ago, I would like to congratulate you on your marriage to Lilith. I wish all the happiness in all the worlds for you and your family.

To that effect, I have enclosed a small token of my appreciation with this letter: a black star sapphire forged from the Circle of Genesis within the Archmage’s Tower. It is formed out of quintessence, the heart of magic itself, and, untouched, should keep its power for roughly a week or so. You may use it however you see fit to power any spells you might need to cast. Or, if you decide not to use its energies, you will be left with a gem that I wager would look nice in a ring, or perhaps cut into a pair of earrings.

May your reign as the Keeper of Fire be as long as you desire, as productive as you wish it to be, and free of the politics and violence of the Arena.

Sincerely,

Bailey Raptis
Last edited by Bailey Raptis on Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Andrea Anderson
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Re: A Letter from the Archmage to the Keeper of Fire

Post by Andrea Anderson »

".. Uh-huh," That's the best she could come up with.

Andrea stood covered in ash and soot. The only part her not covered are her hands and an outline at her eyes where she must have been wearing goggles during her work. She took the letter from the goblin, looked it over -- mainly due to the color choices and the neat bow as well.

"From the Archmage, ma'am!" The unofficial postman goblin said.

This took Andrea by surprise. She afforded another look to the package, then the goblin soon after. She couldn't be surprised, it's not as if she hadn't received wedding gifts already. So that's where her thought process already traveled to. "Thanks." Coming with a lift of the package in gesture. The goblin stood there, as if expecting something. Having been on Twilight Isle enough, she didn't even think twice and pulled a few coins from her pocket and dropped it into the goblins now waiting hands.

Andrea ventured back into the Tower of Fire, all the while shifting the envelope in her hand to give it a look over until she found herself in the Keepers personal quarters. It's there that she set it down on the table and it's there that she left it, among random sketches of possible weapons, books, and other such things.

It wouldn't be until she returned from a steaming shower that she finally decided to open it. Darkened purple hair wrapped in a towel while the rest of her form had been hidden away, somewhat, by loosely wrapped silk fabric.

With one leg crossed over a knee and idly bouncing -- she'd hold the letter in hand while its opposite propped up her chin.

``I hope this missive finds you well. As my time in the Citadel of the Stars potentially draws to a close...``

"Give yourself some credit." she muttered to herself, but continued to read on. Honestly, she wasn't giving the letter her full attention and seemed more focused on wanting to get through it so she could move onto other things... but, there was something that had her lifting her chin and giving the inked words more focus.

``When you first offered me the position of Squire of New Haven, I could scarcely believe my ears. I thought to myself, Me? Someone wants me as a squire? At the time, I had just started my dueling career, as much as a favor for my boss at the time as anything else. I had no way of knowing where dueling would take me. Not just the successes, which I will not bore you with by sharing the details of here, except to say that I would like to think I have had some success in the rings. But, more importantly, I could not foresee the friendships I have made. Without Hydra, and without that additional push that you gave me by naming me to be your Squire, I do not know that I would have stuck with it long enough to meet the people I have met through the duels. Although I still think that rapier is damned annoying.``

Her eyes lowered and she found herself drawn within. Her memory, in a way, had begun to get a little fuzzy. She recalled much still, but there were other pieces that had started to fall away. The void is a double-edge sword, it gives and it takes... and while she succumbed to its sirens song through the touch of ShadoWeaver, through its manipulation of her emotions, she nevertheless used it to try and make the best of her situation. Still, it's times like these that the downsides were on display. She didn't recall giving Bailey the squireship of New Haven when she held it. Perhaps it had been too long ago, perhaps she thought it was something nice to do in the moment. No matter the reason -- there is one thing she did know, at least now she does.. That even if the memory is fuzzy to her, it had been something more to Bailey.

``I could not foresee the friendships I have made.``

There was something about that line that she found herself re-reading, and from those words did she cast her gaze onto the black star sapphire that came with the envelope.

With a soft exhale of a breath Andrea's gaze fell back to the letter. And once finished she took care in folding it as neatly as she received it.

Bailey,

She began to write... then she paused. Something had come to mind from the cloud that made up her memory. A whisper. There's another exhale, this time sharper, that matched the grin that formed on her lips.

Bailey,

I told you to do your best, didn't I? You've done that and more. But I'm going to have to ask you again.

Do your best.
Do your best and show Jin why you're Archmage.

In your corner,
Andrea.


---

Andrea watched as a small elemental of fire hovered and swayed from the room with the letter in its possession. While it's not an unofficial postman goblin, it would do its part to see that the delivery is made.

This left Andrea once again alone with her thoughts. She picked up the black star sapphire and turned it in her hand. "... Guess I don't have much time." A week or so, that is what the letter said. A week is still enough time for her to do much of the groundwork for what she had in mind.

Within the shadow of the gem and resting atop her desk were sketches, multiple sketches, of blades. Blades more ornate in look than any she had ever made before. Andrea lowered the gem and reached for her pen.

Remmen'Alor

That had been the blades chosen name. Written at the right bottom edge of each paper.

Woven Love, loosely translated. But she added a comma after.

Remmen'Alor, Blade of Twilight

The star sapphire wouldn't become a nice ring, nor would it be cut into a pair of earrings. Instead it will be used to help create a blade.

A testament. ``I could not foresee the friendships I have made.`` Of the love and friendship she had made with Lilith.
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