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Will sat in his moon lit room watching his window on to the balcony. The snow dusted the railings as noise from outside creeped into his room. He sat on his bed, knees raised up and his chin resting there.The room was silent, no humming of machinery that normally spun around his room to keep him distracted, no lights on for him to work away into the night... Nothing interested the young mage apart from the outside world. So calm and peaceful, nothing to worry about, just let the snow fall to the ground as he waited for something inside of him to sleep. Something had kept the young mage up for most of the night and had been scratching away at the back of his mind.
Will turned to the clock on his desk, 23:33. It was close to midnight and his uncles were asleep in one of the rooms below him, however no matter what the young boy did, he could not sleep. He turned and looked out the window once again at the giant moon that cascaded light down through his window. Even the moon didn't seem right to him. Standing up, Will gave a sigh and walked over to his wardrobe to change for bed.
"Will..." a voice whispered. Turning around to look at his room Will could see no one around him. No body to hold the voice. Taking a step forward Will peered out of his window but saw no one there.
"Will..." He turned again and made his way to the door, slamming it open only to see nothing. A chill ran down Will's spine as nothing but darkness stared back at him. He closed his door quickly and sat on his bed. He clasped his hands together and took three long deep breaths. His mind cleared and focused through the power flowing around him to examine the area for anyone calling him. If someone had entered his uncles wards, he would have known about it. But there was no one, no being that could have called out to him.
"Come to me, Will..." The voice whispered again. This time Will felt a pressure building in his chest, pushing him out of the house. Will took a deep breath feeling the magic surround him. Someone was calling him, someone he didn't know. They were calling him away from the safety of his uncles wards and out into the darkened streets. Many times Will had been told not to venture far from the house at night, especially not in the city where he could become the prey of any fae that took their fancy. Yet, Will didn't want to listen to his Uncle's words. He wanted to fallow the voice and see where it would take him. His mind was torn, he could go and meet this person, but at the same time he could be killed by them.
Will pulled on his shoes and picked up his jacket before quietly leaving the house via the balcony. Quietly as possible, he lowered the power of the wards so he could slip through without his uncle worrying that he had left. Taking a step over the threshold meant he was safe... Well not safe any longer. His mind raced as he turned and looked down the road that lead to the city. The voice was calling him again.
"Come to me Will... Come and meet me..." Taking a deep breath Will set off on foot towards the city where he would meet the person calling out to him... Hopefully he would meet this fae or magic user and ask why they were plaguing his mind.
Will's feet didn't stop until he ended up, outside an Asian style beer garden. Cherry blossoms graced the top of the walls by letting their leaves lean on them. The wall was a dark white, almost grey now from the pollution of the city. Inside he could hear music echo around and laughter ran in his ears, but above that the voice called to him.
"Ruby Blossom..." It whispered into his ears. Outside the garden was three tall, balding large men guarding the gate way. Will blinked once and their glamours were removed from his eyes and he saw what they really were. Three trolls stood guard over the door way, obviously protection from something. To the left of them was a crowd of fae and magic users waiting for their chance to enter the club. From Will's guesses it must have been an exclusive club, or at least an expensive one to see all the people outside in such distinguished clothing; if some of it could be counted as clothing at all. Will slowly walked up to one of the bouncers who looked down on him with an amused look. He smirked, folded his arms and puffed out his chest. "Sorry kid," he said with a deep base voice.
"Come back when you're older." With that he turned and laughed with the other guards standing there.
"Ruby Blossom..." Will blinked as the voice spoke to him. No one else around him seemed to have heard the voice.
"I'm here to see Ruby Blossom..." The men stopped laughing as Will's voice echoed in their ears. They glared at him and examined the young sorcerer before standing aside and allowing passage for Will to step through. Slowly Will walked past them and into the club. Whoever Ruby Blossom was, they was obviously a powerful person to have let him enter a place such as this. Will took a moment to examine the place before he moved around to find who he was looking for.
There were cherry blossom trees all around the place and many petals were scattered on the small grassy areas were some fae sat with strange concoctions resided in their hands. The paths were made out of stone and lined with little pebbles to make sure they sticked to the path. At intersections there were fountains off different colours and from the smells in the air there was more than one type. At the far end of the garden was a bar, crowded with people who seemed to be expecting some extravagant drink with the way they seemed to flaunt their money to the bar staff. On the far left wall was a large curtain guarded by another two trolls. They were stricked and would shove at anyone who came to close to the curtain. The blood red curtain called out to him, begging him to come close. Slowly he took a step down the cobble path towards the trolls, focusing only on his breathing.He kept his eyes down on the ground in front of him and ignored all the different fae who called out to him as he passed them.
"Aren't you a cute one?"
"Haven't seen you here before..."
"Fancy some fun, sweetie?"
He ignored all the voices and listened to the one that called him. The one that had brought him all this way without him even knowing why. As he stopped besides the bouncers he looked up at the sign above the curtains and what they read in an old mystical language that he had learnt when he was younger. Ruby Blossom... Whoever or whatever was behind this curtain was what had called him to this place. He was being summoned by a powerful being and they stood behind the curtain. A drunken Imp walked up close to him and before he could react Will found one of the bouncers between himself and the Imp. The bouncer pushed the man away.
"Move along Sir," he asked politely before pushing the man in another direction. The force of the push almost sent the Imp crashing to the floor, but at the last minute he caught himself. Will turned back to the red curtain and looked at the other guard. He nodded at the young boy and held open the curtain.
"She is waiting for you," he stated and stepped to the side for Will to enter.
"Who is she?" Will asked as he looked into the darkness behind the satin red sheet.
"That is for you to decide," the man spoke. Will took one last deep breath before mustering up his courage and walking into the dark room. What he saw behind the curtain was very simple.
Two large plush chairs surrounded a small wooden table. The table held a large ball of golden light that illuminated the occupant of the right chair. Her pale skin glowed in the magical light, the long, silk black hair contrasted perfectly with her skin. Her body was clad in a deep red Kimono with gold sown into the material. The mask matched her kimono, a deep red with golden thread around the edge of the mask and around the eyes. Her lips were a soft pink colour that made the woman almost seem delicate. Her eyes were a deep purple that almost took away that delicacy. She reached out her left hand and took a sip of her drink. Her nails were painted purple and two golden bracelets dangled on her petit wrists.
"Welcome, Will Strife." She whispered and turned towards him. Her lips hadn't moved and continued to sip at her drink. "Please sit down." She lowered her glass to the table and watched the young boy. Sorry Will walked over to the table and sat down on the plush chairs. He looked closer at the table and noticed a few more items that he hadn't noticed before. There was an empty cup sat before him with a large glass jug full of water. To the woman's right was a silver dagger with a golden handle carved with some strange writing he couldn't read. In front of her was a small purple crystal that Will recognised as an Oracle Crystal. His uncle had shown him many books about Oracle's and the different instruments they used. Will looked up at the woman and noticed her deep violet eyes borrowing into him. Will sat still in the chair until she sat back and her face became soft and expressionless. "Thank you for coming," she whispered again. She blinked and her eyes flashed a lighter colour of purple for a second.
"Who are you?" Will asked leaning back into the chair sensing that this woman would not harm him. Oracle's had a law not to hurt someone unless they had be provoked, Will had no intention of provoking anyone in the city with his magic.
"Outsiders call me Ruby Blossom," she finally spoke using her soft pink lips. "But you may call me Nano." Will frowned as he searched his brain for that name. Had he heard it before somewhere? Will couldn't think, the name seemed so familiar to him. It seemed to roll of his tongue so simply.
"Nano..." he looked at the jug of water before looking at the knife. "Have we met before?"
"No... At least... Not face to face..."
"How do you know me?"
"I know many people in the city,"she began to explain and moved forward in her seat to place both her hands on the table. "But you Will, are special. Many in the city have begun to notice you... Some of which you would wish didn't know you existed."
"But I haven't done anything," Will whispered as he looked down on the woman's right hand. It was covered in purple swirls that matched her eyes. Markings that he registered with magic users, but this was not magic of a simple sorcerer, no... This was cursed magic placed on her long before Will was even walking the world.
"You didn't need too," she spoke softly to him and lifted her right hand to pick up the dagger. She rotated the dagger in her hand as if to inspect it. She kept her eyes solely on the dagger as it shone in the golden light. "Your uncle bringing you here has gotten you noticed. He means to protect, but he could not protect you completely from the city."
"Why? What is out there to fear?" Will asked calmly, sensing that this woman already knew more about him than she cared to let on. She smiled at him and placed the dagger back on the table.
"The next few years of your life will be a struggle, Will. Adapting to the city will not be an easy task for you." Slowly she lifted the empty glass and placed it in the middle of the table next to the glowing light. Will watched her every move, Oracles were not a danger to people, but sometimes they could play their own tricks to have fun and the way this woman spoke did not fill Will with confidence. "You were sent here to learn and live a normal life. I fear your family have misjudged the safety of this place." He picked up the glass jug of water and poured it into the cup. "Before your arrival, the power balance in the city has began to change. Someone is breaking the rules, a new court is forming in the darkness of the city."
"Are they evil?" Will asked. Nano placed the jug of water down and looked at him. She gave him a sympathetic smile and leaned over to the young boy. She caressed his cheek and gave a sigh as Will pulled away.
"You are so young and naive, yet at the same time are so strong and conservative about the nature of things." Nano leaned back in her chair and once again picked up the dagger, this time leaving it lying on the table. "There is no good and evil in far... Merely instinct, greed, lust, love, gluttony... They have vices as well as virtues... It's their path to choose."
"Xephos would disagree," Will muttered under his breath as he placed one hand on the table. Nano gave a small giggled and reached for his hand.
"Yes, Xephos is like that." She replied softly as she pulled his hand on to the table more. "With good reason to say so too... Xephos is powerful and no one would deny that, but he has gotten to the stage in human life where he believes he knows the world."
Nano examined Will's hand before lifting it above the glass of water. Her eyes travelled to the young sorcerer face and watched it for a few seconds before lowering her eyes to his hand once more. Her other hand raised the dagger and quickly cut the skin on Will's index finger. He did not flinch as he watched the blood flow from his finger. Nano lowered his hand into the water so the blood would swirl together with the water. Nano removed her hands and took a hold of the crystal lying on the table in wait of its use.
"But you are different Will."
"How?" Will asked as he watched the glass turn red before his eyes. Nano smiled and nodded at Will to remove his had. He removed his hand and whipped the water off his hand onto his jeans.
"You are special Will," Nano smiled and leaned over the table. "You are something new that has yet to be seen by the world." She placed the crystal into the water and leaned back. "The world has waited for new magic, and here you are."
"These powers, in the city..." Will paused for a moment as he watched the crystal sink away into the blood. "They will come after me?"
"Not yet," Nano answered as she placed her hand above the glass. "They obey the laws of the world and Will not seek you for a court member until you are old enough... But they will sway you Will. Want you to fight with them to dominate the city. To them power is everything."
"What if I refuse all sides?" Will ask as he watched Nano's eyes shine behind the mask. She smiled and lowered her hand.
"That, I can not say," she whispered and looked him in the eyes. "You have met one character already...But your life is about to encounter some interesting characters... The fire starter..." Slowly the blood in the glass began to swirl and raise from the glass forming the symbol of fire in the air above its resting place. "The ivory tusk..." The symbol changed into that of a dagger... Will recognised the shape of it. Most likely it would have come from a salt water fae now living on the land. There were very few that lived on land these days but it wasn't impossible not to meet one. "And the blue tail..."
"Blue tail..." Will whispered as the blood transformed into a forked tail the coiled around something invisible. "These are all to come?" Will asked looking at Nano.
She nodded, "the antlers will not be happy with this... He will do what he must to keep you safe, Will, but watch him... Don't place your soul in anyones hands but your own..." Will shook his head and rubbed his eyes. All this information... Why was he being told this? Will sighed and lowered his head to the table. All he wish was to live his life out in the city with what little family he had left. Nano watched as the blood lowered back into the glass and slowly the crystal bobbed up to the surface. She reached in and removed the crystal, placing it next to the dagger.
She watched the boy and petty pulled at her heart. She remembered being so young and so confused at her own power, but they were different from each other. She had a teacher to tell her where to go and what to do. Will was alone, having to work out things on his own. She sighed and stood up from the table. She walked over to Will's side and placed her hands on his shoulders and gave a squeeze. Will lifted his head and turned to the Oracle who smiled softly like a mother would to her child.
"You need rest young one," she whispered softly to him. She placed her hands on his arm and lifted him up from his seat. Will towered over the woman's small frame but she smiled all the same at him. "I have told you as much as I can for the moment." She reached up towards him and placed a kiss on his cheek. Will blushed at the intimate action from a woman he knew nothing about. "I will be here if you ever need me. Call for Ruby Blossom and I will come." She smiled at him and lead him to the curtain. "Take care Will and I will see you soon." The curtain was opened by the guards outside and the noise from the party surrounded him. Will had almost forgotten about the party that lay beyond the curtain. Nano released his arm and turned to walk into the darkened room.
"Will..." She whispered to him. He turned to her hoping that she would tell him something hopeful... Something good... She looked over her shoulder, her black hair cascading down her back, her eyes shinning from the outside light. "Keep your eyes open to the night..."
With that she left and walked into the darkness of the room. Even though Will wished to follow her and ask for more information, he didn't, instead he walked out of the curtain and into the party atmosphere. The two guards nodded at him as the curtains were drawn shut, as if they were never touched to begin with. Will took his steps down the stone path out of the club. Before he reached the door something was pulling him. Something was watching him, turning around and looking to see if anyone struck him he saw nothing. No one was close and no one seemed to notice the 17 year old standing alone. Will turned and walked out of the club and down the road. As he continued walking a tall figure was coming towards him. The dark blond hair and blue eyes let Will know that he was in safe hands. There in front of him was his cousin, Duncan standing in the darkness waiting for him. Duncan smiled at him and inclined his head.
"You of all people shouldn't be here at night," Duncan called as he pat Will on the shoulder.
"I could say the same for you," Will smiled as he noted the teasing tone in Duncan's voice."Xephos will be mad if he finds out." Duncan nodded and lead the way down the streets.
"Lets head to mine," Duncan suggested, "We can tell dad that I called you over for a game or something? You can make the evidence can't you?"
Will nodded and smiled, sometimes Duncan was an evil genius, coming up with plans to get them out of trouble and also knowing what magic or tricks could work in these situations.
As they walked home, Nano's words kept repeating in the back of his mind, two words in particular made his heart thump louder...
Blue tail...
What could it mean?