“if only you could see”
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Part One
Risa knew she had to work quickly. The pile wasn't going to get any smaller; she needed the messengers ready as soon as possible. The messengers were meant to resemble paper cranes, often used to send wishes, but in this case, to send an urgent report. Her fingers worked quickly to fold the small slips of paper in precise angles; precision was something that came natural to her. As the minutes ticked by, the pile slowly diminished.
The message relayed in her mind, very clear, and very serious. "We need one hundred before sundown...can you do that for us?" Risa accepted her mission, so it wasn't likely she'd let the job go incomplete. The ranks filled in neat lines, ten of each color: red, yellow, blue, orange, green, violet, pink, brown, black, and white.
"There..." Risa said, feeling justifiably accomplished. "We need one hundred before sundown...as soon as you have finished, take them outside, and repeat the incantation in your mind. Reciting it aloud would be too dangerous, in fact, it would make it that much easier for the messengers to be traced back to you. Be careful, Risa."
Risa eyed the rows of messengers for a second before coming up with an idea to easily bring the messengers outside. She pulled a wicker basket from the shelf, and with her arm, swept them into a pile, then off the table, and into the basket. After making her way outside, Risa knelt on the ground, and lined the messengers into neat rows once more.
Still kneeling, Risa placed her hands on either side of the square formation, and closed her eyes. In her mind, she repeated the words, "Advolo nunc, accuroare." Within a few minutes, Risa could hear a faint sound of wings flapping, and she dared to open her eyes. The messengers before her took flight before her, but remained in mid-air. She closed her eyes once more, and continued to repeat the chant. The flapping became distant, and soon Risa didn't hear it at all. She looked up, and they were off on their own now, flying off into the fast approaching night.
She turned around and headed back inside, to stay outside would simply be asking for trouble. Risa dusted off her pants before closing her door, and as she rounded the corner, she noticed a letter on her table. "This wasn't here before...." She opened it with caution, but as she unfolded the paper, she instantly recognized the Magistrate's handwriting. "The deed you have recently commited will not go unnoticed. We commend your efforts, Risa Cartel, and for this, we will present you with a medal of honor at the next town meeting. Dutifuly yours, The Magistrate of Reverania."
Risa wondered if it was really possible that the messengers had made it to town that soon. This wasn't her first mission, but the workings of most of the spells were a mystery to her. It wasn't easy to perform them without being in the presence of a wizard, but certain feats have been possible with the truest intentions.
From outside, she heard the patter of several Torairos and decided it was a good time to sleep. She went into her room, and lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Risa smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Rolling on her side, she placed caps on the candles near her bed, and watched as the light dimmed from her room.
Labels: fiction junction
