Ancient Sorcery

The deserts of Stygia were not exactly an ideal place to live, but for the sorceror Keld, it allowed him the privacy necessary to pratice his magic his way. He found a mostly intact watchtower near an oasis that had been long abandoned. It proved to be the perfect place to research, practice and gain more power. There were no priests of Set to tell him what to do, here. It was him and his work. Keld adjusted his robes as he got ready for his morning divination. He needed to see when the next sandstorm would come along. The next step of one of his research projects required one to come along, and he hoped it would be soon.

His dedication to his magic had caused him to not take care of himself as well as he should. There was little food left and his water jars were nearly empty. His hair and beard had grown quite long and often got in the way of what he was doing. Still, his mind was on his work.

At the top of the tower was a table with arcane writing etched into it. Here, Keld started his morning divination, chanting words beyond ancient and tracing his fingers along the pattern on the table's surface. He was too focused on his spell to notice what was in the distance.

Ashelia made her way across the barren wasteland with sheer determination. Her lips were parched and she was exhausted:
She'd been travelling all night and had long run out of water. But she needed to find his watchtower before sunrise.

Her voluptuous left breast jiggled up and down as she waded her way through the deep sand. As was customery for girls of her village, she wore nothing but a one-piece made of dark cloth that was tied diagonally at the right shoulder, covering her right breast, but leaving the left one exposed. This was a sign that she was unmarried and likely a virgin - married women would have both breasts uncovered.

Slung over her exposed left shoulder was a small satchel which contained some potions and ointments she had made. Ever since Ashelia was young, she'd had a passion for collecting herbs and concocting potions that could be used to heal animals and people. She was entirely self-taught but often wished she had someone who could mentor her. For years, she'd heard whispers about a man who lived in a dark watchtower and could do a lot more than making simple potions: he could perform magic. There were stories galore about him performing acts that defied the logic of nature. She often asked her parents and other villagers about him, but they only warned her to stay far away from such people and if she did ever cross paths with him, she should run away as fast as she could.

But when Ashelia's little sister Mia suddenly fell down with an illness that could not be cured by either of the village doctors, the stories about the mysterious sorcerer wouldn't leave her thoughts. Ashelia had spent weeks researching herbs that might help Mia's condition but to no avail. She couldn't stand to see her sister confined to her bed, unable to move any of her limbs and barely even able to speak. It broke her heart. She knew she had to do whatever she could to save her.
So she packed a small satchel and set out to find the sorcerer.


Her vision was getting blurry as she continued wading across the sandy wasteland. The sun was beginning to rise and the wind was also picking up speed, blowing rough grains of sand through the air, turning her long dark hair an ashy tone. Ashelia coughed and spluttered as she inadvertently inhaled some of the particles. Her eyes were stinging and tearing from both the dusty air and sheer exhaustion.

Then, like an oasis in a desert, she spotted the watchtower in the distance. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before, sticking out like a sore thumb on the empty horizon. This must be the place. Newly invigorated, she threw her legs forward so that she was almost running now, her lungs burning from the sandy air.

She was almost at the watchtower, when her body finally failed her. Her eyes rolled back and she passed out on the burning hot sand.

His gaze kept shifting from the table to the sky. Keld concentrated as hard as he could to forecast the next sandstorm. Almost, he thought to himself, excitment rising. He was about to pinpoint...

Then came the cough. Instantly his train of thought was lost. His window of opportunity had passed. It would take too long to try again.

Beside himself with anger, Keld went to the side of the tower the cough came from. "What in the name of the hells is going on here!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

At the ledge, he looked over the waist-high railing looking to find the cause of his interruption. Great. Someone just died by his tower. If he didn't dispose of the body quickly enough, the vultures would be sure to come along - disgusting creatures...

Quickly making his way downstairs, he wrapped a scarf around his face, and made his way outside and towards the body. The foolish girl was completely ill-prepared for desert travel. There was no sign of any water flask on her and her clothing left her vulnerable to the harshness of the sun. But what was this? he turned her over on her back and noticed she was still breathing. Great. Now he had to look after someone, delaying his research further. Grabbing the strange girl's one shoulder strap, he dragged her over the sand and into the shelter of his tower.

Place was a cluttered mess. Not a single pot, vial, or ingredient was where it should have been, even more items were strewn across the floor, making for a somewhat tricky place to walk. And this was just the main floor. There were two more levels above that were just as messy. The only place not cluttered up was the basement.

Just inside the door, Keld simply let go of the girl's dress and searched for some water. There was very little left. Shrugging, he picked the vase holding the water and just splashed it over her face.

Ashelia's eyes snapped open as she felt the impact of the cold water hit her face, and looked up at the strange bearded man who was responsible. He had piercing eyes and an unfriendly look on his face. She groggily took in the unfamiliar surroundings - a dingy, messy room full of strange objects - and instinctively screamed, "Where am I?! Who are you?! What do you want wi-", then suddenly stopped as she remembered the trip she'd made across the desert.

"Are you the.... s-s-sorcerer?" she asked tentatively.

From the force of being pulled, the right strap of Ashelia's dress had worked it's way down her arm, so that her right breast was now on display as well as her left. Her right breast was considerably lighter in colour than her left, as a result of receiving less sun exposure. Her dress had also ridden up considerably at the base, exposing her private area that was covered with dark bushy hair.

The girl's exposed skin did not effect Keld in any way. He was still ticked off about the interruption to his divination. He put the vase down and just stood over her, arms crossed, as she got her bearings.

"That depends on which sorcerer you're looking for, you foolish girl!" He said with a clearly annoyed tone. "Yes, I am a sorcerer, but if I'm not the soceror you're looking for, there will be consequences."

He leaned over her and looked her straight in the eye. "You ruined what was quite possibly my most important divination. You'd better have a good explanation for crossing the desert so ill-prepared and collapsing at my doorstep."

Ashelia picked her words carefully now. "I'm sorry... m-my name is Ashelia of the village Ilyia. I... think you are the sorcerer whom I seek," she said, sitting up and readjusting her dress to cover herself.

Hoping he would be susceptible to flattery, she continued, "Ever since I was a child, I've heard stories about a talented sorcerer in a tall tower, who could perform the most magnificent of acts," she inhaled, "they say... he can bring back those from the brink of death... or even those who have already passed over. My sister is very sick so I come to you humbly to ask for your help..."

She looked into his unfriendly eyes. She was starting to regret her decision to come here, but she knew she had no choice. "Can you help me mister?"

Keld gave an amused chuckle at the girl. "Help you? No sorcerer can do what you ask! We don't heal the sick, raise the dead or anything like that."

He paused with a thoughtful look on his face. "Well maybe Akiro over in Shadizar can, but he's hundreds of leagues away." Back to his original scowl. "Either way, if your sister's a sick as you say, she's probably already dead. Either that or she'll die by the time you get home."

He walked over to the front door and opened. "Now stop wasting my time and get out!"