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This town is not like the others, Etzel comes to quickly notice. It sits just outside of the capital of Archanea, yet something about it feels different. He can’t quite put a finger on it, but he knows one thing: that something is beckoning him to stay. And so he drops a few silver coins at the innkeeper’s desk and makes himself comfortable for the next few days.
After that he would continue his travels through the region. For now, though, some time for himself sounds just fine. It could be worth traversing the town for tomes and adventuring supplies. If it helped with his debt to Khadein, even better.
Once he settles down in his room and decides on a course of action, Etzel departs the inn with a lighter load on his shoulders. The town is quaint, and quiet, yet the center is what catches his eye the most. A well-built and decorated house sits there; adorned with verdant flora and an elegant gate, the appearance piques his curiosity almost immediately.
Part of Etzel ponders about walking up to the doors and asking about the building, but he decides not to. It wouldn’t be any good to stir up commotion or disarray in a town he’s hardly been in for half a day.
His thoughts carry him through the streets, occasionally gleaning the merchants’ wares and goods. Etzel stops at one selling books and tomes and smiles to himself. As he runs his fingers across a time-worn volume, though, the sound of someone’s light footsteps reaches his ear.
When he turns around, though, no one is there. How strange.
Etzel sets the tome down and thanks the merchant before wandering the streets yet again. Perhaps he would find the owner of those feather-light steps… or perhaps he wouldn’t. There was only one way to find out.
Another day of slipping past the manor doors and guards.
It’s become common practice for Ursula, especially as of late. Whenever her family launched her into a conversation about suitors and presenting herself more fairer, Ursula would tune it out until they were finished. There had even been talks about finally landing a successful marriage, but of course, whatever made them happy did not necessarily make Ursula feel the same.
She shoves the budding thoughts of failure and carefully makes her way to the commoner’s alley. The one thing that seemed to calm her down and bring her joy these days, it seemed. Ursula fishes a few coins from her pocket to purchase a sweet slice of bread and thanks the merchant with a small smile.
What else to purchase… Ursula silently thinks. Earlier in the week she had made a mental note to seek out the sequel of a romance story, as well as another work penned by the same author. There was also a mystery novel she heard recommended by a passing commoner.
Ursula finds herself grossly pondering her choices that she nearly misses the man standing in front of her. The sight of warm crimson hair, and a flowing mage’s robe, makes her pause. Clearly this person isn’t from here. Spending so much time watching the people of her town, Ursula had come to recognize most of the faces around here… but not this one.
She backs away as quietly as she can and rushes around the corner. Who could that have been? What brought them here? Would it be worth trying to approach them?
In the end, it is not Ursula who finds them again. Rather, the other way around.
“Thank you for visiting, as always,” another merchant tells Ursula as she walks off with another packaged delicacy. She bows with a hand to her heart and makes for the manor, but something– someone– bumps into her, and her belongings fall to the ground.
Before she can apologize and scurry off, the stranger retrieves the goods and gently places them into her hands. “Forgive me, I wasn’t looking the right way.” Ursula feels her breath catch in her throat when she looks into the person’s eyes. He has the same scarlet hair from earlier with eyes the same color. The light from the afternoon sun reflects off his glasses.
Definitely not from around here.
“Please excuse me.” Ursula bows in apology and hopes the man will let her off, but he doesn’t move. Instead he simply smiles and gazes upon her figure. “Nothing to worry about. The fault is mine.”
Before he can ask anything more, Ursula makes haste for the manor and prays the man doesn’t call after her. And when the town falls silent later that night, she cannot help but wonder about the stranger and his origins.
I think it might be love.
Etzel thinks and thinks about the woman from earlier. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to catch her name. There was something about how she carried herself that struck him as intrigued. Hair as azure as the sea, a beautiful green ribbon tying it back.
If only he could ask her just a few questions– about this town, about its relationship to Archanea. And most of all, about herself.
A few days pass, and Etzel doesn’t find her anywhere. Not even by the stall where they first bumped into each other. Truly unfortunate. But it doesn’t stop Etzel from keeping an eye out for her nonetheless.
His wish gets granted later in the week, when he finds himself sitting outside and perusing a tome. Etzel turns the page with a deep look coloring his face, but it breaks when a voice speaks to him. “You are the one I ran into the other day… Right?”
Etzel looks up to the woman on his mind and shuts his book. He tries not to let his delight show through his voice. “I am. The name is Etzel, and I am visiting for a few days. And you are?”
He watches her pause and clasp her hands together. A beat passes before she finally offers an introduction. “Ursula. This is my hometown.” She says nothing more than that.
“It has been rather pleasant since I arrived. And a shame that I will be leaving so soon...” Etzel’s hand glides over the tome in his lap. “Perhaps I shall visit once I finish repaying this debt.”
That has Ursula’s attention. Normally she wouldn’t even inquire about someone and their origins, but…
“Where are you from?” The question spills past her lips before she can stop it. There’s no point in turning back, and Ursula adds, “What are you doing here? I saw you chancing upon the literature stalls more than once.”
Etzel tilts his head towards the alley. “Only browsing the magic tomes offered here. I happened to find one that caught my eye.” A knowing look shines in his eyes. “Is there anything you like in particular?”
“Magic…” Ursula parrots quietly. She can’t help but stare at the leather-bound book in Etzel’s lap. “I had sometimes looked through those tomes myself, but no one in this town studies it extensively. No one would understand.”
“I am sure the college in Khadein would enjoy works such as these.” Etzel turns to his page from earlier and traces over the inked incantations. “Even more reason for me to return to this town.”
(That, and he certainly wouldn’t mind seeing Ursula again.)
Etzel sees something flicker across Ursula’s face– hesitance, a question on the tip of her tongue– but she says nothing. Instead of pressing her to talk, the mage shifts over on the bench he’s sitting on and beckons her over. “Come sit with me. I can show you what I am reading, and you can ask whatever is on your mind.”
That’s how he comes to learn that Ursula isn’t a normal townsperson. Deep within her heart was a passion and love for magic, waiting to be nurtured. And even Etzel knows this isn’t the proper place to do so. Khadein would do her well… But it isn’t his place to invite her, just like that.
When they part for the day, he watches her figure grow smaller and smaller in the distance. Tomorrow would be his last day staying in the town, and a farewell was in order. But somehow, Etzel could tell it wouldn’t be the last time they would see each other.
Far from it.
Ursula decides on a whim– and a razor-thin shred of hope– to plead Etzel to take her with him.
Upon learning that he would be in town for only one more day, her heart had raced with uncertainty. If she stayed here, it would only mean more suitors and comments from her family. Ursula’s grace and fairness would be doubted once more. But if she left…
The following evening she rushes for the stalls again, being extra careful to not rouse any suspicion; for it would possibly be the last time anyone saw her face for some time. It was plain that this town– and status– kept her from becoming the person she truly wanted to be.
She searches until the sun sinks beneath the horizon. Before darkness crawls over the sky, Ursula finally finds him in front of the inn. She clutches her hastily-packed satchel and looks him in the eye. “I want to pursue magic,” Ursula starts, trying to rein in her nerves. “Take me with you. To Khadein.”
The question is so sudden that Etzel can only respond with an astonished look. His senses were dead-on, after all. Ursula really was no ordinary woman. And he wanted to know more and more about her. “Alright,” Etzel simply tells her. “If you are prepared, then we will set out at once.”
And so, beneath the veil of night, the two of them slip past the town and towards Khadein. Neither of them look back.