"District M." Kentamin read out loud the name scribbled on the piece of paper he held. District M- this was a new area of warehouses located on the southern side of Matron's Hallow where confiscated enchantments and other such magical items were taken where the church could sort through and categorized. Part of his 'training' was to go through Room elevens items and code and catalog what he'd found. Though he protested, the priest in training eventually realized he had little choice- and soon made his way past the capital and to the south- to the hallow.
It wasn't fun work- and considering his fear of magic, his nerves were just about shot by day's end. but all of room 11 was coded and cataloged except for one final shelving unit. Only a few hours of daylight remained, and Kentamin Dhelsbar was growing weary. He was only onto the second shelf and cataloging it's contents when he nearly fell asleep. But a soft glow from the jar he held drew his attention and made his sleepy eyes pop open.
"Eh? What's this light?" Rising from the chair, he peered over the jar to observe a cloudy ball of light within. "I'm not familiar with this magic- it's not really warm, so it's not heat or fire." Frowning, he returned to sit and catalog this piece, when his tired hand dropped the ink well which made him stand up with alarm as his leg banged into the tabke- knocking the glowing jar onto the floor with a crash. Ink now covered his leg as the priest (well, in traiing) let out a frustrated howl.
"Not my breeches!" Tyhe were expensive! Cost 40 silver and a gold piece for that sort of quality! Grimacing, he grabbed onto a nearby clothe (he didn't even know what it was) and began a foolish attempt to wipe off the ink- which only proceeded to smear it into his clothing and skin of his hands.
"Ansgar's sword, what sort of luck is this!?"
In her cloud, Wisp slept. She dreamt of broad skies of all colors and the feeling of merging with fiery storm clouds. Grey and solemn though powerful, they were not unsettled by the feisty cloud fairy's presence. Instead, they were welcoming, patient. A feeling more than an image- her Cloud's dreams merged with hers. Time passed in that bottle. Why? Wisp forgot already. A few days haven't really even passed since she was caught. Caught. Secrets and shiny things...
The fairy had fancied exploring the warehouse when she overheard something naughty. She was old enough now to know what news was interesting, when something golden and shiny caught her attention. The kleptomaniac couldn't resist. Unfortunately for her, their cat's senses were extremely keen, and so now here she was.
The room had been empty for a while until Kentamin came in. Inside her jar and merged with her cloud, Wisp watched him as well as she could. The task proved difficult, as the jar wasn't that close to the edge of the shelf. Wisp huffed to herself. This was even more dull. Excitement shivered through her when Kentamin picked up her jar to observe the Cloud. It shifted as best it could in the small space.
Open me! Wisp wanted to tell him when he dropped the jar.
Well, the escape wasn't anything she had planned, but it still was a start. The moment the jar broke, the cloud flew up towards the fourth shelf while Kentamin was busy with his trousers. Wisp unmerged with her cloud and stretched out her tiny limbs and wings. IT felt good to be free! She gestured for her cloud to hide in a red glass vase on the shelf while she ducked behind a a pile of scrolls. She peaked her head out from behind them so as not to be seen to watch Kentamin. She giggled at the sight of him desperately trying to remove the stain from his clothes, her voice like faint bells.
At the faint sound of giggling, Kentamin's attentions perked up.
"Who's there?!" he shouted angrily, eyes cleaving through the sparsely lit storage room. Really- was someone foolish enough to let some girl in here? But as his eyes took in the room, he found, after doing a few rounds of it- that it was, in fact, completely vacant. He event went out of his way to open the door tot he adjacent room, but it was dark and quiet, even after he spoke the cautious words of , "Hello?"
Closing the door, he sighed and shook his head.
"Perhaps it's best to call it a night," he said, raking a hand through his hair, then was soon cursing himself immediately after wards, since ink had been on his hand, and now- undoubtably, his face!
Wisp stiffled another giggle as Kentamin searched the room. She enjoyed watching his confusion. So clumsy, too. That black stuff was everywhere! She wondered what it was. Wisp waited for Kentamin to walk towards the door to shut it before zooming for the ink puddle on the ground. She slowly landed on it and immediately slipped, landing on her butt.
Slippery, she thought with a huff. As Kentamin shut the door the fairy rose to her feet and took a few wobbly steps outside of the puddle, fluttering her wings to get some of the ink off. When Kentamin spoke again she froze.
I don't want to be caught yet, she thought.
The fairy shot back towards the desk, behind a stack of papers, ink dripping everywhere.
She didn't realize that she left some ink stains on the inventory he had been creating!
The moment Kentamin's eyes caught sight of the black ink he let out a furious roar.
"AH! The ink! What in blaze's is going on!?" he shouted, frantically running over to his paper to access the mess when suddenly he caught sight of something small and fluttering and immediately thought-
"AH! A ROACH!" and immediately grabbed onto his candle and tried to smash the bug beneath it's iron base. if there was one thing he was not fond of, it was bugs!
Wisp's eyes grew wide as a threatening shadow loomed over her.
"EEEK!" she shrieked as she flew up into the monk's soft, curly hair and tugged it with all her might.
"Not fair!" she exclaimed. She didn't much like being caught or being called a roach!
"Ugly," she added with a raspberry.
At the sudden shriek, the candle stick dropped from his hands. But then when the bug, wasp, thing suddenly latched onto his hair and pulled, Kentamin let out a cry and stumbled into a wall, causing some contents from the shelf to buckle and fall. Some of the items crashed and broke, and the priest in training winced as he pushed away and flailed about madly, trying to get the damn insect out of his hair.
"By Ansgar, get out of my hair, demon roach!" he cried, desperate in his flailing to be rid of the thing. But the second he had caught onto it and saw what it was, he gasped and threw the thing down tot he ground and backed up, clingingly against the wall. The shelf banged about against his sudden weight,a nd more items fell.
"IN THE NAME OF ANSGAR! he said, staring in wide eyed disbelief. "What in the devil are you!?"
It almost looked as if it were some tiny girl- a tiny girl with wings! Lest his eyes deceive him- or.. was it some talking dragon fly!? He shuddered at hte thought,t he rickety, flitting sound and feel of her paper thin wings making his skin crawl.
"Not a roach!" Wisp protested as she tugged harder.
She would have few away, but Kentamin was quicker. The fairy screeched as he caught hold of her.
"Let me go!" she started to say, but not before being tossed. She furiously flapped her wings as she went from tumbling through the air to steady. Her cloud, sensing her distress, slowly floated back towards her.
"Owie," she whined as she rubbed her head.
The world was spinning fast, and the ink stuff smelled bad. She wrinkled her nose at the human's question.
"My name's not Ansgar," she said as she flew back towards the paper Kentamin had been scratching symbols on.
"What's this?" Wisp asked, curiously. She had been wanting to know.
Kentamin's eyes were as large as the tower of Uthlyn, and his skin whiter than Connlaothian snow.
"By the Gods, it it... TALKS!" the man squeaked, not even certain where to begin with this sort of reality before him. Had he gone mad? Passed out? Was this a dream? But then seeing the creature near his paper work-
"Stop! Don't touch that!" he stated, but when he went to mkae a grab for it, his fear of her caused him to jerk his hand away as he snapped his teeth together, clenching his jaw in fear.
Gods- and this was supposed to be an easy job! None of this was in his training! What was he supposed to do if he found some sort of small, winged creature!? Smash it? Call for help?
His heart was beatin ga mile a minute- and in that moment, he was just too stunned to do much else than gape!
"Just.. just back away from my papers..."
Gods.. if she ruined it... Ansgar, would the priests be upset!
Wisp giggled at Kentamin's fright.
"Why shouldn't I?" she challenged as she flew up higher up the shelves with the paper.
"Papers?" she repeated. She flapped her wings, ink splattering on the edges.
"What's so important about them?" she teased as she landed on a high shelf.
Wisp curiously peered at the objects surrounding her. Now that she was out of the jar, she could examine things more closely. Beside her was a small, transparent vial full of a shiny, golden liquid.
"Pretty," Wisp said. She took a step towards the vial, but slipped on the ink on her feet. She yelped as she fell and accidentally pushed the vial over!
"Hey! Get back there and give me my inventory sheet!" he howled, and raced after her, snatching for her in the air but she was just out of arms reached. Panting in defeat, he gave a huff and narrowed his gaze, but just as he was about to scold her and demand she listen to him, he hear the clink of a vial-
"Hey what are you-"
and as she slipped, the vial went over the edge and his eyes went as wide as the Grand Duke's Palace was tall, and he cried out, "NOOOO!"
And the vial crashed nad in a flash- an explosion consume the room.
As the smoke settled, the priest in training lay on his back, coughing, his hair charred and standing on end- ad he- appearing burnt to a crisp and covered in soot.
Wisp squealed and merged with her cloud as the explosion occured, safely hidden behind books. Shelves rumbled and crack, items tumbling off and breaking. As the smoke wounded down, the cloud left the shelf and quietly wandered near towads the priest's face. Wisp reemerged, lying on her belly on the cloud. Still covered in ink, she idly kicked her legs as she admired his hair and the state of the room. It was an utter mess!
"Wow," she breathed upon looking at the disaster. She turned her attention back towards Kentamin and his strange hair.
"You okay, mister?" she asked.
She could hear pounding footsteps outside the hall.
"Ooooh, you're in trouble," she said. The pixie giggled.
"Better clean up as fast as you can!" she teased.
Kentamin didn't even know what to do or say, but his anger was brewing inside him until he was about ready to burst. And then the door was thrust open and he turned around- and soon got an earful from the men. Knowing he was just a 'priest in training' did not save him from a hefty lecture, but a mop and broom were left behind and soon, Kentamin was snarling as he was on his hands and knees, scrubbing off the soot on the floor after already working at stacking what was left of the mess he could salvage. He couldn't believe this, nor the fact he had seen a fairy, and the very idea made his skin crawl.
"I had to have been seeing things, " he grumbled, then peered down at his reflection in the dimly lit water and with ascowl, slapped the water with the brush he was using to scrub the floor and cast a grumpy glare across the room.
Wisp stiffled giggles as she watched the priests from a shadowy corner. She caused a lot of trouble!
Serves them right, she thought with a smug grin. It was THEIR fault for trapping her in that stupid jar. Only fair they had what was coming at them! Still, the ink had to go. She tried rubbing it off, even rolling in her Cloud.
No good, she thought, frustrated.
She watched curiously as Kentamin scrubbed the floors with the stuff from the bucket. Her expression brightened when she discovered that whatever it was in the bucket was certainly getting the job done. While he looked the other way, she zoomed across the room and fluttered gently over the rim before balancing perfectly on it. Her toes curling on the metal surface as she leaned forward a bit.
"Hello!" she said in her loudest voice, hoping to startle the jumpy priest.
Kentamin let out a cry of alarm, slipped and fell back, crakcing his head off the edge of a shelf. ANd the words that came out from his teeth were beyond colors.
Wisp yelped as Kentamin screamed and collapsed on the ground. At the sight of him, she started to break into a pearl of laughter, uncontrollably zipping around the room. Once she got a hold of herself, the fairy fluttered down close to his face, landing right on the tip of his nose.
"Are you still asleep?" she asked.
Kentamin's eyes went wide and cross at the sight of the tiny thing landing delicately at the tip of his nose, and with a howl, he reached for her with a fist, aiming to knock her away as if she were some pestilent fly.
"Away small demon of magic! Be gone! Lest I punish you by the divine powers of Ansgar!"
"Gotta move faster!" Wisp taunted as she dodged Kentamin's fists with ease. She stayed close, though, to taunt him even more. She landed on his fist as he invoked the name of Ansgar.
She had heard his name evoked, now that she thought about it, but she really had no idea who the guy was. The man said Ansgar was divine, though.. what was divine? The pixie had no concept of gods, demons, and divine justice.
"Whose that?" she casually asked. "And I'm still here."
Kentamin howled and rage and continued to flail his limbs at her, determined to snatch the strange, magical little creature with his fist.
"Who's that? The very God who will smite you, that's who!"
"When?," Wisp asked as she balanced herself on one of Kentamin's fists, her silvery hair tumbling down her shoulders.
"Nobody can be smited if you are acting like this!" she huffed, though not entirely serious.
Just then, the cloud fairy's cloud slowly came drifting towards the pixie, brushing against Kentamin's skin.
"Besides, I am a cloud daughter, not a demon. Cloud daughter! See?"
Wisp then proceeded to flap her wings and struck a pose as her Cloud started to wrap around her, concealing her nakedness.
OOC: Natural censor bar? Lol
Kentamin let out a gasp the moment the cloud tickled his skin and reared back, eyes going wide as he saw the little creature strike a pose. Cloud daughter!? All he saw was magic! Evil magic! And with a howl, he grabbed at her again, this time his hand sealed around her entire waist.
"GOT YA!!!"
Wisp squealled as his mighty fist clutched her. She shook her head and wiggled furiously. She was not going back into that jar!
"Ya never heard of a fairy before?!" she said, her voice higher pitched than normal. With all her fairy might, shr kicked and bit the monk.
Her Cloud swirled around her, sensing her distress, until thr pixie was almost invisible, her white and silver skns colors blending inti the clouds. She wasnt out of tricks yet! Stupid, stupid human!
"Yeouch!" Kentamin yelped and proceeded to throw wisp into pail, the pail he had just been using to mop the place, and quickly leaned over it as he peered down at her.
"Did you just bite me!?" he growled.
Wisp squealled again as she was flung into a pail that still had a little water left over. She gasped for air as she bobbed in the water and pushed her fluffy hair away from her eyes. her head had a dull pain, her vision spinning.
"Yeah,"she replied as her cloud filled the pail like mist.
Wasnt That obvious?
a few seconds later, the cloud drifted away from the pail with wisp sitting ontop of it, airing out her hair.
Watching her float away, he growled and snatched her up again.
"Try biting me again and I will not hesitate to smash you under my boot!"
Wisp blew a raspberry as the monk snatched her, yet again. She smirked at his digust.
"Would You rather i kiss you?" She teased.
"I'd rather have your kind dead. You and your magics are nothing but trouble!"
Wisp pouted.
"No kisses for you then. Meanie," she grumbled, suddenly feeling sick.
She merged with her Cloud to get out of his grip. The cloud floated away from the monk's empty hand, and made its way towards the door. It was time to make a grand escape! Wisp was tired of being trapped in that room, anyhow. The Cloud slipped through the cracks under the door.
Kentamin felt the tiny faerie disappear from his clutches, and blinked when he opened his hand and she was gone. Catching just a glimpse of the cloud sifting beneath the door, he was quick to make chase as he barked out after her, "HEY! GET BACK HERE!!" And he threw the door open and began to make chase.
Kentamin would find, not too far down the hall, an aging monk, his mouth agape.
The monk, at the sight of Kentamin, pointed down the hall, dumbfounded.
"A white cat followed by what looked like smoke came out of the room you were in," he said, as if not quite sure of what to make of those words.
"What happened in there? Why is there smoke?" he asked, concerned.
"Not now! I'm trying to capture a magical fairie! She tried to escape from one of the relics! The thing must be stopped!" He shouted as he ran after her, fast as he could.
"Oh," the elder monk replied, thoroughly confused. "Oh, dear."
--
Wisp, in her cat form, raced through the halls. Though it probably would have been a little quicker to move in her pixie form, Wisp knew that Kentamin didn't know that she could shape shift. Besides, her senses were heightened as a cat, and as such, she easily was able to find the nearest exit.
She purred as the sunlight hit her white fur and took in a whiff of the outdoor air. It wasn't fresh, but it was better than being inside that stuffy bottle!
Not too far behind her, she could hear the frenzied steps of the monk. She had to hand it to him.. he was quite persistent in their chase! Wisp moved towards the side of the door, where she was visible, but not quite obvious. She flicked her tail in anticipation as she licked a paw, as cool as could be.
Kentamin was chasing after her like a raving loon. With his shouts echoing down the streets, he came stumbling to a halt when he saw a bunch of children carrying nets and trying to catch bugs. Perfect! Swiping one of the nets, he declared, "This is for official Church Business!" And as he dashed off he added, "I shall return this when I am done!" However, as he looked around, he couldn't see the little white puff cloudy girl any where, but when he paused somewhere, he turned on heel to observe a very casual white cat.
Wisp purred watching the silly man throw a net at air. Deciding she SHALL play with him some more, she strutted towards the monk, purred as she brushed against his leg. She bolted off as her Cloud also brushed against Kentamin, only this time against his face. The other monks gasped and whispered among themselves.
"Brother!" the shouted in concern as they tried to pull him away.
It wasn't necessary- the Cloud dutifully picked up its pace to follow the cat.
At the snuggling cat, Kentamin whirled around on the heel of his boot and felt his heart beat drum inside his ears. For amoment, he glowered at the cat and was about to give it.a nudge away with his boot.
But then when the.cloud brushed against his cheek he found himself gasping and stiffening as he watched both cat and cloud rush off. Anger broke him from his spell as he growled and made chase, net diligently in hand.
"You won't get away from me you magical beast!!!"
Easier said than done for the poor monk. The cat nimbly ran through the streets, dodging spooked horses, angry soldiers, and servants on market runs. Wisp eagerly took in the sights and smells of the village around her. It felt heavenly to rush down the streets with the breeze in her fur. The shape shifting fairy had missed breezes. And the sky... It was so bright and clear.
However, Kentamin wasn't the only one on edge about magical beasts. A soldier approached the distressed monk after a worried merchant loudly told him of the 'crazed man's ramblings.' The solider, a young man in his twenties, approached the monk with his hands outstretched.
"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to please put that down, " he asked, his voice gentle, but firm.
"What is this you are saying about magic?" he continued, a rougher edge to his voice.
Kentamin turned with a growl and snapped the pointed end of the bug catcher at the soldier.
"This is official church business! And that moving cloud is illegal using her magic! IT MUST BE STOPPED!" and before the soldier could even respond to that, Kentamin snarled like a dog and brushed past him, making chase again.
The solider watched the monk go.
"W-what?" he stuttered, very confused.
It was only his fifth day on the job and was the most excitement he had out of the whole training and job experience combined, otehr than the time he had won a pie eating contest.
He stood there, flabbergast, until he remembered there was protocol to actually be handled.
"Right," he said, running a hand through his hair. He called upon his partner, and the two ran after the monk and his loony cloud. He didn't want to be blamed for not preventing a riot.
---
It didn't take long for some to realize that there was something highly unusual about the cat and the cloud. Not only was Kentamin on the chase, but a small crowd of dirty boys looking to have some fun, an angry baker, and a rather fast milk maid. She was the one who managed to pick up Wisp, but then the cat bit the girl's finger. The maid yelled as she fell back into the cold mud with Wisp in tow.
Its cold and heavy sensation matted her fur.
Not this, again, Wisp thought.
She shook her head and continued to run, suddenly feeling the urge to sneeze...
And that's when the net came down over top of her as Kentamin let out a triumphant "AH HA!!!! GOT YOU NOW!!!!!!" his face glowing with crazed victory.
When wisp sneezed, a cloud of smoke emerged, causing a hazy fog. She felt magic go through her veins as she shape shifted but instead of back into her small, normal sixe, shefound herself to be very tall and very wingless.
This Is new, she thought, fascinated.
Ignoring Thee net and the mudd, the tall and naked cloud white lady examined her hands, her smooth hair.
"Get Off me, please," the milk maid wept, shielding her eyes to protect her modesty.
Wisp, now almost six foot, struggled toget up with the net over her. She saw the monk and gave a mischevious grin.
"Guess You win," she said, cheerfuly.
In a poof of magic, and in a haze of puffy-pure white cloudy-ness, Kentamin tensed. What sort of magic was this!? But before he could shout a command for her to halt, his breath halted and he found himself gaping as he stared, pink cheeked at a very naked, woman of his size. And a woman who had his insignificant net over her head.
And that's just about all he could do was gape.
Wisp furrowed her brow as she struggled to get up. Her mass was very different and it felt strange to be so large. She fell back twice more on the milk maid before getting the hang of it. When he soliders arrived, the milk maid sobbing had escaped the net and ran away. Wisp remained, wearing the net like a veil as she laughed in triumph at her wobbly achievement.
"Cant Put me in a bottle now can you?" She teased the monk, causing the soldiers to look towards him with suspision.
By Now a small crowd had formed around the two. Wisps cloud, as cool as can be, wrapped itself around her arm.
"Hello," wisp said, marvelling at how much bigger she was than it. Her Eyes lit up with delight.
Kentamin only sobered when the reality of what just occurred clicked inside his brains. Then tensing his grip upon he netting he barked out a command, "SEIZE THIS WOMAN! FOR BEING INDECENT AND A MAGE!"
Wisp scwlded.
"Im NOT a mage!" She exclaimed as she threw off the veil.
She Used her arm to wipe the cool mud from her cheeks.
She Marched towards the monk.
"Im a farie. I TOLD you so "
She wouldve continued had it not been for the soliders to grab her thin forarms.
"You are cpming with us miss," one said before awkwardlu taking off his cape and wrapping it on her shoulders to hide her nakednes.
"A gift?" Wisp said, beaming. She hardly noticed she was being arrested. Instead, she walked proudly with the soldiers, thomking the gawking crowds admirerors of her stunning beauty. She touched the hem of the cloak, the dark color only making herr look paler. It felt coarse bbtwren her fingers and weather worn. It felt heavy, too. Why did humns even bothrr with clothes?
A soldier also approached kentamin.
"You too, sir," the young man ordered. "Drop your net"
Kentamin, finally realizing the woman was detained, obeyed. The net fell at his feet with a clatter, and he turned to march off with the soldiers, but thankfully he didn't have ot be detained. He wasn't the one being arrested, after all. And as they marched along, he glared at the back of Wisp's head.
Even so, people on the streets were throwing equally curious and confused looks at the monk.
Meanwhile, Wisp would not stop talking to her guards.
"I didn't even know I could get this big," she bragged.
She gestured towards Kentamin.
"HE tried to keep me in a jar, you know," she said with a pout. "A little bitty jar! And then I fell out but then he tried to kill me! He didn't believe me when I said I was a faerie. I'm NOT a demon, you know, and where are we going?"
She looked down to a soldier shorter than she, a man with coarse blonde hair.
"You'll see," the soldier growled, rubbing his temple.
"OH!" Wisp exclaimed, almost delighted.
She didn't mind checking out what a prison was like, as a human. After all, she could escape afterwards when she got bored.
---
When they finally arrived to the prison, Kentamin's guard gestured for him to enter.
"We will have to interview you, sir," he said. "For your association with the shape shifter. Do you understand, sir?"
Kentamin gave a rigid nod.
"Of course," he agreed through a flustered breath, but was quick to compose himself. "Procedures are procedures." And he waited for the men to lead him onward, and as they moved, he found himself cutting a look over to Wisp. What a troublesome girl! At least she would get her just rewards. And he knew, Angsar was on his side.
After a while, Wisp huffed. Being a human was starting to be such a drag. Her feet were actually starting to cramp, and she winced every time she stepped on rock or accidentally into a puddle.
"Are we there yet?" she wailed, to which was responded with an impolite shake.
"Not. Yet," a guard growled.
Wisp moaned again and tossed her head over her shoulder to blow a raspberry at Kentamin.
"Stop it," the guard who held her right arm insisted. He looked younger, and Wisp noticed his face flushed when he talked to her. He wouldn't meet his eyes with her even when she tilted her head to catch a glimse. were they blue or green? Wisp couldn't tell.
"What are you doing?" he asked, annoyed. "We're here."
"Humph," Wisp snorted.
She wasn't really impressed with the shoddy prison. The building looked old, smelt old, and it was absolutely dull. Wisp giggled mischievously. Oh, she could cause a riot here.
Just wait a bit longer...
Men behind bars cat called and whistled loudly as she walked by. They looked crazy and dirty, but Wisp held her head up high with a smug grin, as if she were a Queen.
The guards led her to a small room ,rather similiar to the one the monk worked in. Perfect. One of the guards pulled out a chair for her. Unfamiliar with the mannerisms, Wisp just stared.
"Sit," he said.
Wisps eyes lit up.
"OH!" she exclaimed, and promptly sat down. She felt proud of her self. Such a human thing to do!
An older guard sighed, rubbing his temple, waving a hand towards the blushing guard.
"Go grab a chair for the monk, would ya," he snapped. "And find some cloths. This place is turning int a mad house."
"Yes sir," the younger man said and rushed out the door.
"Clothes? for me?" said Wisp with a giggle.
"Shut your trap!" the older guard snapped with a stern frown. "Alright, monk, state your name and accusation."
Kentamin gave her a glare when she blew a raspberry his way. And like the young guard's face, his own was a cherry color. Marching around with them to the prison made him the most embarrassed he'd ever been in all of his life, and he was thankful, only briefly, when they entered the prison. But when the cat calls began, he glared daggers at the men, and his cherry face turned into a deeper crimson.
He was relieved when they were finally all brought into a more private back room, and when clothing was ordered for the girl, he made sure to keep his gaze avoidant of her. No need to stare at .... at that. So he was relieved in the distraction when he was addressed.
"The name's Kentamin Dhelsbar." And he paused, before adding, hands clasped behind his back. "Templar in training for the Order of St. Agratha. The accused sits here guilty of magic, blatantly performing it before my eyes when I was going through magically confiscated artifacts. At the time, she was not much bigger than a dragonfly, and by her powers- well... you see her how she is now."
"Magically confiscated artifacts?" the interrogator asked, but Wisp interrupted.
"I didn't know I could do this," she said hotly to the bewildered guards. Some were looking at her with a light in their eye she did not recognize, but it was hungry and dangerous. She flashed them a smile, which only made them avert their eyes, earning them a scowl from their commanding officer.
"What do you mean by that?" the older guard asked through his bristly mustache.
Wisp shook her head.
"I dunno," she replied, glad SOMEONE was listening to her. "Usually I turn into a cat. OH!"
She hopped to her feet when her Cloud passed into the room through the cracks of the door. Some of the guards gasped in horror, but Wisp giggled as she embraced the mist to her bosom.
"I'm so much bigger than you!" she squealed.
"Miss!" the guard barked. "Please... sit. Damnit! Nothing makes sense!"
Wisp obeyed.
"First, what is ... that thing?" the mustached man asked with disgust.
"My Cloud," Wisp responded, as if it were obvious. The guard rubbed his temples.
"I see," he grumbled. "Great."
Finding no clear answers from Wisp, he turned back to Kentamin.
"And why was this creature locked away as an artifact in the Order of St. Agratha?" he scowled. "She's clearly a mage of some sort-"
'Cloud fairy," Wisp corrected.
" Cloud fairy," the old man repeated, strained. "The church has no claim to hold prisoners!"
Wisp giggled mischievously.
"You're in trouble~!" she sang.
The old guard shot Wisp a look of pure venom.
"Quiet, or I'll make you, devil woman," he snapped. "I don't care who or what you are, but I've had enough of your childish foolishness!"
As the exchange went on, Kentamin was growing more and more irate.
"Listen to me, now!" he shouted, slamming his hands onto the desk before him. "That.. that thing came out from one of the magical artifacts the order was in charge of handling! Somehow, this this.. magical woman was set free, and now she's causing all sorts of magical mayhem!" And his face was beat red as he continued on, barking out his words, "The church DOES have FULL jurisdiction where this is concerned! She came from our confiscated property, and I need to deliver this guilty person to the church at once! Keeping her out here, without mordecai, could be dangerous!"
Could they not see what cloud girl was capable of!?
"Dangerous," Wisp repeated, giggling even harder. "You think I'm dangerous?"
"You don't deny his claims?" the old guard barked at her.
Wisp's face turned pink as she shook her head.
"I was just flying!" she said, indignantly having fully forgotten why she was captured in the first place.
"I TOLD you, I"m a faerie. That's what we do. You... you... dummy!"
She was slapped for that insolence.
"I said quiet!" the guard growled.
Wisp's eyes widened as she rubbed the spot, bewildered by the punishment.
"That hurt," she wailed. She didn't like how her face stinged.
Being human was really stupid, she knew that now. But how to turn back into a faerie?
Kentamin could not believe this.
"She's not even denying her own charge. Do I have to get the elders of my order involved?" he threatened, his eyes mean and his expression firm.
Wisp wasn't well versed enough in human politics enough to really comprehend whatever exchange was going on between Kentamin and the guards. What she did understand was that it was making her feel like a thunder storm so furious, roofs could crack and burn. She bit her lip, trying to think as the guards were distracted by Kentamin's question. How to get the blame off of her...
Think like a human...
The answer hit her.
Wisp started to cry.
"Are you really going to listen to that old goat?" she wailed to the guards.
"Quiet, you!" one snapped, but Wisp continued.
"No!" Wisp protested. "I will not! He tried to kill me!" Wisp protested. "Stupid, slow man tried to starve me, and when that didn't work, he tried to squish me. You're gonna let him get away with that?"
"Quiet now, girl! You're a prisoner and if you don't hush up, we'll make you hush up!" One of the guards, who had lost all of his patience, spat at her. With a growl, he turned from her to Kentamin.
"Let me take her off your hands. The church knows how to.. dispose of these sorts of trouble makers." The boy said.
Wisp shrieked in disgust. She frantically wiped the gooby liquid off of her face , waving her hand in the air in a despirate attempt to remove it from her body. Wisp made a rude face at the boy's suggestion, and huffed.
I've had enough of this, the fairy thought. She looekd towards her Cloud in despiration. She wanted nothing more than to disappear.
Come on, she thought. It wasn't any harder than turning into a kitten. All she had to do was concentrate. So Wisp closed her eyes, her face scrunching up as she focused hard on becoming a fairy. She started to imagine the magic flowing through her veins, and Wisp thought she felt something spark at the base of her neck, and at the tip of her toes...
The men were busy arguing that Kentamin almost didn't notice the magical glow, but when he did, he yelped out, "MAGE!"
And it was as if he were breathing fire as he grabbed onto her suddenly and gave her a shake.
"She's trying to cast her magic!" And soon all weapons were drawn and pointed at her.
"Aghh!"
Wisp yelled as she was jolted, the energy suddenly gone.
"I wasn't doing anything!" she lied.
Like a child, she reached up for the monk's hair and yanked HARD. It was what she would've done as a fairie. She ignored the weapons, too frustrated at the monk interferring with her transformation.
She wasn't the only one yelping, for the second she pulled on his hair, his voice curdled.
"Unhand the templar at once!" one of the guards demanded. Kentamin winced. Her grip was so hard it felt as if she might pull his hair clean out of his head!
Wisp made a face.
"Nah," she responded, having too much fun in her now found strength. Even so, she needed to find a way to retreat back to her old self so she could get out of here! Finding sudden inspiration from watching children play, she licked one of her fingers from her other hand, and drove it into Kentamin's ear. The farie giggled mischeviously as she felt the energy flow through her again.
And the shriek he made was deafening. Had she just..
did she just!?
An elbow shot out, hoping to aim into her gut, even if it was a blind retaliation because- BY ANGSAR'S NAME!!!!! WHAT THE HELLLLLLLLLLLL!??????
Wisp burst into a pearl of laughter as the monk shrieked. The joy from her mischeif rippled through her body and suddenly Wisp remembered. In a puff of smoke the very tall and very naked woman was a tiny fairy.
ANd the puff of smoke sent the templar to his knees. And he was soon coughing out pixie dust. And the second he saw her as the flying mosquito fairy from earlier, he gasped- and was about to point an accusing finger at her when he doubled over, choking more on the smoke, even as it inevitably faded.
"Everyone, stay alert! She cannot escape!" the guard's commander bellowed through the clammer.
Two guards stood ridid, weapons in hand, unsure what to expect.
Another stood in front of the door. Another tried to catch the Cloud.
A guard stooped to help the monk to his feet.
"Are you alright?" he asked, coughing.
Wisp zoomed to the door, but found that neither she nor her Cloud could exit the room. She flew to the top, but there were no open windows and no cracks through the walls. The Cloud tried to exit the door, but could only squish up against its
"Whaaa?" the fairy squeeled.
The guard's commander chuckled, jingling the keys.
"See? We have precautions for keeping the tricky ones inside," he said.
All of the chaos and seeming incompetence in the room that NO one was reacting fast enough to catch the puffy, flying cloud, made Kentamin blow his top.
"Don't give that mage ideas!" he shrieked. "Now find something, that sack over there, the burlap one.. and we can use it to catch her before she finds a way to escape!" For he did not believe she wouldn't have a trick up her sleeve. Mages were vile creatures and he could only hope she'd be subdued before someone might be killed.
Before the mist completely went away, Wisp hid in the cracks of the armor of one of the knights, careful not to make a sound or alert him of her presence. Her Clould, having no real matter to hide, stayed put. It seemed almost confused in its stationary position. Even so, it bobbed gnetly in place, completely indifferent to the guards who tried to poke it.
Kentamin was beyond exasperated.
"What are you doing!?" he barked. "No, it's not there! OVER THERE!" And he was nearly pulling out his hair as they continued to miss and the little cloud just puffily evaded.
"ANGSAR'S NAME! HOW DOES ONE CATCH A CLOUD!?"
The captain of the guard turned scarlet. He had never seen the likes of it before, but he didn't want to admit that.
"What do we do?" a knight asked. It was Wisp's knight, and she held a hand over her mouth to stiffle any giggles.
The captain turned to Kentamin, pointing a finger at him.
"You," he said, his voice sharp. He was through with games.
"You bottled that thing up, aye? How'd you do it? What do you know about this... cloud?"
Kentamin was taken back.
"I just... put it in there, like you're failing to do with it right now!" he shouted, eyes still frantically watching the cloud that was becoming anything but caught!
"Don't you have something else to try to catch it with?" he griped.
The guard grumbled in response. He clearly did not see things through. He pointed tothe discarded cloak on the ground.
"You two!" he barked at all five of the guards. "Get this cloud into this cloak at once!"
The guards exchanged glances, but two of the greener ones nervously stepped forward and wrapped the cloud in the cloak like a sack. The Cloud did not protest nor showed signs of aggression. Wisp couldn't see what was going on, but thought she was a little nervous, she did not panic. If the Cloud hurt, she hurt. Right now, it was tranquil.
The captain turned towards the monk, with an expression that clearly showed just how DONE he was with this.
"Don't think this is over," he scolded. "I want to know what monks are doing with prisoners! Let's go."
Wisp shivered with anticipation as her knight began to shift to open the door.
I'm going to be free! she thought, her head filled with dreams of flight.
Kentamin was beat red with anger.
"I have explained this to you several times!" he huffed. "I was on official business of the church! It was an unfortunate circumstance that this thing got loose!" He bristled. "And once you hear from the head priest, you will feel foolish you're even questioning one who serves Angsar!"
Because he thought those men were being damn rude as he huffed out of there and into the street.
The knight whose armor Wisp hid in held the door for every man before leaving room. Wisp waited with impatience, as she heard the monk storm out. The captain ordered three other knights to leave the monk alone, but to go straight to the temple and start investigating.
"We carry out the law, not those mendling preists," the captain growled.
"yes, sir!" her knight replied.
And then, he started to move.
Wisp awkwardly shifted in her hiding place, clinging to the edge of armor and stiffling a yelp of glee.
She was going to be free, free, free!
"Why is that creepy goddamn thing following me?" She could hear him muttering to himself.
My Cloud, she realized.
When the sounds of the street were loud and clear- horses, carriages, the quick patter of feet and voices shouting about their wares, Wisp knew it was time to bail. She bursted out from her hiding spot and shot for the skies, laughing wildly. A lady pointed, horrified, her child shouting in awe. The knight, confused, looked at them before realizing the small white speak zooming past rooftops. Wisp faintly heard him shout, but that didn't matter.
A tingling rush ran through her body as Wisp shot through the skies, arching and looping around her Cloud. Euphoric, she couldn't stop laughing and cheering, enjoying the wind hitting her wings again. She flew for a half hour before her body felt completely sore.
What's wrong? she thought, frustrated as she collapsed onto her Cloud.
She realized being bottled up might had haved somthing to do with it.
"Bleeegh," she huffed, but no matter. They were home, again.
She floated on her cloud looking down at the city as the sun set. Her eyes landed on the monestary she had escaped from.
"Hmm," she muttered, pursing her lips together.
That one trick she did before seemed to REALLY aggitate that stupid man and all those knights before.
"How did I do that?" she asked her Cloud, who provided no answer.
She decided, then, that the best course of action was to head for the nearby woods and practice until she got it as right as she did cats. THEN she'd play a trick on that monk that he would never forget...
Kentamin had a headache for the next few weeks. Explaining how the magical creature escaped had been exhausting. He was miserable, hoping he'd be reassigned soon, but the only news he got was that he was to stay there for another month! Thankfully he could find some solace when he went to bathe in the bathing house. But the waters were cold, and did little to sooth him. But he liked being alone when he bathed, it was the only time he could relax, though only if it were alone. After dunking his head beneath the waters, he slicked his hair back and reclined, closing his eyes and trying to forget this head ache of a job!
Getting a grip on the trick took longer than Wisp thought. The first afternoon had proved tricksy, having only being able to accomplish it four times. After three days of yelling, tearing her hair, and concentrating so hard her blue tinted skin turned bright red, Wisp managed to learn how to transform into a woman, if not clumsily. She wanted to fly out to prank the monk immediately, but a headache had her vision spinning. Wisp collapsed onto her cloud, staring out into the night sky, the stars twinkling as if in laughter. She was about to fall asleep when she heard singing. Curious, she flew towards a small camp of travellers. Some looked like families in ragged clothes, but others were dressed with the same clothes as the monk wore. Wisp's eyes lit up, suddenly ignoring her massive headache. This was her opprotunity!
The men were unaware of the trickster lurking nearby as they prodded the fire and shared a round of dried meat. The night was cold, but not remarkably so; but the winds of Connlaoth were always unforgiving, and the men had to keep their backs to it to protect themselves from the chill- and their fire from going out.
Kentamin wasn't with the group, however, he was a topic of interest as they men went on about the events of the day.
"Can't believe that kid-"
"Yeah, he's too young to be where he is."
"Someone probably waved money infront of the church's nose."
One man scoffed.
"Probably."
"And to think, he set loose some monster. Who knows if we can get enough skilled men gathered to hunt after her."
Monster?
Wisp wrinkled her nose, confused by the whole situation. Though it was kind of funny somebody was an idiot enough to let loose something big and awful - like a bee stung bear, but worse- but it was also kind of scary, too. She figured it must be something dangerous, if they needed 'skilled men.' It was going to take them a while.
I broke out of that awful place easily, she thought with pride, rubbing her temples.
This was her chance to steal some spare clothes, but she couldn't do it wiith so many men around.
The fairy took in the deepest breath of air she could and let out a crackling, wild laugh that would sound faint, but distinct to the men's ears, her lungs being much smaller than theirs.
She then jumped onto her cloud and zoomed out into the dark and loudly snapped a twig violently for emphasis.
The men all leaped to their feet.
"What in Ansgar's name-!?"
Immediately, weapons were drawn and one man pointed. "That away!" He was certain of it!
Like a bull, the group rushed head long into the darkness, shouting for the offending beast or person to make themselves known.