Ink Forged

~Second Thoughts~

"I have to grab a few things," Korie said as they approached the stairs. She pulled a copper pocket watch from her jacket, frowning at it. "Can we meet out front in about five minutes?"

Maevus just shrugged. All her worldly possession—which, admittedly, hadn't been all that much—had been lost the day she was captured. The only things she had left were the clothes on her back, her dragons and the dagger at her side.

And a sword. 

Guilt and anger played equally through her blood as her thoughts turned to Voron for the first time since she'd come to the Carneri Guild. 

Logically, she knew it wasn't his fault. After all, he'd been nothing but kind to her since they had met. Unfortunately, logic wasn't often the thing that governed her reactions. Dragon fire ran far too hot in her blood for that.

Which made working with others difficult...

Korie disappeared up the stairs, heading toward the women's dorms while Maevus and Lox trailed down to the main floor. It was already much livelier than it had been while she and Letya ate breakfast. The chatter of conversation and buzz of magic was a little overwhelming.

Maevus wasn't sure she liked it all that much.

Ignoring the curious, open looks tossed her way, Maevus ducked her head and began to move toward the front doors, Lox trotting along at her heels. She didn't want to be delayed by any curious Encants.

She got to the doors without anything exploding and slipped out into the cool morning. The doors closed softly behind her and she leaned against the red wall. Lox, finally bored, slipped out of her world and back into his own, leaving her to her own thoughts as she waited for Korie. 

Clothes would be the first thing she bought. After that, she'd pay back Letya and Vraylor. Then... Maevus frowned. What else was there to buy? A thousand gold pieces was a lot of money. 

She wasn't in the practice of buying anything that wasn't an absolute necessity.

Maybe she should start. Maevus' gaze floated over the people walking down the sidewalks around her, eyeing the packages they had tucked under their arms, listening as children begged for candies or toys.

What did she want?

It was shocking to realize she didn't know what she wanted. She'd spent so long focusing on what she needed, she no longer seemed able to remember how to simply want something.

Crossing her arms, Maevus tilted her head back to study the sky. It was clear—good flying weather.

She wanted...

"Hey, Dragon Lady!"

Maevus was jerked back down to earth, sighing at the familiar—if unwelcome—nickname. She slowly let her gaze fall away from the robin's egg sky, tilting her head to the side to watch as Savrin walked down the sidewalk toward her. She straightened uneasily when she realized he wasn't alone.

"I ran into Letya a second ago," Savrin said with a grin. "Went to Vraylor for your first job, huh?"

Maevus frowned, still eyeing the stranger, who was giving her an equally wary look. His purple eyes were pale amethyst in the morning light, his blond hair shot though with strands of pure gold. He was an Encant. She could sense his magic bubbling just under his skin, ready to attack at the slightest provocation. It set her teeth on edge, stirring up her own magic.

The pendant throbbed lightly and her fingers began to creep toward it. Then she decided she didn't really want to know someone else's feelings. Her own were jumbled enough after Sawyer and her first morning as an official guild-member.