He stood in the corner, whittling a willow branch.
“What are you here for? Most people don’t come here just to visit.” His voice was gruff, grating.
“I’m here to… I’m here to find my sister.” Glyph said. It should be a believable lie, shouldn’t it? “She came here to, uh, to do something, and then she got kidnapped!”
He grunts. She can feel the eyeroll from here. “That’s not a very good lie, now is it. Tell me lass, why are you really here?”
“I…”
The smells of slop -calling it food is a crime- wafted through the tavern air. The clang of the dinner bell rang out.
“Welp, that’s supper lassie. You best find what you’re looking for, sooner rather than later.”
She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Saved by the bell. In truth, one doesn’t simply “pass through” Morigan. It’s a dangerous, scummy city, where criminals go to run from the law. A sane man would simply go around it, but Glyph is neither entirely sane, nor a man.
You see, the mafia, the underground, practically owns this town. And so, all sorts of criminals lurk in the shadows, waiting to get something from you. To jump you, rob you, possibly kill you. If she didn’t need to get something, she would have never come here, too. But she has something to pick up.
Glyph is, in fact, here to pick up a bow. A really nice one, actually, made of willow branches- really hard to come by for less than 1000 gold. And so, she’s getting it off the black market. A decision even Hana bullied her for, even though they’re the one who pushes destruction.
She’s supposed to meet the… dealer? Marksman? At sunset on the hill. The letters never said what hill, just “The hill”. She packs up her backpack and bow staff, and steps out into the smoky air.
Best find that hill, then.
It turns out that “The hill” is an accurate descriptor for said hill. As in, it’s the only hill around. The entirety of this forsaken city is flattened, having no geographical features besides, of course, the hill. It’s on the outskirts of the city, and tall enough to be a good lookout for trouble. Probably the center for deals and such because of that.
And it’s covered in wild grass, quite steep, and filled with insects.
Needless to say, by the end of it Glyph’s legs were ready to give out. Sprawling across the trampled grass, she looked into the open air. It's hard to see through the smog, but by the sun’s position she has about 20 minutes before the bowman gets here. Maybe she could take a nap?
“Wake up, dimwit.” a familiar voice states.
She coughs, then shoots up to meet the other’s eyes. “Hana! What do you need?”
The inky ghost floats there, unimpressed. “I swear, how can you be so chipper?” They mumble.
“What was that?”
A sigh. “Nothing. Just wanted to see how you’re doing, I guess. Maybe have a talk about this?”
“Trying to talk me out of this? Hana, you know I need this bow! For hunting purposes!”
“And I need you alive! We’re in a soul bind. If you die, I die. Plus, we don’t have any arrows. We can’t even shoot things.”
She taps her chin, staring off into the distance for a moment. “Magic.”
“What?”
“We can use magic. Think about it. You can lend me some of your magic, and Pew Pew! We have infinite magic arrows.” Glyph explains animatedly.
A pause.
Hana rolled their eyes. “Ugh. You are the dumbest elf I’ve ever met.”
“That’s your fault. If you hadn’t-”
“Attacked the village, blah blah blah, you could read and have parents, blah blah blah, I’d not be cursed to not have a body. We don’t need the whole tragic backstory every time to guilt trip me. Jeez.” Hana’s eyes narrow on her.
Glyph picked at the grass, finding it more interesting than whatever this conversation had turned into. The blades tickled at her sandal-clad feet, and the purple of the setting sun lulled her into a sense of calm. The smoky air was the only thing ruining this scene.
A sigh sounded out from beside her. “Fine. If this goes south, I’m possessing you and dealing with it. Peace.” She felt the ghostly presence disappear.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps filled the air. “Ey!” a gruff voice shouted. “I got your bow made for you!”
At the sound, Glyph climbs to her feet and looks towards it. She sees the man she met at the tavern, and another person (presumably a bodyguard) climbing up the hill. The man is carrying the bow she ordered.
They finally meet her at the crest of the hill.
“Oh, lassie! So you’re the one who ordered the bow. I’m guessing that’s what you're in the city for. Nice to see ya.” He held out his hand.
She took it. “Nice to see you too.”
The man looked around, seemingly wary of his surroundings. “Now we’re gonna have to make this quick. Don’t want to get jumped, now do we?”
“Why would we get jumped?”
“Y’know how these usually sell for 1000 gold a piece? People steal ‘em and resell them. Artificially high market prices. Why I only sell them for 500 and a favor is because I make them myself.”
“Oh. Makes sense, actually. So, 500 gold now, and what’s the favor? You never specified.” Glyph asks.
“500 gold. And the favor? I need you to grab me some willow branches. I can’t leave this town.”
“Can’t others do it?”
“Can’t leave this town either. If we leave, we die. The underground has ways of keeping people here. As in? Murder.” The man shivers.
A pause.
“Getting willow sticks? That’s pretty simple. I’ll do that.” She states.
“Thank you, lass.”
The leather bag’s contents clink with coins as she places it into his hand. In turn, he hands her the bow. It’s smooth, clearly well made, with a cloth grip fit to her hand. It’s wonderful.
There’s a flash of white in the corner of her eye. The world starts to blur. “Mind if I test it out?” Slips out of her mouth without her permission.
“Of course, lass.”
Her body takes the bowstring and pulls it back. A violet, glowing arrow appears, and is aimed at a smoky brown… thing. A flash of white. Fwip! The bow’s aim was true, and now there’s a mix of glowing purple, white, and smoky brown in the distance. Her body flicks her wrist, and the arrow is gone.
The world goes black for a moment.
And then the world returns to her. Seriously, Hana needs to warn her the next time they decide to possess her.
“Nice shot, lass. Pinning a rabbit by the ear? That’s some real skill.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem, lassie. Now, you best get out of here. Morigan isn’t a place you want to be with that bow. And you need to get those sticks!” He states as he leaves.
Glyph stares out into the smog. This feels like it’s going to be a lot more complicated than it seems.
