Through Eternities - A Magic: the Gathering Quest

"Alex. Alex, wake up. Let's get out of here."

You wake up to darkness, and what looks like the vague outline of a person hovering over you. Though you can hardly see through the shadows cast by the dawn's light, you know very well who it is. With a tired groan, you reach out to push Jason's face away from your own.

"We can't skip classes again, Jason, you know Madame Louise will tan our hides if we do."

Madame Louise runs the Redscale Village Orphanage as if it were her own personal empire. She ensures all the children under her care are fed, housed, and educated, and all she asked for in return was absolute obedience. There could be nothing more stifling.

"Listen," Jason speaks, voice muffled by your hand covering his mouth, "tomorrow is the festival, she can't— get your hand out of my face, Alex!"

"No, you're going to wake—" that's as far as you get before something wet and slimy presses up into your palm, causing you to pull back your hand with a jerk.

"Did you just lick my hand?"

He just gives you a smug look. "You weren't listening. Look, the festival is tomorrow, there's no way Madame will punish us on festival day!"

Despite yourself, you have to admit he has a point. The Festival of Two Worlds is the most important day of the year, especially for the orphanage. It's the only day that you get to speak with your parents, after all, and not even Madame is heartless enough to deny you that.

Still, you don't want to give your friend the satisfaction of knowing his idea has merit, "You're disgusting and you're going to wake everyone up."

"Not if you come with me I won't."

You can't see the cheesy grin on his face, but you know it's there.

"Alright, fine," you relent, "but if we get caught I'm telling Madame it was your idea."

With that, you climb out of bed, raking your hands through your curly black hair to get it in some semblance of order. Getting dressed is a quick affair, and in no time the two of you are creeping towards the back of the orphanage, where you know a window that never quite latches right awaits. Despite your halfhearted protests, the two of you make an efficient escape, tumbling from the window onto the soft earth below.

[ ] You're friends with practically every kid in the village. Even before your parents passed you'd been a friendly child, and while it enrages you to hear about how your time in the orphanage has "washed the stink" off of you, it has certainly enabled the vast expansion of your circle of friends. You enjoy being the center of attention, and the many benefits one can receive from such a wide network certainly don't hurt. Even so, Jason is your best friend, and you like to put aside time to spend just with him on occasion.

[ ] You have a small but tight-knit circle of friends. You had a difficult time when you first got to the orphanage, as expected, but finding a few people to rely on made things easier. Your small group spends a lot of time gallivanting around town and the nearby woods, and when you're all together it almost feels like family. Jason is your best friend even within your little gang, and the two of you do everything together.

[ ] You don't have any friends besides Jason. You were not looking to make friends when you got to the orphanage, preferring to keep to yourself, and that hasn't changed. You'd much rather spend a day alone reading through Madame's library than with others your age. Even so, Jason has somehow managed to worm his way into your heart, pushing you out of your comfort zone and into all sorts of trouble. Despite yourself, he is your best and only friend.

The two of you run through Redscale Village. You dash past the center of town, where the Imperial Administration Office sits. You race past the market square, the smithy, and the outlying houses, each with their plot of land. You avoid the manor house and the graveyard, and follow the river up until you reach the forest beyond.

The two of you laugh and roughhouse playfully as you pass between the trees, before settling down to watch the redscale salmon in the river. You quickly get bored with just watching, but while Jason suggests trying to catch some, you have no desire to get your clothes wet. Eventually, the two of you decide to climb up a tree, and at the top you feel like giants towering over the forest below.

"I don't want to be a soldier." Jason blurted out suddenly.

You look over to him, confusion on your face. "Why would you be a soldier?"

"Well, I wouldn't, because I don't want to be. I'll be a bureaucrat, or a farmer or something."

You stare at him, a look of shock on your face.

"What?" He asks defensively.

"That's so boring! I didn't know you were boring, Jason!"

He humphs, "Well, what do you want to be?"

[ ] "I want to be a hero!" You launch into a long, rambling story about how you will single handedly defeat all the monstrous tribes, gather the Five Seals for the Emperor, and personally bring back Ruxa, the God of Death. You may not be a noble or anything, but you're stronger than all the kids around you. Besides, you've never lost a fight to anyone but Jason, so you must be a pretty good warrior.

[ ] "I want to be a scholar!" You quickly explain that you don't mean like a boring court bureaucrat, either. You've both had to read some of the most famous writings of the Empire under the Madame's care. Works such as Songs for the Living and the Dead and The Great Ordering all but define the functioning of the Empire, and you want to add to their number. It helps that you're already a talented reader and writer. Madame said she might even sponsor you in taking the Imperial Exams when you're old enough.

[ ] "I want to be a demon hunter!" You mime how you would totally take down a demon if you encountered one. Souls who take too long to reincarnate eventually become overly steeped in black mana and become demons. Now, there's nothing wrong with that inherently, there are many good and heroic demons, but the demons who do go bad tend to be extremely dangerous. Naturally, that means only the best of the best get sent to hunt demons down if they turn against the Empire. Demon Hunters have incredible prestige within the empire, so it's not unusual for children to want to become one. Of course, most children don't have your talent for sneaking around and getting the jump on people, vital skills for demon hunters.

[ ] "I want to be a pirate!" You immediately break into a half-remembered sea-shanty you heard from some of the sailors who had stopped in town on their way up the river towards the capital. Pirates are a source of wonder and terror in equal measures, but no one can deny just how cool they are. Sure they might extort coastal villages for protection, but they're also on the front lines against the undead monsters that roam the ocean. Now, granted, you've never so much as held a sword before, but you're a strong swimmer and you usually win when "sword fighting" other kids with sticks from the woods, so you're basically ready to swashbuckle.

[ ] "I want to be an explorer!" You hardly need to show Jason the map of the forest you've been making, given that he's helped you with it in the past. Now, of course, the Empire expands across the entire world, but everyone knows that there are lands beyond the domains of the monstrous tribes that don't even realize they belong to the Empire. All those people live without the work of the Bureaucracy of Two World managing the transition between life and death, and it's the moral duty of the Empire to reach them. Maybe that's why explorers who reach those far-off lands are so well honored. You're already great at navigating the wilds, and you've managed to pester the hunters who supplied your parents into showing you how they hunt.

Jason's face takes on a strange, almost sad look at your words. Eventually, he says, "I think maybe being famous isn't all it's cracked up to be."

You puff out your cheeks in annoyance, "How would you know? You're not famous."

"You're right!" he responds, "I'm not! So don't go trying to make me get famous with you!"

You don't entirely understand how it happens, but somehow the two of you devolve into bickering, and then play fighting once you get back to the ground. You lose, like always, but you swear it's a close run thing, and by the end you're both laughing and having fun. The day passes by quickly like this, and you two goof off in the woods until it gets dark. The forests in Central Province are safe enough that it's not a worry, and you sneak back to the orphanage in good spirits. You carefully crack open the window at the back and crawl through, comfortable in knowing you got away with it.

The two of you make it half-way to your beds before you feel a hand grip your ear.

"And where have you two been all day?" Madame asks with a voice just a pitch higher than kind.

You stare Jason in the eyes, willing him to get the two of you out of trouble.

He finally responds, "We were… in bed sick all day?"

You're doomed.

"Really? That's funny," Madame says in a tone that reveals just how funny she doesn't think this is, "because when I checked your beds they were empty. But I suppose if you're really feeling sick, you'll have to stay home for the festival tomorrow."

You break. "I'm sorry Madame, we just went to the forest for the day, we won't do it again I promise, please let me go to the festival."

Jason glares at you, but you can't miss the festival.

Madame's eyes softened, "Well, I suppose I won't keep you in on the festival, but the day after I will give you an appropriate punishment. Honestly, you two are so smart, I can't have you skipping classes. Not everyone gets the same opportunities I give you here."

You give the best attempt at a nod you can while she holds your ear, "Of course Madame, we're thankful for you taking care of us."

She just sighs, "Why don't you listen to me, then? I was worried sick. You should know better Jason, I thought you'd been kidnapped."

He looks down at his feet, "I'm sorry Madame, it won't happen again."

"Alright then, you two go to bed now."

You stand contritely until she leaves the room, and then immediately turn back towards each other.

"You gave us up!" Jason hissed.

"You were going to make us miss the festival!"

"She wouldn't make us miss the festival, Alex!"

"She was just about too!"

"Shut up and go to sleep!" The two of you spin around to see Alice glaring at you. She's a fellow orphan, and more importantly a light sleeper.

"Sorry Alice." The two of you chorus, and finally move towards your respective beds.

You're asleep almost before your head hits the pillow, and you dream of adventure.

You wake up to light shining in your eyes and the low chatter of everyone in the orphanage getting ready for the day. It's a comforting sound, much preferable to yesterday's rude awakening. You take a moment to just lie there, enjoying the moment of calm stillness. Then you remember that today is the Festival of Two Worlds.

You leap from your bed, throwing on your nicest apparel. Madame has ensured all of you have something to wear for festival days or when visiting the Bureaucratic Center, and you've always enjoyed the chance to wear your nicest

[ ] Pants.
[ ] Dress.

You're lucky to live in Redscale Village, where Madame's family has their Manor House. Not many orphanages are as well funded as Madame's, but then most aren't actively run by a noble. You would trade it all to have your parents back in the land of the living, of course, but in many ways your social standing has actually risen considerably as one of Madame's wards. It's clear in everything from the education you receive to the clothing you wear, not to mention the ways everyone treats you now.

Speaking of, as you finish getting ready the other orphans are already starting to loosely congregate around you. You wonder how many of them even realize the way that they orbit you, funneling between the rows of beds to hear you talk. Mary, one of your closer friends, asks you how you got out of class yesterday, and you happily launch into a story of how you and Jason escaped to explore the forest. Your story soon drifts back into more idle talk as Mary fills you in on what you missed during your escapade. In many ways, it seems like a normal day.

Even as you talk, however, you can feel the slight buzz in the air. Everyone's eyes keep drifting back towards Madame's office, unable to focus fully on their conversations. You don't blame them, your eyes have been focused in the same direction. After all, today is the most important day of the year, and none of you want to spend it stuck in the Orphanage a minute longer than necessary.

And then Madame finally steps into the room. She's dressed in a gorgeous dress, colored an ivory white that practically glows in the morning white. It must be enchanted. The entire room goes quiet as you all turn to her.

"Well then, I see you're all ready to go. Make sure not to run off too far once we get to the Festival, and remember that your actions reflect back on me. I don't want to see any roughhousing, and try to remember that if you make a mess of your clothes you'll be the one stuck cleaning them."

She stares directly at Jason with that last line, but he just grins back at her guilessly. If she thinks for a moment that Jason won't end the day covered in mud and sweat she's deluding herself.

"Right then, follow me."

Everyone dutifully files behind Madame as she leads them to the door. You all know better than to misbehave at this moment: there will be plenty of time for that later. For now, you simply wait as Madame brings you all out of the orphanage and towards the center of town.

Normally, the market square is filled with farmers and merchants selling their wares. There are still people selling trinkets and knick-knacks, but today most of the square is filled with game stalls. It's still mostly the same people as always, but you know Madame's family has also hired some performers from further off.

Moments after the stalls come into focus, your fellow orphans scatter. You're no different. Madame couldn't stop the lot of you if she wanted, though of course she's content to let you run rampant. She's the reason the Festival of Two Worlds is as much of an event in Redscale Village as it is, after all.

Fully intent on enjoying your day of freedom in full, you immediately rush to:

[ ] Where Farmer Jenson has set up with his prized pig, Jesse. You see Jason is already there, throwing off his shirt and getting ready to wrestle. Whoever is able to wrestle Jesse to the ground will win the respect of the whole town, but Jesse is a special girl. Even adults get tossed around as if they were children when they go up against her. Jason is the only one besides Farmer Jenson you've ever seen take Jesse down, but you're determined to make this year the year you manage it as well. You're wrestling that big to the ground.

[ ] Where the puppet show is being set up. You've always enjoyed a good story, and this particular troup is one you know Madame brought in from the capital. You think today they're preparing to present the story of the Great Hero Bartholomew and the capture of the White Seal. Stories of the Great Hero Bartholomew are incredibly popular, so this isn't a surprise. Still, you wonder if this telling will be different from the one you know.

[ ] Where Granny Beatrice is reading people's futures. You're pretty sure she's not a wizard, but Granny Beatrice has a presence around her that commands respect. No one actually knows much about Granny. She's definitely not the actual grandma of any of your friends, and you're friends with everyone. Even if she can't actually read your future, she can still offer you some helpful advice.

[ ] Where some of the older kids are setting up cards. It's hard for you to scrounge up money, normally, but gambling is a great way to make more. Of course, Madame would never let you gamble normally, but she's not going to be watching during the festival. Now, that all depends on you being able to win more than you lose, but you've been something of a card shark ever since some of your older friends first taught you how to play. You just hope you haven't lost your touch since the last time you played.

[ ] Wherever your friends are amongst the stalls. Instead of spending all your time on any one activity, you bounce around, playing more minor games and buying the odd trinket with what little funds you have, but mostly catching up with all your friends around town. It's not often everyone is gathered in one spot, after all, and you want to use the chance to see them all.