Chapter 2 THE PICKPOCKET AND THE STRANGER
As Xyra walked away, the young man just smiled and brushed a hand through his ear-length, golden-blond hair. It was a little wild in some places, but the navy-colored headband on his forehead at least kept it out of his eyes, which were still watching the young woman who had so "innocently" bumped into him. She wasn't running into anyone else as she made her way down the street. Every obstacle she avoided effortlessly, almost instinctively. There was a slight sense of grace and pride emanating from her…mixed with a bit of anxiety. She was walking straight but with her head down, and such a position seemed natural for her. It was an interesting combination.
It wasn't long before she disappeared completely within the crowd, but he kept watching anyway, taking note of all the others making their way through the streets. For such a small town, he was kind of surprised to see so many people walking around. Certainly it was a nice day, but none of those people could possibly be locals. Even all the travelers passing through on their way to the city of Drester couldn't have created this much clutter. Apparently something had drawn a lot of attention to this little town.
"Excuse me, sir," began the woman at the small street stand before him. "About the item you wanted…"
"Aw, yes," he said brightly, giving her his attention. "I'm sorry, but it seems I won't be buying anything at this point in time."
"But why?" she questioned, her expression falling.
His smile only brightened.
"Because I don't seem to have any money, but if you hold onto it for me, I'm sure I can get enough by the end of the day." He was very relieved to see that his suggestion made her a bit happier. It was obvious that she didn't get a lot of regular customers. This was a shop for talismans, and only sorcerers were able to use such things. On a good day, she most likely made a lot of money considering the town's location, her clean and neat clothing helping to back up that fact. This place was right between some of the larger cities, and a lot of people, including sorcerers, probably passed through on their way. However, not many magic folk seemed to be just wandering through the town today.
"Very well," she told him, taking a nearby piece of parchment and a quill. "May I have your name, sir?"
"Magnus," he responded. "Just Magnus. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business to take care of." He bowed slightly to the woman before turning around and promptly leaving. There was a rather smug look on his face. He would have no problem getting some money by the end of the day, but he wouldn't do it by going after the one who had stolen his. That would only be a waste of time. After all, what were the odds of running into her again? Besides, she probably needs it more than I do.
He looked around as he walked, hoping to find a place where they offered bounties—not for humans but for demons. If he could kill a few, he'd have enough money in no time. However, this town was fairly small. There was always the possibility that they wouldn't have any demon bounties for him. Hopefully that wouldn't be the case, or he would have to come up with a different plan.
As he made his way down the crowded and busy street, he unfortunately didn't get very far. A crash from behind caught his attention. He could see that quite a few people had stopped what they were doing to watch the developing scene play out, taking place at a juncture to one of the wider streets. However, because of them, he couldn't see just what was going on. Curiosity quickly got the best of him. Better take a look, I guess.
As he approached the crowd, he caught a few glimpses of the people who were causing all this trouble. It seemed to be two rather large, overly-built men, most likely a pair of street thugs that had nothing better to do with their time than build their bodies. They stood tall and proud, looking smug at themselves as if they owned the very streets they were disturbing. These men were truly arrogant, he noted before taking in the rest of the scene. They seemed to be picking on a girl. However, she wasn't just any girl. Her light brown hair and dark blue eyes were rather unforgettable. Ah, the little thief.
Magnus just stood there and watched as she slowly got up, rubbing her head a bit. From the looks of it, she had been thrown into a food stand but thankfully hadn't collided with anything too hard, although that was probably luck on her part. These two men weren't playing around. They wanted something from her, and force was the easiest way to get it. One bent down and snatched her up by the front of her cloak.
"Well, well," he began with a smirk. "If it isn't little Xyra. Do you have any money for us today?"
"No," she lied meekly, struggling to get out of his grasp. She was failing miserably. This man was much stronger than she was. He looked practically three times her build and stood almost two heads taller.
"You're not a very good liar," he stated, smirking widely. "Now give us what you have, and I'll let you go."
"… Fine, you can have it," she sighed. However, she didn't reach for her pocket. Instead, she undid the tie to her cloak. She dropped to the ground, leaving the man with nothing but her garment. She was about to make a break for it, but the second man grabbed her by the arm, lifting her off the street. No matter how much she struggled against him, she couldn't escape.
"Stupid girl," he scolded. "We'll have to teach you a lesson." He raised her higher, grabbing hold of her leg while releasing her arm. She was a somewhat thin girl for her height, and so he had no problem lifting her, being over twice her build. Without warning, he pulled back a bit and threw her towards a nearby rock wall. The people in the crowd all looked horrified, some turning away. Xyra would break her neck if she hit at that angle, and all of them were painstakingly aware of it.
Just as she was about to crash into the wall, she found that her trip had come to a complete stop. She slowly opened her eyes, wondering just what was going on. It's not like she had collided with anything. She had just stopped dead in her tracks. From what she could see, her attackers and the crowd were just as baffled. After all, she was floating a good three feet off the ground.
"What the hell…?" said the man who had thrown her, staring with wide eyes.
"H-hey Jeth," began his partner. There was a rather scared tone to his voice, so Jeth turned around, his sights landing on the now parting crowd. His eyes widened a bit when he saw what his friend was looking at.
Magnus gave a small sigh as he stepped forward, his left arm currently raised. His palm was slightly flexed, aimed at Xyra, who was still levitating. He scratched the back of his head a bit, wishing that everyone would just stop staring at him so awkwardly. It's not like he could really blame them though. Even though magic was somewhat common and everyone at least knew something about it, very few sorcerers had a reason to publicly display it. These people were watching in awe but also with suspicion, and it was making him a little nervous. Why are they staring like that? Do they hate sorcerers or something? Maybe that's why I haven't seen any here…
"Just who the hell do you think you are?" asked Jeth, his initial shock finally wearing off. "You shouldn't mess with others' affairs. This is none of your damn business!"
Pathetic. Magnus just ignored Jeth as he kept talking. The man was either far too arrogant or a complete idiot. His partner at least had some sense. He was staying far away from the little fray that had begun…although such a small encounter could hardly be considered a fray. Magnus had yet to say or do anything to the two brigands, mainly because he didn't want to have to hurt them if it wasn't necessary. All he wanted was for them to take their leave in peace. Something told him it wouldn't happen though. They had yet to even hint at retreating, and Jeth's constant yelling was starting to get louder until it began to grate on his nerves, giving rise to a headache. He had to do something about this before the situation escalated. With magic, he could handle them. Physically, he wasn't so sure. Doesn't this man know how to be quiet? Maybe a lightning spell will knock some sense into him.
Magnus wasted no time in preparing another spell. In his right hand formed a small sphere that crackled with electricity. It was white, and anyone who knew even the smallest bit about magic would be able to tell what it was. Any novice sorcerer could probably cast it. The intensity wasn't enough to kill anyone. A simple spell, really, but it should be enough to get him to leave.
Without giving any form of a warning, he tossed the ball into the air. It disappeared not long after, and a strike of lightning instantly streaked down from the sky, striking the ground just before the two men, causing them both to jump back, startled. The crowd acted in a similar fashion, although most of them seemed almost pleased with this turn of events. They were whispering amongst themselves, switching their focus from Magnus to the two thugs and then back again. Even though Jeth and his friend were members of their city, they all believed the two of them deserved whatever fate this sorcerer brought upon them, since most of the officials didn't care enough to break up street fights, especially amongst thieves. The two egotistical men really needed to be taught a lesson. They couldn't just do as they pleased.
"Leave," demanded Magnus, his eyes narrowing just a bit. "I'm not known for my patience."
Jeth was furious by now and looked about ready to charge for him. Arrogance and challenged pride could truly be blinding forces, and so he quickly conjured up another lightning spell. He held it out at arms length, aiming it right at the larger man. In no time at all, the thief had backed down, his overconfidence finally dwindling as he was faced with the sphere of crackling energy. Magic was a powerful force when it was intended to be, and sorcerers weren't to be trifled with, especially when they were irritated. Magnus didn't seem to be the type to pull his punches.
"I said leave, or this time I won't miss it."
Deciding that it was better not to get electrocuted, Jeth began to back away. He wasn't in any way happy about it, but he and his friend both left, retreating quietly into the dispersing crowd. Most of the observers had lost interest in now and had gone back to their original business. Certainly magic was interesting, and the appearance of a sorcerer at a time like this was a bit odd, but they weren't a rare breed. Even though the citizens couldn't use magic, they at least knew the basics. He had stuck to a small and somewhat harmless spell. Certainly it had the potential to stun someone, but it hadn't been enough to do any real damage, the proof lying in the fact that it had taken him no time at all to create it.
Since they all lived in a world where magic was more or less common, even those who couldn't use it had been educated on the topic. It was a requirement. Even normal, lower-class folk knew the difference between a practical spell and a destructive one if they simply took the time to consider it. Jeth and his friend hadn't been quite so observant.
After he made sure the two men were really gone, Magnus returned his attention to the reason he had interfered. Xyra was still hanging in midair, her eyes locked on her savior, her entire body trembling. She was watching him warily, as if she had something to hide. That was only natural though. He had a pretty good idea about what she was worrying over.
Not wanting to make her too uncomfortable, Magnus slowly lowered his arm, which lowered her. Soon enough she was sitting on the ground, his small levitation spell finally coming to an end. She didn't move at first, seeing how she was too busy staring at him. Her joints had all locked up, and she was shaking like a leaf, but her bright eyes were wide and full of astonishment. What she had just witnessed was truly amazing. He had just chased away two of the most dangerous men in town, and he had done it with nothing but a simple lightning spell. If Jeth and his friend had been a little smarter and had just taken note of the spell instead of focusing on the caster, they probably would have realized that it wasn't lethal. In the end, that had been her saving grace, as well as his. There was no way he could have taken the two of them on physically.