Self-Taught Sorcery

[Calysta]

Calysta had always had an interest in sorcery. Having no one to teach her, she collected all sorts of books on the matter. Each tome professed that magic worked in a different way. The only way to figure out which was correct was to try a few spells. Calysta recently tried a cooking spell and was sure it didn’t work. A spell for good health made her sick the very next day… or day after.

Calysta figured it was time to try something else. She found another spell that required black candles, but finding none on the market, she would have to make her own.

Calysta took a journey through the woods outside of Widu in search of some bees. First day of searching, she had no luck. Neither the second day or the third. By week’s end, Calysta was about to give up when she heard a faint buzzing sound.

Following the sound, Calysta came across some bees - only they weren’t honey bees. She wished she had found some of them for the honey too, but it was really beeswax she was after, so Calysta could do without the honey.

Quickly Calysta puffed some incense into the bee’s little abode. When they had been lulled to sleep, she scraped out some beeswax and took it home.

Working outside, Calysta started a fire under a pot and began to melt the beeswax. To make the wax black, she added some mashed up blackberries. ‘This oughta be good,’ she thought to herself as she mixed it all up.

Calysta secures some wool string to a stick and wraps it around a few times. Placing the stick over the pot, she uses a spoon to pour the wax over the string. It is a slow process waiting for the wax to nearly cool before adding more wax. The steps are repeated and once the width of the candle is desirable, she molds the still warm wax into a prettier shape before moving on to the next candle.

[Calysta]

The creation of the black candles took way too long. Calysta thought she’d need to try some different magic than this. However, once the candles were created, she decided that she might as well give it a try.

Inside Calysta lit a candle and tried a spell. One candle should be sufficient, but the spell didn’t work, so she tried lighting a second to increase the collective power. Again Calysta tried the spell. She tried concentrating really hard and closing her eyes. She felt power flowing from the candles in the form of heat. Of course, candles normally emit heat, but this heat was much more than 2 candles could possibly emit.

Calysta opened her eyes. Her mouth dropped. Somehow all the candles were lit. Calysta stood up in shock. The flames of the candles suddenly shoot up and the fire spreads to the bakery. “Oh no!” Calysta cries out in horror. She grabs a blanket and tries to put the fire out, but to no avail.

The fire is spreading quickly, so she decides to make a run for it. As she sprints towards the door a beam falls from the ceiling, blocking her path. Smoke is quickly filling the room and Calysta’s eyes water as she covers her face.

Suddenly Calysta remembers that she does know a little magic: water manipulation. She summons all the water that she can feel nearby to come to her, but passing into the house, some of the water evaporates from the heat. Calysta has gotten pretty good at changing the temperature of the water, so she tries to cool the steam down into water again, but can’t manage to get all of it.

The water she has is simply not enough to put out the flames so she pulls the water to her and has it cover her for protection.

[George]

George is out tending the fields when he sees smoke coming from Calysta’s bakery. He quickly drops what he’s doing and rushes to see if everything is alright. By the time he arrives at the bakery, it is engulfed in flames.

“What Ho!” George exclaims in dismay. Already some peasants have gathered around to watch the fire burn. George grabs one of them. “Pray tell, dost thou know where be the Lady Calysta?”

The peasant shook his head as he stuttered, “N-no, sir.” All the other peasants around shook their heads vehemently.

George looked around concerned. If Calysta saw the fire surely she would come over quickly, yet he did not see her anywhere. Finding two young peasant boys he tasked them with carrying a message to Calysta - either at the Castle or Town Hall. George hoped that’s where she was. The alternative was not good.

“Lady Calysta!” George called to see if he would get a response. Several times he called, but heard nothing.

The two peasant boys came back breathless and explained that they had not found his employer. George sighed hearing the news and paid them for their services.

He had considered Calysta might be in the shop. His hopes were lifted not hearing a reply from her, only to be dashed by the news from the boys. George looked around for a water source, but saw none nearby. George was fond of working for Calysta, but he wasn’t about to risk his life for her. It seemed there was not much to be done but let the fire take it’s course and search for her remains in the rubble later.

[George]

Towards evening the fire had died down. George sifted through the scorched debris. He hauled some bigger pieces away from the shop and kicked smaller chunks out of the way. Lifting a heavy piece of ceiling, which had caved in, he found Calysta underneath.

George knelt down and put his hand on her cheek. She wasn’t blackened by the fire, so she didn’t burn to death, but she was all scraped up and bruised badly from being struck by the falling rubble. Leaning down, he listened for any breathing. Not hearing any, George put a finger just under her nose and felt a faint exhalation from her nostrils.

Perhaps there was still a chance for her. George picked up Calysta’s limp body and carried her to a nearby stable. Renting a horse, he placed her body over it then considered exactly where he could possibly take her for treatment.

George recalled Calysta mentioning that some of her family members had healing powers.

George led the horse away, deciding to request help from Calysta’s family in Cork.