A New Road (Minerva/Bee/PM for Entry)

[Minerva]

Minerva stood in the center of the town square, looking out over the people milling about. Words of power fluttered to her lips, and suddenly out from nowhere, a chill wind blew over the general area. The few around her turned to look in animosity towards the Ilian woman, who smiled serenely out from the ice that was busy amassing around her. Soon, she had built a small shell that insulated her from everything. Why? She wasn't particularly sure. With a wave of her hand, she summoned flames to her fingertips, and carved a door in the shell, which she walked through. The pod-like structure of ice was already melting away in the Lycian sun, and Minerva shrugged and walked in the other direction. There was nothing good to do in Lycia nowadays. Nobody fun, nothing to do save spook the townspeople with stories of giant revenants (as if those could exist) or huge cyclopes terrorizing other villages.

Bored, and in ill humor, the mage looked around for someone, anyone, to occupy her time. There were no good-looking gents, no business ventures... Nothing but a small town full of small-town vibes. Everybody knew everybody, and nobody liked to associate with the outsiders. What a sick and backwards hovel this was. She had half a mind to burn it to the ground, but with no others to back her up, she'd only end up in a cell. And she couldn't just leave; she had to collect a shipment in a week. What an awful place.

[Bee]

Bee walked out of the shop and into the town square. Everyone seemed to be gathering around and looking at something. Bee wondered what was gong on when she saw a ice dome in the middle of the town. "What is going on", she asked as she walked up to the structure. One of the men turned around and looked at Bee. He looked at the tome in her pocket and at her weird hair.

"Oh right your Bee, Bee Hives. I remember hearing about you. Your Johnson's apprentice. Well how about you do us all a favor and get rid of this block of ice. It is blocking the middle of the road and causing a crowd to gather. Some mage came through and made it for some odd reason."

"A mage", spoke Bee as she looked at the man questionably. There was a lot of things now on her mind. The first was why would anybody made a ice block in the middle of town. The second was why this guy had to go through her entire name instead of simply telling her about the mage and the ice block. The last was a wounder of what tome could have done this. She heard rumors of ice magic, but never saw it herself. Still Bee had best get rid of it. She could use some community service points. The maiden pulled out her book and called forth the power of flames. Her eyes began to shine white as light radiated from both her tome and the hols in her face. The site sent many of the villagers into a complete dzzzled gazz as Bee called forth the power of fire.

From the air came down a bolt of flames. It was the purest fire bolt she had ever forged. It smashed into the ice and sent the entire shell crumbling back into water. As Bee finished casting the spell her eyes turned back to normal. Normally she would not go so far in casting a spell, but Bee had not practiced her magic today. It was a good opportunity to really show off what she was capable of. Still she could use a lot more work. The fire ball was good, but it would be useless in battle. It took to long to cast.

[Minerva]

Minerva looked back as a loud noise came from the square. A bolt of flame came down from the sky, and her ice sculpture melted away. Well, would you look at that. Somebody wanted to play!

"You! Mage! I challege you! Not for kills, but for thrills. Amuse me! Let's fight! Mano a mano! Magic to magic! Woman to woman!"

Her new opponent was a shrimpy youngster with a cool hairdo. Minerva appreciated the guts it took to flaunt a 'do as radical as that. Perhaps this young one would be a good investment? She could teach her a lot... But better to see how she fought first. What if she was absolutely awful? Then that would be a waste of her time.

But anyway, back to the 'battle.' She'd start it off with a cool cast, since she was definitely cool. Then she'd heat it up. But for now, cool it was.

With a short bark, the icy winds amassed, and a giant snowball, as large as a watermelon, formed between the mage's outstretched palms.

"Come on! Let's play!"

Cackling, Minerva sent it careening at the pink-haired girl, waiting to see what effect her cold projectile would have, if any.

In hindsight, she usually wasn't this trigger-happy. But Lycia was just so boring that she couldn't help it. What was there to do, besides simply cause mayhem? The country was just a den of zombies and stupid quarreling nobles anyway, so it wasn't like she was missing out on something.

[Bee]

"What the", spoke Bee as this women came out of no where and challenged her to a fight. It was weird, and that was putting it lightly. Bee had never been challenged by another mage, shoot she did not know mages even challenged each other. she heard of swordsmen suddenly dueling it out in town square, but never mages. Bee looked to the crowd to see if anyone was calling the guard, but nope, not a single one of them. Everyone was simply staring at her and the maiden. They all wanted to see a magical duel. Magic was not that common around here so she figured they were excited to just to see it. Still Bee wished that she was not put on the spot like this. She was skilled in her fire arts, but ... well she was not sure if she was good enough to duel a person.

"Fine then, but you are going to regret it", spoke Bee. The maiden's personality kicked in. All the eyes on her and all the glory she would receive if she won. It all started to flash through her head. Bee loved to be the center of attention and now she had it. If she could defeat this women she could create a legend for herself. Before she knew it she would be a legend across all of Lycia. The fire sage, Bee could hear it now. The young pink haired maiden was rocked and ready for action.

The women started off with a bolt of ice. It was the second time Bee had seen the magic. Ice was powerful, but it could not stand up to the power of flames. Well kind of. Bee knew better than to simply shoot a fire ball at it and expect victory. That tome was a level two tome. It had more kick than Bee's lvl 1 fire tome. Not to mention ice was solid. Bee was simply shooting forward a ball of burning air. It had no physical force and as a result if the two clashed the ball of ice would win. So rather than engage in a act of futility Bee instead waited. As the ball of ice came close She twisted her body dodging the attack and returning with a ball of fire. With luck she could catch the maiden off guard, but one thing was made clear to Bee. This women was better than her.

[Minerva]

"Me? I never regret anything! Ever!"

That was a lie, of course, but it was so much cooler to say than "more often than not, I do not regret my actions."

Anyway, there was a fireball coming towards her. It was a nice fireball, but slow. Ignoring her snowball, which crashed unceremoniously into the ground by Bee, Minerva pointed a palm at the girl's projectile and let loose a thin stream of water, which pushed into the fireball, causing it to sputter, sputter, and... Then, only a cloud of steam remained.

Smiling, Minerva put both hands together and sent a thick stream of water blasting at the pink-haired girl. The younger mage wasn't shabby, just... Green. She needed some training. Well, let this be a lesson - water beats fire.

The arcing deluge came rushing forth, as wide in diameter as a cantaloupe. Not large by any experienced sage's standards, but enough to thoroughly douse the pink girl if she didn't move. Indeed, Minerva was playing not for the sake of a good, effective battle, but rather for a fun experience. She was having a blast, and that was what mattered at the moment. Afterward, business would be business, but... There were people watching! This was a show, an excitement, an entertainment. She was the main event, and so her magic was showy, full of flair and aestheticism. The beauty of anima shone through as she brought her magic to bear, throwing the extra frills on without second thought. She was a performer, and this was her stage.

[Bee]

"Crap", spoke Bee as her fire spell fizzled out. It was to be expected. She was going up against a advance water spell with the power of the most basic of all fires. If she had Volcanon she could actually stand a chance. Alas her last job had set her earnings back and as a result she did not have enough money to afford the tome. Bee was just going to have to fight this battle with what she got. It was clear to her that this women was underestimating her. Bee's flames were not hot enough, she knew it and the maiden had the better spell. Still that did not mean Bee was beat. She was sure she could turn this around, but only if she got closer to her. That was the real problem. Bee was going to need to get close and prey that the women had poor hand to hand skills.

Her next attack was a blast of water. She withdrew from using ice and turned to the more flexible portion of the spell. Smart choice. Not only can it completely neutralize anything Bee threw at it, but the water was much faster than the ice. This made it easier for her to catch Bee and counter he attempts to dodge. In this kind of situation it would be wise to dodge, but Bee was not the dodging type. Well she was not the dodging type when it came to magic. She dodged swords well enough.

Taking her cloak Bee wrapped the cloth around her head and arms and pushed forward. Instead of dodging the water Bee charged threw it. The maiden's decision on making it wide was a mistake. That lowered the actual power in the center of the attack and make it possible for Bee to power through, thought she was no wet.

[Minerva]

The girl charged her! She went and charged her. What a damn-fool decision. But a damn-gutsy one too. She liked that. She could blast her to the paving stones with her water, but here the girl decided to make her own umbrella and push on through.

"Right, that's enough for now."

The stream of water dried up, and Minerva looked at the pink haired girl who stood sopping before her. She was a brave one, and Minerva liked that. Really, quite gutsy. Kind of reminded her of... Her, when she was younger.

"Look here, Pink. I don't have any clue who you are, but I like your guts. I like them a lot. Even more than the ice sculpture I made that you so rudely knocked down. Nah, I really didn't care about that. You're fine. But hey, I like you. You could go far. So, what say you? Want to train with me? Want to learn? You've got a good handle on the fire bit there. But I figure you could go a long ways. And I'm a bit farther down the road, so... If you want, I'll take you on as my apprentice of sorts. You won't have to do any sweeping or cleaning or any of that junk. We'll just travel, train, and eventually we'll be good enough to be a dynamic duo. We'll get gigs galore. And in the meantime, there's lots of ways to earn coin. I know that.

So... What do you say to a bit of adventure? I'll take you out of Nowhereville and we'll make you a star. Seriously, you have talent and guts. All you need now is some training and time. C'mon, kid, let's do it. I'm Minerva. You?"

[Bee]

Bee stared at the women for a moment. She was not sure of what to make of her. Still the battle was pretty much over before it started. Everyone in the village did not know it, but Bee did. The element of water was far stronger than that weak fire tome Bee was throwing around. The fact that the women was using it and using it with such skill proved she was better than Bee. Bee needed a proper teacher of magic anyway, even more so if she hoped to defeat Guro one day. The man was a pleague on her life. If she did not become stronger he was going to come back and things were going to go back to the way they where. Bee could not let that stand.

"Fine", spoke Bee as she looked at the maiden. She really did not care for the way the women dressed, but that had noting to do with her getting power. "I will join up with you and learn from you, but I you have to promise to let me face you again", spoke Bee. She had to protect both her reputation and her personal pride. It was true that Min was stronger than her the moment the fight started, but Bee still hoped for victory. She did not take defeat well. If she wanted to beat Guro with the element of fire she was going to have to defeat this women with the same power. She was her first stepping stone to gaining true power both the teacher and the goal.

"The name is Bee, just like the insect however without the stinging. From today on I will be your apprentice and if you sacrifice me to some dark god or something I will come back and haunt you", spoke the maiden. Most people would not get that line. It was a reference to a book she read when she was younger. The apprentice it was called. It did not end well, but it served as a cautionary story for mages and choosing there masters.

[Minerva]

"Hahaha! Sacrifice you? You're too much of an asset to sacrifice. I need you, and you need me. A perfect partnership! You'll learn fast, I can tell... And that's all the better for you. I have no time for thick-headed dimwits. A woman like me has businesses to run, things to do, and people to extort."

Minerva looked at Bee, her eyes a mixture of appreciation and coldness. One could almost see her calculating the end scenarios for her new apprentice... And suddenly, she smiled widely, grinning at the young mage.

"I am called Minerva. A group of pagans once worshiped a clay deity they called Minerva - she exemplified for them wisdom and intelligence. I think that you'll come to appreciate the aptness of my name, just as I foretell the aptness of yours... Soon, Bee, you'll sting like a nest of giant bees. You'll have more explosive firepower than you could dream of. You know, you could go a long way. Make a lot of coin. Perhaps even become a mage of high renown. You have a lot going for you. But first? First, we need to get you set up with all you need for travel. I assume your clothes are fireproof? If not, we'll need a new set. You'll also need some sort of heavier cloak, for when we go back to Ilia in the winter. It gets a bit chillier than it is here."

Minerva looked the girl up and down, nodding.

"We can get you a gown that flatters you more. Plus, it'll be better to cast in. You look like you're some sort of blacksmith or something. Not becoming for a femme fatale. Stick with me, I'll see you cleaned up and blending in with society in no time. Hah!"

[Bee]

Ilia? Thought Bee to herself. The maiden had no idea what she had gotten herself into. She needed a master thought to show her the ropes, but all the traveling and plans she was coming up with. Well it was all enough to make your head spin. Then the maiden began to speak about Femme fatale. Bee had not even heard the words out of somebody's mouth till now, though she did know what they meant. However that was not really Bee's style. She really did not care how men looked at her or anybody for that matter. All she wanted to do was become good at magic and make a name for herself. She did not need to dress in skimpy clothing or flirt with people. The beauty and ferocity of her flames would do that for her. Still she was in no position to turn down a prosperous apprenticeship. It was not like she had those lined up in all.

"Umm I already have clothing", spoke Bee as she looked at the maiden. "However I don't really like the phrase femme fatale. Nothing personal, but that is not really my style. I just prefer to burn things and then go about my business. Seduction has never been my thing, nor do I think I will ever get into. I am just not the type and besides I don't really have the physical features", spoke Bee as she in a hush tone. "However I am willing to learn how to use magic sot that is all fine. I just need to let Mr. Johnson know I am leaving for a while and I can be off", spoke Bee as she suddenly retreated. The maiden did not want to stick around for her to start dissecting her words. Returning back to the shop Bee began to pack up her belongings and saying her goodbye's to her master. It was not a completely unexpected departure. Mr. Johnson was going to push her out a month or two later to get her to travel. He was serious about her learning smiting from different places. Bee herself actually wanted to leave a bit too. She had a theory about magic and smiting. She wanted to test it out, but never had the opportunity in this small town.

"Alright I am out", spoke Bee as she walked out the door. It looked liked she was going to start a new chapter in her life. She preyed that her new master did not work her too hard. Mr. Johnson was a pain at first, but she got use to the workload over time. She preyed it would be the same with Minerva. Kind of a strange name, thought Bee to herself.

[Minerva]

"Tsk! You do, you do. But it's worn, my dear apprentice. I shall find you something. Don't worry."

Then the young mage spoke about her style. Simply burning things? Hehehe. That only got one so far, especially in the lucrative businesses she dabbled in. No, she would need to learn... And that would come, in time. For now, she just had to clarify.

"Seduction is but a pastime, Bee. The real thing you must learn is to capture attention. To be striking, and always have the power to back up your image. You need not look like a fertility goddess... Just look unforgettable, act unforgettable, and power and fortune will collapse at your feet."

The young one made a hasty retreat to bid her farewells to her old master, and Minerva followed, intrigued. She was a blacksmith. How about that. The young Bee was bashing metal things together and making swords when she wasn't throwing fireballs. How cute and quaint. She'd need a better hobby. Perhaps she would introduce her apprentice to the fine art of drinking and extorting rich drunk men. Or gambling. Perhaps banditry.

Actually, the wisest course of action would be to teach her some magic first. That way she'd be able to hold her own. Then they could do some runs to Ilia, or smuggling runs to the Isles, or any sort of lucrative mischief. The possibilities were really endless.

"Okay, Bee," Minerva spoke as her apprentice reappeared. "First stop... Anywhere but here. Where have you always wanted to travel to? We'll head there."

[Bee]

Bee was actually surprised she followed. She expected the women to be waiting for her in town square or the local tavern. It was a bit weird. There was only two possible reason for this. The first was she wanted to get out of this town as soon as possible, which was not a stretch to believe. This place was boring if you studied magic. If you were a swordsmen or maybe a axe user this place would practically be heaven. The amount of smiting shops around here produced some of the finest weapons. The last possible reason for her wanting to leave had something to do with crime, but at this point Bee figured it was the first one.

"Anywhere I want to go", spoke Bee as her mind began to bring up a thousand places. There were plenty of places Bee wanted to see or have a smashing adventure in. However there was one place that came to Bee's mind almost immediately, home. She had not been there since she was young and before hand she did not return thanks to fear of Guro. However that all changed when she meet Guro in Lycia. If he was here then that meant he could not be in the desert. Bee could finally go home. She could go back to her home village and see if there was anything left. The last time she saw it everything was being burned to the ground, but she knew a few of the men would return home. Maybe they rebuilt the town. Maybe there where people again.

"Is there any chance we can go to the Village of Arc. It is a small settlement located near the sea in Nabata. I wanted to see the great desert and visit the place called the Temple of Fire." The maiden waited for her response. She may not even know of the village or of the Temple of Fire. Really nobody knew of the Temple of Fire. It was just a local nickname for the gigantic forge that was located in the center of town. There was a few legends about how the fire was started by a dragon and a few magic weapons that were forged in its flames, but beyond that it was just common. Still Bee wanted to see the place again and her master had said anywhere.

"Wait never mind", spoke Bee as a memory flashed in her head. All the slaughter and pain from that day flashed into her mind as she thought about the great forge. "I can always see that later. I would like to see the Capital of Bern", she spoke. Bee had spent little time in Bern, but she always wanted to see the capital. She heard that it was surrounded by a gigantic gate and was one of the oldest cities in the world. She wanted to see the city founded by the Great Hero Hartmut himself. She wondered if it lived up to its reputation of grandeur and prestige.

[Minerva]

"Anywhere I want to go", the younger swordsman mused. It looked like she was deep in thought, mulling over the ideas, the possibilities, the benefits and costs. Well, that was good - she was thinking like an opportunist already. That would be a necessary trait if she was going to become a good mage.

"Is there any chance we can go to the Village of Arc. It is a small settlement located near the sea in Nabata. I wanted to see the great desert and visit the place called the Temple of Fire."

"The Village of Arc, huh? Never heard of it. Going all the way to Nabata for a village... And whatever this Temple of Fire thing is. I've got to tell you, I don't know how much we'll see out there."

Then her new pupil changed her mind, shaking her head.

"Wait never mind. I can always see that later. I would like to see the Capital of Bern."

"Now that is a better choice. Going to the capital of Bern would give us plenty of opportunities to train, plenty of things for you to learn... Ah, yes, Bern is a good place. Full of bandits and riffraff and the like. You can learn a lot from fighting for your life in Bern's forests and streets. We'll undoubtedly be attacked, so be ready. I'll teach you to fight, and you'll even teach yourself. It's going to be a great trip, Bee. But the fighting will be fierce... So don't underestimate the Bernese bandits."

[Bee]

"Wait what about Bern Bandits", spoke Bee as she looked at her new master. "Is it really that bad in Bern", asked Bee as she looked at the women. She heard Bern was bad with both the rebellion and Ilia fighting for control, but she did not think it was that bad. The way Min spoke about it made it seem like bandits were as common as the rain. There was no way a country could be like that right. Bandits were not just poping out of the woods like goblins in a bad adventure tale. Shoot if Bandits were as bad as she made them sound Bern would be in a economic slump. Then again Bee had not heard of anything being exported from Bern for quite a while. Well maybe grain, she heard people talking about food being sent up north, but then again the conversation was about them having problems not about it being easy.

"Well I guess it will be a good chance to work on my pyromancy", spoke Bee as she rubbed the back of her head. The young pupil had no idea what she had gotten herself into. Maybe she should not have been such a coward and simply went back to her home town. Now she was going to have to go all the way to the capital of Bern. Sure she wanted to see the gate, but she was not up for being attacked by shirtless men covered in abs and sweet.

Bee paused for a moment as she imagined it. It was both terrifying and enthralling. "Right so have you been to Bern Master Minerva or have you only heard about it. I am sure it is not as bad as you are making it out to be. Every street can't be crawling with bandits right ... right."

[Minerva]

"Hah. No, it's not as terrible as you're imagining, though it's pretty bad in some areas. Lycia has undead, Bern has bandits. They're common, since under Ilia a lot of those Bernese simpletons can't make a lot of money. So they supplement with some healthy banditry and pillaging. Anyone and everyone becomes a bandit at some point - but some are better bandits than others. You see, the smarter you are, the wiser you are, then the better chance you have at surviving, no matter what trade you're in."

The woman smirked, looking at the younger mage and laughing.

"Pyromaniac tendencies, huh? I do suppose it will be a good time for that. You'll have chances to burn plenty of thing when we're traveling. I've been to Bern, yes, and it's not like hell. You just have to be careful on the roads, since there are often highwaymen afoot."

The mage looked her apprentice up and down. Young, but with a fiery will. She could see a lot of good coming out of her with time and training, and a lot of power, too. She had spunk, an interesting take on life, the universe, and everything, which made her fun and dynamic.

"We'll be fine. Two women, with no obvious weapons, walking alone through Bern? We'll undoubtedly be accosted by at least a few lecherous and greedy fellows. But we have power, Bee, and I don't just mean magic. We're strong, strong women, and we'll be able to overcome any challenge coming our way. We have our minds, our bodies, and our spirits, and they're all ours - not any man's - and that makes us strong. We'll do fine in Bern, and it'll be one hell of a trip for you. It'll open your eyes to a whole new world."