Shadows & Secrecy: First Impressions

[EmeraldJubilee]

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Atiya met one of her closest friends while joining a cult. Or, rather, she joined a cult because of him. Of course, the Dark Brotherhood doesn't really call itself a cult - and Atiya wouldn't either - but it would be easy to do so looking in.

It was Atiya's fourth year at the Keep; she had just begun to take classes on dark magic, and was the only one in her group to do so. They were difficult classes to get into - you had to be sixteen or older (and older was preferred), have trained at the Keep for at least three years, and have gotten written permission from at least two of your previous professors to take the class, letters which would state they found you sound and skilled enough to handle the material. Atiya had wanted to get in solely due to how many creatures aligned with the dark magics lived in her homeland, and started the process as soon as she was able to. Most people didn't make it into such classes as early as she did - she suspected her having procured and tamed a Hellhound was what finally swayed her professors in her favor - in fact, very few people made it at all.

As such, Atiya had come to recognize her fellow students of the dark arts. She even got to know some of them, but she knew the boy who slunk through the marketplace by name alone. Isko hardly talked at all, let alone to her. Her peers thought he was nothing more than a stuck-up rich kid, though Atiya thought he may just be nervous, a suspicion which grew stronger as she watched him glance over his shoulder every other step. Truthfully, Atiya wouldn't have noticed Isko at all if he weren't acting so skittish, but now her attention was hooked. Luckily for him, no one else seemed to notice his odd behavior.

Standing in a quiet corner of a trinket shop, Atiya watched as the boy looked over his shoulder one last time before slipping into a dark alley between two mysterious looking shops. Now, her interest was truly piqued. She waited a few minutes, splitting her attention between the items on the shelf before her and the dark alley before finally leaving the shop. Isko still had not emerged from the darkness, and... Atiya would be lying if she said she didn't suspect him of doing something illicit. Shy though he may be, he had a certain... look about him both in class and out that made her question his reasons for studying dark magic.

Atiya crossed the street and entered the alley quickly. Much to her surprise, the alley itself was rather short, ending in shallow steps and a wooden door not four yards in. Strangely, the door seemed to lead to a room which connected the two shops at the side, forming a room which could not be seen from the street.

Atiya continued down the steps, careful to ensure her steps were silent, coming to a stop before the wooden door. It was dark and imposing, made even more so by the shadows of the alley. There was a slot roughly eye-level in the door which told Atiya whoever was behind it likely wouldn't just open it for her. She had come this far, though, and wasn't about to leave now. Steeling her nerves, Atiya drew in a breath and knocked on the door. A moment later, the slot slid open with a hefty wooden thunk, and a pair of beady eyes were glaring down at her.

“...You aren't a member.” A nasally voice snarled from behind the door.

Atiya felt her blood run cold. “I want to be, though!” She blurted. The eyes widened, and she continued quickly. “How do I join?”

The eyes narrowed. “To even be considered, you must prove to us that you can tame a creature of the darkness.” The voice spoke loftily, eyes full of contempt. “Then we might consider your application, little girl.” And just like that, the door window was slammed shut.

Atiya stood there for a moment in stunned silence. Considering what the man at the door said, and that Isko had apparently entered the room, it wasn't hard to guess that this was a society for dark magic and creatures. Which was a… conflicting thought. Every student looking to learn dark magic was told about the Dark Mage Orram and his secret society, and Atiya already had her suspicions about Isko. As curious as she was, she didn't want to get caught up in something dangerous. However, this seemed too open to be truly dangerous - much less secretive than secret meetings held in the caverns of the Keep, at least. Atiya gave the door one last appraising look before turning and began walking back to the Keep.

It wasn't like Atiya hadn’t already raised ‘a creature of the darkness’. She was interested in dark magic too, and joining an organization for it would likely help her learn more and learn quicker about it than she ever would at the Keep. If all they wanted to see was a creature of darkness, then they couldn't be that serious, right? And besides, if they were dangerous, then Atiya would just report them to Master Belmos.

It would be fine. Joining would be perfectly safe, as long as she was careful.


~


Owning a hellhound was a certain statement about oneself, especially as a fire magi. Any passerby would recognize the power evident in the dark pelt and bright flames of a hellhound, and most magic users would recognize the combined might of such a fiery beast and a magi in red. Eyes lingered on Atiya as she walked her hellhound through the marketplace, flitting between herself and the muzzled creature at the end of the enchanted chain in her hand. Atiya kept her head high and avoided eye contact as best she could.

Though, on the off chance a fellow pedestrian happened to miss her dark companion, the vibrantly colored lizard draped around her shoulders was harder to miss. Aviur, her anaugi, refused to let Atiya go to the marketplace without him if she was already bringing one of her companions. This was because she often got her traveling companions treats, and Aviur would never miss a chance for more fruit. Currently, he was peering off her right shoulder like a nightmarish parrot - no doubt perusing the treats he may receive as they passed the fruit vendors.

It wasn't very long until she reached the dark alley again. Atiya made no attempt to be covert, instead seamlessly turning between the two buildings as if it were the most natural thing in the world; there was nobody around anyway, and it was certainly less suspicious than what Isko had been up to earlier. Luckily for her, Fahran gave no resistance, and Atiya knocked sharply on the door at the end of the alley a few steps later.

Again, the wooden slot thunked open, and again a pair of beady eyes locked onto hers, then on Aviur. After a moment, they crinkled into an obvious sneer.

“Your lizard is cute, but far from dark or dangerous, little gi-”

“Would you stop with that? It's ridiculous.” Atiya snapped. The man’s eyes widened, and he pulled away some. Atiya rolled her eyes. She lifted Fahran’s chain some, not enough to cause him discomfort, but enough to draw the man’s attention to her hand. She watched as his eyes followed the chain downward, and smirked when his eyes widened after landing on Fahran. For his part, Fahran was sitting stock-still and playing the part of intimidating guard dog, likely having sensed his magi’s frustration. His lips lifted in the beginnings of a snarl when the man met his gaze. The man was quick to look back at Atiya, his brows furrowed. She met his stare evenly.

“...Wait here.” He said after a moment. With that, the man slid the window closed. Atiya stayed as she was until she heard his footsteps recede behind the wooden door.

She looked down to Fahran, who glanced up to her a moment later. As soon as they made eye contact, the hellhound’s tail began to wag and his maw split into something like a grin, bright tongue lolling between the bars of his enchanted muzzle. She grinned back and reached down to scratch his ears.

“Good boy.” Atiya murmured. She’d have to give him extra treats when they got home.

A few minutes later, the sound of various locks unlatching alerted Atiya that the man had returned. She straightened just as the door opened, rising just in time to finally come face-to-face with the man behind the door. He had the good graces not to sneer at her this time, though he didn't seem thrilled. He motioned for her to come in wordlessly. Atiya was quick to do, half-fearing such a bitter man would change his mind about letting her in quickly.

Once inside, Atiya look a moment to look around. The room she was in was fairly grey and dull - which wasn't too surprising, considering, and held only a wooden desk and a chair. A small stack of papers and a half-eaten sandwich sat on the desk. There was a door on the wall directly opposite from where she stood to the left of the desk, and another on the rightmost wall.

The door behind Atiya shut heavily, causing her to flinch and turn around. The man was standing at the door still, hand splayed across it. He was grinning impishly, staring daggers into an Atiya. A growl from Fahran made his face fall, however, and after shooting the hellhound a look the man gestured to the door on the right.

“Go wait in there. Someone will talk with you soon.”

Happy to get away from him, Atiya nodded and continued through the door on the right. It led to another similarly grey room, though this one was smaller and well-decorated, with a few lamps, plants, and paintings throughout. At the center there was a low wooden table surrounded by fairly expensive-looking chairs. Looking around the room, Atiya decided she would probably also be bitter if the room she had to work in was grey and empty but the one beside her was this lavish.

The door opened before she had a chance to sit, and Atiya turned to face whoever had come in. She was met with the sight of a figure a few inches taller than her covered in a dark cloak gliding into the room. They had their head ducked slightly, and the hood of their cloak obscured their features. Unease twisted in Atiya's stomach at the sight of them, but Fahran’s presence at her side and Aviur’s warmth around her neck made it easier to stand tall as the figure drew closer.

Atiya didn't offer her hand in greeting. Neither did the figure. They tipped their covered head at her.

“So, you wish to join us?” A voice came from under the hood - surprisingly, a female voice.

Atiya raised her chin. “I might.”

“Do you even know who we are?”

“Judging by the requirement to get in, I’d say some sort of society for dark magic and creatures?” Atiya replied. She thought about mentioning Isko as well, but reconsidered it last second. If her suspicions were correct, she doubted they would like hearing about how obvious the boy was.

It was impossible to tell how the person in the cloak reacted, but a few seconds later a low chuckle seeped out from under her hood.

“Observant, aren't you?” The hooded figure drew back her hood, revealing a strikingly beautiful woman with dark skin and long dreads. Her braids were adorned with golden cuffs that shone in the candlelight, matching the piercing gold of her eyes. Atiya was left breathless at the sight of her, but if the woman noticed she didn't seem to care. She gestured to the table.

“Sit down. We have much to discuss.”

Atiya did as instructed quietly. The woman pulled out the chair across from her and sat, pinning Atiya in place with those hawk-like eyes. Something about the way the woman held herself exuded power - Atiya didn't feel she was in danger, exactly, but she was certainly not the one with any kind of control here. She made herself sit up straight and meet the woman’s gaze as evenly as she could. Surprise flickered across the woman’s face at that, but was gone in an instant.

“We are the Dark Brotherhood,” she began. “We are a group of magi dedicated to raising and studying creatures who are seen as dark or dangerous - even evil by legends and folklore. Like your hellhound there.” the woman gestured to Fahran, who was seated at Atiya’s side and peering curiously at the woman. "As I'm sure you know, such creatures not always as malign as the stories say."

Excitement bubbled in Atiya’s chest at the woman’s words. By description alone, it sounded as though these magi had the exact same interest in ‘dark’ creatures she did. Many of her peers in the dark magic class also had an appreciation for the dark and dangerous, but few in the same way as her. And, these people were older magis! They could teach her things she wouldn’t possibly learn at the Keep, or wouldn’t learn without years of proving herself.

In her excitement, Atiya opened her mouth to speak. The woman raised her hand and fixed Atiya with a sharp look, making the younger magi shut her mouth with an audible click. Heat rose to Atiya’s face, but the woman continued on as if nothing had happened.

“You have found us and tamed a creature of the darkness. That alone is enough to allow you the chance to join us, if you so wish.” The woman explained. “However, know that while we provide for our members, we also request things of them. If you join us, you will be given tasks you must complete for us in return for the protection and privileges we provide.” The woman’s face softened as she continued. “You seem like a promising young magi. Think well about your decision, and make sure it is the right one.”

There was a beat of silence, the woman simply watching Atiya. Atiya struggled with what to say: the woman seemed worried for her - likely due to her age - which was far from what Atiya expected from her. Her pride told her to reassure the woman of her certainty, but she couldn’t quite pull herself to do it; Atiya wasn’t sure just yet. Could the woman tell?

“If you wish to join us, you’ll need to make a donation to our cause first.” The woman’s voice pulled Atiya from the thoughts. “We require ten thousand gold and two eggs of the Noctis Enox from our applicants.” She rose from her chair as she spoke, and Atiya did the same. “Bring us these things and we will accept you into our ranks." With that, the woman turned and strode from the room, her dark cloak billowing after her.

Atiya watched her leave, deep in thought. Noctis Enox eggs could be found in the depths of the forests by the Keep. She could bring her direwolf to help with that, but getting ten thousand gold to spare would be difficult. Was whatever this was really worth it?

The rat-face man appeared at the doorway, breaking Atiya from her thoughts. She was expecting him to scowl for her having lingered, but he did no such thing. In fact, his face held a look somewhat similar to the soft, thoughtful look the woman had given her moments before. Somehow, that unnerved Atiya more.

He gestured for Atiya to follow him and brought her to the door that led outside. He opened the door, revealing Isko standing there with his hand raised to knock. Both Isko and Atiya pulled back in surprise.

Well, so much for being discreet.

Atiya stepped to the side without breaking eye contact. Isko stepped in, eyes lingering on her for a moment before turning his attention to the man. Atiya slipped out the door as soon as he looked away.


~


Nearly a month later, Atiya had found the eggs but was still struggling to raise the ten thousand gold. Most of the gold Atiya raised was earned by finding and selling rare eggs, but that was a dangerous and time consuming endeavor that was made even harder by classes. Her grandfather sent her money when he could, and she still had some leftover from that, but… it felt wrong to use his hard-earned money to join something called 'the Dark Brotherhood'. Luckily for her, she was only a couple thousand short after her last hunt, and could go searching again in a few days.

In the meantime, she was relaxing in Remy’s Inn with Aviur. It was evening now, and many magi young and old had flocked to the inn to eat and relax with their friends. Atiya had done the same, though her friends had left a few minutes ago, leaving her to watch Aviur gorge himself on what remained of the fruit she ordered for him. She did so with her head resting in her hands and a smile on her face, drinking in the warmth and chatter of the inn around her.

Someone drew out the chair across from her and sat down in one swift motion. Atiya jumped at the suddenness of it, looking up and freezing when she met the glaring face of Isko. He shot her a dirty look, arms crossed over his chest.

“You joined the Dark Brotherhood, didn’t you?” Isko spoke as soon as their eyes met.

Atiya sat up slowly, casting a glance at the tables around them. Luckily, it was late, and the tables directly beside them were empty, though there were people closer than she would have liked. Still, they probably wouldn’t hear.

At her side, Aviur was raising his head at Isko. His scales were starting to shift into vibrant blues and greens, indicating an imminent attack. Atiya turned her attention to him, running her nails under his chin in an attempt to soothe him. It seemed to work, and in seconds the fiery reptile had given up singeing Isko's very expensive looking clothes to lean into the scritches.

“You really need to learn how to be more discreet about things.” Atiya hummed, not looking up from Aviur.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Atiya moved to meet Isko’s glare. “I found the Dark Brotherhood because you were acting so suspicious.” She kept her voice low. “But no, I haven’t joined yet.”

Isko shifted in his seat and looked away, clearly frustrated. He drummed his fingers on the table.

“Have you found the eggs yet?”

“I have.”

“I’ll pay whatever they asked you for if you tell me where to find them.”

Atiya blinked. “What?”

Isko rolled his eyes. “I can’t find the eggs. I’ve been everywhere in the woods and I still can’t find them. They won’t let me pay extra either.” He explained. “Clearly we can help each other.”

“Clearly?” Atiya raised an eyebrow.

Isko glanced back at Atiya and groaned. “You’re having trouble paying, and I’m having trouble finding the eggs. This shouldn’t be difficult to figure out.” He snapped.

Atiya narrowed her eyes. Though magi all wore the same kind of cloaks, Isko’s clothes and demeanor made it clear he came from a wealthy family. Of course he thought he could just throw gold at the problem and get what he wanted.

“I’ll be able to pay my dues on my own in a few days.” Venom dripped from Atiya’s voice. “It’s ‘difficult to figure out’ because I don’t need your help.”

Isko’s face went pale, and he turned to face Atiya for one of the first times since he sat down. “I didn’t- just-” He groaned and closed his eyes, pressing his drumming fingers into a fist against the table. “Will you find the eggs for me, then?” He asked, reopening his eyes, “I’ll pay eight thousand for each.” He looked at her pleadingly.

Atiya leaned back, considering Isko’s offer. It was more than what Remy would sell any Noctis Enox eggs he found for, but not by much. She could use the money though. However, she loathed the idea of helping Isko buy his way out of problems. Something about the way he was acting told her he didn’t really like it either. Though… that wasn’t really her problem, was it?

Still, she didn’t like it.

“...What if I took you into the forest to help you look?” Atiya offered after a moment. Isko gave her a curious look and she continued quickly. “Five thousand for every Noctis Enox egg we find, and I keep any other eggs we find.”

Isko drummed his fingers against the table as he thought. “...Will I need to bring any creatures with me?”

“It would be best if you do.” Atiya replied. “Something good at tracking and defense if you have it. Preferably something big. I’ll be bringing my own creatures either way.”

Isko was silent for a moment more, then offered his hand to Atiya. “Deal.”

Atiya took his hand and shook it. His ring was cold against her fingers. “Meet me in front of the library by noon in three days. I’ll show you the way from there.”

The boy nodded and drew his hand away before standing. He started to walk away, then stopped and glanced back at Atiya.

“Thank you.”

He turned and walked away quickly after that, not giving her a chance to respond. Atiya watched as he strode out of the inn, looking back to Aviur only once Isko was out of the door. The anaugi was asleep now, curled up tightly with the empty plate of fruit sitting a few inches away from him. A gentle smile found its way onto Atiya’s face.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.