Aurescia was walking through the streets of Minbenthac, going out to purchase more goods for the magic store. Always interested in the possibility of finding new potion formulas, she had already been to two markets this morning alone. Fortunately, they were all close by. If this third one didn't have what she was looking for, the sorceress would have to go all the way to the southern districts of the city to find it... she hated that place... all that crime, and people tossing their wastewater out of windows... ugh.
Approaching the market, she quickly found a stand which sold antiques.
"Excuse me? Hello? Do you hear me?" Getting the attention of the vendor was hard to do in this market. Why so many other people were interested in this stuff was beyond her...
"Ah, yes. What is it that you want, ya- oh..."
The vendor, normally a rude figure, noticed Aurescia. She was known around here as a powerful sorceress in her own right, even though most of her magic was ritual, that is, it was essentially stationary, and her spells were cast from within the confines of her own home. Regardless, she was still dangerous if angered... and her husband was ever more so! It was best to attend to her now and be rude again later... to safer customers!
"Oh yes. Aurescia. Pleased to see you again. What are you looking for today?"
"I would like to see your scrolls, particularly those which pertain to magical potions." she replied.
"Well, the thing about that is... oh... I don't really know what the scrolls say. I just buy them from adventurers who get them from gods-knows-where. I leave the translation up to the customer."
"Then what are those scrolls that say 'strength formula' on them?" Aurescia asked him, suspecting the answer.
"Well, what the customer doesn't know won't hurt him, right?" The vendor said with a nervous smile, revealing his many missing teeth. "I don't try the same trick on a talented mage, because I have great respect for you, and your husband-"
"And that I can of blow up this stand with a single spell." she added with a wink.
"That too. Take a look at these scrolls here. I don't know what language they are written in, or how to translate them, but I'm hoping you do. I'll even let you read them here if you like."
Looking at the scrolls, Aurescia sighed inwardly. She was skilled at translating ancient languages in the Auran tongue... even more so than her husband, but these were written in Ignan, a language she knew little of, despite sharing a common alphabet with her own Draconic tongue. The most she could do was make out a few words here and there. After deducing just enough to tell that one scroll contained a formula for a new kind of healing potion, she decided to purchase it. She fully intended to take it home, use a spell to aid in the translation, and hopefully, get a new potion out of it...
Walking back, Aurescia thought of the plan... buy low, sell high. Hopefully, this was make a powerful potion a low cost... the fewer ingredients, the better. As the sorceress walked back through the crowds, she noticed that it was getting very hot... even for Minbenthac. The sun beat down on her scales from all sides. Normally, this was a welcome feeling, but not at this intensity, and she had been outside for hours now... her light clothing did little to shield her from the sun's rays...
"Okay, change of plan" she thought. "Find a shaded path back home, put this stuff down, get some water, take a nap, and then get to work translating this scroll." As she found a new path, the sorceress could sense fewer Draconic life forms... her magic enabled her to sense the energy in all things living... but suddenly, she felt something... new. Something was... unfamiliar. She smelled something odd too... blood? Heading over to the source of it, Aurescia found a curious creature; it looked a bit like a Drake... like it was some sort of reptile... but it had feathers to it. Was this the work of a mage? Some sort of composite creature?
Putting the formula away, Aurescia saw that the creature's life force was weak... a close examination revealed that it had been badly hurt in a fight. Using a minor spell to make a single item hover, she was able to pick up the creature and support its weight... she was not sure her muscles could handle it if it was fully under the force of gravity. Taking the creature to the lab behind the store, Aurescia laid the Alimon down on a cushion. Since the store, magic lab, and house were all connected in one structure, she was able to use a cushion from their living room for this... it was the one she particularly liked... well, the blood stains could be dealt with later...
Applying a healing salve to the creature, Aurescia then cast a calming spell, so that whatever this thing was would not maul her, in case it was aggressive. She knew that the spell was only partially effective; if the creature was truly out for her blood, it would eat her very calmly. It was worth the risk, in any case... few mages passed up the chance to learn about a new, possibly magic creature... and she was beating her husband to it! She loved Ophion dearly, and was the happy mother of his children, but Aurescia never lost her fiery interest in learning, despite being the more "domestic" of the couple. What secrets did this creature have...?
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