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messymagician · 4 years

Text

The Devil’s due

Sarah (Arcana OC) X Julian (Arcana) Follows the main plot story, with changes. Just shy of 4k words. ________________________________________________________________

Chapter 5 : Salty and bitter.

A gentle touch to the shoulder made the rather scruffy-looking magician grumble and gripe from her sleep. Scrunching up her little round nose as quiet chuckles roused her awake. "Mrrrrrmmmm…. What year is it?" She sighed sarcastically while lifting both palms to her face to squish the sleepiness from her eyes. Yikes she felt awful. Not mentally, just physically. Her knees were stiff and it felt as though both of her eyes had been left dry all night.

"I'm going to be heading out, I wanted to give you something before I leave." Asra soothed quietly, enjoying the sight of Sarah's almost childlike waking grumpiness.

It had been longer than he could remember since he'd had such a sudden connection to someone. But something about her… it was familiar. In the best possible way. Like being wrapped in a warm blanket that reminded oneself of home; watching her little mannerisms felt like a long lost pass-time.

Her drowsiness setting aside eased him back into the present, taking her hand to deposit something small but sturdy into her palm. Standing up and throwing a long shawl over his shoulder. "For the shop. You're welcome to stay whenever you need to."

She didn't have much time to both process his words, investigate the item, and thank him so the latter fell to the wayside temporarily. Flipping the chunk of metal over in her hand before the light morning blindness set aside and she could clearly see what it was. A key. Chunky and unpolished.

Oh wait, this is a key to here?! Her mouth opens to object but the front door clicks downstairs and as she quickly scans the room for Asra it seems he's already outside. Leaving her sitting with her legs dangling off of the spare bed for a moment. A key to the shop. Wow. Her meltdown yesterday must've really had some kind of impression huh. She huffed through her nose, struggling out from under the covers.

It looked like it was just past dawn. Not quite midday yet, the sun still hanging low in the morning position. A few flocks of pigeons sat softly cooing to one another on the opposing roofs outside. She stretches out, feeling her shoulders pop, before getting up and immediately going to explore the shop. There are so many cool things to look at, most of which totally blew over her head last night. She fumbled down the steep staircase and dropped the last two steps in one jump, feeling the last of her dopey waking-up brain finally turn its lights on.

The sweet smell of tea and cinnamon from last night has faded. Leaving a colder, but much fresher, air in the room. Her stomach rumbled hungrily but it was eclipsed by eager out-loud reading of ingredient bottles stored behind the front desk. "Ground amethyst, acorn tops, charmed writing quill ink, powdered pearls… Asra must have collected these himself." She mumbled to nobody in particular while turning a vial of melted lavender buds over in her hands.

An indeterminate amount of time had passed. Sarah, totally lost to the exploration of the shop's inventory, was startled by a loud knocking at the front door that made her jolt upright directly into the shelf above. Smoothing down her hair shortly after with a grumble. A customer? But she's not the store owner. Should she let-

"Sarah? Are you here? It's Portia- milady said that the other magician had you here last night-" a wave of relief made her eyes almost roll at Portia's little voice coming from behind the door. Briskly jogging over to pull it open, seemingly to the curvy woman's only brief surprise. "So you are here, I owe that new guy some money." She sweetly sings with a bright look to her rosy face. Portia was a lovely little hard worker, around Sarah's height but with just an absolute mountain of messy constantly curly hair tied back behind her head. If she didn't know her and Julian were siblings she probably could've guessed based on their hair alone. "We need to talk…"

"God, don't remind me. Julian was saying that all day yesterday." She cringed, stepping aside to let them in. Her words seemingly slipping Portia's mind as her little eyes got temporarily distracted by the sights inside.

"Wow, this is what the shop looks like? He wasn't lying huh, it really is a place for magical doo-hickeys." Her hands brushed along a crystal ball before she shook her head quickly and moved onto a long cabinet of herbs.

"...You said we needed to talk?"

"Oh! Sorry, Sarah. You're right." She swallows, placing a hand at her hip and cocking her head. "Milady wanted me to come check up on you. Um, see how you were doing on the investigation. You know with Ily- ...Julian." her cheery demeanour seems to diminish. Melting at the heavy weight of her love for her brother and her duty to Countess Nadia.

Sarah felt a sting of guilt and pity. This poor girl has Julian of all people as a brother. Being hunted down must be rough on her just as much as him. "Do you want me to catch him?" She asks gently, watching Portia's expression widen after being caught off guard.

"Me? Why would that matter?"

"He's your brother. And if Nadia catches him she'll…" The words struggle to come out. The both of them feeling sickly at what they already know is coming. "...He'll be hanged. Portia, are you really ok with that?"

"I-.... No. Are you?" She asks back innocently. As of trying to gauge Sarah's affinity toward her brother and her job.

But the answer was clear even to a blind man. Her brows pinching and turning up in mild worry. "No."

The previous unease in Portia's shoulders evaporates along with a long low breath. Like the concern never existed, a bright smile pierces her freckled cheeks. "Great! So we're partners then." She winks mischievously. Putting a smile back on Sarah's face too.

"Partners?" She echoes back as Portia's hair flops to one side over her shoulder

"Well, we both want the same thing. Right? You don't want my brother to die. I don't want my brother to die." Hmm. That is certainly a way of putting it. Though Portia quickly rolls her eyes and looks fed up. "Now we just have to make sure my brother doesn't want my brother to die."

"We need to get him out of the city." The little Devorak starts, placing both hands comfortably in front of her in a streamlined way. "As long as he's in Vesuvia, he's in danger." And as much as the plan sounded good something gnawed irritably at Sarah's ankles.

"Is he really going to let us help?" She asked uncertainty, watching Portia pout enough to give her an answer without words. If last night was any clue, Julian wasn't easy to just 'help' without getting some fussy kickback.

"Sounds like you're talking from experience." She griped, watching Sarah's chest heave in a long sigh.

"I am… last night-"

"Last night?" Portia quickly interjects, shushing her own surprise with pursed lips. It seems both siblings have a knack for trying to carry the conversation. It made Sarah smile a little despite the topic's contents.

"Yes. He… kept distancing himself. Trying to get me to go away, saying he needed to do things alone…"

Portia nodded firmly, rolling her eyes and flipping a small curl of fiery hair out of her face. "That sounds like Ilya, alright. Let me guess, he said it was to keep you safe?" Was he like this to everyone? Both his sister and the mysterious wizard, Asra, seemed to already know what would have transpired during last night's outing. It only made her more irritated that she fell for it and didn't fight harder.

A soft look of recognition passes Portia's blue eyes. "He used to do that to me all the time when we were younger. Never let me handle anything… Always shouldering someone else's burdens, while lamenting how heavy the load is." A short pause let Sarah giggle at Portia's dramatic body language when pretending to be 'faint' from dragging the world's problems around. "I mean, it's nice to hear he's still my same brother. And now that I'm older, maybe I can finally help carry that weight. Ilya needs people he can rely on…"

A spark intertwined between the two as they locked eyes. Some form of eager anticipation almost palpable in the fabric-scented air as Sarah pulled up the key to the shop and Portia grinned firmly. "He might need you. So let's go find him."

"Do you know where he went?" The obvious tone of both quiet challenge and mild intrigue made Portia head for the door. Already knowing that seeking out this Magician was a very good idea… for everyone's sake.

"I think I might know where he is. Follow me."

___________________________________

A heavy scent of booze and old wood filled Sarah's lungs as the tavern door swung open with little resistance. Inside was well lit with candles that hung in old bird cages from greying ropes. Several very plain and very old looking metal tankards clapped against grainy wooden tables. The atmosphere seemingly inviting them in, a little prepared for trouble.

Low-grumbling murmurs and hushed conversations made the air feel alive. A big, almost stereotypically, burly man behind the bar stood cleaning his mugs. Only stopping for a moment to nod their way before going back to his work. Oh yeah. This is absolutely the place.

Portia also seemed sure Julian would be hiding out here. A firm and unshakable look of certainty to her blue eyes. "Trust me. I know my brother. He'd definitely hang at a place called The Rowdy Raven." Her round elbow jabs playfully into Sarah's side, which she returns with a small nudge while their eyes scan the room in opposing directions. A semi-hidden spark of auburn forcing Sarah to double-take in it's seat. Sighing as she puts a hand on Portia's shoulder to get her attention.

Julian. Slumped drearily over a table with his face obscured by a thick tangle of indescribably frazzled hair. A tall glass mug in one hand and several more littering the table. All but the one he's loosely holding onto are empty. "Oh boy." Grumbles Portia from behind Sarah's arm. "There he is. Listen, when he gets like this, what he really needs is a good boot to the ass. You want to deliver it or should I?"

"A boot to the ass." Sarah repeats, with an almost cute scrunched up expression. As if she was trying her damnedest to look angry. Oh boy did she have the boot, she just had to stop feeling sorry for him first. He did this to himself and now they were going to drag his sorry boney butt out of it!

"Alright, you're up then." With a final pat to the back Portia let Sarah approach first. Clearing her throat as loudly as she could manage while crossing her arms to look bigger.

"Julian."

The semi-wasted man seems to jump a tad at the sound of his name being addressed so clearly. Almost dropping the slightly swaying cup in his hand while hauling his forehead away from the table. Looking up with an obviously not quite focused eye. Dazed for a moment before it shot wide open. "Sarah!" His speech was a little fumbled. But then again…. When wasn't it? "You uhhh- you're here. In the Raven. In front of me." There was a note of unprepared disbelief before he could straighten a little more. The collar of his white flowing shirt crooked on one side. "What, uh. What are you doing here?"

"What are YOU doing here. It's the middle of the day!" Portia barks from behind her now taking point to Sarah's right.

"It's never too early for a glass of Salty Bitters. Bartholomew makes a grand one. Barth! Hey, Barth!" Julian yells over the barely talking crowd, making Sarah's cheeks go red with embarrassment. "Two more bitters, would you?"

"Julian!" She whines, quickly re-centring his attention on her. "This is stupid, you're liable to be caught, acting like this."

He sneers cockily, only making her frown. "Caught? Me, caught?" Though within a matter of seconds it dissolves. Leaving only a sad mope. "Mmmm. Good. I deserve it." Just as fast as his mood changed before, it swiftly changed again. Clearly influenced heavily by the bitters. Throwing his arms out in a dramatic fashion. Backhanding a chair on accident that wobbles precariously before settling back down. "You must be relieved. Even if you weren't last night, well. Just look at me now, hmm? I'm all…. I'm all washed up. You'd better get out of here, before I drag you both down too."

Armed with the hindsight of last time, and both Portia and Asra's unsurprised reaction to the story, Sarah feels her crossed arms tighten. Not this time you sad sack of fermented leech juice, she's not going anywhere. Sarah wasn't about to walk out on him drowning himself in drink and dramatic sorrows while he gets arrested. "No."

"I- er, what?" He spluttered, having almost put the mug back in his mouth to drink. Staring at her in disbelief.

"We aren't leaving." She reiterated firmly, glancing over to Portia who gave a small hidden thumbs up to relieve her tension.

Julian looked positively stunned. Sitting in confused silence for a while before groaning and flopping his head noisily back down onto the table. Pressing his cheek into the wood grooves while his eye closed. His voice now partially muffled and very quiet. A reluctant retry at the same shtick. "I don't want either of you two tangled up in this mess. I can't be the reason you get hurt."

"Oh drop it already." Sarah lowered her crossed arms, knocking Portia's shoulder as a signal to chime in.

"We get to decide that, Ilya, not you! Stop trying to push us away."

"I-" His cheeks flushed red beneath the mop of hair where his face was. Lifting back up to look at them both in a dry-mouthed stupor. "Well, you both came all this way…" turning the charming less serious act back on with a mild smile. "Why don't you pull up a seat? Take a load off. Have a Salty Bitters. They're disgusting………. I've had five."

His admission of guilty drinking was almost funny. Given any other situation, Sarah would have likely found that statement hilarious and joined him. This, however, was not the time to sit and wait. "Well… we have two options. We can either spend all day here, crying into our drinks-" She gestures down at his mug with her head, raising her brows a little despite the half-lidded glare underneath them. A quiet 'you should they're delicious-' mumbling from Julian as she continued. "Or we can find out the truth, and discover what really happened."

Before any answer could be made Portia jumped in with her own. "Or, third option, we get Julian out of town and figure the rest out later!" She squeaked in mild distress. Obviously not trusting either of them to keep Julian out of trouble enough to make sure he's not caught.

He sighs, running a glove up through his mess of hair. "I can't just run away, Pasha. I tried it before, didn't turn out so well. It's time to face the music.

Looking exasperated, Portia rolls up her sleeves. "Fine, fine. So, if you didn't kill the count. Someone else must have, right?"

Julian's already red face seems to only get redder before he settles down. Trying to think through the hazy fog of one too many Salty Bitters. "I'm, I… didn't actually think about that. Either I did, or there's another killer on the loose." His charmed smile comes back after a moment. Considering the two little dumpling women in front of him with a silent hum. "Which is…. Bad. It's bad, if there's another murderer out there who isn't me." Catching his slowly rising concern with a side of sarcasm. "Though let's, uh. Let's be clear here. All signs point to me."

"If you mean signs as in; the fact you confessed, then yes. But other than that…. There …. Isn't really much evidence at all when you think about it." Sarah's hands lower from their crossed guard, landing squarely at her hips. The candle lanterns above, and quiet Rowdy Raven style music coming from a small band in the corner, threatening to unravel her seriousness with it's bubbly attitude.

Portia jumping back in as she leans over the table. "We still don't know that, Ilya! Shouldn't we find out for sure?"

He sits in relative silence for a moment. Eyeing the two troublesome pains in his ass. "I suppose we should. But …" finally the tenderness in his shoulders. A sparkle of victory lighting up his verbal assailants eyes. "...I don't think I can do this on my own."

Yes! Finally! If only she'd tried this last night. Though, Portia was a huge help too in getting him to back down. Both of their satisfied blue eyes met for a minute before they were grinning from ear to ear. "It's a good thing you don't have to, then! We can all figure it out together." Sarah's voice was restrained from being a shout, but she was clearly very excited.

Portia interrupts once more, a hand to her lips in thought. "So, if we can't get Julian out of the city yet, what's the next step?" She asked with a little shrug. The loose shirt she wore slipping off of one of her shoulders.

Oh. Yeah. The plan was to get him out of town. They'd discussed it on the way here… but it seems that plan has quickly changed course. Sarah mulled over their options in silence, running through a few scenarios before nodding firmly. Julian's life and freedom was now hanging from a rope, like before, only now there were steps underneath to get him out safely. But how to reach them… what would be the first action to take in proving his innocence. A frustration settled in the pit of her stomach, realising that every which way this happened they would need both Julian's lost memories as well as him being in the palace. A place not easy to get into if you're well known for murdering the count.

With a reluctant wave of her dainty hand Sarah curled the nearby lantern smoke into a quick visualisation of the palace. Much to Portia's poorly hidden delight at the sight of magic but underlying worry on realising where it was. "We should start at the scene of the crime." She roughly pointed to the palace's smoky form. Her ocean eyes narrowing on where she knew Lucio's wing to be. "It might help jog Julian's memory."

Julian opened his mouth ready to point out the glaring flaw in that plan but Portia beat him to it. "It won't be a problem for us, but how will Ilya get into the palace undetected?" She whines, thinking Sarah hadn't planned that far ahead yet. "If someone sees him it's all over."

Admittedly the how of this goal was still slipping her mind. She tried to look reassuring while searching the wood train a in the table for clues before a little candle lit up in her head. If they saw Julian he's as good as toast. But what if…. They didn't see him specifically? What if he… didn't look like himself. Her brow creased with uncertainty. It was a risky spell to perform but she knew she could do it. She had used the spell a few times before… but couldn't quite remember when. "I know some magic…. That might help with that." She squinted, mulling it over before feeling a front confidence pickle at her sides. "A spell to disguise him, make it so that we can walk in without him being recognised."

"What, you mean I'd become another person?" Julian's hair bobbed with his dramatic head movement. Looking up at Sarah and finally letting go of his mug of leftover bitters. "But who would I become?" The question was a dreaded one. She needed someone relatively unknown but in her memory strong enough to look right. Not only that, but they needed to have a logical reason to be travelling with Portia and herself.

A single person came to mind. As much as she didn't want to betray the kind strangers trust so soon after meeting them it's the only conclusion that made sense after several mental retakes. She bites her lip uncomfortably, looking discreetly at Julian's sleeve while debating whether she should tell him who she had in mind. They seemed to know each other, he had guessed Julian's entire talk with her last night… "I can only think of one person but… let's change you outside. Out of sight." Sarah cringed, already feeling her fingertips tingle.

Moving the off-kilter doctor proved to be a hassle as he tried quite valiantly to stay upright. Swaying this way and that, occasionally tripping over his own long boots as they all went outside. The crisp air was clean and cold compared to in the Rowdy Raven but it was a very welcome breath of fresh air. The sky was nice and blue now that it had hit midday. The tumbling trio scuttled away to a damp corner. Dark and out of sight, exactly as they had been looking for.

Sarah felt her nerves knot and twist as the disguise spell came to mind. Taking a deep breath to centre herself and closing her eyes. She just needed to see him… the cloud like fluffy white hair. His shining purple gaze. The ever so slight golden tint to his skin. She could almost smell the shop again, hanging from his shawl. Not wanting the vision to fade she quickly fumbled into her pocket for a handful of indescribable powder. Grey and unassuming. Before blowing it directly at Julian.

The powder shifted in the before shimmering like glitter and fading. Settling onto his scrunched up face as he avoided inhaling for a second. It…. Worked. He didn't look like himself any more. No blood red hair, no silver moon eye…

Portia seemed staggered by the sudden change for a second, staring with vague familiarity. "Ohh, who's that? He's handsome!" She gasps, watching her tall brother twist and turn to try to see himself. Though it seemed to him nothing looked different. Only to them… "What, what? What do I look like?" After fruitlessly trying to spot the change he scuttled deer-legged over to a nearby puddle. Dropping to his knees and peering in with wide eyes. "Oh my god." He stares, stiff, at the image reflected back at him. Asra. Looking exactly as Sarah had seen him this morning. "I'm definitely too drunk for this."

Sarah had to hold her face on seeing his wide and very unwittingly dumb grin on Asra's pretty face. Only managing one surprised snort before shutting herself up to prevent giggles.

#Arcana #Arcana oc #Arcana Portia #Arcana Asra #Arcana Julian #The Devil's due #arcana fanfic

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