Galena

The Garzil hunts occurred every other month. They were formed to gather as many casters as possible. This was done by either a raid against the rebellion or using anonymous tips to go house to house, arresting people at their homes. The Garzil didn’t always have these hunts, they began a few years after Emma Hart was born and was one of the reasons why her parents were gone.

On the day of her fifteenth birthday, her parents had gone to their monthly meeting with their fellow Thaumaturgist and while there, a raid broke out; killing everyone, including her parents. Ever since then, Emma made it a point not to go out during these hunts. Even if it meant staying away from her favorite temple outside Kent to pray to Yhden. It was one of the last temples in Galena, as all the others had been destroyed and all statues of Yhden were replaced by a likeness of Garos.

Emma was one of the few who still believed in Yhden. She believed strongly in the light that connected Valo to the heavens. And believed deep within her heart that Yhden was the one who gave the people of this city their magic, just as they were the ones who gave her the ability of white light. Like her mother, Emma was a healer which was becoming a rare form in Galena; and in just a few months, she would be twenty-one and picking out her healer’s staff. This staff would become soul bound with her and assist with making her healing abilities stronger.

After Evelyn died, she couldn’t train her daughter in white magic, so she entrusted a family friend. Marie was not a healer, but she was well qualified. She was the last remaining Mage of Valo and an elder to Vorik - the village Emma lived in her entire life. To protect herself and the other casters, Marie had cast a shield and cloaking spell over Vorik to blend it into the mountain behind it. The only time a Vork left the village was when they joined the Thaumaturgy.

The only time Emma left the village was to pray to Yhden and with Marie’s help, they rehinged a portal Evelyn created in Kent to take the image of an apartment door. Only Emma and Marie had access to this portal, but during the raids Emma didn’t risk using the door. She didn’t want to put herself and Vorik in danger. But when word came through that the hunts were over, Emma threw on her cloak and head out the door. She closed the door behind her, watching the doorknob flash as it locked, and walked down the hallway in the building that held three other rooms.

Within five minutes she was entering the temple’s property. The temple was a small, abandoned building in the back of a large, overgrown garden. Following the moss-covered path, Emma passed the large fountain with a woman in the center. She had vines climbing up her body and leaves collected in the basket she was holding. Water was meant to pour from this basket, but after so many years of not being used, the water stopped flowing.

At the cast iron doors, Emma pushed them open and continued inside, bowing to the two idols at the end of the aisle. She took her seat on one of the benches and ran through her normal prayer list. She prayed for the High King to be found and restore peace and magic to Galena and thanked the female Yhden, Nainen, for her healing abilities and for having Marie in her life helping her deal with everything that has happened to her.

When she finished her prayers, Emma remained seated with her hands clasped under her chin. She looked up at the two statues that represented the light and darkness of their Gods. Nainen was sculpted with a kind face and reaching down to those who prayed to them. She held a staff, showing she was a healer, and stood closely with her counterpart, Uros. His gaze was stern, and he looked out across the Earth they created together. Uros was the dark aspect of the Gods and held his sword in front of him with the blade pointed down. He looked strong and proud next to Nainen.

Emma respected both deities and prayed to both because without light there was no darkness - and the universe always needed a balance.

After a few more minutes, Emma nodded to the two and stood up to leave. As she turned away, she lost her balance and felt the world beginning to spin around her. She fell back onto the bench and her vision became clouded.

Images flood her mind and she watched herself being pulled through Vorik then Kent and the streets of Galena. Her mind stopped spinning when she found herself standing in front of a store, staring up at the sign. She had the overwhelming feeling that she needed to connect to the people inside, but before she could take a step forward, she was pulled out of the vision and stared up at the hand Nainen was holding out. Emma’s eyebrows scrunched down and the only thing going through her mind was that she needed to speak to Marie right away.

“I think Yhden is telling me to do something!” Emma yelled, running out of her front door. She ran across the front yard to Marie’s house.

Marie kept rocking in her chair on the porch and looked up at Emma. “What happened?”

Emma quickly took the seat next to Marie and began to tell her what happened in the temple. “I have to go to the place Nainen showed me,” Emma concluded, “I need to meet those people…”

“Did you see a name on the building?”

“Creed something…” Emma let out, trying to remember the rest of the sign, “Creed B-”

“Creed’s Baked Goods?”

“Yes! That’s it! You know it?”

“Of course, dear. Vivian Creed passed it down to her family after her arrest.”

“You mean the woman who lead the first Thaumaturgy group?”

“That woman created the Thaumaturgy,” Marie corrected her. “Vivian’s role is much bigger than just a rebellion group. So, you believe you have to meet her children?”

Emma looked across the yard and felt it in her gut that she was. “Yes,” she answered, holding her pendant. It was Yhden’s symbol - a spiral. She looked back at Marie, worry beginning to fill her. “What if I see someone hurt? Do I ignore that my hands are on fire with the urge to heal them?” Emma never ignored someone hurt in Vorik, but in Vorik magic was allowed - Galena was completely different. She wasn’t even allowed to wear pants!

“I have faith you’ll be fine,” Marie squeezed her hand then went to fix her eye patch.

Losing her right eye was a reminder of the struggle she went through trying to escape Valo when Garos took over. It was also a reminder to Emma that Yhden had a path for them all to follow and this was one of them. There was no other reason why Yhden showed her this bakery and the intense feeling of needing to connect with whoever was inside. She decided in that moment she was going to do this. She was going to meet Vivian’s children and get to know them, then see where Yhden took her next.

After another thought, Emma told Marie she would go as soon as possible.