Chronicla/3/1 (Lorica)

=Aspirations block=

Chapter 1.1: Introduction to Faera
The story begins in Aeutaril, the town of flowers, where the women frequently go to the nearby prairie to collect flowers in the morning. 14-year-old female protagonist Qura Auria is walking down the river-side road in the process of collecting fresh new flowers for her family home décor when she finds her best friend Tyl Loira, seemingly also doing the same thing. Qura waves to Tyl, prompting her to quickly hide something. Wanting to find out what Tyl is up to, Qura first asks leading questions to ascertain the fact that Tyl and Qura are best friends and that they would never hide anything from each other. Then Qura asks what Tyl had been doing earlier; Tyl replies that she was just picking the best flowers, a lie because it doesn't take long to pick flowers. Qura then probes what Tyl is carrying with her, and indeed sees nothing but her glass flower box. Apologizing, Qura collects her flowers, and shifts the discussion to news: Qura's father Teal has taken in the bride-price Tyl's father Judicad had brought over to their home, which means he's agreed to marry Qura off to Tyl's brother Intael. Qura is the first to leave, since Tyl is purposefully collecting flowers slowly. Once Qura had gone a little ways off, Tyl takes out her secret glass vials; Qura notices and doubles back. Tyl is caught red-handed and Qura threatens to tell the Loira family about her little secret unless Tyl shares it with her. Tyl wants to perform a sisterhood pact first. Qura is reminded of what this means: This is done by ceremonially cutting their skin and putting the blood in contact with each other. If one introduces his blood to another, the donor has various means of magical control over the recipient; however, if the blood is mutually shared, it creates a blood bond which causes any harm (or even death) suffered by one to be shared with the other, a very good means of enforcing a bond; blood magic's ceremonies can't be negated. Qura and Tyl perform the blood ritual using Tyl's flower-cutting scissors; they are now blood sisters. Tyl tells Qura that now that they've had a blood ritual, it's okay to tell Qura what Tyl has been doing. Tyl reveals all her vials hidden under her bra, and tells Qura what they are. They are actually filled with a variety of different, little creatures (gem-faera, insect-faera, weed-faera, flower-faera, sand-faera and stone-faera). Those Tyl possesses are capable of 1) Create Light, 2) Create Heat, and 3) Create Water. Tyl had been using these flower-picking excursions as a cover for finding magical creatures, something Tyl has been doing in secret for a long time. Problem is, since she doesn't have much time to work with them, she has no clue what to feed them, and so they always end up dying on her. Tyl tells Qura that there's a reason why she must keep this secret; magic is taboo throughout Lorica and women most certainly are not supposed to do such things. Qura can no longer tell on her because if she did, Tyl would likely be punished and Qura would suffer the same consequences. Then they suddenly come across a snake, one capable of quickly tunneling underground, and Qura goes into a panic, runs and screams in fright, not realizing that the magic of the faera could be so threatening. Tyl, however, is cool and quick to assert control of the situation and, brandishing the ceremonial knife used in the wedding, kills the snake and proceeds to harvest it for its magic (though she really has no clue). Qura admires Tyl's bravery and resolves to be more like her; the two also realize that faera reside in larger animals, which they can only get to if they were to venture away from home.

Chapter 1.2: Turning of Age
Qura and Tyl go back to their village together (this village is a mere hour's walk away from Aeutaril, and right next to the edge of the prairie). Along the way Tyl wonders if the magic she's discovered is the little critters' version of channeling. Qura's never heard of it, so Tyl tells Qura all about it: Syrragil's Arcane Academy is the premier institution for teaching channeling, which involves using bodily actions to create and control air, water, earth, and flame. Tyl describes the various things that channelers are capable of doing, and an amazed Qura finds the prospect of doing this to be much more attractive, and wants to become a mage. Of course, as a peasant girl she has nearly no chance of exploring the world at large. This is what Tyl refers to as the Spirit of Youth. Qura gets back home, takes the picked flowers out of her collection box and uses it to decorate their home. She realizes just how boring it will be to become a typical peasant wife, and realizes that it's not for her. Sara (her mother) tells her that the marriage ceremony has been arranged for noon. Qura protests, saying she wants to have control over her own life, and that she wants to pursue what will make her happy. Sara then tells Qura the story of the rain maker. Not too long ago, a rain maker named Ilradan had come to Aeutaril saying he was able to summon rain; at that time Aeutaril was in drought, so it mattered a big deal.