Aura Vitae
Down, Sword Hand!
- 352
- Posts
- 12
- Years
- Seen Dec 23, 2019
Author's Notes
This fanfiction is obviously not Pokemon but instead based off of Fable 2. Welcome to my newest story on . My memory from actually playing the game is very rusty so I'll be relying on a Lets Play of Fable II. I got tired of looking at my old dead stories of my account with no idea how to even continue them so I'm starting a new story. I've been tossing around ideas for this for awhile and think I have a good foundation to start this. I'll paraphrase dialogue here and there for I don't hand the dialogue to feel like I simply copy and pasted it from the game. I'll be covering the See the Future and the Knothole Island DLCs in my story as well.
Notes: And there's the end of the prologue. I'll start working on the first chapter.
This fanfiction is obviously not Pokemon but instead based off of Fable 2. Welcome to my newest story on . My memory from actually playing the game is very rusty so I'll be relying on a Lets Play of Fable II. I got tired of looking at my old dead stories of my account with no idea how to even continue them so I'm starting a new story. I've been tossing around ideas for this for awhile and think I have a good foundation to start this. I'll paraphrase dialogue here and there for I don't hand the dialogue to feel like I simply copy and pasted it from the game. I'll be covering the See the Future and the Knothole Island DLCs in my story as well.
Prologue: Nightmarish Nights
A frigid wind blew, whipping the lightly falling flakes of snow all about Bowerstone, about with all the force of a Tidal Wave. Huddled about a controlled fire were two children, who looked to be siblings, trying to keep warm in the middle of Winter in Bowerstone Old Town. A single drop of bird poop descended from the sky and landed on top of the thick mop of brown hair of the youngest child, who looked to be a boy six years of age. Quickly, his pale and uncovered hands, which were much more slender than the ones of other boys his age, worked on wiping away the disgusting mess while his expression and posture twisted to one of disgust.
"What was that? Oh! Yuck" The elder girl, giggling a little when she realized that a young Sparrow had pooped on her little brother, asked with a tilt of her head. "Well... I hear that's lucky. Like finding a four-leaf clover. Although I think I'd prefer the clover."
The little boy simply stared at his older sister incredulously with his wide sky blue eyes fixed on her. The boy didn't find that luck or the humor in his situation that she obviously did. How was a bird pooping on your head lucky? At times he had to wonder if they were really siblings. Sure they were almost identical in appearance with the only differences being their age, gender, and eye color but Rose was just so strange at times. He had to agree, however, that he would of preferred the clover.
"Ah look, Little Sparrow." Rose, locking the gaze of her warm and inviting chocolate eyes upon Castle Fairfax, said suddenly.
Sparrow sighed. Once again like many a winter she gazed up to admire Castle Fairfax in awe and envy. The young boy had to admit that in the snow Castle Fairfax looked amazing. It was like a shining light in the distance which called out to them as if it were their Guardian Angel. Despite this, the young boy knew that his sister's fixation upon the Castle was unhealthy to say the least. His soft hands rubbed themselves over the top of the fire, relishing in the warmth that it brought, as he waited on what his sister had to say next.
"Castle Fairfax looks so nice in the snow." Rose, with her gaze trailing up and down the Castle that seemed to glimmer in the falling snow like a stark comparison against the bleak town around them, said while she rubbed her lightly tanned hands over the small fire. "Imagine the grand dining hall¬"
"Rose, are those nice travelers ever going to come back?" Sparrow, his sky blue eyes locked onto her, interrupted. Sparrow already knew the answer but he felt like he needed to say something to break his older sister out of her stupor. Sparrow never did like it when she got like that. There was always a tint of sadness in her voice whenever she got like that and it was upsetting for him to hear her so sad. Why couldn't she just hold on to the hope that one day they would get out of this wretched place? Sure, their parents were dead and their traveler friends couldn't make it but things would turn around.
"I don't know, Little Sparrow. It's already sooo far into winter. Even if they wanted to I doubt they could make it." Rose, with her voice regaining it's usual tone, said as she forced herself to look away from the Castle. "What's going on over there?"
Sparrow didn't realize what in the world she was talking about until he heard the uproar of laughter and clapping. The sound echoed around them for a few minutes before subsiding into hushed whispers. It seemed something was going on in the center of Old Town. Sparrow was a little curious as well. It was rare for something to be going on in Old Town. People rarely ever came due to the low standard of living. Maybe it was a Trader?
"Come with me, Little Brother." Rose, turning around to face the source of the noise, exclaimed before darting off down the poorly paved cobblestone street.
"Wait up!" Sparrow, chasing after her as fast as his short legs could take him, squeaked. This was the disadvantage of being born with short legs. Due to their difference in height, the younger boy had a difficult time trying to keep up with Rose as they wound their way through the narrow passage way. Rose was always a few feet in front of him. Sparrow was thrown back onto his butt when he collided into his older sister's suddenly still form. Why did she stop?
"Hello there, young Rose. You look hungry." Came the voice of a man whom they both hated. His voice had this certain draw to it that only belonged to that of a man up to no good. Sparrow's first instinct was to get up and drag his sister away from Arfur. Sparrow wasn't sure what it was about Arfur that made his skin crawl in disgust but there was something there. Maybe it was that lecherous smile that he was known so well for? Maybe it was the constant offer that the old pervert constant offered Rose?
"Have you reconsidered my offer?" Arfur, his beady eyes looking Rose up and down, asked with anticipation. Sparrow wasn't exactly sure what the offer was but it couldn't of been good if it sent so many chills down the boy's back. Thankfully, Sparrow knew that his beloved sister would always turn him down. It was the only relief that Sparrow ever felt when they ran into the creep.
"Not in a million years. We'll never get that hungry." Rose, turning to help her little brother up off the ground, said with what looked to be anger in her chocolate eyes.
"You'll be back. And I'll be waiting for ya." Arfur stated as if he could predict the future before walking away from them while muttering something underneath his breath.
"Come on, Little Sparrow. Let's see what's going on over there." Rose said before she continued on with her dash.
Sparrow couldn't help but to notice the shaky quality of her voice as if she were trying to stay calm before following after Rose. There they came across a giant mass of people crowded around what seemed to be a giant caravan. Sparrow's line of site ended just below the necks of the mass of adults so he could barely see a thing. From the looks of the caravan, however, he could see that it was just a trader. He was half tempted to leave but some impulse forced to find out what the Trader had for sale.
"Rose, Lemme climb up onto your shoulders. I wanna see what he has to sell." Sparrow pleaded as his eyes twinkled with something akin to excitement.
"What? But it's just a Trader." Rose pointed out before finally caving into her brother's pleading gaze. "Fine, climb on."
Sparrow, silently cheering, climbed upon Rose's narrow shoulders. From his new elevation, Sparrow could see everything that was going on. Inside the Caravan was a plump man who looked to be in his early forties. The young boy's blue orbs were fixated upon the black handle bar mustache of the man, whom Sparrow assumed to be Murgo due to the sign on top of the caravan. Reading was a skill that Sparrow was proud of himself for. It was the one of the last things that their parents taught him before they passed away.
"A-ladies and a-gentlemen..." Murgo, throwing out his arms with a dramatic flare akin to that of an actor reciting his lines with passion before rubbing his hands together, exclaimed as his maroon top-hat bounced a little with the action. "I have traveled the land accumulating wondrous and mysterious objects, which I offer to you for the modest price of five gold. Consider this. This is truly a magical mirror for as long as you look into it. It will make you beautiful!"
Sparrow noticed that the Trader was pointing towards a giant full body mirror in the back of his caravan. How was it supposed to be magical? It looked like a regular old mirror to him and a badly kept one at that. Sparrow, having realized that this guy was nothing more than a scam artist, felt the urge to climb down Rose's shoulders but something held him there. After a few seconds the boy realized what it was. There on the far left side of the caravan was a hexagon shaped music box which looked like it were made of silver. Something about it was captivating the boy's attention. Maybe it was the strange symbols darting the surface?
"I'll take it!" Came of a random person in the crowd.
"Very wise now just remember. The magic only works if you look at it in complete darkness."Murgo, moving his arms about as he spoke, stated.
"What a load of rubbish." Sparrow heard Rose mutter under her breath.
"Ah, now this is truly a marvel." Murgo, leading the crowd's attention to the music box, stated in what sounded almost like mock wonder. "This small, unassuming box is actually a device created by the ancients. As used by the Old Kingdom Rulers themselves. Turn the handle three times, and you shall be granted a single wish."
"There's no such thing as magic." Rose said as Sparrow climbed down from her narrow shoulders.
Sparrow frowned slightly. Something in his gut tugged at him to believe that the box was magic despite the ridiculousness of the claim. His sky blue eyes had their gaze locked up Rose as the snow fell all around them. It would a pretty sight if not for the seriousness of their situation. Slowly but surely the crowd began to trickle away. That was when the boy noticed the strange old woman beside them. From the way she was dressed it looked like she was a Gypsy with a white and red cloak. The thing that Sparrow noticed the most about her was her milky white eyes. She was blind.
"We live in grim times indeed, if the young are too world-weary to believe in magic." The old woman, her voice reflecting what almost felt like ageless wisdom, noted sadly. "Most children your age believe eagerly."
"Look, I can see your eyes are bad but I'm telling you that music box is rubbish." Rose, having took notice of the woman's sightless eyes, argued. For the first time in awhile Sparrow heard a cynical quality in his sister's voice. Sparrow had a talent for picking up on how a person's voice sounded. He could tell if they were happy or sad just by the changes in the rises and falls of their speech. It was how Sparrow could tell when she was lying to make him feel but he never actually called her on it.
"That's what the seller thinks. He has no idea what he stumbled upon, but you have an inkling, don't you? Some part of you wants to believe it's magic." Came the reply of the Gypsy Woman, who was beginning to turn away. The woman sounded like she was completely convinced that what she said was the truth unlike the Trader who was obviously making things up. Sparrow felt the urge to believe her. He wanted the music box to be the real deal. He wanted to take his sister away from here and make her happy again.
"What... you really think it could be?" Rose, forcing the old woman to stop with this question, asked.
"For five gold coins, you could have your answer." The old woman, turning her head to her right.
"For five gold coins, we could eat for a week." Rose, still unsure of whether the music box was magic, stated defensively.
"Listen to me, Rose; at the end of that week, you and your little sparrow would be no closer to your dream. No closer to the inside of that beautiful castle." The old woman, leaving Sparrow confused about how she knew their names, called as she disappeared down the street.
The gypsy woman left, leaving a shocked Rose behind. Sparrow noted something different about her facial expression as she turned around to talk to him. Her face seemed softer as if just released from a mask of cynicism. Deep within her warm and chocolate brown eyes were what seemed to be tiny traces of hope. Sparrow couldn't remember when the last time he saw hope reflected in her eyes.
"What if it is real?" Rose, with uncertainty reflected in her voice, asked. "I bet we could get five gold pieces... and maybe this could be a way out of here after all. What do we have to lose, Little Sparrow?" Sparrow shifted his weight from one leg to another as she said that. "Come on. There must be someone around here who will pay us to do... somethin'."
Sparrow stood there to moment to ponder this. Who would pay two underage orphans gold for their services? The sound of fingers snapping in front of his face brought Sparrow out of his revery. Sparrow, following his line of sight along with where Rose's other hand was pointing, noticed a tall man trying to get their attention. Sparrow could recognize Derrick, the Guard, from just about anywhere. His hat was a hard thing to miss in the falling snow.
"Oi, kids. C'm'ere a minute." Derrick, still trying to draw their attention, called at the top of his lungs.
"'Hello, Derrick. Lose something?" Rose asked when they finally got within reasonable talking distance of the guard.
"My arrest warrants. Blew right out of my hands. They could be in all corners of Bowerstone by now and I can't leave my post." Derrick explained to the siblings. "Hey, why don't you find them for me? You could be like little constables! Sounds fun, right?"
"How much do 'little constables' get paid?" Rose, getting right down to the business of the matter at hand, asked with her hands on her hips.
"Paid? Listen, kids. These are the five most wanted criminals in Bowerstone."
"Yeah? Well how badly do you want 'em?" Rose pushed stubbornly. Sparrow had to admit that his sister could be quite persuasive at times. Just one look into Derrick's eyes and Sparrow could tell that he was about to give in. It was almost as if Rose had dipped her tongue in a pool of silver before waking Sparrow up this morning. Rose's talent for persuasion was useful when they needed to get food.
"Fine! One gold piece for all five warrants." Derrick, caving in to the demands of Rose, said.
"Deal." Rose, smiling about her success, said happily.
"The warrants blew off in that direction. Through that alley by the bloke with the picture box." Derrick, pointing his right arm to his right, said finally.
"So, we'll look out for those warrants, but for now let's find some more money." Rose, turning around to head for the alleyway, said firmly.
Slowly, the siblings headed for the alleyway by the guy with the picture box. Sparrow had no clue what a picture box was to tell the truth. Soon they came across another strange sight for Old Town. There by the alleyway was a scrawny man dressed funny for the area. Up on top of his head were a pair of goggles. Right by him was a stage, which looked to be made out of oak, set up in front of a backdrop, which was set up on the back of a little house, of what looked like the entrance to Bowerstone. Nearby the stage and the little man was a small crowd of people.
The strangest thing to Sparrow about this scene was the picture box itself. It seemed to be made of oak, only a shade lighter, just like the stage it was positioned in front of. It was a small wooden box set up on a stand which had three wooden legs. That's all that Sparrow was able to make out of it from behind. Just what did it do, however? What was a picture anyways?
"Hello, Children." The funny looking man, noticing Rose and Sparrow for the first time, said.
"Hello, what's that?" Rose, pointing to the picture box, asked curiously.
"This? Why it's the most amazing device ever conceived." The man stated in awe and wonder of his own machine. "It grabs your very likeness and transfiddles it onto a magic piece of paper. It's going to make me very rich! If only I could find someone to modellify for it."
"We'll do it... for a gold piece." Rose stated before Sparrow could make a comment on the man's poor use of the English language.
"Hmm... I only have one gold left. But your right, I should investalise it in my new venture. Deal!" The man stated. In any other situation Sparrow would of felt bad about this but they needed the gold so he wasn't going to complain. Sparrow's mind trailed off while the strange man explained what they had to do. He was more interested in watching the snow drift slowly down to the ground. It was peaceful watching the sun's light get reflected off of each individual flake.
"Be-what?" Rose, snapping Sparrow out of his revery while dragging him up onto the wooden stage, asked. Sparrow could feel and hear the wood creak beneath each step they took to get into positions. Just like most every other building in Old Town, it was made of poor quality and looked like it would crack at any given moment.
"Ah yes, I've been improving my vocabularium with a wonderful book bought from Murgo the trade. A Thesaurus!" The strange man explained as they posed.
"He's a bit silly, isn't he? But this should be fun." Rose, crossing her arms over her chest and pointing her head towards the picture box, whispered to Sparrow.
Sparrow had to admit that this man was a bit peculiar as he flexed his muscles like he were a bodybuilder. The waited in their poses for what seemed to Sparrow like an eternity when in all reality only a few minutes had passed before a light flashed on from the picture box. Sparrow, trying to rid his vision of the dots, blinked. They hadn't been warned about the flashing light that would of occurred.
"Wondrous! This thing is going to be more popular than the pox." The strange man exclaimed joyously before he handed them their first gold piece-
A frigid wind blew, whipping the lightly falling flakes of snow all about Bowerstone, about with all the force of a Tidal Wave. Huddled about a controlled fire were two children, who looked to be siblings, trying to keep warm in the middle of Winter in Bowerstone Old Town. A single drop of bird poop descended from the sky and landed on top of the thick mop of brown hair of the youngest child, who looked to be a boy six years of age. Quickly, his pale and uncovered hands, which were much more slender than the ones of other boys his age, worked on wiping away the disgusting mess while his expression and posture twisted to one of disgust.
"What was that? Oh! Yuck" The elder girl, giggling a little when she realized that a young Sparrow had pooped on her little brother, asked with a tilt of her head. "Well... I hear that's lucky. Like finding a four-leaf clover. Although I think I'd prefer the clover."
The little boy simply stared at his older sister incredulously with his wide sky blue eyes fixed on her. The boy didn't find that luck or the humor in his situation that she obviously did. How was a bird pooping on your head lucky? At times he had to wonder if they were really siblings. Sure they were almost identical in appearance with the only differences being their age, gender, and eye color but Rose was just so strange at times. He had to agree, however, that he would of preferred the clover.
"Ah look, Little Sparrow." Rose, locking the gaze of her warm and inviting chocolate eyes upon Castle Fairfax, said suddenly.
Sparrow sighed. Once again like many a winter she gazed up to admire Castle Fairfax in awe and envy. The young boy had to admit that in the snow Castle Fairfax looked amazing. It was like a shining light in the distance which called out to them as if it were their Guardian Angel. Despite this, the young boy knew that his sister's fixation upon the Castle was unhealthy to say the least. His soft hands rubbed themselves over the top of the fire, relishing in the warmth that it brought, as he waited on what his sister had to say next.
"Castle Fairfax looks so nice in the snow." Rose, with her gaze trailing up and down the Castle that seemed to glimmer in the falling snow like a stark comparison against the bleak town around them, said while she rubbed her lightly tanned hands over the small fire. "Imagine the grand dining hall¬"
"Rose, are those nice travelers ever going to come back?" Sparrow, his sky blue eyes locked onto her, interrupted. Sparrow already knew the answer but he felt like he needed to say something to break his older sister out of her stupor. Sparrow never did like it when she got like that. There was always a tint of sadness in her voice whenever she got like that and it was upsetting for him to hear her so sad. Why couldn't she just hold on to the hope that one day they would get out of this wretched place? Sure, their parents were dead and their traveler friends couldn't make it but things would turn around.
"I don't know, Little Sparrow. It's already sooo far into winter. Even if they wanted to I doubt they could make it." Rose, with her voice regaining it's usual tone, said as she forced herself to look away from the Castle. "What's going on over there?"
Sparrow didn't realize what in the world she was talking about until he heard the uproar of laughter and clapping. The sound echoed around them for a few minutes before subsiding into hushed whispers. It seemed something was going on in the center of Old Town. Sparrow was a little curious as well. It was rare for something to be going on in Old Town. People rarely ever came due to the low standard of living. Maybe it was a Trader?
"Come with me, Little Brother." Rose, turning around to face the source of the noise, exclaimed before darting off down the poorly paved cobblestone street.
"Wait up!" Sparrow, chasing after her as fast as his short legs could take him, squeaked. This was the disadvantage of being born with short legs. Due to their difference in height, the younger boy had a difficult time trying to keep up with Rose as they wound their way through the narrow passage way. Rose was always a few feet in front of him. Sparrow was thrown back onto his butt when he collided into his older sister's suddenly still form. Why did she stop?
"Hello there, young Rose. You look hungry." Came the voice of a man whom they both hated. His voice had this certain draw to it that only belonged to that of a man up to no good. Sparrow's first instinct was to get up and drag his sister away from Arfur. Sparrow wasn't sure what it was about Arfur that made his skin crawl in disgust but there was something there. Maybe it was that lecherous smile that he was known so well for? Maybe it was the constant offer that the old pervert constant offered Rose?
"Have you reconsidered my offer?" Arfur, his beady eyes looking Rose up and down, asked with anticipation. Sparrow wasn't exactly sure what the offer was but it couldn't of been good if it sent so many chills down the boy's back. Thankfully, Sparrow knew that his beloved sister would always turn him down. It was the only relief that Sparrow ever felt when they ran into the creep.
"Not in a million years. We'll never get that hungry." Rose, turning to help her little brother up off the ground, said with what looked to be anger in her chocolate eyes.
"You'll be back. And I'll be waiting for ya." Arfur stated as if he could predict the future before walking away from them while muttering something underneath his breath.
"Come on, Little Sparrow. Let's see what's going on over there." Rose said before she continued on with her dash.
Sparrow couldn't help but to notice the shaky quality of her voice as if she were trying to stay calm before following after Rose. There they came across a giant mass of people crowded around what seemed to be a giant caravan. Sparrow's line of site ended just below the necks of the mass of adults so he could barely see a thing. From the looks of the caravan, however, he could see that it was just a trader. He was half tempted to leave but some impulse forced to find out what the Trader had for sale.
"Rose, Lemme climb up onto your shoulders. I wanna see what he has to sell." Sparrow pleaded as his eyes twinkled with something akin to excitement.
"What? But it's just a Trader." Rose pointed out before finally caving into her brother's pleading gaze. "Fine, climb on."
Sparrow, silently cheering, climbed upon Rose's narrow shoulders. From his new elevation, Sparrow could see everything that was going on. Inside the Caravan was a plump man who looked to be in his early forties. The young boy's blue orbs were fixated upon the black handle bar mustache of the man, whom Sparrow assumed to be Murgo due to the sign on top of the caravan. Reading was a skill that Sparrow was proud of himself for. It was the one of the last things that their parents taught him before they passed away.
"A-ladies and a-gentlemen..." Murgo, throwing out his arms with a dramatic flare akin to that of an actor reciting his lines with passion before rubbing his hands together, exclaimed as his maroon top-hat bounced a little with the action. "I have traveled the land accumulating wondrous and mysterious objects, which I offer to you for the modest price of five gold. Consider this. This is truly a magical mirror for as long as you look into it. It will make you beautiful!"
Sparrow noticed that the Trader was pointing towards a giant full body mirror in the back of his caravan. How was it supposed to be magical? It looked like a regular old mirror to him and a badly kept one at that. Sparrow, having realized that this guy was nothing more than a scam artist, felt the urge to climb down Rose's shoulders but something held him there. After a few seconds the boy realized what it was. There on the far left side of the caravan was a hexagon shaped music box which looked like it were made of silver. Something about it was captivating the boy's attention. Maybe it was the strange symbols darting the surface?
"I'll take it!" Came of a random person in the crowd.
"Very wise now just remember. The magic only works if you look at it in complete darkness."Murgo, moving his arms about as he spoke, stated.
"What a load of rubbish." Sparrow heard Rose mutter under her breath.
"Ah, now this is truly a marvel." Murgo, leading the crowd's attention to the music box, stated in what sounded almost like mock wonder. "This small, unassuming box is actually a device created by the ancients. As used by the Old Kingdom Rulers themselves. Turn the handle three times, and you shall be granted a single wish."
"There's no such thing as magic." Rose said as Sparrow climbed down from her narrow shoulders.
Sparrow frowned slightly. Something in his gut tugged at him to believe that the box was magic despite the ridiculousness of the claim. His sky blue eyes had their gaze locked up Rose as the snow fell all around them. It would a pretty sight if not for the seriousness of their situation. Slowly but surely the crowd began to trickle away. That was when the boy noticed the strange old woman beside them. From the way she was dressed it looked like she was a Gypsy with a white and red cloak. The thing that Sparrow noticed the most about her was her milky white eyes. She was blind.
"We live in grim times indeed, if the young are too world-weary to believe in magic." The old woman, her voice reflecting what almost felt like ageless wisdom, noted sadly. "Most children your age believe eagerly."
"Look, I can see your eyes are bad but I'm telling you that music box is rubbish." Rose, having took notice of the woman's sightless eyes, argued. For the first time in awhile Sparrow heard a cynical quality in his sister's voice. Sparrow had a talent for picking up on how a person's voice sounded. He could tell if they were happy or sad just by the changes in the rises and falls of their speech. It was how Sparrow could tell when she was lying to make him feel but he never actually called her on it.
"That's what the seller thinks. He has no idea what he stumbled upon, but you have an inkling, don't you? Some part of you wants to believe it's magic." Came the reply of the Gypsy Woman, who was beginning to turn away. The woman sounded like she was completely convinced that what she said was the truth unlike the Trader who was obviously making things up. Sparrow felt the urge to believe her. He wanted the music box to be the real deal. He wanted to take his sister away from here and make her happy again.
"What... you really think it could be?" Rose, forcing the old woman to stop with this question, asked.
"For five gold coins, you could have your answer." The old woman, turning her head to her right.
"For five gold coins, we could eat for a week." Rose, still unsure of whether the music box was magic, stated defensively.
"Listen to me, Rose; at the end of that week, you and your little sparrow would be no closer to your dream. No closer to the inside of that beautiful castle." The old woman, leaving Sparrow confused about how she knew their names, called as she disappeared down the street.
The gypsy woman left, leaving a shocked Rose behind. Sparrow noted something different about her facial expression as she turned around to talk to him. Her face seemed softer as if just released from a mask of cynicism. Deep within her warm and chocolate brown eyes were what seemed to be tiny traces of hope. Sparrow couldn't remember when the last time he saw hope reflected in her eyes.
"What if it is real?" Rose, with uncertainty reflected in her voice, asked. "I bet we could get five gold pieces... and maybe this could be a way out of here after all. What do we have to lose, Little Sparrow?" Sparrow shifted his weight from one leg to another as she said that. "Come on. There must be someone around here who will pay us to do... somethin'."
Sparrow stood there to moment to ponder this. Who would pay two underage orphans gold for their services? The sound of fingers snapping in front of his face brought Sparrow out of his revery. Sparrow, following his line of sight along with where Rose's other hand was pointing, noticed a tall man trying to get their attention. Sparrow could recognize Derrick, the Guard, from just about anywhere. His hat was a hard thing to miss in the falling snow.
"Oi, kids. C'm'ere a minute." Derrick, still trying to draw their attention, called at the top of his lungs.
"'Hello, Derrick. Lose something?" Rose asked when they finally got within reasonable talking distance of the guard.
"My arrest warrants. Blew right out of my hands. They could be in all corners of Bowerstone by now and I can't leave my post." Derrick explained to the siblings. "Hey, why don't you find them for me? You could be like little constables! Sounds fun, right?"
"How much do 'little constables' get paid?" Rose, getting right down to the business of the matter at hand, asked with her hands on her hips.
"Paid? Listen, kids. These are the five most wanted criminals in Bowerstone."
"Yeah? Well how badly do you want 'em?" Rose pushed stubbornly. Sparrow had to admit that his sister could be quite persuasive at times. Just one look into Derrick's eyes and Sparrow could tell that he was about to give in. It was almost as if Rose had dipped her tongue in a pool of silver before waking Sparrow up this morning. Rose's talent for persuasion was useful when they needed to get food.
"Fine! One gold piece for all five warrants." Derrick, caving in to the demands of Rose, said.
"Deal." Rose, smiling about her success, said happily.
"The warrants blew off in that direction. Through that alley by the bloke with the picture box." Derrick, pointing his right arm to his right, said finally.
"So, we'll look out for those warrants, but for now let's find some more money." Rose, turning around to head for the alleyway, said firmly.
Slowly, the siblings headed for the alleyway by the guy with the picture box. Sparrow had no clue what a picture box was to tell the truth. Soon they came across another strange sight for Old Town. There by the alleyway was a scrawny man dressed funny for the area. Up on top of his head were a pair of goggles. Right by him was a stage, which looked to be made out of oak, set up in front of a backdrop, which was set up on the back of a little house, of what looked like the entrance to Bowerstone. Nearby the stage and the little man was a small crowd of people.
The strangest thing to Sparrow about this scene was the picture box itself. It seemed to be made of oak, only a shade lighter, just like the stage it was positioned in front of. It was a small wooden box set up on a stand which had three wooden legs. That's all that Sparrow was able to make out of it from behind. Just what did it do, however? What was a picture anyways?
"Hello, Children." The funny looking man, noticing Rose and Sparrow for the first time, said.
"Hello, what's that?" Rose, pointing to the picture box, asked curiously.
"This? Why it's the most amazing device ever conceived." The man stated in awe and wonder of his own machine. "It grabs your very likeness and transfiddles it onto a magic piece of paper. It's going to make me very rich! If only I could find someone to modellify for it."
"We'll do it... for a gold piece." Rose stated before Sparrow could make a comment on the man's poor use of the English language.
"Hmm... I only have one gold left. But your right, I should investalise it in my new venture. Deal!" The man stated. In any other situation Sparrow would of felt bad about this but they needed the gold so he wasn't going to complain. Sparrow's mind trailed off while the strange man explained what they had to do. He was more interested in watching the snow drift slowly down to the ground. It was peaceful watching the sun's light get reflected off of each individual flake.
"Be-what?" Rose, snapping Sparrow out of his revery while dragging him up onto the wooden stage, asked. Sparrow could feel and hear the wood creak beneath each step they took to get into positions. Just like most every other building in Old Town, it was made of poor quality and looked like it would crack at any given moment.
"Ah yes, I've been improving my vocabularium with a wonderful book bought from Murgo the trade. A Thesaurus!" The strange man explained as they posed.
"He's a bit silly, isn't he? But this should be fun." Rose, crossing her arms over her chest and pointing her head towards the picture box, whispered to Sparrow.
Sparrow had to admit that this man was a bit peculiar as he flexed his muscles like he were a bodybuilder. The waited in their poses for what seemed to Sparrow like an eternity when in all reality only a few minutes had passed before a light flashed on from the picture box. Sparrow, trying to rid his vision of the dots, blinked. They hadn't been warned about the flashing light that would of occurred.
"Wondrous! This thing is going to be more popular than the pox." The strange man exclaimed joyously before he handed them their first gold piece-
Notes: And there's the end of the prologue. I'll start working on the first chapter.