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smashconTitle: The Fanalis in Chains
Author: Hestia
Rating: PG
Prompt: “If you were waiting for the opportune moment, that was it.” - Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean
Fandom/Series: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Word Count: 999
Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from the story and all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator(s).
Summary:
"They were old things, rust eating away at them and infuriatingly loose... But they were chains all the same."
It's supposed to be a normal day at the Balbadd markets for Morgiana. But what happens -both in her mind and out- is something else.
The Fanalis in Chains
The iron shackles around her legs had rubbed her ankles raw a long time ago, and the persisting sun beat down on her, but eleven year-old Morgiana barely felt it. She was a Fanalis, a warrior from the Dark Continent, and no weather was going to stop her.
Beside her strode Goltas, and in front Jamil, with that highborn swagger of his. Morgiana told herself to not care, to feel no emotion. But she couldn’t help it. He makes me sick. But… She recalled the beatings he had given her over the years, and shuddered inwardly.
They were travelling to the markets of Balbadd, a thriving epicentre filled with masses of stalls, hundreds of overweight merchants and twice as many slaves. Morgiana glanced down at her chains. They were old things, rust eating away at them and infuriatingly loose. But they were chains all the same, and branded her as nothing more than a tool for others.
There’s no point complaining about that, she told herself firmly. Lately she’d been on her toes. She had no idea why, but there’d been a nagging feeling in her chest that made her feel as if something big was about to happen. Although telling herself over and over again that it was just her imagination, the feeling remained, and it had been hanging over her like a storm cloud for the past day or so.
Morgiana glanced ahead. A swarm of faint voices had reached her ears. They were almost at the markets.
Her feet kicked the dust.
They’d just had a ridiculous conversation with an equally ridiculous merchant, and she was just about to lower her head again and lose herself in her thoughts before a loud shout came from just ahead. She looked up sharply and saw a man detach himself from a bustling clump of buyers in front of a stall and run down an alleyway. Cries of “thief!” and “give that back!” reached the three. Jamil sighed.
“I wouldn’t want to bother, normally, but I’m on good terms with that stall owner, so…” He glanced over at Morgiana. “Go.”
She didn’t need to be told twice.
Morgiana broke into a sprint, her powerful legs propelling her ahead much faster than that of any normal human being. There was still shackles around her ankles, that was true, but she’d never felt more free.
A sudden thought struck her. Is this a chance to escape? Her heartbeat quickened. I’ve been having this feeling all day, maybe this my opportunity to-
Stop. Stop it. She bared her teeth. You are a slave, Morgiana. You will never be free.
She was just behind the thief now. He was running as fast as he could, but those spindly legs of his were no match for her. He was fast, however. Fast enough so that she might be able to grab him in time…
She jumped.
Her feet slammed into his back with the iron hard strength of a Fanalis. He fell forward, skidding on the ground before coming to a stop. Morgiana stood above him. She grabbed the bag of gold he’d stolen with one hand. The other grabbed tight around his collar and began to drag him along with her. Immediately the pleas began.
“I beg of you, I’m just trying to feed my family, don’t…” Morgiana ignored him. He was nothing more than a thief, and an object that she needed to return to her master. At least, that was on the outside. In her head, however, was a different story.
Did I just miss my chance to escape? Could I have gotten away? In her heart she knew that she could have never escaped. It was simply impossible for her.
She was met by a relieved merchant, two men- no doubt the ones who’d had the bag of gold stolen from them, and Jamil, with a ridiculously fake smile.
“The gold.” She gave it to its original owners. “The thief.” She threw the now unconscious man down at Jamil’s feet.
The strangers who had been robbed stepped forward, turning to Jamil.
“Thankyou for spending your time to catch the thief,” they said graciously, completely ignoring Morgiana. “The Prince would have been very upset if he had lost all his spending gold.” The two ushered another much smaller figure in front of them. “Go on, Prince Saluja. Be polite.”
The boy blushed slightly. “Th… Thankyou…” He looked past Jamil and met eyes with Morgiana. For a moment she froze. He looked only slightly older than her, but there was something about the way he carried himself and the look in those deep brown eyes of his that made her think otherwise. There was a split second in which they stood like that, then the boy dived his blonde head behind the two other buyers now, who laughed apologetically.
“Prince Saluja is quite shy,” one said. “Nevertheless, he is very grateful, I assure you.”
Jamil smiled sweetly. “It is no hassle. I’m glad I could aid you.” He bowed respectfully, before ordering Goltas to pick up the thief and setting off.
Morgiana followed him, barely noticing her master complaining about the lack of guards to deliver the criminal to. She was busy thinking about those two brown eyes that she had seen just moments before.
She hadn’t said anything, of course, but seeing them had given her this strange urge to speak. To the boy, of all people! She didn’t even know him, and by the sounds of it, he had been born into an extremely highborn family. But she had felt the urge all the same.
Morgiana’s right hand went to her chest. The unsettling feeling had disappeared. I may have missed a chance to escape, she thought quietly. But… was there something else that I had left out?
Or someone?
Morgiana shook her head firmly, erasing the thoughts. It doesn’t matter… It’s not like I’m going to meet him again.
Three years onwards, she could have never been more wrong.
***
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Author: Hestia
Rating: PG
Prompt: “If you were waiting for the opportune moment, that was it.” - Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean
Fandom/Series: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Word Count: 999
Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from the story and all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator(s).
Summary:
"They were old things, rust eating away at them and infuriatingly loose... But they were chains all the same."
It's supposed to be a normal day at the Balbadd markets for Morgiana. But what happens -both in her mind and out- is something else.
The Fanalis in Chains
The iron shackles around her legs had rubbed her ankles raw a long time ago, and the persisting sun beat down on her, but eleven year-old Morgiana barely felt it. She was a Fanalis, a warrior from the Dark Continent, and no weather was going to stop her.
Beside her strode Goltas, and in front Jamil, with that highborn swagger of his. Morgiana told herself to not care, to feel no emotion. But she couldn’t help it. He makes me sick. But… She recalled the beatings he had given her over the years, and shuddered inwardly.
They were travelling to the markets of Balbadd, a thriving epicentre filled with masses of stalls, hundreds of overweight merchants and twice as many slaves. Morgiana glanced down at her chains. They were old things, rust eating away at them and infuriatingly loose. But they were chains all the same, and branded her as nothing more than a tool for others.
There’s no point complaining about that, she told herself firmly. Lately she’d been on her toes. She had no idea why, but there’d been a nagging feeling in her chest that made her feel as if something big was about to happen. Although telling herself over and over again that it was just her imagination, the feeling remained, and it had been hanging over her like a storm cloud for the past day or so.
Morgiana glanced ahead. A swarm of faint voices had reached her ears. They were almost at the markets.
Her feet kicked the dust.
They’d just had a ridiculous conversation with an equally ridiculous merchant, and she was just about to lower her head again and lose herself in her thoughts before a loud shout came from just ahead. She looked up sharply and saw a man detach himself from a bustling clump of buyers in front of a stall and run down an alleyway. Cries of “thief!” and “give that back!” reached the three. Jamil sighed.
“I wouldn’t want to bother, normally, but I’m on good terms with that stall owner, so…” He glanced over at Morgiana. “Go.”
She didn’t need to be told twice.
Morgiana broke into a sprint, her powerful legs propelling her ahead much faster than that of any normal human being. There was still shackles around her ankles, that was true, but she’d never felt more free.
A sudden thought struck her. Is this a chance to escape? Her heartbeat quickened. I’ve been having this feeling all day, maybe this my opportunity to-
Stop. Stop it. She bared her teeth. You are a slave, Morgiana. You will never be free.
She was just behind the thief now. He was running as fast as he could, but those spindly legs of his were no match for her. He was fast, however. Fast enough so that she might be able to grab him in time…
She jumped.
Her feet slammed into his back with the iron hard strength of a Fanalis. He fell forward, skidding on the ground before coming to a stop. Morgiana stood above him. She grabbed the bag of gold he’d stolen with one hand. The other grabbed tight around his collar and began to drag him along with her. Immediately the pleas began.
“I beg of you, I’m just trying to feed my family, don’t…” Morgiana ignored him. He was nothing more than a thief, and an object that she needed to return to her master. At least, that was on the outside. In her head, however, was a different story.
Did I just miss my chance to escape? Could I have gotten away? In her heart she knew that she could have never escaped. It was simply impossible for her.
She was met by a relieved merchant, two men- no doubt the ones who’d had the bag of gold stolen from them, and Jamil, with a ridiculously fake smile.
“The gold.” She gave it to its original owners. “The thief.” She threw the now unconscious man down at Jamil’s feet.
The strangers who had been robbed stepped forward, turning to Jamil.
“Thankyou for spending your time to catch the thief,” they said graciously, completely ignoring Morgiana. “The Prince would have been very upset if he had lost all his spending gold.” The two ushered another much smaller figure in front of them. “Go on, Prince Saluja. Be polite.”
The boy blushed slightly. “Th… Thankyou…” He looked past Jamil and met eyes with Morgiana. For a moment she froze. He looked only slightly older than her, but there was something about the way he carried himself and the look in those deep brown eyes of his that made her think otherwise. There was a split second in which they stood like that, then the boy dived his blonde head behind the two other buyers now, who laughed apologetically.
“Prince Saluja is quite shy,” one said. “Nevertheless, he is very grateful, I assure you.”
Jamil smiled sweetly. “It is no hassle. I’m glad I could aid you.” He bowed respectfully, before ordering Goltas to pick up the thief and setting off.
Morgiana followed him, barely noticing her master complaining about the lack of guards to deliver the criminal to. She was busy thinking about those two brown eyes that she had seen just moments before.
She hadn’t said anything, of course, but seeing them had given her this strange urge to speak. To the boy, of all people! She didn’t even know him, and by the sounds of it, he had been born into an extremely highborn family. But she had felt the urge all the same.
Morgiana’s right hand went to her chest. The unsettling feeling had disappeared. I may have missed a chance to escape, she thought quietly. But… was there something else that I had left out?
Or someone?
Morgiana shook her head firmly, erasing the thoughts. It doesn’t matter… It’s not like I’m going to meet him again.
Three years onwards, she could have never been more wrong.
***
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