The Violet Mage

Ethan tried again. Deep breath. Friendly smile.

Ethan Thoughts: “I can do this. They’re just people. People can’t be worse than those two idiots… right?”

Ethan: “Hello! Can you please—”

???: “Buzz off, kid.”

The man slammed his shoulder into Ethan like a runaway cart.

Ethan stumbled.

Ethan Thoughts: “Okay! Maybe those idiots ARE better.”

He straightened up, approached the next person—a vendor counting coins.

Ethan: “Hello sir, can you perha—”

???: “Are you buying or selling?”

Ethan: “Well, I don’t have anything to—”

???: “Selling nothing? Buying nothing? Then move!”

He waved people forward like he was commanding an army.

???: “Cheese! Milk! Come! Come! No gawkers!” He shouted, looking at Ethan.

He kept walking. Next attempt. Different angle. Softer voice.

Ethan: “Sorry, ma’am? Can you help me find—”

????: “Five copper coins. Ten if you want an hour.”

Ethan: “I don’t know what that means but I’m sure I don’t—”

???: “Then fuck off, brat! This is a business!”

Ethan: “A business? You’re not even selling anything—”

But she was already yelling at someone else.

Ethan Thoughts: “Uhhh... Why am i doing this? Ughhh... I need to keep going, just in case any of them are watching.”

He pushed through the crowd, boots dusty, pride bruised beyond repair. Eventually he spotted a large wooden sign decorated with painted lilies:

AURELIA’S WHISPERING CHALICE → NORTH

Ethan: "Aurelia’s Whispering Chalice… that must be the tavern."

He trekked uphill for fifty long, agonizing minutes, continuing his hopeless attempts at talking to townsfolk—partly because he genuinely needed info, mostly because if the others were spying on him through some magical nonsense, he refused to look like a quitter.

The tavern finally appeared—golden lanterns, polished wood, purple curtains. Fancy.

He peeked inside.

????: “Scared to go in?”

Ethan: “AAHH—!”

He turned so fast his cloak nearly wrapped around him.

Ethan: “I—was just—uh—checking if—uh—”

Then he saw her.

And his brain stopped working.

Slim frame. Violet hair that shimmered in the sunlight. Ruby-red eyes that looked soft but held a strange depth. She smelled faintly of lavender and burnt ozone—magic.

Ethan Thoughts: “Oh no. She’s pretty. I’m doomed. I’m absolutely doomed.”

She smiled, warm and teasing.

Mia: “Name’s Mia! Well—Myanara. But my friends call me Mia.”

She did a tiny hop and giggled, like introducing herself was her favorite activity.

Ethan: “Ethan. My friends call me… Ethan.”

Ethan Thoughts: “WHY DID I SAY IT LIKE THAT—”

Mia: “Mmhmm. So if your friends call you Ethan…”

She leaned in, eyes sparkling.

Mia: “What should I call you?”

Ethan: “Ethan! Ethan is good! Ethan is—great. Perfect. Fine.”

Mia: “Oooh. So we’re friends already?”

She poked his chest.

Mia: “I knew I was charming, but wow—fast work, Mia.”

Ethan’s face felt like it was boiling.

Ethan: “I-I just don’t have a nickname.”

Her playful smile softened—just a little. A crack of sadness that vanished just as quickly.

Mia: “A man with no nickname has no friends.”

She said it like a joke, but something about her tone felt… hollow.

Then she spun—full twirl, skirt fluttering.

Mia: “Sooo! You’re not from around here.”

Ethan: “How could you possibly tell?”

Mia: “Easy!”

She tapped her temple.

Mia: “I know every single adventurer registered at the guild. And I’ve never seen you. Ever.”

She tilted her head.

Mia: “Unless we’ve met and you forgot? Did you forget me?”

Ethan: “Impossible. I’d remember.”

Her smile brightened instantly.

Mia: “Oooooh, smooth. Careful—if you keep saying things like that I might fall for you.”

Before he could question what that meant, she looped her arm through his.

Mia: “Since you’re new, I will be your official tour guide!”

Ethan’s soul left his body for a moment.

Ethan: “I—uh—I have to be somewhere in one hour—”

Mia: “Plenty of time! Come on!”

She dragged him, causing several onlookers to sigh dramatically.

---

.Ethan: “W–Wait, where are we—?”

Mia: “Sightseeing! Let’s start with something very important.”

She pointed at a perfectly normal house.

Wooden walls. A roof. Windows. Nothing unusual.

Mia: “This house right here? The lady who lives inside once yelled at a cloud for three hours straight.”

Ethan: “…A cloud?”

Mia: “Yes. It rained the next day. Coincidence? I think NOT.”

Ethan blinked, unsure whether to be impressed or concerned.

Ethan (thoughts): “What… what am I learning right now? Howis this information useful?”

Mia dragged him five steps to the right.

Mia: “Okay okay, now THIS house is actually important.”

Mia pointed at the next house.

Ethan looked at it.

A crooked chimney puffed purple smoke.

Mia: “This guy? TOTAL scammer.”

Ethan: “He looks like a wizard.”

Mia: “Well he’s not. He’s just good at lighting scented candles and pretending it's magic.”

Ethan: “…So the purple smoke?”

Mia: “Lavender.”

Ethan: “…And people believe he’s a wizard?”

Mia: “Oh absolutely! Last week someone paid him twelve silver to ‘banish a ghost’.”

Ethan: “…Did he?”

Mia: “Yes. By yelling loudly until the old lady admitted the ghost was just her nightgown.”

Ethan covered his mouth to hide a laugh.

Mia: “See? This is why I love this part of town.”

A tall, elegant house stood next to the previous one.

Mia pointed dramatically.

Mia: “Okay so THIS house… you see this one? Very important.”

Ethan: “Important how?”

Mia: “This is the house where they live.”

Ethan: “They?”

Her eyes widened with seriousness.

Mia: “You know. That couple. The one EVERYBODY hears at night.”

Ethan froze.

She wiggled her eyebrows.

Ethan: “…Oh.”

Mia: “Orc male, human female, that means the whole street stays up at nigh~”

Ethan: “How… how do you know?”

Mia: “Because last winter I slept at a friend’s place right across from here and the walls trembled.”

Ethan: “T-The walls?”

Mia: “THE WALLS.”

She waved her hands dramatically.

Ethan tried not to imagine anything.

He failed.

They kept walking, Mia swinging their linked arms lightly.

Mia: “You’re smiling.”

Ethan: “Am I?”

Mia: “Yep. You looked like you were lost earlier, unsure of yourself. This is an improvement.”

Ethan: “I… wasn’t lost....”

Mia: “Yes you were.”

Ethan: “No I—”

Mia: “Yes you weeeeeeere.”

Ethan sighed.

Mia giggled.

Ethan (thoughts): “She’s… exhausting. But also… weirdly comforting.”

Mia: “And THAT, Ethan-with-no-nickname, concludes Mia’s Completely Accurate, Totally Educational Historical Tour!”

She puffed her chest proudly.

Ethan: “I… didn’t learn anything useful.”

Mia: “Correct! But you smiled, so it was a success.”

Ethan opened his mouth—

closed it.

Opened it again.

Ethan: “…Thank you.”

Her eyes softened, just for a moment.

Mia: “Anytime.”

She tugged his arm again.

Mia: “Come on! Now I’ll show you the actually useful places!”

Ethan (thoughts): "Why do I feel that I'm still not going to learn anything..."