Hey everyone, this chapter is fresh from my brain, so I hope you enjoy. This is my first attempt at first person, so if you notice anything weird about the wording, make sure to let me know! Also, comments are extremely appreciated! Votes and Faves are good stuff as well! And I'm using too many exclamation marks! Now on to the story!

Chapter One: Firespeaker

It was the scrape of metal on stone that had woken me that morning. I was instantly awake, listening with bated breath to the movements outside the little hole I had chosen to sleep in for the night. It wasn't anything special, just a crack in the city wall that I had crawled into the night before for a little shelter, but at least it was dry.

The sunlight at the opening to my hideout was suddenly blocked by the metal greaves of a guard. My paws flew into action, blurring in front of me as I drew an arcane symbol midair. I thanked the gods that it had been warm last night, my paws were still nimble. The symbol completed, I slammed my paw into it, shattering the blue design just as the guard knelt down and looked in on me. I held my breath, hoping the flimsy illusion would be enough. I hadn't had the time to convince his mind that the brick wall at the back of the hole would be solid, or even soundproof my side for that matter. But as my luck would have it he just glanced around, wolven eyes scanning the little crevice for a few brief moments before he stood back up.

"Nothing in here, sir!" I heard him call to his superior.

"Well, keep looking!" A voice barked back. "Orders are to clear the lowlifes out of this area. I'm to make sure those orders are carried out."

The boots clanged as they connected. "Yes sir!"

I let out sigh of relief as they moved away from my hole. Dissipating the illusion I crawled forward, pausing at the opening to listen. Once the sounds of their searching moved far enough away, I poked my head out and looked around at the dilapidated buildings. It's apparent why this section of the wall went unrepaired when you look at the houses nearby. Most were caving in, their roofs patched and sagging. Until recently, the only people moving around down here had been the gangs that ruled the poor of Firefall.

I slipped away from my hole, darting across the street to hide in a nearby alley. For whatever reason, the guards had really cracked down this section recently. A couple days before, what looked like a full company had marched down here and arrested pretty much anyone they found. The gangs had gotten lazy enough that they only had a few minutes to flee after being informed. Those that didn't were probably rotting in some cell right now.

Not that I really cared about what happened to them. Being a rather weak coyote meant that I couldn't rise high in the ranks of any of the prominent gangs, and I didn't relish the thought of being some higher-up's bitch. So I avoided them for the most part, only dealing with them if absolutely necessary. Even then, I tended to deal with them from a distance.

I darted through the alleys, my rusty-red fur not standing out much against the darkness. Sometimes I slipped through abandoned houses, anything to stay off the open streets, at least for now. I marveled at how well the guards had scared everyone off, not a soul was to be seen. I wondered for a moment where the black market dealers would set up shop now that their former center was overrun with guards.

Stopping outside a window that sat low to the ground I unlatched it and slipped inside. Closing it behind me, I scanned the storage room of the tavern, nodding to myself when I had made sure that the tavernkeeper wasn't around. She didn't know that I had been using her back window to disguise my coming and going to the poor district from the common folk of Firefall. I had to make sure that my image wasn't tainted by living down there, I would lose much of my audience.

Hopping over a barrel, I sat down in an empty space behind it. I had discovered this spot on my second time through the cellar, and it had proved to be a good place to prepare myself for the day. Sitting cross-legged, I drew a set of runes on my palm, first a short-term transfer glyph and then another set of runes on top of it before clasping my palm to my forehead. Pulling the hood of my cloak down over my forehead, I concealed them for the moment. Besides for being a part of my costume, they allowed me to sense whenever someone was paying more attention to me than others, especially if their emotions varied widely from those around them.

Over the next five minutes I inscribed more symbols up and down my forearms, all as preparations. A few on my paws would ease the drain of the different magics, but most of them were forms of the glyphs I would otherwise have to create on-the-spot for my audience. Satisfied that I had prepared enough, I hopped back over the barrels. Rolling the sleeves of my tunic down, I covered the glyphs on my arms. Although they were now inaccessible, I didn't want to draw attention yet. Weaving therough the barrels I walked to the bottom of the stairs. As my footpaw touched the first step, I heard noises coming from beyond the door at the top. The handle began to turn and my paw flew to my throat, pressing the clasp of my cloak against my throat.

"Ma'am?" My voice called from past the door.

The handle stopped turning. "Yes?"

Quickly I darted up the rest of the stairs while she was distracted, pressing against the wall behind the door. Within a few moments the door opened again, the ferret tavernkeeper walking in and down the stairs, muttering to herself.

"I can't believe how impatient some people are. Just because I'm not at the bar at that very moment, they decide to go someplace else. Unbelievable."

I slipped around behind her and left through the door. Slipping through the kitchen, I snagged a loaf of bread as I passed, biting into it as I slipped around the counter and out the door. The morning crowd wasn't very thick, but it would soon grow as more people woke up. I looked around as I walked down the street, my claws scraping the still-damp cobblestones. As I neared the square, I mentally reviewed how long I had been here. I liked preforming in this spot, but if I stayed in one spot for too long I just became background noise and people began to ignore me. I had been coming here for around a week now, so it was probably time for a finale. If my circuit stayed the same I'd be back here around the end of summer.

When I entered the square, the sight that met me made me pause. Vendors were setting shop and large carts full of different crafted goods were on display. I looked around for a moment, brow furrowed, before it came to me. Last night had been a new moon, the first of spring. I grinned, today's crowd would be a lot bigger than I had anticipated. Maybe I'd make enough to rent a room for the night, get off the streets for awhile.

I walked over to the center of the square and sat down against the circular fountain in the middle. It was a multi-tier sculpture, a monument to some hero, probably dead by now. I never bothered to learn the history of Firefall, I was no bard. I only learned about the things that concerned me, what I should aim for...and what I should avoid. Reaching for my belt, I pulled out a piece of chalk from a pouch. Crouching, I began to leisurely draw some runes on the cobblestones.

"Planning to take the attention of the crowd again today, Firespeaker?"

I looked over my shoulder at the ferret crouched on the wall of the fountain. A bandanna covered the top of his head, his ears poking through the folds. A sash of throwing knives ran along his chest.

"The money goes to whoever puts on the best performance, Jeff. You know this as much as any of the other entertainers. You can rest easy though, I'm leaving after today." Another reason why I didn't stay in one spot for too long, the other entertainers didn't enjoy my presence, especially when I declined to join their groups. All of them had offered at one point or another, but I never took them up on their offers. I knew that the majority of them were "protected" by one gang or another, and I didn't want to be caught up in those politics.

"We expect a cut for use of our territory."

"Five."

"Fifty."

"Five."

The weasel drew a dagger and licked it's edge. "It'd be a shame to wake up with a dagger in your ribs, wouldn't it?"

"It'd be a shame for the guards to somehow receive information on how you're related to the recent jewelry thefts, wouldn't it?" I shot back.

The weasel snarled, "Fifteen, or you get the dagger and to hell with the consequences."

I caught the hint of desperation in his eyes. Looking past him, I noticed the troupe's leader, a tiger, carving a figurine as he watched our exchange.

"Twenty-five, deal?" I hoped the tiger would let the ferret off. Even if I didn't like the ferret, I didn't care to cause him pain. It amazed me how much the troupes could act like brothels, if you don't bring in enough cash you earn your keep another way.

The ferret hopped down and walked back to his "friends" and I turned back to my work. Continuing my work. Soon my runes came full circle, a band around where I crouched in the middle. By now more people had entered the square, and vendors were beginning to call out their wares. Carefully stepping out of my circle, I walked towards where I assumed any spectators would stand. Stopping a few feet before that line, I drew two more runes about half a foot apart. Placing my money pouch on one, I activated them. It was a glyph I had worked out after a thief had stolen my earnings once. Anyone who wanted to give would see the real pouch, while anyone who wanted to steal would see an illusion in the second spot. It was amusing to watch them stumble as their paw passed right through the "money pouch."

Walking back to my circle, I sat down and closed my eyes, calming myself and gathering my energy. My magic didn't consume as much energy as other types, but I could feel the drain after awhile. I couldn't imagine how an actual mage must feel after working an earth-changing magic or something.

"What are you doing?"

My eyes cracked open at the sound of a young voice. In my seated position, I only had to look straight forward to make eye contact with the bear cub in front of me. Her little eyes sparkled with interest as she glanced between me and the runes on the ground. "Preparing for a show." I replied. "What about you?"

She clasped her hands. "What kind of show?" She asked, ignoring my question. "Are you going to juggle? Or do flips an' stuff?"

She continued on, and the sheer barrage of questions made me chuckle. "Not quite." I stood up and stepped out of my circle, leading her a few feet away to make sure the runes didn't get smudged. Crouching down, I pointed out of the city. "See that mountain over there?"

She nodded. "Yep."

My fingers danced across her shoulder while she was distracted, drawing a glowing rune on her dress as I talked. "I have a friend up there whose name is Sparkles. She's a beautiful golden butterfly. Every once in awhile she decides to flutter down here and follow a cub around for the day. However, at the end of the day she needs to return home to her family. There's a special little whistle I can do that will have her come and follow you around for the day. Would you like that?"

The cub's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Yeah."

I patted her on the shoulder, activating the rune and causing it to disappear from sight. I whistled an short melody, making up the notes on the spot, and pretended to watch the the mountain intently. After a few moments, I looked over at her and pretended to gasp in amazement. "There she is!"

The cub turned in the direction of my finger and squealed in delight. The glowing golden butterfly I had conjured from the rune on her shoulder was now flitting around her head.

"Hold out your paw." I whispered.

Without a word, the cub did as I had asked, watching open-mouthed as the butterfly circled her a few more times before landing on her outstretched palm.

"Aiana, what are you doing?"

The little cub turned around, carefully keeping her paw steady. "Mommy, the foxy called Mrs. Sparkles down from the mountain and she came! She's going to follow me around all day before going home tonight!"

I had half a mind to point out that I was a coyote, thank you very much, but I let her off because she was so young...and my fur color was a bit unusual...and I was actually smaller than most foxes...

The cub's mother was a big bear, easily half again as tall as I was. She was carrying some parcels, and already had an overburdened servant--or maybe a slave, since thrall collars seemed to be going out of style for the most part now--following along behind with yet more parcels. Her features softened as she saw the wonder on her cub's face. "What did I tell you about running off?"

Her small nubs of ears dropped, as well as her arm, the butterfly fluttered around for a moment before landing on her head like a bow. "Not to go out of sight. I'm sorry Mommy."

"Stick close to me until we get home again." Momma Bear chided. Digging in her purse, she came up with a couple copper coins and tossed them at my footpaws as she hauled the cub away, golden butterfly flitting along behind them.

As I turned back to my circle, I cracked my fingers. Now it was time for the real thing. Reaching my circle, I stepped on it as I crossed to kneel inside, a rune on my footpaw activating part of the circle. A small magical shockwave spread over the square, an unintended side effect of the effects of that particular rune. The murmur of the many voices talking at once faded away, replaced slowly with a dull throb, like the beat of a heart. I stayed knelt, looking at the ground, watching the glow around me intensify as my runes started to take effect. I knew what looked like a glowing garden of magical flowers were sprouting up around me. Even the murmuring that was allowed through my sound barrier started to grow quiet as more attention was drawn to my location. The throbbing heartbeat began to dial back, ethereal voices coming to the fore, making the listener's heart swell with courage.

I closed my eyes and raised my head, placing one palm on the ground as the other curled under my hood before pulling it back. Activating the rune on the ground, my eyes snapped open revealing blue orbs of flame beneath. Standing up, I grabbed the inside of both my forearms before throwing my paws out to the side, my sleeves pulling back to reveal my glowing arms. The same rune that had caused my eyes to glow blue caused all the rest of my runes to glow as well. I looked down my right paw, turning the palm towards the sky and lifting up. A red-gold serpent erupted from the ground to my right, at the same time a sword of fire appeared in my right paw. Drawing my left paw in, I punched upwards, a blue-white serpent exploding from the fountain behind me as a sword of ice appeared in my left paw.

I crossed the swords one way above me, then back the other way, golden-feathered wings appearing on my back as the swords traced an arc down to the ground. Shifting my foot, I substituted an illusion for myself as I moved off to the side. My illusion, still looking upwards, rose into the air, the twin serpents spiraling around it. I touched a couple of my runes, and the song took an ominous tone. A black circle appeared on the ground in front of me, off center stage, catching the attention of a few people. A door rose from the darkness, drawing the attention of a few more. When I kicked the door open with a magically amplified bang, that drew the attention of the rest.

While the door seemed to stand on it's own, there was a black veil inside that prevented anyone from seeing through it. It also had the dual purpose of changing my appearance. As I stepped through, my clothing a fur were dyed black, and my eyes glowed red. I appeared to be wearing leather armor, and after I had passed through the door I drew the sword at my side, which came out a deep, oily black. I pointed the sword at my illusion and howled a challenge, my voice deepened and amplified by my magic.

My illusion hovered above the buildings, the serpents drifting beside it. Raising the right sword, it swung at me, sending the red-gold serpent racing towards me. Tossing my sword into the ground, I brushed another of my runes, conjuring a spear of darkness. Dancing to the side, I threw the spear into the serpent as it drew near to me, "killing" it. It crashed into the ground, lying still before melting into the cobblestones. I looked up, the other serpent already on it's way. Timing it perfectly, I rolled forward, grabbing my sword and slashing the other serpent as it flew over me. It burst into water, crashing down and drenching me. I shook my head as I stepped away, droplets of illusionary water flying from my body.

I crouched in a combat-ready position as my illusion dashed down towards me, the ethereal voices rising to a crescendo as we clashed, blue and red swords against oily black. We began exchanging blows, my illusionary counterpart dancing in and out. After a flurry of blows, my sword was knocked from my paws and my illusion drew a rune midair and slammed it into my forehead. I launched myself into a back pawspring, leaving a second illusion of myself in my place. Hidden once again, I circled around and took my original illusion's place again, watching as the dark portal opened again and reclaimed its servant. The ethereal voices began to fade as I walked back to my magic garden, sitting down and smelling one of the flowers, the one with white petals and fire-red edges. Laying my blue sword on the ground, I laid the red one across both my paws and lifted it up before tossing it. Midair it transformed into a ghostly version of the red serpent, circling me once before slipping into the ground. I did the same with the blue sword, tossing it into the air and changing it into the blue serpent, which slipped past me on the way to the fountain. My paw trailed over it as it passed, the song fading from hearing as the serpent slipped away. My garden brightened, and I closed my eyes as I was enveloped in a dome of light, before it faded away and I was left alone on the cobblestones, looking like everyone else.

I stood up at the applause. "Thank you! It was wonderful to preform for you all, I hope you enjoyed the show!" Walking forward, I picked up my money pouch and walked along the edge of the crowd, holding it out for whoever wanted to drop a few coppers in. One old dog dropped a silver in, and before I could move on, he grabbed my shoulder.

"Why aren't you at some mage school, pup?"

I grinned up at him. "You'd rather me be there and not here, where I can take everyone's minds of their lives for a moment?"

The dog chuckled as he walked away, "Or maybe you just like being the center of an applauding audience."

"That too!" I called back.

I turned back around, noticing a group of soldiers headed my way, along with a richly-dressed noble. "Oh, great."