Episode 1: Tailor Made

There I was, minding my own business. Thinking to myself, “Galian, this is the finest dress hewn yet!”, but my moment of thought would be quite rudely interrupted by a punch.

“How dare you! You charlatan! You might be the worst tailor ever!”, the man screamed as he threw a set of robes on the floor. “These robes I bought from you cost me my position at the summit of ages!”

I was perplexed, not one of the mages ever complained. Even mere apprentices lauded my work. To think one would get so angry as to resort to physical violence, a mage! Of all people! Regardless, I decided to investigate. I picked the robes from the floor and examined it. To my surprise the finely woven Ether Threads had lost their magic. “My dear mage, these threads have lost their magic. You must have done something to them, this kind of threading rarely loses energy in such a drastic way”, I spoke calmly.

The man composed himself. His retainer, a young lad seemingly ashamed, looked on from behind him and nodded in agreement. Then the man said, “Clearly, this means you are an incompetent tailor! Or perhaps you have a better…”

I raised my hand with an open palm, his rambling had become insufferable and I needed to concentrate. “The magic of the world is out of balance. Tell me, what was to be discussed at the forum?”, for some reason I expected this mage to know how to feel the flow of Ether, but apparently he could not, at least not very accurately.

“It is impossible for anyone but a great mage to understand the flow of Ether properly, much less of the entire world. Yet, you are surprisingly on point, the summit is set to discuss a multitude of matters including how the Ether flow around the world seems to be changing. I still find it impossible to believe that robes such as this one be affected by such a thing! It is impossible!”

The world outside my shop bustled with movement. Even with the drapes that covered the entrance and the extra wall I had built some noise could still be heard. It took me a short moment to notice that the mage was not as attuned to the Ether as I thought. I said to him, “There is little I can do but dismantle the piece and remake it. If you want it done i will do so without cost, yet do not expect it anytime soon. I will not charge you for your impertinence and overreaction”. Perhaps this last thing was too much for the man’s ego.

“Pah! You may keep it! Let’s go Kaiden!”, the man rushed out of the shop with his retainer right behind. The poor boy was probably even more ashamed now for the man’s behaviour. He took a quick glance at me before leaving and gestured a silent apology with a short bow of his head.

Peace and quiet at last, but as a man who is often proud of his work I was rather disappointed that the robes had lost their magic.

I must investigate what happened and how it happened. Mayhap I will learn how to protect my future creations from such a terrible fate. These robes are still very much functional. I will simply dismantle the piece and check the once magical Ether Threads.

Two days later I have been able to reestablish the magical energies that once flowed through the Ether Threads. This time I was able to weave a protective enchantment that would protect them. It was an arduous task. Most of these two days I have spent gather energy from the aura around me. It has been difficult because the once vast amounts of Ether are seemingly no longer there. I live in what could be considered the capital of magic. The great Ether Tower stands tall at the center of the city. How is this possible? My father once told me that these energies were vast, nigh unlimited.

I am all the more curious by the day. After an additional two days I have noticed that the amount of customers has waned. It is possible that the angry mage had spread vile lies of my work. With my income going away with those customers I find myself in a spot where I have to choose my livelihood as a tailor or take my chances and travel abroad. Perhaps this could be an opportunity to grow and perfect my craft. Weaving magic into clothing, robes and making dresses was no simple task, not for a perfectionist such as I.

So I packed my belongings, at least the most necessary. Picked a number of threads I believed would be essential and decided to leave. The money I earned from selling my remaining stock as well as the shop will surely cover any travelling expenses. May my dear parents watch over me from beyond. This will be an interesting venture.