The bullies tricked the person into consuming something the person was severely allergic to. The mage that saved the person got pissed, and taught the bullies why such behavior was a BAD idea. -- Anon Guest
Orleth the Incredulous was minding her own business when she found the kid wheezing and turning red as their hands and face began swelling up. Some quick work with an antitoxin spellwork brought them the ability to breathe again. Orleth stayed nearby and offered her arms for comfort.
When they were done crying, they explained, "The mean boys said they were sorry for all they'd done at me. They got me a li'l cake for a pology." Sniff. "And they runned off when I started gasping."
Orleth tangentially knew this child as Pebble, one of the village kids. No parents or guardians, and eking out their existence by spending most of their small life in other family's barns. Doing small jobs for smaller rewards. Occasionally digging their meals out of the village midden. "Show me these mean boys," she said.
They were, of course, the children of the most well-to-do families in the area. The mayor and the merchants' get. Kids who held themselves above others with every unearned merit their bloodline could have.
Kids who'd never had a consequence visit them in their small lives. Kids who were overdue a solid lesson in the price of such hubris.
A lesson someone like Orleth could provide.
Of course it was the mayor's kid who gave Pebble the cake. So it was the mayor's kid who got the first and biggest part of the lesson.
A little directed, personalised illusion. Persistent and keyed to the offenders. They would be seeing a ghostly image, hearing a ghostly voice, that no others would perceive. True horror stuff from the best possible stage performances. The transparent image of Pebble, swollen and reddened and apparently dead. It would stalk those two until they confessed and genuinely apologised.
That would be a long time coming, Orleth knew.
So she left her illusion to haunt them and took Pebble in as her prentice. The rest of the village wouldn't see them for some time.
And honestly? They didn't deserve to.
Orleth hadn't considered taking a prentice before that day. She'd spend a few weeks kicking herself for not thinking of it sooner. At least until Pebble told her they were glad of the change in her fate.
She wondered how much the mayor would be pissed off when they all discovered that Pebble was alive.
[Photo by Patryk Arct on Unsplash]
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