Taking part in the Get Your Words Out 2020 Yahtzee - all original stuff from the same WIP, all precisely 100 words.




Armour

Armour wasn't new to Adena. This particular form of it, though, was. But they'd - well, not run out of metal exactly, they still had plenty of it. It was just the creation that was too risky. Even now that the rebellion had fled underground, it still wasn't safe to smelt, not with the fumes and only a handful of surviving mages to ensure the safety of a handful of surviving smiths.

So leather armour it was. The hope was that there wouldn't be any need for a battle, so the decreased protection wouldn't matter.

Oh, but it was going to.


Sweets

They were all the rage, apparently. Or so Adena told Giran, when she asked. The next day, Giran found a bag of the sweets deposited on her desk, probably meant to add to the answer.

Didn't work; after trying one, Giran only wondered why the things were so popular. Sickeningly sweet, with ridiculous little messages on them. They seemed to be made of sugar and not much else.

Of course, there was someone who would be equally as entertained as Giran was at the little messages, and who would actually enjoy the sugar. Giran grinned, and went to visit Kurai.


Compassionate Leave

Raqua stared at the bit of paper before her, and sighed.

Compassionate leave was nothing new to her, naturally. Her people were well taken care of, including after a bereavement.

She simply hadn't expected it to apply in this case. Not when Tanith had apparently had no real connections with her colleagues. Raqua had personally interviewed her deskmates; they had said that Tanith was polite but quiet, mostly disinterested in anything other than her work and occasionally political events.

Well, Raqua supposed that it was reasonable for a colleague's death to cause disturbance. She signed the request, and moved on.


Music

There was nothing unusual about the instruments, except for the magic that limned them, making their edges glow in the dim light. That, and the fact that they played on their own.

Kuseria closed her eyes, taking a breath. It had been a long time since the orchestras of old. The rebellion couldn't hope to have anything like them, not yet. Not until people learned.

And currently, Kuseria was the only one with the capability to teach music. The others - Adena, Meva, Kurai - had never had much interest. Victor had, long ago, but Victor was gone.

Kuseria lifted the baton.


City

The city was busy tonight, despite the weather. Magical lights floated above the shops, gleaming off the puddles and rain-slick cobbles.

Busy was good. Busy meant it was easier to remain unnoticed.

Adena walked purposefully, not rushing or hiding. Just another person on her way to get things done. Certainly not the assistant to a god; who would think that?

Of course, the act was helped by the fact that she had actually disguised her face. This was the capital; she was taking a risk even doing this.

Glancing around, Adena slipped silently into the not-so-empty shadows of an alleyway.