If you haven’t read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 yet, please do so. They will explain what Koriko is and how my lil witch, Maddie, got to be in this situation.

The following is from the Koriko chapter Arrival. I spent way longer on this section than expected but it was a good time, meeting some NPCs, watching the story go from light-hearted Kiki’s Delivery Service into some sort of dark steampunk tale, and getting Maddie settled in for her year ahead.

Night Visit

Dejected, I skipped dinner.
Edward and I went to bed and discussed what to do. He suggested that I shouldn’t stay side-tracked by this Beast situation even when I pointed out that it might be the same problem as the Bogart had during our journey. He was right in that we still needed a place to stay and work or our funds were going to run out quickly. Perhaps I should take up Sigurd’s job offer even if the idea of being a delivery flyer sounds like it won’t be much help honing my magic.
Finally, I gave up thinking myself into more circles and settled in for another night of fitful sleep.

I woke in the dark, unsure what exactly disturbed my sleep. Pale light from the street’s gas lamps filtered in through the shabby curtains gave way to a shadow moving outside my window!
Frightened, I slowly moved to see what it was. There, on the fire escape, was a bundle of lavender – just like the lavender I’d been picking!
Climbing out the window in nothing but my night dress was not the wisest decision.
I picked up the lavender, turned, and came face to face with the Beast!

While startled, and scared, I could now see the Beast for what he was – far less monstrous than I originally thought.
Dark shadows still clung to his tall, looming form and his hallow, hungry star is unnerving but I now saw more of the boy beyond those features.
He looked about my age, maybe a little older, and his unnaturally pale skin was heavily scarred around the joints. He wore tattered coveralls and old work boots. His clothes were ill-fitted I saw as he raised his hands in either offering or as a show of being unfarmed. Not that he needed any weapons to harm me with how big he is.

“Who are you?” I asked, suprised i could speak at all.
He told me his name was Aysun in a voice that sounded unaccustomed to speaking.
Before we could speak more, one of my neighbors made a racket, yelling at someone. This startled Aysun into fleeing though he stopped when I called out to him that it was ok.
I explained that I didn’t care for noise either but this was where I was stuck until I could find a place.
“You need a home?” he asked.
I told him that I was a witch in training and needed a place to live and work during my year in Koriko.
He seemed to consider this then went to the ladder, gesturing for me to follow.
It took some convincing to get him to wait while I changed clothes.

Letting Edward sleep, I followed Aysun down the ladder and into the night.

A Walk in the Dark

We wound our way through Koriko.
While Hella’s tour was speedy and dazzling in the daylight, this trip through alleys and tunnels was exciting in a wholly different way.
Looking back, there was no way I could find my way down teh same route Aysun took me. It was like teh city turned into a maze. We crossed old town and into the industrial district. Hulking machines powered by steam and magic were born in the factories and smithies and mills in this part of the city.

Finally, we stopped at a strange building at the edge of the district.
It looked like two buildings, a home with steep gabled roofs and rounded towers, and a factory with pipes and metal siding, were trying to exist in the same space.
I wasn’t sure exactly what to make of it as Aysun rounded to the side door and opened it.
I recalled reports of the Beast breaking into various buildings and hesitated. “What is this place?” I hissed at him, fearful of being caught trespassing.
Aysun paused then said, “My mother’s home.”

The door opened into a kitchen with a large industrial stove, sink, and odd looking ice box all hooked up to various copper piping. It was dark and dusty from lack of use.
“This way,” Aysun instructed once he saw the door was locked behind us. He left the lights off so that I still followed looming shadow throughout the scattered rooms, seeing only by the dim street lamp light outside streaming through windows made of thick, warped glass.
We climbed an iron spiral staircase and entered the second floor. There was an open space free of any interior walls. I could made out tables and storage equipment here and there.

“This was her work room,” Aysun said with a voice full of loss.
I gathered his mother was dead and had no idea how to respond. “How did she die?” I finally asked after some minutes of silently staring at the dark space.
“She was wrongfully accused of a crime she could not prove she did not commit without revealing my true nature.”
My curiosity no doubt showed on my face even without the light.
Aysun sighed then told me what I was beginning to suspect and dread.

He is a Simulacrum. Necromantic magic used to create a person from the various parts of other dead. Illegal necromantic magic at that.
I only knew of this through stories of the last great war. Acts of mad wizards to build unstoppable armies. The final Emperor write the laws against the working and their study is only done under scrutiny by wizened artificers at the wizarding colleges.
While I considered this, Aysun lit a small lamp and took off his ratty cloak. He turned slowly, pulling his hair back from his face so that I might witness him.

In truth, Aysun is strangely beautiful one one gets past his paleness and scars.
“I am incomplete,” he said finally. “My mother could not finish me before she was taken.”
Unsure of what to make of this, I only said I was sorry – for his loss, for the situation. He might be made of illegal wizardry be he didnt ask for it.

“You do magic,” he said and things clicked into place.
“I’m a witch,” I explained. When this did not trigger a response, I went on. “Wizardry and artifice create magic using tools and magic from the world around them. Witches ARE magic. We don’t need alchemy labs or machines because our bodies – physical and aetherial – are labs. Sure, we use tools like potion ingredients but they act more as charge focuses to carry the magic to our clients or store it.”
When this didn’t help Aysun to understand, I settled for “I don’t know how to help you.”
I suggested he try the wizards college or the artificer’s guild. He looked away. “They killed her and will kill me too. I am an abomination.”
I winced at this but knew he was right. They would destroy him because of the illegal magic.
Trying to think of what to say, I looked around the room in the light.
Like the kitchen, the space was dusty from lack of use. I thought of the squatters den in the tunnel when I last saw Aysun. “Don’t you live here?”
“No.” When I just stared at him, he explained. “Mother left it to me in her will. It was uncontested. However, I cannot risk being seen, being found out.”
He then surprised me with an offer.