Fblthp’s Big Day

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

Something a bit new for us here on MTG Realm - a short fan fiction piece.  Wizards of the Coast had invited Magic: the Gathering fans to chime in with an offering - here is ours.
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The sound of the bird crowing announcing daybreak jolted Fblthp fully awake.  That noisy animal’s pen may have been on the far side of the Magister's Gardens, but it could have been just on the other side of the (rather thin) wall given the voluminous pitch and tone.  Fblthp, now sitting up could see the handful of Homunculus he shared the garden shed with now in motion and getting ready for another day working in the Garden.  Oh to be working alone in the serene solitude of the garden.  But that was not his duty today.

The evening before, at dinner time, one of the Magister’s servants had interrupted the gardener’s vittles to bring Fblthp the highly disturbing news that would require him to leave his garden. This requirement would be his third such errand which involved travelling to the far end of the Guild-controlled neighbourhood to fetch a stupid scroll for the Magister.

“Do you remember the way?” the servant asked in his annoying tone.  Fblthp nodded.

“Ask for Tosmaz, the Jelenn scribe and he will give you the scroll.” the servant said in slow cadence.

Fblthp may have been inarticulate but did have a knack for directions, both verbal and compass.  He nodded, and hoped the irritating man would go away soon.  He did and Fblthp rejoined the other Homunculus over the almost empty pot. 

“Great, and only half a dinner now too.”  If only Fblthp’s ‘cousin’ returned from the errand and not wound up as some Rakdos showstopper, Fblthp could still be enjoying the peace of the garden.

The same servant who interrupted his dinner last evening was waiting for Fblthp at the garden gate leading out to the busy street beyond.  He tossed Fblthp a small medallion with the Azorious Guild symbol on it.  This token gave the bearer unhindered passage through the handful of checkpoints to the Jelenn scriptorium where never ending Azorious proclamations, by-laws, and decrees were recorded.  Fblthp picked the token up and slipped out of the garden gate onto the crowded thoroughfare. Nine blocks.  Just nine blocks and back home.  He should even make it back just before dinner time by his reckoning.  

 Totally Lost, illustrated by David Palumbo

A seemingly serpentine matrix of alleyways running parallel to the main street was the safest way.  Not too busy and a lot less doorways where big people stepping out might not see Fblthp and squash him underfoot.  The first three blocks went by quickly enough without incident but ahead on the street gave Fblthp some concern.  It looked like debris from a structure littered the way.  A few paces on, Fblthp could now see a number of Azorious Lawmages and Borros Wojek enforcers talking heatedly over what looked like a very large dead Cyclops.  The Cyclops had a Gruul Scab Clan symbol roughly painted on its back.  Fblthp reacted quickly and moved over to another alley to avoid that chaos.

Statute of Denial, illustrated by Zoltan Boros

Turning the corner on the street, Fblthp was knocked backwards by a blast of heated air.  Quite fortunately, he landed in a window well, which provided shelter from whatever was going on.  He peeked over the lip in time to see an Azorious Aethermage casting a counterspell against another he could not yet see.  Perhaps this was connected to demolished building the next street over.  Fblthp did not wait any more and scrambled out of window well and darted down the street.  An unfamiliar street.  He could not go back the way he came and going forward, he would become totally lost.  More importantly than that, this street was crowded.  Too crowded.  In fact unusually crowded.

Fblthp found salvation in the form of a series of stone steps up and away from the dangerous thong of very large shoes and boots.  He had barely caught his breath at the top of the step when shouts went up from the crowd.  It now appeared from his improved viewpoint that these were mostly Unguilded folk, and the mood was hostile.  Seeming to fan this hostile flame was the motion of a mounted Boros Sunhome Enforcer.  Some within the rabble started throwing stones at the Knight which had no effect other than bouncing off the heavy armor and making the rider increasingly more irritated.  Escape!  Flee!

 Unquestioned Authority, illustrated by Zoltan Boros

Fblthp clamored up a downspout to the roof and skittered over to the other side of the building.  Likewise, seeing the street nearly empty below, he slid down another downspout (very useful things) and looking around, could not believe his luck - the Jelenn scriptorium !  In front of the building were a few guards and the very scribe he needed to see.  Apparently Tosmaz must have seen Fblthp as well for he walked quickly across the street and stopped, giving him a stern look.

“You are an hour late” said Tosmaz, and then started into a tirade of why Homunculus were inappropriate for use as intra-guild couriers.  Tosmaz continued on, and were it not for the interruption of an Azorious Lyev Arrestor (by the look of the insignia), the scribe may have gone on forever.  Without a word Tomaz turned and gave a small scroll to the tall armored woman, and went back inside the Scriptorium.

“My name is Lavinia and I am to take you and scroll back to the Magister” she said.  “Would you care to travel with me in my saddlebag?”

Perhaps the best idea today Fblthp thought and nodded his approval.  Lavinia extended a hand which Fblthp grasped and was then lifted up and into a rather comfortable and thankfully empty bag on Lavinia’s steed.  Together they trotted off and down the cobbled street, and even though rhythmic jostle, Fblthp slipped into sleep with a dream of his sun-filled garden.

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