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Description

Moren Ezen Living Story Chapter 3: Main Prompt 1 "A New Order"

Long story short:
Brahim & Maya reunite, they reconnect over a shared memory and start their journey back to Kestrana. However, something is looming in the shadows o:

--

Edit 27/3
Please read the Short Story accompanying this art!
Moren Ezen || A New Order - Short StoryFrame 1Brahim spotted her from a distance. Slight of frame, raven haired, freckles on her cheeks. She was older than when he had seen her last in Kestrana, but it was definitely her. “Maya!” He called out and took a step closer. She stopped in her steps and turned around, squinting her eyes against the midday mountain-sun. Her gaze softened in recognition. “Brahim!” She wasted no time and ran towards him with a cheerful bounce in her step. She caught him off guard with her hug. It was unabashed and genuine and so naive. Maya clung tightly onto him and - just for a second - it was as if Brahim was back home in Kestrana and his daughter was hugging him tightly. It took him a minute to figure out what to say. Her question had only half-registered in his brain. “What are you doing here?” She was a little confused, but so happy to see the man that saved her from being persecuted. He had played this moment in head countless times. The day he would finally find her. Has it been months or years? But now that it was here, Brahim was somehow still caught without words. He cleared his throat and regained his composure. “Maya, listen.” He gently took her shoulder and guided her back to an arm’s length. “We have to go back.” Confusion was apparent in her eyes. “Your parents. They asked me to come find you.” The confusion made room for hope. Frame 2Maya had returned to the camp she shared with fellow mages, to get her belongings. It wasn’t much, but what she had was precious to her. An animal skin, filled with water. A knitted figure, resembling herself, it was a gift from one of the fellow mage refugees. A handmade wooden bow and some arrows she crafted herself. Some dried fruit and dried meat. And finally, the folded paper horse she had received as a gift from Zoya, right before she fled Kestrana. She swiftly packed all of her things into a bag and tied it with a rope. Brahim had instructed her to be swift and to not share any of the details with her fellow mage refugees. She didn’t have a reason to doubt his intentions, did she? Her parents had sent him to fetch her! She was excited to go back home. Brahim had fetched Bashir from where he left him and had brought Aedar along as well. Maya was excited about having a horse of her own. Or at least, for the time being. Brahim instructed her how to handle the horse. Like Bashir, Aedar had a calm demeanor and was a trusty travel companion. He mostly used him as a pack pony but he wasn’t unfamiliar with riders. Maya gently ran her fingertips over Aedar’s tan neck. His withers twitched in response. His beautiful brown mane was long and tangly and his blue eyes were kind. She was momentarily in trance as she gently handled the animal. Her thoughts drifted to when she was in Kestrana last. -Brahim was a city guard, sworn to uphold his duty. He was meant to protect every citizen in the city of Kestrana. But folk had grown scared, agitated even. After the commotions in the city, the explosion in the market square, the eruption of Shilen Uul… After that, everything had changed. Whispers of dangerous mages. Magic had returned! Protecting everyone in the city… it did not mean protecting mages. With the return of Magic, Maya’s abilities were growing stronger and stronger. She was no longer safe in the city. Although the City Census orders weren’t official, mages were actively hunted down and were detained. She and her parents tried to hide her abilities for as long as they could. However, one afternoon, Maya could no longer hide. She was being chased down the city streets by no less than three guards. They were hellbent on grabbing her after she not-so-cleverly demonstrated her newfound abilities to her best friend in an alley. She was quick. But she wasn’t fast enough to outrun three adults who knew the city like the back of their hands. They were smart and had split up, they had boxed her in with ease. There was no way to escape the abandoned building she sought to hide in. And much like a trapped animal, she lashed out. She had managed to catch one of the guards by surprise and disabled him by throwing dirt in his eyes. But the other was swift and grabbed her by the arm. The guardswoman roughly pulled her arm and threw her into the dusty wall like she was a mere rag doll. It hurt, but more than that - it pissed her off. Maya clenched her fists and the sword on the guard’s hip came free from its scabbard. The guard’s eyes grew wide and she lunged at Maya. With her still-unsteady magic she tried to fling the sword -now free from its constraints- at the guard. But she missed and cut her own thigh in the process. So stupid! She yelped in pain while she tried to get away from the persistent guardswoman. Maya kicked and clawed with all her might and finally managed to get away from her. She spotted the open window and as fast as she could -with her wounded leg- she climbed through it and landed in an alley. She blinked back the tears in her eyes. She had to find a hiding spot and fast. She could hear the guards-man and woman cursing and swearing they’d kill her if they found her. Her heart pounded in her chest as she frantically looked for a safe space. She turned the corner and met the third guard eye to eye. Oh no. Her heart sank and she turned to try and flee. He easily managed to grab her collar and turned her around. It was Brahim. What Brahim saw that day wasn’t a fleeing criminal. Nor a hardened bandit. She was just a child, scared and wounded. She couldn’t be much older than his own daughter. He immediately took pity on her. Then and there, at that moment he decided. He wasn’t going to turn her in. He would protect her. “Stop fighting me!” The kid was like a rabid dune dog the way she was scratching and kicking at him. “I’m on your side!” She glared at him in disbelief. He tore off a piece of fabric from his terracotta colored sash and swiftly tied it around her wounded leg. He told her to hide in the alley, behind some crates and barrels. There was really nowhere to run, so Maya had no choice but to take a leap of faith. She hid. The guardsmen caught up and Brahim ordered them- after some scolding, for letting the girl escape- to return to the garrison. They pouted and protested but surely, they followed their orders and took their leave. When the coast was clear, Brahim nodded at Maya to come out of her hiding spot. She was hesitant. Why would she trust him? Why did he help her?She limped out from her cover. “Can you walk?” She nodded reluctantly and shot a stubborn glance at him from under her eyebrows. “Come with me.” —“Do you still have yours?” The folded paper horse was sitting in the palm of her hand. It was in such a pristine state that it could’ve been made yesterday. Brahim’s hand instinctively slipped into his pocket. Where he always kept it. His finger traced gently along the paper and he carefully took it from his pocket. It wasn’t in the same perfect state as Maya’s was. A folded ear, a worn down leg, a smudge of dirt. But it was obviously folded by the same maker as their designs were unmistakably alike. The memory produced a smile. “Ofcourse.” He carefully outstretched his hand on which the horse balanced. Zoya had even spent time making the horse’s neck look just like Bashir’s with his cropped, standing mane. The horse, although a bit disheveled, stood proudly in the palm of his hand. The raven-haired girl smiled. “How is Zoya?” The question caught him by surprise. The corner of his mouth twitched and he tucked the paper horse back in his pocket. “She’s good.” “She and my wife and son are safely back in Kestrana.” He lied. There was no way of knowing that they were actually fine, but he had to keep up appearances. Before Maya could ask any more questions. Brahim turned around to tend to Bashir. “Let’s get your belongings and pack them on Aedar’s back.” Frame 3The sun was dropping lower and lower and turning their surroundings into a beautiful golden landscape. Maya was extremely content with her new friend, Aedar. He was a good horse and comfortable to ride. She would continuously run her fingers through his long, light brown mane to untangle it. She’d definitely braid it later, she decided. “We’re going to keep going a little further, until we find a place with more cover to rest for the night.”Maya shot a glance over her shoulder and nodded at Brahim, who was riding behind her. “Okay!”Brahim was a little more on edge. Now that he was finally here and on his way back to Kestrana, doubt started to cloud his mind. He tried to shake off the dreadful feeling of anxiety. Focus on now. Figure out the rest later. One step at the time. The mantra wasn’t having any effect. Not even remotely.The split second decision he made all those months ago, to help Maya instead of turning her in. The decision that changed his life so drastically and removed him from his loved ones. He regretted it. He wished he had been more selfish. At least he would still have his family. Now, he was trying to turn back time by doing what he should have done in the first place. Turn Maya in to Kestrana’s authorities. But now, regret is sinking in. Again! He was having a hard time grasping his own feelings. Focus on now. He repeated the words in his mind. Frame 4Thwhhhp! - Tok!“One.”Thwhhhp! - Tok!“Two.”Thwhhhp! - Tok!“Three!”Maya proudly marched to the tree, removed the metal charms from its bark and took the same steps back to her spot. She turned on her heel and prepared the charms to repeat the same trick, again and again. She was practicing her magic.Brahim was observing her from the middle of the clearing where they had set up their camp for the night. He made a safe spot for the horses to rest and he had gathered some firewood. He snapped some of the twigs in half to use as a fire-starter. It was curious, the way the metal charms were floating in mid air, right before Maya would fling them at her target. Thwhhhp! - Tok!By now, she had gotten quite adept at using her abilities. No doubt, the mages that Maya had kept company with before had taught her a thing or two. “Maya.”She lifted her hand, agile fingers were manipulating the way the gold, metal charm floated above her palm. It twirled and glimmered like sun rays bouncing off of the ocean waves. And then, it was gone. Thwhhhp! - Tok!Half of it had disappeared in the tree’s bark. “Maya!”She finally turned her attention back to Brahim. “Are you hungry?” The fire came alive with a spark and Brahim quickly put some of the twigs on top for it to grow bigger. Darkness was settling in quickly now. Maya removed the metal charms from the tree’s bark and closed her fingers around them. She walked back to Brahim. She fished the wire from her pocket and laced the charms back on the wire. She wrapped it around her forearm and tightened it back in place. “Not really. Maybe later.” She replied and knelt down next to the fire. She outstretched her hands towards the warmth. Hidden from behind the trees, a set of eyes was watching them....

OK I'm super proud of how this came out ;;
I spent a while figuring out how to make the frames work and ended up with this sort of comic-y vibe, which worked rather well in the end I feel :>

I highly recommend viewing this in full view!! ♥ ty!

--

If you want to catch up on Brahim's previous shenanigans, go read this

Previous: To Trust A Stranger

---

Brahim tracker || Brahim import
Bashir tracker || Bashir import

--

Brahim & Bashir © me 2024

--

I can be found on the following platforms:

♦ Ko-Fi

♦ Instagram

♦ Twitch
♦ Gumroad

Description

Moren Ezen Living Story Chapter 3: Main Prompt 1 "A New Order"

Long story short:
Brahim & Maya reunite, they reconnect over a shared memory and start their journey back to Kestrana. However, something is looming in the shadows o:

--

Edit 27/3
Please read the Short Story accompanying this art!
Moren Ezen || A New Order - Short StoryFrame 1Brahim spotted her from a distance. Slight of frame, raven haired, freckles on her cheeks. She was older than when he had seen her last in Kestrana, but it was definitely her. “Maya!” He called out and took a step closer. She stopped in her steps and turned around, squinting her eyes against the midday mountain-sun. Her gaze softened in recognition. “Brahim!” She wasted no time and ran towards him with a cheerful bounce in her step. She caught him off guard with her hug. It was unabashed and genuine and so naive. Maya clung tightly onto him and - just for a second - it was as if Brahim was back home in Kestrana and his daughter was hugging him tightly. It took him a minute to figure out what to say. Her question had only half-registered in his brain. “What are you doing here?” She was a little confused, but so happy to see the man that saved her from being persecuted. He had played this moment in head countless times. The day he would finally find her. Has it been months or years? But now that it was here, Brahim was somehow still caught without words. He cleared his throat and regained his composure. “Maya, listen.” He gently took her shoulder and guided her back to an arm’s length. “We have to go back.” Confusion was apparent in her eyes. “Your parents. They asked me to come find you.” The confusion made room for hope. Frame 2Maya had returned to the camp she shared with fellow mages, to get her belongings. It wasn’t much, but what she had was precious to her. An animal skin, filled with water. A knitted figure, resembling herself, it was a gift from one of the fellow mage refugees. A handmade wooden bow and some arrows she crafted herself. Some dried fruit and dried meat. And finally, the folded paper horse she had received as a gift from Zoya, right before she fled Kestrana. She swiftly packed all of her things into a bag and tied it with a rope. Brahim had instructed her to be swift and to not share any of the details with her fellow mage refugees. She didn’t have a reason to doubt his intentions, did she? Her parents had sent him to fetch her! She was excited to go back home. Brahim had fetched Bashir from where he left him and had brought Aedar along as well. Maya was excited about having a horse of her own. Or at least, for the time being. Brahim instructed her how to handle the horse. Like Bashir, Aedar had a calm demeanor and was a trusty travel companion. He mostly used him as a pack pony but he wasn’t unfamiliar with riders. Maya gently ran her fingertips over Aedar’s tan neck. His withers twitched in response. His beautiful brown mane was long and tangly and his blue eyes were kind. She was momentarily in trance as she gently handled the animal. Her thoughts drifted to when she was in Kestrana last. -Brahim was a city guard, sworn to uphold his duty. He was meant to protect every citizen in the city of Kestrana. But folk had grown scared, agitated even. After the commotions in the city, the explosion in the market square, the eruption of Shilen Uul… After that, everything had changed. Whispers of dangerous mages. Magic had returned! Protecting everyone in the city… it did not mean protecting mages. With the return of Magic, Maya’s abilities were growing stronger and stronger. She was no longer safe in the city. Although the City Census orders weren’t official, mages were actively hunted down and were detained. She and her parents tried to hide her abilities for as long as they could. However, one afternoon, Maya could no longer hide. She was being chased down the city streets by no less than three guards. They were hellbent on grabbing her after she not-so-cleverly demonstrated her newfound abilities to her best friend in an alley. She was quick. But she wasn’t fast enough to outrun three adults who knew the city like the back of their hands. They were smart and had split up, they had boxed her in with ease. There was no way to escape the abandoned building she sought to hide in. And much like a trapped animal, she lashed out. She had managed to catch one of the guards by surprise and disabled him by throwing dirt in his eyes. But the other was swift and grabbed her by the arm. The guardswoman roughly pulled her arm and threw her into the dusty wall like she was a mere rag doll. It hurt, but more than that - it pissed her off. Maya clenched her fists and the sword on the guard’s hip came free from its scabbard. The guard’s eyes grew wide and she lunged at Maya. With her still-unsteady magic she tried to fling the sword -now free from its constraints- at the guard. But she missed and cut her own thigh in the process. So stupid! She yelped in pain while she tried to get away from the persistent guardswoman. Maya kicked and clawed with all her might and finally managed to get away from her. She spotted the open window and as fast as she could -with her wounded leg- she climbed through it and landed in an alley. She blinked back the tears in her eyes. She had to find a hiding spot and fast. She could hear the guards-man and woman cursing and swearing they’d kill her if they found her. Her heart pounded in her chest as she frantically looked for a safe space. She turned the corner and met the third guard eye to eye. Oh no. Her heart sank and she turned to try and flee. He easily managed to grab her collar and turned her around. It was Brahim. What Brahim saw that day wasn’t a fleeing criminal. Nor a hardened bandit. She was just a child, scared and wounded. She couldn’t be much older than his own daughter. He immediately took pity on her. Then and there, at that moment he decided. He wasn’t going to turn her in. He would protect her. “Stop fighting me!” The kid was like a rabid dune dog the way she was scratching and kicking at him. “I’m on your side!” She glared at him in disbelief. He tore off a piece of fabric from his terracotta colored sash and swiftly tied it around her wounded leg. He told her to hide in the alley, behind some crates and barrels. There was really nowhere to run, so Maya had no choice but to take a leap of faith. She hid. The guardsmen caught up and Brahim ordered them- after some scolding, for letting the girl escape- to return to the garrison. They pouted and protested but surely, they followed their orders and took their leave. When the coast was clear, Brahim nodded at Maya to come out of her hiding spot. She was hesitant. Why would she trust him? Why did he help her?She limped out from her cover. “Can you walk?” She nodded reluctantly and shot a stubborn glance at him from under her eyebrows. “Come with me.” —“Do you still have yours?” The folded paper horse was sitting in the palm of her hand. It was in such a pristine state that it could’ve been made yesterday. Brahim’s hand instinctively slipped into his pocket. Where he always kept it. His finger traced gently along the paper and he carefully took it from his pocket. It wasn’t in the same perfect state as Maya’s was. A folded ear, a worn down leg, a smudge of dirt. But it was obviously folded by the same maker as their designs were unmistakably alike. The memory produced a smile. “Ofcourse.” He carefully outstretched his hand on which the horse balanced. Zoya had even spent time making the horse’s neck look just like Bashir’s with his cropped, standing mane. The horse, although a bit disheveled, stood proudly in the palm of his hand. The raven-haired girl smiled. “How is Zoya?” The question caught him by surprise. The corner of his mouth twitched and he tucked the paper horse back in his pocket. “She’s good.” “She and my wife and son are safely back in Kestrana.” He lied. There was no way of knowing that they were actually fine, but he had to keep up appearances. Before Maya could ask any more questions. Brahim turned around to tend to Bashir. “Let’s get your belongings and pack them on Aedar’s back.” Frame 3The sun was dropping lower and lower and turning their surroundings into a beautiful golden landscape. Maya was extremely content with her new friend, Aedar. He was a good horse and comfortable to ride. She would continuously run her fingers through his long, light brown mane to untangle it. She’d definitely braid it later, she decided. “We’re going to keep going a little further, until we find a place with more cover to rest for the night.”Maya shot a glance over her shoulder and nodded at Brahim, who was riding behind her. “Okay!”Brahim was a little more on edge. Now that he was finally here and on his way back to Kestrana, doubt started to cloud his mind. He tried to shake off the dreadful feeling of anxiety. Focus on now. Figure out the rest later. One step at the time. The mantra wasn’t having any effect. Not even remotely.The split second decision he made all those months ago, to help Maya instead of turning her in. The decision that changed his life so drastically and removed him from his loved ones. He regretted it. He wished he had been more selfish. At least he would still have his family. Now, he was trying to turn back time by doing what he should have done in the first place. Turn Maya in to Kestrana’s authorities. But now, regret is sinking in. Again! He was having a hard time grasping his own feelings. Focus on now. He repeated the words in his mind. Frame 4Thwhhhp! - Tok!“One.”Thwhhhp! - Tok!“Two.”Thwhhhp! - Tok!“Three!”Maya proudly marched to the tree, removed the metal charms from its bark and took the same steps back to her spot. She turned on her heel and prepared the charms to repeat the same trick, again and again. She was practicing her magic.Brahim was observing her from the middle of the clearing where they had set up their camp for the night. He made a safe spot for the horses to rest and he had gathered some firewood. He snapped some of the twigs in half to use as a fire-starter. It was curious, the way the metal charms were floating in mid air, right before Maya would fling them at her target. Thwhhhp! - Tok!By now, she had gotten quite adept at using her abilities. No doubt, the mages that Maya had kept company with before had taught her a thing or two. “Maya.”She lifted her hand, agile fingers were manipulating the way the gold, metal charm floated above her palm. It twirled and glimmered like sun rays bouncing off of the ocean waves. And then, it was gone. Thwhhhp! - Tok!Half of it had disappeared in the tree’s bark. “Maya!”She finally turned her attention back to Brahim. “Are you hungry?” The fire came alive with a spark and Brahim quickly put some of the twigs on top for it to grow bigger. Darkness was settling in quickly now. Maya removed the metal charms from the tree’s bark and closed her fingers around them. She walked back to Brahim. She fished the wire from her pocket and laced the charms back on the wire. She wrapped it around her forearm and tightened it back in place. “Not really. Maybe later.” She replied and knelt down next to the fire. She outstretched her hands towards the warmth. Hidden from behind the trees, a set of eyes was watching them....

OK I'm super proud of how this came out ;;
I spent a while figuring out how to make the frames work and ended up with this sort of comic-y vibe, which worked rather well in the end I feel :>

I highly recommend viewing this in full view!! ♥ ty!

--

If you want to catch up on Brahim's previous shenanigans, go read this

Previous: To Trust A Stranger

---

Brahim tracker || Brahim import
Bashir tracker || Bashir import

--

Brahim & Bashir © me 2024

--

I can be found on the following platforms:

♦ Ko-Fi

♦ Instagram

♦ Twitch
♦ Gumroad