Unbound

The first thing Felix saw as the skiff doors opened was purple. Great sheets of it, magical and slightly transparent, hung from every wall and solid surface he could see. Though they could only see the squat edifice of the dockmaster’s office from their vantage point, it was clear that no building went without a touch of purple. Where the Umber had a few select pieces of sepia magic glowing from its sides, the Violet was more ostentatious by an order of magnitude.

It was glaring and a bit awful on the eyes, but the sheer amount of Mana being poured into what amounted to an aesthetic display was incredible. Felix could hear it buzzing, feel it humming against his skin. He knew that, if he dared to activate his Manasight, he would be blinded.

Tern stepped out first, Felix and the others following. The docks were a standard affair, built much like the air docks in Haarwatch, with long piers sticking out into the thin air, segmented into inscribed berths. Aside from them, the docks were empty and devoid of even workers loitering in the corners.

It made the sound of footsteps really stick out.

A young man in pale robes hustled down the length of the dock, his split skirts flapping in the stiff wind. They were off-white, much like their own, but with a narrow band of purple around his shoulders. He carried a board and quill and adjusted a pair of enchanted spectacles on the bridge of his nose as he slowed to a walk.

"Good morning, guests of the Tower. I do apologize, but we are not currently allowing guests into the Violet Tower's halls. I would ask that you return to your skiff. Oh!” The moment he caught sight of the Elven mage, his words stuttered to a stop. "Venerable Pagewright Tern! You honor us with your presence. How, um—this is quite irregular." He started flipping through sheets on his board. "I did not know you were set to return. I thought you had left for good."

Tern clucked his tongue. "Apprentices had better manners when I still walked these halls. I had left, but I am ready to come back. Jot that down."

The Apprentice mage flushed. "Of course! But, as I said, we are not currently allowing guests into the Tower grounds. Since you left, sir, with all due respect, I don't…I can't..."

Tern raised a hand. "Don't think too hard on it, son. Go back. Find your superior and tell them that I'm here. They'll take it off your shoulders."