Beyond Good and Evil (Aldir and erikaleeanne)

[Aldir]

3rd day of July, Morning.


Things were going rather smoothly so far, Xarl fancied as he strode through the courtyard of the palace with the sounds of battle ringing out in his ears. It had almost been laughably easy to get this far, the guards having been taken by surprise when their own shadows had risen up against them. Flicking beings of shadow crossed inky black blades with the corporeal ones of the guards, the fights were generally one sided out here. However his task was not yet finished, before he could say that he would need to enter the keep proper. Now that the guards had time to prepare matters might get a little more interesting.


As the last man soon fell, one of the flickering shadow men moved towards him and bowed its head. Xarl always appreciated that about his creations, so very loyal even if they were exceedingly simple creatures. Managing so many at once was a little taxing, but he had known that this entire operation would be taxing upon his spirit. Too much magic use at once was unwise for a sorcerer of even his caliber. Hopefully this matter would be dealt with soon enough that he could return to his castle with the promise of rest.


“Massster, your ordersss?” The creature asked, his voice hissing sinisterly.


“Do not attack unless we are attacked first or I give the order. Most within are expendable, if we meet resistance show no mercy. The king and our quarry are not to be harmed under any circumstances.” The sorcerer responded as he strode past the creature to the tall double doors that led to the throne room.


The man laid a hand upon the door, admiring the sturdy craftsmanship of the barriers in his path. Were he normal man, such a thing might very well have kept him out for some time however Xarl was hardly what one might call normal any longer. The tall man closed his eyes, grasping at the strands of his being and plucking at them as a musician might a harp. A shiver of radiant pleasure coursed down his spine as he forced the energy outwards around his hand, a strange shadowy substance forming around it.


The substance hummed slightly as it seemed to drip from his long fingers like a liquid, shadowy wisps pulsing outwards from the droplets. The substance crept over the door to the sorcerer’s direction, moving to cover it in darkness. On the inside one would see the liquid seep through the cracks in the door and start to cover the side inside of the door. Once every inch of the door was covered the tall man willed the shadows to compress upon the door itself. Wood creaked and metal screeched and bent, the doors being compressed and crushed within their shadowy prison.


The space where the doors had once blocked became smaller as the doors were slowly but surely compressed smaller and smaller and the darkness began to shrink. It continued to get smaller and smaller, until the only thing left was a black pinprick in the air which soon blinked out of existence. The guards on the other side were left dumbfounded as they stared at the sorcerer with fear upon their faces, their weapons quavering in their hands as he stepped forward into the throne room proper flanked by his creatures.


The casting had taken a bit out of him, forcing something that big to the dimension of shadows was a taxing endeavor on top of managing his shadow creatures. Still he attempted to hide it, the sheen of sweat upon his brow the only sign of his exhaustion at this casting. The man cut an imposing figure, clad in fine robes of black silk trimmed in gold. Upon his brow rested a silver circlet in the symbol of a spider, a ring with a similar symbol twisting around his right ring finger. The sorcerer himself was somewhat handsome, his long black hair allowed to grow to his shoulders and curling back a bit. A slight stubble darkened his chin and his features were best described as arrogant. His most piercing feature was likely his golden eyes, inhuman looking that they were and likely that description was not far off.


The tall man swung out his arms, having noted the king upon the throne an arrogant smile twisted his pale lips. He gave the royal a mocking bow, his shades moving out before him as they waited for hostilities to begin or the order from their master. Xarl was not sure why exactly his current patron so desired to keep the king alive and instead hold a lesser hostage however such was his job here. Politics had never been his forte, only magic.


“Your majesty, it is quite an honor to be sure. Long have I desired to look upon one of royal blood so you will excuse my awe at your very sight.” The man started, chuckling a bit.


“In any event, I am here to take away your heir. I would very much prefer to do it without violence, too many have already died today no? If you hand them over now then no further harm shall come to your subjects and I will simply depart with them in my charge, if you do not I will be forced to resort to less than pleasant measures.” The sorcerer threatened, his arrogant smile never leaving his face.


His ultimatum delivered the tall man simply stared down the king as he awaited the royal response. The sorcerer was indeed hoping to avoid further bloodshed; it was such an unrefined thing even when necessary. However his mission here was needed to be complete, it was all part of the bargain for him to be awarded what was promised to him. If that meant killing a few people to steal away some bratty snot nosed royal, then he would be willing to do it. Xarl crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze unblinking upon the king and not even bothering to look upon the guards.

 

[erikaleeanne]

The king had been raised by his father before him to be a fair king, yet a king that was, more or less, unemotional and raucous. He gave his subjects exactly what they asked for, and in return they gave him their unwavering loyalty, their vow to lay down their lives with a subtle wave of his hand. He, under no circumstances, wanted to skew that relationship. On the other hand, this powerful sorcerer wanted his daughter, and while he and she had never been in very intimate standings, she was still his ONLY heir. He was, needless to say, conflicted.


His thoughts were ultimately struck down when his daughter strode into the room.


In the king's castle, there were an elaborate set of hallways that were specifically connected between bedrooms. They served as a hideaway during emergencies, as well as a way of sneaking from room to room without being seen. His daughter had seemed to notice the chaos and had used one of these passageways, and had now emerged from a seeming loose piece of wall (which was, in fact, a door) that sat right next to the king's throne. The king remembered when his daughter ran through this tunnel as a young child, pretending to battle evil like a brave knight, to prove to her father that she could do anything. But she wasn't a child anymore.


Maevis Lannister was naturally beautiful, the kind of beautiful that led the maids to serve her with hidden contempt. Her skin was fair and spotless, her face not exactly narrow, but thinly and softly structured around her facial features, including her pale freckles. Her eyes were an interesting hazel, as they seemed to change colors with the light. Her hair was a dark brown, shorter than most's and had the occasional habit of falling in from of her face, but was never really bothered with unless a special occasion arose. Her figure was small, and she was a bit small in general. This trait of course, came from her mother. Maevis wore a simple, timely dress that was tinted in a faded blue, with sleeves that ended at her forearms. She also wore her late mother's old ring, a simply gold band engraved with Latin, around her finger.


As she entered the room, Maevis immediately became aware of the situation at hand. She looked from the dark-clad man to her father, who was looking upon her from his throne with defeat. "Take her," he finally said, then looked down at his daughter, "I'm sorry, my dear. This has to be done." He glared upon the dark-clad man like one would glare upon a snake: with disgust.


Maeve, who was rather quick-witted and smart, had a vague idea of what was happening. "Father," she asked, eyes slightly wide, "Why are you giving me to them? What do they want?"


"They want YOU," the king replied bluntly, "It's either you or my people. Like I said: this has to be done."

 

[Aldir]

Xarl waited patiently, his golden eyes fixed upon the king with a form of static intensity to them that some might find unnerving. The sorcerer gave the king credit, he was not a man easily cowed which earned him some small degree of respect. The tall dark haired man was generally not overly fond of nobles and royals, his own power was so much more than most men could dream of possessing and he had not been born with it. He had needed to claw his way into it, to fight tooth and nail in his education. Those born into power were weaker than he in his opinion, never having suffered for what was theirs.


Soon enough his quarry emerged from behind the throne, Xarl’s golden eyes roving over the young woman who was no doubt the princess. She was quite the sight, a natural beauty to be sure that no doubt led many a woman to envy. The sorcerer smirked ever so in victory, pleasantly surprised to have won over this little battle of wills. Now all that was left was the king to see reason and hand her over, then he could rest. The tall man drummed his fingers over his chin as he waited for the older man to speak.


Xarl blinked in surprise that the king so easily was willing to hand over the princess to him, a king that valued his subjects enough to hand over his daughter and heir was something the sorcerer was not used to. Whatever the case was, this made his job as captor far easier as he was being handed the woman on a silver platter. A slow grin curled over his face as he noted the look of utter disgust sent his way. How very used to that look he was, many times over had one been disgusted by his actions though Xarl refused to let that bother him. He did it for himself, which was the only one he needed to look out for. Everyone else was irrelevant.


“Well now, a king with a modicum of intelligence, such a rare thing. Don’t you worry over much, your grace; I won’t harm a hair on her pretty little head. Its worth far more attached to her shoulders.” Xarl said, chuckling darkly at the end.


The tall man quirked an eyebrow towards the princess in amusement, his expression holding much the same. Clearly she was not the sharpest sword upon the rack, uncomprehending of her current situation. Pretty, but not too bright, a typical example of royal upbringing in his earnest opinion. His shades flickered before him, leading him past the row of guards and closer towards the throne. The man swept forward unconcerned and arrogant in his movements, he had already won as far as he was concerned.


“Indeed, your father is correct, my dear. I have come for you and you alone. If you come with me then no further harm shall come to this kingdom by my hands unless I am first attacked. You have my word.” The tall sorcerer offered as he halted at the steps leading up to the throne itself.


He held out a hand, a beckoning for the young woman to take it. His part in this whole affair was nearly completed; soon he would have his reward and would be done with everything to return to his research. All he needed was the princess to come with him; certainly she would see reason as her father had. His smile towards the woman was positively predatory, golden eyes gleaming with concealed malice and amusement in equal regard. He truly was not find of those of royal blood.

 

[erikaleeanne]

Maevis, although fairly and caring and loyal to her father, was slightly perturbed that he was willing to turn her over to the sorcerer with not so much as a fight. She completely and totally understood that he needed to preserve his kingdom, but she had least expected a hint of regret in his tone. She immediately regretted thinking that though, because she knew her father better than that. In his eyes, she was, unfortunately, rather expendable.


She studied the sorcerer for a minute, and she knew instantly that she hated him. She hated his attractive features, which framed a condescending and smug look in his eyes. She hated the way he chuckled so cruelly. It was a laugh that she, for some reason, imagined him practicing for this sort of occasion. He was arrogant, she knew that. Maevis also knew that she would have no other choice but to go with him, and it was a choice that she was going to have to accept.


After a pause, Maevis turned to the king and gave a curtsy that almost mocking to him. The king clenched his fists and squinted his eyes in bitterness, but Maevis didn't care. As far as she was concerned, she wasn't going to be able to return anyway. She then turned to the other man, who she could tell was looking upon her with arrogant contempt. Everyone in the room but her seemed to be consumed with hostility, so she decided to join in. She closed her eyes, sighed, and reopened them as she took the man's hand, glaring at him with a total lack of fondness and acceptance.

 

[Aldir]

Clearly there was little love lost between the father and daughter, Xarl noted with their subtle interactions with each other. Certainly the two would not be parting on the best of terms, though that was not the sorcerer’s problem. The man did briefly wonder how he himself might have reacted had his parents done as the princess had done, tossing the thought away as unimportant. This was here and now and his parents were neither, regardless of mental anguish his captive might have been feeling it was unlikely that would be his problem very long either. His patron would take possession of her and he could just claim his reward and sit back.


“Take a deep breath, my dear, and don’t let go if you value all your parts. The first shift is always rather… violent.” The sorcerer stated as her hand was taken in his own and her pointed hostility was ignored.


Xarl focused deep within himself once again, grasping at the strands of his spirit and plucking at them. The chord struck through his body harmonically as both his shadow and the princess’ started to creep towards their owner’s. Both would feel as though the shadows had turned to liquid, which pooled up to their ankles. It crept up further to cover more of their bodies rather like they had the door Xarl had banished. The principle was similar, but a little more different as it was not destructive but rather had relocation as the goal.


The inky liquid soon would cover their forms and Xarl focused upon a location, a shadow cast room far from this place where a connection could be formed. With his will and the shadows acting as a catalyst, the world started to spin and his grip upon the princess’ hand would tighten. Suddenly it went from gentle spinning to a violent maelstrom as the forms within the shadow liquid were twisted and vanished from the spot in the throne room, the shadow creatures vanishing as well once their master was gone.


Xarl felt some mild discomfort as his being went from physical to spiritual, being twisted through space and time as the locations of the throne room and the shadow cast room were bridged momentarily. Then, as violently as it had begun then teleportation ended and the shadows dispersed from both forms. The sorcerer immediately released his hold upon the princess and steadied himself upon a nearby wall, his legs wobbling a bit as aches were sent through his body.


That was not only the second time today he had teleported across so vast a distance to his home, but it was on top of other casting he had done. Xarl most certainly was tired, he wanted nothing more than to rest for a spell but alas he still had business to handle. After steadying himself the tall man helped himself into a chair at the large dining hall’s table, the room looking as though it had long been rarely used. The room was ill-lit and the old paintings upon the wall were of robed figures and dancing twisted shadows.


“Welcome to my humble abode, princess.” The sorcerer stated, sweeping a hand over the space.


“I’ll be contacting your uncle to see where he wants me to deliver you, until then sit here and don’t go anywhere.” The tall man said, drawing a hand over his face and letting out a long exhale.


After a good long minute the sorcerer stood and moved towards the double doors that were the only entrance and exit to the dining room, closing them behind him. In the sorcerer’s exhaustion he did not lock the doors behind him and instead made his way across a long hallway and down a flight of nearby stairs. He needed to get to his lab to report his success to his patron after all, the sooner he got this royal brat out of his personal space the better. The entire place looked empty, almost as though he was the only occupant of this large home.

 

[erikaleeanne]

The travel from physical to spiritual to physical again had taken somewhat of a toll on Maevis. She felt as if her insides had been crushed and stretched repeatedly, and now, as she felt the ground beneath her feet, she leaned against the wall of the dining room and steadied her breathing. There was a very faint ringing in her ears that was coming and going. It was then that she decided that she hated sorcerers even more than she had previously.


As she composed herself, she saw the man leave the room. She didn't particularly listen to what he had to say, until the phrase "I'll be contacting your uncle" came about. Her uncle?


The sorcerer swept out of the room, and Maevis made shaky movements for a chair. She grasped the top of it tightly and tried to think clearly. Her uncle was behind this mess for some reason, she knew that. That was blatantly obvious. But was her uncle really so trapped in his vendettas that he was resulting to such drastic measures? Maevis guessed that she couldn't rule out the possibility.


After a long, drawn out silence, Maevis looked up to the door that led out of the dining room. She took a deep breath and approached it, gently turning the knob. It opened. The next step seemed pretty clear to her. She wanted to know where that arrogant-headed sorcerer had run off to.


As Maevis stepped out of the dining room, she could hear the sound of faint footsteps, to which she pursued. She was incredibly quiet and stealthy, a bit of a skill that she had learned as a child, sneaking around the castle at night, constantly snooping. As she followed the sound of the footsteps, Maevis was surprised as to how empty the place was. She wondered if the sorcerer enjoyed being so alone all of the time.


Speaking of the sorcerer, she caught sight of his black robes as he made his way down a flight of stairs. She paused and waited for him to descend a little further before following, curiosity easily trumping her anxiety.

 

[Aldir]

Xarl continued down the flight of stairs for a good bit of time, the shadow cast corridors replaced by flickering candlelight and the areas looking much well-traveled. If there was one thing the sorcerer took care of it was his personal laboratory, the rest of the home above was less frequented. Really it an unnecessary amount of space that his mentor, vain as she had been, had greatly enjoyed using. The tall man could understand wanting to surround one’s self with finery, he did it quite often, but really the home served the research minded sorcerer no purpose other than extra storage space. With the exception of his room of course.


His steps turned down a short hallway of stone at the end of the staircase, emerging into a wide open space. Mystic runes were drawn upon the floor and walls, tables bearing reagents and scattered research notes were arrayed through the large room. A few bookcases adorned the far wall; next to them were a few reading desks that possessed candles melted down to the wick. At the very center of the room was a basin of water surrounded by a ring of archaic looking runes, obviously one of the most important things in this lab.


Xarl did not immediately go towards the basin, instead collecting a few scraps of parchment upon the floor that had fallen from his worktables. The man organized them with great care, realizing only now how quickly he had left this place for his mission. Hopefully he would not have need to leave overly soon again. His research was on the cusp of a breakthrough, he was so very close he could taste the end in sight. All he needed was what Lord Dalton had promised him for the delivery of the princess, soon his name would be heralded as the greatest among the magical community.


Once his items were in order the tall man gripped a small needle upon the table, he then moved towards the basin finally. He held out his right index finger and quickly jabbed the needle into it, squeezing blood from the digit. A single fat crimson droplet dripped down from the wounded digit and into the placid water of the basin. The sorcerer then placed his finger in his mouth, the bitter taste of iron filling his taste buds. Blood magic was always such a rather an uncomfortable affair, the up side to it was that it would not tire him any further unlike his primary magic.


“Dalton Lannister.” Xarl stated.


The red tinted water swirled gently for a moment, before the crimson within shifted violently as an image started to take shape. The picture was unclear, rather like it had been drawn with water colors but it was certainly working as intended. A face took shape, a rather plain faced man with brown hair and brown eyes. He was looking directly back into the sorcerer’s eerie golden eyes as a cordial smile split across his face. He seemed very pleased to see Xarl, no doubt he had been waiting for the news.


“Ah, Sorcerer Xarl, such a pleasure to hear from you. I trust your contacting me means you succeeded?” Came a smooth voice.


“The pleasure is mine, Lord Dalton. Indeed, I have just returned from my task. The princess is currently waiting in my dining room.” The tall man replied.


Dalton’s eyes lit up at this confirmation; clearly he was pleased with this turn of affairs and if he was pleased then Xarl was certain he’d be getting what was now owed him. The sorcerer was tired enough to where the thought that the princess had left the dining room had not yet occurred to him. He considered her rather dim witted from his initial assessment, likely easily cowed unlike her father. The fact that he generally had a lower opinion of women in general did not assist in that assessment.


“Most excellent. My brother has shown himself weak. This shall certainly turn the eyes of more intelligent nobles to my direction; it will not be long now. You have my thanks, good sorcerer.” The man said.


“No thanks are necessary, my lord, merely the payment that was agreed upon. I am somewhat tired from today’s events, but I can deliver the brat to your castle tomorrow morning once I have gotten a chance to rest.” Xarl said, his tone a little dry.


“Ah. Yes, about that. I was hoping that you might take charge of her for the time being. The more out of the way she is that the moment, the less likely I will be connected to this entire affair. My dear niece’s kidnapping being pinned upon me would make my bid a little more… complicated.” The lord said, clearing his throat a bit.


Xarl quirked an eyebrow at the request. The last thing he wanted was to play baby sitter to a royal brat; he had research of import to get to. The lord’s words made logical sense, but that had not been a part of the agreement. The sorcerer was getting an odd sinking feeling in his gut, like something was going on here that was more than met the eye. It could very well have been paranoia, but Xarl was inclined to listen to his gut here.


“That is not my concern, my lord. The agreement was that upon her capture and delivery to your castle that you would hand over the Staff of Ankala to me. The last thing I need around my home is a stuck up royal brat to babysit. I have research to conduct.” The sorcerer stated, golden eyes narrowing ever so.


“That was indeed the agreement, though it did not specify when she was to be delivered. I would prefer she remain out of the way until I have claimed my rightful place on the throne where my idiot of a brother now sits. I apologize in advance for the inconvenience to your research, though I could imagine that without the staff it would be far more difficult to continue anyway.” The noble lord stated with a raised finger.


Xarl got the message loud and clear, if he didn’t do this little task then the staff would be placed beyond his reach. The sorcerer grit his teeth, the fact he had no idea where Dalton had put the staff and that he knew what Xarl was capable of was the only reason doing as he had done with the king did not cross his mind. Still, this arrangement was unacceptable; it could be years until Dalton took the throne from his brother! He needed that staff though, so for now it appeared he had no choice to agree. At least until he came up with a better plan.


“It would indeed, my lord. Very well then. I shall take on the princess as my charge. We will talk again soon, Lord Dalton.” The sorcerer stated, forcing a cordial smile on his lips.


“Very good. We will be in touch Xarl.” The lord stated, his image vanishing as the water in the basin became clear and placid again.


“Nobles… fools and snakes all of them.” The tall man whispered under his breath as he turned on his heel, a severe frown upon his face as he intended to head towards the dining hall where he had last left the princess.

 

[erikaleeanne]

Maevis had followed the sorcerer down the steps and to his lab, a room that she found particular stunning. She traced her fingers along a few of the runes, amazed by some of their intricate designs. As the man straightened up his mess, she remained hidden behind the wall that connected the staircase, making an attempt not to be seen.


As the man then turned to the basin of water and seemed to be consumed in something else, Maevis became increasingly intrigued with the bookshelves that were pushed to the side of the room. She crept quietly as she had before towards them, gently running her fingers along some of the book's bindings. She then heard the man's voice whisper her uncle's name. She looked over her shoulder just in time to hear her uncle's voice. She quickly moved behind one of the bookcases and listened.


The conversation was, more or less, easy to understand. Her uncle (surprise, surprise) was power hungry and wanting control of her father's throne, and the sorcerer was in need of some sort of staff that would further his research. The staff, she figured, had to have been important if the sorcerer was willing to kidnap royalty for it.


Maevis also seemed to notice the sorcerer's incredible distaste for her as he argued over her staying with him, as her uncle seemed to be rather lazy. He spoke of her as a "royal brat", a seemingly reoccurring title.


Once the two men had cut their communication, Maevis came out of her little hiding place and began glancing through some of the books. A few of them reminded her of the books that she had seen in her own grand library.


"Nobles...fools and snakes all of them," the man said. Maevis pulled a book from the shelf and absently flipped through it.


"You know," she commented after he had sulked, "your perception of people different than you leaves much to be desired."

 

[Aldir]

Xarl stopped moving towards the exit, halted by the sound of a feminine voice coming from his bookcases. His golden eyes turned towards the princess that had been the subject of his previous discussion, his frown deepening. Apparently she was not good at listening to instructions as well, part of him wondered if it would really be so much trouble to just torture Dalton to tell him where he put the staff. That pleasant fantasy tossed to the wayside, he returned his attention on his unexpected eavesdropper. So she had likely heard all of that, it was not exactly a massive problem. An annoyance moreso.


“Not when they are perceptions proven very well over time. You uncle for instance is a snake for twisting our agreement, and you are foolish for antagonizing the man who is to play host to you for the foreseeable future.” The sorcerer commented, stalking a bit closer to the princess.


His eyes played across the spine of the book she had claimed, a smirk teasing at his lips as he noted the title. “The Great Sorcerers and Wizards: A Historical Compilation”, a rather interesting scholar’s read though the only thing in his mind when he read it was envy. He himself was incredibly skilled for a sorcerer, but had yet to do anything truly grand to be worthy of being considered a ‘great’. The greats had pioneered the very magic he practiced; they could destroy cities and mountains and summon creatures beyond this world. Xarl was not there yet, he was still too young.


“It’s also impolite to eavesdrop upon other people’s conversations, my dear, and to touch other people’s things without their permission. Didn’t your mother teach you any manners?” The tall man inquired, his tone flat and irritated.


It was bad enough that he was to play host to this woman, he was a sorcerer by the gods not some servant! He was supposed to breed fear in those around him and research great magic, not wait on some royal hand and foot! The indignity was enough that he was already plotting terrible revenge against Dalton once he claimed what was his. With those pleasant thoughts locked away for future reference, the tall man turned his mind to handling the princess. He couldn’t just leave her to walk out and about. Her uninitiated mind might interfere with his work and he was tired as it was, fortunately he did have a rather large house.


“Right. So since you did eavesdrop, you should know your situation. Your wretched uncle has tasked me with your care. I am rather tired as it is, believe it or not teleporting hundreds of miles away from here and back while maintaining summoned creatures is rather taxing. I’ll show you to your quarters and then tomorrow we will… talk about your extended stay here in my care. This is even more distasteful for me, woman, than it is for you.” The sorcerer stated, folding his arms across his chest.


His tone had indicated his displeasure at extended contact with the woman; she was attractive most certainly but her apparent lack of obedience and glib tongue was rather annoying. The less time he had to tend to her, the better off he would be. Maybe… maybe he could get through this whole thing with as little contact with her as possible, just shove her to the other side of the house and continue his research. Other than the occasional contact when she needed food and drink, it seemed possible. If she was willing to cooperate with him of course.

 

[erikaleeanne]

Maevis sighed, closing the book that she so very much wanted to indulge herself in. The sorcerer was definitely becoming more and more cranky and bitter as their encounter progressed. She, however, had no intention of submitting to his hateful attitude. "My mother taught me plenty of things, mind you, but that hardly matters. I'm not a child."


She studied the sorcerer for brief moment, taking in his features. He was fairly handsome, she couldn't deny, but she didn't take too much of into account. Her eyes soon drifted to some of the runes written on the walls.


"These runes are rather gratifying to see up close, by the way," she said, approaching the inscriptions, "I've read about many of them, but I've never seen them in person. I know most of them are just parlor tricks, but they're admirable all the same."


Maevis then turned back to the bookshelf on the far end, and plucked two of the books down to add to her first one. As she spoke, she ran her fingers over some of the bindings in pleasant gratification.


"I have a feeling that you're going to try to keep me isolated from you," she continued, "you know, lock me away and what not. I'd at least like to have a few of these to pass the time..." Maevis then looked over her shoulder at the sorcerer again, "If that's okay...Xarl? That's what my uncle called you, right?" She turned back to the sorcerer, eyebrow raised.

 

[Aldir]

Xarl felt his chest swell with pride at the noting of the runes upon the walls and floor, things he had created himself. The tall man’s pride soon turned to indignation as she dismissed his runecraft as being a mere parlor trick. His expression shifted to mimic the emotion, his magic being his greatest source of pride and to have the runes so dismissed was rather a blow. He was reminded of his mentor for a moment, the woman had been impossible to please as well. The difference being was that she had been a powerful sorceress; this princess was nothing of the sort!


Red flags rose in his mind as she claimed she wanted to take some reading material with her, his unnatural golden eyes flicking to the books she had just plucked from his selection. He scanned over them to assure himself they were not instructional volumes, things she might use to try to escape. Sorcery was not a ‘learn it yourself’ art, but books could provide plenty of instruction and a number of these books were penned from the hand of his mentor. Quite the fool he would look if this girl turned herself into a bird and flew away from his clutches.


They did not appear particularly dangerous from what he could tell, nothing that worried him over much. He was more surprised that she could read, education towards scholarly matters was something he had thought absent or at least rare among the higher classes. The fact she had been able to identify his defense runes as being mostly for show was also impressive to a mild degree, though he would hardly tell his captive he was impressed with her. The tall man waved errantly at her request, indicating that it hardly mattered to him in the long run.


“Perceptive of you. Very well, far be it from me to deprive one of literature. You’d probably find more books to your interest in the general library on the top floor of my home above. Most of the books here are advanced magic theory and magic related in general.” The tall man informed, sounding almost accommodating for the first time since they met.


“Xarl will suffice, of where and born of whom are of no importance. Come with me and I will show you where you’ll be staying. Grab that candle over there, the house is dark most of the time.” The sorcerer stated, beckoning for the brown haired princess to follow him.


Xarl ascended the stairs slowly, massaging his temples as a throbbing headache started to set in from the extended casting. Never would he admit how very close to his limits he had come today, if he had pushed himself just a little bit further the tall man might very well have placed his life in danger. It was doubly irritating then that he was being denied his reward and instead saddled with this princess for his trouble. Dalton would pay for this once the staff was in his possession, the lord would learn how very dangerous it was to cross a sorcerer.


His path led back to the dimly lit hallways of the ground floor, the place easily navigated towards another set of doors at the end of the hall. Due to the nature of his magic, darkness was of little issue and his eyes needed very little light to go on. It was hard to believe in this gloominess that it was in fact about midmorning. Xarl liked to keep his domain dark, just as its former owner had preferred to keep it very bright.


Xarl led them through the doors at the end of the hall and beyond was a large foyer, dusty tapestries of a spider sigil hanging from the ceiling. The windows were blocked by dark and rich looking cloth and the candles were not lit either. All through their walk this place continued to appear empty and vacant, no one else was encountered not a single servant or other living being beyond the owners of the cobwebs that had taken up residence around much of the house. It was clear that the sorcerer was not overly concerned with the appearance of the home.


Their path would lead them up the main stairs of the foyer, all the while Xarl refrained from speaking. In fact his steps appeared a little wobbly and uneven, his exhaustion starting to weigh him down much harder than he expected though he tried to mask it. Staring down at the top of the stairs was a large portrait of a woman dressed in cream colored robes, a gentle smile upon her lips. Once at the top of the stairs he took a right and went through another set of doors and up a smaller flight of stairs tucked off to the side. Here the cobwebs seemed even thicker, as though he almost never went this way or used this part of the house.


At the third floor of the house he set down another hallway and they arrived finally at a set of double doors and the man swung them wide open. Within was a large room set with a desk and chairs tucked into the corner, portraits and finery hanged around the room, and a large lush bed at the far end. As with many rooms it bore the signs of infrequent use, as well as dark sheets covering the windows in the room.


“Here you are, this is where you will be staying for your time here. That bell over there was designed to attract the attention of servants when this place still possessed them, but I’ll here it down in my lab. If you have need of something important, ring it and I’ll get around to coming here. I am going to be resting for a spell, we will talk more tomorrow.” He explained, stressing the word important and then turning slightly before remembering something.


“It occurs to me that I never learned your name.” The sorcerer stated, staring at the princess with tired golden eyes.

 

[erikaleeanne]

Maevis had been frankly surprise that Xarl had allowed her to not only take the books with her, but inform her of a library that was, apparently open for her use.


With that accommodating gesture in mind, Maevis agreed to grab the candle that he was referring to and follow him.


As they passed corridors and staircases, she quietly admired the portraits and tapestries that hung along the walls. The place seemed rather dreary, but rather nice all of the same. She almost complimented him on his abode, but held her tongue. She wouldn't dare allow him to know that she admired him in any way. Another thing that she noticed was that Xarl was becoming considerably weaker, and this almost brought Maevis to sympathy, which was dismissed as quickly as it had come. He had kidnapped her, after all, and obviously disliked her. There was no way that she would express anything different than that to him.


As he directed her to the room, she couldn't help but smile a little. It was nice room, the furnishings admireable. She sat down the candle on the desk and began sorting through her books. It was then that Maevis realized that he was speaking to her.


"It occurs to me that I never learned your name."


Maevis looked over her shoulder, then turned around completely, leaning against the desk with crossed arms.


"It's Maevis," she replied, then added, "I'd hate to boss you around, but I do agree that you should get some sleep." She picked up one of the books and ruffled through it, "I, being of royalty, obviously don't much about discomfort, but I think that the floor doesn't necessarily compare to a bed, and you look like you're about to drop."

 

[Aldir]

Maevis. Interesting name, Xarl rolled it around his tongue for a moment as though acquiring the taste of it before filing it away for tomorrow. He needed no further prompting from another to depart, though he did remember to reach into the pocket of his robes and produce a key. He locked the doors behind him and then made his way through the hallways of the large home. The sorcerer started down the flight of stairs and went down another hallway on the second floor. Here the tall man came to a door that had seen much more use, the one that led to his personal quarters.


The room was rather comparable to the one he had left the princess in, only it lacked windows and was a little bit larger to accommodate a tall bookcase and a walk in closet. Xarl closed the door behind him and simply flopped to the bed, groaning in exhaustion. He knew that he should probably change out of his clothes and remove his finery at the very least but part of him was far past caring. He wanted to simply be oblivious to the rest of the world around him and to forget the events of this day.


Some part of that urging won out when he removed the circlet from his brow and the ring from his finger and placed them on a side table. It occurred to him that the princess could very well try to escape via the windows in her room, but he was too tired to care. If she wanted to stumble through the forest surrounding the manor to find the nearest village that was her prerogative. Xarl was annoyed enough that he was sharing his roof with the woman. As he drifted off into a dreamless slumber, his final thoughts were on the staff and just what he was going to do without it now.


____________________________________________________________________________________________________


4th of July, Morning


Sleep heavy golden eyes slowly opened as the sun was beginning to rise the next day, a yawn ripped from their owner’s lips. Xarl felt rather terrible this morning, though not nearly as tired and exhausted as he had the previous morning. Immediately he knew he was hungry and rather thirsty as well, both of which were problems he could solve easily enough. Slowly he got out of bed and stretched, joints popping faintly and muscles receiving some much needed activity. The tall sorcerer then managed to shuffle his way to a mirror.


The image looking back at him was messy haired and clothed, a frown setting upon his lips at the sight. That simply would not do, it went against his sensibilities to look anything but his best so his first trip was not out of the room to get something to eat but rather to his closet to select some new clothing. When he emerged he was holding a simple black tunic trimmed in gold, matching trousers, and a set of boots. He then set down into another door into his adjoining bath and spent a reasonable amount of time cleaning himself.


When he finally did emerge from his quarters it was better dressed and clean, feeling a little more refreshed if not a little more hungry. There was also the matter of his guest to consider, he had slept through most of yesterday and had not left her any food. No doubt she’d be rather puckish herself, so he’d likely be able to kill two birds with one stone at the very least. The tall man set off down the foyer stairs and into the ill-used kitchen. He walked into the cupboard to peer around for some food, noting that he’d probably need to make a trip to the nearby village for supplies in a few days.


Xarl emerged from the kitchen bearing a silver tray with a couple of loafs of bread and some soup that he’d managed to whip up on short notice. There was also a small pitcher of water and some cups. His own cooking left much to be desired, functional was a kind word for it but he had long ago tossed aside notions of being a chef of any description. He ascended the foyer stairs and stopped to look at the cream robed woman in the portrait at the top.


“Soon. Soon, Mistress I’ll make both of our dreams come true.” He whispered, knowing full well she would not answer but that hardly mattered. She never did.


He ascended to the third floor where he had left the princess and placed his tray upon a nearby table in the hall. He produced the key from his pocket and opened the doors without bothering to knock, taking up the tray and entering with an arrogant smirk upon his face. He wondered briefly how she had held up that first day here, before tossing the thought to the back of his mind and opting not to worry over much over it.


“Princess, I trust you are hungry. I did say we would talk as well about your stay here as well.” The man said by way of greeting.

 

[erikaleeanne]

As the sorcerer had closed the door and left the room, Maevis glanced up for a moment, then approached the door, gently testing the knob. It was, unfortunately, locked. She sighed and took one of the books to bed with her, reading through the old pages to steady her nerves which were, admittedly, not at their best. She would never let anyone else know that, though.


When she had gotten her fill of the first book, she closed it and gazed out the window. It was still daytime, although late daytime. She stood up from the bed tossed the book on the desk, then leaned against the window pane. In the distance, she could see a village that was dotted against the orange setting sun. Maevis tested the window for some way to open it, but no results came from it. She knew that there plenty of ways to escape; she just knew that no good would come from throwing herself into a forest, completely defenseless. So, she resisted the temptation to break the window and picked up the second book. Before she nestled back in the bed, however, she tested the knob again. Still locked.


As she sat and attempted to read, Maevis's thoughts drifted to the staff that Xarl had been talking about. She wondered about her uncle, and how he was going to claim the throne. She wondered about her father, who would probably give up the throne as easily he had done with her, all to save his own hide. She shook the bitter thoughts from her head and tried to focus on the book again. By that time, she felt her eyelids grow extremely heavy. It was then that she fell asleep with the book draped across her stomach


-----


The next morning, Maevis woke up before the sun had even risen. She had always been an early riser. The first thing she did was test the knob again. She swore very quietly as she saw that she was still locked in. There was no other alternative but to, regretfully, go back to the books.


Maevis picked up the book she had fallen asleep with and began reading again. She was beginning to face an unsilenceable stomach, and she sighed in annoyance. She was hoping that her snake of a host would consider feeding her at some point.


It wasn't much sooner after she had thought this that the man of her thoughts sauntered in, the same arrogant and distasteful smile on his face.


"...I trust you are hungry...I did say we would talk about your stay here..."


Maevis didn't put must interest in her words. She was eyeing the food that he was carrying. "Of course," she muttered in response to both questions.

 

[Aldir]

Xarl said nothing and instead placed the tray down upon the table, taking up the silver pitcher and pouring out the water into the cups. He then took a seat himself and tore off a loaf of bread, gently dipping it into the soup and taking a few bites. As usual the soup itself was passable as far as quality went. He chewed thoughtfully, before increasing his pace of feeding though attempting to keep himself somewhat refined. The sorcerer remembered with some amusement his noble born mentor’s etiquette lessons; she would throttle him surely if she witnessed him breaking eating protocol.


The sorcerer took a long drink from his cup and refilled it, opting to keep silent for the moment and simply eat. Once he finished the bread, he turned his attention to the soup and finished that off as quickly as he was able. The sorcerer sighed a bit once he was finished, not the most filling of meals really. It was a pity the manor lacked staff any longer, though his reasons in dismissing them had seemed logical at the time. Not so much now that he possessed a house guest for the foreseeable future. The tall man placed that thought aside for another time, instead focusing upon the current situation.


“Now then, let us talk about you. This manor you are in obviously belongs to me, and I’m sure you’ve noticed the forest outside. That stretches for five solid miles south and many dozens more in any other direction. The only civilization for a little while is a village to the south that I possess a… working relationship with. I will be sending a letter to the elder of the village, so set ideas of escaping that way out of your mind.” The tall man started, his words articulate.


“Your uncle, snake as he is, has placed you in my care so let me place some ground rules. First off of, my lab is completely and utterly off limits as are my personal quarters. If I find you there, you won’t like having and angry sorcerer to deal with. I am willing to allow you to roam the house to some degree during the day, under my escort at first naturally. If you desire to go someplace, ring that bell and I’ll come when I’m not in the middle of something important. As time goes by and you show yourself to be well behaved I might permit unsupervised roaming.” Xarl continued, taking a sip from his cup.


As far as he was concerned he was being taken advantage of in this situation, Maevis was a burden placed upon him by Dalton after all. Still, he needed her in order to gain the staff so he couldn’t just turn her out on the streets or sell her to a slaver. A bit of indulgence was all he needed to show, other than a bit of willfulness and a glib tongue the woman had not given him cause to thing her entirely disobedient.


“When your uncle eventually triumphs over your father, then you will be turned over to his care and whatever he wants with you. You won't have to put up with the evil and cruel sorcerer after that." The sorcerer said with a smirk at the end.


“In any event, have you any questions regarding this situation or in general?” The tall man inquired as he placed his cup down upon the tray.

 

[erikaleeanne]

At the sight of the food, Maevis almost instantly indulged herself in the bread and soup that was presented. She had been taught her entire life to eat with poise and etiquette, but not many were around to correct her. She still ate with an extent of refinement, but not with the absolute perfection that her father and mother always strived upon; she was starving.


She also duly noted how the sorcerer ate as well: with a touch of eloquence that could only come from someone who had been under royal authority before. She knew that royals were a sort spot for Xarl, so she acted as if she noticed nothing.


As the sorcerer spoke about her conditions, she glanced out the window to the village, glad that she hadn't broken then window and attempted to escape. It sounded like that would've been wildly unsuccessful. Xarl also repeated his uncle's plan to overtake the throne, something that was becoming an ill reminder that Maevis tried to push to the back of her head.


She also took note that his lab was off limits, a little bit of a disappointment, as she had been intrigued when she first laid eyes on it. She was, however, reminded about the other castle's accommodations, and kept her mouth shut.


Maevis also took into account that he would be following her around for the time being. She wondered how long he would tolerate being around her until he scurried back into his laboratory.


After he asked her if she had any questions (not before minutely mocking her, of course), she thought about what she should say, because she certainly felt obligated to say something. She glanced behind her, at the books lying on the desk and bed. She then turned back to Xarl after swallowing her last bit of soup.


"I want to go to the library that you spoke about earlier."

 

[Aldir]

Xarl noted that Maevis took his words rather easily, though other than that it was extremely difficult for him to get a feel for her emotional state. Flesh concealed thoughts within the skull though it betrayed those thoughts often enough, it appeared that the little princess’ flesh was not going to betray her. The woman was far better at concealing her emotions than he had first expected, then again his initial assessment of her had been of an object rather than a person. She was a thing he was to trade for the key to his true power. The key to his legacy eternal.


The library, it had been some time since last he had entered the general section. His mentor had been quite the avid collector of books of varying import, an odd little habit of hers that Xarl had not emulated. His mind was purely of magic, of the worlds and powers beyond the imagination of the lesser minds. The dark haired man didn’t care over much of the information that might be contained within the library beyond the one in his lab. Philosophical volumes, historical texts, maps, really most forms of scholarly information could be found there if one looked hard enough.


“Very well, my dear. Grab that candle and follow me.” The tall man said, standing slowly from his chair and opening the door.


He would lead them though the dark halls to the ground floor of the manor, turning down an unused set of doors and into another dark hallway. From here he headed down to the end of the hall and swung upon the double doors, the smell of musty tomes and parchment escaping. Shadow cast rows of bookcases filled the immediate vision; the sorcerer vaguely remembered this place when it was instead filled with light. His mentor had been rather the opposite on the scale of sorcerers than he.


“The previous owner was quite the collector of ponderous reads, fiction and non-fiction alike. I myself haven’t had time since the manor has come into my possession to leaf through these.” Xarl said, smirking ever so.


The sorcerer crossed through the maze of the bookshelves and towards one of the windows, pulling off one of the sheets from it and allowing gleaming golden light to beam through. The bright light stung at his golden eyes, more used to darkness than light as they were. He blinked a couple of times and repeated the process on two more windows to better illuminate the room. The sorcerer flexed the shadows around him, the darkness seeming to shift and twist as he flexed his own fingers. A thrill of pleasure coursed down his spine, a tiny sigh escaping his lips at the petty casting.


“Read what you like and select what you will. I’ll have a Shade carry what you select, though do try to be reasonable.” The tall man stated, sitting at a nearby desk usually set aside for reading.


As he did the man took control of the shadows around him and gathered it in a ball in his hand, seeming to shape it in his fingers. The dark haired man simply allowed the princess to have free reign of the library as he worked the strands of his spirits in some minor casting. Even here he could certainly accomplish a little more research most certainly.

 

[erikaleeanne]

Maevis was rather surprised that Xarl had agreed to take her to the library, but didn't complain under any circumstance. This seemed liked quite a stroke of luck, and she wasn't going to ruin her chance of getting out of the room. She nodded very obediently and grabbed the cande that she had used the previous day, following her captor rather eagerly.


When they reached the library, Maevis could feel her heart to a brief dance of joy. The smells of parchment was a comforting smell for her, and helped with the easing of her nerves that she had been hiding very well so far, much to her own surprise and satisfaction. The library was a bit different than the one in her own castle, but it was certainly nothing to shake one's head at.


As she followed Xarl around the maze of bookshelves, talking of a previous owner and opening windows, Maevis couldn't help but stare at him for a moment. He was quite a sight with the newly welcomed sun dancing across his features and the magic excitedly coarsing around his body. She turned away to one of the bookshelves as quickly as she had started. 'Too arrogant for his own good,' she repeated to herself, quickly dismissing any other thought, 'too arrogant for his own good.'


When he allowed her free range of the library, with the help of a Shade, she quickly set off to work, disappearing behind one of the shelves. She ran her fingers over some of the spines, trying to hide the pleased grin on her face. She plucked a few fiction tales here and there, as well a few historicals and so on. When she felt that the load might become burdensome, she beckoned for help from the Shade.


"So," Maevis said after a long stretch of silence. She poked her head out from behind one of the bookshelves to see where Xarl had sat himself, "would it be fair to ask about the staff that you've gone to rather...drastic measures to get your hands on? Also, who's this previous owner you spoke of? Is she the lady in the painting near my room?"

 

[Aldir]

As Maevis moved about looking for her books, Xarl slowly expanded his own shadow and willed it to rise up from the floor. The casting of controlling one Shade was not exactly a difficult task, made easier when his own shadow was available. The creature of flickering shadow rose up before him and with the direction of the princess it followed him. The creatures were exceedingly simple, little more intelligent than apes really, but they served him nicely and were difficult to dispel via means mundane. An invisible stream of energy constantly flowed from Xarl to the Shade, the price he paid for the creature existing.


This task done the tall man continued fiddling with the ball of darkness in his fingers, shaping it much like a potter might shape clay. His eyes occasionally flicked up to the princess, grateful that he had a model for a feminine body for once. Xarl shaped the ball into a shape of a woman, smiling ever so as he worked the weaves of his magic. Creation was much more preferable to destruction in his mind, like leaving a work of art itself that walked and breathed. His art was incomplete though, it was always incomplete as it was finite.


The sorcerer waved his hand and dispelled the shadowy image, turning his attention to his house guest with a thoughtful look upon his face. He was uncertain how much was safe to say, then again Princess Maevis was his prisoner for all intents and purposes. It was unlikely she’d escape and even if she did, it was not like the information would be useful to non-sorcerers. After a bit of pondering, Xarl leaned further back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest with a sight. It wasn’t exactly difficult to explain the staff, but his mentor was another matter entirely.


“The Staff of Ankala. Created by Ankala the Enchanter. Supposedly it was his last act of creation, that he spilled his lifeblood over it as he finished. He created it to create life, to spark the same thing that exists within you and me.” Xarl started.


“That Shade following you around. It follows orders, understands speech and can emulate it; it can swing a blade or carry your books. However what it lacks is advanced cognitive thought and the ability to exist upon its own. The moment I stop feeding my life force into keeping it solid and whole it will collapse.” The dark haired man stated.


“The Staff would allow me to create a never before seen kind of Shade, ones that can survive without my constant maintenance. That is why I seek it, my dear.” The man finished.


Not entirely all of the facts but it was close enough to the truth to where he was not technically lying either. Xarl did not wish to elaborate on what he desired that power for, he opted to let Maevis make her own judgment of that. The sorcerer turned his mind towards his former mentor, pondering how much to reveal and how much to keep to himself. Just the requisite information would likely do, nothing too revealing. Xarl was not one to tip his hand even when he was fairly certain it would not hurt him.


“Indeed she was. Riyanna Leher. A sorceress who possessed power over the Primordial Aspect of light. My mentor as well. She had sought the Staff as well but… expired before it was found and left me this place. It was not always so empty, but after her death I dismissed the servants and the like to the village.” The tall man offered with a shrug.

 

[erikaleeanne]

As Xarl spoke of the staff, she listened intently. By the way he spoke of it, it sounded like nothing more than a stepping stone in his magical matters. She figured that he was telling the truth, but she also figured that there was more to the staff than what she was letting on. Maevis said nothing about it, though; she doubted that he would tell her about any more than what he already had. She figured that with a little extensive reading, she could learn more about that.


When Xarl spoke about Riyanna, his mentor, he seemed to appear nonchalant. Maevis had seen the way he looked at the painting when they went to and fro through the hallway. He had some sort of admiration for her, but he was very keen to hide it. In fact, he seemed very keen to hide a lot of his emotions.


A few moments of silence padded by before Maevis was satisfied with her book selections. She turned to the shade for a minute, and, for the first time, admired it. It looked a lot like a moving sculpture in its movements and gait. Maevis couldn't help but be impressed. She then turned back around and walked over to the desk that Xarl was seated, plopping down the books with the exception of one. It was an old fiction novel, with dainty writing lining it's cover and pages, as if someone was taking notes. The handwriting was faded and almost illegible, so she didn't pay much thought to it.


"Let me ask you something else," she said, "you're obviously a very talented sorcerer." She gestured to the Shade as an example, "So...why are you working for my uncle? Why did you go to the trouble to kidnap me? I know you want the staff, but couldn't you just..." She looked down at him in his chair, her hazel eyes reflecting in the sunlight, "Take it, I suppose? Why do you go to so much trouble?"

 

[Aldir]

Xarl noted the stack of books Maevis set down upon the table; she was obviously quite the avid reader although she could well be stocking up for a long wait in her room. The sorcerer shrugged them off as unimportant; he was certain that as far as books went there was nothing overly useful here. Then again, he had not explored every volume in this room, and he had also not explored every volume in his own lab. Mostly those that had to do with his particular field of sorcery, creation and matter displacement. There were aspects of magic that he knew nothing about.


The next question she asked was quite a difficult question to properly answer without showing overt weakness on his part. Xarl was faced with the difficulty of facing the fact that he literally could not take the staff from Dalton, it was not possible to take that which he could not find. Kidnapping and torturing Dalton himself seemed a plan, but he doubted Maevis realized that there was more to her uncle than met the eye. If she did not then Xarl had no intention on informing her of that just yet, best to get her talking rather than continuing to talk himself.


“Flattery will get you everywhere, my dear. Though, you are too inquisitive for your own good, has anyone ever told you that? Suffice to say, your uncle is not a foolish man and knew how to conduct dealings with that which he contracted.” The sorcerer said, brushing aside the inquiry.


“Since I have indulged your questions I believe that you’ll agree that turnabout is fair play. So tell me, you seem rather calm about your current situation, why might that be? Certainly you know the legends of how sorcerers are cruel tyrants. I did kill a number of your countrymen to get to you after all.” The tall man inquired with a raised eyebrow.


“Not only that, but I am working with a man that has a vested interest in taking away your birthright. To be honest, I half expected to awake this morning to find you had roped down from your window and fled into the forest.” The sorcerer continued, shrugging slightly.


Golden eyes stared hard at the princess, blinking occasionally breaking the static intensity of his stare. His normal arrogant smirk turned up his lips as he waved an errant hand to dismiss the Shade from this world. Wisps of black shadows hovered in the air where it had existed for a moment before vanishing entirely from sight. The drain upon his life essence was cut off, though it had not exactly been that heavy of a drain to begin with.


Xarl was keen to hear what this princess had to say for herself, if she chose not to answer then he’d probably just shrug it off and prepare to leave the library. He was not exactly sure why the words had come out of his mouth in the first place, stupid questions to ask really. Even still they had indeed been spoken, which meant something though he was not sure what. Possibly a feeling of obligation? He was to spend an extended period of time with her after all, best to get to know that which is near you. Seemed logical.

 

[erikaleeanne]

When Xarl answered her question, she found herself faced with another vague answer that contained statements of which she already knew. Maevis supposed that that was all she was goin to get out of the sorcerer, so she put all of her other questions in the back of her conscience.


Being faced with questions of her own now, Maevis closed the book she was reading and placed it on the pile of other books. She contemplated for a minute, wondering how she could elude Xarl with a clever answer of her own, an answer that could wipe that horrible smirk from his face. She thought of a few ways to answer, including not answering at all, but she decided to come across the way that she always had: to the point.


"Firstly," she said, "I didn't sneak out because I'm not a fool. Of course I COULD escape...I thought of every possibility that I could; but I didn't because I knew that I wouldn't be an escapee very long. I would be back in here as quickly as I had left."


"Secondly," Maevis said, crossing her arms, "I don't care about my birthright, if I'm being honest. Would I like to be queen one day? Perhaps, but I'm not going to fight for such a title. Power is a horrible, murderous entity that does nothing but destroy everything in its path. You know my uncle. He's willing to go to such elaborate measures in order to claim a throne that will only break him further. He's not a fool, indeed, but he's ignorant to the consequences of his actions. Look at my father as well! He's willing to give up his own daughter to preserve his admiration and valid birthright as king. I don't really care about that though, I suppose. He and I have ever been on the best of terms."


Maevis picked up the same book that she had been reading previously. "So, I guess you could say that I don't want the throne as badly as anyone may think, and I'm not putting myself in harm's way over my father an his brother's childish feud." She paused to raise an eyebrow and add, "And, in reply to your snide remarks, don't let yourself think that I was trying to flatter you." After saying what she had, Maevis leaned against the desk and began sorting through and examining the books that she had taken from the shelves.

 

[Aldir]

So Maevis truly comprehended the predicament, interesting. That made is task a little easier in some ways though it was a little more difficult in some others. It showed that she was no airheaded princess; she had a modicum of common sense which meant he would need to watch himself more than he had first expected. The sorcerer tended to look down on most people, that led to overconfidence in his abilities and right now he was confident he could keep her here despite her intelligence. He had mastered the ways of his magic after all, how could she possibly outwit one such as him?


Xarl snorted at her claim not to care overmuch about her birthright, a lie or a delusion if ever the sorcerer had heard one. Those of her upbringing were always interested in power, in the power their blood granted them by the laws of the land. Trying to convince themselves otherwise was foolish really, the tall man at least was honest about his ambitions. No reason to lie about who he was or what he wanted to do. Yet, he was apparently fine with misleading his house guest about seemingly unimportant things. It had been a while since last he had needed to talk to someone for an extended period of time.


“Power is everything, my dear. The consequences that follow are regrettable, but progress demands sacrifice. Your father has shown his rule to be weak, he cannot protect his own daughter from a sorcerer then how can he rule a kingdom? He has shown himself a defender of the common people, but your uncle has heirs and now your father does not. Nobles will start to support your uncle’s claim as he is not afraid to fight for progress. I can respect that myself, he’s a snake but I can still respect his ambition.” The sorcerer started.


“Who founds the civilizations of the world? Conquerors, those with the power to lead. Who are the great sorcerers in the history books? Those with the will to make sacrifices for their research. Who writes the history books? Those with the power to win when others fail. Power is not evil, no more than a sword or hammer is evil. The men who hold those tools though, that is another story entirely.” The tall man offered, shrugging slightly after delivering his assessment.


The sorcerer had possessed much time to decide what his views upon the subject were; his mentor had played a large part in that mentality. Though, unlike him she understood there were more ways to power than just personal influence. Influencing those others that also held influence also worked nicely. His mentor had been powerful, but she and he had differing philosophies on how to use that power. Xarl was selfish, he wanted power so that he could leave a legacy, so that his name would resound throughout all of history as a pioneer of sorcery. To surpass his mentor in the eyes of history.


“You may not have intended to flatter me, Princess, however that was the result of your words. Though, you are not the first woman to be amazed by my prodigal abilities in sorcery. Truly, greatness is a curse.” The tall man said, laying the back of his hand over his forehead theatrically with a smirk.

 

[erikaleeanne]

As Maevis listened to Xarl rattle on about his perception of power, she could feel herself becoming angrier and angrier. He was even more selfish and arrogant than she had first believed. She hated even him even more for that.


What sent her, in a sense, over the edge was when he smirked after boasting his power to her. She stood in silence for a moment, staring at him in shock. Then, in a spur of passion, she leaned foward on her elbows, which were sat atop her pile of books.


"Let me inform you of something, you air headed cretin," she said, "Would you like to know where these conqurerers are now? You probably don't know since you've locked yourself away in this musty hellhole. If you do know, let me remind you : they're dead. Do you know why their dead? Because, as Icarus the builder, they became confident in their wings and flew too close to the sun. It happened to them. It's going to happen to my father and uncle. It's also is going to happen to you, 'oh great and powerful one'. Don't believe me?" She pulled out one of her historical textbooks and threw it into his lap, "Read a book. You claim that power is everything, and maybe you're right. Maybe, to people like you, power is the most wonderful thing; but when you've put yourself in a position that leads to your certain demise, don't ask yourself where you went wrong."


She made a move to pick up her books, but not before striking Xarl across the face. It was, by no means, a harsh slap; just enough to where she felt like she made her point.


"And I would like to apologize," Maevis said, scooping up her books and candle, "for ever believing that you were worth more than your precious magic. I hope that you've made that mentor of yours proud. Now, if you need me, and please let it be important if you do, I'll be in my room. So sorry to inconvienece you, by the way."


With that, she spun on her heel and out of the library, where she mimicked the direction that Xarl had taken her. As she walked, she could feel the anger inside of her settle, and when she reached her room, Maevis found herself closing it quietly instead of slamming it in fury. Before she did so, she glanced up at the portrait of Riyanna, wondering if she, in any way, was like Xarl, and if she really was proud of what he was doing.

 

[Aldir]

Xarl was a bit taken aback with how she had exploded on him, his brows shooting up at her fiery tirade against him. So this was what it was like to be hated, the sorcerer had never actually come full face with the vocalization of it. People had looked down upon him most certainly, they had stared at him with disgust, but he had not been told directly to his face that someone disagreed with his opinions. She was rather blunt about it, not quite as elegant in her construction of argument as he himself might have been but there was something to her words he considered briefly.


Then she actually physically struck him, leading to him to blink a few times as though not quite comprehending the suddenness of the motion. It stung, enough so that the pain remains for a time after she had finished the action. Golden eyes soon narrowed dangerously, rage boiling over in his veins. The look he shot towards her was positively murderous, his own passions extending dangerously towards his magic. After she departed a single twisted black tendril lashed out in the chair she had sat in, the inky black appendage tearing it apart in a shower of splinters.


The tall man was enraged to put if very lightly, he had been accommodating as could be considering the circumstances and had shared more information that was necessary with the woman. The threatening aura around him slowly died down as he regained control over his magic, the shadows around him returning to normal as he sat alone for a good while. She understood nothing about his motives, what right did she have to tell him what was right and wrong? Xarl snarled and stood from his chair, sweeping out of the room and towards his lab.


He needed to drown himself in work, that would calm him down from his anger. Xarl was not going to be shaken from his goals by one stupid girl and her ideals; he had come too far and given too much to consider turning back. Regardless if what he was doing was moral or not there was more than one path to immortality. There was more than one way to live forever; those people she claimed were dead might very well have been dead. However what was left of them, their legacies, were left long after they breathed their last gasp of air.


He headed down the darkened stairs into his lab, slamming the door behind him with a resounding bang. It felt rather good, childishly so but enough to take the edge off of his anger. Xarl then made his way to his work station and started to look over the scrawled notes to be found there. All of his research pointed towards the staff being the missing link, as well as a sizable font to birth the creations. Fonts such as the one he used to contact Lord Dalton, however for his purposes the font would need to be much larger.


Xarl’s anger quickly faded into pondering regarding the exact dimensions of the font, its depth as well as its circumference. Arithmetic had never been his forte, but he was intelligent enough to understand the basics. It would need to at least be large enough to contain a person most likely and the liquid within would need to be able to take on the shape of a full grown man or woman. Then of course there was the issue of location, his lab was large enough to support that but it would take some doing to actually build it. He took up a quill and started sketching out some rudimentary diagrams, opting to give the princess some time alone and he some time away from her. All the while he tucked away a reminder in his mind, the upper classes were pretty but so were many forms of snakes. Having either in his home was asking for trouble.