Fantasy Primacy [Closed]

[cleopat]

Drazhan had indeed heard the voice before Varick told them to follow him. It was too far away to know who it was, if it was someone he knew, so naturally he had hoped it was Mikhail talking to Kirsikka.

Well, it was someone talking to Kirsikka, but it just had to be the undead mage he didn’t wish to encounter ever again, a feeling that only grew as he watched Dravon focus on an unconscious Kirsikka in his lap. An unconscious Kirsikka who looked like she had been through a fight.

Tamsin remained behind Varick, not wishing to get anywhere near the undead mage.

Drazhan’s lips twitched at the knee-jerk reaction of Kirsikka’s attempt to slap Dravon. “What happened here?” he demanded to know, stepping forward. “Why are you here?” The panic that Dravon could steal Kirsikka from him, even with his current dead state, was present deep within him, manifesting itself into an uncomfortable pressure in his chest.

He knew Kirsikka still love him and wanted to do anything to save him.

“Was Mikhail here?” Malina asked before any responses could be given.

 

[Lucyfer]

Dravon calmly looked upon Drazhan. Perhaps Kirsikka didn’t hear it, a bit too tired for nuance, but he heard the panic that had little to do with Kirsikka’s state. He arched a brow at the inquiries directed at him, “Since it isn’t obvious,” he drawled, “I was healing Kirsikka. The work is hardly done, but I can only do so much,” he fanned the skeletal fingers before rising, “and she’s damaged herself in other ways that makes healing difficult.”

He offered her a hand up, but she didn’t take it, rising on her own. “The explosion of magic drew my attention. I sense things at my resting ground still, but I was not present at the event,” though he could guess pretty easily what happened, he wouldn’t speak to it.

Especially as Mikhail was brought up. That was his cue, “Try not to do this again soon, Cherry,” Dravon sighed, “I’m not free yet, but…soon.” Now that he knew, he could start to plan.

“No promises,” she still had to murder Rience, after all, and Dravon snorted, fully aware, before he made a portal and stepped back into it, leaving Kirsikka to her friends – and the explanation that would condemn his choice to help Rience.

He’d rather not have that argument be public.

Kirsikka looked back to the others, “Mikhail’s not with me,” she said, “Why?”

“He’s missing,” Varick stated, “we were hoping he was with you. What are you even doing out here?"

“Research,” she shifted her weight. She didn’t want Varick knowing what, though she supposed there was little point hiding it now, “cursed books were involved, I didn’t want that in Mikhail’s home. I was researching with Rience before he decided to fucking backstab me since Dravon made this a competition and didn't tell me,” she put a hand to her face, “I’m going to murder him.” Rience, though her rage towards Dravon at this wasn’t masked, either. It was tempered by the healing, but not gone.

Varick was actually surprised this Rience got away alive.

 

[cleopat]

Now with Dravon gone, Tamsin stepped out from her hiding spot behind Varick, assessing the situation before her and taking in the damage that was done right before they came.

Malina stepped up, fury blazing in her eyes. “Rience?!” Flames licked at the tips of her fingers, but she didn’t direct it towards Kirsikka, or anyone else, right that moment. “What were you doing with him? What did he want?”

Drazhan straightened when he saw the flames form in her hands, but Tamsin was the one who stepped up to try and play mediator. “What is going on?” Anger was the obvious answer. Confusion and anger. “Who’s this Rience?”

“He’s a blood mage who has an insane obsession with Mikhail,” Malina answered. “He’s hurt him in the past.” She wouldn’t elaborate on that. “Where is Rience now?” She turned to Kirsikka. “What did he do?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Mikhail was missing. Dravon offered a deal to whoever solved his riddle. And Rience had an obsession with Mikhail. If Malina hadn’t put it together, it was only because anger wanted to blind her to the possibility of such a horrendous thing, but Kirsikka did. ‘If I had known….’ Guilt made her feel ill.

She had no idea of the history.

“What makes you think he would have told me, Malina?” Kirsikka asked, but shook her head. “Give me a moment. I can find him.” She had to find him, and though she’d prefer to use one of her own mirrors, she left those in the cottage.

There was enough broken glass that answered her call when she gusted it up into the air and formed shattered mirrors around her. Exhaustion bit in immediately; Dravon was right, she really wasn’t healed. The blast took it out of her, but she wasn’t going to let Mikhail suffer long if she could prevent it.

She focused both on Rience and Mikhail, and as she’d done with Tamsin, tried to locate glimpses of them through the waters, glasses, mirrors, and other reflective surfaces of the world, hoping that Rience hadn’t been in the right mindset to hide them from all such things.

 

[cleopat]

“I thought you called him a friend.”

Anger was going to get them nowhere. As much as it pained Malina, she had to play nice with Kirsikka in order to find Mikhail. And she had to let Kirsikka concentrate on locating Mikhail and Rience through their reflections in the broken glass.

Everyone was on edge as they awaited the answer on where the missing two were located. Malina looked like she was ready to burn the world down, Tamsin was anxious, and Drazhan tried to keep his cool for the others. He wasn’t as close to Mikhail as the others, but the man graciously allowed them to stay in his home and eat his food. He would never forget that.

And as time continued, there would be no answer to Kirsikka’s call. No reflection to hint at where Rience took Mikhail.

 

[Lucyfer]

Kirsikka didn’t respond to Malina’s comment. She was focusing, trying to draw forth the images, but nothing came, no matter how much she flicked views and sought through as many reflective surfaces as she could. Wherever Rience and Mikhail were, they were protected. Likely not by an illusion.

Perhaps Rience had a place that he had protected.

He wasn’t exactly beloved by the Council of Light, either. Creating such a place may have been necessary. It was never something Kirsikka did, because she was too mobile for that to be of use to her.

The glass fell to the ground. “He’s protected himself somehow from being seen. I doubt it’s a potion, he’d have to do it to Mikhail, as well,” which didn’t seem likely as Kirsikka shook her head, frustrated, “my only guess is he has his own sheltered place to hide in,” and she couldn’t find it.

She couldn’t find Mikhail.

Varick’s fists clenched, “How do we find that?”

Kirsikka was silent, not defiance, but simply a lack of knowledge she didn’t even want to admit to herself. There were ways, but time was a concern. “Kirsikka!”

“I—there’s ways to bounce reflections starting at a different point,” she covered her face, fingers digging into her scalp, “if I had an idea of the area, I could try that, but it’s not foolproof,” she dropped her hands in frustration, “There would have to be a constant line of reflections in, and that’s not easy. A river, to a dewdrop, to broken glass, to a bucket of water above a well, to a window…that might not exist. It might not be possible to find him that way.”

Varick swallowed, frustrated. He tried to think of other ideas, “Can you track if had something of his?”

“Yeah,” that was easy, “I don’t. It’d need to be blood, hair – a physical connector, not just clothes or something he touched.” Not that she could be 100% sure hair or blood wasn’t here, but it was just as likely to be hers. Their hair was the same, and all blood looked alike.

 

[cleopat]

Malina felt herself growing despondent and desperate for answers to find her brother. Of course she didn’t have anything of Rience! She hadn’t seen the mage in decades, and she would’ve preferred to keep it that way.

But an idea did pop in her head. “If you can track Rience through hair or blood, could you do the same with Mikhail?” She knew where to get his hair where she was sure it wasn’t hers. He did plenty of hair care, after all.

The princess.

“It’s all I can give. I have nothing of Rience.” Unless there was a struggle somewhere, which she couldn’t immediately see one. Like Mikhail was ambushed.

 

[Lucyfer]

“No, Malina, it’s obviously different for Mikhail,” Kirsikka deadpanned the words to emphasize the answer that should have been obvious: yes, she could. Admittedly, she should have thought of that before Rience, but anger guided her more often than not. Mikhail was likely going to be easier to find hair of, given they were at his house.

It fell somewhere.

Varick made an irritated sound for her sarcasm, and she created a portal in response, “Let’s get back,” this one wouldn’t take them there – she’d still go through the practice of a confusing loop before getting to Mikhail’s cottage, “You can bring me something of Mikhail’s and I’ll start that process of tracking.”

Then they’d know where Mikhail was, arguably more important than finding Rience.

Assuming Rience didn’t return to the cottage to burn it all down while they were out. But he probably wouldn’t know when they left.

 

[cleopat]

“No need to be a bitch because you fucked up,” Malina retaliated, not at all amused by the sarcasm Kirsikka oozed at the inappropriate moment. And she will forever remind Kirsikka when she could that she was the reason Rience had Mikhail to begin with.

Drazhan pinched the bridge of his nose. How would he ever survive with those two around each other? “Listen, we can at least pretend to be civil until we have Mikhail back home,” Tamsin said in an attempt to calm the rising tension between the two mages. Malina said nothing in response, only stepping through and going through portal after portal with everyone else.

When they arrived, she silently went up to Mikhail’s room and grabbed his hair brush, fortunately with strands of his hair tangled up in the bristles from that morning. She didn’t grab one opting instead to take the entire thing to Kirsikka. Yes, one strand would work, but what if they needed more to locate Mikhail for whatever reason?

She went back out and to where Kirsikka was set up for the process of tracking. “Here,” she said curtly, holding out the brush.

 

[Lucyfer]

Kirsikka returned into the house, irritated with the way she was being hounded now by Varick who followed her close, though she didn’t go back to her room. She only needed the hair. She was never a mage who did much with materials, really. Never needed to. So she only waited for Malina to return with the hair brush.

She pulled the hair clump free of the bristles and murmured to herself in elvish, “Tusehic lusy ehjaheu,” the strands began to undo themselves, and moved from her hand, to start to form an oval in the air.

A mirror wasn’t formed this time, but a portal, shimmering in the black hues of Mikhail’s hair, and Kirsikka merely gestured to the portal. This was a far easier method, honestly. She should have considered it first, but she rarely had hair or anything like that to use, so it never came to mind first.

It was another reason she’d been forced into disguises for so long. Even if they could track her by such items, the Order never could recognize her in the crowd. And they couldn’t track her with ones from the disguised appearance, which made them far easier to avoid for so long.

The reason she’d have to return to disguises after leaving Mikhail’s home.

 

[cleopat]

Malina’s arms crossed over her chest as she watched Kirsikka perform her magic, muttering in elvish and allowing the strands of hair to move on their own, untangling and shaping into an oval in air.

And everyone was there, watching her create a portal to Mikhail, readying to rescue him from Rience. Tamsin silently wondered who would step through the portal first, her eyes then landing on Malina. The sister of Mikhail should no doubt cross the boundary first.

And the dark-haired mage had the exact same though in mind. Her eyes narrowed in focus and determination, wisps of fire danced across her fingertips as she moved through the portal to where Rience took Mikhail.

Tamsin would move through the portal before Varick thought to ask her to stay behind, if he was going to, and Drazhan would move with Kirsikka.

They weren’t immediately attacked on the other side, but the air did reek with a threatening stench that caused the hair on the back of Malina’s neck to stand straight up. “I’m sure it would be a waste of breath to warn you to be on your guard,” she spoke, not directing her words at any one person in particular.

They all weren’t quite that stupid to be completely at ease.

They seemed to be facing the backside of a stone building. Mikhail has to be on the other side of the wall. Malina looked for a door or window to get them inside, but there was nothing where they stood. Her gaze turned to who appeared to be the stronger of the two Primals, Varick. “Can you get us through that wall?”

They just had to be careful. Mikhail had to be on the other side. “Or maybe even you,” she turned towards Tamsin with that, who stared wide-eyed at the fire mage.

 

[Lucyfer]

Kirsikka considered not going through. She wasn’t able to find Mikhail with her mirrors, but that didn’t mean she would be invisible. The Order of Light was looking, and she only knew two safe places.

Still, she supposed the Order might also fuck up Rience.

She let out a sigh and stepped through, closing it after Drazhan had crossed, and finding a wall. A wall that Malina seemed to want to go through.

She didn’t even bother humoring Malina’s growing hysteria. She walked away to go around the building and make sure there wasn’t a door, or window, they could go through.

Varick glanced after her, then looked at Malina, “Let’s examine the area first,” he said calmly, before he’d also turn to follow Kirsikka’s path. A building without a window, door, or secret passage, felt like an impossibility. He knew it may not be, in which case they’d have to go through the wall, but it wasn’t like he could just punch solid rock and expect it to break.

He was strong but even he had his limits.

 

[cleopat]

Malina didn’t want to examine the area! She wanted immediate results. Still, she huffed and followed after the others. Her hands burned with the desire to incinerate every ounce of Rience until nothing was left of him.

Tamsin gave her a sympathetic look, to which Malina didn’t respond, if she even noticed it. She was too focused on her one mission.

Soon they did come across glass windows low enough to the ground and wide enough that any of them could easily climb through. A curtain shielded them from viewing the inside, but that hardly mattered.

Without a word, Malina created a ball of fire in her hand and hurled it at the window, shattering the glass and igniting the curtain, burning until nothing remained of it except ash.

“That’s one way to do it,” Drazhan muttered, a hand resting on his sword in preparation for an attack. He stepped forward to further check out the inside, but couldn’t see anyone there.

 

[Lucyfer]

Malina was clearly in a hostile mode. Kirsikka observed the way she simply destroyed the window. Drazhan stepped ahead first, but Kirsikka made an ‘after you’ gesture to Malina, since she was so eager to get into things.

The point of staying quiet was likely long gone – Malina had broken any stealth they might have had with her violence.

Varick also stayed rooted to where he was, but he spoke softly, “I’ll cover the rear,” it would be better anyways to have the group between himself and Drazhan, and Drazhan had already taken point to get into the home.

He hadn’t shouted back about any threats yet, so Varick assumed it was safe enough to enter.

If not, they’d all know soon enough, and he would deal with it then.

 

[cleopat]

Drazhan kept his sword in hand, and Malina maintained her stance and fiery temper. Everything seemed…too calm. They were looking down a corridor with several doors on either side. Malina already honed in on one door as the one that hid her brother behind it.

Tamsin frowned at the silence. It didn’t seem right, like a predator was watching them in the shadows, toying with them.

Drazhan had a similar thought. It even appeared Malina calmed down enough to assess the situation. No way Rience would just let them waltz in and take Mikhail back.

Tamsin walked off to the side, temporarily distracted by some of the art displayed. Several large paintings depicting battles from the legends of the gods decorated the walls. There was a strange noise near her, and she froze as the sharp edge of a curved knife pressed against her neck.

“My, your blood smells different,” said a cool voice right behind her. “I wonder what fun I could have with it.”

The moment she heard the familiar voice of Rience, Malina spun toward him and readied a fireball, but he had Tamsin in front of him acting as a shield. And she didn’t hate the small human to sacrifice her in an attempt to potentially harm Rience.

 

[Lucyfer]

Kirsikka intended to let Malina lead within. If someone was going to set off traps, better it be her. She didn’t plan to split up, and she shot an annoyed glance at Tamsin when she stepped out of the general path, but didn’t say anything.

Varick did drift closer, but before he could speak to get Tamsin focused – Rience appeared, and took hold of her.

Varick had his blade out, but he was too far – and Tamsin in front of Rience.

Such a thing didn’t bother Kirsikka as she turned at the sound of his voice. Whatever warmth Malina could have provided with her fire, would have been hard pressed to compete against the ice that flowed from Kirsikka, spreading over the floor from where she stood to encase Rience’s feet in it.

He had an edge, but that wouldn’t last long; Kirsikka could strike from any direction.

“Kirsikka!” Varick snapped at her, but she didn’t so much as flinch or look his way, and his posture shifted, unsure who the threat was in the moment. In a way, Varick sensed it, with the way the ice spread. "Stand down."

She ignored him.

“You betrayed me,” she said to Rience, full explanation for the way the ice came so easily, but it wasn’t well under control. She had been healed, but she’d just blasted Mont Pellinor mere hours ago, and used magic to find this location, as well. The ice threatened to take more, and more, as it spread out physically, and leeched more within. “Talk fast.” She advised.

But there was no real intent to let him. If he started, she’d merely wait for a moment to cut him off with an icicle impalement, lest he did propose good reason.

 

[cleopat]

The sudden ice startled Tamsin, but Rience remained calm, almost bored, even as his feet became encased in the ice, as if he expected that of Kirsikka. Tamsin did her best to remain calm, as calm as one could be with a knife pressed to their neck, and soon with her own feet encased in the ice as well.

“Kirsikka!” Drazhan snapped. “You must stop this, now!”

“Your girlfriend is going to get us all killed,” hissed Malenia, using her fire to keep the ice away from her, and prepared for a bigger inferno if need be.

Rience chuckled, pressing the knife a little further into Tamsin’s skin. The first few drops of blood dotted her skin, which Rience allowed to drip on his hand and sleeve. “We both know you never listen.”

The ice around her feet, the knife on her neck, not knowing what was going to happen next or happen to her was all overwhelming to Tamsin. Her heart pounded in her chest as her breathing steadily became more erratic with her desperation. She pleaded in her mind how she wished everything and away from her.

Please let me go.

Please don’t freeze me.

Please please please

A barrier suddenly and rapidly extended out from Tamsin’s body, powerful enough in the small space to knock anyone away from her and off their feet, friend or foe.

 

[Lucyfer]

Kirsikka ignored the lot of them, focused on Rience when he answered, as blood dripped from Tamsin. She expected him to say more, so she would have an opportunity to rudely interrupt him. She wasn’t there to kill everyone – just Rience – even if her magic was acting a bit against her. She was lucid enough.

She shouldn’t have waited, though.

Tamsin let magic burst forward, and it knocked Kirsikka to the ground. Varick somehow kept his feet, though he did have to crouch, and one hand touched the ground. However, he was relieved to see Tamsin freed from Rience’s grip. He couldn’t reach her in the barrier, but at least she was well.

That thought was broken up by the crackling of icicles that began to form and shoot up, and around, where Rience was knocked back. Kirsikka didn’t really need to be standing, and she saw no reason to give Rience a chance to rise, either – or continue speaking, for that matter. ‘Barrier should keep the ice out.’ Not that Rience was anywhere near Tamsin now.

Varick didn’t have as much qualms about this, even if he did watch the icicles spread further from where Rience was, a mess of dangerous spikes.

None of them were near enough to Rience, so he didn’t worry.

 

[cleopat]

Drazhan knocked into the wall behind him, his head hitting the surface with a hard thud. Malina, not quite having the strength of the head Primal, was knocked to the floor, spending a second in a daze.

Rience was knocked to the side, and almost immediately, sensing the changing tides, he began preparing a portal for himself, using the blood that dripped on him for aid. When he heard and saw the icicles shooting up and forming all around him, he finished the last word of his spell and fell through the illuminated portal in the floor, right as an icicle cut a deep gash in his leg.

The portal disappeared behind him. Tamsin fell on her knees as the adrenaline wore off, and her barrier faded away, though with Kirsikka’s ease of nearly freezing Tamsin, she wondered if she should try and create a new barrier or shield of sorts. “That could have gone better.”

Malina stood up. “Yeah, Rience could be dead, and Kirsikka could have not tried to kill all of us.” She shot the woman a glare. But if there were no traps left, and if Rience stayed away for now, she would be happy once they found Mikhail.

 

[Lucyfer]

Varick noted the blood where Rience had clearly been struck – but no sign of him. That wasn’t necessarily good, but he did not focus on that, and instead went to where Tamsin dropped. He knelt down besides her and settled a hand on her shoulder. “Kirsikka….”

The ice hadn’t exactly melted, either.

Kirsikka waved it away as she sat up, then stood up, marching to where Rience had been, the sensation of the magical portal still popping in the air. She knew how to follow it. She’d been followed through portals enough times that she knew how to do the same by now. With Rience injured, that would make it easier.

She pulled at the magic and formed another portal, ignoring the biting sting of it. “Where are you going?”

“Malina can take you all back to Mikhail’s,” Kirsikka said, to ease any issues they might have with it. “I can follow Rience and make sure he doesn’t threaten the cottage again.” That would keep them out of danger from her magic, as well. She wouldn’t need to try and fight it, as well as Rience.

Just Rience.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin relaxed when Varick knelt beside her, and she placed one hand on his that laid on her shoulder. She hardly recognized that the ice finally melted away. Her hands trembled, not from fear, but from the shock of everything. She was a bard. She wasn’t supposed to have these kinds of adventures! She was only supposed to sing about them.

Malina stood up and brushed off imaginary dust from her clothes, scoffing at Kirsikka’s actions. Of course the red-head would plunge headfirst back into danger, without seeking out Mikhail first.

“Kirsikka,” Drazhan straightened up and pushed himself off from the wall, walking towards her. “You’re exhausted. You could barely control your magic just now.” If she attempted at all. “Let’s find Mikhail and get out of here.” He reached out to gently grab her by the arm, but hesitated a moment. She might lash out as an instinctive reaction.

Instead, he put his arm in front of her, blocking her path, but not touching her. “Regain your strength, and if we see him again, then give him everything you’ve got.” He braced himself for immediate refusal and even retaliation from Kirsikka’s volatile nature.

Yes, he would like to go after Rience as well and make sure the blood mage could hurt no one else, but now was not the time.

 

[Lucyfer]

It was far better that Drazhan handle it. Few, it seemed, were capable of getting in Kirsikka’s way, and Varick was very aware his next step would have been to attempt to knock her out. That wouldn't have been a great move for the future.

Kirsikka was volatile, but worse than that, she was powerful.

Powerful enough to likely handle Rience even in this state, but the damage she'd cause was problematic.

Varick did his best to ignore it as he felt Tamsin close her hand on his. He reached out with his other one to tilt her chin up so he could see the wound. He hummed quietly, “Not bad,” but not a much of a mere graze as he hoped. “Keep pressure here,” he brushed his thumb over it, partially revealing the wound by brushing away blood in the action. “As soon as we can we'll wrap it.”

Or the mages would heal it. Either way, he drew his hand back only to offer it so they both could stand.



Kirsikka did glare at Drazhan for getting in the way. For making the usual excuses. Yes she was tired but so was Rience! And Rience would come back, far more prepared!

Besides which, she was terrified of seeing Mikhail.

This was her fault.

Sure, she hadn't told Rience where Mikhail was. She didn't even know he was trying to find Mikhail or she would have killed him on sight, but she'd facilitated Rience getting the information. That was bad enough. She had to fix this, permanently.

“He's tired, too,” Kirsikka spoke quietly. There wasn't wrath for Drazhan. “He'll be back. He'll go back for Mikhail and this is my fault,” a plea for understanding, for why she had to deal with this now, even if she didn't simply blast Drazhan aside.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin winced some as Varick brushed the wound from a slight stinging pressure. She was just happy the cut wasn’t anything worse, and hummed in acknowledgement. If one of the mages couldn’t heal it, she could live with a bandage on her neck. Maybe it could garner some sympathy coins whenever she performs again!

She took the hand held out to her and stood to her feet, not letting go of his hand just yet. She sought out comfort, even if it was silent, just for a few minutes. The situation was far from comfortable.


Drazhan prepared for Kirsikka to fight back, whether with words or with some magic to push him away. He braced for the worst, so he was a little surprised she spoke with no anger. Just attempted logic that made sense for her.

Her glare meant nothing to him anymore.

“And what if he’s just leading you into a trap, knowing that you’ll follow him? What if he leads you to a heavy populated area, and you lose control of your magic?” Surely she had to see that reason.

“And I’m sure once we find Mikhail, we can think of something to prevent Rience from finding him again.” Another spell? A new location? He didn’t know, but they could figure something out later.

“He can be taken care of at another time. He’ll make himself known again,” Malina said with an edge to her voice. “Now, are we done here and can continue on to find my brother? Or must you argue more?”

 

[Lucyfer]

‘I don't care about collateral damage.’ Kirsikka at least knew saying that aloud was the wrong answer. Besides which, she doubted Rience would do that. The risk significantly increased for both of them to be handled by the Council of Light.

They'd track her, and find Rience in her company. It'd be a massacre.

“You can always go your own way, Malina,” Kirsikka responded to the apparently waiting sister. For someone so desperate to find Mikhail, she certainly was patient. Kirsikka hardly needed to accompany her, and Malina was not going to be the one to go running after her if she left.

The portal was still right there.

All she had to do was move Drazhan.

Or move the portal underneath herself.

Still, she was the one that Kirsikka listened to. It was her brother, after all. She was at Malina’s whim for making this up, so she shut the portal. “When Rience comes back and takes him again, don't blame me,” she was more than willing to chase him down then and there.


Varick let out a sigh.

He hadn't let go of Tamsin’s hand, and didn't now, only squeezed it before nodding to Malina. They were ready to resume the search.

 

[cleopat]

Drazhan sighed and lowered his arm when Kirsikka finally relented and backed down. He didn’t care if it was from his persistence or Malina’s ire, but she wasn’t going to follow Rience through the portal and potentially cause more destruction. Potentially hurt herself in her fatigue.

Satisfied that everyone seemed to have resolved their own issues, Malina continued down the corridor. The first door she opened contained nothing of interest, but the second door refused to budge, and a simple unlocking spell did nothing. It glimmered with a magic lock. Huffing, Malina formed a fireball in her palm, and concentrating on all the anger she held inside her for Rience, she hurled it at the door.

The door burned and splintered at her force, sending what pieces didn’t immediately burn to ash splintering in the air all around. A few of them covered their faces to avoid the flying debris. “Do you need to be so dramatic?” drawled a tired voice from within the room. “Took you guys long enough to get here.”

Malina rushed into the room where her brother, sitting on the floor with a cuffed wrist attached to a chain hooked into the wall, looked a little worse for wear, clothes unusually unkempt from the scuffle, hair nowhere near its usual neat and styled self, and a few bruises littered his face and neck, but still, he smiled when he saw them.

Tamsin frowned as she took in the site of Mikhail, currently being checked over by Malina. The room was heavy with the lingering effects of magic, one such reason being the result of the cuff on Mikhail withholding his magic from him