Fantasy ~The Lords of the Magistone~

[SkyGinge]

"No need for thanks," Gregor nodded dutifully back to Rederik, "it is my duty as a royal butler to protect those affiliated with the King's wishes."


"Earth magic," Skyre grinned, catching his breath as he leant on his knees. "I thought you might have something up your sleeve. I imagine you had something to do with the sudden dropping of Ari's bonds earlier."


The butler nodded. "Dislodged the foundations with underground rocks..." he mumbled, before straightening up, more serious. Outside, there were the sounds of several smaller crashes as the warriors began to attack the walls of their cave formation.


"With due respect," said Skyre, a little uneasy now, "why didn't you act earlier?"


"I found a magic potion in your pack earlier, and used the energy boost to cause this. But that is unimportant; we have little time. Stand back!" With a steady raise of his arms, the ground suddenly began to swirl like quicksand in the middle of their protective cave. "Using my powere up Earth magic, I have created a controlled tunnel of dirt. If my orientation is astute, one who travels in it should come out just outside the village walls. It is safe, do not worry, but will perhaps hold only a few people at a time. And we do not have time."


Gregor stood in a powerful wide-legged stance, and looked up at the top of his formation, his dull grey eyes stony and serious. It was almost impossible to read his mind as usual, but Skyre had an incling of what his intentions were. "When this defence begins to fall, I will provide a diversion; that is your only chance, and you must run. My mission was to find a group capable of defeating the Shadow King, and through your efforts and teamwork today I truly believe that you can rise up to that ambition and succeed. It will be an honour to die for your cause. Now go."


Skyre wanted to argue: his never-fading hope made him adament that there was a way to somehow get them all out of there. But the man's glare showed he had no intent on changing his plans. So instead, Skyre suggested: "Ethan, why don't you take Lapis and Ari go through first? They've been through enough, and you can be ready to provide any medical needs if neccessary." Naturally, he wanted Desiree away and safe first, but knew suggesting she went through first would probably insult her given what else had happened.

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree fumed as she heard Skyre practically fawning over the old earth mage. The man's magic reeked of death and decay and Skrye was thanking him for it? Hells, she swore as she continued her pacing.


And now, the man was planning to sacrifice himself to save the lot of them? Good! she seethed, Let him! That's one less earth mage in the world that is well full of them.


She would take this rubbish of a man's tunnel only because the rest of the group was doing so. When Skyre started assigning the order of their retreat, Desiree broke from her pacing and approached him with firm steps.


"I will follow Ethan and the girls," she said in a tone that suggested her words were not open for discussion. Fury and contempt burned in her blue eyes. She turned away abruptly and headed toward the tunnel.

 

[The Wizard]

Ethan took the Skyre's order without haste though seeing the sand tunnel was more then a bit bewildering. The old man's determination reminded him of his teacher's and from the sound of his voice he wasn't one to be swayed easily. The biggest worry was the prince who was with this old man for so long. Whether he could handle this loss was another matter entirely. Ethan simply spoke out to the old man "Thank you." Picking up Lapis and covering her face with his hat he turned to Ari to motion to follow.


As Ethan dove into the swirling sand the wisp stayed behind to provide what light it could. It was dark and for a moment Ethan could do nothing but trust the threshing waves of earth around him till finally the sun broke out from the dark soil and he was emerged from the tunnel. Taking a moment to gather his barrings he saw the wall a few feet away. Closing his eyes he spoke through the wisp "We are through and like he said we are outside the town beyond then wall." as he dusted off Lapis and himself waiting for Ari to emerge.

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree plunged into the tunnel behind Ari. The woman's steps were nowhere fast enough to suit her, but knowing what she had recently endured, Desiree decided to cut her some slack.


The swirling dust and dirt covered them. It was cloying in the fetid stench of rotting corpses, so much that Desiree almost vomited. It taunted and teased her as it filtered through her blonde hair and caressed her with tendrils of earth magic all over her body.


It was as if the spirit of Deckard Hagen had returned from beyond and was finding his pleasure with her all over again. The memory stung and she swatted at it to no avail. His face burned in her mind and his laughter mocked her weakness against him.


Perhaps so, she thought to her inner demons, but I'm still alive and you're dead, you bastard!


Do you really think so? a voice replied. Was it her own doubts mirrored in the memory of the sound of his voice, or was it truly him? This was the second time she had heard a voice from within, and questioned its source.


I will never leave you, the voice taunted. I will always be here, waiting to embrace you.


Desiree choked and spat. The swirling earth magic around her confused and blinded her senses. She desperately wanted to exit the tunnel and wrap herself within her blessed element, to feel secure in the air and wind around her.


But the earth magic in the tunnel was far too strong for her to counter in her present condition. She gritted her teeth against the continual onslaught of heckling from the voice of Deckard Hagen. When Desiree was at the brink of her endurance, the tunnel opened to the wilderness beyond the village walls. She practically ran over Ari to escape the grasping dirt and debris that haunted her and tried to imprison her within its grasp.


She fell to the ground and retched, uncaring that some of her hair was caught in the mess that puddled by her head. Her blue eyes suddenly blazed and a whirlwind of air passed violently through the small group and shrouded Desiree as it protected her from any further contact with the residual earth magic at the mouth of the tunnel.

 

[SkyGinge]

"That would not be wise..." Gregor said to Desiree, though his mumbling voice lacked any conviction, and certainly didn't carry enough power to stop her. As the four of them entered the tunnel at once, the butler grimasced, clearly out of even his depths. Skyre wondered what had got into her this time: one day, maybe she'd explain some of these mood swings to him. And then the world will be a different place.





Cyril, meanwhile was perturbed. "What do you mean 'sacrifice'?" he spluttered, giving his butler, companion and perhaps only living friend a look of concerned puzzle. "Look here, Gregor old bean, you needn't do that. I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable manner in which we can all escape together. No need for any heriocs." Gregor simply gave him a standardly unreadable glance, though the prince seemed to find something more in it. For the prince, Gregor had always been around, ever since his birth, and represented the last remaining token of his former life. The prince was normally quite good at dealing with losses, but surely not Gregor? Not silent, obediant Gregor?


"Gregor, remember, you still technically are my servant," his tone changed to be more forceful. "And you are bound by royal duty to do what I say. And I say don't do it. Come and escape with us. I demand you." The pair stared at each other in unreadable thought. They stood in tense silence, silence only occasionally interrupted by the clashes of the soldiers weapons and heavy arms outside against the rubble structure.


Then Gregor moved over, and put his giant hands on the young royal's soldiers, a faint smile appearing on his features. Cyril breathed out, returning a smile of relief. "There, there. You mustn't scare us like that. I'm glad you came to your senses." Gregor's hands moved to the prince's back, and before Cyril could figure out what was going on, the butler had hauled him up over his shoulders and lifted him like a bag of twigs. "Gregor," his tone quickly became incredulous. "How dare you handle me this way! Unhand me at once, and do as I say!" The prince wriggled and yelled, but he couldn't overpower the butler's strength, and before anything else could be done, Cyril was dropped, still shouting, into the tunnel of moving sand, and disappeared into the ground.


Silence, and as Gregor turned back to the others, Skyre quickly averted his eyes, realising that he, and likely the remaining others, had all been doing likewise.

 

[Effervescent]

Gregor's words of sacrifice caused a war within Rederik's mind. He did not like the idea of leaving someone to die, but was it was not his decision to make for another. This is what Gregor wanted, and Rederik could not think of other feasible options to convince him otherwise. They could not fight off the number of Shadow Warriors waiting outside the structure the earth wielder created.


He looked to Skyre in hopes that the redhead had something clever brewing in his mind, but was only met with the same solemn feeling. How many more had to die at the hands of the Shadow King? How long would it take until his comrades were picked off one by one? Rederik then looked down the tunnel where the boy had been dropped and waited. He wasn't certain of the plan, and would not act until Skyre or Gregor gave another command.

 

[SkyGinge]

Skyre too was unsure of what would follow. Gregor had given no further word on what to do, and since he seemed to be on control, Skyre daren't challenge his command. He was wondering if the next person should step into the quicksand tunnel when suddenly it filtered away and the ground returned to normal. Gregor paced quickly to the centre of the formation, and span to face the others.


"In a second, I am going to drop these walls," he stated, "and then you should run and escape as fast as you can. Ready yourselves." Skyre's arm twitched up nervously as he desperately tried to imagine up a way to save the butler too. But nothing spring to mind, and he dwindled, torn on following logic and respecting the man's conviction, or instead followi g his hopeful heart and hesitating to leave.


Then as suddenly as they had sprouted from the ground, the rocks crumbled apart around them, falling towards the warriors. "Now!" Gregor yelled, as heavy boulder smashed and bounced on the plaza. For a moment, Skyre paused and looked back at Gregor, but then joined the others in their exit run, dashing with the last drops of his energy towards their makeshift rope system. Behind them, he heard an impressive creak, and craning his head glimpsed Gregor manipulating massive stone structures that churned up the earth in order to bat away attacking and pursuing warriors.


Arriving at the ropes, Skyre quickly ushered the others over first, to where they would find the rest of the group, and where they would insult be able to escape in peace.

 

[Effervescent]

The sound of Gregor's command sprung Rederik into a sprint. The rocks parted to provide an exit for the remaining few, and the wall where they had entered was just at a distance. His quick breaths and light footfalls melded with the sound of those running with him. The fear and adrenaline pounded through him, and he spared a glance towards Gregor before going out of view, and he hoped the servant had something planned for his own escape.


Once at the rope, Rederik quickly climbed to the top to aid the others from the ledge and stabilize the rope. Pain seared through him like a fire, and sweat beaded and fell down his face. He heard the faint roar of his companion on the other side. Naraya eagerly awaited his return while pacing and grumbling along the safe side of the wall.

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree sat back on her ankles, spat and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. The protective wind around her gave her comfort and she visibly relaxed. That's strange, she thought, I don't remember tapping my talent or summoning this wind.


She looked around at the others, but it was clearly evident that none of them had done so. Not that Ari or Lapis would have helped her anyway; it seemed those two had some resentment toward Desiree that she hadn't puzzled out yet.


Desiree thanked the element that surrounded her and allowed it to disperse. She glanced warily at where the tunnel entrance had been and muttered with malice heavy in her tone, "I won't be doing that ever again."

 

[Shura]

If it had been any other situation Rusar would have found the prince being thrown into the quick sand fairly entertaining but the presence of Shadow warriors threatening their lives was very distracting. She looked over to Gregor feeling a deep sense of guilt she hadn’t felt since her initial escape when the invasion started but there wasn’t time to debate and argue the man’s choice. With the walls being broken down there wasn’t time for much and their options were running thin. Rusar looked over at the man as the walls started to crack and thanked him before slinging her bow over her shoulder and bolting with the rest of the group forcing herself not to look back, least she do something impulsive and try to help the earth magician. She climbed up the make shift rope making shift rope to get over the large stone wall.

 

[SkyGinge]

Th last man still on the village, Skyre undid the rope of coats and, slinging it onto his back, used a small burst of returning magic energy to launch himself onto the wall. He had somewhat overestimated his energy however, and landed awkwardly stomach first on the top of the wall, the air knocked out of his body as he grappled for a grip. His flailing hands just caught on, and he managed to cling on and heave himself onto the wall. Taking a moment to gulp down fresh air, he turned back to the battlefield, where Gregor was now riding a wave of stone. Please, let him live.


Hopping down, it didn't take long for him to relocate the others. Surprisingly, he found Cyril quiet, and seemingly normal. "Well then, shall we toodle-pip out of here before any of those ghastly chaps make chase?" he said, shockingly casual, and Skyre simply nodded to the exhausted party, and began to lead off into the forest once more.

 

[Pequeno Burraidh]

A faint rumble echoed throughout the cavern and began reverberating in the room Helia was sequestered in. Reaching out with her magic, she almost immediately felt the wind being forced towards her at an incredible pace, and pushing forward Helia realised why.


All paths and tunnels from the south west were collapsing, coming in her direction.


Thinking fast Helia reached out in every direction with air to find the quickest way out. To her surprise, her chamber was only about three metres underground, as opposed to the nearest exit, nearly ten metres away.


Pulling her magic back towards her, as well as a large force of wind, Helia enacted a trio of macrobursts and funnels to force all the pressurised air straight up into the cavern ceiling. She could feel sheets of rock and earth shatter under the force of her magic, and as soon as she felt the connection to the outside air she lifted herself, Sasha and the other two tree hounds into the jetstream and quickly elevated herself and her beasts to the surface as the cavern collapsed below her.


Once upon safe ground, roughly fifteen metres outside of the walled village, Helia reached up and brushed small beads of sweat off of her nose. That took slightly more work than she expected.


Satisfied with her safety Helia ordered the unnamed pair of tree hounds to return to search the village area for survivors before sitting against the lying Sasha's side and pulling out a crisp apple, biting into it and enjoying the taste.


Her tree hounds would be back soon enough.

 

[SkyGinge]

The group began their trek through the forest, where Skyre would lead them on a brief journey west, and set up camp at somewhere where they could relax and regain strength after their early morning escapades. It was only mid-morning, but with no breakfast and so much excursion they would all likely be very tired. Skyre certainly was. But they had to make sure they were at least a decent distance from the base; safety first.


As they journeyed solemnly, Skyre reconned it was time to talk to Desiree and perhaps get out of her why she was so eager and forceful in her journeying through the sand tunnel. Dropping back a little to walk alongside her, he asked, "Hey, you alright?" He smiled caringly, though it did little to mask his exhaustion. "Hopefully we can finally catch some peace and quiet now, eh?"


//////////////////


Still stood in his tunnels, a swirling cloud of translucent gas provided a picture of the action above to Pashan, and the rodent-like runt's face drooped in comical horror as his victims slipped out of his grimy hands. Whimpering quietly to himself, he could only watch on as his warriors finally surrounded the hairless nuisance and struck him down. With a nervous jitter, Pashan swiped the image away and began to form a smaller, purple cloud.


"Nyes, hello?" He spoke into it, his voice quivering maniacally, "This Pashan, nyes. I've just had a run in with some survivors, oh my, and in my foolish stupidity they escape, indeedy! I am a failure, I am tilt sorry my Lord, please forgive me, ahaha nyes!" A pause as a muffled voice replied. "Nyes. Nyes. Nyes. Nyes." Pashan's face suddenly lit up. "Indeedy, oh thank you dear sir, for your mercy and honour oh my! I will not fail you, nyes!"


And with that, he shuffled away in a fit of squeaking chuckles.

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree walked along with the rest of the group, not caring for her position in the order. Her mind was working on the many puzzles she had stored away, but more specifically the one where her own, internal voice seemed to not be hers. The taunting from the deceased Deckard Hagen still echoed inside and she furrowed her brow in anger and resentment. There was no way the voice was his.


She knew that he was dead, for she had killed him.


Her concentration was disrupted by Skyre's concern. Desiree looked at him with stunned disbelief. "Am I alright?" she said with a snipped tone. "Do I look alright?" Her clothes were stained and covered with dirt, grit and sand. Her hair was a tangled, sodden mess with traces of her own vomit drying in it and her face was smeared and caked with mud. She rolled her blue eyes and tossed her hands up in exasperation.


She noticed the impact her vented frustrations had on Skyre and the others nearby, and she breathed a heavy sigh. "Skyre, I'm sorry," she said. "This has not been one of my better days." Desiree chuckled lightly at her own understatement.


Desiree took his hand as they walked and gently squeezed it. "Thank you for your concern, " she added with a calmer voice. "I'll be ok once I get this foul, earth magic residue off of me and perhaps something to eat. How are you holding up?"

 

[SkyGinge]

Skyre took her outburst though it did startle and unsettle him a little, and waited for either signs of her calming down, or for an indication that now was not the time to speak. She looked an absolute mess, and even Skyre was struggling to find the beautiful energy she carried anywhere in her current state. Not for the first time, Skyre felt a little guilty for his fortunate ability to somehow remain relatively sharp and clean in any situation. His clothes were a little dirty with white dust in places, and his cape a little snagged, but otherwise he was absolutely fine, hair still in its flame-formation as always.


His smile returned as he exhaled with relief when Desiree took his hand. "I've been better," he admitted with a light-hearted cock of his head, "but I wouldn't worry about me. There's certainly those in a worse state, yourself included. Don't worry, I won't take us too far, and then we can relax for a bit." His mind suddenly caught on somethign she had just said: 'foul, earth magic.' She clearly had something rather large against the art, and if it had affected her enough to influence her moodswings, in spite of the fact that Skyre had noticed they could start relatively suddenly, it had to be something important, Skyre thought. Probably too important for casual conversation. I'll save it for a little later, when there's less likely to be eavesdroppers. Instead, he held soft but firm on her grip, and returned a squeeze of his own, as if to say 'Don't worry, I'm here for you.'


///////////////////


A little later, the forest broke away into another valley, though this one was much wider than their previous location. A giant spralling glade of beautiful spring colours, open fields rolled like emerald waves between two walls of pointy peaks. Stepping out of the treeline, Skyre had to double-take for a second to adjust to the sudden beauty in front of them. Light clouds swirled in the sky above, and golden midday sunlight streamed down through the gaps above. A small group of birds fluttered past, and some kind of wilderbeast grazed on the juicy grass of the field.


I suppose this is nature's reward for us given what we just went through, Skyre mused as the group came to a brief stand still. It was true that the natural world influenced emotions, and in an instant, the solemn feelings of the ghost village that had long lingered in the shady foliage dissipated, and Skyre found a dumb grin spread onto his features. The cry of some kind of animal pierced the air, and Skyre was reminded of how lucky they were to be alive.


Given the openness of the fresh landscape, it did not take long to find a suitable camping place: they set up base atop a short incline. On the other side of the hill, a pure, blue river trickled past, and even from there they could see potential lunch on the horizon. "Right, those who didn't get inside the village should focus on hunting and helping out on camp. Everybody who endured that chaos is free to relax, bathe, sleep, whatever you want to do to enjoy the sunshine." Skyre announced, and stood back to the edge of the camp. Though he was tired, he felt tied by duty to serve the group that had declared him leader, and thus loitered, looking for a way to help out.

 

[Effervescent]

Reuniting with Naraya filled Rederik with elation. He thought he'd never see the feline again, and before Skyre led the team away from the wall the two shared in a happy embrace. Naraya wrapped her large paws around him lovingly, her claws retracted as she leaned her weight into him. She had no idea just how close he was to death, but she missed him none the less.


The two walked together quietly through the woods, and the pain in Rederik's chest died down once again. Skyre's set pace was comfortable for the man. It allowed him time to enjoy the scenery and find peace once again in the life around them. The campsite was a fantastic pick with a beautiful view. He walked up the hill to the river with Naraya close behind him. She had no intentions of wandering away from him anytime soon like she typically did. Dipping his hands into the cool water, he washed off the grime and sweat and brought a handful through his hair. The temperature was relieving. Beside him, Naraya lapped up the water with cautious eyes still on him. She moved when he moved and followed where he went.


Heading back to the camp, he picked up suitable looking sticks and plucked moss from a tree. There was a spot just in the middle of the clearing well suited for a fire, to which he began to build using the moss as tender. With a snap of his fingers, he created a spark that ignited the moss and started the fire. It was all he could really do with magic, and it had come in handy for survival.

 

[Kharmin]

While they walked together, Desiree's mind once more delved into the myriad of puzzles that she had been setting aside for later analysis. She absently kept her grip on Skyre's hand, but her focus was internal.


The biggest question was – what happened after she lost her touch with her element? Ever since it had returned, she felt ... different. The communion between her and the air was easier to manage. No, that wasn't exactly right. Perhaps it was more that both her and her element enjoyed a deeper synergy. Desiree no longer felt it necessary to call out and ask the air to assist her; it seemed to know what she wanted or needed and acted accordingly. The protective air cocoon after she exited the foul earth magic tunnel was evidence of that.


Nowhere in any of her studies at the university did she recall anything like this. It was as her professors had said: elements were simply that and as such held no sentience. Desiree shook her head as she dismissed their theory forced on her as fact. Clearly, even before she had lost her contact with the air, the relationship she had with her element was unique. Unorthodox, she chuckled at the term her professors had used to describe her.


Symbiosis, synergy, whatever it was, Desiree could handle that. It was the voices that had now drawn her attention. How had Deckard's voice sounded so present around her in the swirls of the earth magic tunnel? Was his death, unknown to any by her hand, somehow linked to the taunting that she had imagined? Was it the reason that the old man's earth magic tasted so strongly of death and decay?


Desiree's brow furrowed in worry. What other surprises are in store for me? she wondered. How will Ari's lightning magic taste? What about the other survivors and their talents? Would Skyre's always taste acrid?


She simply had no answers and nowhere to turn to find them. This was truly uncharted territory. Desiree would have to figure it out on her own.


When the group exited the forest and viewed the calm, serene valley before them, Desiree hardly acknowledged it. She was still puzzling over her elemental mysteries. It wasn't until Skyre stopped them at the site for their camp that she returned her focus to the group.


Once he had issued his orders to the group, Desiree crossed the area to Lapis and Ari. "Come on, ladies," she said to them with a light voice, "let's find a spot on the river to get cleaned up before the men-folk spoil it." Without waiting for a response, she turned toward the sound of the running water and started in that direction.

 

[Shura]

Rusar walked along with the group feeling tired but didn't complain. She'd scanned the forest but more out of habit than anything else her mind wandered to the girls that had been frozen and the numerous shadow warriors that were still in those walls. They were extremely lucky to have made it out of there with their lives even though it cost another their lives. They had a way to fight back but what if there was something stronger still? Dark magic... it was a terrifying and powerful thing she had only tapped into a small part of it in her training.


The group came into a wide valley brimming with life it distracted her from her worried thoughts. It was a beautiful sight but one she really didn't fully appreciate at that moment. A fire had been started and the group still had some meat left so they wouldn't starve but it wasn't going to be enough for a real meal everyone needed to really recover. She looked over as Desiree mentioned a river, it would be nice to clean up some but there was also the potential for fish as well so she followed the dirt covered girl Des to the stream.

 

[Cookie]

Grimacing, Ari picked up her clothes and followed the other girls to the stream. She was glad to have the chance to finally wash off Pashan's stench and change out of that godforsaken dress. Of course, she would have liked to do it sooner if they had had the chance to stop, but they were all in such a hurry to get away from that place. Not that she really blamed them. And she certainly didn't resent Skyre for not allowing a brief moment for her to change at the expense of everyone else. No, Ari was grateful that they'd come to help her.


So then why was she unhappy? Perhaps it was the dress, cutting off her magical contact for so long. Maybe it was just that she wasn't herself without it. Or maybe it was the lingering thought of Pashan, crushed under the weight of his own caverns. He deserved it, he truly did. He deserved to die. It was just...Ari wanted to be the one to do it. She had more reason than anybody, certainly more than Gregor. She had something to prove to him, to show that he did not own her, that she was not simply a pretty face. She was supposed to exterminate the rat. And she would have, too. Painfully. Slowly. Guiding her magic against its nature, struck down in a force equivalent to her barely controlled rage, from the top of his head to the tips of his fingers. Deliberately. He would not be able to move, save for his face. Ari would have made sure of that. She wanted to see the pleading desolation in his rodent eyes as he first begged for forgiveness and then for death. Anything to make it end. And she would have looked him in the eye with conviction as she executed him: the conviction that nobody as despicable, as vile as he was deserved to exist. Only when she saw in his eyes the same hopelessness and desperation he'd no doubt caused countless other women, only then would she stop. Only then would she release him to the rage of unrestrained lightning as it struck through his heart into the ground, with him following shortly after. Dead before his thick, smudged glasses even had the chance to shatter on the stone floor. That was what he deserved.


Ari sighed. Her idea of justice didn't change anything. The rat was exterminated at someone else's hands. Besides, she was lucky to have gotten out alive. If she remembered that, she could learn to live without her murderous intent. And, as Ari's mind snapped back to the present, she realized that what she was feeling now, in the moment, was not anger. There was some other source for her unhappiness that didn't stem from a selfish desire to kill. But she didn't want to consider it. Ari would rather cite any other reason of discontent than say that she'd felt scared. Or no, that wasn't quite the word she was looking for.


Weak. The word rang out clearly in her head as she undressed and stepped into the river, a good distance away from the other girls. You felt weak. You still feel weak. Ari submerged her face until her eyes showed barely above water. Powerless. Helpless. You weren't getting out of there alone and you knew it. The emotions she'd suppressed in captivity finally caught up with her and she broke down for the first time in years. Ari pressed her face in her hands. Her tears fell through her fingers, mixing with the fresh water below her. You are weak. You've always been weak. You hide it, you try to fight it. But you can't run. This is who you are. Why even try to hide your tears from them? They'll find out. Everyone will. They'll all know how pathetic you are one way or another. You were kidding yourself, acting brave, pretending you could do it all alone. Ari sobbed silently, unable to stop herself. She cried in earnest now, in the broken way one does when every attempt at barring the tears has failed. You were never a brave person. You were never Ari. Ari never existed. Your name is Aurelia, and you are still the same girl you were nine years ago. The tears flowed freely, as if a dam had burst somewhere inside her and nine years' worth of suppressed tears had finally found their way into the light. She sobbed unsteadily, trying to catch a breath between the tears. And you can pretend to be brave, you can pretend to have confidence, but that's all it's ever going to be. Pretend. Fake. Ari. Me. I'm weak. Aurelia stayed there for what felt like an eternity, trembling in broken sobs, no longer even trying to wipe her eyes. She looked skyward as her tears began to run thin. Somewhere in between hysteric sobbing and fragile laughter, she managed to choke out a few words. "I can't believe I haven't cried in nine years." She croaked with a frail laugh. Aurelia wiped her eyes. The tears were few and far between now. It wouldn't be long until she could replace the mask and be the person the others knew her as again, but she had something else to say. One last thing. I'm sorry I'm so pathetic. "I miss you." she uttered unstably, shutting her eyes and squeezing out the last reluctant tears. Aurelia breathed in shakily, trying to get a hold of herself again. She remained with her head tilted up, allowing the afternoon sun to dry her face and leave the unfamiliar tightness of evaporated tears behind.


"Ugh, no wonder I don't cry." Ari thought aloud in an attempt to regain control of her cracking voice. She felt her skin as if the tightness was caused by something still resting on her skin. "I bet my eyes are all red and puffy too." She said , normalizing her voice. Ari dunked her head underwater, submerging completely. She stayed there as long as her lungs would allow, letting the current rinse off any trace of her moment of weakness. As she broke the surface of the river again, Ari shook the water off her hair. She rubbed her irritated eyes and face forcefully, determined to remove the unpleasant feeling from her skin. "There!" she said, flicking the water off her face. "It never happened." Ari swam to the bank where her clothes were. She toweled off quickly with her cloak and donned her usual apparel. She flexed comfortably in her own, well-fitting clothes. After a moment's thought, she pulled out one of her knives. It reflected the sunlight and the scenery well, despite having not been cleaned in a while. Ari tilted the blade to see her face. She turned her head left and right, looking at one eye then the other in the blade's mirrored reflection. She gave a fleeting smile to her (thankfully) normal-looking reflection. "It never happened." She said again, putting the knife away. Ari started heading back to the camp, waving to Desiree and Rusar as she passed.

 

[The Wizard]

Ethan was glad to see the two where unharmed but worried for their mental state. The scene of the caverns was beyond pleasant and provided them a nightmare they would not soon forget. With his cloak returned Ethan felt the weight of the boar's skin on his back as they trekked through the woods. Hours passed with little word from the others it had seemed they each had their reasons for the silence and none broke from the pace. Finally they reached a clearing where Skyre had allowed them to recuperate from the incident. The girls departed upstream to clean first while Redrick had returned with his feline companion. The starting fire was a good sign that the camp was at the very least relaxed.


Ethan turned to the forest behind wondering if the tall earth mage had survived, but that thought would not last with the horrors he saved them from. It brought a blow to Ethan knowing his own skills where still severely lacking. Combing the fields Ethan was able to locate a few fern leaves and cogis roots to reduce swelling from the group's injuries and long walk. While the prince was indeed a light mage he didn't seem to eager to use his skills for the group and seeing the fatigue set in it was best to bring something to them or least hoped would be useful. Along the way he had found a few berries and wild mushrooms. Tasting them slightly he ensured the rations where not lethal or reactive. Wishing he had his bitter root Ethan left the luxury to another day of searching. Returning he set the berries and shrooms near the fire and placed the fern leaves and roots unto a stone to be crushed once they had dried in the sun.


Ethan decided then with the group idle it was time to enjoy the waters and focus on the events that passed. His wisp followed close by pulsing lightly and calm. Heading down river to avoid the girls and their privacy Ethan reached an enclosed bank of the river. Setting his Satchel down Ethan removed his hat and folded his cloak laying them upon a rock. Slipping his shoes off he felt the cool air of the river and the sores of his feet meet. Letting them soak for a moment Ethan's wisp floated down to meet him at eye level. "Guess we made it out of there didn't we?" he spoke lightly to the ball that simply pulsed with no reaction. Removing his remaining clothing Ethan stepped further into the river, its cold waters blasted a shivering chill to his entire body.


Cleaning the dirt and sweat from himself Ethan then rested in the stream. The river's current swept over him calming his nerves and clearing his mind. The wisp hovered above his head watching it's master below as he smiled back to it "We got lucky this time but these near misses just won't do will they?" as the wisp floated side to side. Rising from the waters Ethan dressed in his pants and shoes as he left the rest of himself to dry in the breeze. Ethan closed his eyes listening to the river flow down, the slight chirping of birds in the distance, and the light breeze that flew from the north. His body was still as the wisp pulses quickened, his right arm laying upon his chest over his heart as he felt his steady beat. "We'll need to be stronger then this my friend...much more then we would like." as the image of the frozen girls faces flowed through his mind.


He slightly tugged at his skin from recalling their expression, their voices mimicked in his head of their former lives. The young red headed visitor's laughter echoing back and forth in his mind. "Much stronger..." as he opened his eyes their blue glow slowly illuminating his face. The wisp turned a light blue as its pulse quickened from his forced magic. He moved his hand from his chest as he attempted to grab the ball of light, its essence slipping from his hands as if it was nothing but air. He continued repeatedly unable to grasp the wisp that simply would sputter or fade with each grab. After a few minutes his glowing eyes faded back to their natural blue as he fell to the ground heavy in breath, the wisp fading away with his lack of concentration. Ethan knew while his bursts would work in dire moments it wasn't enough for a real fight and he needed to focus his energy.


The events of before left Ethan both weak and angered. From Cyril's insult of the potion to the realization that his teachings would not help in the on coming journey Ethan simply could take no more of being behind his fellow companions. It was then he realized what he just thought. Companions...his search of his teacher no longer a forwarding thought like before. When did this happen, when did seeking their protection take president over his master. He simply smiled tossing a pebble into the river. Perhaps for Ethan it was easier to accept the living versus the unknown of his teacher, that seemed the more logical reason but Ethan knew it was much more then that. These few days being with them had brought something Ethan never had before. Companionship and a reminder of what it was like to be with more then an old man and the forest. His memories fell to his village and the excitement of their parties and when the inn would host an assortment of festivities. Thinking back to all that has happened he found himself realizing there was more to this world then he ever thought before.


Closing his eyes to relax he attempted to figure what best options he could come up with in order to protect this new found family, not wanting to rest or delay in seeking improvement. He placed his hat over his head to block the sun as he thought up solutions, first a few then several hundred, each time trying to figure a way or plan that would not fail waiting slowly for his body to recover. Unknown to him a flicker of light appeared above his hat. Small at first it slowly formed into a ball before revealing itself as the



that quietly hovered above it's master head as he layed in thought. It's pulses was soft and almost calming in nature. Ethan's body started to feel lighter and slowly his thoughts seemed to fade before finally his mind wandered away from his worries. The young alchemist alone near the bank of the river fell to a slumber, the wisp quietly watching over him as he dreamed.

 

[SkyGinge]

Skyre watched with a weak smile as the various members of their company, no, their team, scattered out to their own ways and responcibilities. That's what we are now, a team. And that's what it felt like to him too; he watched the more able campmates take out an elk of some sort in the distance, laughing as somebody tripped over the body. The mood in camp was quiet, exhausted, but undeniably positive, like what Skyre imagined those who had used to take part in the annual royal marathon had felt after completion.


Yet he was reminded once again of the circumstances that led to their togetherness, dire events that would undoubtedly catch up on them. Lukc had played a major part in all of their battles so far, either bad or good, and they qould have to find a way to be unreliant on fortune if they were to ever save the kingdom. As lofty goal as it was, they had to aim for something, Skyre thought, and thus they had to press on.


Standing alone, resting against his sword, Skyre found himself as a silent observer once more. We have to enjoy ourselves in these situations, because if we don't try to have fun, reality will sink us. For Skyre, who normally kept his cards close to his chest, putting on a brave face was a fairyl easy task, but the redhead couldn't help but wonder if anybody would eventually be broken down by everything they had experienced. If that happens we have to be there to support and aide. We're a group, a unity. Nobody gets left behind.


The sun began to peak for midday, and inevitably, Skyre's thoughts turned to Desiree in spite of everythign else. The fact that she had held his hand twice now, felt the need to apologise to him especially, even kissed him once. He found himself wearing a stupid smile once again as he pictured her red cheeks, slightly dirtied, glowing as she leant in, the soft touch of her lips against his, the warmth of her hands, the life she held. Life that pierced through the shell of his enigma. Yet he couldn't help but have his doubts. Maybe that kiss was only a timely affair to shivvy me on? How easy it would be, he thought, for a woman as beautiful as her to tug his heartstrings wherever she needed and move him to do her bidding. But would she really do that? Or did she really like him back? The latter possibility made his heart race.

 

[The Wizard]

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Ethan fell to a deep slumber an utter darkness engulfed around him. His eyes strained for any source of light but no comfort could be found, his feet could feel the chill of water below him the sound of it flowing but no sign of its source. It was then the sky started to appear, first a few stars then many more. The water below started to reflect back the sky the world enveloping into colors of the night like an endless canvas it painted to no edge or ending. Ethan could feel the cool breath of the evening air blow upon his cheek as it turned him towards the horizon. No moon or sun but a large blue like light emitting from the edge broke free of the sea and from its center a figure stood walking slowly towards him.


Ethan struggled to see who but the light blocked their features from his eyes. As it came closer the faint whispers could be heard as if it was calling to him. Straining his ears the words started to form as the figure slowly was taking shape from the light. Long hair and a simple dress outlined their form but its face stayed within the shadows of the light. Ethan fell to the ground unable to accept what he was seeing. The figure was now next to him holding its hand out towards him, though her face was hidden he felt the warmth of a smile among the cold of the night. Reaching his hand towards the stranger Ethan shook in anxiety and fear. As his fingers reached her's he felt the warmth of her skin and the tightness of her grip.


The sudden force of being pulled left Ethan unbalanced as the trickled of the water from his body flew into the air hovering slowly before falling gently. He saw her eyes for but a brief moment before a sudden burst of light emerged from the horizon. The sun had rose bringing with it a vibrant of orange and reds stretching wide and far. "Ethan..." a faint voice spoke out gentle and soft. Turning to towards her she quickly gripped his hand as she ran their back towards the rising sun. Her hair glowed white as snow and though her skin was pale her warmth matched that of the sun. Her feet glided across the water as Ethan kept up with her.


Slowly the waters started to recede and the feeling of earth and grass could be felt below. A wide and vibrant forest broke from the ground with tree's kissing the sky above. A small pebble path became their guide till finally they stopped at the break of a hill. She released his hand pointing towards the distant world below. A field of flowers in every color bathed Ethan's eyes nearly blinding him but soon he felt two soft hands push his back. Time seem to slow down as a fiery red streak of hair passed by. Her laughter echoed across the field and soon other figures ran passed him diving towards the flowered fields. Ethan's eyes began to water as he saw the young ladies laughing and freely enjoying themselves. Their white dresses and glowing faces reflected not the horror of before but of happiness.


The small figure placed its hands upon his cheeks slowly clearing his tears, his body fell as his knees rested on the ground. The figure wrapped its arms around his shoulder resting his head upon its chest.It spoke softly as it brushed his brown hair. "Oh Ethan deep in thought like these petals of white, to clearer your mind of none to spite. For what's the most too hold so dear, before the stain of blackish fear. Dear Ethan steel your mind and widen your gaze, speak the truth between this dark haze. To yield thy self of pain and hate, To know yourself of futures fate. A well of emotion floods you my friend so let it go." Ethan had gone silent and though he felt no heartbeat from the figure there was an undeniable warmth from the figure as he lifted his head.


The room was now white and the figure nearly blended into its surroundings standing before him cloaked in a white gown. "Ethan..." it spoke softly as a light blue hue broke from its eyes "We are always one..." the voice echoed in his head "...we have always been one." as he felt her grip slip slowly away "...we will find a way together friend." as he hastened to tighten his grip on her hand. As soon as he had done so the figure faded but he felt something else a form that took light. Closing his eyes from the blindness of the light he felt the familiar voice echo in the darkness of his mind "...fight on." as he slowly awoke from his dream.

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Ethan jumped from his dream, his hat flying off him as the bright mid-day sun rushed his eyes. The wisp drifted away from the hat as Ethan rushed to the river to wash his face. Unsure of what he saw he took a moment to let the cool water calm his face as his heart slow. The world around him finally took focus as he remembered where he was. Resting back on the rock where his cloak laid Ethan took a deep breath as the wisp slowly hovered towards him. The blue light it emitted reminded him of the figure but unable to put together his dream he simply focused to the last words he recalled. "Fight on eh..." as he put his hands forward slowly letting the wisp gently land upon his palm. Its pulse was warm leaving Ethan with a faint smile "That sounds like a good plan indeed." as he got up slowly continuing to push on his training attempting to regain that feeling he had in the dream and improve.

 

[Kharmin]

The river was larger than the last one they had found. It ran lazily down from the north and on its shores, grassy embankments surrounded by thirsty maple and pine trees made for shady retreats against the climbing sun.


Desiree removed her boots and surveyed the water as it slowly crept by. She spied an area which appeared deeper and decided that it was the best for bathing. She began to remove her clothes, but then reconsidered. Her clothes were mired in the remnants of Gregor's earth tunnel and would have to be washed as well. She bit her bottom lip as she considered her predicament: with no other clothes, having lost all of her possessions, what would she do?


Finally, with no other recourse, Desiree simply walked into the river. The moss-covered rocks, worn smooth with the river's timeless passing over them made for treacherous stepping with her bare feet, but Desiree managed to wade to the middle of the river which came almost to her waist.


She glanced around for any of the men, and when it was evident to her that they had not tailed along, she began the tricky process of divesting herself of her clothes. The shirt and vest were easily removed, but the now water-logged pants proved more daunting. Desiree cursed as she struggled to remove them and keep her hand on her shirt and vest. Finally, she tossed both shirt and vest upstream where they would slowly float back down to her. While they made their trek along the current, she quickly set to removing her pants.


The slick rocks worked mercilessly against her and eventually won as Desiree slipped and fell hard on her backside with a loud curse and splash. However, now seated, it was much easier to remove the pants which had clung to her as if its life depended on remaining attached to her.


Victorious at last, Desiree yanked them off just as her shirt and vest began to float past. With a lunge, and another splash, she captured her clothes and drenched herself in the cold river water at the same time.


Desiree stood and walked back to her spot in the river as her efforts had caused her to float downstream. To any observer, they would have seen a blonde water nymph; Desiree's supple, golden tanned body, held perfect, proportional curves as if no part of her was wasted when she was made. Her thin waist, just above the surface of the water hinted at well-shaped hips below and her torso with her ample, but not overly so, bosom that was covered with her drenched hair added mystery and sensuality to her form. Her blue eyes sparkled with life as the mid-day sun reflected off of the river's surface and lit them. Onlookers might consider her body to be too perfect to be mortal.


Desiree smiled and hummed lightly to herself as she alternated between scrubbing the caked mud from her skin and hair and tossing her clothes upstream. This process repeated several times before she began to work in earnest on the soiled clothing. All the while, small rivulets of water and cascading droplets glistened in the sun as they fancied their trek down her body and caressed her on their trek to their inevitable reunion with the water of the river just below her waist.


With her ablutions concluded, Desiree managed her way back to the shore while she fought for her balance on the slick rocks as she wrung out her clothes. Once back on shore, with no other options, she eased herself back into her wet clothes in an unconsciously sensual act as her gyrations helped her to pull the garments across her river-kissed form. She pulled on her boots to complete the scene and with a wave and nod toward the other women, headed back to the camp in search of a large, warm campfire.


Desiree returned to the camp looking cleaner, but completely soaked from head to foot. She made a direct line for the campfire and huddled close to it for warmth and in effort to dry her hair and clothes. Any stares at her entrance were met with light, happy, blue eyes and a smile that echoed her warmth from within.

 

[SkyGinge]

Focus Skyre, the youngster blinked himself back to reality. No need for speculation: all questions will be answered in time. That was the mentality that Skyre essentially lived by, and perhaps the reason why he was normally so calm. Of course, the mentality was troubled somewhat by wandering thoughts such as those about Desiree, which he couldn't hope to dispel no matter how hard he tried. That one emotional weakness was something that made him feel a little weak for all the enjoyment it provided, and the way he wore his heart on his sleeve was something he was awell aware of.


Blinking once again, he cast his attention over to Cyril, who was sat quietly in deep thought at the edge of camp. On the journey, he had heard the prince whine several times about seemingly trivial matters, but something seemed off with him. His retorts and complaints seemed half-hearted, and whilst he seemed to be being trivial and snobbish like before, Skyre had noticed that he had never truly let himself get angry, and had often backed down from any active dispute. No doubt it had something to do with Gregor.


With a kind smile, Skyre crouched down next to him, and placed a small hand on the prince's shoulder. He wanted to say something to cheer up the prince, but was unusually lost for words. Cyril merely glanced at him and removed his hand, though there was an appreciative look in his cold eyes. And something else, perhaps acknowledgement. For Skyre, and he presumed Cyril too, knew that Gregor was dead.


When a magician dies, the magic energy they had upon time of death rushes to any nearby magicians. Just as they had began their journey away from the village, Skyre had felt the familiar rush of magic energy, a sensation he had felt en mass as he fled the falling Aliak. He had stopped in his tracks and turned back with a solemn stare for sight of the alien walls sticking out behind the foliage. But the trees obscured his vision. Feelings of dread filled him up as he instantly felt guilty for not even attempting to stop the butler. He was a good man, a great man in fact. Selfless and honourable in everything. May he rest in peace.


Skyre was brought back to reality once more by the reappearence of Desiree, and his solemn, thoughtful frown was soon replaced with a warm smile. Unable to avoid watching her, he decided to at least be a gentlemen, and walked up next to her. "Nice wash?" he grinned, kneeling next to her. "Hold on a second, just going to do something to help out." Politely, he reached out his hands to the thin air in front of her, and swirled them once. A small gust of wind blew gently around her for a swift second, drying some of the moisture from her sopping clothes. He then removed his cloak and handed it to her in hope of helping her to warm up. All gentlemanly deeds complete, he sat next to her and leaned back on his arms.


"Beautiful weather, isn't it?" he breathed, grinning as it came to him just how fitting the adjective was for describing not only their surroundings, but her.

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree wrinkled her nose at Skyre's acrid-tasting small tuft of air as it swirled about her in an attempt to dry her clothes. Wet and cold, the air only enhanced the situation which had an immediate physical effect on Desiree's chest. She blushed slightly at it and gratefully wrapped Skyre's cloak tightly about her.


"Thanks, fly-boy," she said while she took one hand and pulled her hair out from under the cloak. A wet, dark-golden waterfall of hair crashed over her shoulders and flowed down her back. She rubbed her fingers across her scalp as she sought to untangle some of the knots.


"Yeah, the river was much needed. If I could have produced enough spit to wash that horrid earth magic off of me, I would have done so sooner." Desiree visibly shuddered at the mention of the earth magic. Her steely, blue eyes shot a gaze toward the prince with an air of extreme contempt.


Typical of her personality, her face relaxed and she became her more jovial self. She took a deep breath and exhaled. She turned to him and his wide grin as he mentioned the weather and couldn't suppress a chuckle. "Look at you," she said. "What's with the grin?" Desiree playfully punched his triceps.


She watched as the other women worked their way back to the camp. "Go take a bath, already. Everything is in order here." She stood and unwrapped herself from his cloak. "You'll need this," she said as she dropped it in his lap. "The sun and the fire should serve to dry out the rest of this wet rat that I am."