Fantasy ~The Lords of the Magistone~

[SkyGinge]

SkyGinge updated ~The Lords of the Magistone~ with a new update entry:


Objective 2: Forward with Pride and Pashan (SPF)

This objective will be a lot more relaxed than the last one - it will be more about peaceful travelling and survival living - there will be the possibility of another skirmish, but it will likely be an easier fight and nowhere near as intense as the shadow dog battle. If you're thirsting for battle still then don't worry; the next objective will be back to being very high paced, but obviously character development, bonding and plot has to happen too
This objective will focus on the next...

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree slept the sleep of exhaustion. She had exceeded her limit yet again, a familiar pattern for her when she exercised her control over the air. Had it not been for Skyre and the rest of the survivors, she was certain that the Shadow King's pets would have finally finished her.


As she descended deeper into sleep, she dreamed of her time at the university. She found her younger self balanced precariously along the edge of a balcony three-stories up from the ground. The air around her supported her and thus she was confident that she would not fall from her perch.


Behind her, in the doorway that led from the balcony back into one of the smaller study halls, a young man with similarly blonde hair, though cropped close to his pate, and blue eyes regarded her with annoyance. His mid-sized frame easily dwarfed that of her own and he stood an easy head taller than Desiree. He was dressed in the drab, brown clothes and robes of the earth mages and at his side a leather satchel contained several scrolls too large for it, their ends protruding from the unclosed flap.


"You went too far this time, Dez," he said to her as he watched her whimsical pacing along the top of the balcony's railing. "Master Kyam will report this and you'll be expelled for sure."


Desiree chuckled at his pleading tone. "Oh, lighten up brother," she responded. "Master Kyam had it coming. He tried to fool me with that last exam and make me look like an idiot. I merely turned the tables on him."


The young earth magic student crossed his arms and glared at her. "So that's your excuse this time?"


Desiree stopped pacing and turned to face her brother, "Since when have I ever needed excuses, Stephen? I have more control over my element than Master Kyam will ever know. You'll see. You will all see. I'll be flying well before the end of term – a full year before that talent is even taught."


"Still," Stephen shrugged, "you didn't need to embarrass him with your display. There will be repercussions."


Desiree laughed out loud. Her display of mirth and cheery, smiling face radiated in the late afternoon sunlight. Wind wistfully played at her long, flowing, blonde hair as it swayed around her jovial face. Bright blue eyes danced with her laughter and reminded Stephen of how his sister usually managed to find her way out of trouble with her light-heartedness and feigned innocent beauty.


"Master Kyam is already an embarrassment," she chided. "I only showed everyone else what I had already figured out."


"You go too far," Stephen replied angrily. His demeanor no longer one of concern, but of ire. "These masters have dedicated their lives to their crafts. You had no right to be so arrogant."


Desiree tossed her hands up and lightly dropped down from the rail to the balcony. The air she had been lightly manipulating around her dissipated. "I wasn't being arrogant, dear brother. I was only showing how wrong he was."


"And you nearly choked the life from him as you restrained his ability to breathe!" Stephen shot back. "Dez, you could have killed him!"


Her visage lost its appeal as her blue eyes bored into her brother's. She extended her hand towards him and clenched it into a fist. Immediately, the air surrounding Stephen wrapped tightly around him and held him fast. He struggled against invisible bond and glared at his sister.


"I need no lectures from a second-year earth student, brother or no," Desiree said as her brow furrowed in anger. She crossed the short distance of the balcony and stood before him. "Perhaps you need a lesson in manners, too, no?"


"Dez, don't," Stephen answered as his own anger started to boil.


"Don't what?" Desiree asked. "Like you have a choice right now? You earth mages are so weak. The reason they took you in, dear brother, is because only those with the least amount of talent are relegated to that element. Hells, had it not been for me, they may not have even admitted you in the first place."


Stephen's cheeks burned red with anger at the insult. While it was true that his talent might never surpass hers, he was proud of what he had so far accomplished in the earth school and knew that her taunt was false. There were powerful earth mages; she just hadn't met them yet.


Paralyzed by the air that still held him, he watched helplessly as she reached for his satchel and withdrew a few scrolls. She unrolled them slightly to read their titles and contents and then rolled them back up.


"Study guides for tomorrow's exam?" she asked Stephen. His eyes betrayed him and Desiree smirked with a mischievous grin. "If you're as good as you ought to be, Stephen, then you won't need these."


She walked past him and entered the small study hall. Over her shoulder, she tossed back, "They won't expel me, brother," she said as the light, mirthful tone returned to her. "They need me." Stephen heard her reach the door and open it.


"As you need me, too," she added sweetly and exited the study hall. With her departure, the wind that enshrouded him dropped away. Stephen turned and ran for the door, but found no trace of her.


"Dammit, Dez," he muttered before he turned to head back to his dormitory to try and re-create his study scrolls.

 

[SkyGinge]

Objective 2: Forward with Pride and Pashan


(survival life and journeying)


FREE POSTING IS NOW ACTIVE


One side effect of magic affinity is the affect it has on a magician's dreams. Instead of grappling with cryptic, confusing messages sent by ones body, magic makes a dreamer remember in perfect detail past events of their lives. The reason for this has remained one of the unsolved mysteries of magic energy, but nevertheless, magicians would experience their past lives through passive eyes every night.


Skyre had always loved the chaotic nature of standard dreams; he had loved the escapism it provided and the freedom of the worlds his mind created. However, always dreaming of the past gave him a very good sense of time and history, and allowed him to reminisce greater like with his fire gazing. On the odd occasion, his dreams even revealed to him moments of his life which he had long since forgotten. However, that night he dreamt only of unimportant university days.


As the sun began to rise for the early morning, Skyre was the first to wake up. For a moment, he just lay there, eyes awake, staring up at the fading stars, contemplating the previous day's events. His bruises too fell as faint as the stars now, but he wondered if everybody else was the same. He quickly dressed under his cloak, and attempted to quietly sneak off to the river to wash before the main crowd joined him.

 

[Kharmin]

A slight stirring in the camp roused Desiree from her slumber. As the last vestiges of her dream faded in the pre-dawn light, she cracked her eyes open. She watched as Skyre stealthily crept from his place in the encampment and with light steps, start toward the river.


Desiree waited until he was out of sight before sitting up. The wounds across her torso had crusted shut and pulled at her skin when she moved. It was more annoying than painful and she hoped that a quick wash in the river would set them aright.


Her cotton shirt, however, was a different matter. Blood-soaked, dirt and soot stained it had more revealing gashes than she had realized in yesterday's waning hours. Desiree cursed her luck – for the fifth time this week – for the fates that caused her to lose her haversack several days past when she initially took flight from the shadow wolves. She dropped it hoping that the hounds would at least pause to investigate it, or even tear it apart to get to the meager rations she had accumulated and treasured. But the hounds were not interested in such base fare – they sought her blood and chased her without pause.


Desiree stood with the help of her quarterstaff and glanced around the camp. So many of us, she thought. Granted, it was fortuitous that they had all managed to come together to fight the surprisingly large horde of shadow wolves, but the puzzle of the convenience of it kept tugging at the back of her mind.


With a sigh, she relegated that riddle to remain in that corner of her mind left for unsolved problems. She turned her attention to more present needs as she again took account of her condition. She felt more alive than she had in over a week. The fatigue from the past day's events had faded and she sensed that her talents had been restored. A bath and some food would complete the cycle. Seeing nothing to eat, she decided on the former. One thing at a time, she mused.


A bath in the river was paramount – of that there was no question. Seeing the white feline in the camp observing her with mild disinterest, she considered following Skyre to the river.


A sinister thought came to her mind and she grinned at it. She clutched her cloak around her, took a firm grasp on the quarterstaff and followed Skyre's trail to the river.


I think he can manage a little shock this morning, she thought to herself as a she lightly snickered and allowed a mischievous grin.

 

[SkyGinge]

Skyre's short walk to the river was heralded by early morning birdsong. Carrying his pack at his side, his mind was largely blank with having just woken up, and he almost tripped a few tiems over particularly big segments of undergrowth - thankfully the night had fully restored his magic energy, and he was able to catch himself both times. As he had suspected, there had been no attacks the previous night, and Skyre smiled; he had began to fully see patterns in the Shadow King's methods.


Soon he had arrived at the waters edge, and dropping his pack at the water's edge, he leapt up onto the fallen tree that cut across the river, gently regarding the sun's distant rise in the east. That was where he intended to take the others, if they were willing. On a journey back towards Aliak. But first they would have to head west, to find the mysterious girl who had threatoned them both the evening before.


Concious that somebody might have come at any point, Skyre quickly undressed and lowered himself into the water behind the shelter of the tree. The water was calm and soothing on his tainted flesh, but he wouldn't allow himself too long's relaxation. He was aware that somebody could arrive at any moment, and ever seeking his privacy, he had utilised his wind magic for a fair few tricks in order to protect himself from being spotted indecently. A little before the river, he had stationed a thin wall of air that he sustained, so that if anybody passed through it he would be alarmed, and with his other hand he used a breeze to swirl the water around him, cleaning him quicker. Towel beside him on the tree, his wash wouldn't take long.

 

[Cookie]

Ari dreamt fitfully of a certain day at the university. Not one of her favorites.


She was in a private lesson. It was just after she'd graduated into a lightning master and began studying light magic. The professor whom she'd sought extra help with was calmly trying to teach her to generate a ball of light while Ari grew more frustrated with each time she didn't succeed.


"You're not relaxed. You need to calm down." Professor Reagis told her again.


"I am relaxed!" Ari insisted, though she knew her repeated failures interfered with her usual calm state of mind. She focused again on a spot above her outstretched hand and pictured a glowing ball of pure light and...nothing. She threw down her hand in exasperation.


"Take a deep breath, okay, and watch me." Her professor said. He held out his hand for a second and a ball of light appeared on it.


Ari shrugged. "Well, you're a master. Of course it would be easy for you."


Reagis shook his head, dissolving the light he'd conjured. "You can do this. You're a natural in magic."


"Thunder magic" Ari mumbled, dissatisfied.


"And light magic too!" He insisted. "I see great potential in you, but you need to unlock it first. And this is how you're going to do it. Again, Aurelia."


"Don't call me that." Ari took a deep breath and tossed back her long brown hair. She focused as hard as she could on creating light, but her frustration barred her access to light magic. Instead of a ball of light, Ari summoned a small bolt of lightning through her hand. It didn't hurt her, but it left a char mark on the table and a resounding crackle of thunder. "I don't see why it's necessary to make a ball of light when I could just zap a piece of wood for fire! Can I go back to learning healing skills?" Ari said defensively, though her professor had made no comments on the accidental lightning bolt.


"Aurelia, you know the answer to that already. This is a crucial step in expanding light magic abilities. You'll never be able to heal great wounds without knowing this first." He reached over and tapped her forehead, using some of his own light magic to buff her magical capacity and put her mind at ease.


She felt considerably more relaxed and capable now. For the final time that night, Aurelia held out her hand and concentrated on manifesting a pure white light. It appeared, lighting up her now smiling face. The light was small, but it burned brightly before extinguishing. Ari looked at her teacher, who was also smiling.


"See?" He said, "It's not difficult at all."


Aurelia nodded, gathering her long hair back and out of the way. She prepared to try again and maintain the light for longer.


Her concentration was interrupted by a sharp knock on the classroom door, followed by another professor poking into the room.


"Professor Reagis, we need you outside. It's an emergency." The intruder spoke, her tone conveying the urgent nature of the call.


Reagis glanced at Ari one last time, speaking simply-"keep practicing on your own for now." He left with the other professor, walking briskly.


Ari awoke with the dream fresh in her mind. She sat for a moment, contemplating the events of the night she'd just re-experienced. Her professor had never returned, and neither had she. That was the night of the attack. All of the professors in her university had left to fight, instructing the students to vacate the building and find safer grounds.


Playing with her short hair, Aurelia reminisced about those university days. She pulled some hair into her field of vision, remembering how it used to go halfway down her back. How bothersome it was at that length. If there was one thing she didn't miss from university, it was her old hair. But if that was the only thing, Ari would trade it in a heartbeat to be studying with her old professors again.

 

[EinRaikou]

Like everyone else at camp Ein dreamed a vivid memory that night in his sleep, once he stopped thinking about food that is.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Brother.... Why is everyone in such a rush?" Ein looked at his brother, with doe eyes full of innocence.


Ein's brother was a tall man, 29 year's old, clad in a suit of armor, green eyes to match his, but oddly a dark blonde hair colour. Spencer was his name.... " Where is your pack Ein? Is it back in my room? " Spencer rushed off, with Ein following behind. They reached a wooden door, which Spencer unlocked and pushed open. The door revealed a room with one bed, and a fold out cot on the other side. There were bookshelves lining one wall and a table, or desk rather, against another.


Spencer focused his energy into the palm of his hand to reveal a light source, his brother afterall was a master at both light and earth magic. " Ein.... Take your pack, put all the bandages and medicine from my desk into it..." his brother said, whilst trying to catch his breath.


Ein did as his brother said, emptied his textbooks (Tomes?) out of his bag and began packing away everything his brother advised him to pack. " Seriously Spence.... What's going on?!" Ein followed, once again as his brother ran out of the room... " What about locking your door?"


Spencer remained quite. Ein followed along. passing numerous soldiers, and even a ginger haired boy. 'I haven't seen someone with hair that colour before...'


When they reached the outside of the castle, and then again the outskirts of the city did his brother speak... The sun was still above the horizon, though the sky was beginning to turn a rusty orange at the signs of dusk. " The king received a message today from one of the guard towers a few miles outside the port. It was destroyed."


Ein stood shocked at this information. The port was only half a days travel from the Capital City. Unable to understand... " Was it bandits?! A neighboring county?! A rebellion?!" His brother answer every question with a calm, and soft no.


Spencer reminded his little brother of the history of their land. The wars that happened in the past between the current ruler and the 'Shadow King'. The Shadow King, Ein knew, was always an evil dark magician with the power to control shadows themselves, the power to give life to darkness. Ein had never seen any of these shadows in his lifetime due to the calm that happened once King Lyram defeated the previous Shadow King.


"He's back..... That's what you're saying. And you want us to run?!" Ein's voice had a tone of anger at his brother. He had always had respect for the amazing knight his brother had become, and he wanted to be just like Spencer. The thought of his brother running away hurt his pride. " You're a coward!"


Spencer looked at his brother. Sadness, despair, a look of defeat on his face. Ein knew what this look meant.


"You are going back....." Ein began sobbing softly, making his best attempt to hold back his tears. " You want me to run." Ein hugged his brother. " I'm not leaving you here alone. "


"Ein..... Please leave.... Our parents.... Find them, and make sure they're alright. " Spencer forgot to include one crucial detail. The village the boys grew up in, was already destroyed. His lie, was to make sure that Ein survived the initial attack. And Ein secretly knew this " I love you little brother."


leaning back from Ein Spencer rose his hands to the air. He then used the remainder of his available light magic on Ein. He created an aura of light surrounding his brother. "This spell, is the most powerful of all light magic. It is created by love. Love for a friend, for a parents, for a spouse, or for a brother. "


Ein had seen this used once before, at a demonstration on his first day of University, the day they were all picking specialties. He knew that the spell cloaked the caster's target from darkness, but would only stay active while the caster had the magic energy to sustain it, and could only be used on someone truly important to the caster. With that Spencer turned back towards the city. 'I love you too...'


Ein ran through the forest that night, to the east of the city. He heard countless beasts and growls in the distance, but kept running. By the time the moon was high in the sky the aura surrounding him had failed... Ein fell to his knees, and the tears came flooding out.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Ein awoke in tears, sweat pouring off of him. He sat up, wiped off his face, and checked his scar. The wound was healing nicely due to the therapy he had received the night before from Ari.


He then stood up and glanced around camp. 'Skrye and that new girl aren't here. They must have gone for a walk or something.' Ein then attempted walking, it was just as he thought the night before, near full maneuverability.


He walked over and stoked the fire back up, in hopes of cooking a meal in the early morning. He saw the new supplies next to the fire, and from the bag pulled a piece of cured, salted meat. A few feet from the fire Ein saw Rederik and Naraya cuddled in a patch of grass, and to the left of them, yet another stranger. 'Another one....! How is this possible?'


Just behind him, where he had woken up, Ein heard rustling... Under the tree just over from his, the girl Ari was siting awake, she appeared lost in thought as she tussled her hair about. "Good morning."

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree crept her way to the river. The woodland creatures had started their daily rush amongst the trees and underbrush and kept a comfortable distance away from her. The air became cooler as she approached the river and then ...


A wall of air? She sensed the invisible curtain that crossed the path several feet ahead of her. She approached it cautiously and could smell the now familiar tinge of Skyre's magic. Really, Skyre? she thought. A bit untrusting, aren't we?


Desiree could have banished the curtain easily, but even that would alert Skyre to her presence. She lightly tapped the end of her quarterstaff on the ground as she contemplated her next move. The curtain was well placed; anyone other than she would have completely missed it. Only the odd smell (or was it more of a taste? she wondered) of his magic enabled her to discover it before she had walked through it. However, Skyre didn't build it very high, seemingly not considering those who might fly over it.


If only I had finished my term at the university, she thought. Briefly, Desiree considered trying to fly over the wall of air, but discounted that notion as she had absolutely no training in flight whatsoever. In this, pure theory wouldn't serve which was unfortunate as she had a firm grasp on the mechanics necessary.


Besides, she thought, after yesterday's brief sortie into flight I'm not so ready for a trial by fire.


She stopped tapping her quarterstaff and figured that there were no other real option other than to just pass through it. She sighed, gripped her cloak tighter around her body, pressed on through the barrier and continued boldly toward the river.


"Skyre," she called lightly. "How's the water?"

 

[Cookie]

Ari looked up, trying to locate the source of the greeting.


"Hm? Oh, 'morning." She said, spotting Ein fully awake. Ari attempted to rise only to be held back by the multitudes of injuries she'd sustained the night before. Trying not to show pain on her face, Ari reclined back against the tree.


She looked down at her clothes. The leather clothing was still intact, but her cloak was torn to shreds and there was hardly a single square inch of fabric that didn't have blood stains. Ari felt around her most notable injuries, starting with her rib. She thought it might have been broken, but she found that it was only cracked and already healing. Nothing to worry about. Ari yawned and felt the cut on her face threatening to open, causing her to wince. She'd forgotten about that one. Now was a better time than ever to stretch her magical muscles, Ari figured.


Still deep in thought about her dream, she placed a hand over her wound and healed it. The light, much like the newly dawned day, felt warm and reassuring as it closed the cut. She focused on a few other minor cuts along her arms and legs, healing them in a similar fashion. Ari was glad to discover that her magic was returning to her quickly, but she didn't want to push herself yet. She decided she would wait a while before attempting to heal her other wounds.


Ari glanced around the camp. She and Ein appeared to be the only two that were up...except for Desiree and Skyre, who were absent. Ari saw that Rederik had returned with his feline friend and someone else as well. She was puzzled for a moment, trying to figure out who this new stranger was, until she realized that it was not a new stranger. It was an old stranger, but a stranger nonetheless. The very man whom she'd seen the night before. The Light magician.


She didn't know his name, having neglected to ask the night before (stupid of her, in all honesty). Ari consented make that her first order of business when he awoke. This was her second chance to make a good impression and question him about his light magic. It may well be her only chance. Well, it wasn't yet, as she had to wait for him to wake up before she could do anything.


Ari settled for small talk with Ein in the meanwhile. She yawned again, giving off the false impression of a lowered defense. "Have a good rest?"

 

[SkyGinge]

Skyre jumped at the sound of her voice, slipping over in the river and falling with a splash to be fully submerged underneath the water. Of all the people, he cursed to himself, frantically grappling for his towel. If it had been the voice of literally anyone else then he'd maybe have managed to keep his composure.


Yet in his panic, he slipped his towel into the water too, rendering it practically useless. Eyes wide in horror of the potentially unfolding events, Skyre quickly submerged himself again, bar his upper torso, nervously awaiting Desiree's arrival. He could dry himself off easily without the towel using wind magic, but doing so would risk being spotted. Skyre cursed once again; why had she trespassed through the warning barrier she knew full well was there?

 

[Effervescent]

Naraya yawned heavily as she woke, the heaving of her chest enough to rouse Rederik from his light slumber. He did not dream of his past, nor did he typically get the chance to dream that much regardless. Despite only having a couple of hours shallow sleeping, he felt rejuvenated and stretched out his stiff muscles. His leather armor creaked and groaned as his body twisted and straightened. He could feel the bruises along his body, but it didn't appear to be so much that he couldn't function.


Quietly, he moved into the forest to hunt, Narayan at his side. His hunting excursions typically did not take long, but due to the size of the group back at the camp, he'd have to gather a bit more than normal. The morning was cool under the dense canopy of the forest. The sun had not yet had the chance to shine through as it rose in a wash of colors. Songbirds already began their lively chirps and whistles as they gathered their own meals. Rederik was hunting different game, however, and kept his attention to the floor. Every step he took was carefully calculated so as to not stir too much suspicion from the unsuspecting rabbit twenty paces from him.


Naraya waited for Rederik to succeed in his hunt before finding her own. Hunting for him had been a necessity and could spare no remorse for killing the animal to which he needed to eat to survive. Regardless, as soon as he snuffed the light from the animal, he whispered a small prayer in its honor.


"Thank you. Your death shall not be in vain. Your body will provide the nutrients to sustain my life, and I will use my life to better the world in which your kin and all others can continue the circle of life without needless hardships. You will live on through my actions, and my actions will be good because of you. Of this I swear."


When Rederik gathered enough food for everyone at the camp, he made his way back. Narayan carried a rabbit in her teeth and trotted back to her place in the clearing before gnawing into its carcass. Rederik sat down at the cinders and rekindled the fire, adding a few new sticks and used moss from along a tree trunk to urge the fire to take to the wood. He produced a smaller knife from the side of his boot and began to skin his own rabbits, and skewered them on sticks to roast above the flames.


He found himself glancing over at Ari and Ein as they conversed. It was so nice to hear people speaking around him, even if he weren't a part of it. The sound reminded him of better days when darkness wasn't ever present. While he wished to inquire into their well being, he did not want to intrude upon their interaction.

 

[EinRaikou]

Just as Ari did with her yawn, Ein did with a faint smile. He could tell the girl was still being cautious but he wanted her to feel comfortable. " Not the best, to be completely frank."


He explained to her that he had a bad dream, a memory of the night the fall happened, without going into too much detail. He wasn't ready to open up to these people fully, as much as he trusted them.


"Aside from that, it was nice having the security of other people round. " He looked up at the sky, " Normally I sleep in the trees, it was actually much more comfortable on the ground last night. "


Ein gave a good morning nod to Rederik as he was skinning his game. " How about yourself? Did you sleep well (Ari)? "

 

[Effervescent]

Rederik returned the nod and hoped it was apparent that he had enough food for all. He would occasionally check the meat to see if it had cooked, turning it when it was ready. As he waited for the rabbits to cook through, he scooted over to the bag he had acquired at Ethan's. Most of its contents were bandages, but he rummaged through it fully to see what food he had packed. Potatoes, salt, bread, jerky, and a jar of apple compote were among a few of the items that were not made of cloth. And then the vial of red liquid emerged. Rederik situated it between a few spools of bandages to insure it wouldn't be damaged.

 

[MisfortunateDreams]

"Are you still going to see you're grandfather after school today?" Clara's eyes wandered up from her breakfast to catch hold of her father's steady eyes, brown matching brown as they stared at each other. She knew well that her father didn't forgive Grandfather Magnus for what he had done years ago. Abandoning his child and wife to the wilds of the Capital city while he had gone to study a secondary magic was something that her father deemed unforgivable. Clara saw it differently though. For some reason, Clara knew that her grandmother had wished Grandfather Magnus to go on the trip. Why wouldn't she when it was well known that she, herself wanted to go on such a trip. He regretted it now anyways, she could see it in his eyes every time they talked about her father. There was no convincing Liam Falk of that though, he was as stubborn as her and had the authority to make his word final. It was best to avoid conversation dealing with her grandfather so that it didn't bring up a reason for her father to forbid Clara from going to see him.


"Yes, after my extra lessons." She replied, "He wants to teach me about the stars today, so I probably won't be home until late." She saw the distaste in her father's eyes before pushing back from her chair. She knew her father didn't like Grandfather Magnus but that didn't mean she couldn't like him of her own accord. He was kind and knowledgeable, more so than her father. He was also willing to teach her many things that others weren't, things that could be found in the great Libraries of both this city and others. She wanted to be a scholar like him one day, a master of wit. To do that she needed to be taught by one though, which is why she would never give up her lessons with her grandfather.


"Clara!" Her father called, catching her before she exited the room. "Just be careful... please." She gave him a skeptical look, anger lining the creases between her eyebrows. She didn't understand why he thought his own father such a threat, it didn't make sense. In fact it infuriated her so much that she spun around grabbing her book bag as she left, slamming the door loudly behind her.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

​

The sound of a slamming door echoed in her mind as Clara pulled herself from a restless sleep, her brown eyes wet and stinging. It had been a long time since she had dreamed of her father and never before had it stirred such uneasy emotions inside her. That morning had been the last meal she had had with her father, a breakfast in which she hadn't even properly spoken to him except a few sentences and a slammed door. It had been that night that the King was killed and the Shadow King started his reign, she had only assumed she would never see her father again when she witnessed the magic snuff out his life like it was nothing but a candle's flame. It made Clara realize how mortal people were and brought her to terms with the fact that if she got close to someone she would ultimately loose them in the end. She didn't know if she could deal with that, not after her father.


As she brushed the tears from the corners of her eyes she met the stare of her grandfather's eyes evenly, his unwavering. It was almost like he knew she had dreamt of her father, his eyes filled with the uneasy regret that came with his memories. It was to fresh to talk about though, she needed time to calm her heart's pain before speaking to her grandfather's sad eyes. Instead she dismissed herself to bathe in the river, finding a deep pool showered in the warm light of morning. She stripped herself down and scrubbed her clothes before plunging into the water, letting her head submerge fully as she stared around at the cold world beneath the water. Tinted blue, this realm was heavy and slow moving but still graceful and beautiful. She had once heard that people could control water as a secondary magic, the thought made her stomach flip. Her magic's opposite in nature, water to fire. She was somehow drawn to it despite this. No, it because of this fact that she wanted to conquer the secondary magic. She knew the theories, she knew the concepts and how it was done, but she didn't have a teacher to guide her and would therefore probably never be able to do it. Clara would never learn the art of Water magic.


Pushing along the rocky bottom, Clara shot through the water and gasped for air when her head broke the surface. She sputtered slightly as a bit of water got into her lungs and worked her way to the bank of the river, pulling herself onto a sunny rock to lay in the warm sun. The black rock beneath her was hot but it didn't both her, in fact she used the warmth as an anchor to slowly raise her body temperature. She could feel the water sizzle off of her body like it had hit the surface of a frying pan and saw the clouds of steam that drifted off her skin until she was completely dry. She then grabbed her clothes, not fully dry but close enough, on the nearby rock and pulled them on.


It seemed the group from before didn't feel like partnering up with her, probably offended by the arrow from yesterday. The thought was a bit disappointing but Clara accepted it, knowing they were moving in that direction anyways. It was the quickest way to the capital after all and though her grandfather disliked the thought, he had fully agreed that if they were going to find a way to stop the Shadow King it was would be in the libraries within the palace. Clara just hoped that they had spared the libraries, it would have been foolish for the Shadow King to not spare them. Even he didn't know everything and the libraries inside the palace held text of powerful magic that would make him undefeatable if he took the time to learn it. Of course it would make her undefeatable as well, strong enough to kill a Shadow King.


"Clara, it's time to go." She heard her grandfather call from their camp, "We've rested long enough." She stood, heading to the camp to lifted her pack from the ground and bow from the branch it was hanging on. She then looked at her grandfather and smiled. She would kill the Shadow King before this man died, she wanted him to live in a peaceful kingdom before passing into the hands of the gods.

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree heard the Skyre splashing about in the river as she approached. She giggled to herself at what she hoped was his unexpected predicament.


She pushed past the last foliage and surveyed the scene before her. Skyre was submerged practically to his armpits in the river and held a drenched towel. Nearby, on the shore, his pack and clothes lay unguarded and unattended.


Desiree's lips curled in a sinister grin. "So, fly-boy," she cooed softly. "You promised me last night that I would be able to get a bath today. How's the water?"


She sat her quarterstaff against a slender maple tree near the bank of the river. She unclasped her cloak and slung it over one of the branches. Then, she stooped down and s-l-o-w-l-y began to work at the laces of her boots while keeping an eye on the perturbed young man.

 

[SkyGinge]

"I did say that," Skyre managed, desperately wishing he could do something in order to stop his cheeks from turning a deep scarlet, "however I didn't intend that to mean with me." His mind was in a twisting whirlpool of anger, embarrassment, and a bit of curious patience. He desperately tried to quell the tornado and control himself. Now he was unusually at a complete loss as to what to say. Figuring he was better safe than sorry, he wrapped his towel to cover everything important and waited for her to reply.


One thing was for sure though, she had purposefully forced this situation upon him, and he had to know why. To tease? Or just being overly friendly? Skyre reasoned from her patronisation that it was likely the former, but nevertheless held his ground. Teasing could mean a number of things, but he wasn't in a position to consider them right now.

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree saw Skyre's cheeks flush as he struggled to work his soaked towel under the surface of the water to cover his waist. Perhaps I've tormented him enough for one morning she thought.


"Oh, I see," she said with a mirthful twinkle in her eye. She turned her attention to unlacing her first boot, sat down and removed it before she started on the next one. As she did, her long, blonde hair fell over her face and covered her visage.


"Just pretend I'm not here," she waved at him nonchalantly with her hand. While working on the second boot, she peeked up from beneath the curtain of hair in front of her eyes.


She waited a moment as she still sensed his nervousness and when the second boot pulled free, she looked up and cast her hair back with her arm.


"I'll make you a deal, fly-boy," she offered, her bright blue eyes covering the distance between them. "I'll ensure your privacy if you will do so for me in turn."

 

[SkyGinge]

What did she mean 'ensure his privacy'? "With due respect, that's a deal you've already broken by ensuring to break my privacy in coming here," Skyre noted, sinking further in the water. "But if you mean stopping others from coming here, then of course. Provided you do me the return favour of telling no-one of this." Anger currently dominated his thoughts, and his cheeks reddened still. He very desperately wished to rewind time and be out of the situation. But he could not, and remained awkwardly in the water, eyes flitting around nervously.

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree stood and gifted Skyre with a pure, light-hearted laugh which brought out the same inner beauty he witnessed last evening. "Oh, lighten up, Skyre," she jested. "Of course I will keep others from coming down here for you."


She grabbed her boots and tossed them over to the tree where her cloak and quarterstaff waited.


"And I will do a better job than your silly air-wall," Desiree added with a wink and a slight curtsey, as she seemed to forget about the current state of her cotton shirt. She raked her hair back with her hands, turned to the path that led back toward the camp. Her infectious laugh continued as she tossed over her shoulder, "Don't use up all of the hot water!"


Desiree's tantalizing laughter continued as she vanished amidst the brush and set herself back up the trail to where the air-wall had been placed.

 

[SkyGinge]

"I'm done actually," Skyre called after her, a noticeable growl of annoyance in his tone. No matter the beauty she presented, she was being very frustrating and he would not play along with her. Yet taking advantage of the short time he had with her out of sight, he dashed from the water and rapidly blasted himself down with water, slipping into his underwear and baggy trousers with an almost comical speed. Strangely enough, his hair had stayed in its flame pattern throughout the entirity of the exchange, including when he was completely submerged.


By introding on him in her light-heartedness, Desiree had unwittingly put Skyre in a horrible situation much beyond what she had anticipated. Whilst he was certainly not ugly, Skyre wasn't exactly handsome or muscular - instead fairly plain for looks and a little skinny. As such, and due to his constant failures with the girls he loved, his self-confidence in regards to his looks had always been poor. Whilst he had been alone and focussed for the previous month and thus untroubled by the physical factors, he would never willingly have shown any flesh to anyone. Adding salt to the wounds was the fact that the perpetrator was an undeniably attractive girl, an undeniably attractive girl who had provided him with his second ever kiss the night previously, and the salt had been not only pressed on the wound, but welded in with hot irons of emotional pain.


That she would do this was of course to him as bigger sign as any that his budding feelings were not reciprical, thus making things even worse. Skyre truly did wear his emotions on his sleeve. He could stay calm and focussed in the middle of a battle, and confident and hopeful in the face of imminant danger, but unwilling Desiree had poked into his major weakness. As she returned, she would definitely see in his downcast posture how much she had upset him. His emerald eyes stared hollow and vacant at the dusty water-side floor, and he looked truly downtrodden.

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree heard Skyre call out to her, but she waited a moment or two to give him the chance to get himself fully dressed. It's the least I can do, she thought as she grinned remembering his awkwardness in the water.


Barefoot, she worked her way back to the river and indeed saw Skyre's downcast appearance. She softly sighed as she knew that she had pushed the boy too far in her jests. Skyre's command of her element and the way in which he had taken charge of the refugees showed an inner maturity that was often lost on his young, boyish frame.


She dropped the sinister grin she wore and presented a more civil, facade. Her footsteps crunched through the gravel and as she came closer to him, she grasped her long hair and crossed her arms in an effort to cover the bloody gashes in her shirt.


"Hey, look," she started in a soft, tender voice. "I didn't mean to upset you. I was just enjoying a joke. I'm ... hey, I'm sorry, ok?" She paused. "We've only just met; it was wrong of me."


Desiree tried to lock his gaze with bright, blue, doe eyes and hoped that he wasn't too angry with her. "I'd like us to try and be friends, if that's alright with you?"

 

[SkyGinge]

Skyre simply continued to gaze at the floor throughout her comments, but lifted his head up at the end, managing a weak smile in a very bad attempt to cover his sadness. Of course, it did not, and his eyes still remained hollow. "Of course, we were friends anyway, right?" he continued his pitiful smile, turning away to pick up his pack as well as mask himself a little. "You needn't be sorry, I know you were only joking." And that's the irony, that the fact that it was a joke makes it twice as bad. He turned back to face her for a brief moment, and utters his farewell. "Enjoy your bath."


Despite his level-headedness amid combat, Skyre still possessed many traits that showed his lack of age in comparison to many of the others. He could never stay angry at anyone for long, and soon his pessimisms returned to himself. His short glance at her before leaving just made him feel pathetic - here he was falling for a girl who just became even prettier in apologising, and he was letting himself act like a child and get down about it. Overthinking was one of Skyre's specialities, and each negative thought lead to another, tumbling him down even further into self-wallowing.


After a five minute journey that felt like five hours, Skyre arrived back at the camp to the smell of Rederik's cooking. He leant quietly against a tree, still distant, thoughts rushing around his mind. He still looked hurt, but keeping his distance from the others, he hoped to convey that he'd rather stay alone.

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree watched Skyre leave her by the river. She blew, with exasperation, the loose strands of hair out of her face that had drifted their way back into her eyes. She stepped over to her boots and cloak and smiled at her good fortune. Her smile and blue eyes once again saved her from a difficult situation. He'll be fine, she thought. Fly-boy is tough; he'll get over it.


She arranged her cloak like a curtain and disrobed behind it. Some of the cuts to her mid-section had stuck to her cotton shirt and painfully tore open as she removed it. Seeing the full extent of the damage for the first time, Desiree was even more thankful for Skyre's escaping flight. Had she remained in the encounter much longer, the damage would have been significantly more severe.


She tested the water temperature with her left foot; it sent shivers up her leg and over the rest of her body. Not wanting to put off the inevitable, she clutched her bloody shirt and plunged into the river.


If the face washing last night was refreshing, the full immersion in the river was downright resurrecting! She came to the surface, exhaled and shivered at the cold, river water. Her long blonde hair appeared a dirty brown as it streamed out all around her in an odd halo before the current pulled it away from her head.


Desiree used the cotton shirt to scrub herself from head to toe. It was invigorating, especially at such an early hour, to feel so clean. Once done, she ran one arm through a sleeve, so that the current wouldn't steal away her shirt, and began to work the tangles from her hair.


Since her flight from the hounds several days ago, her hair had become the attraction of many forest items: twigs, burrs, assorted leaves, some reddish looking fungus she couldn't identify and a wide assortment of berry and sap stains.


She cursed again – for now the sixth time – the loss of her haversack, for within it was her favorite ivory comb. It was her mother's and was given to Desiree as a gift to celebrate her acceptance to the university.


Still, Desiree managed as best as she could and in short order her hair was much cleaner than it had been and would be much easier to handle.


She took a few more refreshing plunges under water before resigning herself to returning to the campsite. She pulled her wet shirt over her head for modesty and exited the river. Once back by her cloak, she removed the shirt and dressed only in her cloak. Then, she took her shirt and remaining clothes to the edge of the riverbank to wash them as best as she was able.


Finally, satisfied that she could do no more for her current state, she pulled on her boots, wrapped her cloak tightly about her naked body, clutched her laundered clothes to her and with her quarterstaff in hand, she trudged the path back to the group.


She paused before she entered the site and listened to some of them talking lightly. Something incredibly delicious was cooking and her stomach loudly reminded her that she hadn't eaten in a few days.


Desiree put on her warmest smile and strode confidently into the campsite. Her wet hair clung about her face and gathered between her shoulder blades to fall to her waist line. Her bright, blue eyes cheered the day.


"Well, good morning everyone," she said with a jovial, sing-song voice. "I trust everyone slept well."


She crossed over to the tree where she slept and carefully, so as not to lose her grip on her cloak, hung her clothes across various branches to dry. Once done, she turned to the pale, young man with the platinum blonde hair who was monitoring the spits of rabbits at the fire.


Desiree looked longingly at the cooking meat. "So," she started hesitantly, "um ... is there enough to share or do I need to go catch my own?"

 

[The Wizard]

Ethan's mind wandered back to the village and his family. His father busy milling the plants and his mother tending to the fire pit. His father looked taller but it was in fact Ethan who was shorter, younger then he was. "Aye my boy your awake...go help your mother with breakfast wontcha." his fathers warm smile with his rustic beard always gave Ethan the feeling of love and affection. Racing to his mother "Ma...ma! I came to help!" his little voice full of energy as he clung to her dress nearly falling over from his excitement. Her kind hand resting on his head "Careful dear the fire is rustling and I don't need you covered in ash again." as she handed him a bowl "Break up these roots for mama okay?". Ethan smiled and rushed to the table setting the bowl down snapping the bitter root as he was taught. Sucking on one his mother stuck her tongue out "Oh dear why can't you be like other children and like sweets...how can you stand that bitterness child!" as he taunted the root back at her "Its good mother its good!". The dream began to fade as the vision faded. The smell of cooked meat and the sound of crackled fire was waking Ethan. As the sun light filled his eyes a small tear broke form his eye as he uttered in silence "mother...father...". Realizing his surroundings he was brought back to his predicament.


Slowly he arose his back a bit stiff from the pack. Clearing his eyes he noted the group was beginning to move about. The bundled fellow in the cloak was gone and the blonde woman near him had also left. Rederick was tending to the fire, noting the fresh rabbits turning on pikes. Taking one last yawn the cool morning air filled his body and brought Ethan the needed strength to stand up and prepare. Rederick was digging into the bags and Ethan decided it was time he did to, not knowing the severity of everyone's injuries he figured it would be best to measure it after he washed his face. As his eye's met the surrounding camp site he noted the short haired girl and another man with a stubble growth was with her. Glad that she was still moving he proceeded to the river before stopping briefly when he heard the voice of another greet the camp. Tipping the trilled hat towards her he felt it best to not disturb their routines, kneeling to the pebbled rocks and letting the cool water flow into his hands. Quickly splashing it into his face the brisk chill cleared any morning fatigue he had. Removing a cloth from his pocket he dried his face and hands, with some empty vials he filled two with the river's water then returned.


Looking over the camp the group looked more lively and the blonde was hanging near Rederick while the feline was off a bit enjoying what looked to be a fresh meal. Holding his satchel carefully he proceeded to Rederick to see what he could do. Not wanting to be rude to the two in their conversation he simply let off a small cough "You said there where injured that needed tending to Rederick, I waited for them to rest but if there are any serious injuries its best I handle them now." reviewing the gathered group not knowing the full damage the fight had done to them.

 

[SkyGinge]

Skyre's mind was still on the events at the stream, where he imagined it would remain for quite some time. A part of him was mad at Desiree for her actions, but largely he was still just heart at how his emotions had been completely twisted. The kiss that he had savoured for so long the previous evening felt hollow and guilty now, and Skyre wished that she hasn't done it in the first place. Perhaps then he wouldn't have been in such an emotional mess. But simultaneously he couldn't deny the enjoyment he had gained from it, and very much felt the same for Desiree as before. It made him feel both hopeless and pathetic.


Pull yourself together, he told himself. Scanning around the camp, he noticed another man who hasn't been there before get up, a shorter man. It didn't take him long to come to the conclusion that Rederik had brought him back after finding his wolf. That was something he could talk about. Come on, perhaps being social will distance your mind from things.





So Skyre stepped forwards a bit to talk to Rederik. But as he did so, Desiree, now dressed temptingly in her cloak, spoke up, her words like the thorns of a rose in his ears. He withdrew a little, waiting for the conversation to proceed.