Magic Against Magic, Steel Against Steel (Eryss)

[Aello]

Winter 4, 511 AV Location: Unknown Aello sighed as amber-colored tree sap trickled between her fingers. The color and consistency reminded her of maple syrup, a treat from the time she was a mere child, living in her parent's house and eating her mother's pancakes. But she knew the sap was nothing like that. Instead, it was merely a fragment, a small piece of something truly sweet. Something sticky and bitter, meant to tempt the weak before gluing their mouths shut for a time. Aello ignored it, she would not be tempted. The woman organized the wood she had gathered half-heartedly. Sorting them into separate groups based on their relative size. When she was done, she plucked two strips of wood from the stack with the tallest pieces, and leaned them up against each other. When she was done, she took another two pieces, and used them to support the triangle the first two had made. From there, she kept on adding more wood, circling the strips around the teepee she was making, until a time in which only a thin strip of space remained. An opening into the wooden structure she had created. Aello wiped the sweat that had gathered upon her brow using the back of her arm. She glanced up at the sky, noting how the sun had risen even closer to its zenith. Its rays filtering through the line of trees, largely deflected or halted completely by their twisting, barren branches. It's almost noon, she thought, as she turned back to her work. As she moved over to the pile of kindling she had gathered- a series of sticks and fallen brown leaves. She pulled a small stack, a mixture of both components off the top of her pile, and forced them into the opening of her teepee. When she had finished, she reached into her pocket, and extracted her flint and steel. From there, Aello moved back over to the site of her wooden teepee and knelt beside it. Closest to the opening in the wood. Her legs curled beneath her slender form, so that she rested atop her feet. Her flesh began to grow cold from the stiff earth that rested beneath her, offering her a cushy bed for her aching flesh, her sore muscles. The cursed dagger seemed only to absorb the cold; the cruel nature of the forest. The metal that comprised it seemed to cool off considerably, further chilling the young spiritist to the bone. But Aello ignored this too, just like she ignored the fact that some of the tree sap around her pointer finger was beginning to pool and sink towards the earth. Preparing to drip away from her pale flesh. The girl's fingers curled around the flint. Around the steel. She lowered them towards the ground, towards the opening, and then, began to strike the steel against the flint. Dragging its length across the stone repeatedly. Listening to them click together as she picked up the pace, hoping to get a spark a little sooner than usual. For a long time, nothing happened. Everything was silent, save for the incessant clicking of Aello's instruments. But after several bells, the first sparks came to life. Spurts of light, of flame, which appeared closest to lightning than anything else. Lightning in the shape of a young flame. Still golden, not quite warm, or smoldering like a roaring, orange flame. Within another few bells, Aello had managed to light the kindling at the base of her wooden teepee. She pulled her hands away from it, as the yellow flames licked the underside of her pile of kindling. As they wound their way upwards, curling leaves, and crackling as it spread its arms, and welcomed life. As it took on an orange edge, and began to send off tiny tendrils of grey smoke. Aello put the flint and steel back into her pocket, and lowered herself onto her hands and knees. She blew lightly on the fire, fanning the flame a bit, before righting herself. She knelt, and held her hands out to the fire, allowing it to warm her limbs. Allowing it to cause the sap that lined them to harden, and then, slowly, flake away. When all the sap had left her flesh, and her hands had begun to warm up, Aello reached for her bag, which rested a short distance from her, closer. She opened the top flap and dug around inside, looking for something to eat, when she came up short, she growled. "Bloody heck, is everything gone already?" Aello groaned, as she reluctantly got to her feet, and picked up her bow. She held it tightly in her left hand for a moment, basking in its familiar feel, before reaching for her bag, and putting it back in its rightful place, alongside her quiver filled with arrows. When that was done, she moved off, away from her fire. She knew it was best not to leave the element unattended, but she figured it would be alright for a few bells, while she went to search the nearby area for something to fill her belly with.

[Eryss Waldu]

[The Wildlands around Sunberth weren’t a terribly hospitable place. They were bereft with all manner of danger from beasts and slavers to those things you did not even imagine and especially in winter when the goal of everything living was to survive and survival became just a tad more difficult for everything involved. Wandering, alone, through a forest of trees and short grass that the Mage did not abide well Eryss was headed towards one of the many meeting places he knew though whether it was to contact an acquaintance or just to work in relative solace for a day was unknown. The Mage wasn’t particularly fond of the wilderness in the winter but he knew the land around Sunberth to a certain degree having tracked down men to sate his own vengeance here before.] [Next to a tree he stopped and outstretched a hand which he lay against the wood to support himself while he took a breath. Eryss wasn’t actually as feeble as many mistook him for but it was the appearance that he had associated with what was hidden beneath the robes he wore. They were commonplace when anyone one saw him after all. Even now, out in the wilds, he was dressed mostly as could be expected with his robes and a hood that covered his face, hiding him even though he had no need to be hidden, and with well travelled footwear that he adjusted to his walking in them often. After he took a breath by the tree he would stand straight.] [Drawing his hood backwards then, after reaching for it with both hands, Eryss would fold the material back behind his neck and reveal features that were unexpected to most. He wasn’t ugly nor was he terribly handsome, maybe a tad better looking than average, but certainly he wasn’t an old and wizened man as those who knew him had come to visualize. What might have stood out about Eryss the most when his features weren’t hidden though was how the skin around his eyes seemed darker, reddened, as though they were bruised though they were not. It was a product of his magic use, sometimes the creation of his res seemed to saturate around his eyes changing the skin there and darkening his appearance like a poison, or maybe his soul was just so rotten that his body had slowly begun to change and accommodate what was on the inside.] [Breathing in the fresh air the Mage seemed almost at peace with himself though. Alone, just as it should be.] [It was then that, his eyes wavering to the side, Eryss noticed movement. Not human but animal as a rabbit bounded across the ground and came to stop at grass which it would begin to nibble on. An easy target out in the open. Turning the palm of his right hand upwards the Mage would begin to summon his djed and transform it into res then. It exuded from his palm as a thin gaseous substance which would slowly rise to hover inches out of his hand as he took aim at the rabbit which remained, unaware and blissfully eating, in place out in the open for him. He waited for the perfect moment which came and went and the rabbit hopped onwards, over to another bit of grass.] [Absorbing the res he had created back into himself Eryss decided to spare the creature, saying...”Today is your lucky day my friend.”...and then looking away. Forgetting about the creature for the moment. Looking around himself the Mage only saw nature. His eyes closed momentarily, he still stood near the tree he had come to rest by, and hearing nothing but the wind even his torrid spirit felt momentarily at rest with itself. Unfortunately it was not to last. The Mage reconsidered his show of mercy.] [Like he had done moments before his hand raised, res rising from his palm to create a gaseous orb no bigger than an orange, and without hesitation this time he ignited the outer shell into flame as it came to hover inches from his palm. Next the small fireball would shoot towards the rabbit, igniting the last of itself at the last possible instant, and devour the woodland creature in a small conflagration that roasted it alive. Over in a heartbeat.] [Lips had curved into a sort of vicious smile then as the Mage happened to remark...”I was a little hungry.”...and then moved closer to the flaming remains of the rabbit. There must have been some meat left on the thing and the fire being small had almost burnt itself out after devouring the rabbit so Eryss reasoned some of it was cooked too. No time like the present to fill your stomach when there’s food available after all.] OOCSorry is this post is a little sucky. I'm not great at intros.

[Aello]

Aello darted through the forest. Her feet pushing up angrily against the uneven terrain, causing her to spring forward. Her arms swung with each motion of her legs; each turn she took in stride. Her magic had caught the scent of a rabbit. Young. With brown fur, and a bushy white tail. Small pink nose, and whiskers that twitched each time it took in a breath. She could see its dark, misty aura sprinting through the forest, several paces ahead of her. Aello couldn't let it get away. It was the first thing she'd seen in awhile, and she would not settle for failure. She was going to catch up to that rabbit. Shoot it with an arrow, and then roast it on a makeshift spit. The thought that she may lose her meal caused Aello to speed up. To jump over a series of low-lying tree roots, which jutted out of the surface of the earth. Caused her to wind her way in and out of a series of trees in hot pursuit, until, the aura snuffed out. Went up in smoke. Petch did I lose it? Aello wondered, as she slowed to a near walk, and continued onto the last place where she had seen the aura. After a few bells, she came upon the location, and noticed her rabbit. Burnt. Charred. Smoking. Dead. Situated nearby was a man with a long cloak. A man who was twisted and infirm. Scarred. Weak in appearance. Aello glared at him, her eyes shooting daggers. "What the petch did you do?" Aello growled, as she gestured towards her rabbit with her right hand. "How the petch is anyone going to eat that now?" she asked. "I mean, I thought I was a pretty lousy cook. But you took the bloody cake." Aello shook her head in frustration, as her grip tightened around her bow, causing her knuckles to grow white. Her heart was picking up the pace as she stared at the reimancer who stood before her. She didn't so much as need to refer to her magic to know what was there. "Mama would be so proud," Aello commented sarcastically, as she forced her eyes to bore into Eryss. She wished she could burn his flesh the rest of the way off, and she hated fire. OOCIt's quite alright. P.S. When you killed the rabbit, Aello's auristics automatically checked out.

[Eryss Waldu]

[Enjoying his handiwork Eryss hadn’t thought anything of burning the rabbit nor would he have if he weren’t disturbed. Why he’d had a moment to chuckle to himself as though he were reliving some joke alone out here in the wild lands before he started moving over towards the charred remains of the rabbit to collect the carcass and see if there was anything edible on it anymore. He’d leant down so that he could reach for the rabbit with his hands when he suddenly had the feeling that he was being watched and turning his head he’d see that he wasn’t as alone as he’d thought any longer.] [Instinctively his eyes went to Aello who didn’t look as impressed with the dead rabbit as he had been and asked him what he had done while gesturing towards the rabbit with her hand. Eryss, crouching down now, looked at her and easily noticed many things about her such as the hourglass figure she possessed and the small nose, she looked young, but mostly he noticed the bow that she was holding and the way her grip tightened around it making her knuckles go white. The Mage thought then that it might be a decent idea to throw up a Shield, he could weave a basic defensive pattern almost instantaneously, but right at that moment he decided not to considering that he didn’t recognize anything about Aello. Maybe Eryss just wasn’t thinking though too.] [Crouched down he reached out for the rabbit with his left hand, letting his fingers wrap around what must have been one of its legs, and began to lift it up so that he could take a better look before saying...”It’s not so bad if you like your meat cooked well.”...there was a bit of a chuckle that followed but he wasn’t too impressed with his own joke so that was short lived. Ignoring the comment Aello made about his mother Eryss decided not to take offense and, holding onto the rabbit by its leg, would slowly rise up onto his feet once again and hold it out to her before offering...”If you’re really hungry I’m sure you can pick something off of it.”...he’d hold it out to her then but if Aello made no move to take the rabbit he’d have eventually dropped it back onto the ground. Discarding it.] [Now for the rest of it though. With his eyes on Aello the Mage one look her up and down one more time before making his own assumptions. She didn’t have the look of a slaver about her nor a Daggerhand or one of the other gangs from Sunberth so the obvious question that needed to be ask was who was she? Maybe one of those survivalist types but certainly no one from around here. “You’re not from Sunberth, are you?”...he’d ask though his tone of voice indicated that Eryss had already come to the conclusion himself and now wanted to confirm just who exactly he was dealing with.] [Not amongst the most trusting of types Eryss had turned his right hand away from Aello too, so that all she could see was the back of his hand, while creating a small amount of res in his palm that he filtered from the pours of his skin as a thin gaseous substance pooling there. Nothing that should arouse to much suspicion but just enough so that he could fire off a quick shot if necessary which while unable to incapacitate would likely impede if it struck. At the moment much of what Eryss did would depend on the reactions of Aello as well.] [Without waiting too long after voicing his assumption that she was not of Sunberth Eryss would get right into it by asking...”What’s your name?”...he might as well know who he was looking at before this went anywhere else. “I’m sure there’s another rabbit out here.”...was another comment he’d make in passing afterwards since it wasn’t difficult to a feeling for the way Aello felt considering the daggers for eyes she had made at him though on the other hand Eryss himself wasn’t difficult to read as the sort of individual who was of venomous intent himself.]

[Aello]

"No," Aello stated simply, as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, trying to ease the tension that rested about her knees. Her coiled muscles, ready to spring into action should they be needed. She could sense the uneasiness in Eryss' voice, which, in turn, caused her to feel somewhat uneasy. The air that hung between them seemed to thicken, as she stood, waiting for him to appraise her. During this time, Aello's magic returned, causing her pupils to dilate. The woman's nostrils seemed to absorb Eryss' aura. The scents that it carried. Smoke. Running water. Similar to when a waterfall crashed into a series of rocks which hung beneath its expanse, or when the waves of the sea crashed into the shore. Grass. Roses. The aura seemed to seep into Aello's ears, carrying a multitude of sounds- the sound of the waves crashing into shore, boots crunching into sand, into hard earth. A fire crackling. The girl could feel it licking her flesh. Warming her. Singing her eyebrows. She could taste the salt of the sea upon her parched lips. Magic runs strong in him, Aello's mind insisted, as she studied the glowing purple orb which surrounded Eryss. It seemed as though it were a giant bubble, encasing his twisted form. An impenetrable wall designed to keep everything out, and him, in. For he wields many elements. But there is something else there as well, a defensive magic. Something that could halt the progression of the rest of the things he wields. "Aello," she whispered, as she took a step closer, being sure not to step into the rabbit carcass. There is no sound there, to denote the use of a blade. No bow in his hands to make us think that he knows how to use a ranged weapon. Anything other than his magic. Without it then, he should be fairly defenseless, Aello thought. With it, rather dangerous. The woman's mind paused for a moment. Since he seems so on edge, he may be veering towards the more deadly category. With that, Aello's magic sank back into her skin. The sounds died away. The scents faded into nothingness. The sight of the protective purple bubble diminished, until there was nothing. The woman raised her right arm, lifting her hand. Curling all her fingers save for the index into her palm. She wagged it slowly, from side to side. "I wouldn't do that mage," Aello commented, not so sure she knew what she was talking about. Although, she had the distinct impression that Eyrss would turn to fire should he feel threatened. He was feeling threatened now, so surely, at the very least, he'd be thinking about harming her in that fashion. "You don't want to be calling upon the elements in this place. Not when it can wreck more than mere flesh. The two of us," Aello commented, as she took another step forward, and tilted her hand, so that her finger was now directed towards Eryss' chest. She extended her arm, moving it so that she may poke him above his heart. "More than you already have yourself." She expected her fingertip to fall a few inches away. She would not move it any closer. Instead, she'd drop her hand to her side. "Tell me stranger, have you ever overgiven?" Aello asked. "Passed out, lets say, when you tried to use your magic for defense, but over-exerted yourself? Perhaps you fought someone with more skill than you. Or a rather evasive sort of folk. Perhaps, simply, you were too new to the craft to understand how to wield your power correctly, without hurting yourself." Aello paused for a moment, allowing her words to sink in. "Tell me mage, for surely you have, at least once. What happened? Were you on your own, simply practicing your craft, or did someone save you from a rather untimely date with Dira?" Aello tilted her head back up, and looked at Eyrss head on. "Tell me, what do you do when you're fighting someone, using your magic because that's all you have at your disposal, but you grow too tired to keep on casting?" Aello asked. "Do you simply lay down and die? Or have another defend you?" The woman's eyes sparkled. "Don't you want to grow to depend on something other than magic? Something that may grow to betray you when you need it most?" Aello paused, one last time. "Don't you want to be able to place your trust in something dependable? Like your own skill, with something, slightly more tangible? A weapon, that does not require your throwing out a small piece of yourself each time you use it?" OOCAello did not sense the djed flow in the aura. It was more a guess given his current state than anything else.

[Eryss Waldu]

[Nodding when he heard her whisper her name, Aello, Eryss would make a point to remember it if anything were to come of this meeting besides idle chatter. It would not be hard to remember the name because even though it was not odd sounding the Mage found it uncommon when he heard it, unique in a way, something worth remembering about the girl. Indeed too Aello made the correct assumption as she sensed the Mage was on edge seeing as how they were close to Sunberth, a god awful city where no one was to be trusted, though Eryss himself didn’t feel as though she had lied when she had answered no to his query about her residence.] [When Aello cautioned Eryss it was instinctive for the Mage to perk both of his brows in surprise as his creation of res had been rather subtle but smiling, thinly, afterwards he would have said...”No? Perhaps I am afraid you will shoot me with your bow.”...there was no laughter to accompany the statement though Aello would likely be able to hear the mirth wreathed in his voice. Eryss though sarcastic was not an idiot however and he allowed the res he had begun to channel onto his palm to dissipate as Aello cautioned him further, reaching out to touch him above his heart, before countering...”What do you know of what I’ve done to myself?”...and then as she had expected her finger would make contact with a Shield that surrounded Eryss and fall away.] [Touching the Shield was not a painful experience. Aello’s finger would poke into it and she would see it ripple as though it were a pool of water disturbed by a small stone sinking beneath its surface before calming once again and resuming a translucent state. Invisible except for subtle cues that it would exhibit such as being completely datable by an Aurist and, maybe, even being somewhat detectable with a keen enough eye. Drawing away then as Aello posed her next question Eryss would, quite quickly, raise his hands to the sides of his head and growl audibly while becoming visibly shaken with a sudden pain that surged through him. He likely thought that he had escaped it for a time but the headache was throbbing and merciless. Easily enough to indicate to Aello that Eryss had overgiven in the past and in this case it had happened recently.] [When his hands went to the sides of his head Eryss robes would fall away from his arms revealing the scars that twist across them as well. Another indication he had overgiven though all of these were much older, likely occurring when he was new and inexperienced. Ignoring Aello for a moment the Mage would massage his fingers against his temples and mutter several choice phrases to himself before his eyes wandered back to her and, seeing no point in denying it, he answered her...”Isn’t it obvious?”...he asked with his temperament becoming a bit shorter before he took a breath and acknowledged her more calmly...”We all overgive eventually. It is an absolute certainty we have no choice but to accept. My arms and my head. No one saved me then or now. It will pass.”...he said as though he was sure this would happen though Eryss was not entirely so comfortable believing that. At the moment, whether she knew it or not, Aello had actually become a pleasant distraction for him as he found the conversation started to divert him from the throbbing in his temples.] [More questions. Aello sounded like she was interrogating him and Eryss, rubbing his temples, answered as he saw this diversion as helpful to his current condition. “It has never occurred.”...the Mage would start by saying before he carried on...”The Shield is powerful. Men of a lesser quality cannot pierce it nor can weak magic.”...though there was a pause then and he would admit to Aello, though he did not know why, that...”Of course it can be penetrated but not by most and you see they must get close to me. Like you.”...it seemed then that Eryss thought Aello might be here to do such a dead because he eyed her more closely as a moment of paranoia hit him. Shaking his head though one hand would lower, the other shifting over his brow, and he moved away from her a few paces before slowly concentrating on something peaceful as though it were his beacon of solace in the otherwise whirling tempest that was his head.] [At last after several moment he would look back at Aello and saying...”Dependable? Magic is dependable as the hand that wields it; I do not make mistakes often.”...which was the truth, Eryss was quite competent and responsible when it came to magically pressing his limits. Looking at her though his shoulders would offer a shrug as he went on by saying...”Apparently we all make mistakes though. Men betray men too.”...a simple bit of rhetoric before he said...”My name is Eryss.”...giving her his name since she had offered her own during the course of their conversation. He hadn’t lied to her, given her a pseudo name. Odd he told himself though maybe a product of his mind focusing on an inward peacefulness instead. Once he had taken another breath the Mage would straighten and remark...”Let’s pretend that I am intrigued by what you say and that I might find it interesting to learn another dependable way of defending myself. What would you purpose then, Aello?”...then he waited to hear her answer.]

[Aello]

"Afraid?" Aello asked. "Why? When all you have to do is flick your wrist and ignite whatever you will away from yourself. It takes but a second, for someone at your level, doesn't it?" The girl paused for a moment, considering the mage that stood before her. "Whereas, an archer has a bow to load, to raise. A stance to take on, as they aim, and then fire. Surely, stranger, you could hurl something at an archer long before they could take a decent shot at you." The aurist's eyes sparkled as she stood, silent. Waiting, listening. Finding it so very strange that the man would deny major overgiving. The need to have someone bail him out, when he got in too deep. Yet, as she watched, as his robes slipped, she began to see the man for what he really was. Untrusting. Deceitful. Towards both himself and others. This was a man who lied, so as not to make himself appear weak; an easy target. This was a mage who secretly feared the world, and everything it held. Who combated his fear by running head-first into it. Aello didn't need her magic to see that. "Eyrss... that's an interesting name," Aello finally commented, as she ran her thumb over the length of her bow's wooden frame. Towards her fingers, and then away, ever so slowly, over and over again. "For an interesting person. Someone who finds magic dependable, surely, isn't that, now is he? No... he must be someone who turns his back on things, on people, whenever it pleases him." Aello shrugged. "Not that it matters. Many things cannot be trusted. Not even yourself. Although, we all seem to try. As though it makes a difference." Aello shifted her weight again, from one foot to the other, as her lips curled into a mischievous smile. He wanted to know, so she'd tell him, in that mysterious way of hers. "Only that you are taught how much more dependable other methods may be," Aello went on. "But, you should know that not every shred of knowledge comes without a price. How do you like the idea of a trade? You are taught something you value by myself, and I am taught something you know all so very well, in return?" Aello paused a moment, allowing her words to sink in, before gesturing with her hand to come along. "Think on it as we walk Eyrss," Aello commented, as she turned her back on him, and began to move in the same direction she had come. "The time it takes to get to the fire I left unattended should be enough for you to decide," she called, as she stepped over a series of fallen tree branches. Devoid of all life. Stripped of entire portions of their dark brown bark. Stripped of their leaves. "Should you not want what is offered. You may leave the campsite, and I'd suggest you never return. And never speak a word on what you've seen." Or there will be consequences. OOCThe stuff in bold is what Aello is thinking. P.S. Feel free to say we walked maybe talked, and reached the fire in the next post. I don't mind.

[Eryss Waldu]

[Now Aello was trying to gain insight as to his skill level with reimancy or so the Mage told himself as he listened to her tell him that it would only take a second for him to flick his wrist and ignite what was ahead of him. It was true. Eryss was quite skilled though he wouldn’t admit to his full potential, especially not to a stranger, and not knowing that Aello was an aurist he felt no compunction to confirm or deny any of her suspicions. Nodding though the Mage could not help but concede to the fact that he likely could get off at least a rudimentary shot before an archer could fire on him.] [If only Aello knew the truth behind her suspicions though. The Mage did not fear the world so much as he hated it. It so happened he feared little, except maybe death, since being raised in an orphanage at a young age. The last time Eryss could remember fear it was when he was too small to protect himself against one of the abusive men he answered too however he’d remedied that in time after learning to control his reimancy to a sufficient level. What of Aello though? Assumptions being what they were Eryss saw her as a young girl who thought she knew more about the world than she did. Likely the sort who had a particularly sardonic outlook of others and disguised insecurities with a bit of sarcastic wit but then again he hadn’t known her very long so it was difficult to say.] [Narrowing his eyes when he heard her next comment though Eryss would smile, venomously, before offering his own retort by saying...”What an interesting theory from a girl who is out here all alone. Lost in the woods or running from something I would come to the assumption of first since she isn’t from Sunberth.”...there was a hiss that followed then as his head throbbed once again and lifting his hand one more time Eryss would rub his temple again before adding...”Lets walk then and you can tell me more about this trade.”...once Aello had spoken of walking back to the fire she had left unattended giving him enough time to think over her proposal. The Mage wasn’t extremely thrilled about traipsing through the woods with Aello but he would for the sake of curiosity alone at this pointing seeing as how she was intriguing if nothing else.] [Walking back to the fire Aello had left, as well as her makeshift camp, Eryss would observe their surroundings. Indeed if Aello bothered to pay attention she would find that the Mage was very observant and he’d need to be if he wanted to find his way back too though if Eryss was ever that hard pressed he could always look skyward too and locate the smoke from the slag heap. It did serve as a prominent marker for miles around Sunberth after all. During their trek back to the campsite of Aello the Mage would have said little though at one point he asked for sheer sake of interest...”Where are you from?"...even though he expected Aello to lie to him or ignore the question altogether as was the case for most people.] [At last the both of them would reach the fire that Aello had left though and Eryss, looking around the area once would move off to find a place to crouch down comfortably while waiting to hear the proposal that had been spoken of in the woods before they both came here. Now that they were at the fire and Eryss had thought about it as they walked he would have stated...”You spoke of a trade. Something you know for something I do. No riddles. What do you think I can offer you?”...it was a fair question after all, he wanted to know what Aello was looking for and once he knew he’d have decided if it was worth sharing for what she offered in return. Dependable methods was the term that Aello had coined though the Mage wasn’t entirely convinced seeing as how she had lead him on or was waiting to tell him exactly what she meant. All these games only seemed to make his head hurt more too and the Mage groaned once while trying to collect himself again. Damn this headache he had thought.] [Though he hadn’t reacted to the warning Aello had offered earlier, before they set out for the fire, either Eryss had spent much of the time walking with that on his mind. Betraying nothing of his actual feelings the Mage was quite apt at hiding how he took her words.]

[Aello]

Aello's grip upon her bow tightened even further as she wove her way in and out of the trees, making her way slowly to her camp. "You know a great many things Eyrss, but you are not skilled in much. In fact, you suck at just about everything that's not magic related," Aello commented, as she stepped over another series of fallen branches, and through a few low-lying shrubs. "That is why you should think carefully over this offer. You will receive it only once." Aello paused as the scent of smoke reached her nostrils, causing them to flare. She was close to the source of it, the fire she had started. She smiled weakly as she kept on moving closer. As she stopped speaking. She'd explain everything that was on her mind as soon as she had caught the sight of it. The curled tendrils of grey smoke, beckoning her closer. The crackling orange flames. She wanted to hear it. Within a few chimes, the couple had reached Aello's fire. It wasn't as strong as before. She assumed it was because it had been left to its own devices. Aello sighed, as she bent to pick up a stick, and prod the fire a little. Dark shadows crawled across her face as she listened to the wizard's request. "Very well, if that's how you wish it to be," Aello said simply, as she straightened herself out, and tossed the smoking stick down at her side. She moved to push her boot into the smoking end. To choke the embers before they spread. Only when that was done, would she look at Eyrss again. "You have to face the facts Eyrss. If it weren't for your magic, you'd be one very dead man. Heck, even with it, you risk killing yourself, each and every day, for although you can harness many elements, you overestimate yourself. There is always danger in magic, and you, as much as you'd like to think otherwise, have yet to truly master it," Aello continued, as she raised her right hand, holding out her palm to him. Forcing away any comments. "You know, that you struggle with the newer ones, the ones that came after fire, if I am not mistaken." Aello raised her right hand, and combed it through her long brown hair, once, before returning it to her side. "You need it, to sustain your life. Surely, though, you don't wish it to be this way. You want something else you can turn to, when your magic runs out. I can offer you that. I can train you. But, I want something in return." Aello paused for a second, allowing her words to sink in before continuing. "We both know you use two forms of magic- reimancy, and shielding, if I am not mistaken. I haven't come across it since traveling in Avanthal. Anyway, you bear knowledge on one offensive magic, and a more defensive one. You shall teach me the second: shielding. In return, you may learn a skill from me." "Since we plan to steer you away from magic, you will be taught something slightly less esoteric. What do you say you learn how to shoot a bow. Or even, fight with a dagger, your fists?" Aello inquired. "Be warned, however, that my talent with a blade and with a bow, far exceeds that of only one's frail form." Aello paused. "The bow has been a dear friend, for quite some time. Since childhood, the dagger is more of an acquaintance. Fear not, my skill with each is great. Although, the bow is probably a tad more familiar." Aello paused. "So what shall it be? The dagger? Fists? A bow?" Aello fell silent another moment as she took a step closer to the mage. "Take your time deciding, and choose wisely, you would not want to regret your decision. Taking the information that's now at your fingertips. Surely, you see how it'd only serve you best to do so. After all, you don't want to return to the city with a dagger in your back, do you?" she asked, as she let her thumb dance over the gentle slope in her father's old bow. OOCMwahahhahaha. Creepy Aello is creepy... and persuasive...

[Eryss Waldu]

[Aello was certainly no silver tongued devil nor was she skilled in the art of persuasion which was obvious enough by the way she spoke to Eryss who only wore a particularly soured expression on his features after she informed him that while he knew a great many things he was only skilled in magic and even that he had yet to master. It was almost as though she was trying to goad him into attacking her and the Mage was not renowned for his patience with others though Aello had caught him at a most opportune time still plagued by these headaches. As she informed him she would receive her offer only once and that she should consider it the girl made it seem as though she was greater than him, possibly that she was even doing him the favour, and even though Eryss was no aurist or empathy he sensed as though there may have been something more to Aello.] [When they had reached the small encampment Aello seemed to have made for herself Eryss would next have to listen as she lectured him on the fact that if it weren’t for his magic he would have been dead by now and that it could still be the death of him too. Shaking his head he would have replied had she not held up her hand and told him that he knew it to be true and that deep down the Mage still struggled with the newer elements that came after fire which was partially true though he seemed to have quite the affinity for lightning as well. It was curious how she knew all of this.] [Exhaling a bated breath Eryss would reserve himself to listening further then as the girl went on by telling him that she also knew he studied two schools of magic which were reimancy or shielding. Either she was very observant and knew her magic or she knew something about him before this chance encounter. Listening as Aello went on though he considered what she had said about how he could not want it to be solely this way, perhaps she was at least partially right, though as she went on to explain how he would teach her Shielding in return for one of her skills the Mage almost balked. It seemed an unfair trade to him which may have been due to the classical arrogance Mages had tended to exhibit at one time or another.] [Lifting his right hand as Aello moved closer and bade him to take his time in deciding what skills he would like to learn the Mage would retort almost naturally...”You seem to know quite a bit about me Aello.”...his admission not downplaying anything she had said to him before he continued...”However Shielding is worth more than just one skill. Learning it you will be able to turn aside the blades and flesh of most mortal men.”...which was quite true, whereas Aello might be able to cut Eryss or even strike him with an arrow most others could not hope for the same success, and so the Mage felt his reverse of terms to be quite acceptable. Before he could inform Aello of what he desired though another deep throbbing presented itself which caused him to shudder and hiss, drawing away from the girl and back to his feet where he moved several paces from her rubbing his temples as he went. Blinking his eyes too he would eventually look back at her and focus as though he were coming back to the reality of the moment now that the pain had lessened again.] [Eyes had turned from Aello’s face towards the bow that she ran her thumb across as the headache faded from a sharp pain to a dull throb again and after a moment of silence he would have said...”If you consent to teaching me the Dagger and the Bow I will show you how to Shield.”...there were those who might not think this was the right time to negotiate but Eryss did and he felt no qualms about letting Aello know this too. With his counter offer made he would lift his eyes back to hers, away from the bow she held, before a thin smile began playing itself across his features and he said...”Consider my own offer. You clearly still come out ahead Aello and you would not want to regret your decision.”...he wasn’t afraid of her, the same as she didn’t seem to have any fear of him, the both of them seemed to be quite headstrong in their own way though.]