Whittle Away the Day (Gaius)

[Mordechai Zoltar]

I was quite hungry this morning, but not for my emergency rations, no. I needed something fresher. Perhaps some fruit or fresh game? Either way, I decided to travel out of the castle walls for some nourishment.

The day was young and the air was crisp with a light breeze that sent a chill along one's very bones. It was early. I walked down the dirt road for a short while, just to gain some distance between me and town, and then deviated to the left. Crossing swiftly through branches and tree trunks, over logs and around animal burrows I made my way.

Though the distance was short my breathing became heavy, for I was not too fond of physical activity, I'd much rather spend my time reading or playing my lute, but alas, for food I would suffer.

I stopped suddenly when I heard a cracking noise ahead of me. I quickly scanned the area and saw a stag grazing just past the treeline. Slowly I started stepping forward, he was at too far a distance for me to be accurate with my flames. My res simply wouldn't be controlled at such lengths. I had to edge my way quietly towards the deer.

50 yards. 40 yards. 30, and 25. Yes, I was silent, I was a shadow. The thing had no idea I was there. I made it within 15 yards, hidden behind a tree and held my hand behind my back. Silently my apple green res seeped from my hand into a ball roughly the size of a bear's head. I watched as the deer dipped down towards the grass to graze.

[Gaius Sivet]

While the city of Syliras was interesting, I had more pressing matters to attend to. Specifically, the sizable emptiness within my stomach. So I awoke early the next day and headed out into the woods.

Here my days of training took over. I stalked silently through the forest, quite as a shadow in autumn's dusk. I soon found the tracks of a deer and began to follow them. With trusted longbow in hand I made my way slowly forward and the tracks became fresher, more easily readable.

As I continued, I came to an area where the trees began to thin and there, just beyond the tree line, standing over a small pond, was a stag. It looked as graceful as of the birds I had ever seen or handled and much more substantial. It looked as though it could feed me for a month.

With slow, careful steps, I silently made my way to the right, arrow ready on my bow. Soon I had a perfect shot. Silently, I drew back the bowstring, breathed deeply, and let my arrow fly, straight and true as ever.

[Mordechai Zoltar]

I held my arm up, the green sphere glistening. A bead of sweat rode down my brow. I swung my arm forward, hurling the ball towards the deer and then at the last second I could ignited it.

It flew straight for the deer, who's head cranked up at the sound of the flames. It began to run when it struck hard in the right flank, leveling the creature.

[Gaius Sivet]

As I watched my arrow fly, I became acutely aware of a sound, off to my right. It was the sound of flames and a low whistling accompanied it. The deer heard it too, turned its head towards the noise, tried to run, and found itself slammed to the ground in a shower of flames and sparks as the Res connected with its flank. My arrow went whistling off into the woods.

I ran forward towards the deer and scanned the area quickly, looking for whoever had ruined my perfectly good shot. Then, I spotted him, a tall, dark skinned man who stood off a ways, triumph and then confusion flitting across his face. I glared at him and pointed angrily at the deer.

"You ruined a perfect shot you fool! Come over here so I can better see the man who hunts with eratic fire and destroys the kills of his betters!" I shouted. My voice rang out in the forest and then it grew quite as I waited for a response and my hand fell to the hilt of my talon sword.

[Mordechai Zoltar]

Ruined a perfect shot? He can blow it out his arse, I hit the deer, he did not. Enough said.

I stepped fourth from the trees towards the man when I noticed him reaching towards his weapon. Behind my back I spouted fourth a ribbon of res which i made solid at the end, as if it were a handle. I gripped it firmly.

"I slayed the deer. This is my kill, you should not be here." I said, noticing the deer was, though about dead, still breathing. "Excuse me but I need to finish something." I ignited the outside of the ribbon of res, all except the handle I left for myself and in one swift motion whipped the ribbon over my shoulder and struck the downed stag round the neck. After which the ribbon of flame dispersed.

"Don't be so ignorant as to miss the fact that I was the one who killed this deer, it is rightfully mine."

I said this now holding a ball of res in my hand right in front of him. It was roughly the size of my head and it's mossy green color shimmered in the light. "Surely you know what this is?" I asked him gingerly with a smirk. Alas, I hadn't noticed my nose was bleeding. That fire whip was a bit too technical for my skills yet. On top of that was the fact that the first fireball that I hit the deer with was quite large.

[Gaius Sivet]

The fool was attempting to frighten me, but he had missed several facts. Firstly, his nose was bleeding, a sure sign of overgiving. Secondly, he failed to realize that I knew my own share of Reimancy and hadn't showed my hand yet. I could sustain a magical battle far longer than he could hope to remain standing. And of course, he was a fool and a nobody. I am an Avora of the Inartan people. Simply by tracking the deer, it was rightfully mine to kill.

I moved my hand away from my sword and smirked. "You've missed a few facts. From what I can see, you're a novice in Reimancy, just as I am. That bit with the whip was too much for you and that nosebleed is an obvious sign of overgiving. I, on the other hand, haven't even begun to give. And with earth, a much more stable element than your fire, I can't lose. Look around. Rocks, trees, dirt. I send a small bit of Res to you and let it draw in all this, well, I'd like to see you dodge the earth itself."

I paused and waited for any sort of response, but there was none, so I continued. "Besides that, physically I haven't strained myself and you have. I can have an arrow through your head or a blade through your heart before you can draw a weapon, I'd bet. So, unless you have an extra trick up your sleeve or some friends waiting to attack from just beyond my sight, I'd say this is already over. So go ahead, take the deer, you've ruined it now anyway and I can always track something else. But before I go, apologize."

As I finished, my smirk broadened and I hooked my bow over my shoulder and let one hand rest casually on the hilt of my sword while I awaited my answer.

[Mordechai Zoltar]

Apologize? Ludacris. This is my deer! Still, I am in no condition to fight. But I certainly won't apologize. Maybe something else can be worked out.

"Perhaps we can share the meat, come, join me for some food, I'll build the fire." I said, letting the ball of res dissipate. "You've called my bluff, I'm in no condition to fight right now, so thus it wouldn't be an honorable fight to which I assume you are inclined. Let us put aside this dispute and eat, rest. Then, if you still feel the need, we may battle afterwords. But no simple tools, real weapons like magic, like reimacy." I said with a smile. Despite what an absolute ass this man was, I kinda liked him.

"You, mister experienced hunter, can take the fur and cut the meat. Some of it may be charred but we both know that isn't fit to eat yet. I'll get some wood and we'll cook this like grown adults who don't bicker over whether my deer is mine or not."

As I said this I turned and began gathering wood and sticks off the ground. While turned away I quickly used my sleeve to wipe the blood from my face. Who the hell is this guy? I thought.

[Gaius Sivet]

Despite my misgivings, this man was beginning to intrigue me. I recognized his ability to honestly back away from a fight he couldn't win and while I got no apology, I respected his compromise. As he went about gathering sticks, I nodded slowly and properly situated my bow over my frame.

"Alright then, we will break bread together, as it were. I will skin the deer and cut the meat and we will talk, learn of each other." Slowly, I turned to the deer and drew a dagger from my belt. Thus armed, I sat and began to skin, gut, and clean the deer. It was a long task, several times bits of sinew or charred fur became troublesome and I resorted to cutting away whole portions of the meat, but in the end, it was done.

I looked about and saw a clean, flat rock not far away. Focusing on it, I summoned a small amount of res and drew the rock closer, letting the res bring it towards me with a slow, methodical pull. Soon it sat by me and I laid out the meat in cuts atop it. Then, with that done, I turned back to the man. "The deer is done. I have some bread and cheese we can eat as well. As long as we're eating together, we may as well know each other." I spoke with a measured tone, reluctant and respectful, but still a bit removed from it all.

"I am Gaius Sivet of Wind Reach. And you are?"

[Mordechai Zoltar]

Piling all the wood I gathered haphazardly, I began to ooze jelly-like res onto it. Once it was generously covered I ignited it and the fire roared to life. The man was able to make quick work of the deer, but then he did something interesting. He summoned a rock from across the way.

Earth, that was his element. Hmmm, this says a lot about a man. He admired and demonstrated qualities of dependability and substance. He was firm and asserting, and he was stubborn, that much I knew, and it reflected in his reimacy.

"I am Gaius Sivet of Wind Reach. And you are?" He said.

Quickly I muttered out "I am Riverous of Sylaris". I lied, with quite possibly the most fake name I've had the displeasure of using. I couldn't tell him who I was.

"I'm a traveling toy maker." I said pulling out a small wooden bird. "Watch this. Fly." I commanded, and the bird flapped it's wings vigorously. "Stop." I commanded again and it did so.

He handed me the meat which I started to cook using my res to pull the flames onto it.

"You move and make earth I see? I with fire. And other things. You see, I am an animator" I said to him.

[Gaius Sivet]

As I watched the small, wooden bird take flight, I was pulled away, away from the woods and Syliras, to Wind Reach and the birds that circled the sky. To the Eagle Riders, the Endal, and the grace of everything that flew.

And as suddenly as it started, the little bird stopped, and I was snapped out of my trance. I handed the rock with the meat piled atop it to the ma, this Riverous, and he started to cook it. As he continued to talk, my mind began to return to me, and I began to see things I had missed.

He was nervous. He spoke quickly and his name had been barely more than a murmured whisper. I frowned at that and when he spoke of being an animator, he seemed both proud and a little worried, as if there were something in that fact to hide.

"That isn't your name, not your real name in any case," I said, speaking in a deliberately calm voice, one that had quelled the fear of many a falcon back in Wind Reach. "I've given you my name, why lie to me about yours? What could you need to hide so dearly?"