[Quest] It's a (Dangerous) Kind of Magic

[Faylon Kwanda]

[Glassbeaks! When the call went out across the docks Faylons eyes widened and he looked around himself quickly, cutting off the conversation that he had been engrossed in with the sailors, trying to find any sign of trouble. Nothing came though and as his breath slowed once more, having momentarily quickened, Faylon began to relax somewhat seeing as how the trouble seemed to be occurring elsewhere on the docks or in the city proper. The Docks, and Zeltiva itself, were quite large after all and even searching for one of these rogue Mages there was no guarantee that it would just be a short time and small amount of work. Despite the call of Glassbeaks having been a short-lived concern the real threat soon reared its head though.] [Eyes turned in the direction of the gruff voiced sailor that had called out and looking beyond him Faylon would have come to see the Reimancer, an insane overgiven wizard, channeling two fireballs into his hands. Adjusting his stance Faylon had already begun to turn on his feet so that he could face the Wizard when Nai’shee rushed into action with such blinding speed that Faylon himself was taken aback. Thus was the nature of Flux though and its practitioners were known for such martial feats though Faylon himself had never seen it practiced so openly as had just happened. Nai’shee had acted, on instinct the thought crossed Faylons mind, before anyone else could even react to what was occurring and it had opened a large window for the group.] [The Docks were sparse after the call of Glassbeaks, there was a clear line between Faylon and the Reimancer as the last sailor he had been talking to pushed past him and ran for safety, and moving ahead Faylon felt as though he might be able to get the drop on the Wizard while Nai’shee distracted him. She’d managed to take quite a round out of him for all the damage she sustained in return. Moving closer Faylon had almost been ready to spring across the last of the distance when Nai’shee had shouted for Faylon to attack and he scrunched his nose once before muttering...”Oh hell.”...as the Reimancer flung around to face him once Nai’shee seemed to sink into unconsciousness. Looking at one another across a small distance Faylon saw the Reimancer forming another ball of fire in his palm and his body tensed like a spring ready to uncoil.] [Eyes stared hard and caught the movements of Idue as well as the Benshira raced forward to meet the Reimancer and Faylon knew then and there that this would have to be quick. Immediately as Idue ran by him Faylon understood that glance and his own body shot forward as though the spring which had been coiled came undone launching the man ahead towards the Wizard. Flank. Left flank. Running ahead, his legs pumping, Faylon complimented Idue while rushing the Wizard on his left flank and keeping his attention seeing as how the Reimancer had focused on him. Charging across the distance as the duo completed the pincer attack Faylon unleashed a carefully guarded secret of his own too.] [Djed channelled through Faylon and while he often focused it on his mouth to convince, or persuade, the person he was talking to this time the arcane energies rushed towards his eyes as though he were unleashing a much more primal and innate response. The Emotional Response that Faylon drew out in the back of the Reimancers mind was one of fear meant to terrorize him just enough that he might hesitate, pause, briefly before attack and allow Faylon to come in that much closer before crushing the emotion via his own willpower. Radiating out from Faylon it would only effect the Reimancer though maybe Idue would notice him stiffen up briefly even though that could be accounted as a by-product of his own madness.] [Planting his right foot as he came within range of the Reimancer then Faylon with bring his left arm up tight in a horrendous uppercut that shot high from underneath the Wizards field of vision and snapped his head backwards with enough strength that his teeth may have cracked together and broken causing blood to leak from his mouth. That one solid, powerful, blow was all Faylon managed to get though before the fireball the Reimancer had been creating crashed into him and tossed him backwards over the docks. The Studded Leather he was wearing helped mitigate the blow but Faylon still landed on his back, rolling to extinguish the flames if there were any while his armor smoked.] [Lucky that hadn’t been large he thought as he came onto his back again and looked up in the direction of the Reimancer again his right hand having fallen to the Longsword sheathed at his side before he shouted...”Anselm!!! Where are you!?”...there was a certain urgency to his voice that told the Nuit he should be acting now before he added...”Help Nai’shee!”...with a bit of a growl. Pressing off the docks with his left hand Faylon only hoped Idue used the moment he had given him to strike an even harder blow while he eyes remained weary unless he had to dodge, or roll, out of the way of another attack aimed at him.]

[Anselm]

Anselm was already moving when Faylon shouted his name. “Well, what does he expect me to do anyway?” He muttered as he hobbled on to the dock. “I'm not a warrior.” He grabbed a life ring leaning against a piling. “And I'm really getting too old for this kind of stuff.” He reached Nai'shee and, with considerable effort, picked her up, backed off the edge of the dock and dropped into the water a few feet below, taking the still-smoldering girl with him. As they went over the edge he said, “My dear, if at all possible you should take a breath of air and hold it.” Then they hit the cold water and disappeared beneath the surface in a cloud of steam. As Anselm had surmised, the water was only five or six feet deep here. He hit the bottom hard on his back, cushioning the girl's fall. He felt something give in his back and thought, Oh great, I'm probably going to have to shop for a new body now. He got his feet under him and lifted her up, using the buoyancy of the life ring to keep her head above water. His left leg had pretty much given out as well, making it difficult to walk. But walk he did. He made his way toward the small stretch of sand about twenty feet away thinking, You stupid old man. Next time just stay home and mind your own business. He dragged the girl up on to a narrow strand of sand and rock separating the water from a wall of eight-foot high pilings. He sat her up against the pilings and looked around. On top of the pilings and a little to his right he saw a glassbeak looking down at them. Wonderful, he thought. Heroic Nuit saves girl only to be eaten by hungry glassbeak. OOC : With Nai'shee's permission. Paragon, if I'm out of line borrowing one of your glassbeaks, let me know and I'll return it.

[Aello]

Aello's blades came up against the bird's feathers, splitting the fluttering lines of glassy color. She could feel their desire to penetrate more deeply, shed some skin. Spill some blood, but the chance never came to them, for the bird had shot past, only to dig in its heels and round on her. Its beak slashed viciously all around. Trying to stab her sides, as she regained her composure, pulling her weapons into her middle. She could feel it pushing air against her chest; feeling it constricting as it drew near, and she narrowly sidestepped, suffering a small scrape on her arm before skittering away, towards the creature's side. She was just beginning to raise her weapon again, trying to bring it under the creature's presumably soft belly, when the monster cut her off. Startled, for she had come close to losing her hand, Aello took another step back, before simply throwing her cursed dagger at the glassbeak's neck. The weapon twirled through the air, furiously for a time, before cutting through about half of the monster's neck. Blood spurted from the wound as the creature's eyes grew wide. It seemed to pause, just long enough for Aello to come forward, and stab it in the side. The creature stumbled, as she reached for her fallen dagger, swiftly retrieving it, before repeatedly thrusting her weapons into its form. Blood spattered her. Staining her clothes, her face. She could taste it, the sharp metal of it, on her tongue. Smell it. It seemed to make the air thick, fuzzy. Casting the world in a haze. She thought she could still hear its heart beating, even after it had closed its eyes. But really, it was merely her own, thundering a beat that matched the motion of her arms. The way her fingers coiled. For several chimes, she remained towering over the monster, severing its skin. Clotting its feathers with blood. Stained glass stared her in the face as she wiped the blood from her brow with the back of her hand. Her sweat. As she smeared it into her skin, she could see her reflection glowing in the red pool. She hated what she saw. A form so dirtied and mangled. Weak. Gasping, she turned to the woman who had tossed her dagger to her. She raised her cursed blade, and pointed at her chest. "You!" Aello called. "Lady of the bones, get off the roof," she instructed, before gesturing to the remains with her dagger, "gather what you want from this... thing... and be quick about it. We'll be needing to get that petching mage back to the boss lady," she growled, before stepping away from the bloodied mass. She peered around the street, the lines which were filling with blood, until her dark eyes settled on the summoner. They narrowed. The spiritist stared at him a moment, before crossing the street. She sheathed the dagger she held in her left hand, before reaching for him, as he cowered against the side of a building. Her fingers furled around cotton. Pulling his robes into her. "Get up," she hissed. Urging him into a struggle to his feet. "We're going to take you back now. To your cell, where you belong." There was a slight pause as she took in his eyes. The fear and confusion held there. "She," Aello said as she pointed to Canrehne with her bloody dagger, "is going to help me, since we're going to have to drag your arse around your spell forms, and through this petching city to the asylum." Again, the woman paused for effect, "and you'd best not give us any trouble about it," she added, as she brought her dagger under his chin, lifting it a little. "Got it?" she hissed, as she pushed the dagger in a little more deeply, just enough to spill a single, red tear.

[Lyam]

I listened not very carefully to the plan, and just understood we would not continue together to have more chance to stay alive. The girl – I heard she was called Nai’shee – would be a distraction while two other men that were looking like warriors would try to hand off the fool we were hunting. When the group finally split, I followed Nai’shee, staying near of her boots. She soon went through the docks to interrogate a fisherman who didn’t seem to be worry of my presence. I was not really used to that, but it was no time to think about it. While Nai’shee and he were telling together about I didn’t know what, I scrutinized the docks and moved my ears every possible sights to try to catch something important. Then I heard it. I had no time to understand what it was that the old Nuit was already shouting “Glassbeaks!” I felt my fur standing on my back. I’d never seen glassbeaks, but I was told about them, those bloodthirsty birds that remained to hell. Despite this already great danger, the worse was on our back. I turned a second before Nai’shee and saw the two fire balls on his hands. He was smiling in a very strange way. The fool’s smile. I took me only a second to see Nai’shee running towards the dangerous wizard and punch him as she could. One second was still too much. She was already screaming when I began to run myself, and I came too late to protect her from burning and wounds. What a poor protector I was. However, as I saw her collapsing, I did not know more about what I should do. One of the men decided for me, as he ran at his turn and try to target the wizard. Then the other one, and the attack seemed to be perfect. But it was not. Soon one of the men was on his back, hardly burned by the wizard fire. Then the old Nuit came and did what I should have done immediately: take Nai’shee out of this place. I felt terribly ashamed and lost when they both vanished into the sea. The wizard and the last man were stilling rolling together, fighting as they could. But the human would not bear it much longer. I was not really thinking any more as I ran into the melee. But my claws soon found the wizard’s skin and my jaws his arms; so that the fire ball that was burning the other man disappeared. I tried not to let him go, but he was very strong and I could feel my teeth hurting meanwhile his blood was slipping in my mouth. Let’s hope the man I was trying to help would soon knock him out while I could still hold him.

[Canrehne]

Canrehne curiously observed Aello's fancy moves with the daggers, trying to memorize them. The footwork was amazing, and the agility that Aello possessed was truly inspiring. Suddenly, as Aello bolted back, she saw Aello's dagger flying at the glassbeak. It was all happening in an instant. So was the scene where the Glassbeak's blood started squirting all over out of it's neck. The Glassbeak stood still as the blood was uncontrollably squirting about, but Aello didn't stand still. Aello rushed forth - stabbing the Glassbeak in the side. Watching the Glassbeak stumble, Canrehne chuckled before seeing a gruesome scene in which Aello stabbed the Glassbeak repeatedly. The vivid blood was all over Aello now, and all over her daggers as well. Upon Aello pointing at Canrehne, Canrehne flashed a mysterious smile before turning to her left, hopping to another rooftop, which was on a lower level than the current one she was on. Canrehne then descended onto the streets of Zeltiva via a small pile of rubble located near the house. Looking over at Aello, she chuckled before speaking. "Nice work." Canrehne said, smiling as she walked over to pick up her own dagger. After obtaining it, she turned around and walked over to the dead Glassbeak. Carefully positioning the tip of her dagger on the Glassbeak's neck, she made an incision around the beak area, slowly starting to cut away the area which was connecting the beak to the Glassbeak's neck. What a wonderful creature it was. Such a sharp beak.. the talons were amazing and the colours were vibrant. Powerful, just like the Glassbeak was before it passed away. Maybe Canrehne could use some of it's parts for animation, even. Truly interesting, and truly heaps of ideas were overflowing Canrehne's mind as she managed to rip the beak off, making the Glassbeak just Glass, without the beak. As brutal as this process was, it was something a Legate needed for certain rites. Even though the beaks themselves would do, a little extra would never hurt a Legate. Not before the rites, that is. Thus, Canrehne decided to make use of the talons too. Picking up the beak, Canrehne lodged the beak into a part of her dress, which was pressed against her waist, making sure the beak doesn't fall. The talons.. so magnificent, defining the Glassbeak. They were truly amazing, and the color itself was great. They would definitely sell for a lot. Even so, time was scarce so Canrehne hastily moved over to the Glassbeak's talons, using the sharp,blood-stained dagger as a knife of a sort. She then dug it into the talons, starting to rip through them with it. Ripping through the talons, she turned her head to Aello - who was now after the summoner. Ripping off the talons, she picked them up and rose to her feet, running after Aello. "Let's go!" Canrehne shouted, following up Aello to the summoner, watching her grasp onto his cotton robe. "Hey.. calm down, he can't run. He won't." Canrehne said, observing the summoner as Aello pointed at her, saying how she'll help her. Canrehne smiled at that moment, nodding before moving behind the summoner, holding the sharp talon in her left hand and her dagger in her right, along with the beak being supported by her dress - against her waist. Looking at Aello, she gently nudged the summoner with her right elbow. "Okay, let's get going.. miss.. you lead the way, he follows and I guard him, I suppose." Canrehne said - happy that Aello was understanding to an extent how she needed the remains of the Glassbeak.

[Aello]

"You never know with their kind," Aello hissed, as she watched Canrehne come close. "Lets move," she added, as she gave the summoner's robes a few more, softer tugs, before urging them forward, away from the building, the crumbling masses. She led them away from the spell forms, in and out of city streets. Whenever she heard the screech of one of the birds, she'd pause. Stone cold in her tracks. Her ears prickling as she searched left and right for the source of the sound. Sometimes, her magic could see them, even though her eyes could not; causing her to make it a point not to go down those ways on her way back to Maria's. Although, she would make a point of memorizing their current location, so that she may find it a bit easier to locate them again later. For several chimes, Aello dragged the mage through the city steets, with the ritualist in tow, before coming to the asylum's doors. She stepped forward, and hastily kicked it open with her foot. She grunted, as she shoved the mage inside. Bleeding heavily, and nearly delirious with her arrow still inside. "Hey lady, we caught your summoner." Crazy petcher, she thought, as her fingers drove into his shoulders forcing him to squeal as he eased his body onto the ground. "Don't move," Aello hissed as she bent down, and freed her hands. Seconds later, her left hand had curled around her protruding arrow, bracing his paling flesh, and her right, had met with the bottom of its shaft. Swiftly, she twisted it, tearing it away from his skin. Blood dribbled lazily from the wound. "Sorry, can't be leaving without that," she commented, as she wiped the blood on his robes, before returning the arrow to her quiver, and grabbing her things. The spiritist's fist tightened around her bloodied dagger. The colors flickered, causing her to groan inwardly as she looked up, into the worried eyes of another woman. She gestured towards the summoner's wound with her dagger, "apologies. A bit of an occupational hazard that," she explained, "as it were." She smiled pleasantly, as she eased herself onto her feet, "you'd best clean that up before it festers," she finished as she flicked her chin towards the door. "Well... we'd best be going now," Aello continued, as she raised her free hand to pat Canrehne on the shoulder a few times. "You see, the two of us have to go clean up the rest of that man's, idiot's, mess." The girl's eyes sparkled as she tore her hand away, and turned to the door. She pushed it open impatiently, and headed back into the light. Idly, she retrieved her spare dagger, before turning to the legate, "the glassbeaks are to the south," she explained. "Or at least they were on the way in. We'll start there, and then work our way to the east and the west accordingly." Aello paused, as her grip tightened around her weapons. "Stay close, and hopefully, you won't get yourself killed," Aello growled as she picked up the pace. "While you're busy collecting your prize." The aurist was in no mood for tourists. But then again, the lady did have a nice shiny dagger she could take off her a bit later...

[Canrehne]

"Why so grumpy?" Canrehne asked, watching Aello lead the summoner towards the asylum, with a slight frown on her face. This is exactly what she wrote about in her book. Mages being mistreated. Even though he has done bad things, why so harsh? Why so rough? Why do people mistreat mages? Is it because they're more powerful than those who don't do Arcane arts? However, summoning was not something Canrehne even specialized herself in. But of course, she would love to try it later on. For several chimes, following Aello and the mage throughout the streets of Zeltiva, they had reached the door of the asylum. She just observed Aello aggressively kick the door open and throw the bleeding summoner inside. She stared at her as she cruelly removed her arrow from the summoner's body, ripping the flesh in the process. Canrehne could not help but shout. "Why did you do that?!" Canrehne yelled, somewhat worried that the mage will bleed to death. She looked at Aello, still kind of shocked. Why would one be so cruel? Canrehne then listened to Aello's short 'speech' about it being an occupational hazard. Canrehne was clearly disgruntled. Lies and slander, the summoner could've been handled without such cruelty. Without such unnecessary violence. Without the bloodshed that occurred earlier today. Upon Aello saying how they have to clean up a mess, she sighed. "Whoever is responsible for all this, they were very intelligent, maybe even more than we currently are." She said, still somewhat frustrated because of what happened earlier today, in front of her eyes. She'd understand if it was a glassbeak, but it was a Human that she was pushing around. How senseless. Sighing, Canrehne listened to Aello's explanation on how the glassbeaks were to the South. How did she know this? She, herself, is probably involved into this! She must be! "But how do you know this?" Canrehne asked curiously, following Aello before slowly tilting her headdress up, letting out a loud sigh - wondering why is she going through all this. Oh well, at least the spoils she could gather were decent. She thought, following in Aello's footsteps, with her dagger on the ready - held tightly in her right as the sharp glassbeak talon was secured in her left, tightly clutched and it could be used as a backup weapon if need be.

[Aello]

Aello stopped dead in her tracks and rounded on the legate. Her eyes were blazing as they swept over the curves of her headdress. The beaded veil. She thought she could hear them tinkling in the breeze. Lazy wind chimes, belling out the death toll. "The same way I knew to do everything else," the spiritist replied, her tone cold and harsh. Her fists tightened around her daggers, causing her flesh to become a moonlit white. Bright green rivers crackled over the bends. Over the rising knobs, the rounded hills of her knuckles. "There was no one in the asylum who knew much about medicine. Or archery. They would have pulled the arrow out incorrectly, causing the summoner to lose even more blood, and for me to lose an arrow." There was a slight pause, "why should I care? I suppose you will ask." There was a slight pause as Aello chuckled. "Well, good arrows, any good weapons really, are rather difficult to come by." Again, she paused as she cocked her head to the side. "But don't worry, all they need to do is bind him before they send for one of the blondies to patch him up." "Now... are you putting the pieces together?" Aello asked, as she gestured towards the glassbeak's talons with her cursed dagger. "How I knew you'd want that, lady of the bones?" Again, the woman paused as her eyes sparkled. "How I know you commune with the dead too. If not so well... that you can breath life into unlife, and twist it into shapes and forms the world should never see." Her thumbs danced over the hilts as she pulled her arm back to her side. "You are but a weak smattering of magic. Like paint flicked over a canvas. Spread so thin that all you can see are the whites." The girl's shoulders rolled back as she straightened out her head, so that she may gaze directly into the veil. Through it. Her toes wiggled impatiently in her boots. "If you had listened while we were dragging the summoner's sorry arse up here, you'd know, generally speaking, that his monsters are to the south of us. Not their more specific location, or where it had been, but... enough to let it guide you." Aello's posture slackened, enough for her muscles to breath as she glanced away. "Living in the forests for a time teaches you to pay attention, how best to hunt," she added, thinking it best to avoid the subject of magic for now, although it was becoming increasingly obvious that she knew a number of the arts. Lazily, the lights flickered. Running away; scouting. She could pick up much to the south, to the east, to the west, "come," Aello instructed with a flick of her head, as she turned back around and jogged up the street. "There are four more of those petchers out there, more than likely terrorizing the towns people. We'd best finish them before the innocent get hurt. Sent into the open arms of Dira." She paused, "or perhaps, into the endless life of the dead. For they still have much to tend to, being reaped of this world before their intention." The girl's feet pushed past the rubble, kicking up clods of dirt. Clouds that circled lazily in her stead, like the cool mist of the dead. Idiot of a mage, Aello thought with a subtle roll of her eyes as she wove through the streets. She was beginning to wish she could kill them all...

[Canrehne]

Carefully listening to Aello's monologue, Canrehne came to a few, quick conclusions. This person is vicious, dangerous, fast and not to be messed with. She also seemed to have a very bad attitude and a short fuse. Hearing about the arrow part, she sighed before speaking. "But how can you be so sure? What if there are better marksmen in there than you are? What if one of the staff members are proficient with the bow and arrow?" She said, knowing that anyone with a very bad attitude would be able to inflict bodily harm or even worse. Perhaps kill her. However, Canrehne could take risks and this was one of them. "Am I putting the pieces together? What?" Canrehne said as Aello gestured to the talons which were in her hand. Canrehne scoffed as Aello said something with undead along in it's lines. And then - Aello started insulting Canrehne by calling her a weak smattering of magic, just like paint flicked on a canvas. How outrageous! Why would one say such foul things to one who has meant no harm, rather, has even wanted to help others and prevent further injury. Looking at Aello run, Canrehne stood there for a brief moment, all alone, still observing her. But it was not long before Aello returned, beckoning Canrehne. However, Canrehne decided not to. "You go, I'm just a weak smattering of magic." Canrehne said, sighing in revolt before turning around, walking away with the talon and her dagger in hand. How rude! That was completely not required of her. Why she was acting this way was not known to Canrehne. It remained a mystery. A mystery she did not want to know, nor have any more business with this individual. Heading away from the asylum, she headed towards her house, humming a soft melody as the symphony of chaos is being played in Zeltiva.

[Aello]

Aello shrugged. She can suit herself, the aurist thought with a roll of her eyes, as soon as she realized that the legate wasn't coming. Whatever. She's petching useless anyway, her mind added, when she felt a strange sense of sorrow at the lack of company. A sorrow she pushed away with ease as her grip tightened around her daggers all the more. Glowing green and blue rivers weaving through her pale skin as she crashed over paling rock. Color draining as the sun beat relentlessly upon them, day after day. Without a thought, the girl moved to where she had last seen them. The summoned monsters from afar. They weren't there. Well they were, she could hear them off in the distance, but they weren't precisely where she left them. Gritting her teeth in frustration, Aello whipped her magic about. Fireworks of color, bursting into pools of mist whirled about. Streaming over the city. Expanding her sight. The girl stood tall, silent, waiting. Watching from afar. She could see them now. One being attended to by another, and one... all on its own. Her lips curled into a cruel smile, "that one is mine," she whispered, as she ran through the city streets towards it. Her arms swinging to help propel her, bring her even closer to her prey. It seemed like she was there within a heartbeat. Staring down her nose, with blazing eyes, at the creature's beak. Her muscles rippled beneath her flesh. "Turn around and face me!" Aello screamed at the monster, who, until now, had been content with ambling circuitously through the city streets. "Fight to the death!" she hollered as though the creature could understand... Well maybe it could. The glassbeak turned to look over its shoulder at least. As though intrigued by the voice. The tone of it; cold as the color of its flesh, its feathers. Aello lowered herself into a crouch as the monster slowly turned. Sliding its foot against the ground as though it were a bull getting ready to charge. That's right, Aello thought, come on and play... Within an instant, the glassbeak was running at her. At a clip far greater than the one that had come before. Within but a few breaths it would reach her, crash into her if only she failed to move. It made Aello's muscles bunch, coil, like a snake waiting to be given reason to strike. She waited. Her breath hardly coming. Her heart hammering. It was just about there when she swiftly sidestepped, bringing her right arm up; sweeping her dagger under its belly. It hardly seemed to leave a scratch. Startled as she retracted her weapon, Aello turned to face the bird once more. The bird that had shot past; but was soon returning for more.