Fire and the Sword

[Lethe]

OOC: This is a fantasy SRP, run by Beach Chick. PM her with char descriptions and bio if you want to join


The day was cold, with the promise of rain in the future. Adaon Vesper walked through the streets of Gothis. He focused on breathing easily, regularly. Calmly.

He did not look calm, this hot-eyed youth who walked with a blade on his back. His dark red hair was spiky and untidily tied back in a white band marked with the leng rune; symbolizing the twin concepts of peace and oblivion. He wore plain, utilarian black armour. In his blazing green eyes was a fury to burn the world.

They failed me. The monastery was my last hope and they refused me help. Adaon could feel his anger rising, the fires below his skin bursting forth again, and with a great effort of will he banked his rage down. Calm. Focused.

He had been born with a curse, was a curse. His mother had been impregnated by a living flame, in a strange, magical and violent union, and Adaon was the result. As a child he had not understood why other children did not burst into heat and fire when they got overexcited, did not understand why they were burned by a fire that merely felt warming and comfortable to him. But he soon learned.

In moments of great emotion; in intense anger or hatred or love, Adaon’s body burned, and flames around him burned. He had been cast out by his village when they had discovered his secret, wandered from place to place, never getting to close to anyone, never risking another’s life. He had sometimes wondered if he should seek magic aid, hire a mage or sorcerer to find a way to control his flames. But he’d never trusted magic, never thought that game was worth the price they all had to pay eventually.

He’d thought the monks could help him. Instead, fearing his fury and his flame, they had cast him out with a load of pious cant about emotions in inbalance and his need for love. Adaon again stifled his growing rage. He did not wish to harm anyone.

Many wished to harm him. Adaon had learned how to use a blade in self-defence from the witch-hunters who seemed to heel the rumours of his passage. And in the seductive battlerage were new dangers…

Adaon shook off his thoughts. He could control his emotions. To prove the point to himself, he stopped at the sign of the Drunken Nymph, and entered the tavern. He usually avoided such places; crowds put he and others at risk, but he had to demonstrate that he had his curse under control. There would no problems.

 

[Beach Chick]

OOC: Okay, lets get this going.


Athenia, the young yet powerful Wizardress, was born of 2 full blooded Elfs, and therefor is full blooded elven herself. She now lives with her mother, as her father was killed by the strongest of Drakes on an adventure he was on along with several mighty warriors. Her heart within burns for revenge against this Drake, and ever since the precise moment her father was killed, her eyes have swirls of royal blue and a deep green, along with a bit of red. She is one of the most powerful casters in the area, however no one knows this except for her mother and her father, before he died.

When she was just a young elf, she never understood why she was the only one with such power, power of a grown Wizard. Her mother and father both knew she was a very unique young elf, and so they taught her how to focus and control her great power. However, this was hard, as this is something grown Wizards have to master, while she was made to do it at a very young age. Every now and then she would burst out in fits of power, destroying animals and such in her rage. Althought, now she has learned to completely control her power.

The young Wizardress walks out of her small house at the edge of the great forest dressed in a long satin robe, and armed with nothing but her staff, which has a large ruby on the end and was given to her by her father before he died. Upon use, the magical ruby on the end of her staff will light up with a magical glow. As she walks towards the city of Gothis, she notices the tavern and walks toward it, in need of some relaxation. She opens the door to the tavern, and steps in.

 

[soliloquy]

Helena

Helena was at the task of scrubbing Athenia's floors and cleaning the debris from her last spell gone wrong as the mistress left the house. Though Helena loved the wizardress, she often felt shackled to this place. She longed to open the Book and use a spell to do her work for her, but if Athenia found out, there would be a price to pay, and Helena found that it was always expensive.

Helena was the daughter of Amena and Nasiden, two unknown, and not very powerful wizards. They were cast out of Gothis long ago for their missuse of power. After that, they seemed to forget they had a daughter. One day, bored with life, she disguised herself as a boy and headed out on her own. She met and spoke with many on her way. She was satisfied that she had passed as a boy. No one seemed suspicious at all.

As Helena was passing through the Great Forest, she noticed a woman with a walking stick of sorts by a creek. She was awestruck by the woman's beauty and overwhelming presence. Without even seeing Helena, she said, "Come here, girl."

Helena was amazed. She didn't even know she had made a noise, and the woman knew without looking that she was a girl.

She walked to the woman, caught under her spell, so to speak. She turned to face the woman. The woman's face seemed to tell the most beautiful stories one could imagine.

"I see that you are traveling. You do not have a place to stay?"

"No, I don't" Helena replied, no longer pretending to be a boy.

"You will stay with me." With that, the lovely woman guided her to her home and gave her food and drink. While Helena was eating, she explained that she was Athenia, a wizardress of Gothis. She seemed to know everything about Helena. Who her parents were, her ancestry...Helena sat, stunned into silence.

The wizardress explained that she would provide her shelter and repast and would train her to be a better wizardress than either her mother or father. In exchange, she said, for any tasks she might need Helena to take care of. Helena agreed quickly.

She soon found that most of the tasks were mundane, and involved no powers of any kind. She was not allowed to use any power without Athenia around. And with Athenia, she almost always performed inadequately. Athenia was not frightened to be quite honest with her disapproval of Helena's progress, but cared for her almost as a mother would.

For this, Helena was grateful. She finished her tasks for the day quickly, and sat at her books studying, but not practicing, her craft. She sighed. If only she could get ONE right.

 

[Lethe]

Adaon sat brooding alone over his ale. Others shied away from sitting near him, even though the tavern was crowded. They knew him not in Gothis, but his burning green eyes denoted danger.

The door swung back, and a young elf entered. From the satin robes she wore, she was a mage. Adaon grimaced. He did not like mages, always twisting space and time like bored children with string. He pointedly stood up, on the verge of leaving, then reconsidered. He was here to prove to himself that he could control his temper. And if he could control his anger around a gods-damned mage, he reflected sourly, he could keep it against anything.

He sank back into his chair reluctantly. His table was the only left vacant in the tavern. The sorceress would have to sit there. He signalled to a passing barmaid for another ale and waited.

 

[Beach Chick]

Athenia came through the door glancing around the room. She saw the only vacant seat with a male sitting alone at a table with frightful looking eyes. She pondered whether to have a seat, or turn and leave. She decided she could suck it up, after all, she needed the relaxation and a drink.

She walked towards the table reluctantly and sat down across from this young male. She put her staff across her lap and pondered about his strange looking eyes. She greets the man kindly, and motions at a waiter to bring her a drink.

She sighed to herself, thinking over her life. She missed her father dearly. She wandered what Helena was doing right now. She knew Helena would not try any magic without her approval, but she always worried about her none the less.

 

[soliloquy]

Helena

Helena closed the books. Perhaps she should go for a walk. No, she had been on so many walks that nothing excited her about a walk, even in the Great Forest, alone. She needed someone, a friend, some companionship. Perhaps if she could just summon a friend. One spell wouldn't hurt, would it? How would Athenia know?

She pondered about this a while. Finally, she marched over to the book and opened it. She searched for a summoning spell, and found one without much trouble. She studied it a little, and then got bored with the reading...

And then she did it...she performed the spell. That was her first mistake.

 

[Lethe]

Adaon had begun to relax. The elf mage was not making trouble. He relaxed his glare as much as he ever did, sipped his ale without speaking.

He studied the mageling closer. She was young, in elf terms, and her eyes were strange, swirling colours seeming almost to glow in the half-light of the tavern. She was, he realised with a start, beautiful.

Adaon snapped at the thought with immediete anger. She might look beautiful, but inside all would be black and rotten, soul traded away by pieces to demons like all mages.

It never occured to Adaon that he was as prejudiced as the witch-killers who hunted him.

He placed a hand on the table to push himself up and leave, control be damned. As he stood and pushed back his chair, he realised that the wood under his palm was smoking. He lifted it, and saw black handprint burned into the wood. The mageling stared wonderingly at the burnmark and then raised her eyes to Adaon's face.

Adaon tensed himself for the inevitable question

 

[Beach Chick]

Athenia

Athenia looked surprisingly at the burn mark on the table and looked up at Adaon with curiosity. She stood from her seat, and stared at the man's glowing eyes. "Sir, may I ask what caused that..burn mark to happen?" she said. She was always a very curious person.

Athenia thought from the minute she saw Adaon's burning green eyes that he could be trouble. She was always good at sensing trouble and danger. She was awaiting the man's answer, when suddenly she sensed something. Something..something of magic, of power, going on in her house.

She glanced at the door, and then picked up her staff. She was eager to hear the man's reply so she tried to await his statement before leaving. The man looked troubled, staring strait into her eyes.

 

[soliloquy]

Helena

Helena screamed, as a big, burly creature stood before her. Was it an elf? No, not an elf. She couldn't place him. This scared him even more. She tried to remember what Athenia did when she screwed up her spells.

She couldn't think. His hands grabbed her shoulders and pushed her against the wall. He hissed foreign words in her ear, and a silibant tongue flicked her ear. She began to scream louder than ever before.

What had she done? If he didn't kill her, she thought, Athenia probably would.

 

[Lethe]

Adaon opened his mouth to give angry rebuttal to the mageling's curiosity when something caught his eye. Across, the room, staring at him.

He was a grey-haired man, sitting motionlessly by the fire-place. Adaon knew without looking that one of his hands was formed of crystal glass. Adaon had taken that hand.

Rannic is here

Rannic was a witch-slayer, an assassin among inquisitors. Adaon had been lucky to survive their last encounter... and now he had come to Gothis, where Adaon was completely alone and without even such friends as he had before. He knew the way Rannic worked. He'd seen him kill a werewolf in Kaan. He wouldn't fight him in the open. He'd wait until Adaon had gone to bed, maybe even let him sleep the first time. The next time, or the time after that, Rannic would slip up with that jagged knife he carried, and slice him into three.

The three parts of the Deity, Adaon had heard it called. He stared back at the mageling girl, who had been taking his distraction in expressionlessly.

Adaon gritted his teeth. This was bitter, very bitter to him indeed, but he had no security here, no sanctuary. And he had some slight handle on the mage, if only her curiosity.

'I'll tell you why my hand burns', said Adaon slowly. He paused. This was the difficult part. Asking for help from a magic-user. Particularly this one, for some reason 'If you.. if you allow me to stay with you, for a few days, while I'm in the city'

The words came out in an ungracious, almost sullen rush.

 

[Beach Chick]

Athenia

Athenia wasnt concentrating on his reply, only on the danger she sensed at her home. Her eyes glowed with concern. She replied to him without thinking. "Yes, sure. But you must come with me now. I don't have time to explain right now," she said quickly.

She rushed out of the tavern doors and immediately began to run towards the edge of the forest. For she sensed grave danger for her apprentice, Helena. As her house came into sight she began to run faster until she reached the front door.

 

[soliloquy]

Helena

Helena's screams did nothing to ward off her attacker. He had her pinned against the wall and was running his hands (or were they paws?) all over her. Relief, along with a new fear, came when she saw Athenia in the doorway. She relaxed a little and prepared herself for what was to come.

 

[Lethe]

Adaon

The mageling's house was a pleasant structure on the outskirts of town. Athenia reached it at a run, robes flying out behind her. Adaon followed behind, eyes wary on the house. He did not like entering a mage's house, putting himself in one's power. But then he remembered Rannic and his jagged knife, hilted with dragonbone, and followed.

He looked through the doorway. A struggle was taking place within. A burly, shambling creature had a slim, boyish girl pinned against the wall and was pawing her, drooling. Adaon's mouth twisted. This was all he hated about magicians and their ways.

His sword left its scabbard with a scrape. He wasn't going to stand this. The rage burned higher in him

 

[Beach Chick]

Athenia

Athenia saw this creature with Helena pinned against the wall. Anger flared inside of her, at the creature and at Helena for disobeying her rules. Athenia lifted her hands swiftly. A colorful mix of bright light swirled about her hands.

Athenia threw her hands outward and the creature disappeared in a colorful blast. Athenia looked Helena in the eye. "Did I not tell you to never use magic without my approval?" she said with anger.

Athenia layed her staff against the wall and sat in a chair. She offered a seat to Adaon kindly.

 

[Lethe]

Adaon enter, gingerly stepping over the thresh-hold as though he expected resistance. He sheathed his sword and sat where Athenia had indicated. He had watched the thing's dissipation intently.

So it was an accident. His relief at realizing the incident had not been some sadistic little game of Athenia's puzzled him. She might not have arranged this, but surely as a wizardess she had done far worse to gain the power she now manifestly held. The girl (Athenia's apprentice?) was still white-faced and shaking from her experience. Adaon felt sorry for her.

Especially if she intended to walk the demon-ridden path of a mage. Like Athenia. Adaon scowled and wondered how long he'd have to spend here until Rannic left

 

[soliloquy]

Helena

Helena was shaking with fear. The creature had gone, and she was safe. But fear for Athenia was great as well. She knew her powers, and she knew that Athenia left no crimes unpunished. Helena looked to the man who had come with Athenia. He was dark, and mysterious. A bit frightening, himself. She thought she saw smoke circling around him. Probably just one of Athenia's methods. Helena stayed frozen in her position, not daring to move.

"I am sorry, Athenia. I have no excuses to give you. I assure you, though, my lesson has been learned. I will never--"

Athenia cut her off in anger.

 

[Beach Chick]

Athenia

Athenia stared Helena down. She pondered about what Helena could have been thinking upon casting this spell. She figured she would deal with it later, out of the company of guests. She sighed. "Can I offer you a drink, sir?" she asked Adaon. "And what was your name? I don't think I had time to catch it," she said in a kind, warming voice to Adaon.

 

[soliloquy]

Helena

Helena was frightened by the staredown Athenia gave her, but more frightened that she was not willing to deliver punishment right then. Helena knew that it was because of their visitor, but she still wondered what punishment might be so bad that it could not be inflicted in front of him.

She slid into a chair and remained silent as she listened to their conversation.

 

[Lethe]

Adaon

'I'll not drink anythi...', Adaon began. He caught himself grudgingly. He was in the mageling's care now; he could not accept her hospitality and refuse guest gifts.

'A cup of water. Please', he said. He prayed the thing didn't start boiling in his hands.

'My name is Adaon Vesper. I am of the southern city Caan'

My name is Adaon Vesper
And Caan is my nation
The flame is my dwelling place
And death's my destination

The doggerel rhyme rattled around Adaon's head, as he accepted a cup of water from Athenia's apprentice and sipped it slowly and gingerly. He was on edge, ill-at-ease, in a wizard's lair.

The silence seemed to stretch on forever. Eventually, Adaon felt he had to break it. 'What is your name?', he asked the slim girl he presumed to be Athenia's apprentice.

 

[soliloquy]

Helena

She handed him the water and took her hand back quickly. She could feel this man's power. Was he a wizard? No, couldn't be. His eyes burned into her as he spoke. She saw distaste. She saw--sympathy. Strange, why should he be sympathetic towards her?

"My name is Helena, sir. Is there anything else I can get you?"

 

[Beach Chick]

Athenia

Athenia noticed how Helena had felt Adaon's power and she too, had felt it. She watched closely as they continued to talk between each other. She was still very suspicious about this man, and was a little bit uncomfortable with him in her house.

She still wondered about the burn mark he had left on the table in the tavern, and the way he looked at the man sitting across the room from them.

Athenia relaxed in her chair and listened to Adaon and Helena's conversation.

 

[soliloquy]

Helena

Helena could sense Athenia's discomfort as Aadon and she talked. Though he frightened her to some level, there was an attractive quality to him. Part of her wanted to sit as far from him as possible from him, and the other part had this inexplicable desire to sit in his lap, like a child with her father.

She felt that he could harm her and comfort her simultaneously. How could this be? She paid rapt attention to his words, his face, his movements. It was hypnotic, in a way...and that frightened and excited her. Never had she felt like this before, though there were times she felt a twinge of ths with Athenia. Helena pulled at her hair, as if willing it to grow.

The spell was broken, only for a second, in which she looked at Athenia, almsot in quest for approval. Athenia smiled, tight lipped. Helena's gaze returned to Aadon.

 

[Lethe]

Adaon

Adaon's head ached. There was some form of communication that had passed between Athenia and Helena, something unspoken and subtle. His mind brooded on witch-plots and intrigues.

His gaze returned to Helena. The apprentice seemed flushed, slightly breathless, as she met his eyes.

Adaon tried to smile reassuringly, but he felt too ill-at-ease and suspicious for anything but a lopsided half-smile.

'No, I wish for nothing more. Tell me, Helena, why do you wish to study magic like the mageling here?', his eyes rested on Athenia with a certain amount of challenge as he deliberately pronounced the dimunitive, 'you have already seen the disaster it can bring'

 

[soliloquy]

Helena

Helena answers cautiously, sensing Athenia's caution to her. She answered, eying Athenia for courage, and any sign that she might be saying the wrong thing.

"Sir, it is the only world I have ever known. And the magic of Athenia and her kind can bring about wonderful changes in this world. I am but an apprentice, and am very unskilled in my craft. I was wrong to have practiced on my own. "

She gulped down a breath of air, and seeing that her answer did not satisfy him, she went on. "There is no other route for me. And though I have no other options, I do not desire to leave this behind. Athenia's powers are great, and never misused. I admire her."

She was not sure that she answered his question as she carefully chose each word. Athenia taught her that words can be as powerful as any magic.

 

[Lethe]

Adaon

Adaon scowled. The girl was so innocent, so naive, so... he did not finish the thought.

'All magic I've ever known has been dark and ill. Athenia may think it can be used for good, but ultimately it will twist and corrupt anything of good'

His blazing eyes were fixed on Helena's face. As he watched her, listened to her quickened breathing, he realized he was beginning to burn again, his black armour heating up.