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Thread: [M] The Wizard Tower (Nymphadora and Headwrapper)

  1. #21
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    Shen moved in unison with the mages around him as he lifted his fist to his chest, just as they did before when they were brought forward by the High Mage. As the assembly began to filter itself out of the chamber halls, he glanced around to take stock of all who was there. He recognized most of the elemancers, taking special note of both Amelia the head pyromancer and Lannus, the head hydromancer. The golem master, Stannis, managed to crack a small smile as their gazes met.

    Shen could not help but feel a bit of excitement welling up in his chest. The approval of the well-seasoned mages meant to world to him, and it humbled him to think that even the High Mages needed to take special consideration for him, even for something so minor. It would not be long before they would grow accustomed to hearing his name and witnessing his efforts for the Magehood, and Shen could not wait to justify their perceptions of him as an apprentice.

    As he was glancing about, his and Khaalida's gazes met for a brief moment. Intially, Shen merely blinked in response to Khaalida's smile, but then his lips curled ever so slightly and he offered her a nod in return. Missing the first moments of the counsel session, he still had no idea why she and the others behind her were there. They did not appear to be in any trouble, but clearly their presence had something to do with their powers and the characteristics they shared. Still, he was a little bit happy that Khaalida was able to be present for the announcements that pertained to himself. Not that it really mattered, anyway, but at least she would understand when he inevitably pushes her away to focus on his training again.

    "Well, let's begin our preparations, shall we?" Raven's voice rang like a low purr as she stepped forward from behind Shen. The duo locked eyes for a moment, before the mentor nodded and began to lead the way forward. "There will be a lot to discuss before we can perform our ritual." Shen obliged, following suit. Surprisingly, Raven needed little guidance in terms of direction as she lead the way towards their destination.

    When the finally reached a stop, the pair stood in one of the higher levels of the tower, just outside of a tall, yet narrow, door. It reminded Shen a lot of the kind that were used for the apprentice's chambers, as they were similarly designed other than this one being taller. Raven matched her gaze with the eye symbol in the center of the door, prompting it to unlock. Once they had stepped behind, Shen realized that this must have been her new residence while she was to be his mentor. The chambers seemed much more spacious and luxurious than any he had ever seen before. The room they stood in was large enough to seat a good five or six people on its decorative couches and chairs, and stairs in the back of the room led to doorways on the left and right hand sides. Shen could only assume that these lead into the separate rooms of the dorm, probably a bathroom and a bedroom and possibly a study of sorts.

    "Well, let's get to know each other, shall we?" Raven purred quickly making her way to a lone chair in the sitting area. To Shen's surprise, the woman kicked off her shoes before crossing her legs. She glanced up at him as she leaned against an arm rest, acknowledging his expression. "As pleasantly flattering as these clothes are, I'm more accustomed to the typical battleseer getup, I'm afraid." She waved a hand towards Shen, focusing on his wardrobe. "I find combat boots more comfortable than these things, any day."

    She raised her top leg, uncrossing them for a moment as she stretched her foot. "Aren't you going to sit?" she asked, pointing at one of the couches with her toe, by extending her legs. The black tights stretched over her leg, but they hardly impeded her movements. When Shen finally made himself comfortable in his seat, Raven stopped preoccupying herself with stretching and turned her direction back to him. "So, tell me what you know of the importance of the Dance of Flames. Other than what Noctin had already described to us."

    "Well..." Shen sat up straight in his spot, placing an arm on his own arm rest. "Essentially we are summoning a fire elemental, and infusing the extract we draw from it with a wand."

    Raven frowned slightly and began tapping her lips with her finger. "And what is going to draw the Fire Elemental to us?"

    "Well, the ritual itself right? We are to represent the aspects of fire: anger, passion, and purification."

    "That's right. I think I've already seen a small glimpse of your anger today." She smiled slightly, hiding her smile poorly behind her raised hand. "But our dance, like you said, required passion and purification. What do those mean to you?"

    Shen paused for a long moment. He had not really thought much about how the aspects of fire were reflected in him, he merely accepted that it was what was deemed the best fit for him. "I suppose I am passionate about my magehood, and mastering my skills so that I might leave a legacy across the towers. As for purification, that makes me think about burning away my weaknesses. Destroying any thoughts of giving up, and incinerating the obstacles in my path. Sometimes, that flame can spread and I try to share it with others, but, just like any other fire, people will try to run from that flame." His voice began to slow as he considered his points as they flowed from his lips. It was as if he had known all of this to be true all along, even if he had never thought about it before. Already, his new mentor was beginning to reveal things about Shen that he did not realize, it seemed.

    Raven's wide eyes squinted slightly, taking in the information as she continued to observe Shen's expression. "What about love?"

    "Huh?"

    "Although it is not considered an aspect, fire can portray love for many people. Oftentimes love can lead to an aspect, like passion, but it can serve as a standalone concept. Have you ever put any thought into what you love?"

    Shen turned his gaze towards another part of the room, selecting a place to stare arbitrarily as he thought. "Um, well... I guess, not really. It's the same as passion for me, I guess. I love the tower that I grew up in, and to that end wish to improve myself for the betterment of it."

  2. #22
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    As soon as Khaalida walked through the doorway into the training arena, her gaze honed in on her Mist conjured sword and she strode over to it. Alameth had bounded up behind her, excitement emanating from his entire being. "Where did the idea for that beauty come from?" He asked, gazing down at the intricate details of the sword she was holding.

    "A book Shen tried making me read," she muttered as she turned the weapon over in her hand.

    "He doesn't know you very well if he still thinks you read willingly," Alameth sighed, his eyes not leaving the blade.

    "On the contrary. It's because of how well he knows me that he throws assignments at me. Whether he's being sneaky about it or not, or even whether he thinks I will or won't listen." She shrugged, turning to face the center of the room.

    "So, you're saying that since I'm your friend, I should keep trying to get you to study?"

    She turned a glare on her blonde friend and raised an eyebrow. "Since you're my friend, I'm warning you to forget any ideas that just popped up in that tiny little brain of yours." She muttered and stepped forward. Acasis had just taken a seat on the floor next to the far wall and Greagor was approaching slowly, seemingly taking mental notes of the sword Khaalida was holding.

    "I've never seen a weapon made of that kind of material. What is it?" Greagor held his hand out tentatively, asking with his eyes if he could hold it.

    Don't give it to him. It's not meant for others to touch. They don't have the bond you have with the Veil. There's no telling what it would do. Rakan muttered.

    What better way to find out though... Khaalida thought to herself as she held out the sword.

    What are you doing?

    "It's not a substance of this world. It's Mist. From the Veil." She allowed Greagor to take the sword from her grasp and his eyes widened.

    Your listening capabilities leave something to be desired... Rakan complained quietly.

    "It's insanely light..." Greagor commented.

    And sharp. Rakan bit out a retort.

    "Usually I can't get the weapons to keep form once I let them go," she said as she watched Greagor study the sword.

    "How did you get this one to keep form?" He looked up at her and she bit her bottom lip. She hadn't thought of the answer to that. She still wasn't sure she wanted to admit to anyone that she was walking around with a spirit's voice and essence in her mind.

    "I tried harder?" She offered. Quite unconvincingly because she saw Greagor narrow his eyes. But he just held the sword out, offering it back to her.

    "You work with these weapons then?" He inquired as she took the sword back from him.

    Heh, answer with a show. Not with words. Rakan spoke up excitedly and suddenly Khaalida felt the need to show off a little. She flourished the sword, following up the motion with a quick sidestep and then spun again, stopping the blade inches from Greagor's chest. That wasn't like her at all. She was letting Rakan influence her too much.

    "When did you get so good with a sword? I've never seen you practice with anything other than daggers and a bow." Alameth tilted his head, confusion covering his face. Khaalida forced herself to lower the sword. He was probably as confused about the way she was acting as he was about her newfound abilities wielding a sword. Sad part was, if not for Rakan's essence seeping to and from the sword, she wouldn't be any good whatsoever with it.

    "That was nothing," she said flippantly with a shrug of her shoulders. Alameth fell silent, but the look on his face said that her answer definitely hadn't pacified him.

    "What of your other ability?" Greagor finally spoke up again. When Khaalida just blinked back at him, he continued. "What of your gift to converse with those not of this world anymore? I was told you can speak to and control spirits."

    Khaalida took a deep breath but held in her sigh as she schooled her features. "I can't control them. That's what makes them dangerous." She said softly, and she felt Rakan puff up proudly at the thought that he could be seen as dangerous still. "The bond I share with the Veil allows me to seek help from those who have passed on from our world, but I'm no necromancer. I can't control them and force them to do my bidding. That's enslavement." She spat out the last word.

    And I believe that's all I needed as payment. Rakan said softly in her head and Khaalida, caught off guard by what he'd said let her confusion show on her face.

    "What?" She asked him out loud before she could stop herself. She had thought that Rakan's payment had just been to have the chance to feel alive again.

    Just remember this in the future little mage; Though many of us don't harbor ill tidings to you or others, many of us do happen to have hidden agendas. I wanted to see how different you were from your father. You have my approval. Call on me anytime if you need my help. He said, his voice soft and inviting.

    "Wait! You knew my father?" She called out, trying to stop him from leaving, but she could already feel him fading.

    That's for another time. And with that, he was gone. Her emotions were completely her own again and her mind felt a little more free. And tired.

    "Who are you talking to Khal?" Alameth asked, looking behind Greagor to where Khaalida had been staring.

    She blinked frantically a few times, her eyes shot back and forth between the mage and her friend and she snapped her mouth shut. "No-no one. I'm just tired is all."

    "You said something about your father..." Greagor stated, his voice cautious.

    "You never talk about him." Alameth's tone was dripping with curiosity.

    "That's because there's nothing to talk about. I'm tired. It's been a long morning. I'm going to retire for a bit." She said, her voice almost monotonous as she turned away from them. She glanced down at the sword in her hand and dropped it. It lost its shape immediately once it left her hand and dissipated into a cloud of mist. Without another glance behind her, she strode out of the training arena as she flipped her hood back up over her head. She hadn't even realized where she was heading until she was already in the hallway that led to Shen's room. She chewed her bottom lip. She'd get her mind off of things by chatting with him about his new mentor and the ritual and all that exciting stuff. She reached his door and tried the handle. It was locked.

    She never let that stop her in the past. She pulled out the copy of his key she had, not feeling like trying to replicate it just now and inserted it into the lock, turning it until it clicked, then she pushed her way into his room. Khaalida had probably come here in the past more times than Shen even knew. Or, knowing Shen, maybe he did know somehow. But either way, he'd never told her to stop, so she still sought refuge here at times. Her room was always the first place Alameth went to look for her, and no where else she ever went was safe from prying eyes. Her other go-to place was a hidden alcove in the back of the second library. Shen and a few of the mages were the only ones she had ever been discovered by in that little haven. But that spot was missing one vital piece of furniture. She plopped down on the bed and curled up as she thought back to what Rakan had said just before he'd left her mind.

    Why did she suddenly feel like she'd been undergoing a test all day. Her energy level had plummeted as soon as Rakan had departed as well. She yawned softly, covering her mouth with the back of her hand and pulled the hem of her hood down so that it covered her eyes and blocked out the afternoon sun that was shining in through the window. She didn't see the harm in taking a quick nap to recharge. If Shen got back before she woke up, she was sure he'd wake her. And if she woke up first...

    She frowned, wondering what would be keeping him so busy if that happened, but then she remembered the ritual. And Raven. There was going to be a lot of things that would keep him busy now. Well, busier anyways. She yawned again and forced a shrug out. She'd worry about that later. She'd worry about everything later. All she wanted, no needed, was sleep right now. Her lids were almost too heavy for her to keep open anymore so she stopped fighting and let her mind go blank as she slipped into unconsciousness.
    I don't suffer from RPAddiction. I love every minute of it!

    "You scream. I scream. We all scream 'cause we're terrified... Of what's around the corner."
    Spoiler: Yup yup 

  3. #23
    The Moonlight Knight
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    "If you don't mind me asking, what kind of magic do you specialize in?" Shen watched Raven cautiously, unsure how openly she would answer the question. He figured that if he was to perform the Dance of Flames, and she was his mentor, she also must have had some level of control over fire. More than likely she had experience with different weapons and fighting styles, as a battleseer. Still, those were the best assumptions he could make, given the information he knew.

    Raven's red lips curled slightly as her eyes dipped downwards. "I'm a master cook."

    The pair's gazes met and they both fell silent. As Shen stared at her confusedly, he began to notice Raven's lips start to twitch on the sides. After a few seconds she began to laugh, and Shen realized he had been fooled. His own grin crept across his face. "Hey, aren't we supposed to be honest with each other?"

    As Raven's laughs eventually slowed down to just soft chuckles, she shook her head, all the while still poorly covering her grin with one hand. "No, I'm supposed to teach you not to be so gullible." She choked her last few laughs before continuing on. "But I am a pretty good cook. That's where I started as an apprentice pyromancer. But, as I began to learn where certain rare ingredients came from, I realized I wanted to take a hand at combat practice. And then I never wanted to go back. It was just more rewarding... And helped me let off pent up energy and anger that I would never have found an outlet for otherwise."

    "As for my abilities, well..." She shot Shen a quick glance, then held the gaze for a few seconds. "I suppose they are not much different than your own. Which is probably why the High Mages chose me to be your mentor." Suddenly, she lifted her hand curled it inward, almost like she was beckoning Shen forward.

    Shen eyed his mentor curiously as she made her gesture, then jerked back suddenly when one of the daggers he used to fight Wren wrenched itself free from his waist and soared towards Raven, stopping just above her outstretched hand. "Oh, so you can use telekinesis too? I have only ever been able to use it for orbital movement. I wish I could have full control like yours."

    Raven's crimson eyes eyed the dagger curiously as it hovered above her hand, peering around the handle and the blade's edges. The weapon seemed to stand almost completely still, almost as if frozen in time. "Oh, I wouldn't call it full control," she said as she pushed her hand forward. The dagger arched forward, landing on Shen's lap. "I have limits as well. While you can only force objects to orbit around you, or yourself an object, I can only move them towards me or away from me. Having the dagger float just above my hand requires me to constantly urge it forward and back at a high speed, which takes a lot of concentration and is not reliable in battle." She raised an eyebrow, noting Shen's expression. It was hardly there, but she could see his eyes widen slightly as he considered the technique she had just described. "What, you've never done that before?"

    "I... I guess I never thought about trying to make things hover in the air like that before."

    "Up." Raven stood suddenly, motioning for Shen to do the same. "Here, hold out the dagger, like this." She placed the dagger in Shen's hand and raised his arm straight out in front of him. "Now do what I was doing. Just move the dagger back and forth. If you do it fast enough it will appear to be standing still."

    Shen nodded in understanding. He took a deep breath before doing what he was instructed. When he released the dagger, it began to move to his left, then back to his right, repeating the motions until it seemed to hover straight in front of him. It still seemed like it was fidgeting back and forth, and as time passed it was clear that there was a tendency for it to begin moving to Shen's left. "It's so hard to switch directions so fast," he gasped, trying not to lose concentration on the dagger.

    "It will only get easier with practice. But at least you know it's possible now." Raven's pale hand patted Shen's back lightly as she stepped back towards where her shoes were, stooping over to pick them up. To Shen's surprise, the pair ignited in her hand, and a second later the flames vanished without leaving anything behind.

    Shen grabbed at the dagger before he could break concentration and send it falling to the floor. "Did you just burn your shoes?"

    Raven raised an eyebrow, turning to look at him. "Hmm? I was just putting them away. I want to make sure you are prepared for our dance, and I can't do that with these eloquent clothes." She snapped her fingers, and her entire ensemble lit up in flames in the same way that the shoes did. Instead of leaving nothing behind, however, the flames gave way to was presumably a set of Raven's battleseer clothing and regalia. The female take on the outfit was very similar to the male's, but the sash around the waist was traded for a long scarf that wrapped around the woman's neck and upper chest. Raven still bore the same colors she did when she wore her robes. The pants and shirt that hugged her frame were of the same red, while the long boots and the scarf were black as night. The end of the scarf draped behind her back on one side, stopping below her waist.

    "That will take a lot longer to learn than making daggers hover in front of you," she said jokingly. "Anyways, let's go. I want to make sure you know your steps and that you can take down the fire elemental."

    With that, the mentor lead the way back out of her chambers and towards another level of the tower. When they reached their destination, they were still in one of the upper levels of the tower, which served as the training room for fully ascended mages and their guests. The pair went inside of one of the training rooms, and that was when Raven finally spoke again. "Do you remember what the summoning circle for summoning our elemental is?"

    Shen nodded. "Yes. It's the one used for Hotaku Mountains, where they infuse extract with the volcano's lava to create the red extract required for more advanced fire spells." Nonchalantly, Shen pointed his finger at the ground. A stream of fire shot forth, and he used the soot left behind when he torched the floor to draw the circle that he was describing.

    "Good penmanship! Without bombarding me with flames, show me what you must do when I call for your anger."

    In a quick and bold motion, Shen curled his fist and raised it to his opposite shoulder, then cast his hand open as he whipped it towards his mentor.

    "And your passion?"

    Shen moved once again, this time more slowly and with less rigidity. He knelt on one knee and raised his fist to his chest, then cast an outstretched hand in Raven's direction once again. "And then I stay kneeling while you complete the rest."

    Raven nodded. "Yup, purification is my task in the ritual. We can start burning away those weaknesses you talked about, together." She grinned mischievously. "Now, before I let you go... Be on your guard!" With little else to serve as a warning, Raven thrust her hand forward, sending a blast of fire towards Shen, who quickly counteracted it with a large bubble of water.

    "Wait, we didn't have anyone activate a barrier for us."

    "There won't be a barrier when we fight the elemental," Raven cackled, sending a series of more fire blasts towards her pupil. To her amusement, he managed to either block or dodge all of them. "And I was worried you were slow, watching you fight your wind friend!" She ducked her head forward as she charged towards him, flames engulfing her fists.

    Shen could not find the time to retort, suddenly finding himself preoccupied with deflecting the series of attacks Raven began to launch at him next. After seeing him deflect her magic attacks, she must have wanted to see how well trained he was in hand-to-hand combat. Yet, she had hardly given him a chance to prove himself, each blow coming towards him quicker than the last and forcing him to stay on the defensive.

    Finally, he found a chance to break away, and leaped backwards to distance himself from his opponent. As soon as he did, however, he could feel himself begin to be dragged back in by an invisible force. His boots scuffled against the ground as he tried to push himself away, quickly realizing that Raven was now pulling him towards her with her telekinesis. Her fist clenched and pulled towards her, like someone leading a stubborn horse. Shen refused to be controlled so easily, and concentrated on using his own powers to pull Raven around him. As a result, both the mentor and the apprentice were caught in what seemed to be a never ending spiral of movement. As Raven was forced across the ground by Shen's magic, Shen was also forced to follow, but they never touched.

    Finally, Raven let out a single "Ha!" as she pushed her palm forward, her telekinesis knocking Shen onto the ground. "I think that's enough. I don't want you to be too sore before our ritual."

    Shen hit the ground with a grunt. His breathing was heavy, practically a pant, as he gazed back up at his mentor. "I... might have won... if we kept going..." he managed to squeak between breaths.

    Raven smiled as she shook her head. "I don't think so. If I was going all out, I would have had the barriers turned on. Plus, you're almost out of the extract you brought. You even went and wasted some of the red and blue extract on your sash."

    Shen stood, looking down worriedly the large brooch. "I... Didn't even notice."

    "You'll learn to pay attention to such things if you ever fight other mages. Hopefully you'll learn before you get yourself a scar out of it like I did." She placed her hands on her hips, shifting her weight. "Anyways, you should get going. I'll make sure this mess gets cleaned up. Meet me at the teleportation circle at nightfall. And make sure your washed up before you get there, we have to look good in front of the Elders and High Mages."

    With that, Shen left the training area. Excitement bubbled in his chest as he quickly walked to the lift. Standing still as he descended through the tower's levels was nearly impossible. His mentor was so powerful! Only after a few hours with him, she managed to teach Shen something knew, about powers that he had control of for years. To boot, she had still not revealed the full extent of her abilities yet.

    Shen wondered where Raven fell in rank with other mages of the Battleseer class. Even if the only form of elemancy she used was pyromancy, her ability to wield it was exemplary. Summoning and desummoning using flames not only required a lot of practice, but a lot of preparatory enchantment of the items being manipulated, which requires a lot of skill in itself. Her telekinesis was rather strong as well. After trying to copy the concept of making objects hover, Shen could appreciate the fine control required to do it so perfectly like Raven could.

    Something she did mention that Shen found was rather strange was that she might have earned a scar fighting another mage. How would such a thing happen? Were they being reckless and sparring without barriers, like Raven showed she was inclined to do, or was there actual malice behind what gave her the scar on her eye? Luckily for her, it was hardly a devastating scar, barely noticeable unless one sought for it, but it did seem to serve as a reminder for her in some way.

    As Shen neared his chambers, he suddenly began to feel rather tired. The day was an exhausting one, for sure. First the golems, then Wren, then Raven. While the golems were hardly a challenge, Wren still managed to make him sweat a little bit, and then the spar with Raven was just... intense. There was still a fire elemental he had to face that night as well. "I guess... A nap, maybe another bath... And then the ritual," he said to himself quietly.

    He unlocked the room to his chambers and stepped inside. A heavy sigh escaped his lips when he discovered the familiar shape of Khaalida, curled up on his bed. "I swear, it's like owning a damn cat." He quietly approached the bed, peering over Khaalida carefully to make sure everything looked normal. It was not the first time he had found her like this, and not every instance was a result of innocently looking for a place to hide. Who knows what state of mind Khaalida would be in when she woke up.

    Hardly willing to cozy up next to someone else in bed, and without the nerve to just wake up his unanticipated guest, Shen began to go about retrieving another change of clothes from his wardrobe, and maybe taking another shower if Khaalida did not wake up before then.
    Last edited by Headwrapper; 12-23-2017 at 05:39 PM.

  4. #24
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    "Papa, please don't!" Khaalida watched as a younger version of herself pleaded with her father, hanging on his arm, trying desperately to drag him away from her mother's beat up form on the ground in front of them. With a swift swing of his arm, he pushed the child away, sending her to the ground with a small cry.

    "Everything I've done was for this family! Was for our daughter! And you choose to betray me when I'm so close?" Her father, Grishen Valda screamed at her mother as he brought his fist down again, punching his wife once again. Her face was already bloody and practically deformed from the abuse.

    Khaalida had relived this memory so many times throughout her life, she knew every detail of it all. This was the day when her father, who was now known as "The Two-Headed Jackal" in the secretive and rogue society of necromancers killed her mother. Throughout the years, her perspective in the dream had changed. When she was younger, she used to relive it as the little girl who was now pushing herself back up off the ground to throw herself at her father again, risking her own safety once again to attempt to save her mother. Who was only in this predicament because she had been trying to save Khaalida. Now, she stood off to the side, like a spectator, watching from the outside. She knew what her father said wasn't true. He hadn't done this for them... He'd done it because he had become obsessed with the idea of the power he could attain using Khaalida's abilities.

    Just before the younger version of her could throw herself at the brute she called her papa, he pulled a dagger from his belt and without any hesitation at all, thrust it into her mother's neck. Khaalida stood there, watching it all. Her face an emotionless mask aside from the single tear that fell down her cheek. Grishen turned, not sparing his dying wife another glance as he pushed the stunned and sobbing girl out of his way. He approached his desk, grabbed one of his talismans and strode back over to where her now lifeless mother lay. He held the charm out towards his wife's inert form, chanted a few phrases in a language that Khaalida still didn't understand and then he rang the bell that was attached to the small wooden charm in his hand.

    "Rise, Andra." He said in a booming voice, and Khaalida's mother opened her eyes again. Khaalida knew it wasn't really Andra who had reawakened and she watched as the smile spread across her younger version's tear-stained face, the little girl rushed forward, wrapping her arms around her mother as she sat up. But the smile immediately vanished and was replaced by fear as the possessed form that was once her mother grabbed the little girl by her hair and whipped her aside. "It worked..." Grishen said, his voice held a reverent tone. Khaalida ignored him though, and watched as her mother's corpse kept advancing on her. She grabbed the little girl around the neck and began squeezing, cutting off her air supply. Unconsciously, Khaalida lifted her own hands to her throat, as if she was almost feeling the sensation of being strangled by her mother again herself.

    "Don't kill her. I still need her," Grishen said, his voice sounded almost bored.

    "Mama! Please, I need you," her younger self gasped out hopelessly, closing her eyes. Even back then, she had known before her father that what he had done to her mother's body wasn't really her mother anymore. Khaalida took a step closer to the scene in front of her and saw as her younger version struggled against the hands on her throat, fighting to stay conscious from the lack of air. That was when it had happened. She had been too weak to keep the barrier up and her mother's spirit made contact. Khaalida remembered the strength that had surged through her small arms as her mother took advantage of the situation and repossessed the shell of her body. She forced the murderous spirit inside to release her daughter, and since she herself wasn't bound to the talisman, she was able to turn on Grishen. Her voice had said only one thing in her younger self's mind that day.
    "My payment, is that you run until you can't run any longer. Get away from here my little bird." And so, without hesitation,
    Khaalida's younger self ran from her father, from her home, her life and that quickly, everything she had loved was gone.



    Suddenly a noise startled Khaalida and she sat bolt upright, peering around at her surroundings. Her eyes landed on Shen who was pulling clothes out of his wardrobe. She blinked several times, rejecting and trying to push away all thoughts of the nightmarish memory. She realized then that she could feel the cooling presence of Veil Mist swirling around her hands as they pressed into the surface of the bed, ready to protect her if needed. She looked down and released her hold on the magic, sighing as she did so.

    "I fell asleep," she muttered, stating the obvious as she wiped at her eyes, playing it off like she was just wiping away the sleepiness, when really she was erasing all evidence of the few tears that had escaped. When she was sure no wetness lingered she plastered a huge smile on her face even though smiling was something she really didn't feel like doing. She fixed her hood and then looked back over at her friend and raised an eyebrow. "So? Details! You're being mentored now! Your ascension seems so close, it's almost unreal! Did you perform the ritual yet? How did it go? What's your mentor like?" She purposely labeled her as "your mentor" rather than using her name. She didn't think she could continue holding up her facade like nothing was wrong if she thought too much about Shen's new mentor. She wanted to keep bombarding him with questions because if she kept her mouth moving, she didn't have to worry about her face giving too much else away. But she knew she had to at least give Shen room to talk too.

    She was genuinely happy seeing the excitement that was clearly there in his eyes as she asked the questions. But there was still a pang of annoyance in her chest for some reason. She was determined to ignore that though, and just revel in the good news about Shen's upcoming ascension.
    I don't suffer from RPAddiction. I love every minute of it!

    "You scream. I scream. We all scream 'cause we're terrified... Of what's around the corner."
    Spoiler: Yup yup 

  5. #25
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    Shen peered around one of the wardrobe doors after hearing Khaalida stir. "Oh really? And I thought you were awake this whole time." He shook his head slightly before returning his attention to finding another change of clothes. Even though it was only earlier that day that he had changed and showered, it felt like so much had already happened since then. Really, so much did happen. He could feel the exhaustion lingering in his body and lungs still, though he knew it was nothing a few hours of rest would not overcome.

    Although he tried to fight it, he could not suppress the smile that spread across his face as Khaalida began to bombard him with questions. Once he grabbed another neat stack of clothes, he closed up the wardrobe, revealing himself fully. "The Dance of Flames is traditionally performed at night, so it won't be until later. But we did practice a little." He dropped the clothes on his desk before striding over to the bed and taking a seat next to Khaalida. "Raven really is amazing. I think she will be an excellent mentor. Her skill set is very similar to my own, but she is definitely on an entirely different level."

    Shen then raised his arms over his head, taking a long moment to stretch, before laying back onto the bed with his feet still on the floor. He placed his hands behind his head. Even now, his grin would not leave his face as he stared up at the ceiling. "She's already taught me a few things I never tried before. It's like... I don't know. I guess I didn't realize how great having a mentor around would be. For the first time in a long time I feel like there is so much to learn, all over again." He began to stretch again, this time raising his feet off the floor to stretch his legs. When they came back down, he let out a sigh. "We even sparred a little bit. We are going to be fighting a fire elemental together during our ritual, so I guess she wanted to test me. If I had enough extract I might have won... If I was lucky."

    Suddenly, he turned onto one side to face Khaalida. His giddy expression gave way to a more somber, worried look. "What were you doing in the counsel chambers, anyway? I saw Alameth and Acasis with you too. Did something happen?"

  6. #26
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    Khaalida smiled as she listened to Shen talk. She had to suppress a small eye roll at the title of the ritual however. It was a ritual, not a dance. When Shen came and sat down beside her she moved over a little and shifted to face him properly. She raised an eyebrow at the praise Shen was giving his new mentor. Khaalida had seen him fight other apprentices so often, it was hard for her to imagine him being bested by anyone. She hadn't had the privilege to see many of his matches against mages though. She supposed, for good reason, they must be in a league all their own.

    Khaalida leaned backwards a little while Shen stretched, waiting patiently for him to go on. As he laid back, Khaalida followed his face with her eyes, she noticed now her smile wasn't all forced now. His excitement was rubbing off on her and she sighed silently as she looked towards the window while he continued on. She bit her bottom lip when he mentioned having to fight the fire elemental and she tried to vision Shen fighting against such a creature. She had never actually seen one, but she had seen many illustrations in the books the tower mages loved so much.

    She was still looking out the window when Shen rolled onto his side, facing her and her gaze slid down to meet his. His expression changed and Khaalida felt a tightness in her chest. Raven was new and exciting to Shen, but it seemed that when it came to herself, she only ever worried or annoyed him.

    She shook that thought out of her head. What was she thinking?

    She narrowed her eyes a little and shrugged nonchalantly. "We were there because High Mage Noctin himself wanted to compliment me on my exemplary study habits," she laughed softly as she winked. "He was quite impressed."

    She sighed again and shook her head softly, "Seriously though, you got a mentor and we got ourselves a babysitter. Greagor Theomars," she said his name slowly. "I'm not sure if you've ever heard about him. He's most known for his theory about how magic and science are the exact same..." she paused for a moment to gauge Shen's reaction to that and then she shrugged again. "Turns out he's come up with a theory regarding mind oriented abilities and he has come to graciously help us cure our "ailments" you see," she said, her voice holding a small trace of sarcasm. "He believes he can fix us and make it so that other mages don't need to fear us."

    Khaalida pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth again, biting down on it softly, her eyes narrowed as she stared at the open space just above Shen's head, thinking. "His ability is pretty interesting too... Though, it's not mind-based. He can affect how people are feeling by changing chemicals in the air. At least, that's what he said. I'm not sure exactly how that could work yet though..." She shook her head and looked back down at Shen, smiling softly. "I'm sure he'd tell me if I asked," she waved her hand as if waving off a pesky thought and slid closer to the edge of the bed.

    "I'm assuming you want to finish preparing for tonight," she clapped her hands to her knees and then pushed herself up and off of Shen's bed. "I suppose I have to give you your bed back, eh?" She grinned, turning back to face Shen. She loathed the idea of heading off, because then she was going to be stuck with her own thoughts again, but she didn't want to get in Shen's way and impose.
    I don't suffer from RPAddiction. I love every minute of it!

    "You scream. I scream. We all scream 'cause we're terrified... Of what's around the corner."
    Spoiler: Yup yup 

  7. #27
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    Rather than laugh at Khaalida's joke about her study habits, Shen dropped his arm and head back onto the bed, like a ragdoll. He closed his eyes, and a small grin curled on his face. Once his friend continued on, however, he propped his head back up onto his arm to offer his attention. "Theomars," he repeated softly. "I've read about him before, I think, but I never spent too much time on anything he wrote. Who cares if they are the same? I doubt anyone could prove it one way or another in our lifetime, and it probably doesn't matter anyway."

    His eyes flicked towards his desk for a quick instant once Khaalida described the nature of Greagor's visit to the tower. So there really are mages that have an interest in studying mind-oriented abilities. As usual, it was fruitless to doubt the capabilities and interests of the higher ranks. Of course at least one of them had an interest in finding a way to help Khaalidah and the other mages that used their minds to access their powers.

    Shen sat upright once Khaalida announced her leave. "Yeah, I think I'm going to take a quick nap before heading off to meet Raven again. And since I know you're going to make me tell you all about the ritual, can you at least bring me breakfast tomorrow?" He chuckled mildly as he readjusted the blankets underneath of him. "Ugh, now my bed smells all weird..."

    When Khaalida did eventually leave, Shen lied back down on his bed, turning to make himself comfortable. A snap of his fingers put out any candles that may have been lit, though he did not bother to close his curtains to block out any lingering sunlight. Despite his excitement, the eventful day made it easy for him drift into a peaceful and restful nap.

    When he awoke, he immediately sat up on the side of the bed and stretched his arms wide above his head. Once satisfied, he quickly went to the window to get a better sense of the time. Noting that the sun was only beginning to set, he figured his nap must not have been that long. Still, there was not point in wasting time. He went back to his bath, hopping in as soon as enough water had been drawn. As he quickly scrubbed away the leftover sweat from his and Raven's earlier sparring match, his mind began to go over the upcoming events of the evening. Raven had told him to find her at the teleportation circle at the highest level of the tower at nightfall. If the intention was to use the circle to transport them to another location, at least one of the Elders would have to already be there. Shen could not name many of the Elders by name, it was not often that apprentices interacted with such longstanding and high ranking members of the towers.

    Once completely clean, Shen decided that he was well-prepared for the ritual to come. For the most part, he was expected to follow the lead of his mentor, anyway. And then the battle against the elemental would come. Other than the fact that the creature had an affinity for fire, Shen did not know what to expect. Elementals came in all shapes and sizes, and some were capable of performing unique actions that others could not. Each battle against one required adaptation and quick-thinking.

    Not long after Shen was completely dressed, it was about time for him to his chambers and make his way up the tower. Unless interrupted on the way to one of the marble lifts, his ascent through the levels was quick. He found himself at the high level of the tower, save for the roof. Like the room he took his exam in that morning, this room almost allowed one to see the round walls of the tower wrapping around them. Many walls obstructed the view, but they were scarce, so one could see the layout of the room fairly well if they tried to. In the very center of the floor, close to where Shen emerged from, was a large, circular, stone slab. The surface of the stone was smooth and dark, shimmering in the lights of the torches that lit up the room.

    "Ah, you've made it." Raven emerged from behind one of the open doorways nearby, back in the ensemble she was wearing when she first introduced herself to Shen. "There will be one Elder accompanying us, along with High Mages Noctin and Raesh. I'm sure some of your previous teachers will join as well, though I do not know them all personally." She glanced down to the large dark stone on the ground, shaking her head gently as if suppressing a thought.

    Hearing the sound of the lift behind him moving, Shen turned to witness a handful of mages joining them in the room. First, the golem master from that morning stepped forward, closely followed by one of his humanoid machinations. The thing stood tall, maybe a couple feet taller than Shen, and was made of a pale blue stone. Its stance was not unlike a normal human's, although its movements were a bit less refined and rough. Its head also took an odd shape, like an upside down bucket, with eyes bored in. Carvings decorated its arms, legs, and torso, and they glowed with a pale green light, as did the eye holes on its bucket head. Shen fully understood what the presence of such a thing was for— the mages would help eliminate any threats should Shen and Raven fail to subdue the elemental.

    Next, a pair of female mages emerged. They appeared almost completely identical. Subtle wrinkles graced their cheeks and the edge of their eyes, and they shared the same hooked noses. The major differences between the two was their choice of gowns, one choosing to wear only blues and greens while the other was dressed in reds and golds. Shen knew them both well: the Praemus sisters. They had first taught him to refine his control over water and fire elemancy, before he began to learn how to fight. They both offered their former pupil soft smiles as they stepped to join the golem master.

    Lastly, a tall, bald man stepped forward from the lift. Even from a distance, his skin looked rough and mat, and a frown seemed to be permanently set on his face. His dark brown eyes pierced through anything in front of him, slicing up the room as he scanned the area. He was dressed in nothing but black and his long black jacket was held together in front with silver chains. As he stepped forward to reconvene with the rest of Shen's former teachers that decided to attend the ritual, he gave Shen a firm nod.

    Shen swallowed hard. He had not expected Hunstman Murdock to attend the ritual. He was well respected in the tower for his capability as a hunter, able to efficiently cut down creatures and farm materials with ease. To him, everything was about form and efficiency. Every wasted movement was noted in his mind, and if grilled any pupil about them until they never make the mistake again.

    His thoughts were broken when Raven stepped to stand next to him. "Here they come," she whispered, and just a moment later a white light flashed from the stone slab in the center of the room. There stood High Mages Noctin and Raesh, and just in front of them was a shorter woman, robed in blue robes that glowed like the night sky. Shen could see the stars weaved inside of the robes twinkling, and and in some places small white comets soared across the fabric. The woman was old, the wrinkles on her face and the grayness of her hair left no doubt about that, but her eyes and mouth smiled wide. Shen was a little surprised by this, always previously picturing the Elders to be a serious and strict bunch. Regardless, he and the mages that surrounded him raised their fists to their chests and bowed their heads.

    The Elder's blue eyes twinkled as she scanned the room, leaning forward against her ornate and golden cane. "This apprentice has drawn quite the audience, I see," she observed, her voice freeing the crowd from their displays of respect. "I will allow the use of the teleportation circle for the purpose of his ritual of devotion, so that his mentor can freely teach him the rituals of his mage class." Her attention turned directly towards Raven. "You are his mentor, correct? Where will the ritual take place?"

    Raven took a single step forward. "The land of my ancestors, Noxenheim."

    The Elder stood still for a moment, observing the mage idly. Her eyes squinted slightly, before she finally nodded. "Very well. To the circle in Noxenheim." Without little hesitation, she lifted her cane a few inches from the floor, then struck it hard against the stone circle below her. Blue light seeped out of the spot she struck, making lines across the floor all around the mages within the room. The pattern eventually filled in completely, creating a glowing blue circle all around the floor, before everyone who was present suddenly vanished.

    The entire group reappeared in roughly the same positions, around an identical stone circle. Shen whipped around, quickly taking in his surroundings. There were no longer walls all around him, but he was far from the plains just around the tower. Actually, there was no trace of such a structure anywhere around him. Only gray and dead trees, charred bushes, and ashes. Only short, pathetic, rotting walls stood as evidence of any sort of life that was once here. "This was the land of your ancestors?" he said silently, turning back to Raven.

    "This is the result of trying to live as mages outside of the towers. This was once a land where magic users could roam freely, without the need of concentrating within a single tower and demanding the protection of elders. The magic eventually brought the attention of what is now known as an Armageddon Dragon, destroying all the magic users that lived here that lacked the abilities to defend themselves or escape."

    Raven shrugged. "But that was centuries ago. Now, we can use it to fight our elemental." The indifference seemed to surprise Shen a little, but she paid no mind. "Anyways, it's time to dance." She raised her hand to meet Shen's, handing him a long, slender wand. It was a simple thing really, no more than a smooth stick. Moments after, the pair distanced themselves from the others around them, stopping in a plain a long way away. Following a nod from Raven, Shen channeled flames through the wand and drew their summoning circle, this time much larger than the one he drew in the training room, and then he placed the wand against his hip within his sash.

    Raven began to produce flames from one of her hands, passing them over the circle Shen had just drawn. The lines began to glow with a white-orange light as Raven warmed them with her flames. "Now, Shen, give me your anger, so that I may use it to drive you forward." Just as he did during their earlier practice, Shen performed his motions, and flung an orb of flames to his mentor. Raven caught it with her free hand, then dropped it to the summoning circle. As it dissipated, the lines seemed to glow brighter. "Now, your passion. So that I can guide you to your desires." Shen followed his motions, kneeling as he presented another orb to Raven. Just like the first, she dispersed it on the summoning circle, which glowed even brighter. "And now, I purify you." The flames stopped flowing from her hand, and with another wave, she produced another stream of fire, this time directing it towards Shen's kneeling figure.

    Shen remained still as he felt the flames pass over him. The sensation was warm, but he did not truly feel any pain or severe heat. Around him, he could feel his clothes catch flame and begin to fade away in the orange light around him. "What?" He did not expect this to happen. Did Raven make a mistake, he wondered? Would he just be left nude when the flames faded away? He glanced upward, barely able to make out the figure of his mentor in front of him through the orange glow.

    Raven smirked, snapping her fingers as she halted her stream of fire. As she did so, a new weight fell upon Shen. The weight and security of clothing returned, and the apprentice stood as the flames around him began to dissipate. He was still geared in the attire of a battleseer, but his clothes were replaced to match the colors that Raven always bore: crimson and black. "Perfect," the mentor purred, turning to resume heating the summoning circle. Without negotiation, Shen picked up the wand and joined his mentor, once again using the wand to channel his flames.

    The pair continued to illuminate the summoning circle for another long moment before a rumbling shook the ground beneath them. "It's coming," Raven barked, pulling her hand away. "Give yourself some distance." With that, she stepped backwards to make distance from the summoning circle, Shen following her lead. Like the light that transported them here, the lines within the summoning circle began to fill in until only a large circle of light remained, illuminating the entire area. From the white-orange glow, a structure began to rise, like a volcano growing from the ground. Eventually their stood a colossal titan, covered in flames. The creature stood about fifteen feet tall, standing on two legs with long arms that could almost reach the ground if it held them straight down. Shen could not make out much of a face through the flames the burned eternally around the figure, but what was probably a head was long and oval. "Don't get too close," Raven called. A wave of her arm dissipated her red and black robes and cloak, immediately replacing them with her fighting clothes and scarf in the same flash of fire. "Those arms are longer than you think. But still, I need you to set me up for a good blow to his head, so that we might knock him onto his back." Her eyes squinted as the pillar of flame directed its attention towards them and began to move forward, the orange light of the summoning circle suddenly vanishing.

    "Go!"

    The pair leaped in opposite direction, only barely managing to dodge a burst of fire that shot forth from what must have been the elemental's mouth. Shen's drew a shallow breath as he thought about the heat that just brushed passed him. Any slower and he would have been burned. The pain was more real than anything he would feel in a barrier arena, and the damage would be even more deadly. "Shit," he gasped. Despite his fear, his legs still carried him at a brisk pace as he ran around the titan of flames. He knew what his role in this fight was, and he had to oblige. A series of arm swings as he ran sent wave after wave of water towards the elemental. Each one evaporated with a loud hiss before they could reach their mark. If only Shen had brought a real weapon, he might be able to empower his attack enough to reach the elemental.

    Despite the ineffectiveness of Shen's attacks, the elemental still turned to face his direction. A loud roar echoed from inside of its massive figure, sending a stream of fire in Shen's direction. The thing moved slowly, only managing to fire the stream just behind its targets ankles.

    As Shen circled around the creature, he caught sight of Raven's position. From where she was, she would be able to deliver the blow she wanted to, if Shen could give her the proper set up. He leaped forward, focusing his power to orbit around the elemental. He soared in a wide circle, each lap bringing him closer and closer to the titan, and each lap making him feel hotter and hotter. A heavy swing of the elemental's blazing arms came his way, but Shen managed to crash his way through it with a strong blast of water. Though he greatly weakened the limb, it still managed to hit him as the end crumbled to pieces. Still, Shen managed to keep himself airborne, passing around the elemental one more time. A torrent of water came from his hands, hitting the elemental in the face, seemingly blinding it. Just then, Shen could see Raven leap from the ground below, a pillar of fire beneath her feet. As she passed by the elemental's head, she turned, delivering a kick empowered with her magic to it.

    Shen let out a yelp as the impact knocked the creature backwards, his powers carrying him with it. He managed to release his hold on the elemental's body before crashing to the ground, throwing him forward. A quick turn let him at least land on his backside, preventing any injury. His head jolted upwards when he heard a shout from Raven.

    "Quick, bind its essence to the wand and lets be done with it!"

    The apprentice stood, staggering forward and procuring the wand from his side. The heat being given off by the elemental's fallen husk was almost unbearable as he approached, but he knew he had to be close enough to enchant the wand. He eventually found himself surrounded by the flames of the colossal creature's body, its limbs on either side of him. Tears streamed from his eyes as he continued onward, blinking away the heat and ashes. Finally close enough, he flicked the wand at its direction, yet nothing happened. "What?" He gave off another flick, again to no effect. The elemental was beginning to regain its bearings soon, and he would be caught between the flames should it begin to move. Suddenly, something grabbed at his free hand.

    It was Raven. "Do it again. You used all of your extract, I'm lending you mine." When Shen shot her a confused look, she nodded. "Just trust me, do it!"

    A flick of the wand, and a narrow stream of white light pierced through the elemental's torso. Shen continued to hold the beam as steady as he could, and after a few long seconds could see the flames around him begin to dissipate. Eventually, all that was left around him and Raven were ashes, and the only light around them was from the stars above. Shen held the wand in front of him. It was now completely changed. The wood was reddened, and golden flames were carved into its length, spiraling from the base to join at the tip.

    It was only then that Raven released Shen's hand. "I guess no one taught you that extract and talismans can be shared through touch," she chuckled, eyeing the wand. "Well, it's official now. I am your mentor, and I will make a proper mage out of you yet."

    The pair made their way back towards the group of mages that had accompanied them. Shen noticed that the golem that had come with them stood in a battle-ready stance. Was it really that close? His eyes scanned the crowd, finally falling on the Elder that had transported them. "Quite entertaining," she chided simply. Afterwards, Noctin and Raesh stepped forward.

    "When Noctin told me about the apprentice who took his combat exams without weapons as a form of sport, I knew that Raven would be the perfect mentor for him." Raesh gave the pair a nod. "It is very uncommon to see mages reluctant to empower their attacks with staves or enchanted weapons, but I must say it is always entertaining to watch them take down more powerful opponents with the handicap."

    "That being said, they say the power of the elemental summoned in the Dance of Flames scales with the strength of the pair doing the summoning. That was a fierce battle." Noctin's eyes trailed towards the wand in Shen's hand. "That wand is now yours. May it serve as a reminder of your devotion to your new mentor, and to the magehood."

    Shen clasped his fist to his chest, bowing his head in acknowledgement of Raesh and Noctin's words. The rest of the night was a blur. The other mages that came to witness the ritual offered their own appraisals, and everyone was teleported back to the tower using the Elder's control of the teleportation circle. A healer did a quick check of Shen and Raven, and after determining any injuries they had were minimal and did not require any magical intervention, released them for the night. Raven told Shen to rest and that they would reconvene the next morning, so he returned to his room for the night. If left undisturbed, he would eventually fall asleep.

  8. #28
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    Khaalida nodded as Shen confirmed that he wanted sleep and she took another step towards the door. Though her eyebrows shot up when he asked her to bring him food in the morning. She was about to shoot out a retort, turning on the spot but she stopped when he commented on his bed smelling weird. She didn't know why, but the thought made her feel slightly embarrassed and she turned back towards the door, any thought about offering up her own snide comment vanished. She clamped her mouth shut and pulled on the handle, looking over her shoulder, "Good luck, Shen. You'll do great." Her voice was soft and she beamed a smile at him before she slipped through the opening and softly pulled the door closed behind her.

    Once out in the hallway, Khaalida lifted her hands to her cheeks and sighed as she started walking. She needed to find something to do. Otherwise her thoughts were going to consume her. She could've used more sleep, but then she knew she'd be awake and alone all night, and that was never desirable. She dropped her arms to her sides and looked along the corridors, watching for anyone who might try to stop her and talk. She didn't know what she wanted to do, but she knew she didn't want to undergo one of Alameth's overzealous inquiries. Sometimes that boy's curiosity was borderline annoying when it came to things she'd rather not talk about. But more than Alameth, she wished to avoid Greagor. She hated how she felt like she couldn't trust her own emotions when she was around that man.

    Suddenly a thought popped into her head and she changed direction. She headed for the second library. The one with her little hideaway from people and where she knew she could continue being alone while she worked through her thoughts. It didn't take her long to get there. That was one thing she envied Shen for. His room, along with the other higher level apprentices' was located in between the two libraries. The one she wanted to head to was up the stairs. Had she been coming from her own lodgings, she'd have had to traverse seven flights of stairs, rather than just one. Or she could take the lift, but she rarely ever went with that option. She strode through the doors and let out a content sigh as the smell of old books and inkwells drifted to her. It was calming if anything. She turned to the right and marched past row after row of enormous shelves packed full of books and tomes. She didn't spare a look at any of them until she reached the other side of the room and she made a sharp turn between the wall and the last shelf fool of books. Her eyes dragged along over the books. Despite the massive size of the library, she knew not a single book would be covered with dust even if she picked the most dreary of them all. Magic. It did wonders.

    "Yet it's locked away in the towers. Greedily guarded by cowards and hypocrites," she said maliciously and stumbled to a stop, surprised at herself and the force behind her words. Her brows furrowed and she shook her head, doing a mental check on the barrier that was ever present in her mind before she continued along. She walked along the wall, trying her best to keep her mind away from touchy subjects like her father, leaving the tower, Greagor and the newest one and by far the most confusing one; Raven. She reached her little alcove, which some mage, ages ago, decided to use as a small storage space for even more books. She weaved in between towering stacks of volumes upon volumes, some looked newer, but most of them were tattered and ragged with age and use. Once she reached the back wall of the little recess, she sat down on an equally worn looking cushion that had been there since as long as she could remember. Once she leaned back, she made herself comfortable and settled in for her much needed respite. She reached to her right and pulled over some paper and an inkwell that she always kept back there for moments like these.

    She dipped the quill, filling it with the black, inky liquid, wiping it off quickly to dispel the excess ink before pressing it to the paper. She wrote to Dishon, as she often did. The tracker mage that had brought her to the tower in the first place was rarely ever at the tower, but when he was, he always went out of his way to check up on her. He was as close to a father as she ever truly had. Her own not being much more than a monster himself. The words seemed to write themselves as she explained everything that had happened recently. She always told him everything, aside from her plans to leave the tower. She knew he'd try to stop her, and she couldn't have that. Everything else she was always completely honest with him. He made her feel sane when she felt like she was holding on with the last shreds of her mind. She tilted her head as she thought about that more in depth, her quill stilling just above the page.

    Alameth was always there for her, but he was clueless. Both of his parents were mages themselves. He grew up knowing them, and being loved by them. Shen... She smiled sarcastically. Oblivious. That word screamed through her mind and she almost snickered. They were the only other two people she was close enough to share anything with. She sighed and went back to writing, deciding with finality that Dishon was indeed, the only one she could openly talk to about pretty much anything.

    She wrote for what felt like hours. By the time she was done, her back was sore from leaning against the hard, cold wall. And there was a crick in her neck from keeping it bent as long as she had. She finished the last sentence, blowing on the page to make it dry faster before she scooped up the other pages, stacking them together before she folded them neatly and forced herself up. She tucked the pages into her robe and stretched out the stiffness in her body with a small yawn. She wound her way back out through the stacks, looking to the window to gauge what time it was. Her eyes widened at the dark windows. She hadn't realized that much time had passed. No wonder she was so achy and rigid feeling. She forced another stretch and then headed to where Dishon's room was located. A few more floors up, with many of the other mage's lodgings. However, just before she left the library, she was cutoff by a group of higher level apprentices. Khaalida immediately shrunk back, not wanting to be noticed.

    Homair was at the center of the group, beaming and chattering excitedly about his ritual and what he and his mentor did during it. The others all listened, enraptured by his story. Khaalida bit her bottom lip, wondering briefly how Shen was fairing. She looked out the window, it was definitely dark enough. Had they started yet? Was it done already? She took a deep breath which turned into a yawn and she shrugged past the other apprentices quickly, keeping to herself as much as possible. In no time, she was outside Dishon's door and she bent down, pulling the papers from inside her robe and she shoved them carefully under his door, making sure none of them still showed in the hallway. She nodded, standing back up and then began the long descent down the stairs to where her own bedroom was. A shared commons with other apprentices that were grouped in with her "level." Khaalida hated sharing the space, but there was nothing she could do about it. She unceremoniously pushed open her door and just as abruptly shut it behind her, locking it before shuffling over to her bed and collapsing down on top of it. She breathed in the familiar scent of lavender and morning glories as she turned and poked one of the white flowers that hung over her bed from the windowsill above it. She furrowed her brows slightly, something felt different than usual. The usual floral smell that permeated her room usually held an underlying scent that she couldn't put her finger on.

    She lifted her arm up over her face, only meaning to close her eyes for a few minutes. Then she'd properly get ready for bed. However, that wasn't what happened.


    Khaalida opened her eyes groggily, disorientation kept her from forming any real thoughts for a few moments and she yawned. Then her eyes shot open and she sat bolt upright in bed. She rubbed her eyes and looked up at her window. She relaxed. It was still early morning. She stretched out her legs feeling more awake and rested than she had expected to. Standing up and grabbing a change of clothes, she laid out one of her usual dresses across her bed. She took her robes off and tossed them in the corner of the room, trading her favorite pair for another pair that looked the exact same. Dark green, almost black with emerald green insides. She grabbed her towel and left her room, heading for the washroom that she shared with the other girls in the corridor. She was just closing her door when one of Wren's cronies slipped out of the room beside hers. She froze and stared at him as he tried unsuccessfully to sneak away. He jumped when he saw her and scowled.

    "Not a word of this to anyone, freak." He warned as he unnecessarily pushed past her. The whole hallway, and he pushed against her as he passed just to show his "dominance." She rolled her eyes as she watched him leave. Sighing, she walked into the lavatory, not wasting any time as she stepped out of her dress and into the shower. She wondered, not for the first time what it would be like being a mage with an affinity for fire. She'd turn the washroom into a sauna every chance she got probably. She smiled at the idea, soaking away the stiffness of the morning and what was probably left over from the previous night.

    Too soon however, she found herself standing in her room again, dressed and ready to start her day. She checked the time again by using the position of the sun through her window. It wasn't too awful early anymore... She might still be waking up Shen, then again, he might already be up. She grinned, wondering if he really expected her to bring him food. She left her room, heading out and up to the kitchens to grab both herself and Shen a bit to eat. Now that she was letting her mind wander, she could feel the excitement that had her bouncing slightly with each step. She wanted to know how Shen did during his ritual. She knew he had to have had a lot of people to impress. Her steps faltered as soon as she walked into the kitchens though, her eyes landing on Greagor. He wasn't who she wanted to see first thing in the morning.

    She thought about aborting on the mission to get food and just heading straight to Shen's room but just then he turned and saw her.

    And he waved her over to him.

    She groaned inwardly but plastered a fake smile on as she crossed the delicious smelling room to where he was standing. She told herself she only approached him because he was standing next to the plates and trays.

    "Good morning Khaalida," he said pleasantly. She only nodded in response as she grabbed a tray and two plates. "Sleep well?" His inquiry felt suspicious to her but she nodded. She'd say she slept too well actually. She didn't remember waking up to stir even once the whole night. "Well, that's good to hear. I was wondering if you could tell me more about your ability sometime today. I mean, I've heard reports but I'd like to hear it from your per-"

    "Can we talk about this later? I mean no offense, I'm just tired still and hungry. And I'm meeting a friend, so I'm kind of in a hurry," she lied with a strained smile. She wasn't tired at all actually and she wasn't really in a hurry to get to Shen's room. After all, chances were he was probably still sleeping. Or just waking up.

    She thought she saw Greagor's eyes narrow a little but any sign of such an action was gone before she was sure she'd seen it right. "I apologize. I'm just a little excited is all." He said, holding up his hands in front of him. She nodded, a smile coming to her lips.

    "Yea, that's understandable." She said, shrugging nonchalantly. "So later then?" She asked, tilting her head.

    "Sure, later," he conceded, a bright smile on his face. Khaalida grinned more broadly and then bounced over to the food and she began loading up the plates with her usual favorites taking up half of one plate and then Shen's favorites on the other plate and a half. She was sure to load up on sweets and fresh fruit. But she also grabbed the other must-have breakfast fixings that she loved. Warm, buttered rolls and sausage with a sweet syrup. Her stomach grumbled as she fixed the plates. Once they were full of food, she all but danced over to where she could collect some drinks. She picked her usual sweet cider for herself plus an extra and then got a glass of water, deciding Shen could decide which of the two he'd rather have. She turned, more carefully now so as not to spill the drinks and she locked eyes with Greagor again who was watching her with an interested smile on his face.

    "You seem excited," Raisanna spoke up just behind her, placing some more eggs out for people. Khaalida turned to look at her.

    "I guess I am," she said coolly but her mind was working now. Hadn't she just been wary and annoyed at seeing Greagor? And now it was like... Her eyes narrowed and without another word to Raisanna she rushed from the room and away from Greagor. She was sure he had done something. She shook herself inwardly, straightened her back and headed for Shen's room planning to use the tray of goodies as a peace offering if she ended up waking him.
    I don't suffer from RPAddiction. I love every minute of it!

    "You scream. I scream. We all scream 'cause we're terrified... Of what's around the corner."
    Spoiler: Yup yup 

  9. #29
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    A soft groan escaped Shen's lips as he rolled to one side to face the rest of his room. He continued to lay in the relative dark for a short while, occasionally stretching his legs or readjusting himself to be more comfortable. Although he was drowsy and had little motivation to move from his position, his mind already began to recollect the previous night's events. The soreness of his arms, legs, and neck all served as reminders of the battle against the fire elemental. It was not the first monster Shen had ever fought, but it was definitely the most dangerous one.

    His hand trailed towards his side, gently gliding over the tender skin. "Minimal," he sighed, repeating the words the healer used to describe the burn left behind when he was struck by the elemental's arm. Shen could not remember taking such a hit before, and he was grateful he managed to damage the appendage enough that it fell to pieces around him rather than crashing through his flying body. The skin on one side of his torso and upper thigh felt warm, but all in all the healer was correct. Such a minor burn would surely be healed up before the next day, as long as Shen was careful not to agitate it. Even the most trivial of injuries consumed a lot of extract or greatly reduced the talismans and enchanted orbs that the healers used, so they were very picky about what kind of injuries could get treatment. Injuries that were too mild to require quickened healing but too discomforting to be ignored were usually treated with something made by the apothecaries. Even the least experienced could whip up something to soothe a burn and help it heal without scarring.

    Steadily, he pulled away at the blanket on top of him, exposing the slightly red skin to the cool air. It felt soothing to let the tender skin cool off like this, and Shen quickly found himself dozing back off into sleep, the memories of last night's ritual still fresh on his mind. He found himself reliving certain moments of it, the excitement of it all preventing him from cutting away the last string of consciousness. Just then, a soft series of taps against the door brought him back. His eyes shot open, and he did not move until the taps repeated a second time, confirming he had not just imagined them while dozing.

    "Must be Khal," he mumbled, slowly sitting up on the edge of the bed. He took a quick moment to crack his toes against the cool floor beneath him before standing, straightening the underwear he had worn to bed. He could recall being too exhausted to bother with any nightwear when he returned to his chambers, and the clothes he had worn were simply tossed to one corner. He gathered them and hung them over the side of the basket that served to hold his dirty laundry, before slowly edging to the door. He could worry about getting dressed once he let Khaalida in, it's not like she had never seen him without a shirt before anyway.

    He cracked the door open, catching the flash of crimson that now symbolized the presence of his mentor. "Oh, good morning Raven. Just a sec-"

    "Are you really going to be modest with me after we just had our ritual?" Raven chuckled, placing her foot through the doorway to stop Shen from closing it. "Here, I brought you one of these. I was told you like them." She presented freshly puffed up pastry, sugary red goo oozing out the side of and onto the handkerchief she held it. A grin crossed her face when she saw Shen eye the brown crust and opened the door just enough to let her inside.

    Once inside, the mentor took a quick glance about the chamber, then turned to face Shen while he closed the door behind them. "I half expected their to be a girl in here with you, given how your peers might idolize you." She raised an eyebrow mischievously. "There isn't one hiding in the other room, is there?"

    Shen walked passed, taking the pastry Raven had brought, and quickly sat himself back on the edge of his bed. "I don't make time for that sort of thing," he admitted, taking a careful bite out of the warm treat. He shook his head after he swallowed. "There are more important things for me to pursue right now."

    Raven squinted, grinning slightly as she listened to the words. Whatever she might have been thinking, she choose not to pursue, and instead glided over to the open chair by Shen's desk. She placed her hands on the back of it, leaning forward. "So, how do you feel? Now that you officially have a mentor?" She turned her head slightly, almost appearing like the side of her head that had longer hair was dragging her down.

    Shen stayed quiet until he swallowed the next bite of his pastry. "Good," he said simply. Matching gazes with Raven told him that was not a satisfactory answer. "I mean, well, it's hard to put it into words, you know? After years of training, all these apprentice-level exams began to feel like I was just playing games. Now one of the most powerful mages I've ever met is finally going to help take me to the next level. As frightening fighting the elemental was, it was the most fun I've had in a long time."

    Raven smiled, pulling out the chair and lowering herself onto the seat. She turned the chair so that she could rest one side against the back. She crossed her legs, the leather of her boots squeaking slightly as they rubbed together. "I remember that feeling," she said longingly. "That being said, you still have those last two exams to complete before you're truly done with your apprentice-level studies. In the meantime, though, I can continue to help improve. And of course teach you about what your new responsibilities are going to be once you are ascended."

    Shen nodded, acknowledging his mentors words as he finished the pastry she had brought him. It was only then that he could hear the lock to his door click, before it began to slowly creak open.

  10. #30
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    Khaalida walked briskly until she was a good distance from the kitchens and the man she'd left behind there. She allowed her feet to slow eventually, taking a deep breath as she tried to sort through which were her real emotions and which ones she was sure he had manipulated her into feeling. She kept a tight hold on the trays lest she drop them and have to head back and deal with him all over again. She shook her head. That wouldn't happen, she'd just head to Shen's room then and tell him tough luck. He'd have to go hungry. She smiled at the idea of their usual friendly banter. Her chest felt lighter, knowing she was going to get the chance to talk and hang out with Shen this morning without feeling rushed or like she was imposing. She was bustling on the inside to hear about the ritual and how it went.

    One last turn and she found herself in the corridor leading to her friend's room and she shifted the tray into her right arm, careful not to spill any of the beverages. Khaalida was naturally left handed, so it just felt more natural summoning her magic in that hand. She held up her palm, focusing her mind on her mental picture of Shen's key, biting lightly down on her bottom lip. She felt the Mist swirl up, its cooling presence like a liquid that was just barely there. She willed the wisps of bluish smoke to form into a solid mass and moments later, she felt the light weight of a key settle on her palm. She looked down at it before she tightened her fist around it and then reached out towards the door, sliding the translucent key into the lock. She turned and with a small click she realized she had finally done it. She beamed a smile as she turned the key back and pulled it out, pushing the door open softly.

    "I did it!" She said in an excited whisper as she stepped through the door, finally looking up and away from the key. She froze, her smile faded, suddenly feeling awkward. Her grip on the key slipped and she didn't have to look down to see that it faded as soon as it left her palm. Her eyes were darting between Shen, shirtless and sitting on the edge of his bed, his hand poised like he'd just finished stuffing his mouth with something and Raven. Sitting across from him in the chair Khaalida had long since claimed as her own. It took every ounce of Khaalida's self restraint to keep from letting the tray slip out of her grasp like the key had. Her eyes darted between the two again before she snapped back to reality, snapping her mouth such which she had realized, with mortal embarrassment, was hanging open slightly.

    She was at a loss for words as she took in Raven's appearance, the woman was lounging on the chair but still looked poised and ready for anything. Her lithe body looked exotic and out of place, her long legs crossed in a relaxed position that most men would fawn over. Her fierce gaze was taking in Khaalida and suddenly she felt like a child. The next words that spilled out of her own mouth astounded her. And not in a good way.

    "I was... uh... Thought that... food. Yea, I brought food." She babbled incoherently, her face heating up under Raven's scrutiny. She forced her eyes away from the Mage's and sought her friend's gaze, trying to forget Raven was there. For the sake of saving herself from looking even more incompetent. "If you're busy, I can just leave this here," she took a tentative step towards the desk, questioning with her voice. Her eyes flicked towards Raven again for the briefest of moments.

    That was all she needed. Greagor had already messed up her morning by muddling up her emotions and now this? She clenched her jaw, surprised by the fleeting moment of anger that flashed through her towards the woman. For a second she felt the urge to kick the woman off her chair and dump the tray full of food and drinks over her head. Was it too much to ask for some time away from these milksops that called themselves mages? Khaalida almost glared at Raven, but caught herself and bit her bottom lip. She had nothing against the mages, but for some reason she couldn't stand them right now. Any of them.
    I don't suffer from RPAddiction. I love every minute of it!

    "You scream. I scream. We all scream 'cause we're terrified... Of what's around the corner."
    Spoiler: Yup yup 

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