Tied Fates R(Siks & Koti) IC

[Koti~]

Irazebeth gasped as the rope appeared in her vision, stunning her for those few brief seconds. She didn't even get the chance to dodge before the rope tightened around her shoulders, dragging her onto her back as the man pulled out it. Pain blossomed across her spine as she fell onto her back, a ragged whimper escaping her mouth as she closed her eyes, trying to regain her mental state from being dropped onto her rear. It was enough that she didn't even struggle while the man hog tied her up, leaving her helpless to do anything. Finally though her mind was able to snap back into focus, though it was already too late. Without access to her hands or her runes, she couldn't ensnare the man, and with how little magic she had, there was no way to peer her future without blacking out.

*Someone help me!* Irazebeth groaned mentally, cheering as some people began moving forward, her words and actions having some effect on the people. Hope filled her for those few brief moments, right before the man pulled out a sheet of paper. She didn't even have to know what it said for her to know what was going on. This man was not the first to be drafted, but this was the first who captured her. She had been sloppy that morning, not scrying her future properly to see if she had to worry. After having moved around so much, she was hoping that her trail had been thrown off. Of course with her family having at least one good seer, she should have been more careful.

"Lemme go, ya brute…" Irazebeth spoke as she was tossed over the man's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She felt indignant at being carried this way, fruitlessly trying to kick her legs. Even though her mind was in panic mode, the complete stop had given her body time to rest, and let the adrenaline burn out, leaving her exhausted, sore, and tired. Her eyes were starting to droop as she hung, fruitlessly kicking her legs still, but with no enthusiasm.

"You're gonna pay for this when I get my hands free…" Irazebeth tried to sound threatening, but with how tired she was, there was nothing she could do, and as her vision began to swim more, nothing sounded more inviting to close her eyes and sleep. She would get back at the man once she could get some rest. She gave up her struggle for those moments, letting her mind rest, needing to regain just enough energy to use more magic.

For now, Irazebeth just let herself pass out, exhaustion claiming her.

[SikstaSlathalin]

Once the girl passed out the trip back to her family's estates were quick and painless. He trussed her to the back of his horse and rode quickly through the night. Luckily they weren't very far from Elk's Runs Gates. Like many of the wealthier families in the Dominion the closer you live to the Capital the more important you are. The Azelharts, as odd as he thought them to be were near the same in that respect.

He could see the distant lights of Excelsior in the distance before the Azelhart Estate rose up to block the view. Torches were alight all down the mile long entry road, the trees looked more ominous than he remembered and the air itself seemed thicker like the steam off a kettle or something. This made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, but he shook the feeling away telling himself this job was almost over than he could go home and spend some time with Irana.

Slowing his horse to a trot he showed the purple and red mantled guards the bounty letter, and after quickly inspecting the awakening girl they let him pass. The pair reached the large flanking steps leading to the family's front door and waited for one of the guards standing by the door to get get the girl's parents so he could hand her over and get paid.

Slipping off the horse he pulled the near fully awakened Irana down and cut her feet free while keeping her hands bound tightly behind her still. Snapping his fingers he jerked her inds back a little so she was looking up at the door. "Welcome home girly."

[Koti~]

Lord Azelhart:
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/8366a49ebb703fdf645213e073f6b79a.png&imgrefurl=htt ps://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion%3D1579252236002259500%26page% 3D1&tbnid=qIgZPBmT-2NSRM&vet=1&docid=GpWvSpYVTpRsXM&w=350&h=276&q=cou rt+mage&hl=en-US&source=sh/x/im

Lady Azelhart:
https://images.app.goo.gl/PdHvQKfuLJ4fJboPA



"Now announcing the Lord and Lady of the mansion, Lord Geoffrey and Lady Primrose Azelhart." The guard spoke in a booming from the door, holding it open for the man to walk through. Irazebeth swallowed, feeling that knot of fear in the back of her neck, her eyes already downcast. She didn't remember much of the ride, and now being presented in front of her father, she could only pray that he was just a nightmare. From the rope digging into her wrists, and the slight chill in the air, she only prayed for all of this to be a dream. When she looked into his eyes, she could see the anger and disdain in his eyes. Her mother was more a shadow than a person, hovering by his side and looking both elegant and haunted, not an imperfection to be seen as she remained quietly by his side.

"Sir Riggs, it is good to see you have returned successful. Having my daughter back puts my heart at ease." Geoffrey began, a kind smile on his face. To those unknown, he seemed like a caring man, relieved to have his family whole. To Irazebeth, the false pleasantries made her balk in disgust. She had heard enough of his false kindness to know it on the spot. She glared at the ground, not wanting to meet that mans eyes, to see that greed glinting in the back of his eyes.

"And Irazebeth, it is pleasing to see you again, despite that… lack of proper dress. I'm sure the time in the streets has been a weary and rough one, but I'm sure a proper meal and cleaning will help. You should thank the man for finding you so efficiently." He spoke to her, eyes fixing upon his runaway daughter. She shuddered and kept silent.

"Daughter, you would do well to remember your manners." He spoke again, this time with more command in his tone. She kept silent though, both in rebellion of his authority, and the fear that she would say worse. She didn't even want to see what punishment she faced ahead of her.

"Oh dear, let her be. She must be in shock from being in the streets for so long. Darling Irazebeth, come here and let mother help." Primrose spoke, resting her hand on her Lord's shoulder. Unlike her husband, one could hear the coldness in her tone. There was no warmth or love for her youngest daughter. Irazebeth could handle her father's tones, but the lack from her mother cut deep. She made no effort to move, eyes still affixed to the ground.

"Lady Irazebeth, you will need your mother's words and come here." Geoffrey spoke, his tone hinting in anger at the disrespect that they were being shown. While it wasn't a surprise, he was growing tired of his words before moving forward. Irazebeth jumped a bit as her father began to move, and she spoke first, the words blurted out.

"Pay him first."

"What?" The Lord spoke, surprised at the first words his daughter spoke to him.

"Until the man is paid, I cannot be turned over. That is how a contract goes." Irazebeth spoke, letting her mind work fast. She couldn't use her sight without her family knowing, so she would need her wits. Hoping that the man, upon seeing his payment to be handed, would be just enough to escape his grasp. There was a horse behind her, so she had some means to run, but it would be hard with her hands tied. She just needed something started.

"Ah, how uncouth of me. Yes, Sir Riggs, you have done and admirable job, and you have been most useful. I must make adequate payment for a job well done." Geoffrey spoke, giving the man a pleasing smile before motioning his guards closer. Irazebeth tensed her body, ready to run when the moment showed it.

"Guards! This man… was the man who kidnapped my daughter from our home. Put him to the blade so the nightmare can be finished." Geoffrey spoke in a commanding tone, followed by the rasp of blades being drawn. Irazebeth couldn't hope for a better chance to run, hoping the man fighting for his life would be enough to let her escape. What she wasn't ready for, nor expecting, was the blade pulled against her neck, Riggs pulling on the binding to pin her to his chest.

"What..what are you doing?!" Irazebeth shouted, looking at the man in shock.

[SikstaSlathalin]

Rigg's eyebrow quirked this wasn't the first time a contract tried to double-cross him, but it sure as hell wasn't going to be the first to kill him over it. In a smooth motion he pulled the girl back to his side. "Oh fuck you." He said quickly lifting his leg up and heavily kicking the nearest guard square in his chest sending him reeling back into his friend and almost crashing into the lord and lady. Before they all could react he tossed Iraze over his horse again then mounted it spurring the beast on to vanish in a dust trail down the long driveway.

He was gone before the guards could close the outer gate, and using his knowledge of these lands he was off the trail and through as many rivers and blind deer paths as he could think of. It didn't quite occur to him he was running away from Mages with Seer powers. He just needed to get gone, he should just dump the girl off on the road and get as much distance between him and her as possible. She was a Mage herself and seemd capable enough to make it on her own, but that nagging little monster called his conscience picked at his brain cause him to decide to help her get a little bit ahead first. Once they were far enough away and the horse was shiny with sweat the Sellsword slowed down and stopped in a hidden copse of trees a little bit off the road.

Jumping down Grey pulled his former contract off the damp horse and cut her hands free before he pulled a heavy coat and a small bag of coins from his saddle and handed them to the girl. "Guess your family is as crazy as any Mage House. Sorry about all that here take this stuff and keep walking down this road you'll eventually reach a small logging village called Alpine Meadow, it's a largely Troll town, but they love money as much as the rest of us. Ask for a Cutter called Higu Swampfist, tell them the Sellsword Greyhold is calling in a favor and to get you to either Excelsior or the Isle of Salvain." He jumped back up onto his horse's back. "From there seek out some kind of Mage's Guild or one of the religious orders like the Sunfist Paladins or the Order of the Mountain Father. They're about the only ones who can keep you safe from other Mages. Sorry again kid and good luck." With that he tossed the girl a bit of Elven bread he brought along and began mover back towards the road already trying to figure out the best route to get back to his little cabin in the woods.

[Koti~]

Irazebeth was very thrown as she was bodily tossed onto the horse, used as leverage against her own father. She couldn't concentrate, the rough ride more jarring than the one from earlier, and now with the wild thoughts running through her mind. She didn't dare question her escape. It was much better than she was hoping for, but knowing that her father wanted the man who had just actually kidnapped her, was prominent in her mind. Nothing her father did was simple or mean, everything had a purpose or goal in the end. So for him to want the man dead, it meant something important. She wanted to see the future for what was going on, but she couldn't focus on it.

What threw her even more, was when the man dropped her in a grove, giving her instructions for the nearest town of trolls and how to buy passage off the land. She was stunned, holding the bag of coins and the coat covering her, watching wordlessly as the man began trying to find his way free of the grove. Just the idea of going to one of the other magic guilds for protection, and the man on his own to try and defend himself.

"Hey! Wait where are you going?" Irazebeth shouted after him.

Grey stopped as he reached the road looking left and right to make sure no one was coming down either direction. “I’m getting as far from this area as possible, someplace not even Mages can find me.”

"That won't work." Irazebeth spoke to him, gripping the reins of his horse. She knew the people that they were running from. They had crossed paths twice now for him, and the more they met, the stronger they would be. Knowing her family, the man was more than dead without magic on his side.

"My family, there are people who can read and interpret the future. My father needs you dead for a reason, and not because he's greedy. There's a need and he won't let you go that easily." Irazebeth stared him hard in the eyes. She had only managed to run away from the previous hunters before, but she was still caught in the end. Right now, with her Father wanting Riggs dead, they needed to work together.

Riggs stopped and swore under his breath. “Fucking cheaty ass mages. Luckily I have my own cheaty ass mage. Besides won’t you be a liability? They must have some kind of tracker on you.”

Irazebeth was about to respond while looking at him. Fear held her back, worried what this man would do. Would he run in fear knowing that she was bound by a demon from her birth. Would he use her for money knowing that she could see the future in detail. Would he even believe her.

"They can't view me as I am related by blood. The seers cannot track me because we're related. Secondly, they can only get … paintings of the future, not minute detail of people. People who are related cannot be viewed due to how the magic is cast. You on the other hand, they could find at any time." Irazebeth told him, calming down some.

The man turned and quirked his eyebrow. “That’s stupid, even I know blood is the best way to track someone. Gonna need to try harder than that girly, besides if I was so easy to track wouldn’t staying away from me still be the best route to take?”

Irazebeth stared at him, feeling a bit annoyed at how quickly he called her bullshit. The fact that he pegged her lie so quickly was not good. She knew he would be useful to keep around, and having him around would tell her what her father was fully planning.

"Okay.. I'll tell you, but you won't believe me." Irazebeth crossed her arms, turning her back as she stared to the ground. Telling another of her own birth wasn't the most comfortable information to divulge. She took a steadying breath to steel her nerves.

"In truth, the reason they cannot track me is that when I was born… my family made a deal with a demon to strengthen my power for .. something. The bond marked me, and now I'm… cursed or something, not fully sure how it works out. All I know is, the demon pack means that they cannot peer into my future." Irazebeth spoke softly, turning to look at the man, wondering how he would react.

Grey clicked his tongue, spinning his horse around and leaning on it’s neck. “That still sounds like bullshit, but slightly less stinky bullshit. Still why stick with me? I spread the word about them no merc worth a damn will follow up on you. You can really vanish this time.”

"That is them playing nice and while I'm sure you can spread plenty of lives, but once they start hunting you, your credibility is probably out the window. There will always be people with more greed than brains. Secondly, if I'm with you, they won't be able to track you either. We would both win." Irazebeth stated matter ‘o’ factly.

The big man laughed out loud. “If my rep was easily broken that some uppity mages could ruin I’d never have gotten so far in this biz. All that’ll do is keep other mages from seeking me out, but adventuring and treasure hunting will always be where I do my best work.” He sighed drumming his fingers along the neck of his horse thinking it all over. “Fucking fine, but if they find us within a week, I’m selling you to some Elves. You’ll be so surrounded by haughty magic users you’ll miss your family demon or no.” Snapping his fingers he motioned for the girl to get on the horse.


"Fair enough. Let's get on the road then." Irazebeth spoke, struggling a bit to hop onto the horse. While she had ridden before, she had mostly done them by herself. Along with that, she never really had a chance to ride with another person. Once she was settled on the horse, she gave the man a nod that she was ready to go.

[SikstaSlathalin]

With a low annoyed sigh Grey began riding down the darkened road. With the girl with him now he would need to take the long way back to his cabin, just in case whatever is in or whoever is after this girl would have a harder time following them to his one place of solitude where he could relax for a bit.

In his line of work you always need to be on your toes even when you're sleeping in a fancy inn in the middle of a rich trade city with patrolling guards and such. Be it fellow Treasure Hunters looking to steal your score or fellow Merc calling in a bounty on your head you need to keep one eye open at all times. It had become such a habit in his time that he rarely sleeps fully laying down or very far from his mace. Only at his secluded cabin could he do that and that was partially due to how well he and Irana chose it. Down a number of old roads built by the Dwarves back when they were a race of conquerors. Before the Iaegr stepped foot on Bisignol in the South. They settled much of Eisignol opposite the Snow Elves in the early eras. And as such they built roads and the like before something sparked off fierce war after fierce war between the Dwarves and Elves and all that infrastructure fell apart.

Now they'd just look like odd shaped rocks under a bumpy game trail to anyone who didn't know what to look for. But Rigg's family hails from stone Masons and warriors so he knew what to look for and how to follow them to a well hidden dell that was once a Dwarven outpost of some kind. The bulk of the structure had fallen in on itself leaving just the small gate house mostly intact. He had been traveling with Irana at the time and between the two of them they rebuilt and expanded upon the small hut and turned it into a cabin big enough for four people. That was there home and he'd be damned if he'd let some uppity mages ruin it.

The ride took the better part of two days to reach the pair only stopping a few times for rest and food. But as the tired horse crested the last ridgeline that lead to the dell Riggs stopped and stared at the sunrise of the third day before he handed the girl a blindfold. "Here put this on, and keep it on until I say so. This place is a well-hidden secret and I don't like taking chances."