private The Fall of Andalasia ~Book 1~

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

Robert shrugged. "You want me to teach the princess to dance or something? Because that's probably about the extent of what I can do for her. Bardic magic isn't for everyone, and I'm hardly qualified to teach anyway. Of course, if there's something I can do, I'll gladly help however I can."

[RunsWithSquirlz 274]

(None taken lol)

 

"None of that 'Miss' stuff. Just Tulla, please and thank you." She replied.

 

"Are you asking me to be her handler or something, Adrass? So you don't have to deal with the bratty princess?" She said with a smirk. Tulla crossed her arms, adjusting the gauntlet on one. Tugg was at the cart, using it to scratch himself again.

 

"And you bard, could at least teach her a song or two so we can keep up this musical act." She snapped at him.

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@@RunsWithSquirlz,

 

Robert shrugged. "If you think it'll help. I don't do much but practice my music anyway. Just send her to me whenever. I'll see what I can do about teaching her something. And it wouldn't hurt for the rest of you to try and pick up a little something as well. It'll take more than two of us performing to convince anyone who's really suspicious."

[Sanctified Absence 126]

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm not exactly clueless on the subject," the thought occurred to him that someone may be better in Shadow Magick than he was, although that would also imply that the assassin was holding back as there had until now been no impressive feats of Shadow. Perhaps it was time to continue his studies on his true affinity, even if only a little, the Shadow wouldn't necessarily lead him to Dark, especially if he balanced it out with Light, right? "If there's anything I've learned it's that all Magick is somewhat similar in theory, although in practice I've found the truth is completely the opposite."

Edited August 20, 2014 by Sanctified Absence

[Shadow Dancer 111]

"Okay then." I replied simply not offended in anyway when Zaddion declined the offer, hell I was somewhat curious about what Zaddion could do without formal training in shadow magick. Well with that little thing out of the way I can just play scout for the information.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

"Not quite. It's difficult to explain - it would be easier to show you."

 

The princess would learn: she wouldn't like it, but she would learn. As would Tulla if he had any day in matters: as reliable as the chimera seemed, he wasn't prepared to allow any of them to remain completely helpless independently. Even the witches had their foul magicks.

 

On that note, as the topic shifted to 'nurturing' the monarchs 'gifts' he promptly took his leave - returning instead to inspecting his equipment with a mistrustful expression. Not only sorcery, but discussibg the corrupting demon-arts that they referred to as 'shadow' magic. Of course he was going to oppose the concept: what better way to get his charge killed than to train her in a foul, corrupting art that was as likely to kill her as it was her enemies...

 

The swords were sharp enough - they would need tending to soon but would suffice for the day. His pistols were dry and clean, but remained unloaded and the silver knife was (as it always was) as sharp as the day it was remade. The coat was holding up well too, and Adrass was beginning to grow accustomed to the reduction if weight in contrast to his orders classic style. Certainly he would regret the lack of armour when he was struck, but until then...

 

All in all, between the rest and the food, Adrass was doing pretty well. His near-drowning wasn't the first tine he had danced with death - not by a long way - and it wouldn't be his last.

 

"Have any of you paused to think that it might be your vile curse that led the assassin to us?" He finally interjected towards the mages. "Mages sense magic. If you keep playing around with it like children then you're going to draw the attention of every Witch and Demon for miles around!"

[Sekel 692]

@

Helena sighed and spoke to Adrass. "Did it ever occur to you that we are children? We know that mages sense magic and other mages. We know that but we are forced to use them because people keep attacking us. And after each encounter, we try to train and get better so that we don't come out with as many bruises, scars and scratches. We're not all waiting for someone to find us, you know."

Edited August 20, 2014 by Dji

[Sanctified Absence 126]

"If it wasn't for my Magick every single one of you would've died to that assassin..." It was rather cold of him, but as far as he knew that was the truth, after all what everyone else was doing seemed to be completely ineffective. Did the others even realize that they might've been illusions, surely Adrass would've suspected? "But for what it's worth, I mostly agree with you there," the Mage took a deep breath, surprised a little at even his own words. "Whisper's Magick is a complete unknown, as I said earlier there may be risks even beyond what normal Mages have to take. I won't be able to train her in the uses of her powers anyway, I don't even know what that Magick she uses is. I do, however plan to make sure she knows what she's always needed to, but others have neglected to educate her on."

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

"Then it's time to grow up and start thinking about how everything to do with this venture wants to see you dead!" The hunter snapped. "Not 'scratched' or 'bruised' but dead. Life isn't a game: it's an enemy that seeks to crush us with every breath we steal from it, and I have no intention of letting you drag the innocent to an unmarked grave beside you!"

 

He cast a sideways glare towards the the Mage as he stated his own view in turn, but caught himself before doing anything rash. He simply shook his head slightly, reluctant to relinquish any of his stubbornly held ground.

 

"If it stops her tearing open a rift in the void in a temper tantrum, so be it. Better she at least learn to control herself if you insist on teaching her that her curse is the blessing it seeks to appear as." He said, eyes narrowing pointedly - remembering the state that he had encountered Zaddion in the night before.

 

Still, experience was said to be the best teacher, and the Mage here was certainly the best schooled in the arts. Dangerous and unstable: a liability... but potentially the most experienced with the eternal struggle. "Better that the both of you practise restraining your demons."

[Sekel 692]

@

Helena glared silently at Adrass. She placed her black mask over her face and vanished. Then, using speed, she ran around Adrass and promptly stole his daggers and swords, getting faster each time. Once she stole the weapon, she quickly used her enhanced speed to stab each weapon into the trunk of a tree. "Don't you think I know that!?" Helena snapped, reappearing after stabbing the final sword into the trunk. "I know life isn't a game! I've lived on the edge of it most my life and I like doing so. In fact, I managed to break into and successfully steal from one of the most dangerous places I know! I knew the risks, and I took them! Let me ask you a question, Witch Hunter." Helena sneered, moving back into the tree line slightly. "How many runed daggers do you have in Wrathspire?"

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

"Runed..."

 

Comprehension dawned on the hunters face: his stature dropped slightly: weaponless but no less stubborn or determined. He didn't luffs for the thief: not yet.

 

"Selena, Arinor, Denrio and Temelo. Mag the Twisted and Randal the Uncompromising. Fey, Nathan, Tendor, Roland and Emrion Wavebreaker."

 

He listed the names with clarity and reverence: as one would speak of a saint or god.

 

"Eleven short blades, nineteen swords, twelve axes, ten maces, ten spearss, six halberds, five warhammers and a further twelve otherwise unclassified weapons." He spat - each number pronounced causing his voice to rise in volume and maliciousness until the fury could practically be felt radiating from it. "Eighty Five dead hunters, less than half of them reaching the age of thirty years - and I can name every last one. Two of them I grew up beside, one of which was slain not two months ago, Eighty Five hunters who gave their lives to protect our existence from being consumed by the unnatural shadow that scum like you embrace for your own petty 'enjoyment' - endangering us all!"

 

His eyes locked on the Witch: mind clearing as his single-minded instincts took hold of his thoughts: directing all if his hatred inwards and into not dispelling the magic, but ignoring it. Denying it with such a burning passion within his mind that it leaked out into the physical world around him.

 

"Entombed to continue their noble cause in death as they did in life: and if you dare defile the sacred dead from their rest then your actions go far beyond survival or even business: you openly and willingly flaunt graverobbery? That you endanger the living and the dead for your sick game? No, this is a lack of morals far beyond necissary: you are the very disease on this world that we exist to cleanse, monster."

 

It was as if the colour had been drained from the world around the hunter: the forest seeming dank and unwelcoming all of a sudden as a blanket of forbidding hatred settled over it, denying the very existence of magic itself through his raw anger.

 

"You needlessly endanger the lives of others with no regard for anything other than yourself. You steal the very souls of the dead from an order sworn to protecting this world from itself, and you consort with a power which you have displayed neither the desire, nor the capability to restrain." He spat. "And yet you still claim moral superiority, Witch?"

[Sekel 692]

@

'So eleven. Sure you aren't missing one?' Helena thought to herself. She wanted to say it but knew that she was in deep enough trouble as it is. "No. I don't flaunt graverobbing, as you put it. I do it for my own survival! I take what I need and sell the excess so that I won't have to steal for another week or two. That's what my life has been like since I. Was. Twelve. The only life I endanger is my own whenever I steal something. In case I get caught and that. But you wouldn't know it, would you? Having grown up in a guild, part of a big family. If you want to talk about morals, then why don't we talk about you asking a little girl to pass a message onto a friend!? Huh? You asked a possible mage, to pass on a message, to a fellow Witch Hunter if she ever came through town!" Helena ranted. She doesn't know what's come over her, but she's not likely to stop now.

[Torrent505 370]

Clarke's enthusiasm to get the party on the road was derailed when he became occupied talking with Miss Whisp; stifling snickers he assured her that she was looking "quite well this morning" and when confronted about the gears he assured her it had to be from a "misjudgment on my part". That got him talking about how the gears might have been intricate but had no function. Talking with her about his designs made him want to show off for some reason so he opened the compartment where he kept the parchment, writing tool and his unfinished schematics. He let her look through his carefully drawn unfinished concepts, something a Tinkerer would almost never do though he figured she couldn't steal any of this ideas, one was a knife that mimicked light magick along it's edge so intensely it could cut anything, another a robotic dog, another a cart with earth magick drills to move seamlessly underground, another a set of mechanical wings to mimic air magick for flight, as well as many other ideas he didn't have the suitable knowledge to actually finish and build. He was so engrossed in the topics that he completely missed the conversation that focused suspicion on him and teaching princess.

 

However as Whisp perused through his "future masterpieces" he returned his attention to the group and found them, as always, squabbling amongst themselves. "Didn't I say to ready yourselves so we can start moving?! Am I the only one goal orientated amongst you? Adrass' earlier concern was at least along the right lines, the closer we get to the forest the more Inns and taverns there will be for folk traveling around the Ashcreek forest or daring to explore it's edges, SO if we want to have a roof over our heads tonight it's in out best interest to travel as far as possible today! Argue while on the road."

 

************

 

Finn crawled slowly from the campfires ashes, he had awoken with his throat still sore and his voice hoarse. His fire breathe sputtered and he found he couldn't stay in the air flying very long, the poison was still clouding his system. Very dismayed about this he curled up around Whisper's feet by the cart, he whimpered with a touch of a croak to his voice and stared at Tugg rubbing against the cart, he liked the chimera but was scaring himself half to death thinking what his life would be like if he could never fly again.

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@@Dji,@,

 

Robert was sick of hearing this nonsense. He picked up his lute and strummed a certain chord. "QUIET!" Suddenly all the sound and energy seemed to be sucked from the air. This was the true nature of bardic magic; to manipulate the emotions and energy of people and things around you through sound and song. "I'm done listening to your bickering. Don't forget, Hunter, that there's someone here who's magic you can't deny. And I'm sick of listening to you spout off about how evil we all are because we were born with something that sets us apart, and we choose not to fight it. I don't care what you believe. That's your right. But keep it to yourself. We know the danger of using magic. But there's also danger in being an overzealous, self-righteous fool who can't go more than ten minutes without picking a fight with somebody. And at the very least, we can do something about outside threats if we work together. But if the fighting you constantly cause breaks us apart, there's nothing that'll save us." He turned to the thief. "And you, don't go making things any worse by provoking him. It's not like he'll ever admit he's wrong, so quit trying to argue with him. We don't have time to go back and forth like this. Both of you- Calm. Down. Now."

[Torrent505 370]

Clarke looked curiously at the bard, the man had remained mostly calm and quiet in the Tinkerer's presence so far and he had for the most part overlooked the man. But the display to help settle the others arguing had earned him a bit of respect. "Thank you Bard and well said, you lend credence to the rumors of your kind having sharp tongues and sound minds."

 

Seeking to further disarm the situation he tuned to Adrass, "my cart should have finished a small batch of black powder, more will be completed by the end of the day, but you may collect the initial amount once you are on your horse and beside my cart." Taking the matter as closed and assuming all would follow example once one member was mounted up Clarke walked back to his cart, Miss Whisp and apparently all the beasties.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

As expected, they were banding together to defend the grave-robbing, thieving Witch as she spat in the face of virtue. There was nothing unexpected there - save perhaps for the fact that the level-headed Bard had joined in. Adrass scowled as he went about recovering his weapons.

 

"I grew with honour, pride and responsibility for my actions - something that we had to find for ourselves, that anyone can find for themselves." Pointing towards Zaddion, the hunter continued. "Tainted and corrupted, but not once has his integrity faltered. He takes responsibility for what he is, and to the best of my knowledge, doesn't defile the dead!"

 

Taking a few paces and seizing the handle of the bastard sword where it remained, he paused: releasing it and instead wrenching free the silver-coloured knife. In the subdued and gloomy aura of the hunter it's blue-hued runes appeared a sickly white instead.

 

"What is 'right' and what is 'wrong' are things which humans learn naturally - not something one needs a mentor to beat into their hide! You don't need bringing to the edge of death as we are to understand the sanctity of life!"

 

He ran a thumb along the flat of the blade, as one would to comfort a small creature.

 

"You want to talk about what you 'had' to do? If your selfish actions get us killed, my apprentice might well be the only one capable of bringing the truth of the situation to light. Might be the only one capable of averting open war between the realms, when your sob stories and pride get us all butchered without trace! You want to talk about what you 'had' to do? Our entire existence is nothing but a compromise made by humanity itself, turning what few children survive the training into loathsome husks, capable of making the decisions too hard for those as soulless and blind as yourself to make!"

 

Stowing the knife securely within the confines of the longcoat he worse, he seized the two swords - one in each hand - and wrenched them free with far more effort than his blank face revealed. Clark was correct. Impertinent, but correct.

 

"The dagger which went missing was once known as Errant. He was never the most talented or the most devout, but always stood strong and took heart in the fact that, by surrendering his life to the order as a child, he would prevent hundreds of others without the strength to protect themselves from suffering at the hands of Witches. He was two years past initiation when we found his body." Spitting on the ground, the hunter returned the bastard sword to his back - keeping the shorter blade firmly grasped in the three fingers of his left hand."He was found face down with four arrows in his back: murdered and robbed for a handful of copper. We found his equipment dumped in a river nearby: no doubt the thieves panicked and tried to dispose of it when they saw the runic silver. Every life is honoured equally - those that found him brought back and reforged his knife so that he could still remain a guardian in death. I suppose that means little to you though, since they were 'just doing what they had to'?

 

Storming past them, he ignored any more attempts of interaction as he took off ahead. He still had a job to do after all.

 

"I'm done - daylights burning."

Edited August 20, 2014 by Cinderscribe

[Sekel 692]

@

Helena's face went through a flurry of emotions before finally settling on startled. She had no idea that he felt so strongly about the cause he fought for. She watched him take his weapons back and go on top of a horse. She followed him and held out her dagger to him. The dagger known as Errant. "I'm sorry about all the trouble I caused. Maybe this will, at the very least, be the start of a good friendship. I know I'm asking a lot but after hearing what you said, I figured that you may be right." Helena said apologetically, a first for the theif. She had her head cast downward while saying all this.

[Shadow Dancer 111]

I stayed silent my habit of little interaction with others seemed to do me good as the hunter, mage, and thief yelled. I still smirked at the hunters idea of honor.

 

I thought of it as a idiotic and cowardly concept, one that is used to justify killing another person. Without a concept of honor one must face that killing face to face is the same as putting a hidden dagger in the back of ones neck it is no better or worse, the target ends up equally dead both ways. Knights run around fighting in the name of honor, for family, kingdom, whatever, it made no difference, some would survive and some would die.

 

But in the end, why should I care if one belives in honor or not it will not affect me.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

Adrass stared for a moment - not accustomed to having anyone actually apologise to him without having to first hold something sharp to their throat. He eyed the dagger mistrustfully, but those were indeed the correct runes - their was a reason that they were so distinctive: the secrets of their crafting was lost to all but a few. Reaching out as if to snatch away the blade, he suddenly withdrew his hand without touching it, as if shocked or burned by some invisible force

 

"I can't." He grunted with a pained look on his face: turning to look ahead and reaching up to pull the brim if the hat further down his face, dearly wishing that he had found something to cover his face while in town. "We can only carry those that are entrusted to us: I was given Lartio and Ondu - it would be against the Order's will to carry any other, especially after losing one already..."

 

He shook his head: something that these people led him to do with increasing frequency these days, he realised. Shake his head, and question things... though he had already learned the danger of the latter.

 

"An initiate could return it, but the chances of stumbling across another hunter - a friendly one - is small enough already. Never mind the chance that they would have an initiate with them..."

 

No: he could take it, and there was no chance on stumbling across anyone who rightfully could...

 

"He was investigating rumours of a Witch with command of cold, Errant. They think he was pursuing her when he was killed. A few days north of where they found him there was a village. Tiny place: locked in some kind of 'eternal winter' where the Mage had lost control of her powers. It was frozen solid - there were no survivors." He reflected the story exactly as it had been told to him. "That is why we exist: if he had slain the Witch, that village might still live. Men, women and children - some chilled so suddenly that their clothes fused to the world around them."

 

His stomach lurched a little: this had all been before his time, but his mentor had once taken him to the ruins of the place: it wasn't a place for a child, and was one that he never wished to return to.

 

"Keep the knife: it's not like abandoning it will help anyone. Show him some respect though: he had to do a lot of things as well, and we're the only ones who remember why."

[Sekel 692]

@

Helena slowly put her hand down and placed the dagger back. "Okay. You want me to hold on to it still, but show Errant some respect. How exactly do I do that? By killing other mages?" Helena asked seriously, not an ounce of humour was in her voice. She raised her head and had a stubborn look as she looked at Adrass. "No wonder the blade always felt cold."

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

"Appreciate it. Remember it. Don't treat it like a tool - it's a noble thing, not a glorified letter opener or whittling knife - you wouldn't appreciate your lasting legacy to be that of a toothpick or fish-gutter, would you?" He scowled to himself - still looking dead ahead. "Though if the chance does arise to plunge it into the heart of a Witch..."

[Sekel 692]

@

"No. I wouldn't like it to be any of those things. I only kill when absolutely necessary so I don't know if I'll be able to. At least I know something of this dagger now." Helena muttered before leaning against a nearby tree and looking at the others. "When do you think we'll be going?" Helena asked, eager to do something other than talk and talk.

[RunsWithSquirlz 274]

Whisper stared intensely at the drawings, seemingly lost in all thier complications. She leafed back to the wings, which she found the most intriguing of all."Dragonbone...is what's needed for these right? From an air dragon? Hollow but strong enough to carry a mans weight.." she gave a small embarrassed smile and gave the papers back. Whisper made a fool of herself, of course she had no idea what these things were or how they worked. The princess scooped up Finn and cuddled him, walking away quickly to her horse.

 

Tulla just left the damned squabble, raising her arms in the air "Ancients! Why couldn't have they been animals! Sheep even!"

 

But with everything soon taken care of, the whole group continued thier journey.

[Torrent505 370]

Clarke stared after Whisp, looked back down at the drawing rather dumbfounded. These were are schematics of things he hadn't figured out how to make properly but air dragon bone... that might work. Tinkerers didn't usually use such crude materials, they preferred altered metals but even air imbued metal was too heavy, but bone... Now where would he find that much air dragon bone?

 

He put that one off to the side to ponder for a little longer. During the rest of the day Clarke rode along deeply engrossed in another project that he had dreamed up the previous day and could actually currently make. He was looking forward to showing it off when they came to rest for the night.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

"The sooner that we put some distance between ourselves and this place, the better." Adrass said. "We've already been tracked to this place once - it's compromised. At the very least we can count on us having left enough of a mark on the land that any decent tracker will know exactly who was here."

 

The Witch Hunter looked around. His face suddenly shifted from the appearance of lingering annoyance to that of bemusement, before settling on a mixture of fear and anger. He swung his hand to his back, releasing the shortsword and grasping the bastard-blade instead: drawing it and dismounting in one fluid motion. His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply - trying his damnedest to pick up on the aura that was masked by so many mages in such a small area. That emptiness - there was only one thing that it could be, one thing that had such a distinct lack of magical presence that it became noticeable to the noble hunters of magic...

 

Another Hunter.

 

It was too much to hope that it might be Arianna, and while the hunters were like brothers and sisters, they were truly and completely steadfast in their conviction: he doubted that even the more radical hunters would be as foolish as he was to suffer so many Witches to live. No - they needed to be intercepted, and quickly.

 

He snatched out a hand, grasping the thief's shoulder in an iron grip, eyes conveying urgency as he glared at her without even a trace of hatred.

 

"Make them move. It's not safe here."

 

Flicking up the collar of his coat to cover his lower face as best it could, he paused a moment longer.

 

"My apprentice Arianna should be tracking us. You can trust her - she was too old to be formally initiated and listens to reason far more than the rest of my kind. Trust none of the others: they will cut you down on sight and without remorse."

 

He glanced behind him. The training for the princess and Tulla would have to wait. With his left hand, he drew the shortsword again, this time holding it out to the thief.

 

"Give this to mistress Tulla - one of them should be able to defend themselves, and I don't trust the princess to hold it without throwing a temper tantrum."

 

Finally, he pointed towards the runeblade, Errant.

 

"I don't believe that Errant will truly listen to you as a weapon: not any more than a normal knife anyway. If you're tracked by my kin though... pierce yourself. It sever your connection to the source of your corruption, and while it will leave you injured and helpless, you'll be dead to their senses."

 

...

 

And with that, the hunter was gone.

 

He want the fastest, nor the stealthiest. Wasn't the greatest tracker or the most intelligent... Abut he was an expert of his art. His senses locked on the negative presence of magic as he became one with the forest. There was still a good distance between him and the aura, and with a little luck he would be able to stop them without bloodshed: convince them that they were headed in a different direction or... or something.

 

Deep down though, he knew it would be no good. The hunter would have noticed his presence long before Adrass had noticed theirs, and would know that he hadn't merely been stalking the mages. Save for the off-chance that it was one of the two greatest radicals - and even then, chances of diplomacy were slim - there wasn't any way that this could end well.

 

How could he have been such a fool? Of course such a huge magical presence had been followed: it would have been from the very start of their journey!

 

 

This will be my last post for the next two weeks: please don't let this die folks! I'll be back to continue at a later date.