Chapter 1: Coartez and the Frozen Forest

[Cyrus the virus]

Far beyond the reach of Salvar's biting winds, even farther from Alerar's highest mountain regions, there stood a tower. The tower reached to epic heights and was blacker than the darkest night. Its location was not in Corone, nor was it on any part of the Tesserar continent. It was everywhere and nowhere at once, held in a space separate from Althanas' plane of existence. This was a world of bright light, but nothing else up substance. No ground, no background, no sky or environment. There was the tower, and only the tower. Powerful enough to shake fearless men to the bone, intimidating enough to drive them away at a single glance.

Above the hundreds of flights, the Tower's top floor serves as a meeting place for the Six Commanders of the Elements, or the Adept Six, as they'd so humbly dubbed themselves. Six crude people, five men and a woman, each harnessing a great deal of powerful magic in one specific element. And at who's expense? Luc Kraus, when he was just a child, fairly young and prepubescent, but unmistakably the most powerful wizard any of them had ever seen.

The story has been told a thousand times, at least to the unlucky tavern-dwellers Luc has met, but never from a different perspective. Never from the perspective of an idiot man, whose selfish and repulsive behavior ruined the respectable reputation he once had. Never from the perspective of Coartez Menuevon, minister of ice. If Luc ever heard Coartez call himself that, he'd likely go mad with laughter -- or rage.

This top floor, which consisted of a single large room, was decorated with the tower's natural spiked interior. The walls were, like the outside, black as death itself, but flaming torches lit the inner room very well. Well enough for the Adept to see each other clearly, anyway.

"Another meeting so soon, Brash?" A gentle voice asked, breaking the long silence between them all. It was the first set of words in what would become a drawn-out conversation which would go nowhere, Coartez imagined. "We met here only two months ago, am I right?" Freesh asked again, before descending into her chair. The lone woman of the group, Freesh often assumed the role of peacekeeper.

Brash responded with the first thing that came to him. "Yes. You're right." He couldn't offer any more than that. Not yet, anyway. It wasn't he who'd decided the meeting was necessary in the first place.

There was another silence. The crackling of the lit torches was loud in the room, but nobody noticed.

Vai let out an audible sigh, one so loud that it caught the attention of all of the others in the room. "It was I who called you all here, and I'm sad to say that my attempts at keeping the mana crystals stable have failed." He brushed silver hair from his face, tossing the long strands behind his shoulders, revealing a straight face with a clean complexion and a pointed nose. Finally, they knew why they'd been summoned to the Black Tower.

Illia piped up, a rather rare occurrence. "So we can't use them, yet," he said, speaking everybody's fears.

"There's good news, though." Vai continued, ignoring Illia's declaration. "Although the crystals are unstable, I've been able to create one for each of you. I don't have the time to examine each one, so I'd ask that each of you run your own studies, while I evaluate the lightning crystal I've got."

Coartez perked up at this. He was going to get a mana crystal of his own?! Finally, he could use the magic extraction machine Vai provided him with so long ago. "Great!" He boomed, his gullet wavering disgustingly with the vibration.

Freesh eyed him and winced. He used to be so handsome, she thought, as she often did about Coartez. Of us all, he's the one who let his power go to his head. He stopped studying magic... Stopped doing anything.

"So our dream of creating an army of elemental beasts is becoming a reality?" Crowley asked, his dark hazel eyes sparkling with a kindled excitement, one that up until now, Brash would have sworn could only exist within a child.

Vai nodded. "That's right, but we're still a ways off. It's possible to use our magic extraction machines to create monsters, but I haven't quite figured out how to make them, well... obey."

The others listened intently. Though Vai had finished speaking, they knew him well enough to be able to tell that he was hiding something. Vai always saved the best for last.

[Raelyse]

In the bursting metropolis of Radasanth, everyone rushes. Warriors and adventurers rush because they want to pass through to get to the next big enemy that they need to defeat, only slowing down to purchase overpriced, useless "adventuring tools" from the merchants that live here. The residents rush because they must service the merchants so that they can maximize the exploitation of the adventurers that pass through the town. Those that do not have any relation or relationship with any of the above parties run one of the seemingly unlimited bars and pubs that populate the area and they too, must rush.

So that is why when, among the dashing feet and blurred figures on any and every street, a slow moving figure becomes easily spotted among the crowd. It is a rare sight and as you cast your eyes, from wherever you stand to a dashing crowd, seemingly orbiting around a lone, stationary figure, that one person instantly stands out among the crowd. As you begin to focus on that, you begin to notice his features, realizing as you continue to analyze that he seems to be one of those people that is born to stand out in a crowd.

With a healthy, muscular six foot frame and long silver hair billowing down from his head, he cut an impressive figure among the crowd. The clothes were sophisticated and easily stood out from the torn rags or loose fitting, comfortable fitting that the people around him donned. While others did not even think of purchasing new shoes to cover their feet, this one had leather covering his that were polished from right to left, from back to front. Everything about him seemed to be perfect. And when his face rose to reveal his handsome features, it did not seem like that theory would be disproved today. In his right hand he wielded an elegant jet black cane, which he slowly tapped on the ground as he moved slowly through the bustling crowd.

His face moved from right to left, examining the people which moved past him. The amusing thing that was the more he moved, the bigger the smirk on his face seemed to be. It was one of patronization, one almost of amusement as he seemed to be able to examine every single rushing figure as they moved past him, amusing him to no end. Whatever it was about these people that amused him, it seemed to have no end.

[Dissinger]

Inside a tavern, far from anything else that could be considered legitimate was a man. In this man's hands was the single most destructive drink in existence, alcohol. As he pushed himself forward to drink form the glass he sighed as he just drank to the bottom of the glass. He had witnessed far too much in recent times, and just wanted to be done with it.

His lips were pursed slightly form the bitterness of the ale that engulfed him. Surely someone in the bar recognized him, however if they did they wisely kept quiet. He merely wanted to be forgotten tonight, rather than remembered as the monster and murderer he was often accused of being. As he gently rimmed his glass with a finger he sighed softly. He then took the glass and downed the remnants of the ale before he looked at the tender and tapped the edge of it.

"Unh uh, I don't give out more than two to anyone in here unless I know what they'll do. You hit your drink limit..." The tender said as he snatched up the glass.

Seth felt the anger brimming in his chest, the infuriation that he was being denied drink. As he began to open his mouth to speak up he closed it and shook his head. Getting in an argument now would not be the greatest of ways to go unnoticed by the Radasanth Guard. As he grumbled about hostile tenders he slung his cloak over his shoulders and began to move towards the door weaving his way through people.

Today just seemed to be one dull disappointment after another…

[Osato]

Radasanth was bustling as always. Amidst the thriving crowds were those that really did little other then live off the pulsing humanity. Among them was Osato, the soulless sell sword of Scara Brae. He was like others, like all other mercenaries. Enough money and any situation could bring any façade of emotions to bear for many different conditions. However, the amethyst haired mercenary was not looking for money or work, he was looking to relax.

Time had taken no toll on the immortal soulless being. His face was light and smooth, his eyes were a heavy blue, and his visage whispered of relaxation. In his soft hands was the drink of the gruff, a mug of thick ale. Behind him was a somber room of lunchtime drunks and jobless sell-swords, just like him. However he enjoyed the movement of the Radasanthian people, loved the bright weather, and basked in the attention that people gave him.

“Anothe’ ale there, love?”

Osato turned his dazzling smile on the serving woman of ‘The Stewards Stop’. A light blush rose to her already cheery cheeks. She was attractive, as far as humans could go, but the asexual mercenary held as much worth of her appearance as he did to art work. “I have yet to finish this one, dear. But I am sure that when I need another drink that I can count on you to bring me one.”

It was slightly rude, but the sell-sword was tired of being disturbed. On his mind was the betterment and growth of the Scara Brae nation. Preparing to join the Knights of Scara Brae meant a lot to the young mercenary, finding a new home and a place of new talents meant even more.

“That I will,” she responded with a giggle.

Until then he would dwell on the topic at hand, unwinding.

[Cyrus the virus]

"The good thing is," Vai continued, "the crystals themselves can amplify our power to some degree. It seems that deep within them there is a spark, and when it's tapped by a spell caster’s power, they grant power to the user."

"You've... Created a means of making a wizard's magic more effective?" Crowley asked. "Nothing like that has ever been done, to my knowledge!"

Vai gave him a half-smile and basked in the honor shed upon him. "Not to mine, either."

"And you're the one who created such a thing?" Illia scoffed. "I don't believe it. There have been a thousand-thousand brilliant inventors in history, and none of them ever accomplished something of that caliber. Knowing you as well as I do, I find all of this very suspicious."

"Yeah, you're way too dumb for something so advanced," Coartez added, bringing the anger Vai was going to put on Illia back to him.

"Oh am I?" Vai asked, as he pulled a light blue crystal from his pocket, placed it on the table and slid it across to Coartez' pudgy, waiting fingers. "That crystal is yours, Coartez, so feel free to examine it as much as you like."

"Do you plan on giving us ours as well, Vai?" Crowley asked. "Or are you only going to reward that slob of a man with this... New development?"

Vai smiled weakly at that. "The crystals are still incomplete. There are problems with them that prevent me from just handing them out to you all, otherwise I'd just do so."

"So why give him his?" Illia countered.

Vai, rather than verbally answer the question, extended a bony finger to point at the jumbled mass of Coartez that sat at the other end of the table. One by one, the others turned to look at him, to see him lost completely in the crystal, his eyes glazed and his mouth hanging open.

"What happened to him?" Freesh asked.

"As the wizard who I created the crystal to go with, when he looks into the item, his magic and the magic of the crystal form a bond. Because of Coartez' idiot mind, it's no surprise that he's become completely enthralled in the crystal." Vai responded. They watched Coartez for a moment longer, as Vai let the surprise sink in and disappear. "If we did nothing, he would stare into it like that until his body wasted away. It pays to be intelligent."

Vai came to Coartez then, carrying a velvet pouch dangling from a silver rope. He opened it, slid the crystal inside and then closed it up tightly. Almost immediately, Coartez snapped back into reality, though he didn't clean the spit off of his mouth right away. "Huh?" He mumbled.

"Here, Coartez," Vai said gently. "Take this pouch, and don't you dare look inside, or what just happened to you will happen again. When you get back to your bunker in Corone, have Poladine run tests on it using the extraction engine or the generator I installed."

Coartez nodded weakly, but even he wasn't stupid enough to disagree, considering what just happened to him... Or what he thought had happened. He felt as if a moment in time had just skipped past him, and he didn't like it one bit. He shook his head and took the pouch by its rope and stood up, walking toward the wall. Remarkably, it opened up as he approached, and Coartez walked right through the hole into the "air" of the strange realm. He then created a gash in the very space before him, and stepped through a sea of stars to appear back in Althanas.

There was a pause among the remaining Adept, a quiet that only came when a startling revelation emerged. "Vai, this is... Stunning," Brash mentioned.

"Indeed it is," Crowley added.

Vai smiled and nodded. "Let's just see what my little experiment reveals about the crystal."

==<><>==

Coartez emerged in his bunker, a low level facility which acted as his headquarters. Poladine, his resident expert on magic and technology, was hardly surprised to see him. After all, Coartez had been using these strange dimension gates for as long as they'd known each other.

"Good meeting?" Poladine asked.

"Pah," Coartez spat. "Vai needs you to run some tests on this," he continued, handing the pouch over. "Wait until I'm gone before you do it, and give me the results once you're done."

With that, Coartez turned and opened the door to the small, confined room he had appeared in. Poladine was left slightly baffled, not knowing what tests to run or what he held, but as he revealed the crystal, he understood. "Aah, wonderful!" He exclaimed, walking quickly over to where one of the generators stood.

"We've had this generator so long, with so little to use it for. Maybe with this, we can finally begin to build!"

Poladine placed the crystal into a small slot which held it perfectly, right in the center of the machine. The crystal glimmered as if in response, but Poladine didn't notice. He flicked a switch near the bottom of the machine, and it suddenly flared to life, flashing lights and vibrating. The crystal began to glow, and everything began to work effectively. There were many smaller machines in the tiny room, and they began to react as well.

The room itself was at the very bottom of Coartez' bunker, in a large cavern that had rows of ledges with descending staircases, much like a coliseum where the stairs reached the bottom. Just in front of the machine room there was a platform, with a large orb above it. It was here that the device was supposed to create the first of the monsters, but nothing happened.

Back inside, Poladine looked closely at the crystal, which was shifting back and forth in color from dark to light blue. "What's happening with this?" He wondered, and before he could think another thought, the room erupted in blue light and Poladine simply ceased to think.

The wave of light came from the orb above the platform and encompassed all that it touched, freezing anything from the floor to a wire, and it moved fast. Coartez wasn't even out of the chamber when he felt its presence, and turned with just enough time to let out a scream of terror as the light took him.

==<('.'<)==

Luc Kraus sat at the wharf, his feet dangling over the side of the dock, just barely above the water. The sun was descending slowly below the horizon, casting an orange reflection across the water. The glare hurt Luc's eyes, but he needed to see the sunset... Just once. In recent times he'd been feeling aimless and without purpose, he needed something to bring him back to life.

Radasanth was a better place than most to find a reason to live, what with the hustle of the people and the many places to visit, but he just didn't feel it. He was tired and lazy, had no motivation or drive. He felt incomplete, as if a part of him was gone.

And in fact, he held felt that way his whole life, ever since his powers were stolen. One of the most horrible things to do to a child is to betray his trust, to shatter it and leave him with questions and inhibitions, which is exactly what the six did to Luc's childhood. The mage let a deep sigh escape him, for he truly didn't want to relive the moment again as he had so many other times.

"No point in dwel-" he began, but was interrupted by the sudden influence of magic rushing toward him.

He jumped up quickly and looked in the direction it was coming from, past the forest. His eyes shot wide, as he had never experienced something like it before. "It's... Unbelievable."

Then the light appeared. It was only faint, but Luc knew it was coming fast. He dropped to one knee and created a barrier of wind around himself, strengthening it as much as could. A split second later, the light surrounded him, passed him, and kept on going. Luc shut his eyes and focused into the barrier, eventually driving the light away from him, but when he opened his eyes, the world had changed.

The pier at his feet was normal, brown wood, but all about him things were cold and gloomy. Just before him was a small boat which had been rocking in the waves, but now it was still. No longer did the sound of water hit his ears, as the entire sea was frozen. All of it, as far as his vision could tell, was still and cold.

He looked toward the town, where all of the buildings looked like tall spyres of ice. Every blade of grass leading up to Radasanth was coated in a sheer layer of ice, every step leading up from the wharf the same way. Fearing the worst, Luc leapt into flight and headed toward the city.

[Raelyse]

Haste had never been one of Raelyse's most dominant character traits. In fact, it had never been something that the prince though was necessary in his life, never mind something that was implemented on a regular basis. He had always told himself that the only people that needed urgency in their lives were those that were unlucky and lazy. Unlucky because of the predicament they had been born in and lazy not to bore themselves out of it. Raelyse deserved his status as prince and nothing could ever take that away from him. As long as he lived, he would always be royalty and as a result, he would never ever need to quicken his pace for anyone.

Radasanth had always been one of his favorite places for that reason. Now that Myrusia was a distant memory, the only place that the prince could get anywhere near the kind of respect that he received in his homeland was this little town in Corone. In Alerar, Raelyse admired the wealth that he could exploit through the Dwarven mines while Raiaera's elegant elves were one of the few things that had the prince's respect. In Corone, he enjoyed the surplus of working class peasants. Excessive leisure time always ensured that Raelyse was always entertained, but one of his favorite pastimes was looking down, smirking at common people. After this boosted his ego considerably, the prince would head off and find the nearest place where he could clutch the wench with the largest bosoms and treat her to the largest room in the most luxurious inn where she would enjoy the best morning/afternoon/night of her young life. Then he'd step out of the balcony, throw his long silver hair backwards and admire himself, looking down at the townspeople before wondering how he could be the best at everything.

Today's schedule was slated to be no different.

But the first bar the prince stepped into showed no more promise than the mob that crowded outside its premises. His feet had grown tired though and at the moment, he could scarcely think that he would have the energy to pleasure a woman, nor the energy to tolerate the poor excuses for foreplay she would throw at him. Tapping his cane loudly on the wooden bar floor as he advanced onto the counter, he could not help but stare condescendingly at every single peasant within the bar. They either went back to their drinks or looked away, hiding feelings of rage. In this middle class part of town, they seemed to fear those that dressed the way that Raelyse did. It represented wealth and power that they dared not oppose for fear of Corone's politics.

When the barkeeper cocked his head to the side and asked the prince in a short tone what he wanted, Raelyse could only smile back before replying, "One executive room, please and..." the prince allowed his eyes to wander the area, before spying a buxom blonde girl at the back of the bar washing dishes. "I'd like one of everything that you serve with..." he paused again, his head tilting slightly to indicate his target.”...her."

The bartender flinched for a second, about to open his mouth to protest against letting someone like this stare lecherously at his daughter, but before the thoughts could manifest themselves as words, his customer had already ascended the stairs, the only signs of him remaining was the sound of his cane slamming loudly on the wooden steps.

As soon as his fingers turned around the door knob, the prince of Myrusia instantly threw the cleaning lady out before throwing himself onto the bed, flinging his boots to either sides of the room. Before he knew it, the pillows sucked his head into them and his eyes closed. He had seldom felt anything more than minimum fatigue, but still he could not help but fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly. Raelyse had his usual dreams of the eventual power that he felt that he would receive in the future, coupled with being worshipped by everyone from Devon Starslayer to Leopold Stevens. He dreamt of returning to his homeland, throwing his father off the frozen throne of Myrusia before assuming control of the icy kingdom. He would rule so well that even the ice itself would melt as a sign of his greatness. In this dream though, it did not seem like that would happen, because he was freezing. As the images of Althanas' heroes of yesterday slowly became ice statues, his body threw itself awake.

Raelyse's body instantly jumped alert as he awoke, a whisker away from jumping off the bed and onto his feet. The first thing that alerted to him was a sudden surge of power. His whole body pulsed with energy. He had not felt this good, this powerful... for a long time. He held his fingers up to his face, observing as magical energy literally throbbed from his fingers. Blue sparks jumped off his fingers, landing softly on his face. His face instinctively flinched backwards, a bit surprised at the feeling.

He was cold.

[Dissinger]

Footsteps echoed through the alleyway as he made his way fro the docks. He was going to head off to Revan today in order to just hide and relax. He had been through so much he needed to just piece it all together. However there was one problem, it seemed others had different things in mind. As he made his way into the alleyway he turned right into the full plated chest of a Radasanthian guard.

“Well well well, look who it is boys? Seth Dahlios just stumbles right into our patrol, and we were trying so hard for a good catch,” The sergeant of the men said. Seth backpedaled a few steps as he rested his hands on his daggers.

“I didn’t do whatever you plan on pinning on me…” He said firmly as he waited. The guards snickered before they drew weapons ready to pin the Lavinian in the alleyway.

“Theft from the Nobles, no matter how long ago, is never forgotten. Our hides were tanned because you stole that book on dark arts. Then there was the whole Harlaxton mess. You were involved in that one; many people heard your name and saw your face there. I’d say you got a few reasons to be brought in, and you did everyone…”

He gripped Spite tightly gently fingering the bone of the dragon he had slain. Still there was one problem, the guards outnumbered him far more than he was ready to face. It wasn’t that he was drunk, far from it, he was sober as most. It was however that he was tired, and he wouldn’t be able to fight them all if he had to. However, he didn’t realize he wouldn’t have to, for a bright flash passed trough the area, and as much as he tried to move his hands he thought he heard some distant voice shout out, “Not on your life master!”

He stopped as he looked around. The guard still stood there menacingly, but the chuckles had grown quiet. Pulling the daggers he spoke, “What’s the matter, too scared to fight? Let me…”

He stopped when he realized they weren’t moving. They weren’t even breathing, the evidence being that his breath had come out in puffs of steam that quickly evaporated condensing in the cold atmosphere. He raised an eyebrow as he moved up and studied the guards before the truth hit him, they were frozen solid, and so was the ground underfoot. Slipping a bit but catching himself he placed a hand firmly on one of the guards before he pulled it back yelping at the cold temperature.

Today wasn’t a disappointment, it was a nightmare…

[Osato]

Osato had quickly come to realize the importance of work. Dawdling on thoughts all day, the monotony only broken by the occasional conversation, it was not the life the soulless mercenary wanted. He was a sell-sword, a man of the times. Adventure, prestige, and promise were the whispers that drove him from continent to continent, working for whatever would be offered.

“…and then, oh boy you’d never expect it, I never thought I’d think a guy’s legs were that smooth!”

Story time with the drunkards was not the dream of the sell-sword. He sighed quietly as he took another sip of his ale. A grimace was the result. It was foul stuff, watered down and slightly turned. Curious sapphire eyes scanned the foamless surface, wondering dimly what it was he was drinking. Osato looked over his shoulder for something else to concentrate on besides the slurring speech of the drunk sharing his table. The tavern looked just like all others, though much higher class then the common slum bars.

Ambient light of a deep cherry color reflected off the worn wooden walls. Rectangle tables created a checkerboard pattern across the room with at least four chairs around each. The sell-sword looked past that though, looked at the people instead. They were middle-class people, those that sold the crops, hawked the wares, and ran the stores. They were not the disgusting lot that the sell-sword was used to, they certainly were far friendlier.

“Now I’m not one of them…” the man looked around and leaned towards the mercenary, “…man-loving sorts… but you know what I mean when I say a man’s legs were smooth.”

Osato shook his head as he leaned away from the man. His breath was fowl. But that was not what moved him most. The silent and thoughtful Osato felt something oddly cold, something unnaturally sharp. The air had a poignant taint and the cloudy breath caught the attention of the sell-sword. Something was wrong. He stood, unapologetic for his rudeness, and walked out the doors to feel the strange disgusting coating of magic flood over him.

The ground was crusted with a layer of frost. Overhead the clouds were growing, blocking out the stars themselves. The sell-sword was breaking into a sweat despite the freezing temperatures. Osato looked around nervously, not know what to do next. Magic was mixed in with the problem and that meant trouble for the soulless being.

[Cyrus the virus]

And so the world stopped.

For the first time in 7,000 years, when the land was first founded, not a breath was drawn in the land of Corone. Three men and a strange being were all that remained of Althanas’ most multicultured continent. Luc descended in Radasanth's market road, a place nearly deafening on any given afternoon, and found it halted. His feet hit the icy ground and nearly flew out from under him, but the mage managed to recover awkwardly.

He looked around, slowly, unbelieving of what he saw. To his right was a merchant holding out a fruit to a woman, both were completely stationary and covered in a thin blue coating, glimmering like a crystal. Luc turned his face to the right, but his eyes lingered on the scene for a moment longer, checking to see if the man would move if he thought Luc was turning his attention away.

The mage looked down the road, down the rows upon rows of frozen men and women. No end of the cold, horrible statues in sight. In utter shock he looked upon a girl a few feet ahead of him, kneeling to her eye level and examining her face. He tapped on her head, and it was as hard as any steel.

Slowly Luc rose back to a standing position. Breathlessly he looked around, like a lost child, for some sign of life. "I... Don't understand," he whispered.

He fell to his knees and then onto his hands, weeping in both fright and anger. It seemed to be the end of times, the wrath of the Gods having swept over the world, and he was the sole survivor, left to dwell in this soulless world by his lonesome. There would be no food, and he would die alone. He tried to think of the last time he’d spoken to a friend, but couldn’t recall.

Luc screamed, pointed his hands toward the frozen girl and tried to melt the ice that imprisoned her, though he knew it would not work. As if he'd never had any magical prowess at all, the ice simply refused to yield. He drew the Flame Dagger of Slykrit and thought to use it, but fearing that it would simply melt the girl as well, he sheepishly put it back in its sheath.

"Is this the end, then?" He asked softly, not expecting an answer. "The world ends, and I am fortunate enough to witness it? What humor do the Gods find in this?"

Luc staggered through the street, feet lifeless but trudging forward anyway. Soon he came to Radasanth's Inn, and as he stood there, looking upon the familiar building, memories came back to him. Memories of his first stay at the Inn, of meeting an old friend or two. He felt hopeless and depleted.

[Raelyse]

It was happening, it was finally happening. After twenty years, he was finally going to get what he deserved. The sensation was incredible. As Raelyse sat on the edge of the bed, watching as magical energy literally jumped off his fingers and onto the area around him, there was only one thought that rushed vigorously through his mind - he was powerful now. Nothing mattered, nothing else mattered except for the fact that he had gained immense power suddenly. Raelyse did not care how he had received such power or even what type of power it was, only that he had it. All his life he had searched for a way to gain strength and now that he had it, he could only laugh that all he needed to do was take a nap and what he wanted would be his.

Eager to observe the extents of his new found vigor, the prince instantly rose to his feet. He knew that his curse had been removed. He now stood on two feet as easily as any other person. His right leg, which had been crippled by the effect of the magical stones on his back, now functioned as if it had never been disabled at all. But it was not just his leg that was enjoying a newfound energy, his entire body was pulsing with it. Blue sparks of energy started to make their way from his body, landing in an area around him. As soon as they hit the ground, they liquefied into small pools of water before freezing instantly.

This magic was not the only thing that was jumping off the prince's body though, for excitement seemed to leak off his very face. He made his way forward, not noticing that as he walked, he left behind himself magically formed footprints, made completely out of ice. Even when he disabled the curse, either by use of his magical rings or the stones on his back, he never felt this powerful. There was always something holding him back, reminding him that he was a cripple. Not this time though... This time he felt as if he had never even known the existence of such an ability infecting itself on him. Raelyse made his way into the bathroom, eager to see whether his newfound strength had changed him.

As he was about to enter the toilet, he noticed that as his fingers wrapped around the doorknob, magical energy instantly dashed via his body and through his fingertips, manifesting itself as icy imprints of the prince's digits on the doorknob. As he turned it, the entire mechanism snapped, causing the door to slowly swing open. Unlike the normal person, Raelyse, instead of demonstrating surprise, cocked his head backwards and let out a loud rancorous laugh. "So, this is what it feels like..." he said, as he raised his fist to his face, clenching it tightly. His fingers felt as if they had been immersed into snow. "So powerful that the common people's norms are too weak for me... So powerful that even I start to feel..."

As his grip tightened, the prince's smirk sagged downwards for a moment.

"... Uncomfortable."

[Dissinger]

He walked about the guard, looking carefully at each as he carefully gripped the ice with the toes of his boots. His breath came out in puffs as he looked about and sighed. Finally he spoke softly to himself, "Well now, bout time things go my way."

He moved out of the alleyway and far from the guards. Moving into the main streets his gate was careful and measured, with a bit of the “thiefly” agility Darith had pounded into the thief in recent months. As he moved about the city he saw more of the same, buildings frosted over and people frozen in place. Moving slowly he leaned in a doorway and looked about before he shook his head. The flames form the candles having gone out in the sudden freeze and darkening the rooms beyond what he cared to observe.

He knew something magical was in effect. It was a prospect that took no thought from the Hex Magi as he looked about the area. His breath came out further in puffs. Meanwhile, his careful tread across the ice took him more towards the middle of the city. Finally he contemplated what to do; because he was more than sure the boats were not going to be leaving for Revan anytime soon. So sitting upon the edge of the frozen over fountain he drew his cloak tighter around him as he looked around, trying to keep warm in the frosty environment.

Coughing slightly as he felt the alcohol warming his face he said softly, "Well hurrah for small miracles. Guess its a good thing I didn't grab more drinks..." He then looked down at the dragon bone dagger, carelessly held in his hand. He knew that it had been his savior. How, he didn't know, but the voice had sounded much like an ancient and wise voice. Still he knew that pondering it now was not the wisest decision. Instead he sheathed the dagger roughly, as while he had escaped freezing some of his gear hadn’t and so he forced his dagger in its home before checking his others making sure they worked.

The situation was far from the norm, and he had to be prepared for anything...

[Osato]

Osato shook uncomfortably in the sudden cold. Before him a coalescence of his own breath met his vision. “By Am’aleh, what is happening?”

The soulless mercenary turned, slipping a bit as his boots slid across the crusted cobblestones. He pushed the doors of the tavern open again. Instantly his mouth dropped. The people were still. The silence was unnerving. “Hello?” the echo of the man’s voice responded quite quickly. “What happened?”

As the doors creaked slowly to a close, the icy air seeping even into the very hinges, the weight of an empty world descended heavily. The world had become empty, much like Osato’s own soul. His face contorted with discomfort, his hands worked nervously across the hilt of his sword, and around him the void of life was startling. The soulless sell-sword slumped towards the bar. The barkeeper’s hand was easily wedged off of the heavy alcoholic drink in his hands, which had yet to freeze.

After a heavy slug, and a quick search of the back room, Osato felt much warmer. Around his shoulders he had thrown a heavy, albeit ragged cloak. Deep down the alcohol had already started to take hold. But what really caught the attention of the man was the hollow scream of another.

Without waiting another minute the anxious mercenary pushed the frozen hinges. They cracked as the door opened, only to freeze back into place. Osato spotted the lone wanderer as soon as he exited, he human by the looks of him. “Thank the Thayne,” the mercenary called as he moved towards the older man. “I thought I was alone in this cursed world… you don’t know how happy I am that there is another! And if there is one, maybe there are many others!”

With violet hair sparkling with a thin layer of frost he moved towards the newcomer, unsure what to make of him. “Hello there,” he said a little quieter, the weight of the situation finding his mind once again. “The name’s Osato…”

((NOTE: Approached Luc, sorry bout that))

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc was weeping before the Inn, not because of the loss of any particular person or friend, but at the fact that he would be alone until he died. And how far away was death, anyway? Surely no food could possibly be salvaged from their icy prisons. Dying of starvation was something that horrified the young mage, but he was too proud to commit suicide, which he'd always considered the coward's way.

A voice rose from behind him. So consumed in his anguish was Luc, he hadn't heard the footsteps or even the monologue of the being who approached him. Immediately he felt wounded pride, and struggled to compose himself before getting to his feet and turning to lay eyes upon the man. His hair was incredibly long and lighter than black, but not quite brown. Purple, perhaps. The eyes were almost the same but not exactly.

"Osato," Luc mumbled aloud, blinking rapidly to fight back his foolish tears. Truly he felt an idiot to be caught in that state of weakness, but in truth, he was more relieved than anything. "I am Luc," he said plainly, before getting straight to the point. "How did you possibly survive that magic? Everyone and everything in the city is frozen solid, like statues. Lifelike, soulless statues. I only survived because of my magic," he said, almost rambling. Seeing another person here was something Luc simply didn't expect.

Of course he had no idea the man before him was what he was. He appeared to be a human man, so Luc didn't think twice about his soulless comment. "I don't understand what could have happened," he continued, wanting desperately to explain his point of view before this man could interrupt. "I've never seen magic this powerful, to solidify an entire city of this size in ice. It's baffling, truly confusing."

For the first time since the incident began, however, Luc calmed just a bit and used his senses. The magical ice was calling him from every building, plant, person, item, flowing with power. But in a few places, there was an unusual lack of this magic. It was a very vague, fleeting feeling in his heart, but he believed someone else, perhaps two people, besides himself and this Osato, had survived.

"Hold, a moment," he said, rudely not giving Osato much of a chance to speak. Luc concentrated as hard as he could, and pinpointed two beings not fully enchanted by the ice. However vague that method of finding them was, he could tell that one was nearby, likely in the building right in front of him.

"Hey!" Luc called up to the window, where he believed someone might be able to hear him. "Is anyone up there? Are you alive?"

A small amount of hope was stirring inside him. Perhaps he and Osato were alone in this world, but perhaps not. Something up in the Inn was not effected by the magical ice, he knew. It was effected somehow, but it was not frozen solid like everything else.

With allies on his side, Luc thought it might be possible to locate the source of the magic, and perhaps do something about it. All that mattered at the moment, though, was discovering these two people, or what Luc hoped were people.

[Raelyse]

The first thing that he did in the bathroom was to brush the shards of ice from his mirror and begin to admire the unobstructed reflection of himself in the mirror. "Strange," he snickered to himself. "I always imagined the day I became a god, I would look different." Raelyse allowed his lips to twist into a smirk... Still the same old expression that permanently decorated his face. The prince of Myrusia then proceeded to strip off his clothing, thinking that perhaps his little nap had tainted his body slightly and he needed to clean himself off. As soon as his shirt hit the floor, a sudden chill instantly swept over his entire body. Shivering, he lifted his clothing back up and slipped it over his shoulders, at least covering his body. Reaching inside the shower, he twisted the knob, awaiting the warm water that would flow out and heat his body up.

Nothing.

"Oh, for fuck's sake. First, they screw up the heating, and then they decide that a fucking prince doesn't need to shower." Raelyse decided, for now at least, that he did not want to waste his time, for all he wanted was to beautify. Invoking his powers, he decided to force the water out from inside the pipes. He searched for it, trying to feel its presence. And he did.

Just not in the way that he wanted. It was frozen. Every drop was now solid ice. "Never mind," the prince said, his lips forcing a smile. "Today's a good day, I'll just complain..."

Raelyse then tried the next of his talents, the ability to rapidly melt ice into water. "... Later," he murmured to himself. Thrusting his right hand forward, the prince began to twist it slowly, focusing his energy on the task at hand. He would do this. He knew he could.

Wait... No he couldn't.

The prince toiled and toiled, his mind never shifting from the task that he felt was so important. But no, the ice would not even come close to melting.

"Okay," the prince said between clenched teeth. "I'm angry now."

Storming out of his room without even bothering to button his shirt, his only aim in life was to give the owners of this fine establishment a piece of his mind. How was he to enjoy these new found talents if he looked like a slob?

Strangely, Raelyse felt a strange force emanating from the entrance to his room. It was almost as if there was an invisible wall in between him and it, blocking him from using it. The prince did not believe such a thing could exist though, so he shook his head slightly, blinked a few times and sure enough, found that it was nothing but his mind playing tricks on him.

So without a second thought, he pushed his way through the door, his fingers breaking this doorknob just like it had the last.

Only this time, he did not get the view that he wanted, obstructed or not. Words rang in his ears but he ignored them. He had more important things to do right now.

[Osato]

Good, the man was not as broken as the sell-sword had thought. Even better he was talkative.

By the way he talked his mannerisms, and even his very choice in fashion it was plainly obvious he dealt with magic of some sort. The dagger at his side, however, is what caught the fancy of the young soulless being. It was gorgeous. But he turned away from it, not wanting to get caught ‘oogling’ someone else’s weapon. (He had found that people in the bigger cities disliked others looking at their weapon, whereas people in smaller cities thought it an honor. What an odd concept…)

When no response came from the balcony overhead, Osato looked back to Luc. “Odd you should mention their soulless appearance, for that is what I am… a soulless being that it. I believe that has something to do with how I have eluded the grasp of this rather wintry hell.”

The mercenary turned his attention to the balcony again. Either the man had stepped back or moved somehow, because he could no longer see him. Why would he blatantly ignore someone calling to him? Why would he not also be in at least a state of shock, or emotionally upset? The freeze alone was enough for a grave reaction from Luc at least. “How about we go up and meet that one. He, or she, doesn’t seem interested in coming down, we should go up?”

Osato shrugged. What was the point of him no responding? The ideas that came to mind about the sort of person that would not be bothered, possibly even pleased with the world how it was, irked him. His hand, out of instinct and for cautions sake, fell to the hilt and held it tight. The reason behind the hard freeze, an understatement by any stretch of the word, could easily be because of a person too. Safety was first in the sell-swords mind.

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc was crestfallen by the lack of response from above. Strange and sudden as it was, the freezing of the city had put in him a desperate need to be with people, especially now that he believed there to be several persons alive nearby. His breakdown in the street was brief, but for that one moment Luc truly believed he was alone in the world, and the idea of that being even remotely true frightened him. In fact, it made him sick to his stomach with fear.

Nevertheless, Luc got a grip on himself. There was a man near him, and that meant he wasn't alone. Another being of sorts was up in the Inn, indeed his presence was beyond clear to Luc now. A deep, great breath escaped the mage, it was visible in the cold.

Osato mentioned what he was, a soulless being, which prompted Luc to look at him again, examining the man's eyes and stance. He seemed as human as any other man he'd ever seen, but Luc was never great at noticing detail. "No soul... Does that make you inhuman?" Luc was curious. Did being in the presence of a soulless person still make him alone?

"But yes," he continued, hardly giving Osato a chance to respond, so anxious was he to learn and adjust to this new situation. "We can go up. Come to me and I'll make things easier."

They stood near each other and Luc focused his energy. The earth would not respond to him, trapped beneath the ice, but the wind was as obedient as ever. A gust came up under them and lifted the pair gently to the balcony above, where Luc had to struggle not to slip and fall.

Luc moved into the room and observed the door at the opposite side. It was open, but the mage didn't sense anyone beyond it. "Hello?" He called, his voice insistant and nervous, but above all hopeful.

((Minor bunnying there, I can change it if you like, Osato.))

[Raelyse]

Raelyse could feel his strength grow within him with every second that passed. It wasn't just in his body, it was everywhere. He felt as if he had never been smarter. For a moment, his ego conflicted with his common sense. He wanted to test out and see whether this newfound ability within him would extend to his magical control over the elements. Then again, his intelligence informed him not to take such a risk, fearing that doing so would endanger the prince's wellbeing. However, in the domain of Salidan's mind, there was one dominant force that could never be overcome and without a shadow of a doubt, that was the prince's unflappable overconfidence in himself and his own abilities.

As the door swung open, Raelyse's hand hesitated for a moment as he felt the large slab of frozen wood hit something. He heard something tip over and lose balance before a loud shattering sound echoed throughout the entire inn. Without the obstacle, the door easily opened fully when the prince applied force once again. His eyes inadvertently moved downwards towards millions of small pieces of little sharp spikes.

"Haha," the prince chuckled to himself. From a young age, the spoilt royal had always enjoyed smashing valuable objects like pottery and china, especially when they were so incredibly weak and fragile. Even now as a grown man, he had not grown out of that obsession. With a smirk across his handsome face, he curiously kneeled down; examining whatever remained of what had been shattered. "The more expensive, the rarer," Raelyse laughed to himself again. "The better."

Even though he was no expert when it came to pottery material, the prince knew a thing or too about what was valuable. It took him a few seconds to realize that this wasn't anything valuable.

It was ice.

Before Raelyse had a chance to bypass his ego for a moment and allow his intelligence to function, he heard a loud thud from behind him. Instinctively, he turned his head and spied two intruders. Within seconds he was on his feet, his sword cane unsheathed. Puffing out his chest, the prince took a few steps back into his room.

Raising his blade and pointing it at the taller one, he raised his head into the air, revealing his neck and Adam's apple in a display of arrogance.

"Somehow, I don't think you're room service. Either that or your breasts aren't as supple as the delivery girl I picked out before. And I'm pretty sure I didn't ask for you to fly up onto my balcony."

[Letho]

This thread has been closed due to inactivity and moved to the Archives. If you wish to reactivate this thread, please PM me or one of the administrators.