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Stare
12-12-2017, 09:45 AM
Part 2 of Black Wings and Blood Red Trees. Part 1 here. (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?590-Black-Wings)

Stare paused before looking right at Nevin. “So … I may have just got permission to come with you. If you'll let me.”

Nevin felt both of his eyebrows raise in shock at this. He knew that she had wanted to accompany him originally, but with how upset Vitruvion had been recently, and the plans of the Church of Sabazios and his brother to attack his holdings, Nevin had thought that she would be busy helping watch over and organize things, working to counter the plans they had uncovered. That Viturivion was letting her go…

“Well. I certainly won’t deny having your company would make this journey far more pleasant. Truth be told, if I went into the woods alone I would most likely end up spending far, far too much time there. At least, if you accompany me, there will be someone I trust to make sure I don’t get distracted and lost.” He let out a soft laugh. “So then, my friend. Shall we head off to these dark and dreary woods?”

Stare looked delighted. She nodded her head. “I'll need to just pack, but that will not take long. Shall I … meet you in a few out front?”

---

The Red Forest stood before then, thick dark trunks with crimson and scarlet leaves, as if autumn had come early. It was a carpet of uncomfortable familiarity to Stare, with the spread over the vast landscape reminding her of the last time. When she had last stood here, on this low hill, seeing the wood disappear towards the horizon. That had been a period of time when she had not been party to Vitruvion's world, but now she was a kenku, found by her god.

The pulsating deep blue stone slowly died of its luminosity, humming to a lesser, duller state. It had been given to her along with five others by Vitruvion just as they had left. Six - four light to move only slightly, one a little darker to move up to three miles, and one, this darkest one to do a simple, two part journey. To get both her and Nevin here and then back home.

Slowly she breathed, and slipped the marble back into the black leather pouch now tied to her belt. Teleportation stones, enchanted by Vitruvion. They would be so very useful in the direst circumstances.

Twisting around she looked to Nevin, wondering if he had ever teleported before. One moment they had been in front of the house, then next here. Miles away.

“You alright?” She asked him.

The teleportation had been disorienting, Nevin couldn't deny that. His body was adjusting to the fact that he was now somewhere else entirely, was still processing and reacting to the magic that had brought them here. He staggered slightly and squinted his eyes, taking a few deep breaths as he caught himself.

Nevin
12-12-2017, 10:43 AM
“I… Yes. I'm alright, thank you.” That had been unexpected. She had simply taken his arm for a moment and he caught the edge of a smile on the corner of her beak, a flash of amusement in her eye - and then they were here. The little minx bird had pranked him, and he couldn't deny that it had been effective. But, now they were here, and he adjusted his armor, making sure the straps were tight as he looked around.

Now that they had arrived, on the edge of the red forest, he could feel his skin dancing, his magic humming and purring just beneath his skin. If he had to place a name to the tune that his magic was creating, it would definitely be one of - of welcome, relief and quiet contentment? It was a strange sensation, and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. There was also a thrum of anticipation running through him, like he was on the verge of something… Something important.

But he had no idea what it was. So, instead, he heeded the words of warning pretty much everyone had been giving him if they knew he was coming here, and gripped his whip tightly. It would not be a good idea to be caught unprepared. .

Stare had an amused glint in her eye as she slipped the marble in with its companions into her new pouch. There she stood, resplendent in her silvery chainmail and under tunic, her left hand covered in linked pieces that made a glove of sharp ends. For a moment she imagined what would happen if she dipped them into poison, how effective a weapon they would be.

Her right hand curled into a fist and a clawed finger pointed at a small peninsula in the forest, where the trees grew out of the ragged line to edge closer to where they stood.

“There is as good a place to enter as any,” she said, “The deeper we go the more likely it is we find the plants you want.” And the beast I hunt, she thought. But she was not wanting to say that to Nevin yet. Rather she would wait until they were closer to the place, when the tracks were clearer, just in case he freaked and refused to go any further in with her.

With that said she rolled back her shoulders, shifting her small pack slightly before starting off.

Nevin followed after his friend, frowning in thought as he turned that statement over in his head. Something about it was bothering him, but he couldn't quite place what - oh, no, he could. It was an easy mistake to make considering his normal obsessive compulsion towards gathering new plants and materials. He cleared his is throat, about to correct her - before pausing, the words caught in his mouth unsaid.

Stare
12-12-2017, 11:11 AM
She had been against his coming here in the first place, warning him that it was too dangerous. Could he really, really tell her that he didn't even know why he had to come here?

No. No, she would think him mad and take him away from here. He would have to make his way back alone if that happened - and he didn't want that to be the case. Not for this, his first trip into the woods. In truth, not knowing why he had felt such a pull to the Red Forest did unsettle him a bit, but at the same time he couldn't deny the feeling of rightness, satisfaction, that danced across his skin as they broke through the tree line. A shiver ran across his skin, and a trace of tension that he never knew he had, lifted from Nevin’s shoulders as he took a deep breath.

There was a feeling of something not quite right, not a wrongness but a strange note of hesitation, discordance, in the choir of his magic. He felt more at ease here than he had in a long, long time, but even now he wasn't quite… Home. It was like walking into a relative’s house - familiar and safe enough, but not your own home. He frowned unconsciously as he tried to figure out why his magic was resonating with this place.

Behind him, Stare’s beak halves parted as she saw Nevin’s skin began to writhe. He seemed entirely oblivious of the fact as he sauntered forwards, concentrating. Blinking, she stared (that which she did best, after all) and watched as the blood-red tendrils that she had seen just once before, back in that terrifying prison of the Bounty Hunters, gently ease themselves from his body and weave into the air. They trailed from his neck and beneath his clothes, easing out in whatever gaps they could find. Swinging in the air they followed behind him like sniffer dogs, tasting the air and wafting on an unseen breeze.

He seemed to not notice at all. His focused face did not show if it was intentional or not, but Stare thought it strangely curious. As far as she was concerned the objects for use of protection and attack, not in any way part of a sensing programme. Was he then, considering striking something? Was he just being cautious?

“What danger is there?” she asked, curiously, not personally identifying anything herself, yet. Though they were in the wood itself, the trees had not yet thickened enough for there to be no escape route and possible death at every turning. “Nevin?”

Nevin blinked, roused from his thoughts by Stare’s voice. He raised an eyebrow and looked around - aside from the trees, which were a rather pleasant red shade, he hadn't spotted anything. Why did she think there was a threat? He turned to look at her, tilting his head to one side.

Nevin
12-12-2017, 01:22 PM
Nothing that I'm aware of. If anything I feel rather comfortable here. Haven't even spotted any man eating plants yet. There is a coppery tinge to the air though. Hmm.” He frowned as he opened his mouth and tasted that coppery flavor - mixed a little with other things, but definitely, to him, the flavor of blood. As he processed that, the humming along his skin picked up, gleeful wordless singing that seemed to be enthusiastic. There was the taste of something old, something dark - but the bitterness of that taint was fading. Strange, why did he know that?

“But. We definitely haven't progressed deep enough into the woods yet - ah, let me take a sample of these trees before I forget.” No need to make her worry by acting uncharacteristically. Out came a knife and a pair of small clay jars with stoppers, and he dropped a piece of bark and some leaves into one, then scooped some of the thick, red sap that oozed out of the tree he had tested into the other jar. After sealing both, he tucked them into his bag and smiled at her. “Shall we continue?”

Stare just watched him, incredulous as he turned … and seemed to just avoid his blood lines weaving out behind him in the air. He even seemed to react to them, sniffing and making clear, facial expressions as they reacted to different scents and tastes. Simply, dumbly she gawked as he pocketed the vials. Still his tendrils spread far and wide.

“Nevin …” she sighed, and her brow scrunched in concern. Coming forwards she used her free right hand to pause, angle, then pounce with her full speed at one of the waving things.

Clearly it did not expect it. After all, she was a being that could accelerate her body to something nearing a hundred miles an hour with a flash energy. Her hand swept out, grabbed hold of the tendril and exhibited a firm grip on it. It felt smooth in her hand, almost too so, and she feared it would slide out of her hold. Quickly, thus, she pulled it around to shove it in his face, before it could slip out.

“This,” she pronounced.

Well, that was a rather different sensation. Nevin had been startled when Stare suddenly darted forward, one hand shooting past his head. For a moment he thought she was about to grab his hair for some reason, but… No that was definitely NOT hair she grabbed hold of. The firm pressure she was placing on his thread coil - to bring it around and make him realize that he had them out in the first place which was news to him - was actually quite - pleasant? Almost like a massage on a muscle that he hadn't realized was sore.

As it was though, he blushed and yelped, and all of his threads retracted back inside of him, slipping back beneath his clothes and out of sight as a rather brilliant blush shot up his face, making the thin white scars on his neck and face stand out intensely.

Stare
12-12-2017, 01:45 PM
“I - I - uh - Uhm - right let's go!” And in what was a first Nevin turned and just barely kept his pace below a run as he moved into the trees.

The blood mage was absolutely mortified - how had he not noticed that his threads had emerged from his skin? They'd never come out without conscious thought on his part before - was it because of this forest, this strange feeling of comfort and content that was dancing in his magic? As he thought about it he managed to feel, and prevent, his threads from slipping back out. Oh Crimson what would Stare think of him now??

Stare watched him hastily bustle deeper into the depths of the trees. Her brow high she blinked a few, simple times, unsure of whether to laugh or to gawp. Her hesitation went on for so long that she realised he had almost drifted out of sight before she thought. Quickly, she dashed after him, her right hand curling into an awkward fist, unsure of whether what she had done was rude or embarrassing.

Were their social etiquette rules for handling another’s extra limbs?

Interesting, came the comment.

Obviously he had been watching. She knew he would likely be watching this entire adventure, between whatever meetings he had today - personal or business.

I will admit that was, she agreed.

Vitruvion nodded a few times, an image he sent her, then leant back in his chair in his private study. She could feel the warmth between her fingers as he cupped warm tea to his breast. Inhaling fast, Stare threw the image from her mind, anxious for her friend. True, it was the first time she had felt a heat sensation between her and he, but that did not matter, not now. Nevin did more, and the fact that they were in a naturally dangerous place. Thus, she steeled herself for a possible attack at any moment.

“Nevin,” she huffed as she caught up with him. “Its fine. Sorry for … Sorry.”

Nevin kept his face firmly turned away from Stare as she caught up. He waved one hand back at her - he could not look in her direction or she would see the rather intense blush that was only now starting to drain from his head.

“I'm the one who should be sorry. They've ah, never acted like that before. I also, uh, never knew I could actually feel things with them. It was a strange sensation.” And one he would have to experiment with - later. Stare was just a friend, and they were currently in what was called one of the most dangerous forests in the world. Experimenting with the strangely pleasurable sensations of having his threads handled would come later.

Though. Finding someone who would handle what were, well, tendrils (he steadfastly would not call them tentacles), would be a difficult proposition. No, that would just have to be a concern for later. He had never noticed it before, so maybe it was just because he had been caught off guard, not paying attention? It was also the first time they'd been out without him having some kind of a goal for them, was there an unknown mental component as well? Hrm.

Nevin
12-12-2017, 01:59 PM
He looked around suddenly, frowning a bit before smoothing his face out. For a moment, just a moment, there had been a trace of something foul, a discordant note in the tune of his magic. It was unpleasantly familiar, but it was also gone before he could actually place what it was he was detecting. Instead of worrying himself about it, the blood alchemist smiled at Stare before moving on through the trees.



She followed him, still a little amused, but her guilt more plain on her features. Even the fleshy corners of her mouth were slightly downturned as she headed after her friend. After a while, when the silence was more comfortable and both of them seemed less restless, Stare began to bring her awareness to the forefront of her mind. Again she focused on Nevin with her aura sight, once more seeing that slightly pink-tinged white hair-thin thread tangled with his strong crimson chord. Her eyes swept up and down his chakras, and then she found herself pausing, utterly astonished.

First of all his solar plexus chakra was dimmer, and this spoke of shame. Shame, perhaps of what had occurred, close to embarrassment. It made sense in a way - but it was not the real emotion she noticed that shocked. Instead, there, glowing more than the others, was his sacral chakra, that which is seated at the base of the spine, just inches about the root chakra. Stare knew that a heated brightness there meant that he had experienced pleasure. By the way that it was wavering, she presumed he was trying to diminish the feeling, and that evidence joined with the embarrassment.

Oh hells. He had been … aroused.

Sucking in her breath Stare quickly looked away, with only a last glance to see his third eye light was dim - likely confusion. It made sense for both of them to feel that way, and she was certain it had only been developed because she had touched his-

Ansaldo’s flaming balls, she cursed. I never want to think about this again.

And picking up speed she marched ahead, trying to concentrate firmly on tracking. Tracking, sensing danger and making sure they were in no way about to die. That was a much better thing to do than to think about … that which she was not thinking about now.

Nevin was still sorting out - and in some cases locking away - the feelings that had been generated when suddenly Stare rushed past him, her eyes firmly locked on the ground. For a second there was a flicker of her head turning in his direction, and the man was confused - why was she acting so differently now? It wasn't like -

Oh Crimson. She'd told him she could see emotions. Right. Need to move on from those thoughts. Worry about sorting them out later, when his friend who could see emotions was NOT around. Yes that was a good idea. So Nevin coughed and firmly shoved the thoughts of claws on smooth red out of his ind-and then kicked them out even more firmly when he realized they had crept back in.

Stare
12-12-2017, 02:07 PM
Instead he began to examine the plants around them, taking samples from some as they passed by. The thing that looked like a hanging vine of blood was interesting - it resembled his own threads, until he cut it open and out came red tinted chlorophyll. It was strange, from what he knew these plants should not survive without the true green hue, but somehow they not only survived but thrived. It must have something to do with the lingering magics of whatever entity had twisted this forest into what it was now.

Then Nevin paused, his attention ripped to one side by something that was decidedly out of place. In the background of his mind, his magic was singing a low, ominous dirge - a warning. And he thought he could see the source of that warning call. It looked like just another of the hanging blood vines, and they had passed several already. But what had caught Nevin’s gaze was the way it had twitched as a bird flew beneath it - almost like a snake thinking of grabbing prey. It had paused, almost seeming to realize he was looking at it, and now hung quiescent from a branch. But looking closely at it as Nevin felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise, he could see that the other end of the ‘vine’ was actually wrapped around the branch - not growing from it like it should.

“Scarlet…” The word fell from his lips in disbelief and anger.

Stare caught the thing in her gaze and her mind worked to connect the word he whispered with the image in her mind, coupled with the brief readings that she had done on the flora of the world. Brow furrowing she readied herself for combat, just in case, for it had made a threatening movement towards the bird.

Answers? she asked.

There was a short, but still silence. Then - It is not of my knowledge.

That made her immediately tense. Vitruvion was a being as wise as his years and more. He had access to a vast database of knowledge of sciences and theories, namely his father Ansaldo. Also his library was large and he had read every book he could get his hands on. Knowledge to him was an essential part of existing, he thrived and thirsted for it, and had only grown more powerful ever since she had come his life. Anything he did not know of was either so new that nothing had been written, rumoured or thought about it yet, or it was from a different realm altogether.

“Fuck …” she whispered, “Ansaldo’s tiny balls.” And she glanced to her friend. “Nevin, whatever that is … it is not a natural plant.”

If it attacks, try fire. Plants are usually weak against fire.

I presume you can bring me back if I die? she asked rather ironically, fumbling for her spark rocks at her pocket.

Vitruvion looked oddly for a moment, his eyes narrowing and breath pulling in fast. He straightened and shut his sight off from her view. Just get on with it, was his dry, strange reply.

Nevin
12-12-2017, 03:33 PM
Stare said something, her words and movements bouncing off of the brewing anger that was coiling in Nevin’s stomach. This thing should not be here, not in this place where he felt safe and comfortable! The thread-worm was still acting like it hadn't been spotted - and Nevin could see how it blended in, if he couldn't feel its repulsive taint he might have thought it just another of the Ruilsark vines.

But no. This was a thread worm, a collection of threads so like his own, permanently melded together and guided by a malicious intent. Nevin didn't know why it was here, or why it was alone - if it was anything close to successful in hunting, it would have easily been able to replicate itself.

Movement from the corner of his eye - Stare was preparing to fight it. Nevin couldn't let her do that - she was going to try fighting it conventionally if she was reaching for something in her pocket. Her Gaze might work, but unless she had a magical artifact with her that would be all that could. He had to act, kill this thing before it could get to her.

Nevin burst into motion suddenly, sprinting towards the creature. He knew Stare could go faster than him - but he had the advantage of moving first, while she was still trying to get something out of her pocket. His legs ate the distance but he knew that if she tied to his dear friend would still be able to get ahead of him. So he cheated - or rather, he attacked from his full range. As the redhead ran forward, crimson threads shot out of his palm, weaving together into a long, strong cord that snapped forward, splitting the air with a crack as it smashed into the thread-worm.

Before it could try to escape - the others had died soon hater being touched by his tendrils but he didn't know if this would - Nevin wound his threads around the monster and trapped it, binding it in place. Even now he could feel it squirming, trying to escape, thrashing against his hold. Grimly he held on, forcing his threads to hold the beast until it finally stopped moving.


Shrrrkkk … the grinding sound hissed, and soon in her hand she had a fistful of flaming dead leaves. Stare held them in her gauntleted hand, knowing the idiocy of having them near metal, but it was the best she could do before Vitruvion made her fireproof. Flicking the spark stones into her pouch she began to run forwards, leaning down to scoop more debris as she did. The tendrils of the vines still writhed by the time she was running, only stopping when she actually got to their side.

Personally she did not care what Nevin thought. Right now she was more or less experimenting, trying to deduce what might be a way to seriously harm this plant thing before it got them harsher. Thus, she used Nevin’s powerful hold for what it was, and placed her attack on one particular curve where the vine snaked over a branch. Letting out a string of very rude phrases in the kenku dialect she took a leap and practically flew to land on the branch. Still the leaves burned in her hand, but she was fast, and careful to keep the dirt beneath the heating leaves. As she landed with claws that were made sharper by cruel steel daggers on the hind claw she stabbed down, fast, with her mythril dagger. Then the dagger was gone, leaving a savage cut with which to bleed by, and it was into this newly formed wound that Stare literally shoved the fire into.

Stare
12-12-2017, 03:46 PM
She shoved as best as she could, then stepped back, trying to ignore the pain at her hand. Where the fire had got too hot it had seared her clawed glove, and that in turn was steadily now singing her scaled palm. Shaking it off for the better emotion of glee she watched as the embers bit down into the heart of the vine, and Vitruvion swore at her.

For the love of all that is me, he cursed her.

Nevin watched with an eyebrow raised as Stare sliced open the tendril beast before it finished dying and shriveling up. He didn't know why she felt the need to do that - though he did get rather upset when he realized that she had hurt herself.

Burning the insides of the scarlet thread worm ended up releasing a cloud of utterly disgusting smells, a pungent mixture like someone had taken a week old, bloated and rotten corpse, and set it aflame - but worse. There was also an acrid, thick black smoke rising from the burning flesh and fluid as the creature began to thrash anew, and it began to shriek in a terrible, scratching voice.

Then, finally, it stilled and its screech was cut short. With a haul on his binding whip, Nevin ripped the worm thing from the tree branch, and stared at it for a long, long moment. Free of the hold he had had on the thing, the curled worm lay still and unmoving on the ground. There was a strange twisting spiral pattern along its flesh, marred only by the tear that Stare had inflicted on it. Aside from that, it was a smooth tapered cylinder, of a darker red than Nevin’s threads - but even now that hue was shifting to the brighter crimson. Except for where the fire had scorched it from the inside out - those parts were a deep, burnt black red.

“I…. I am sorry. This… This thing is my… responsibility.” Nevin’s voice was thick - but he wasn't sure with what emotion. His eyes were fastened onto the unnatural creature and he did not think he could look at Stare. By now she would have seen the similarities between the thing and his threads, and he didn't want to see what expression that created in his friend. Instead he snatched the carcass up and shoved it into his bag, ignoring the foul remnants that splashed across his hands. “We-we should press on. Fire seems to be effective on them.” At least she would be safe if he messed up.

Beneath her was … a creature. A snake or whatever rather than a plant. Pretending to be the plant. Slightly the same colour and texture as Nevin's tendrils but much more fierce. Still Stare's hand burned, the heated metal searing her hand darkly and with cruel intentions. But she would not let it bother her. Nor would she let it be an obvious pain. It was not so bad that she had to very quickly remove her gauntlet glove - rather it was like a hot cup that you needed to carry because small children were around you threatening to knock it off any reasonable surface.

Nevin
12-12-2017, 03:54 PM
And there Nevin was, blaming himself. As she tried to make the effect of holding the flames not obvious, keeping her back to him as she began to work on the lacing of her glove with the tips of her claws - though very slowly. “How is a beast like that your responsibility?” she said thickly, trying to hide the agony. “It's just a large sausage that hates fire as equally as the next … well I thought it was a plant. Now I see it was cleverly disguised as one. Idiot,” she stopped herself saying any more as she drew off her glove and inspected her hand.

A few blisters, but only small. Clutching her gauntlet between the claws she leant down a little and observed the creature. Looking from its head to its tail she slipped into the aura sight, taking a note of its bloody power source, which was all she could really tell from this mess. Its power lines writhed as it slowly let out its last breaths.

No eyes, no obvious head. Long body, a form of twisted horror, Vitruvion murmured as he drew a rather excellent drawing off the beast. Stare nodded, her back still to Nevin.

“I agree. Rather … disgusting,” she agreed. Outloud. Then she paused and winced. “Ah sorry. That was not to you,” she apologised to Nevin, letting her injured hand rest on the cooler ground.

Winces and gentle motions - had she been -? Nevin’s gaze shot to the hand that was trying to be kept out of sight as he stepped to one side bringing the hand into view. The heavy tone to her voice was explained now - she had jumped onto the thing with fire in her hand. Nevin hadn't thought of it at the time, but it seemed like she had no special protection against the flames.

On the gauntlet there were twists of blackened metal - where the fire had scorched it. The alchemist sucked in a breath, shoving his concerns about the creature aside for a moment. “Don't move that hand any more. One moment.” He began rummaging through his bag and pouches until he found two jars. As he pulled them out, one swished with the clear sound of a liquid inside.

Swift movements uncorked the two small clay jars. From one a thick aroma, almost like a potent mint snell, rose. Gently and firmly Nevin took the wrist of the injured hand in his he as before picking up the jar that didn't have a powerful smell coming from it up. He looked up to Stare’s face locking eyes with her.

“This will sting at first.” And with no more warning than that, he upended the jar over her hand sending a cascade of pale green fluid over down onto her hand. It was an antiseptic and analgesic - after the flare of sting from the antiseptic washing away anything that had gotten into the blisters and burns, the analgesic would numb her hand up. He released her wrist so she wouldn't get agitated by the contact, scooting back and holding up the other jar, the mint-smelling one.

“When you're ready, this is a burn paste. I don't have a lot but hopefully neither of us will be getting burned after this.”

Stare
12-12-2017, 05:31 PM
Well, came the sarcastic drawl, Save me from needing to heal you later.

She hissed a little with distaste and cradled her injured hand with her well one, eyes dark and irritated. As true as the alchemist had said her hand was stinging harshly now, as if small insects bit her flesh.

“I do not need paste, Nevin, you don't need to worry about me,” she growled, moving her hand close to her body. “I knew I was endangering my hand.”

If you were here I would punish you for your idiocy.

You're going to have to wait until later aren't you, she spat back.

Then I will, a wicked but sour grin appeared in her mind.

And she growled back - and then she paused. Suddenly the stinging was gone.

She realised her hand was actually not hurting any more. At all. Blinking, the anger faded out of her eyes, and she tilted her head as relief swept over her.

“Oh.” It was better. She paused and glanced up at Nevin. “Thank you …”

Nevin nodded slightly, one eyebrow raised. Even if she thought she didn’t need tending to, the relaxing of her facial features as the analgesic settled in was evident. A slight shake of his head and he rubbed some of the paste on, then stood back up straighter. “That isn’t the issue here, my friend. The problem is, we’re in a jungle and there are potent threats here. That thing - I called it my responsibility because… well. I’ve killed one of them before, actually more than one. That thing was a part of something else, and they are a threat that hunt me - or are tied to the divine power that I have. I don’t know why they’re here - but it may be that the same thing that draws me here, drew them here as well.” He coughed and shook his head.

“In any case. We need you in top shape - even if I am far more capable of fighting than I once was, if these things are roaming the forest it will be dangerous. Now then.” He tucked the burn paste away, rolling his shoulders as he looked around. Now that they were in the forest, and the blood mage was aware of it, he could feel the taint of perverted blood magic in the air. It was thicker in one direction, and he settled his face into a grim expression.


“I can’t ask you to join me in hunting these things - they’re a personal threat, not something I expected. I would of course appreciate it, but I know that you’ve dangers of your own to deal with.” He sighed and shook his head. “But either way, I need to press on and find out just what these nightmares are doing here.” The alchemist gripped his whip tight in one hand and sighed. “It is your decision.”

Stare blinked at him once and then replied in a firm voice. “We split and both of us die. The plan to kill that creature worked, and that is all.” She shrugged. “I'm not leaving you alone. I came here to help you.”

Nevin
12-14-2017, 01:08 PM
Though that was not entirely the truth. Looking down at her hand she saw the poultice-covered hand and breathed in slowly. Despite her reluctance, Nevin had given her a way to heal it. It would keep the pain at ease and the worst of the injuries. The best she could do right now was to be entirely honest with him.

Scowling to herself in her lowered brow ridge and huffing way, she began to shove on the gauntlet. “Okay, I came here to help you and to hunt something that he has requested I find. I won't tell you what it is in case we do not find it, but I mainly did come here to help you.”

She looked up at him. “Shall we head further in then?” She gestured at the darker, deeper woods.

Knowing that Vitruvion had sent her in here for an actual reason strangely reassured the redhead as he nodded and started pressing onwards, pushing through the treeline and heading in the direction of the taint of darker blood magic that he could feel. That Vitruvion had a reason for her to be in the woods - it meant that the man - or whatever he is - had been keeping an eye on the forest. At least enough to think that his target was still in these woods.

Which meant, knowing that Vitruvion had before felt that vile taint of the Cobalt-taken monstrosity in the cathedral in Radasanth, that there was no way that this particular being had set up shop too long ago here. No, its arrival had to be recent, or its attention and efforts focused inwardly enough that it escaped detection in the outside world.

But as they moved through the trees, Nevin could feel more and more why he had been pulled to this place. Even ignoring the dark magic that he was personally familiar with, this place had a powerful presence even now lingering about it, even though it had clearly faded in time. Someone, or something, had held sway over these woods, and had turned them into a hungry place, and that change still had not been completely eradicated even though its source was long gone from this world. And the blood mage felt like he could…. draw on it, but not quite, it hadn’t accepted him yet, there was a strange desynchronization between his power and the ancient presence in these woods. Even dead, whatever had ruled here wasn’t quite ready to give up its power to the living.

The alchemist tightened his grip and pressed on, looking for more signs of that damnable beast - or of dark blood magic. He just hoped that he didn’t drag Stare into more danger in the process of his personal vendetta.

Stare
12-14-2017, 01:31 PM
Onwards they went into the dark crimson of Lindequalme. A place that had once been full of life, then poisoned, and was desperately trying to make a come back still. The Forgotten One Pode, who had been the one to scar the forest, had been defeated, and in a way Stare felt a loss for that. She wondered in that moment if Vitruvion had ever met any of the Forgotten Ones and made the connection to the ancients who knew about Althanas so long ago.

I have met the pantheon gods, he growled back at her. That was enough for me.

You might have found an ally in Pode, or another? Stare suggested, quite honestly. The story goes that they were once mortals, they have a vendetta against the gods here as much as you do ...

Bah, he cursed back at her, and that was his answer. Stare could understand, maybe empathise with him for his dislike of the gods. They were the ones, after all, who had forced him into a human form and taken away much of his more godly powers. Omnipotence and bodilessness was beyond him even now with Stare.

Her eyes kept scanning the darkness before them. It was only when she realised that one of her other sights might be more useful.

Heat sense. Apparently part of the natural colour spectrum of light. She let her eyes widen and gaze around, letting the range of hot red to black fill her mind, the red all the warmth in the land, black the complete lack of it. She saw small red lights on trees in many places, birds hiding in the crowns. A brood of deer slowly made their way along the edge of a river far away. And … there was a distant figure, humanoid in form, striding away from them.

She blinked and reached out to grab and tug Nevin's cloak. “Nevin” she whispered, “There is a being over there,” she pointed.

The blood mage nearly jumped out of his skin when his friend grabbed his cloak - for the past bit, he had been concentrating on pursuing the feeling of the disgusting tainted blood magic in the air - and that had been consuming his attention as he tried to keep pace on the thing that was creating the taint. So when Stare tugged on his cloak - well. He didn’t scream, but there was a swallowed shout that made him cough as he turned to look in the direction that she had indicated.

In the darkening gloom of the forest, he couldn’t see what she had spotted - but at the same time, Nevin was fully aware of the fact that her eyes were far superior to his own. So he closed his eyes and instead focused on the sense of his own he could trust - and sure enough, the bitter, angry chorus was stronger in the direction that she had indicated. His eyes snapped open and he pulled his whip from his belt, coiling it up to prepare for the fight that was coming. He began moving through the brush after the figure that she had detected, his eyes piercing through the gloom as he did his best to make his way quietly.

Nevin
12-14-2017, 01:33 PM
It was strange, he thought, that as he went he could feel the taint in the magic growing stronger - the dissonant chorus of his magic was growing angrier and angrier. But at the same time that that was growing, he could also feel the lingering presence in this forest growing stronger - but it was like it was being pulled inwards, in the direction that the unknown figure was moving. He picked up the pace - and broke through a tree line to see a small stone structure, and a humanoid shape disappearing inside through one of the two doors he could see.

The structure looked like it had been there for years - moss had grown over the worn, weather beaten rocks. It was low, squat, and rectangular in shape, and at the four corners there were burning braziers - and the fires that were burning in those braziers were unnaturally hued - blued, not red or yellowish. The flickering flames cast strange shadows through the air as Nevin studied the building, waiting for Stare to catch up.

Stare’s beak halves slowly opened as she let out a silent gasp. Still caught within the throes of her heat sight, she was enchanted. They were a deep violet, almost black, not hot at all. At the edges they flickered black but a border of the natural, yellow heat of the building cast them in a strange, uncertain silhouette.

She breathed in slow and moved up beside Nevin. “... They are cold fires,” she whispered astounded. “Cold.”

Delighted she shifted out of the heat sight to grasp a proper glimpse at their natural shimmering blue flames. That others saw. Her heart leapt at the idea of them and she found herself excited, despite the situation. Despite the man they had followed here, now inside of the building. Carefully, she slid a hand around her dagger, her eyes still smiling though.

“What is the plan?” she asked, suddenly full of enthusiasm and life once more.

Nevin raised an eyebrow at the renewed vigor that she was displaying, then slowly shook his head. He frowned and focused on the doorways - trying to see if he could see inside. Cobalt - this wasn’t working. They needed to --

The blood mage staggered as he suddenly felt a powerful tug in the direction of the stone building. All at once he felt an overwhelming urge to be inside - that he had to be inside right then or else something absolutely terrible would happen. He grit his teeth and shot a look to Stare.

“I’m heading inside now. They’re - something is wrong in there. Something is being done in there and it is ...not painful but it is jarring, grating, screaming at me that it must be stopped.” He swallowed, his throat closed up, and then he shook his head sharply. Even now, he was slowly moving forward towards the building - his own feet fighting him as he tried not to move but at the same time had to move forward. He sent his friend a twisted smile. “I guess the plan is - kill all the damn things inside?”

Stare
12-14-2017, 01:36 PM
Stare tilted her head, the excitement of the cold fire fading fast. It had been steadily as Nevin's expression changed, going from intrigue as much as she had had, then to sudden shock and a need to be … in there.

So, their plans were moving faster than expected. Stare shrugged, slipping her hand down to take up her helmet strung there. Taking it in hand she swept it up and over the upper half of her skull. Once done she grabbed her dagger and nodded.

“Let's kill some bastards,” she agreed, and twisted around to face the building. Energy built in her, she took a breath …

Then ran, shrieking in dire kenku.

At the start of the charge, Nevin was in step with Stare though he was silent as his blood and magic churned in him. She was faster though, and pulled ahead as she raced past one of the braziers glowing with cold flame and into the stone building. The redhead was not far behind though, as he too charged into the dark interior of the structure.

Stare had already found a man and was dealing with him - dagger flashing as she went to work - and now, at the top of her game, not injured by a stay in prison, Nevin knew he could trust her to keep herself safe. So whip in hand, he followed the disgusting feeling of wrongness in the air, letting it guide him deeper into the building.

He entered what was clearly the main chamber of the structure. Stone pews were ranged in a series of concentric circles, leading inwards to a large stone pedestal at the center. The smell of blood was thick, overpowering in here - and the cause was worryingly plain to see.

The stone pews were filled with people - with bodies, really. Blood coated the floor liberally here, draining from the bodies and flowing ‘downhill’ towards the plinth at the center of the circles. In the air hung ribbons of red, seemingly emerging from nothingness, and slowly being drawn inwards towards the center of the room as well.

On top of the stone plinth was a blood-soaked alter, with a figure sitting on top of it. Even from the entrance to the room it was easy to see that the figure wasn't human - instead it seemed to be a collection of those strange beings that they had killed in the woods - smooth, slimy tendrils, wrapped together layer upon layer, mimicking the shape of a human. These ones though, this thing was not a shade of red like the rest had been - instead it was a deep, dark blue.

Fixated upon this thing, Nevin didn't see the man against the wall who turned, saw the redhead, and moved to tackle him.

Nevin
12-14-2017, 01:41 PM
“NEVIN!”

She did not have time to merge into the aura sight, and study this being - the one of twisted, disgusting, bloody-coloured waste. Her mind did recognise the one sitting on the altar as being connected to that she had destroyed outside. But she was not enraptured by Nevin had been. Instead she caught the glimpse of the being in her periforole as she slowed to stalk the building. And there was also a: Man, to the right.

All it took was for her to launch back into a run, charging for he who charged her friend.

Luckily her speed was better than most, and she had never come to a complete halt. She slammed into him with a mighty sound, and pushed him to the ground between two pews. Her screech sounded again and she went stabbing at his eyes with her beak at the same time as stabbing his heart with her dagger.

For this man was nothing. He would never get her friend.

There was a shout - a familiar voice, calling a familiar name, and for a moment the panic in that voice almost broke Nevin of the grim entrancement that the creature in the middle of the room had wrapped the alchemist in. But then there was a pulse, as crimson light sprang into Nevin’s eyes, and his magic began shrieking in terror and joy, and the almost freedom was washed away.

No - no this thing it was pulling - Nevin broke from a part of his unnatural fascination, stumbling forward. Unseen, unfelt, dozens of threads slid from Nevin’s skin, surrounding him in a writhing mass of crimson threads, tendrils, and cables, almost like he was a sea anemone. The blue being in the middle of the room began to glow, a cobalt shine breaking forth, and in the air above it blue and red began to swirl together.
Nevin knew, somehow utterly certain, that if this thing managed to complete whatever it was doing, then something utterly terrible would happen. Something he knew he absolutely must not let occur - because he had seen red swirling in that pattern once before, the night when the outsider had taken over his body and destroyed the cultist village. Whatever this tendril being was doing, it was easily as bad as that, if not worse.

So Nevin broke into a run, vaulting over any pews that got in his way - and when he was close enough, his threads shot forward, racing for the being. The creature let out a soul-shivering squeal as it was pierced countless times, Nevin’s threads somehow splitting through its skin with ease. Crimson spread across the blue body, washing it away - and with a loud, ear splitting crack, the blue hanging in the air above vanished.

For a moment the red in the air - the red that grew in the trees, in the plants of this forest - hung motionless. Then it fell, no, then it drove down, washing around Nevin. The mage glowed with the unnatural light - and then crimson began to shine, the brighter red battling the darker as Nevin began to shake, mouth open in a soundless scream as he fell away from the carcass of the creature.

Stare
12-14-2017, 01:46 PM
Roll away from the altar - now!

A strange choice of command, but she did as he suggested. Wisdom was enough in her to know that when Vitruvion gave direction in the midst of battle, she was far better responding to them. His vast knowledge, and his ability to see what she otherwise ignored was far too useful. Thus, when he told her to get away from the altar she did so, shoving the bloody body beneath her away - now blinded in both eyes and dead.

Pushing herself around to the side, her body compacted, she rolled under the various pews. Above her a bright, scarlet light suddenly beamed and she then knew what Vitruvion’s command had been about. Ducking her head she averted her gaze, then hid it into the shoulder of the corpse beneath her. One of many. The light streamed for a second or so, but still she waited until peering out of the corner of her eye. Blinking, she paused for a moment, surveyed where she was (atop a body, naturally), and then she slowly got to her feet.

Into the now dim world, the brightness having been dangerous or not. She could not know, but his warning had been enough.

There, collapsed by the altar, was Nevin. Instinct overtook her and she was running for a third time, vaulting artistically over the end of the pew and then charging up the aisle. Desperately, she threw herself into the aura sight, and was on her knees, staring madly at the form of one of the only friends she had.

Would ever have.

She stared as she was faced with two thick strands of power origin before her in him. Gone was the tiny hair strand of rose-tinted divine power - now it was a rope, intertwined with his familiar crimson. What was perhaps worse was the flow of his chakras - at least there were dim of like and their pools contorted, with grief, fear, and intense, base desires. Stare let out a long, slow breath as she saw a new man before her - one of suddenly greater concern than he had been, moments before.

... Well ... came the grim sentiment.

Nevin’s body was, even as Stare knelt by him, wracked in pain as his innate magic and his growing divine magic, was battling against the remnants of the power that had been part of the portal that was being opened. Even if he didn't recognize it, this other power was dark, and carried an inherent maliciousness to the. But -

But it was being overwhelmed, slowly. Because it couldn't be renewed without him trying to pull more in, something he would not, and currently could not do - but his innate magic, and the other, newly innate divine essence, were being replenished, rejuvenating even as they expended themselves. There was a strange, churning twist inside, and his magics enveloped the foreign power, subsuming it. As the turmoil and struggle in his magic ceased, the lines of pain on Nevin’s face faded as his body slowly began to relax.

Nevin
12-14-2017, 01:47 PM
He slowly, so slowly, cracked one eye open, to see his dear friend watching over him. The redhead forced a weak smile onto his face, only one corner of his mouth turning upwards.

“That… could have gone better.”

“Yes, it could have,” she admitted with a slightly tentative tone.

Peering at him through the eye-slits of her helmet she felt like a doctor surveying a plague patient. If she had a lip, she would curl it with worry, concern filling her from an unquenchable source. Instead her brow creased beneath the metal, and her hands curled uncertainly around the figure on the floor before her. Slow breaths came from her beak and she could not do anything but kneel there and stare almost frightful at his pulsing twisted rope of power.

Stare … be wary.

Nevin would never hurt me, she replied. Never intentionally anyway.

The god in her head sucked in his breath, an audible sound in her ear for a moment before he answered, My dear, I cannot protect you from where I am. We do not know what entity that was there, it was a beast from another world, not one that I am familiar with.

He would never hurt me, she repeated, more sternly. And this time her hand that had not the gauntlet moved to rest on Nevin’s shoulder. “Can you sit?” she asked.

A scowl, dark eyes becoming full of suspicion. Be careful.

She forced a smile into her eyes. “How are you feeling” she asked Nevin, bringing herself out of the aura sight and away from … that.

Nevin shoved one arm underneath himself and pushed up off the ground, his arm shaking as his magic settled, folding in on itself and slowly settling back into a more peaceful state. He let out trembling breath as he closed his eyes, steadying himself as he recovered from the aftershocks of pain that were still dancing along his nerves.

“Shaky. And like I just got a direct injection of caffeine into my system. And that pulling feeling I've been experiencing is gone - no, that's not right, it isn't gone, just a lot weaker now.” The redhead let out another sigh as he opened his eyes and looked around. It was only now that he saw the blood staining her beak, and his eyes widened as he leaned forward to check to see if she had been injured.

“Crimson - what happened to you? Is that your blood? Wait - no, no it isn't, it sings differently than yours does.” That was an unexpected benefit of his magic identifying blood. Nevin slumped back down as relief coursed through him. Knowing that his damnable fixation hadn't gotten Stare injured was a load off his shoulders.

So instead he turned to the carcass of the creature he had slain, and spat in its direction. “That's the second of those things I've had to kill. Ah - right you wouldn't have - Stare, it was trying to open a portal to its native plane. We ah, interrupted that plan rather effectively.” He gave her a weak smile.

Stare
12-14-2017, 01:51 PM
She blinked, trying to understand what he had said.

Planes are like worlds. Other planets. The things I showed you that circulate stars.

Stars. Each one a burning globe of bright hot gas that turned steadily in the sky, created under a force called grah’vee-tay. Not actually a bright fire in the sky. Much more than that. Like the planets - rocky or gassy (like smoke, she remembered) - that were round and rotated around the stars. Each star a sun, each world potentially livable …

“I see,” she whispered, imagining the dark, crimson land that Nevin hailed similarities to. A black soil running with rivers of scarlet thick waters - blood. Burgundy, burnt skies, hissing cleaves in the land that showed a horrid, blanched earth beneath …

“And a being from that world is bad,” she whispered. From that world … that plane. The place part of Nevin came from and to which he was gaining … more power from.

She turned it into a question. “It is bad? Why?”

“Well.” Nevin gripped the stone altar and dragged himself to his feet, swaying slightly as he did so. He seemed a bit off balance as he righted himself, and kept one hand on the stone to keep upright.

“I wouldn't say it is automatically bad. That… From why I can feel, remember, it's strange to have memories you know aren't your own…” the last words were very soft, and a frown flickered across his face. Nevin didn't know where these memories had come from, but he could feel that they were, accurate? To some degree? He shook his head and continued.

“Ahem. That place was peaceful and mostly ignored this plane, with most everything living in a fairly quiet cycle of rebirth, watched over by their God. The problem is, at some point, something foul came in. I don't know where from, and I wish I did. But that thing killed the God that was there and took its place, and began perverting the plane to suit its own darker desires.” Nevin turned his attention to his hand on the altar, which was placed in a thick puddle of blood.

“Before, the God of that plane would never have wanted sacrifices like this. Detested then, in fact, because deaths like this disrupt the Great Flow that it watched over. The Cult that made me is a twisted form of the Crimson Church, and instead of being the peaceful, accepting and tolerant individuals that the Church is supposed to espouse, well. They made me. I know what I was supposed to be now, I think.” He shuddered as he stared at the carcass by his hand. Even now, the thing looked like nothing human, just a massive collection of ‘threads’ woven together.

Stare looked at him with a fond smile in her eyes. Honestly, she felt happy for him as he said that he had found part of his being here. He knew what he ‘was supposed to be now’. In that type of knowledge, comfort could be found - personally she knew that well, having had unanswered questions for much of her life where the kenku came from. Rather than have an absolute answer the kenku-told histories, compiled in the earlier works of Karas the Wise, spoke of simply a place they had come from where a beast, or a darkness called the ‘Kage’ came from. They spoke of coming ‘across the sea’ with the ‘kami to guide them.’ But that had never been enough for Stare. Instead she had found the truth of her people - that in fact they were a discarded race from a planet so very far away, and would have died out had it not been for their enslavers taking them across an ocean to Corone.

Nevin
12-14-2017, 01:55 PM
Ever since Stare had learnt the truth of her people, and more importantly, herself, she had felt a sense of relief. Even if it might mean that she was stuck with a power-obsessed, possessive dick-head for a god, answers were still there. Answers she could not share, but answers nonetheless. A sense of belonging, a sense of security, a truth …

“You are of that world,” she acknowledged, “Or at least part of you is. And you feel a responsibility to it.”

She looked down at her cuff at her wrist briefly, wondering if Vitruvion was listening, and feeling the emotions she had right now. Tilting her head she thought about how similar worlds all sounded when you lined them together. Each had a deity, or deities. Each could express a time of peace and perfection. Each had its trials since.

Glancing back up at Nevin she nodded. “Shall we move on from this desecration? I think it would be wise to burn it.”

Nevin curled one hand into a fist as he thought about what she had said. That was - that was right. It felt like he had a responsibility, no, two. He had to protect this plane from that damn able thing’s attempts to come in. And, more important - he had to get strong enough to go and… And…

Why did it feel like he had to take his place back, like the Cobalt thing had usurped him? Crimson threads slipped from his closed fist and slowly swayed in the air in front of his eyes as he thought about this gut feeling, this low urge. He knew that the Scarlet, the Cobalt demon, didn't belong in the position it had taken, but why did he feel like he should be there? That made no sense -

He was roused from his thoughts by Stare’s decision, and he nodded. “We should check around first, there might be important notes that these things left behind or their followers made. But I agree, this place needs to be destroyed.” Nevin was steady now, and he glared at the carcass one last time before looking around the chamber, finally actually taking it in. Aside from the door they had entered through, there were too more doorways in the back, looking like they lead to separate, smaller chambers. He gestured towards them.

“One a piece you think?” With a quirk of one corner of his mouth, the Alchemist suited action to word, and headed towards the room on the right. He was definitely more alert than he had been when he entered the altar room, in case there was anyone left who hadn't come during the brief scuffle before, but it seemed like now the place was abandoned.

.

Stare nodded and followed suit, moving to the left. Hand grasping tight around her dagger she headed with caution. The entrance was dark, a shadowed place and she paused before striding in, certain that there would be little to no danger. Her eyes, adapted to the dark, gazed out without reverting to heat sight.

Stare
12-14-2017, 01:59 PM
Inside she found a small chamber, with a further door from that. There were no windows, and there was very little belongings. Only a rough blanket, a pile of fabric that was likely clothes and a basket with dried foods. Her eyes scanned around until she saw movement. And when she focused Stare saw that it was only a mouse, in the basket. It squeaked with surprise on seeing her, grabbed what it could in its mouth and ran swiftly away, disappearing through a hole in the other door. Through it came soft, natural light.

Stare blinked, then nodded. Pressing onwards past this dank sleeping place she went to go take the door handle. Though it was dimly lit here she could plainly see the latch. Lifting it up she prepared herself, took in a breath and -

Opened to the outside world.

The room Nevin was in was very dark, with no lights inside. All that came into the room was light from the ritual chamber. This room looked like a small sleeping chamber - in one corner was a pile of blankets, heaped up on top of a small wooden cot. They looked like they hadn't been used in a while though. The only other thing of interest was the low wooden desk shoved in one corner of the room, with a mat beneath it to sit only.

On top of the desk was a pile of notes, loosely bound together. Nevin made his way over, eyes piercing the gloom and watching for any threats. When he saw none, he knelt by the desk and started looking through the papers. They were the scrawl on scribbles of a man gone mad - talking of how a strange worm had bitten him, and after that he had begun to hear voices. Anyone else would have thought the writer utterly mad -

But Nevin knew that the poor man had been infested by one of the thread worms. As the voices got stronger, the man had likely been losing more and more of himself as the thread things replaced his body, using his meat and blood to fuel the creation of more of their ilk. Aside from charting a depressing fall into a fate worse than death, the pages did mention an urge to hunt things, more and more powerful creatures.

The final pages, stained with blood, were half. Incoherent, illegible. Nevin was able to figure out a direction - and a mention of a bull, or a snake, that the man had been hunting before - before the voices got too strong and he lost himself. Nevin stood up and moved away from the desk, staring sadly toward the bed. Whoever the man had been, he didn't deserve this fate.

The alchemist left the study, and saw no sign of his friend. He frowned and went to check the other room - and found the door to the outside, with Stare standing in the threshold. He cleared his throat.

Nevin
12-14-2017, 02:02 PM
“I think we've found all we can. How do we destroy this hell hole?”

Stare was frowning when he came. She heard the, hrrm, hrmm of his throat, but she did not turn around. Of course, she knew that he was trying to catch her attention, but her focus was elsewhere, for no sooner had she come outside than she had started to see the tracks.

The tracks of a long, worm-like beast trailing away from the church. A large, heavy body, but one that slid along similar to that tentacled thing. The track in the rusty brown dirt was hidden, but for eyes that saw much it was clear. Without so much as a warning Stare took a step forwards and hunkered down by a tree trunk. Extending a hand she touched a place where the bark had been rubbed and worn down by a wide body, passing. Looking further ahead she noticed a continuous path veering away from the right and further up a short hill - broken branches and crushed leaves her signs.

“Look,” she nodded to the tracks. “Something else has come and gone, possibly another one of your worm things.” Angling her head back she looked at Nevin. “If there another one out there, then we should surely hunt it also.”

Nevin stared, silent, at the tracks, his eyes wide. A tremble ran along his body - he had not thought of that, had thought that all of the creatures would be there to defend the ritual to open a portal. But these bastards were survivors and cowards - one running away made sense. The size of these tracks was disconcerting - but at the same time, it absolutely had to be dealt with, she was right.

The blood mage closed his eyes, concentrating on the singing of his magic. There was - there was a strange note to it now, a feminine tinged voice that sang in rage and anger, but it was just one more part of the unearthly chorus. He set that concern aside for the moment, unsure of where it had come from but with one of these things fleeing, hunting it down was a more immediate issue. There -

There was something, an odd note in the pulsing of his magic. It was nothing like the taint of the dark blood magic though. This sang of promised power, and of injury. Nevin’s dark red eyes snapped open and he pointed - off the trail that was in front of them, slightly to one side, deeper into the woods. “There's something bleeding in that direction. It's powerful - and I think it was trying to throw us off with a false trail.”



“Injured?”

Stare tilted her head, brow ridge hanging low over her eyes. Looking over in the direction he proposed she took a moment to look, frowning. It was not that she was poor at tracking - no, even the one that had been faked was not obvious. Rather, the creature - whatever it was, for Nevin had seemed unsure as to it being one of the bloody worms - had intelligence enough to hide himself.

Stare
12-14-2017, 02:55 PM
She straightened and fixed her eyes down there, shifting through the various stages of her sights. Dark vision did not help, neither did auras - the only creatures to see the energies of were bugs. And they had few souls between them. She came to heat, and narrowed her eyes as she tried to skim past the obvious few tiny heartbeats of rats and birds around them … but if there was something, it was still too far away.

“We should go find it,” she decided, setting off.

“Injured, or full of blood magic. Or just really powerful. Not sure which.” Nevin began following after her, frowning in thought as they went. He looked up at the sky, thinking about those random notes that he had found scrawled. Thick flow, he couldn't tell the direction they were traveling through these trees. So instead he stayed quiet, following after Stare as they pushed through the tree line, heading in the direction that the beast seemed to have gone.

Following its trail worked for the most part, and Nevin stayed silent as they moved through the trees. He was not a hunter, not primarily, and when he went after creatures they were normally mundane things to get blood from. He trusted Stare’s eyes far more than he trusted his own, so he just kept a passive bit of attention on the source of that feeling, seeing if it moved at all as they went through the trees.

Nevin was beginning to think he was going mad though, as they moved through the trees. Whatever it was seemed to be closer, but for the sake of Crimson he could not see it in the trees. He began checking the branches, to ale sure it wasn't hiding as another blood drinking vine - but he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“Stare, do you-” The alchemist’s voice was quiet as he spoke, his eyes scanning the trees around them.

“I don't see anything, no,” she whispered, the sense of heat still active. A lot of this forest was dark and cold, with only the odd green for a plant that made its own heat or the flash of red and pink for a bug or rodent. As she turned to look at Nevin she saw his bright scarlet form vivid and bright.

Taking a break from the strange colours she pulled herself out of it for a moment and grabbed for her water skin. Tugging out the stopper she threw back her beak to chug the cool liquid at the same time as keeping her eyes aware. Patient and careful was she so that she did not lower her eyes.

“There is-”

But then, of course, as soon as she began to speak, she saw it. A lithe, swift form to the side of her vision. Quickly, she spun, lowering the skin and shoving the stopper back in as she did. Eyes bright she kept them clear on the trees where she had seen the movement, hastily throwing down the waterskin to the ground and grabbing for her knife.

Nevin
12-14-2017, 03:01 PM
There was nothing for a moment, then -

A pale, hissing and sliding movement again, further in.

Her eyes gleaming she began to walk, quick and focused, stepping right into every rock and puddle that came in her way.


Nevin tried, but unfortunately he could not keep up with his friend as she slipped through the trees, pursuing whatever it was that she had seen. He stooped down and picked up the water skin that she had dropped in the ground - even if she didn’t think of this now, she might need it later. So he hung it on his belt and pulled his whip loose as he continued after Stare.

He didn't know what she had seen, but whatever it was, they were both moving quickly. At some point the thing picked up speed, probably trying to escape the pursuit. But that just made it clumsier, and made it easier for the Kenku and the - the failed avatar - to follow it. Branches broke ahead, indicating where the beast had gone, and Nevin picked up his pace - if Stare needed his help, he didn't want to get there too late.

He broke though the treeline into a decently sized clearing. The creature they were hunting had chosen this place wisely for its attempt to face them. Hungry, flesh eating plants lined the clearing on one side - hitting one of those would be fat more painful that it might seem like. Nevin was treated to the sight of Stare glaring at one of the weirder creatures he had seen in his travels.

“what…?”

And there it was. Right here. Amongst other tracks of many beasts who had passed through this place over the past few months. Some clearly had been swallowed by the surprisingly large amount of carnivorous plants, by not he. For some reason he, like many, had come to this hidden church and was now resting beneath the sun.

It was not a worm. Instead it was a huge snake body, massive and thick about the width of a stallion. Turtle-skin brown it was made of hundreds of scales, every one the size of a fist, lined up one after another in the same direction, flowing towards the tail. It was still, the soft breeze rushing over the hulk of the body with no effect, not even to the upper back of its - his - form.

A massive humanoid torso, covered at the head and shoulders in brown fur. The head itself was that of a bull, with great curling horns coming from his skull. He breathed into the air, and had his eyes closed as he cradled an arm. Stare saw that a huge gash was in the shoulder - the injury Nevin had spoken about …

He was here. Right here. One of them, an Ophiotaurus, the creature Vitruvion had sent her to kill.

My gods …

One god, came the voice of disbelief, and awe. Me. This beast's guts will end our enemy.

She looked to Nevin, grabbed him and pulled him down behind the foliage. “That,” she gestured, “Is why I am here. I have to kill it.”

Stare
12-14-2017, 04:20 PM
Nevin looked at the massive creature, the twisted thing, and raised an eyebrow. It was almost like a Naga or Lamia, serpent torso but humanoid head - in fact, staring at it, Nevin felt a chill. This thing was clearly very powerful, a mixture of Minotaur and Lamia, each in their own powerful creatures. The blood soaking its fur on one arm sang to Nevin, a triumphant crescendo that spoke of exultation and victory if he could just reach out and seize it. His mouth went dry as he slowly turned his gaze back to Stare.

“Well. A tall undertaking for two people. But neither of us are exactly normal, are we?” Nevin pulled a pair of small, hard red tablets from a pocket and rested them on an upturned palm. The tablets broke apart and swelled, slowing out and upwards into a slowly expanding orb of blood.

“I - well. You can see I learned a few new tricks, but haven't had to use them yet. Do you have any plans on how to approach this fight?” Nevin didn't know how effective magic would be against such a powerful magical being. If he was right, and it was bred from not one but two unnatural creatures, just how much strength did this thing possess? And why did she need to kill it, if it didn't look like it had left the first in some time?

Stare steeled herself, flexing her gauntleted hand. Focusing in on the creature she narrowed her eyes before nodding slowly to herself. “I have learnt some things too. But just simple ones. Nothing as fancy as you.” And she had her teleportation stones. She was sure that they would come in handy, in the most desperate of moments.

Looking back down to Nevin she indicated right. “If we flank the creature it will be better. It is like a snake, cold blooded, but any standard attack will weaken it. It is also obviously injured so we should force it to use that arm.”

She balanced on the claws of her feet, ducked down as she was and prepared herself. Carefully she slid out a light blue marble from her pocket before handing it over to Nevin. “This will teleport you three feet in a direction of your choosing. I need it back after, but it is in case of emergency. Now, I will go right, you go left and we will kill it together.”

And not consulting with him on the plan she began to move, stalking through the grass like a predator.

Nevin slipped the marble into his pocket, already deciding that he would only use it of he absolutely had to - he wasn't one to enjoy teleporting, the sensation left him queasy. He watched, and waited, as she slowly moved to the right, and he began slipping to the left, moving slower than she did - he was not trained in stealth, so it took more time for him to move into position.

Nevin
12-15-2017, 01:29 PM
As he moved, Nevin pulled more of the blood tablets out of his pouch, preparing to expand them back into their liquid state and use them as more ammunition. The man was slow and methodical as he studied the injured beast - freezing when that large bull head slowly swung in his direction for a moment. Nevin prayed that its eyesight was terrible - wasn't the minotaur of legend meant to hunt with sound? - and stood stock still until with a loud snort the ophiotaurus looked away. Right. That had been mildly terrifying, but it seemed the immediate threat was past.

Nevin concentrated, scanning the beast. He was in the same side as its injured arm - which meant that that was going to be his immediate target. Force it to defend itself, or get hurt more, and possibly debilitate it. His hand under the orb of blood lifted up, reaching up almost as if he was holding on to the hilt of a javelin, his fingers not quite closing underneath a large jagged spire of red. The bull-serpent was distracted, looking away, and Nevin took the time to break another tablet and add the blood to the weapon - but this time, hardening and condensing the very tip, giving it additional weight. Then he waited, arm tensed for -

Motion, movement from Stare. She was beginning her attack. She burst from the treeline, shrieking loud cries - her native tongue, and probably insane curses at that. As the creature started to swing to face her, Nevin launched the spike of blood, hurling it for the beast’s wounded arm, aiming slightly towards the center of mass.

He was already breaking apart more of his condensed blood, getting ready to pelt the thing with more bullets of blood.

As the javelin aimed for the injury, Stare finished the decline of her war leap. High into the air had she leapt, and now she came to land with extended foot claws on the shoulders of the bull-serpent ophiotaurus. The one whose guts were said to be able to kill a god.

She hoped it would at least damage one.

The bull head reared back, shrieking out a mighty bellow. Tipping up its - his - face he hissed and stared the kenku right in the eyes. A deadly mistake. Roaring, he had both pain at his arm and a terror above. He clutched at his arm, roared at Stare. Another javelin hit him, but he seemed more bothered with her. Underneath him his great body began to writhe, swift and wriggling and struggling to throw the kenku off, but her eyes already had him in her sights.

Hate.

Racing, she summoned every kind of detest she could remember, thinking of the first time Vitruvion had taken her, raw and cruel. Not allowed her any choice, simply stolen her virginity and her life in one go.

That hate for him in that time she threw at the ophiotaurus. Fury mixed in, but it was the hate that was the core of her attack. Right there, still atop the monster she balanced despite his thrashing and froze him in place. Stunned.

“Again!” she roared at Nevin.

She could only hold the creature for so long.

Stare
12-15-2017, 02:39 PM
Nevin charged in, feet pelting the earth as he raced forward. With each step spires of blood were thrown - until he ran out, jagged red spikes jutting out of the creature in nearly a dozen places. It was already beginning to break free from her hold, and it looked like his attacks had weakened it, but they weren't enough. So with a grunt of exertion, Nevin pulled, ripping the spikes of blood free. He lifted both hands above his head as the bull began struggling more - and all the blood that was splashing the ground, and hovering in the air, began swirling together.

With a cry of effort, controlling this much blood was draining him rapidly, Nevin swung his hands down, bringing what was effectively a massive weight of blood with a single, hardened edge down onto the ophiotaurus. Even as that attack fell, he ripped his whip free from his waist and lashed out for the injured arm - the Plynt barbed whip would start drawing out more blood from this damn thing as soon as the barbs sunk in.

The ophiotaurus bellowed in agony and fear as he was bitten a dozen times and more by Nevin's darts of death. Hissing he curled and recoiled his body, trying to shake off the kenku from his shoulders but she dug down with the constructed barbs on her hind claws. As the huge wave of blood came crashing towards the beast she clung on with feet and gauntlet, gripping as the once stunned monster was assailed mercilessly. It had a harsh, sharp edge that stabbed into him from the front and she felt the beginnings of his fall. Allowing herself to dig her claws out of his back she ducked fast and then launched into the air. Beneath her the ophiotaurus fell onto his back, crushed by Nevin's power.

She landed, but she did not let this finish yet. He had to die to be of use to her. After coming into contact with the earth she twisted back around and began to stab at where his torso met his tail, conscious not to be too near the abdomen, where his guts that she needed were. Using her eyes as much as her dagger she began to send jolts of pain through him, her aim to keep him down. Her logic followed that as she was attacking the place where his weight was centred he would have more trouble getting back up. As she kept it up she hissed back at Nevin.

“His neck. Avoiding hitting the stomach.”

His neck, hmm? Nevin let his man-made whip fall slack to the earth, it's barbs still slowly drawing blood from the beast. As Stare kept the creature at bay, locked in pain, Nevin decided exactly how he would end this. Even a mighty beast such as this had to breath.

Foot upon foot of red threads sprang from both of his arms and wrists - some wrapping around his limbs, the rest twirling together into powerful whips. Beneath his clothes, more threads wrapped around the rest of his body, reinforcing the man as he darted forward, shooting past Stare with a loud cry.

Nevin
12-15-2017, 02:41 PM
The creature swung its head to look at him - just as Nevin launched himself into the air, boosted by the increase in strength from his crimson threads. His hands lashed out, the whips anchored to them and his arms snaking around the bullish throat as he shot through the air. There was a strangely wet crack as Nevin hit the end of the length of his whips, the crimson coils snapping tight as they tightened around the throat.

The blood mage swung around in an arc, anchored to the ophiotaurus by its neck. His feet drove into its shoulders, the force of the impact breaking its skin. As he stood there, planted on the creature’s back, he hauled back on his whips, drawing them tighter and tighter around the bull’s throat. As it began to choke, it started trying to buck powerfully, the fear of death overcoming the bursts of pain from Stare’s assault.

But it was too much - Stare kept it from moving too much, and what it could do just was not enough to dislodge the man on its back, slowly strangling the life from it. Large meaty fingers scrabble at the red cords around its neck, trying to pry them free - but that just ended up with it wasting breath as its fingers lost the edge of their skin and flesh.

With a soundless bellow, its arms reached out in supplication to something - to anything. But no help came. The last of its strength was spent, and it collapsed to the ground, the earth shaking as the enormous creature fell. Silence fell over the clearing, but Nevin kept up his strangling hold for a full minute and more - ensuring that this creature was dead. Then he turned his gaze to Stare, an inscrutable expression in his eyes.

Madness was in her eyes also, born of a creature who had been six months in the Hollow making. Ever since she had come from that place, reborn as Stare and not Avis a fury had overtaken her, and a lust for death. Vitruvion's first gift, one might say, before her powers and before the cuff and before …

All the myriad of intense feelings pumped still through her body. Right now she was concentrating on anguish (memory: being beaten after her attempt to escape the Hollow did well) to build a series of concentrated skin abrasions. The necrosis still ate into the ophiotaurus’ flesh, digging down like tiny maggots, eating at what it could get. Chest heaving she gazed at Nevin, her beat open in panting, her tail feathers, short as they were, shivering with excitement of the blood sport.

Her eyes grinned, and she stood to share in his joy. The ophiotaurus was still alive, but barely, and her final task would end it.

With a look away from Nevin she bent back down and lashed out with her gauntlet at the belly. A single long gash appeared, though shallow and she laid a second perpendicular to it. Then taken knife in hand she dug carefully deeper, the blood and flesh oozing out. She paused when she got to the beginning of the sign of the guts of the ophiotaurus.

Stare
12-16-2017, 06:02 AM
She paused, then grabbed her cloak that was still around her neck and dragged it off to lay it on the floor before the cut. Then, as she had learnt in the wilderness of Akashima many times during her life as a classless kenku, by her father, brothers and mother, she began to gut the creature. Pulling out all the entrails she made a neat slop of mess that seeped into the cloak but would do for now. Feet upon feet of guts spilled out.

Watching his friend disembowel the creature was… An experience, that was for sure. She seemed almost to revel in slaying the mighty beast, and while Nevin himself relished the opportunity to get his hands on some of its blood - speaking of which he began gathering blood and condensing it down into hardened tablets again - he didn't know if he could react to it with the same almost manic glee that she was displaying.

Not for the first time, Nevin was reminded of the fact that Stare’s psyche had been damaged. His friend handled it well most of the time, but every so often it slipped past. Her power didn't help in that regard actually from what he knew - she had to draw up emotions inside of herself to be able to throw them at others, which meant re-experiencing the situation that had generated them in the first place. And none of her eye based powers came from benevolent or happy emotions.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he continued to clean up the area, gathering up the blood that spilled from the mighty carcass. As she worked on separating out the creature’s in testing - and why did she want those almost to the exclusion of other things? - Nevin was examining the corpse, walking around it in a slow, methodical circle. His original estimation that it seemed to be a crossbreed of magical animals seemed to be correct - the lower serpentine half leading to a humanoid torso matched what Nevin knew of Lamias and Naga breeds, while the furred torso and bull head matched up descriptions of minotaurs.

They had gotten lucky in this fight, essentially blitzing the beast and killing it before it could really react to their assault. If this fight had gone on longer… Nevin shuddered and shook his head, instead turning to watch as Stare gathered up the intestines of the beast. She was wrapping them in her cloak, tying it up as well as she could. If he wasn't passively pulling all the blood away, the mess would have been far worse than it was. But even with him doing that, there were plenty of other fluids leaking from the meat and soaking her cloak and the ground.

“I ... Take it we have what you came here for then, Stare?” His voice was soft and steady, one eyebrow raising up.

Nevin
12-16-2017, 06:40 AM
Swinging her eyes around to look at him she fixed him with a long gaze before shrugging and going back to the cloak. It was sodden already, great oozes of liquids seeping out from the broken guts. She glanced at the ruined carcass before her, making sure she had got everything possible, and then she stood, satisfied. Her curiosity went a bit further and she ended up starting on a piece of the snakeskin for herself, slicing and slivering it off for that just in case moment.

Done, she sent an image of the long body before her and the package, thinking of them as clearly as possible. Her hands worked to drag off the snake skin, which peeled like orange peel, smooth and neat.

There was a long pause, then a murmur as he continued to look through books. Indeed, he said quietly. Bring it back here. We. Will keep it in the basement until such a time that it is needed. I will have Druss prepare one.

She frowned, her brow creasing as she severed a few pieces of scales from skin.

In the house? You want it so close to you?

Stare, it is better to have it close by than not at all. Besides, unless a person actually knows they are ophiotaurus guts, then they will be useless. Naturally I will weave a binding enchantment to make the smell be negated and for it only to be opened by certain people. He made it sound like it was entirely obvious.

’Naturally,’ she semi mocked. Then she straightened and looked over to Nevin.

“Burn the church and then head back?” She rolled the skin tightly into a scroll before stuffing it into her pack. Then, bending down, she tried to heave the cloak of entrails into the air.

They were very heavy. She figured out quickly she would have to drag them.

“Agreed. We can use that cold flame they had around the place to burn it to the ground.” Nevin watched for a few moments as she struggled to lift the guts, before stepping to the other side of the cloak and lifting up. They were heavier than he had expected, but with the two of them - and with him cheating and using his threads to help spread out and carry the load - they were able to lift and bring the organ filled cloak back with them to the temple.

The alchemist carefully lowered his end to the ground and stepped past Stare, one hand tightening into a fist, the knuckles showing through his skin as he clenched his fingers hard. He lifted up one of the large, heavy braziers, wrapping threads around both his arm and the metal pole. Up came the cold flame, waving in the night air as he grimly marched inside.

Stare
12-16-2017, 07:18 AM
The first place he set ablaze was the small chamber that the infested man had once lived in. “May your next splitting from the Great Flow be more pleasant than this one.” Nevin bowed his head and offered a benediction, before scooping some of the flame out and tossing it onto the bed. His hand stung from the intense, painful cold but he ignored that, instead taking a step back as he watched the flickering, cool blue flames begin to spread.

Once the room was burning, he moved into the ritual room, and methodically began setting fire to each of the bodies of the sacrificial victims in the main ritual chamber. He paused and looked down at his tunic, bright red in the firelight, and nodded. The hide from this creature was the same as what he was already wearing - and he needed a reinforced cloak. His threads burst out from his skin and he set to work, quickly tearing strips of the hide from the body and tucking them away into his pouches. It would suffice for making a new cloak, once he could find someone who could work in the magim beast leather they thought it was.

Grisly harvest accomplished, Nevin dumped the remains of the fire he had been hauling around onto the body, and stepped back to make sure that it was burning thoroughly. He nodded satisfied as the corpse lit up, fire crackling along its skin. The cold in the chamber was actually painful now, chapping Nevin's skin as the blue flames caught everything they could and set it alight. Before he could get trapped, or frozen, Nevin hurried out. Behind him, dancing blue flames could be seen, slowly spreading throughout the temple.

His teeth were chattering with the cold as he walked back to Stare. “H-h-h-h-how f-f-f-f-far b-b-b-back-k-k?”

Stare returned from walking around the outside, her spark rocks in her hand. She had done a quick circumference, making sure that the fire would not spread easily and eat up the entire forest. Instead, she had ensured every tree close enough to possibly be snapped up by the hungry flames was broken and bent away. There were limits, however. Because of her height she could only access certain ones, and so some needed to be left as possible catches. Sincerely, she hoped all would be fine and even set alight to what grasses and decaying leaves she could find in order to help the flames.

When Nevin came back to the front just after her, all shivering, she found herself thankful for the feathers that kept her warm. She realised she could not offer him her cloak, for it was now drowned with ophiotaurus gunk. Instead she had to suffice with nearing him awkwardly and touching his side with her feathers at the same time as slipped her spark rocks away.

“We teleport,” she grunted, and whilst waiting for Nevin to warm up and use her as a hot water bottle she began to search for her darkest marble of them all.

Nevin
12-16-2017, 07:27 AM
Nevin watched as natural flames burned around the temple, while the impossible icy flames gutted the place. It was comforting to see the church burn, even if he felt a strange pang. Again he had found a connection to his past to what he was - and again it had been perverted, meant to bring ruin to the world. He didn't know why, but that thought in just grate against him the wrong way - it infuriated him. Equal acceptance and open arms did not mean a willingness to sit aside when something was trying to destroy the flow of life.

That was it, wasn't it? The natural flow. Things were meant to be and die, and return. But this abomination, the usurper, and its servants - their bloody sacrifices, their stealing of power and energy, all of it was breaking the Great Flow, and forever preventing Crimson from rejoining the flow. And that, that was what was making Nevin furious.

And he didn't know why - while he did have the memories of the teenager who was raised in the Cult, it was just that - one more part of the Cult, the perverted branch. If anything, his memories should have reinforced that what was happening here was right and proper. But no, something deeper than memories screamed at him that this must be stopped - and the usurper dealt with.

Nevin was pulled from his thoughts by a sound of triumph close by. He turned his eyes to Stare who was holding up an extremely dark orb. She stepped on top of the bundled cloak, and looped her arm through his - and then there was a gut churning twisting sensation.

The world twisted around them, and the sensation that was only familiar to one of them occurred. Her stomach knotted in several places, but she liked the way the wind whistled around her face. It picked and played with her feathers as the world became a void and -

Thump. There they were again. The broad cream facade of her home, and the splendid stoney drive. The tiny pebbles crunched beneath her feet and the hate and anguish used for battle melted away. They came to be replaced by a simple indifference that followed her like a cloud in this city.

Breathing in, she took a moment to take in the fresh air and then she turned to Nevin.

“I have to take this lot,” she gestured with the cloaked mass of guts between them, “To the basement … I'll see you in the dining room right? They'll be some form of dinner out by now.”

Nevin steadied himself and nodded slowly. He would have to do research on just what the guts of a minotaur lamia were useful for - they were going to some lengths in order to obtain it and now keep it safe. But - she hadn't felt comfortable enough to share it with him, and he wasn't going to press, not now. He had thoughts and issues of his own that he was not going to burden her with, so he wouldn't demand to know hers. No, he would leave it be for now and start looking into that on his own time, away from this place. He watched as Stare headed inside, dragging the gory mess behind her, then shrugged and headed inside himself, making his way towards the dining room.

Stare
12-16-2017, 08:54 AM
Only to be intercepted by the small, brown haired, mousey little man who snored like he was sawing wood. Druss gave him a polite smile and bowed, sweeping his hand out to one side as he indicated that Nevin should follow him.

“Lord Vitruvion would like for you to join him in his private study. If you would be so kind as to follow me, I will guide you there and then send someone to bring you both refreshments.” Well, this was concerning, but there was no way he could reject the request, not after the white haired individual had been kind enough to allow Stare to accompany him into the forest. Nevin didn’t doubt that if he had wanted to, he could have easily had someone else join Stare in hunting for that beast, at a later time. So, the redhead nodded and followed after Druss as the quiet man led the way.

Back they went, through a hallway and back into the library. This time, Nevin was guided to the set of double doors that was set into one end of the room. Druss knocked firmly on the door and waited until a soft, imperious voice said to enter - then the butler bowed to the alchemist and left, saying he would be back shortly with some small refreshments. Nevin looked down and adjusted his tunic, then took a deep breath and entered.

Vitruvion was on the left, sitting behind a desk that had papers strewn across it, the sign of a busy individual. He didn’t look up right away as Nevin entered, his long, well groomed white hair falling in a curtain around his face as he focused on documents on the table. Nevin looked around the room slowly as he waited. On his right was a bookshelf filled with what looked like heavy tomes, and a stool was set up near a large window looking out on the front walk. The wood in this entire chamber was matched oak, everything was set up neatly and orderly, and was a clear sign of a well-appointed room.

“You wanted to see me, Sir Elssmith?” Nevin waited until Vitruvion had paused in his work, setting the fountain pen down on a small stand. The man folded his hands on top of the desk and turned his gaze towards Nevin, staring steadily at the alchemist.

Slowly he breathed in and indicated to the door. It creaked for a moment, then shuddered closed as if on its own accord. Rolling his shoulders back he let a short silence continue as he studied the man, then, for the second time, and tried to poke at the mind. But once more there was a large amount of harsh resistance. Perhaps even more than before.

“I want to know exactly what is going on,” he said quietly. “You explained to Stare that you have powers from another realm, another world,” his eyes narrowed slightly with the reminder that there were other planets. “But you also have other magic within you. It got stronger in the church. Much stronger. And Stare's eyes never lie.”

Pressing his fingers tightly together he let his breath go on steadily, and prepared to do whatever magic he needed to protect himself.

Nevin
12-17-2017, 11:55 PM
Nevin blinked twice, and tilted his head to one side. That was not what he had expected in all honesty. He frowned and rubbed his chin as he tried to figure out how to respond, because he wasn’t sure what to tell him. So, he shrugged a bit as he dropped his hands to his sides.

“You may very well know as much as I do at this point, if you’ve been listening through Stare. I don’t know myself why this other magic - what she called divine - is inside of me, and I didn’t know that it had gotten stronger in the church. My best guess would be that it’s a result of that ritual that the Cult performed on me seven years ago, but I can’t say that for certain. Though…” He paused and his frown deepened.

“If I had to make a guess as to why it got stronger in the church, it would have to be because that thing I killed there was opening a portal to the plane that it came from - the same plane that my powers come from. It could be that even the brief connection back to that plane strengthened what I have.” If that was the case - just what on earth was he? What got stronger when it was in contact with its native realm?

Vitruvion's jaw tightened, and his fingers pressed together harder. The look on Nevin's face told him that he was telling the truth, and he was sure that if he brought Stare in here that she would tell him that Nevin told the truth … As the crimson-haired man thought of it. If there was only some way though to address the higher authority that seemed to be connected to him. The divine half in that two corded twist that made up Nevin's power.

He was still wary of the power. Wary that it could mean a challenge to him, that it secretly had intent behind its human host …

“What are your intentions?” he asked, determined to keep the conversation going until he saw a glimmer of the beast beneath. There was always someone granting the power when it came to divinity. Always. Even if it was now half mad or nearly destroyed. “You spoke of ‘my church’ to Stare. What does that mean to you? What are your real intentions in this city? Are you here as-” He stopped, breaking off the last word.

Here as part of my brother's plan.

He fell silent, forgetting the question, but keeping his gaze steady.

Stare
12-18-2017, 04:20 AM
“My chu- my intentions?” Nevin drew his back upright, locking his gaze onto Vitruvion’s suspicious eyes. “My church is the Crimson Church, a thing meant to be accepting and promote unity and acceptance. It’s not a hostile thing, or it shouldn’t be. These bastards that think they can corrupt that, twist it into a thing of sacrifice and mutilation are disgusting. My intentions in this city were were to meet my friend, and to help her, and examine the Red Forest. That’s it. I don’t have some grand, overarching scheme here - I have enough on my plate as it is trying to purge the corrupt branches of the Crimson Church, and getting ready to run the Radasanth Alchemist’s guild out of business.” Nevin curled his right hand into a fist for a moment, digging nails into his palm for a moment as he gathered himself.

“That’s it. I’m not here as part of any scheme, on my part or anyone else’s. Thick flow, I helped Stare gather information for you - and I’m willing to give you more of that serum if you need to interrogate anyone else. And I helped Stare kill that serpent bull thing, which I know she was doing for you - what on earth could you -” He broke off, biting his tongue, hard as thoughts came to him. While he didn’t know what on earth that thing had been, he did remember some ancient legends about the creatures that made it up were. Nevin exhaled, a long, heavy breath. He locked his eyes onto Vitruvion, and spread his palms out wide.

“I’m not here to impose on you, or infringe on your domain. I have a question for you, Sir Elssmith. What are you and your brother? Because I think I’m going to end up tangled up in that mess as well, if he is targeting Stare or your operations.” Nevin didn’t want to admit it - but he knew that Stare was important to Vitruvion. And if this brother - who was so clearly not human from what Nevin had gleaned from that captured mage - was going for things precious to Vitruvion - his friend was a weakness.

The blue eyes fixed on the alchemist with an ageless fury. Righteous and great they glared back at him, the hands forming together into a tight collective white-knuckled fist. A thin growl came from between his teeth.

“First, do not associate me with that villain, if you weren't in that prison with her, you would not know anything about him. Secondly,” he paused, breathing accelerated, human heart pounding. Secondly, he thought, Fuck this mortal form. He gritted his teeth, the old furies coming back. If only he could, if only he could tell everyone. “Stare already explained it,” he said thickly. “I am a half-celestial, this you can find from anyone. It's a term used for half angels. There are enough of them,” he spat the few last words.

Nevin
12-18-2017, 01:48 PM
Although he was honestly sure that his half-brother, which ever one it was, was likely striding around telling everyone his true heritage.

Nevin saw the fury, the anger, and heard the vitriol. He slowly sat down on the stool, and clasped his hands in his lap as he watched Vitruvion. He waited as the being in front of him calmed down, staying quiet until the veins that had started to stand out had receded as he took deep breaths. When Nevin was fairly confident the other man wasn’t about to attack him, he shook his head slowly, his hair dancing against the back of his neck as he did so.

“It’s… that’s not quite right though, is it?” His voice was very, very calm, and quiet. Nevin carefully watched Vitruvion, and caught the fact that the other man went totally still. “You’re right, Stare did say that earlier. But - she then avoided me, fled from me, which she’s never done before. I thought something was wrong about it when that happened, but I was not going to press her. I’d put it out of my mind, you know.” He took a deep breath.

“But you brought it up.” Nevin rubbed his face with one hand. “It took a powerful demon - one that is made even stronger by the fact that he has a church that worships him - to break your magic. You have a mental connection that reaches across continents with no sign of weakness or faltering at all. Stare has seen divine magic in you - and when she tried to explain it, she lied or tried to hide something from me. But, if you were a half-celestial, then nothing would have been needing to stay hidden there. And the other - he who calls himself a godling - has the power to actually bully and command the demon that broke your magic on Stare, the magic on that cuff. And… ‘There are enough of them’.” He focused his eyes back on Vitruvion.

“You’re much more than just a half-celestial. But why would you need to hide your true nature? The Thaynes run around enough as it is. No - you…. You were aware of alternate planes. Not just aware, you seem familiar with them. Is that right?” Was Vitruvion - was Vitruvion similar in nature to him? Divinity from another plane of existence? Or - perhaps the other way around, as Nevin was still finding out what he was, while Vitruvion knew. “You’re… foreign. A…” His mind tried to balk, but a core of something inside of him lashed out, forcing his mind to say the words.

“Are you a god?”

Vitruvion stared, eyes locked onto Nevin. The alchemist didn’t know if that meant that he was entirely wrong - or entirely right.

Stare
12-18-2017, 03:38 PM
For what seemed a long time, but was in fact seconds, the white-haired man watched. His breath came to nothing, his heart beat … paused. Hiccuped and then stopped as pure energy raged through his body, keeping it going. His mind began to race, blue eyes become twisting whirlwinds, remembering the last time someone had been this close. Last time he had been able to confess his true identity to someone. That someone, closer to him than anyone could comprehend …

Could he really? Nevin had just asked, in the same way that Raevin had done all those years ago, starting the two of them on a journey together that still had many years to go … Could he, as Vitruvion the god, actually admit … Was this a -

Suddenly he broke eye contact. The pain of so many years flooded into the man's face, strain and stress and horror. Many things flittered over it, including desire, hatred and scorn, but he rested on the same constant stress of the past one hundred years. Trapped in this damn body. Trapped in this damn body. Trapped …

He moved his hands off the desk and his hair fell across his eyes as he gored a death sentence into the wood before him. He whispered something barely audible.

“Less than I was.”

Well. That was…. Nevin swallowed. “I…. well. None shall learn of it from me. It isn’t much of an offer, but if I am ever in a position to help you…. I will see what I can do.” His voice was very soft.

Vitruvion did not speak. Instead he breathed out and briefly closed his eyes to murmur something on the wind. There was a twist in the air, a breaking of reality. A small pocket appeared in the atmosphere beside him and from somewhere else a figure came to be.

Stare. Stuck, suddenly in the room and looking very surprised, still in a position of slightly bending over. It took her a moment to gauge where she was. Her eyes darting around she took in Nevin, then the room and finally Vitruvion, her breath expelling from her lungs.

“I hate it when you do that,” she moaned, glaring at his slumped body, “I was just finishing-”

“Stare,” the white-haired man whispered tightly, but in a clattering, clicking tongue that was clearly her native language. “He knows.”

And suddenly then, her breath was back in. Her eyes grew massive, swinging around to take Nevin in. She drew herself in, tensing in that moment and quickly backing away from him, her dear friend, fearing, stunned, confused. Not knowing what would happen, or anything beyond that single fact she pressed herself to Vitruvion's side, hand automatically slipping down to grab her dagger’s hilt.

“It's not what it seems, Nevin,” she said fast. “I can't tell, we're not allowed to tell. It's the law. It's ...” She put herself before Vitruvion, protecting him.

Nevin
01-03-2018, 11:45 AM
“It’s perfectly fine - I won’t spread what is not mine to share. You know that, Stare.” Nevin interrupted her - seeing Stare afraid for him, of him, did not sit right with the Alchemist. He shook his head slowly, and kept his hands in his lap - clearly not ready to move. “It’s been a suspicion in the back of my mind for a while, but it changes nothing.” And there was something wrong, something off - his eyes were burning, aching in a strange way. He lifted one hand and began rubbing at his eyes furiously as he spoke.

“You kept my secret when you learned it, Stare, Vitruvion. I would be a pathetic individual not to return that same consideration. Crimson!” He broke off, cursing as he grabbed his face in his hands. His eyes were aching, demanding something, pressure, but the rubbing did nothing at all to help. Desperate to stop the pain, he pushed some of his internal magic to his eyes, hoping that that would ease the pain - and it cut off completely, sweet relief making his shoulders slump.

Nevin opened his eyes and lowered his hands, and froze. There was something in the room that hadn’t been there before - and the other two seemed to not realize it at all. Stretching between each pair of people - Nevin and Stare, Stare and Vitruvion, and Vitruvion and Nevin - was bands of red, different thicknesses. Heavy red chains, a plethora of them, swung between Vitruvion and Stare, glowing a brilliant crimson hue on the end closer to the man - to the god. The end on Stare’s side was glowing a softer red, still bright, but shot through with brighter streaks and darker ones at random.

Between Nevin and Stare was a single, solid chain of links. On his end was a warm red - while Stare’s had a dark glow about it, and just looking at it sent shivers of fear into Nevin. He realized the emotions were not his own - Stare was afraid of him? How did he know that? And how did he know that Vitruvion was cautious, worried, and a bit mad at Nevin? He glanced in the other man’s direction - the connection between them was a thick rope, not as impressive as the chains connecting either of them to Stare - and nothing at all like the massive network of chains that bound Stare and Vitruvion together. He let out a soft exhalation, his eyes wide, focused not on anyone, but on the new things he was seeing.

Stare
01-03-2018, 12:00 PM
A suck of her breath and she let out a light cry of shock as she saw him, Nevin, with his eyes glowing bright and crimson. The whole of them, red and luminous. Pressing herself back she didn't know what to do, caught between trying to protect Vitruvion, lost in his scarred past as she was, and trying to save herself. She thought of yelling out, alerting someone, but who would be of use here. And just what was Nevin doing? He had cursed while clutching at his head, and now looked up with -

A strong something grabbed her, spinning her around. Hard, she was shoved back into the seat that was never hers, and instead before her was the tall, impressive figure of Vitruvion, taking her place between the possible enemy and her. He was hunkered over, trying to cover Stare as he threw up a hand before him, a writhing forcefield of energy springing from it to create a magical shield barrier. Vitruvion's eyes were now alert, huge and full of life.

Behind him Stare’s eyes flickered between Nevin and Vitruvion, uncertain what was going on, her heart mad.

“Oh. You… you love her. You really love her.” The redhead’s voice was soft, and almost not quite there, like he wasn’t really speaking despite the words coming from him. Nevin stayed seated, his red eyes focused between the two. Slowly they swung up to lock onto Vitruvion’s face. “So tired and worn, but even now you’re protecting her. I…. You don’t need to be afraid. Not of me. I’m not a fighter, not truly. Ah. You… my eyes?” He raised one hand up in front of his face, and a very faint frown flickered across his face when he saw the red glow spreading across it. Experimentally, magic was withdrawn from his eyes - and the light faded. So to did the red bonds that connected them all. Magic was pushed back, and the glow and bonds returned.

He pulled the magic away and left it away. “It seems I’m still.. Growing. I… Bonds, between us all. When I let magic flow to my eyes, I can see the signs of our connections together. And your feelings, towards me and towards each other. And more - bonds that whisper away, falling apart. Someone outside of sight, maybe?” His head floated to one side, as if he wasn’t consciously moving it. “Yes, that seems right. The connections between you two are so powerful though. And they shine, so brightly.” A few heartbeats passed in silence as he sat there, his body slowly drifting from side to side. Then he shook his head, sharply, and he winced as his gaze refocused on the here and now.

“I… that was new.”

“You… you love her. You really love her.”

The words still resounded in her head as Nevin seemed to come out of it all. The other distant connections … there were many their lives reflected on. But those bonds between them so strong.

Nevin
01-03-2018, 12:31 PM
He loved her?

Quietly she lifted her eyes and settled them on Vitruvion. He had lowered his hand, the barrier fading into nothing when Nevin had explained them further - then slowly drew back into a stiffer, straighter position. His chest rose and fell, the habits of breathing coming back into his body as Stare looked with honest confusion and at a loss for words.

“What …” she whispered, “What does he …?”

“Stare is mine,” Vitruvion said in a small, but confident voice. “More than anyone will ever know. Her race was made, then discarded by the being we refer to as my ‘father’ … Ansaldo. They were discarded here, to this planet and I found her. I have a right to her, she is mine.”

He said the last word with a supreme amount of authority and confidence. As he did his hand rolled into a fist, and prepared to do anything at all to keep her to him. Stare’s brow furrowed, her initial reaction being disbelief, that Vitruvion had any positive feelings for her at all but … but she had to admit it. First reactions were never right. Instead, he had promised her in recent times never to abuse her, never to rape her, had told her time and time again as to how much she was worth to him …

She dropped her eyes and looked at the desk before her. Tension flickered between the two of them, and she felt a lump form in her throat, thinking of all the hatred she often felt towards him.

“I am … his,” she admitted with a whisper. “He's literally my god, Nevin.”

Nevin tilted his head to the side as he watched them, listened to Vitruvion speak. He had pushed magic back to his eyes - and there was shock in Stare’s emotions, running towards Vitruvion, followed by flickers of surprise, confusion, doubt, bleeding to warmth. Vitruvion on the other hand kept that brilliant glow, though it did flicker to feelings of possessiveness as he spoke. There was a strange half-smile on his lips as he shook his head. “It seems you can’t hide from these eyes. Acceptance, possessiveness, they are masques over a deeper love. Even if she is yours, of a race from the world you came from and your father made - you have left an indelible mark upon her. You’ve probably met other Kenku, but none of them are yours in the way she is, are they? That, that she is yours, when you say that, there are other words that you want to say, but cannot.” The half-smile stayed on his lips as he shook his head.

“That feeling is a power in and of itself, Vitruvion. Normal, mortal men have challenged and slain gods for it. What could you do, I wonder?” The red light faded again and he rubbed his forehead. It seemed doing that put a strain on him, as he wasn’t used to using his magic that way just yet.

Stare
01-03-2018, 12:35 PM
“Hypothetical,” Vitruvion murmured, “Purely … No I never met another kenku before her. Not for long enough.” He looked right at Nevin, most of his strength and confidence back. Briefly, he looked into Stare's mind, and found her to be suffering. A range of emotions surged through her, and he knew he would not let it go on forever. It would damage her usefulness to him. But he needed to take care of something far more important first.

“When I first came to this planet,” he said quickly, “The Althanas pantheon, they-” he stopped and found himself curling his lip with disgust. “Screw those bastards, but one of the conditions of me being able to stay here - and I cannot go home - is that my entire existence as a deity remains an entire secret. I'm telling you this now, you cannot, for your safety as well as ours, tell anyone.” He finished and then blinked a few times. Twisting around he looked back down at Stare and paused before looking back at Nevin, seriousness in his tone.

“Do you understand? The bastards shoved me in this body so I cannot force you to do anything, but for your own sanity …”

Nevin frowned and shook his head. “I told you already. I am not going to share your secret. It is yours, not mine. I merely know it. Now, I think other business needs your attention. We can talk more another time, if it is necessary. Stare. Trust him - his feelings are so bright they almost blind me.” He gave a crooked smile and stood up, bowing to the two of them before he slipped out of the office. It looked like the two of them had a discussion they needed to have. And Druss had never returned with food, and his stomach was rumbling.

And he had things he needed to think about himself. Did this power work on things that weren’t divine, or divinely touched? Or could he only see connections between gods? That would be an unusual power, and a fairly useless one. As a researcher, he would have to do some experimentation and find out the limits of his new power.

Vitruvion watched Nevin leave, his eyes piercing at the red-haired man. Several times he swallowed, trying to get his body back to a normal working routine. He bit his lip, the stress of the day and that event getting to him, as he thought.

Another. Another knew, adding to the list. Ventrua, Raevin, Stare … and now her close friend, Nevin. Strong, potentially part divine himself … not a threat. Likelihood of that had dropped significantly.

Turning around he found himself looking at Stare, her slumped, awkward form a crumpled mess. For a moment he blinked, then sighed and bent down to slide his arms underneath her form.

She was moldable, bendable. Easily he scooped her up, and felt no resistance as he used the mighty strength that he hand to pull her up and into his arms. One supporting her back and the other beneath her knees he watched her for a moment - the dainty but strong and hardy loyal kenku that he held dear in his heart. Now, all confused and broken, like he had made her, like he himself had been made.

Nevin
01-03-2018, 12:39 PM
Consciously, she let out a breath, then curled inwards into him, placing her head against his chest. A small smile came to his lips, a slight fluttering of appreciation. Gripping a tighter hold of her he began to stride from the room.

“Mine,” he whispered to her as he pushed his way through the doors, then paused as he saw Nevin. Vitruvion moved his gaze away and continued his pacing towards the hall.

Nevin had paused in the library, testing how far away he had to be for the bond between himself and either of the others in the room to form. It worked best when he was close to the wall that Vitruvion’s desk was set by - if he had to make a guess, the connection was only really visible if he was within ten feet of both people involved and could see them. Right now, he could see two bonds - his connections to Stare, and to Vitruvion, but not the one the two shared between themselves. So, they had to be in direct sight?

Then Vitruvion came out, carrying Stare, and Nevin paused in his experiments and focused on the duo. The chains between the two were shimmering with a rainbow of hues, including concern and tense nervousness. Stare was strangely passive, at least physically, but her emotions were running a wild gamut. Both the connection to Vitruvion and the one to him were shimmering with different colors, thought he array towards her god was far more extensive. Nevin watched silently as the two continued out, Vitruvion shoving the door out of his way as he went out to the hall towards the main lobby.

Well, there went his experiment group. He shrugged and headed towards the dining room, intent on getting the food that should hopefully be there. And in the meantime, he could experiment with whoever he could see and find out if his magic worked on everyone, or just on those divinely touched.

Stare
01-03-2018, 12:44 PM
Vitruvion took the stairs two at a time, sighing slowly as he held his precious cargo to himself. He flicked a finger and her bedroom door opened for him, the most natural of movements. It slid unlocked and he strode in, and it closed itself behind him. Moving right to the bed he lifted his quarry and placed her down on it with reverence, and then paused before he arranged her a little better, grabbing a pillow to shove it under her head.

She lay there for some time, breathing slowly, absolutely still else. He stood above her, white-haired and blue-eyed god, blinking and trying to take in what Nevin had said along with how he felt about this being before him.

Love? He had to admit, there was a form of love in his mind when he thought about Stare. Not a romantic sort, that he had rid himself of a long time ago, but there was a reason why she had been the only being he ever trusted to share his bed whilst sleeping. Never before had he been known to rest with another, give himself to that sense of trust. There had been that first night, in the Hollow, and things had gone on from there, a connection felt, then made and a thousand spiralling emotions rapidly whirlwinding around them until they had come to this. Acceptance. Knowledge. Power.

Nine months ago that night had been now. And recently he had had Blaze in this very house and been unable to stomach the thought of sleeping in the same bed. Thus, he had come here that night and curled himself around his most precious possession. His kenku. His. The only one he ever could feel right enough to sleep with. Raevin had explained it to him as Vitruvion's innate trust of her … born from their first ever meeting, and their solid destiny of bring together.

His heart thumped, a great chunk of flesh for his should-be mortal body. Silently he moved, swinging his form onto the bed, so he sat at the head of it, her by his sprawled legs. Leaning his head back the god condemned to a life of never reaching his full potential sat there, dreaming of another life when he could have been worshipped, adored and wanted.

Finally she moved, a huffing breath and she shook herself from her daze. Blinking, she glanced around, eyes dancing to the ruined bed post, still there, then her small bookshelf, the chandelier, her covers and then - him. Head back, staring at the hanging drape that made a private ceiling for the bed.

Quickly, she looked away, but not before he noticed. His gaze, snapped down to meet hers, and she cowered for a moment from it, her breath fast. Fear ran through her body, fear of what this all meant now, what this all was, fear of the unknown of where she stood with him, what she was to him.

He paused, and saw her curled form, then let out a long sigh. Placing a hand to his temples he rubbed them and shook his head. “Stare, nothing has changed. Nothing.”

“But you are angry,” she whispered. “I told Nevin, I did not make it subtle, I made it too obvious-”

Vitruvion threw up a hand, “That?! Yes I was annoyed at it, girl, but that led to this. Another to have my secret … Ideally it would not be he who you regard as a strong best friend, but we never know. The boy is more ally now than enemy, that was my fear. That was what I needed to ascertain, that there was not some higher power behind it, worming its way into our lives like …”

His brother. He curled his lip with intense distaste as she kept her eyes glued to the bed spread, body still in that curled position. He needed to find and kill his brother. Fast.

“Stare,” he realised suddenly. “Are you trying to avoid making me angry?”

She flinched a little at the inflection of his voice, then stilled and lay there. “Maybe,” she mumbled.

His brows rose and he gave out an impressed breath. “Well. That took you some time.”

She awkwardly shrugged where she lay, paused, then peered up at him. “You said you were going to punish me when I got back for the fire thing.”

He nodded, “I did say that. You were an idiot.” He raised an eyebrow. “I will think of something later. Right now I need you back to being of use to me. Hence me, here. You want to say things, then say things. Ask questions and I will answer.”

It struck her then how very unlike a god he was. Usually they were high and mighty, looking down on their people with a glorious indifference. But here he was, and though he made an effort to keep his speech high and noble, there was a certain line of realism to Vitruvion. He had suffered himself, he had been outcast and suffered the loss of close friends, loved ones. He had direct access to her mind where he could see the daily struggles that a mortal endured. He was so different from the beings she read about in books and holy texts that she began to wonder if he could ever get back to being a god, ruler of many …

“Is that you saying you have none?”

“Only what does it mean now? With Nevin knowing, and all of this,” she gestured usually between him and her. “I hate you part of the time, Vitruvion. For what you did to me, that's what I rely upon for activating my powers. I detest the Hollow, what you have there, what you make me do, what-”

“And that part of me will never change, Stare,” he promised, his voice firm. “You know why I made it, what it has become is different, but I accept your opinion on it. I accept that I manipulate you, that is entirely true,” he said it as casually as if he were swatting a fly, “But that is my life, and you're in it.”

“But Nevin said 'love’?!” she whispered the word so haunted and shocked that it seemed like her body would break from the pressure she was putting it through.

“Not the way I would have put it,” Vitruvion looked away, blinking a few times. “But then he sees connections, I do not,” he shifted a little, in a manner that … no. Not him. He could never be awkward.

“What does that mean?” she was up on her arms now, staring with a mixture of uncertainty and horror.

His eyes flickered back to her. “As I said, nothing has changed, Stare. Perhaps now you know to the extent that my willingness to protect you goes, now, but that is all. Love can mean many things in a tongue, and devotion from a god to his subject … that could be one of them.” He paused, because that sort of love made most sense to him. Though he felt the pang of a deeper attachment, a hunger to look after her as he would a best friend or even a child. After a pause he looked away again. “That is all that it is,” he said it in a firm tone, as if he needed to convince himself of the fact. Which is what he did need to do.

All? Stare’s heart thumped, and she moved into a better sitting position. That was all? To her it meant the world. It was like having a family again, an affirmation of someone to belong to, to talk to about all her world's problems, no matter how minor … oh yes, he could see into her mind, but that was part of it. Now that she knew the extent of his simple like for her, she did not mind so much that it was him. Their connection had indeed strengthened over time. Blaze had commented when she came to the house of how could she [Stare] bare to have him in her mind? One, Stare had never had the choice and two, now she had gotten used to it. It was a connection that had begun to work, that had actually made her life easier in some way.

“You are better then?”

Glancing up she saw the quizzical brow and she found herself nodding. “Yes, thank you,” she responded. Because truly she was.

He took a moment, looking at her straight, then nodded before moving. “Good. Dinner I believe is being served, but come when you are ready.” Then with a moment's thought he continued. “The ophiotaurus guts?”

“In the chest,” she confirmed. “Safe. Away. You summoned me moments after I had closed the lid.”

“Good,” he nodded. “For now I want you to keep the key. Until I ask, I do not want access to the things, lest they do damage on my person.”

“They need to be burnt first.”

Agreeing, he shifted off the bed entirely. “Indeed. Now … come when you are ready? Yes?”

“Yes, my lord,” she said with the first hint of amusement in her eye.

He let out a short chuckle as he opened the door. “I need you fed well, so do not be long.”

And with that he left, swirling out in a soiree of blue and white. The door clunked behind him and he paused before starting down the stairs, a breath of relief coming from between his lips. Upstairs, Stare gazed at the door for a while, and then sighed before collapsing back against the bed.

“Ansaldo's balls,” she murmured.

Nevin
01-03-2018, 12:45 PM
Nevin had managed to get some food - in this case, meat from a roasted duck along with a small selection of vegetables that he arranged neatly on his plate as he sat down and began to eat. By this time he had confirmed that his new ability worked on more than just who were touched by a divine being in some way - everyone he had seen actually had some of the strange red ribbons leading away from them, fraying apart in the air. The only time it hadn’t was when he saw the young boy that was in the kitchen before.

The boy had come into the room bearing a hot tray of fresh bread that he set on the side table where the food was served from. As he came within Nevin’s somewhat arbitrary range, Nevin noticed a faint red connection that reached out and latched onto the alchemist himself. It was surprising - why had this happened? What was the difference between this boy and the other servants that he had seen so far?

Wait. Could it be - the boy was the only one who knew him at all. None of the others did - not beyond his name and that he was apparently a guest of Stare’s, so not to bother him unnecessarily. But the boy, the boy had been there when Nevin worked on the truth serum earlier, and had been asking Nevin questions. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for the boy to recognize the Alchemist. Was that…? Nevin abruptly stood up and walked over to the window and stared out, watching people in the yard. It wasn’t until he saw two of the garden staff walk by, talking amicably with each other, that Nevin’s sudden thought was confirmed.

He wasn’t seeing divine influence like he had been wondering. He was seeing the connections between people. His eyes widened and he looked down at one hand, as crimson threads emerged from beneath his skin. Nevin had heard about this before, who hadn’t? He just hadn’t expected, his well, blood based powers to somehow connect to that. Just what on earth? How much of the Crimson was actually an allegory for souls?

The Red Strings of Fate that bound people together. It seemed the Great Flow of Crimson was more than just a giant river of eternal blood. He was still staring at his hand, trying to work this out, when one of the doors was shoved open, and a rather angry young woman stormed in. Ebony hair whipped around her face as the petite Elven woman looked around the room, then snarled in aggravation when she saw Nevin.

“You! It’s all your fault that she came back here and now he’s all squirreled away with her, caring for her and carrying her around!” She stormed over to Nevin, and went to jab him in the chest with a finger. Nevin casually deflected it, not that the girl noticed in her anger. She continued ranting in his face. “If you hadn’t come back, she’d still be stuck doing whatever it was that had her out in that damn forest, where she should have been eaten! Then I would have had him all-” She stopped cold, apparently realizing that Nevin had stood up and was now looming over her, his glowing red eyes locked onto her.

Hey, if it startled Vitruvion and Stare, who were both very powerful in their own rights, it had to be terrifying to this little Elf, right? He took a long, slow breath, and when Mer tried to back away he glared at her again, locking her in place.

“It seems I need to make a few things clear to you. First off. Stare is my oldest friend. If you say she should be dead again, I will personally deliver your flayed carcass to Vitruvion and explain to him. Secondly. The bond between the two of them is something you can never, ever hope to match. It would be better for you to settle your eyes elsewhere, little Elf, because vying for that man will just end up with you sleeping in a cold and lonely bed.” Mer let out a squeak and fled when Nevin turned and sat down, picking up his fork and knife and finally starting to eat the food on his plate. He didn’t particularly care that it had gotten cold as it sat there waiting for him.

Stare
01-03-2018, 12:47 PM
Vitruvion paused, feeling a twist of ire in the air. He swept slowly around the doorway to the dining room, looking curiously to the two people who sat there, eating grumpily and not saying anything to one another. Brows rose, and he took a moment before carefully stepping in, then walking without comment over to his seat. He drew it back, and without once looking at Nevin, his nerves still not quite there he reached for food. Mer watched in confusion as he helped himself for some time before she offered.

“Can - can I help?”

“No,” Vitruvion said in a low, quiet voice as he grabbed the wine jug and began to pour himself a healthy-sized portion. “Thank you.”

His eyes flickered a few times around the portraits of himself at various stages of his life in Raiaera, then he dropped them to swing back a mouthful of wine. He drank it, easily, his body still tense but far more relaxed than it had been half an hour earlier. Grabbing his fork he began to eat, on the cusp of proper decorum, clearly still agitated.
“Is she doing better, Sir Elssmith? I am sorry, it was not my intention to disrupt…. Well. It seems that,” Nevin’s eyes slid to Mer, who was watching him from the corner of her eye, her head down after Vitruvion rebuffed her. “Recent acquisitions can take on a mind of their own until one gets a handle on how to utilize them. I apologize for that whole situation.” Nevin bowed his head to the man for a moment. But he was also concerned about Stare, sitting dumbfounded and passive was not her normal style, and it had been rather worrisome to see her not even twitch as Vitruvion had carried her upstairs in his arms.

Well, he could see why Mer had gotten upset, if she had seen Vitruvion carrying Stare around. It was clear, even without resorting to seeing the connections between people, that Mer was enamored with the majestic white-haired man. So seeing her rival being carried by the man she was after … hopefully she listened to his advice and looked elsewhere.

He was still calling him Sir Elssmith. Vitruvion blinked a couple of times between a mouthful of sausage and one of mashed potatoes. Pausing, he almost considered saying, 'Just call me Vitruvion,’ but that seemed all a little out of sorts. Instead he focused his mind onto the ring of his third finger on his right hand and found the connection through the cuff at her wrist. Stare was currently at the bathroom, splashing water onto her face.

“She is fine,” he replied. “A lot better. She will be down shortly.” His tone was slightly off, and he still refused to make eye contact with Nevin. “She just …” he tried to think of an excuse for Mer. “Was exhausted from her journey. It came suddenly.”

There. It would do for now. He shovelled more food into his body as he could do in a posh manner, without seeming disgusting.

Nevin
01-03-2018, 01:02 PM
Nevin nodded slowly. That was a relief - and it gave him an idea on how to handle talking about Stare’s collapse. Though it seemed he didn’t need to. He wondered absently why whenever Vitruvion glanced in his direction, the man refused to meet his eyes - wait. They were still glowing. Whoops. He hastily pulled his magic back from them, letting them fade to their normal, neutral state of red so dark they seemed black.

“I’m glad to see that she’s recovered so well. She was a tremendous help in the forest.” Of course, Vitruvion already knew that, he lived in the back of her head whenever he wanted to. But Nevin didn’t know if Mer was aware of that, so this would give an opening to talk about the events in the woods and not have it seem suspicious. Though, he didn’t really care about Mer himself, he didn’t want to make things more difficult for Vitruvion in his own house right now.

“Now. About the party in Radasanth.” He raised an eyebrow to the man. “While clearly it can be discussed later if need be - are there any steps I should take to prepare for the guests?” The bastards would be attacking near his own home, the Grand Celestial Brewery wasn’t that far, and some of its workers came by his store occasionally for hangover cures.

Vitruvion was not an idiot. It took him less than a second to figure out precisely what Nevin meant. A minor nerve in his hand flinched as he was reminded of the ever-present and growing threat of his brother. He drew in breath, stared at his food for a moment, then replied as he dropped his fork.

“Raevin is taking a group to greet them,” he spoke carefully, “Including Brer, who I believe you have met now. They will be treated well, do not worry.” Reaching out he grabbed his goblet of wine, his fingers curling around it like it was a neck to strangle. His other hand scraped back hair from his face. “You personally should not need to worry about making yourself … available.”

He drank back the wine and briefly twisted his eyes up the ceiling, checking on Stare. Pausing, he set the goblet back down. “You are making a shop in Radasanth?”

“I am. It’s primarily based in an application of the alchemical arts that are a bit divergent from those that I practice in Stonevale. More… focused on termination of contracts, if you will. I of course am a neutral party and all involved know it there, at least in regards to my wares, so I have been mostly left alone. It’s becoming popular with a subsect of the citizens, as I usually operate on later hours than the alchemists who are beholden to the Guild.” He frowned, thinking of that particular lot.

“An unsavoury group, the Guild. They put rather surprising restrictions on people, for a group of alchemists. I can’t stand them.” He shrugged. “My business does well enough without their interference. Though I think I may have to do something about them soon. It seems that if you don’t match a certain set of criteria, among them race, a Guild Alchemist can just kick you from his store.” He frowned.

Stare
01-03-2018, 01:15 PM
Vitruvion raised his brows but said nothing for awhile. Still, he had not made full eye contact with Nevin, something he was resisting, for now. He sipped his wine, looked briefly at his hair, which was definitely white, not blonde as it had been not that long ago. Another aspect of him changing since meeting Stare, but the only physical sign so far. He hoped.

“They sound quite unsavoury,” he commented. “Do you know if they have a residence or influence near Bottleberry Avenue?”

He spoke of a long street of ornate townhouses, terraced together but as fine as you were going to get. He glanced to Mer who was still grumpy. When he forged eye contact with her though she perked up, straightening her back and showing all the signs of a lady suddenly. He grunted and continued to eat, knowing just what a shallow person he had hired.

“Bottleberry…. Yes. Sorry, the guild I referred to is the Alchemist’s guild, my apologies. They have their hand in just about every alchemist in Radasanth apparently. It’s far harder to find an independent operator in the city than one who is a member. They don’t outright target you, but they do make it far easier for guilded members to stay afloat. If you weren’t sure of your skills, well, signing on with them would clearly be a wise decision.” Nevin didn’t bother to say that he was quite sure of his skills.

“However. Recently a vampire came in to my store, desperate for help. She was trying to avoid - Is something the matter?” Mer had frozen and was staring at him with wide eyes. She slowly shook her head, trembling a bit, and Nevin shrugged before returning his attention to Vitruvion. “As I was saying. She apparently seeks to avoid having to feed off of living individuals, and prefers prepared blood tonics. Radasanth was where she unfortunately began to run out. Multiple guilded alchemists threw her from their stores simply for being a vampire, despite the fact that she was actively seeking alternatives. Distasteful.” He shook his head - and heard a soft clacking outside of the doors. He watched, intrigued, and sure enough, as the person on the other side approached the doors a massive network of chains sprung up from Vitruvion and shot towards the door.

Hidden in the mass was a thin cable, a paltry thing, almost anemic, that was tinged with an ugly, dark color - envy. Mer was hopefully not going to be a problem.

Stare pushed open the door and looked briefly around the room. Pausing at the sight of Nevin she stared at him briefly before moving on hurriedly as if something had spooked her - and it had, she saw the red in his eyes and she still couldn't quite get used to it. As she passed behind Vitruvion's chair she peeked over as if by habit and grabbed the goblet as she went. He gave her an amused look, an arched eyebrow but said nothing. She sank into an empty chair and filled the goblet as she nodded.

“Evening,” she said quietly.

Nevin
01-03-2018, 02:03 PM
Mer looked at her with confusion and astonishment as Stare moved the goblet back. With simple ease Vitruvion took from the air before it settled.

There was a small pause before Vitruvion looked over at Mer. Before her was an empty plate and he nodded at it. “Mer if you are finished, then please go. Mr Aimaparapoiitis, Stare and myself need to talk.” He paused, then added. “In private.”

Mer’s lips parted. She glanced with disbelief from Stare to him, and then with near rage at Nevin before she stood. With a last haughty glare at Stare she strode out the room, muttering curses under her breath. The god's brows rose but he said nothing, swinging back some wine into his gullet. When the door closed behind Mer he spoke flatly.

“Colourful. She cursed your feathers to … wither I believe would be a good translation.”

Stare grunted and began to take the last of what food was on the table. Vitruvion smiled slightly, then set the goblet down and looked at Nevin. “Raevin is currently on his way to the brewery. We are currently recruiting more mercenaries, which may not be enough, but they will be something. What Stare got for me in the forest was the guts of the ophiotaurus. Guts, that after being burnt, are said to be able to kill a god.” He folded his hands before him, then finished with a grunt. “Should do some damage against a half god.”

Well, there went his need to study and find out just what the bull serpent thing was good for. Nevin folded his hands on top of the table and stared at them, his brow furrowed in thought. The glow in his eyes receded as he considered the situation. Then he looked up, to the two of them, a frown on his face.

“That’s a bit lacking in practical applications, isn’t it. ‘Guts that have been burnt’. What, are you meant to carry that entire mass around with you after scorching it, and bury him? I know burnt offal has a powerful odor, but I doubt throwing it at someone would affect even a normal being, much less a god. So, what do we know about how to actually weaponize it? Is it some kind of power released in the burning process perhaps, and you have to burn it near the intended victim? Or is it like certain kinds of creatures and their weakness to wood, where having part of it in a wound will prevent it from healing?” And how could it be applied if that was the case? Would Stare - or Vitruvion himself - have to be the one to deal the blow with the guts nearby, or could it be done by anyone so long as they were properly equipped?

“I understand if you don’t feel comfortable talking about it with me, but if you haven’t already, you might need to look into that post haste. I’ve never heard of intestines being used as a weapon before, except to strangle someone, or to infect them. I suppose burnt intestines might work, perhaps there is a unique weakness that they generate?” He frowned and drummed his fingers on the table. This was why magic made science difficult. There was no chemical you could point to here and say “Ah ha, here you are, this is the god-slaying chemical!”

Stare
01-03-2018, 02:07 PM
Vitruvion slowly breathed in, his eyes rolling to look at Stare. They narrowed slightly and there was a single look between them. She saw irritation in him, recognised it and responded with a small shrug.

You chose to tell him.

His terming is ...

Less refined than yours? she had a small smirk in her eyes.

“Stare,” he said audibly and disapprovingly before he sighed and looked at Nevin. “Research into the ophiotaurus is limited, there is talk of it killing thaynes and an ancient,” he pushed a hand through his hair. “I won't say anymore than that. I don't like the idea of being known by many, for obvious reasons. There is a reason I got Stare to collect it and not myself and why now …” he paused. “One moment.”

His eyes glazed over for a second, refocusing somewhere else. There was a pause, and it was as if he was talking mentally with Stare but to another far more distant. Stare munched on a sausage, watching him, before he came back to the room, a slight grimace on his face.

“My dear half-sister is demanding to know who you are. She will likely hunt you down soon,” he took up his wine and chugged back the remainder of his wine.

Wait. What? Nevin blinked twice, feeling both of his eyebrows raise up into his hairline. Stare resolutely was not looking in his direction, and seemed to find the ceiling absolutely fascinating. He cleared his throat and he found it a little hard to speak at first.

“H-half si-sister is it? And ah, why...why might she be hunting me down?” Nevin swore, if it was because he had accidentally forced Vitruvion and Stare to confront some feelings about each other, he was going to swear off dealing with anyone from the Raerian continent for a few years. He swallowed and looked between the two of them for a moment before rubbing his forehead.

“Alright then. Why would she be hunting me down, and is there anything I should be aware of?” Aside from her half-divinity that she was running around with, if she was Vitruvion’s half-sibling. Nevin would rather not be blindsided by say, a hydra god walking up and demanding to talk with him about something. Or a Gorgon, freezing him in place with her baleful eyes as she ‘hunted’ him down. And that was a concerning turn of phrase in and of itself. Normally you would say that someone would look for another person, not ‘hunt them down’.

Was he about to be killed because he had gotten too curious at the wrong time when he had relaxed his guard?

Stare suddenly laughed. Vitruvion threw her a disapproving look, fire suddenly in his eyes. She had a guilty smile in her features, that she could not get rid of it though she ducked her head slightly as he growled at her, irritated. There was a short moment as he narrowed his eyes at her, his jaw tightening but she continued to helplessly be amused.

Nevin
01-03-2018, 02:17 PM
“Stare,” he warned her.

“It is amusing though,” she confessed, flinching slightly as his hand tightened on the rim of his goblet. He said nothing more, only eyed her with grim anger. Quickly, she looked to Nevin. “Sorry, it is just Ventrua will not mean you any harm. She is abrasive but that is all.”

Her god glared at her whilst he picked up from that point. “Ventrua came with me from Ansaldo’s planet. Half our father, half a mortal woman, of the Hitarik people. She was supposed to be my ‘servant’ for all of the worth it was, after he shoved me out but obviously she more or less is my equal.” He dragged his eyes away from Stare to look at Nevin, though his knuckles were still white. “She can be abrasive, and demanding, especially of her ‘dear brother’.” For a moment he looked like he might fly into a rage, but then he pulled himself down and took a couple of breaths. “I have told her specifically not to harm you, and not to react like she did when I made Stare aware.”

For a moment, Nevin thought about asking about how exactly she had reacted when Stare was informed of the situation. Had she tried to attack his friend? Or had it been - from the way Stare was laughing at first, Ventrua would not be the type to attack. Or at least, she wouldn’t attack him physically, which he was thankful for. He didn’t really have any kind of defensive option if she had decided to attack him directly, not beyond his threads. And he knew many people could punch harder than his threads could block.

But, abrasiveness, that he could handle. He might return the favor, but at least it wouldn’t overwhelm him to deal with someone like that. The redhead took a deep breath, and shook his head. “I thank you for the warnings as they stand, then. I’ll keep an eye out for her and try not to be taken aback.” Nevin leaned forward, his head aching. It seemed like he had been using his new power a bit too flagrantly, and now he was dealing with the aftereffects. Namely, a splitting migraine that was hurting him the longer he kept his eyes open.

He pushed his way to his feet, gripping his head in one hand. He flashed them a pained smile. “It seems like being able to see the bonds between people isn’t a power you can use for free. I - I need some rest, it appears. Excuse me.” The alchemist bowed, and wavered on his feet slightly. He straightened up successfully though, and started heading out the door, his destination the main entrance.

“The room you slept in last night is still available,” Vitruvion said, reaching for his wine goblet again.

As Nevin wavered his brows rose and Stare sucked in her breath alarm. Glancing over at him she then swung her long beak at Vitruvion. A silent moment passed between them, with her expressing the desire to greet her friend. Waving a hand at her he quietly dismissed her, with a note of, I will see you later. Do not be too long.

Stare
01-03-2018, 02:24 PM
Nodding once she stood up fast, forgetting what little food she had on her plate. Rushing over to Nevin she ducked under his arm before he could protest and supported him through the door. Kicking it open she blew a small raspberry, as best as a crow can, at Mer on the other side. The elf was standing there, dagger-eyed, and Stare mocked her. Carefully she began to direct Nevin up to the stairs.

“You should get some rest.”

Nevin stumbled a bit as a small form slipped on under his arm, supporting him and making his wavering walk straighten out a bit. He was a bit surprised - he had heard Vitruvion speaking, but whatever the white haired man had said had kind of just ended up noise in Nevin’s ears, not something that his brain actually processed. Had they been trying to talk to him?

Oh crimson, what if there was someone else they had been trying to warn Nevin about and he hadn't registered it at all? A long lost sibling of Stare’s or something, and now there were two Kenku to worry about, only this one served an enemy? No, no, there was no way Stare would be this calm if that was the case - she was calm enough to blow a raspberry - at least it sounded like she tried to and where did someone without lips learn to do that? - at someone that Nevin couldn't see clearly.

A flash of magic and a hard wince - that had been a stupid idea. But he knew who it was though, that envy tainted cable belonged to only one person. He shook his head, a motion that sent shivers of pain down his spine.

“She needs to find another, and soon. Dark emotions like that aren't healthy.” His voice was as soft as he could make it, because each word made his headache throb in aggravation. It was only at this point that he realized they weren't going to the front door like he had intended. They were - climbing stairs? “Wh-where?” where were they going?

“To your bed,” Stare said softly to him, clambering up with him. Her eyes glared back at Mer as they passed her. The elf woman paused, then marched up the stairs.

Stare turned Nevin at the corner and made him stop at a door at the top. “That,” she stressed, “Is my room. Come if you need anything. Call if you do. Okay?”

She waited until he gave her some form of an answer.

Oh, she was pointing somewhere, somewhere nearby the stairs. That was - ah, her room. It was hard to think through the splitting pain in his head at this point, but he managed a rough nod. “Your room. Come if you call and need anything. Right.” He didn't think he would be of much help if she did need something, at least not in the near future. But Stare was near and dear to him, and if she needed his help by the Great Flow he would not let a paltry thing like a migraine hold him back.

Nevin
01-03-2018, 02:48 PM
Thinking the matter sorted he pulled away and leaned heavily against the wall, moving himself along it by feel. He knew the room that he had slept on was nearby, and it had had a rather interesting design carved on the front. While he wasn't really opening his eyes that much, his sense of touch was not making his head scream in agony, so finding his room by feel shouldn't make him want to just curl up in a ball for a bit.

Finding the room and getting inside into some nice, quiet dark seemed like a very, very good proposition to Nevin right about then. After he had recuperated, then he would be able to figure out what was going on more certainly, find out what it was that Vitruvion had - wait, he was here, so the god had probably been saying he was permitted to rest here a bit longer, he doubted Stare would have just intercepted him and brought him upstairs without that individual’s permission. Feeling satisfied about his deduction, Nevin pushed it from his mind, and instead focused on finding the door that he had slept behind… Was it really only just last night? Goodness.

Gently she caught with him, catching her arms back around his, sighing. “You're absolutely ridiculous sometimes you know. You and all men,” she rolled her eyes. “You're like my brother Avin. He would get so drunk on the Wanderer's beer that we needed to carry him home on a stretcher, Akka and I.” A faint smile came to her eyes of that good memory. “Sometimes I miss my family, my brother's more than anything. Ah here we are l.”

They were at an ornate form of door, commonly known as the guest bedroom one, with carvings of the familiar owl in ivy. It was furthest from hers laterally, but she turned him around and pointed in the direction of her room once more, and said, “You go all the way around okay?” before turning him around again.

Carefully she opened the door and supported him inside. She took him as far as she dared, and sort of nudged him the last foot to the bed.

The bed looked so very soft and inviting, and when Stare gave him a nudge, the redhead just slumped forward and collapsed onto the bed, like a puppet with its strings cut. He let out a long, deep breath into the folds of the duvet, his body almost visibly deflating as he forced his body to relax. There was a pause, and then he rolled his head to one side, just enough that his face wasn't buried in the blankets and his mouth was exposed. His voice was soft as he spoke, and there was a strange tone to it.

“So I'm like your brother? I think.. I think I would have liked having a sister like you.” He seemed a bit unsure about that though, like there was something about the statement that bothered him. When he spoke again it was almost entirely to himself, so soft that it might have easily been missed.

“Did… Did I have a sister?” that was odd. He hadn't thought about it before, but he couldn't remember what his family was like. He remembered Salvar, remembered it being so cold, remembered wanting to be an Alchemist… So why couldn't he remember his parent’s faces? Or if he had a sister or not? Wasn't that kind of thing incredibly important?

He tried to turn his head more towards Stare, but - but moving, actually moving to look in another direction, made his headache fiercely and he gave that up for a lost cause quickly. “Family is important. But friends can be the family you choose, right?” Unfortunately, whether or not Stare replied to him - or had even heard him - was lost to Nevin, as his body finally got fed up with him and shut him down, making him pass out on the bed.

Stare
01-03-2018, 02:56 PM
Stare let herself smile a little and nod as she turned. “I don't know,” she admitted. “My family is all dead, and I've never had friends until I came to this city. I'll see you later, Nevin.”

Then quietly, she slipped out, satisfied to hear the soft sound of his sleeping. She crept out and left the area of the balcony, peering down at the bright lights that still spoke of the house's life. It was late, that was clear, hours had passed really since they had been back. Nevin knew that Vitruvion was a god - Stare honestly didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing, but at least for now, it was just a fact. Also there was confirmation now of what Raevin had begun in her mind some time ago - that idea of Vitruvion actually trusting her on an instinctive level and now building up forms of trust, so passionately and possessively, but in a way that she could only learn to live with.
She heard slightly tense voices, and could only imagine the discussion Mer and he were having. Inwardly, she smiled, then continued onwards to her room, where she undressed to her under tunic, paused, then left herself just in her simple loin cloth. Nevin wouldn't even notice the fact she was naked on top if he needed to come in - nobody did with a kenku. Most were surprised there was actual breasts there at all, beneath the wild plumage. Easing her way down in between her covers she settled in for a quiet start of the night at least, entirely forgetting that Vitruvion had asked to speak to her afterwards.

Around half an hour later the door slipped open. Barely had she begun her sleep, and she started awake with a gasp. “Nevin!” she assumed, “Give me a second, I-”

“Move up,” came the soft voice.

She paused and drew around to stare right in his eyes. “Oh,” she whispered, gazing at the white haired man with utter surprise.

He waved a hand, hissing at her. “You are currently taking a large portion of the bed.”

“It is my bed,” she made her point.

“That I pay for,” he countered, and he bent down to unlace his boots. When she didn't move he looked right at her, brow rising. “Stare?”

He trusts you on an instinctive level. Deeper that you or he understand.

“Yeah,” she huffed and wriggled over, offering half of it up.

She was disgruntled by it, but his habit of crawling into her bed on nights where something of especial sensitivity had occurred was already preset. Begrudgingly, she knew she could not exactly refuse, and waited until the shirtless but trousered form slipped in behind her. A slight pause, then arms pulled around her form, tugging at her until she gave in and worked her way over.

“You seriously need to get yourself a girlfriend,” she muttered.

“No one would be good enough,” he whispered and curled against her. A small smile came to his lips. “You can sleep now.”

“Thanks, my lord,” she sarcastically said.

And that was all. The only thing to happen in the morning to bring new excitement was the entrance of a woman with hair the colour of a summer harvest. Exceptionally beautiful, gracious, and graceful, she asked the whereabouts of the red head staying in the house. Information got, she marched up to the first floor, and threw open the door. Then, she came close to the bed and folded her arms, waiting for him to wake up on his own.

It wouldn't be that long.

Nevin
01-03-2018, 03:04 PM
Nevin stirred because he felt someone watching him. He cracked open his eyes, testing whether or not opening them sent pain spiking through his head. To his enormous relief, it did not. So, with sight restored to him without causing pain, the Alchemist looked around the room slowly. He didn't think it was Stare - he would have shook him if she needed him awake for something. And she hadn't called for him that he knew of, so he didn't think she had needed him at some point. So who was -

A tall, stunning blonde was staring at him, literally from beside the bed, and far closer than he would have thought was proper. When she realized he was awake, a smile curved across her full lips, and she slowly leaned onto the bed, resting her weight on one hand. Nevin’s eyes widened.

“So, I hear you've learned of a certain little secret.” Oh thick Crimson, this was Ventrua, wasn't it. “Now I'm sure my brother has already addressed the need for you to keep it quiet.” her other hand landed on the bed, and she leaned over, giving the reposing alchemist a clear view down her low-cut blouse. “But I find myself wondering…” Her eyes flicked down, and Nevin got the distinct feeling that she was sizing him up.

“I find myself wondering if there is anything I might do to help convince you to keep quiet.” As she spoke she crawled onto the bed, and Nevin found himself unable to move - he was till in the process of waking up and his body wasn't responding properly. Well, one part was, and he didn't want that to be what she noticed. If she hadn't already. A strange, chilly tingle ran across his skin as she brushed a hand along his leg.

“I-i-i-” She grinned at his stammering. He felt slender fingers trail up the inside of his leg and she brushed her fingertips against him, and he wanted to squirm away as he blushed profusely.

“Oh, he never told me you were the shy type. Don't worry, I'll be sure to take good care of you.” Her voice was a throaty drawl and felt like honey trickling into his ears, smooth and rich. “Look at this, you've got all this tension built up, how about you just lay there like a good little boy and let me do just that.”

“I have a girlfriend - I think- please stop.” Her lips just stretched wider, and she crawled forward, one hand on either side of his head now as she stared down at him. One of her legs traveled up between his and pressed against him, and he felt more of that strange tingling running through his body.

“She doesn't have to know sugar. If you keep his little secret, this can be ours…” With that soft whisper against his ear, she began to lean over, her lips traveling towards his.

Oh sweet crimson am I about to be raped?? Nevin tried to move away, tried to push her back, but he felt sluggish and his body refused to respond to his actions beyond a stiffening in his pants. Which was not helpful for him.

Stare
01-03-2018, 03:05 PM
BAM!

The blonde beauty, halfway across stretching over the body of the poor red-haired human, looked back suddenly, her gloriously golden hair cascading like a rainfall down over the body beneath her. A look of annoyance came over her features and her lip curled as she began to lean back.

“My dear brother,” she sang, in her sweet seductive tones still. “How nice of you to-”

And suddenly there was marching. Thuds of fury, firm footsteps over the ground, and a deep growl echoing in a throat. Ventrua moved, revealing to Nevin the white-haired figure of the god striding with pure purpose and a flood of fury within his eyes, but with a glare only on her.

“Ventrua!” he hissed, in a voice that could make bold kings faint from fear, “How dare you-”

She let out a gasp, now pushing herself off Nevin. “Brother, how dare you-”

Suddenly she was grabbed, a pale hand appearing around her shoulder. It tensed, yanked, then pulled her entirely off the bed. She let out a fake yelp of pain before he threw her to the side with strength that would usually a crumple. But she was still smiling as she thumped into the wall, a smile that was growing.

“Brother, I was having so much fun …”

Vitruvion curled a hand into a fist, a finger pointing at Nevin. “That,” he spat, “You can very much define as 'mine,’ Ventrua. You are not to touch him again, do you hear?”

Nevin spoke up, his voice thick and groggy. “N-not yours, I'm indepen-” his eyes shot to Ventrua’ s form. “No no I take it back sure yes I'm yours just keep her away!” Even if his body really did not want her away. Vitruvion's mouth twitched with a smile.

Ventrua let out a pitiful moan, as she pouted pathetically and began to fakely brush herself down. “But Vitruvion …”

“I think you heard him enough, sister, now unless you really want to actually try. Again?” His blue eyes lit with a universe of fires, lips curling higher into a smile and fist beginning to tighten, the air around it shimmering …

“You spoil everything!” Ventrua shouted back, before she pushed away from the wall. And she had flipped. Her light, playful mood was gone, her eyes were full of irritation. Throwing a “tsk” in the air she didn't throw Nevin one last look before she flipped Vitruvion a bird, and twisted. She marched out of the door, head held high and golden hair swimming out behind her. Still enchanting, still …

Vitruvion stood there for a while, staring at her. His fist slowly untensed, and he took in a long breath. One eye narrowing he watched her move away, then shook his head, letting out a sigh. He turned to the door.

“Stare?”

A very sleepy looking kenku shuffled into view, wrapped in a blanket and looking honestly confused. In her hand she had a white shirt, and a pair of black boots that she dragged along the ground. Her exhausted eyes looked bemused from Vitruvion to Nevin, whom the god still had not looked at.

Nevin
01-03-2018, 03:12 PM
“You left … these. What did she try to do now?”

“Take care of him, I have my sister to deal with,” Vitruvion spat, before he turned and marched out, swooping to grab the items from her hand. She gave them up willingly, and blinked from him as he left, then back to Nevin.

She rubbed her leg, pulling the blanket tighter around her. “… You alright?”

Nevin slowly, laboriously, swung his head towards his friend. His eyes were still a little glassy but life seemed to be coming back into him. His lips parted and he tried to speak, but it just came out as a groan before he squeezed his eyes shut.

“That is a very dangerous woman. I'm glad you two showed up when you did.” whatever she had done to him - and Nevin was familiar enough with his own body to know that she had most definitely done *something* to him - was fading, but slowly. The sluggishness - maybe a weak sedative effect, while his other problem was an aphrodisiac? But how…?

“Does… she have a way of magically putting drugs into a person’s system?” As he said that, he realized that this might draw the kenku’s attention exactly where he did not want it to be. He prayed that she didn't think to look as he hurriedly pressed on with speaking, trying to distract her.

“I think it is either that or some kind of numbing drug, I'm having trouble moving but it is fading. Ah - the headache from last night is gone, thankfully.”

Stare awkwardly nodded, and tried not to but she ended up yawning as she listened, her great beak splitting and gaping. She twisted to the side as she did so he did not have to be subject to the worst of her gullet. “Oh excuse me …” she closed her mouth and then looked still sleepy at Nevin.

“Yeah Ventrua has a hypnosis … drowsiness thing. Thankfully doesn't work on me because of,” she waved a hand at the door, “Yeah but I've heard its a bitch. It should fade in a bit. She shouldn't do it to you again. But glad the headache is gone.” Blinking a few times she hugged the blanket, then began to shuffle over. “Vit just got out of bed and shot out the room and I was like, 'what,’ and yeah.” She paused. “Oh and the 'mine’ thing. That's just a thing between them. Everyone is either Vitruvion's or Ventrua’s … you honestly get used to it. You don't need to worry about it too too …” she sat at the end of the bed and stifled another yawn. “Much. You need anything?”

Nevin clamped his mouth shut on his immediate reaction to that question. This should subside when the drowsiness did too, at least he hoped so. Not something to bother Stare with. Not something he WOULD bother Stare with. Nope. He shook his head.

“Guess I'll have to keep that I'm independent quiet around her. At least Vitruvion doesn't try to molest me.” He tried to give a weak grin. “Not even that I have a girlfriend slowed her down. Terrifying woman when she has her eyes set on something.” he tried to sit up, but his arms were still heavy, leaden by whatever she had done to him. But it was fading, he could feel his muscles smoothing out.

Stare
01-03-2018, 03:15 PM
Stare’s brow rose when she heard the word 'girlfriend’. Nevin had … he had … what? She blinked and stared at him as he went on, as confused as hell why this hadn't come up already. Then it struck her that they had been dealing with demons and a bloody church and the fact Vitruvion was a god …

“No, I don't think I do. But it looks like you need more sleep, Stare. You should head back to bed. I should be able to keep her at bay if she decides to try sneaking back. Don't think she will though.” Nevin didn't know though, if she did come back, if he would be able to resist her. Maybe if he knew more about where things stood with a certain blue-haired girl he'd be able to resist, but.. Ventrua hadn't been wrong when she said he had some tension built up. “Is something on your mind?” Stare was looking at him strangely, and didn't even twitch when he said she should go back to bed.

“... Girlfriend?” Nevin blinked and went back over what he had said. Ah, whoops. He rubbed the back of his head, wincing when he realized he hadn't undone his ponytail when he went to sleep. Or rather when he passed out. He busied his hands with pulling that out and fixing up his hair a bit as he carefully looked away from those wide, unblinking eyes.

“It, ah, isn't certain. She's an interesting one. I'd wonder if she had some relation to you if she wasn't a cat-woman - she saw my soul too, right away. Saw that it was too. Doesn't care though.” His tone was strange, like he wasn't sure what to feel about the situation.

Stare's eyes widened. “Cat girl? So that wasn’t your wife but just girlfriend at the castle? Ezra said there was rumours, but wasn’t sure ...” She was suddenly awake now, definitely. She had perked up, interested, or not knowing what to think. Then she paused. “Wait soul did you say? She didn't seem the soul type. Huh. Did she see your soul scar?” Her head tilted, a myriad of questions and wonderings coming to her mind. Downstairs she was vaguely made aware of a tense argument going on between the two children of Ansaldo in the front room, the smallest of the three reception rooms in the house (the drawing room did not count).

“Wha- do you mean Rainee? No, Ezra was just confused by rumors in town. And no, I don't mean Rainee. Her name is Eteri.” Nevin had to let out a soft chuckle at the thought of Rainee as his girlfriend. She was nice enough, but with the anger she had towards the stranger who had, admittedly rather rudely, propositioned her, Nevin did not think Rainee would be interested in a relationship with anyone just yet. He coughed, and managed to sit up properly, and slowly rubbed his face with one hand.

Nevin
01-03-2018, 03:36 PM
“And I don't know if she actually likes me, or if it is just a trait of nekojin to have about zero percent respect for other people’s personal space. I also don't know how I feel about her - she was nice enough, a bit flighty though. But I'm not used to actually, well, feeling for someone outside of friendship. Last time it happened, I bottled it up and it has mostly faded by now.” He was glad he had kept rubbing his face, his slow movements giving him an excuse not to have his eyes open so he wouldn't inadvertently look at Stare as he said that.

“And she saw more than my scarred soul. She was able to see I had two souls, poorly merged together. She tried asking for part of my soul, but - well, I'm glad I didn't let her. Not sure how I would have handled that power surge if I had given her a part.” Nevin shrugged, a slow rolling movement. “So maybe my attempt at defending myself from Ventrua was as specuous as Vitruvion defending me.” And for a moment, Nevin wished the two had been a little later. He tried not to let that thought show.

Stare blinked. “Wait, wait, wait.” She held up a hand. “Don't … don't ramble like that … You said Eteri right? Blue hair, doesn't speak tradespeak that great. Does know Akashiman though …” She sighed. “You met her in Radasanth I'm guessing. You're going out with her. We've met.” Then she huffed and remembered herself back then, the recent weeks, days even, after she had just begun her employment under Vitruvion with the knowledge that he was her god. So long ago now … it seemed. She shook herself. “And yes, souls, sorry, scar thing that leads to your other little soul.”

She looked down at her body and realised she was still in the blanket. “I should probably change. I actually have nothing but my undergarments beneath this.” She blinked. “Well and my feathers.”

Nevin blinked once, and looked at her, towards the areas covered by the blanket, then looked away rapidly. Well that was … a thing. He nodded rapidly. “Yes, all correct. Sorry, I think whatever she tried on me scrambled my head up a bit.” Actually, it was almost certain that the aphrodisiac was lingering in his system, or else he would not have wondered what sounds she might make if - he shoved that thought down, hard, shoving it into a lockbox that quite clearly belonged at the bottom of an ocean. Instead of saying that, he gave her a strained smile.

“Probably should at that, yes. Wearing too few clothes around an unrelated man leads to trouble, you know.” He gave a weak grin, showing that he was joking. “And I should get up and get my head sorted. Need to remind myself not to overuse that power until I’m used to it - crippling migraines are not pleasant in the least bit.” He shook his head, and was very glad that the motion no longer caused intense spikes of pain to run through him. He slowly pushed himself up, glad that he could at least stand now without it taking an eternity. He paused and turned away from Stare when he realized that enough of the aphrodisiac was still in his system that he had a bit of an obvious tent in the front of his trousers. He cleared his throat loudly.

Stare
01-03-2018, 03:45 PM
“And I should probably get changed myself. I know I brought enough clothes for the journey to take longer, but these have gotten a bit messed up by now. If you could?” With a blush dancing on his cheeks, he nodded towards the door. And was so very glad that Stare hadn’t bothered checking with her aura sight so far. “Please?”

The crow head tilted, going on its side in a animalistic fashion of curiosity, before she nodded a little, tip of the beak lowering just a tad. It was then that she saw what he was badly trying to cover up, and her eyes went massive. Quickly she stood up, joining it partly with his avoided looks before and the pleasure she saw before when she had touched his tendrils. She jolted. Definitely time to leave him alone.

“I'm not free to … at all. I can't ever ... okay I'm going, I'll see you in the dining room. Um …” she gestured blindly out the door, trying to not look anywhere but his eyes. “Bathroom is across the way, around the stairs.”

Twisting around quickly she exited, realising what an idiot she was for not thinking. Not realising. Nevin? He was her friend, never anything more. She had known a long time ago that she'd be romantically alone all her life. Vitruvion was both her god, her employer … and her master. Damn that last one.

She went to her room and began to run the hottest bath she dared.

Nevin meanwhile threw himself into the coldest shower he could stand, only turning up the heat even slightly long after he had cooled off. He thumped his head against the wall several times as the icy needles of water beat against his skin, forcing his blood flow back to normal.

He blamed all of this on Ventrua. If she hadn't come in and riled him up, then he wouldn't have thought about Stare that way. Or least he didn't think he would. He hadn't thought about thy in some time, trying to categorize Stare as family in his mind. That idea if emotions should have been tucked away never to see the light of day again. At least, that was the case until she sat on ‘his’ bed bed with only a blanket and undergarments on.

He shoved the shower even colder. He had seen the love, the connections between Stare and Vitruvion. His and Stare’s bond was strong, sure, but nothing like the network of sturdy chains that joined the two of them. As the freezing water washed across him Nevin let out a long, drawn out sigh.

“Sister. Just, sister. She might be of a different race, but just think of her as your sister and it will be fine.” Finally he had calmed down enough - read, he was just this side of suffering frostbite- to climb out safely. He shook out his hair, grunting in annoyance when he realized he couldn't tie it up right now, it needed to dry. Frustrating. So he let the short fall of just past shoulder length hair hang free as he began pulling on clothes shaking his head as they clung to his still damp skin.

“Alright. Showered, calmed down, and dressed in clean clothes. I can face the day now, even if that temptress tries making another move. Which would be unwise of her but hey. OK, say goodbye to Stare and Vitruvion, then leave. I can do this much without incident, right?” With that rather unhelpful self pep talk, Nevin picked up his pack and headed out, aiming for downstairs. With everyone awake, and just so at that, they were probably getting food.

Nevin
01-03-2018, 03:50 PM
When he got down Stare was already there, filling two plates with items from the series of platters on the table. Vitruvion was now more clothed, his eyes fixed on a newspaper as Ventrua lounged to his right, her arms folded and not looking at him. It was clear their argument had ended in someone winning. With a fabulous purse of her lips Ventrua had her attention on the portraits that bordered the room, looking at them silently as Stare filled up the plates. She blinked but did not look as Nevin entered the room, but rather refused to do anything else but the paintings of her brother through his life.

Delicately Stare slid Vitruvion's plate in front of him, and got a single glance from Ventrua. They had a silent staring contest until Vitruvion, still not looking up, shook his head, and said, “No, Stare. You’re mine only.” And Stare then sat down with her own plate.

Nevin coughed and did his best to avoid looking in Ventrua’s direction. He failed. As he walked towards where Stare and Vitruvion were, his eyes kept sliding over to where the blonde was seated, her arms folded under her ample bust. Suddenly, Ventrua’s eyes snapped towards him and a devious smirk stretched those full lips. She lifted her arms for a moment, before leaning back, stretching her arms out behind her and emphasizing her curves with a slight wiggle.

“Oh? It looks like the cute little shy boy does want to play?” Nevin felt a blush shoot up his face. He was not going to get himself back into that barrel of trouble, no, not even if those lips did look perfect for -

“Ventrua!” A hard, cold voice snapped from Vitruvion, who had leveled a glare at her. Ventrua stared at Nevin a moment longer, let her eye on the far side from Vitruvion drop into a wink, then she hugged and folded her arms across her chest and went back to glaring at the portraits.

“No fun…” She mumbled under her breath with an angry pout on her lips. Nevin was now focusing solely on the white haired god, and specifically not looking at the half sister.

“Alchemist, do you need something?” Nevin hesitated a moment before shaking his head sharply.

“Not at all, Sir Elssmith. I just came to let you and Stare know I would be returning to Radasanth. I thank you for your hospitality these last couple days.” He bowed, then turned his head to Stare.

“Stare, it was wonderful seeing you again. Do try to come by when you can, I know you're going to be busy though.” Against his better judgment, he switched his gaze to Ventrua, and swallowed a bit when he saw that that husky gaze was back on him. “Miss Ventrua, it was.. An experience to meet you.” Despite himself, Nevin smiled slightly, remembering when he had said nearly the exact same thing to Vitruvion the first time they had met.

Stare
01-03-2018, 04:10 PM
“Do you have anything you need from me before I go though?” Nevin directed his gaze back to Vitruvion.

The god paused, and looked up to Nevin before shaking his head. “If you need to go now, then at least take some breakfast with you,” he gestured at the table. “That or eat and I will prepare you a marble.”

He saw the look of confusion in the humans eye. Grunting once, Vitruvion tapped Stare on the shoulder and then held out a hand. She blinked, and he blinked at her.

You still have the longer distance marble from yesterday, yes?

She gasped a little when she realised what he meant and dug into a pouch at her belt. From it she drew the darkest blue marble, but one that was dim and no longer beaming with light. When Nevin did not move Vitruvion gestured more fervently at the table. “Sit,” he insisted.

As the marble in his hand began to glow again.

Ventrua scowled before rising and grabbing a plate of her own. “Brother, you are always a spoiler of good fun.”

Nevin slowly moved to pick up a plate and begin gathering food, he was not about to argue with Vitruvion in his own home. Even if he was edging into something more than human - well, Vitruvion had always been that way, and a disagreement between them would inevitably end with Nevin coming out the worst of the encounter. He swallowed nervously and nodded. He sat down and began to eat, his mind churning a bit as he did so. Abruptly he looked up, a strange look in his eye.

"Now that I think a moment longer, I'd offer a trade with you, if you're interested Sir Ellsmith. I have need of, well, business help. I seek to force the alchemists guild in Radasanth to get rid of some of their more harmful practices. Perhaps in exchange for expertise from someone in your group, you would like me to prepare and provide a stockpile of healing agents, in readiment for the upcoming event at the Brewery?"

With a raised eyebrow Vitruvion threw a glance at Stare. But Stare was … cautious, careful to not think about Nevin much, just that she would need to say goodbye to him soon, and trying to think of pieces of small talk. Like the weather. The states of the roads. How the quality of hemp had changed over the season … The god smiled with amusement for a moment, knowing that it was all to distract herself from what Nevin had said earlier. In all honesty, it was good the alchemist went now, today, rather than stay around and make this situation more awkward than it was.

At least the boy had a girlfriend now, even if she was a cat.

“Raevin is currently making his way over. He and others will be staying at my Radasanth home in Bottleberry Avenue … if you go to them they can help. I will inform him and he will be grateful of any assistance you can give.”

Nevin
01-03-2018, 04:18 PM
He sucked in his breath and kept his eyes on Nevin for a moment, wondering of what really to say. “Alchemist … Nevin. You do understand the importance of the secrets here? The fact that I cannot control what the natural gods of this wretch of a planet … world will do to you if you say … nevertheless. You will be in danger from both them,” he paused, then decided to add. “And me.”

His lips curled into more of a deviant smile, eyes glimmering for a moment with a hint of the power behind. Stare looked up to him, her eyes massive and startled, and he simply dismissed her.

I am not his friend, just because he knows who I am, Stare. I am still me.

Nevin raised his eyebrow and folded his arms together in the table, staring at Vitruvion silently for a long minute. When he spoke again, his tone was soft, matching Vitruvion’s.

“I already told you, Vitruvion. I have no intention of spilling secrets that are not my own. Everything I learned in this house are the secrets of this house, and shall stay as such as long as I have control over my involvement in the matter. With or without additional encouragements or warnings, my lips are sealed on the matter. And as for the gods - what matter they to me? I grew up in Salvar, where I was ridiculed for wishing to learn magic to help others. Any concern I might have had about that lot is as dead as my - well. Quite dead.” Nevin slowly pushed his way to his feet and sketched a low bow to Vitruvion.

“But I think I should not tarry here any longer. I have affairs to get in order in Radasanth, and I do still have to find out whether I properly have a girlfriend. By your leave?” He raised an eyebrow, watching Vitruvion carefully.

The god rolled his eyes partly, feeling ire from Stare and entirely ignoring it. Turning to her smiled as he glanced at her again, as if her unhappiness made him more amused. He paused for about thirty seconds, letting Nevin hang there before he opened his hand. Within was a deep blue marble with an intensely beating heart of light.

“Be quick,” he told Stare, holding it out to her. “We have things to do today.”

Her body was tense but she took it and got up. Twisting around she left Ventrua and Vitruvion there, gesturing to Nevin fast.

One minute you're actually nice, the next you’re a dick. You can be an utter bastard you know.

Vitruvion chuckled a note of laughter as she left, actively trying to pull Nevin away. The god picked up his newspaper and went back to reading. All the while his sister fumed.

“Sorry,” Stare said quietly, when they were far enough away. “His mood can ...change. Suddenly.” She flinched with worry about what the day would bring, but that was hers to deal with, not Nevin. So strange, the idea of Vitruvion loving her at the same time as his cruel methods.


Nevin coughed and followed after her, wondering what on earth was going on at this point. He would have thought that Vitruvion would be thrilled to get rid of him, and instead it seemed like the man was using his departure to tease Stare? Or maybe dangling what she couldn’t have in front of Ventrua. Oh, Crimson. He had said where he lived in front of the blonde. He just hoped that her irritation with her brother was enough that she hadn’t been paying attention to him. He did not need a leggy, stacked blonde showing up while he was trying to figure out his feelings for a petite cat-woman. His eyes refocused on Stare when he realized she was speaking to him - at him, at first, but she wouldn’t know that.

“Well.” He looked around, making sure that there was no one else but them around in the hall. “They do say that the whims of the gods are often capricious. I can only hope that whatever is happening to me doesn’t make me as flighty as all that. I have been feeling a bit more…. Agitated, of late. Perhaps that is a concern.” He frowned and rubbed his chin - then realized that his hair had dried enough from his shower that he could tie it back. He wasn’t working on any alchemy any time soon, but even so, he was used to having his hair tied out of his face and off his shoulders.

As the two of them walked, he fished a thin cord of hemp rope from his pocket and began dragging his hair back and away from his face and neck, and began tying it up behind his head. He gave the finished ‘product’ a few experimental tugs, and nodded when the string didn’t come loose. An errant strand of blood-red hair did drift in front of his face, and he blew it away with an irritated huff. Minor grooming maintenance dealt with, his attention shifted back to Stare, who had watched all this with an amused eye.

“What? It’s too much hassle to cut it.” He folded his arms across his chest and assumed a mock-affronted look. After a moment he broke it with a shake of his head and a slight grin. “Did you need something from me, Stare? Or just want to say good bye from Ventrua’s prying eyes?” The redhead didn’t bother mentioning Vitruvion - in all likelihood, the white-haired god was keeping an eye on this conversation through their bond.

“Well I wanted to say goodbye properly? If I'm allowed to from one of my only friends,” her eyes danced with a happiness and the idea of friendship. For her it was the foundation of the better part of her life.

She looked away as she opened one of the huge doors of the front entrance. Light burst into their eyes from the glorious weather outside, with a beaming bright sun ... and she found herself scowling slightly. Under her breath she muttered. “Vitruvion is now able to have influence on the weather now, and every day is warm. One day I'm going to moult.” Screwing up her face she was gone for a moment in discomfort, but then looked to Nevin.

She paused, then held out the deep blue stone. “It's like the one I gave you before … ah yeah I need that back. Basically you hold it, think just that you ‘want to travel’ and it will get you to the place programmed … With Radasanth he has a habit of getting you to the harbour, out of the sight of people. And it only works the once. He has to 'recharge them’.” With an awkward look in her eyes she looked down, then back up.

“I'll see you … I guess, later? I should meet … Eteri again.” She stood there in the bright light, the brilliance glinting off her still damp feathers.

“Of course you are.” He shook his head. “There's no way I'd stop you from saying goodbye. That'd be pretty damn stupid of me.” He smiled slightly and shook his head. When she mentioned the other marble he blinked and began digging around in his pockets before finding it.

He swapped them, picking up the new one with slender fingers and dropping the short range one back into her outstretched hand. He held it up to one eye and gave it a somewhat critical glare. “Don't know why, but I am not particularly a fan of this method of transit. I've dealt with a couple different kinds now, and I always seem to be ill afterwards.” He sighed and grasped it firmer before looking at her, then stepping forward and pulling her into a hug.

“Be safe, Stare. I can't have one of my few friends dying on me. And I hope to have you over, maybe by the time you're free I'll actually know if Eteri and I will be together.” A final squeeze and he stepped back and away, the glanced at the marble held in his clasped hand.

“So just think ‘I want to trav-whoa!” A wrenching sensation in the pits of his stomach and with a rather startled expression, he was gone, Stare alone now in the light of early morning.

There was a flashing swirl around him, and Nevin felt like was churning end over end. He really, really hated teleportation magics. None of them seemed to fit quite right with him, and they always - he landed on his feet with a stumble, and had to fight back the urge to retch off the side of the pier. It took him a few moments to calm the churning in his stomach, and when it did finally settle he looked around..

This stretch of the piers was thankfully deserted, with only a few ships sitting in their moorings. He was about to stand up and walk away rapidly, when he realized he recognized one. He hadn't realized that Lady Philomel was back in the city. He would have to swing by and say hello later.

Stare
01-03-2018, 05:28 PM
She watched with a growing sadness as he vanished into the portal of magical creation. His form slowly and gently melting away out of sight, into a world beyond that which she could grasp. Some shimmers of illumination, a couple of winking stars and then he was out of her life. Again. He who knew who she was. Who understood why she could never leave Vitruvion.

It took her time to walk back into the house. Her footsteps were reluctant, and closing the door was hardier and the object heavier than she ever had noticed before. Gradually she came back to the dining room and slumped down in her seat to sit there, eyes dropping to gaze at her half-eaten meal. A soft sigh came from between her lips, and she was aware of quiet conversation happening between Vitruvion and Ventrua. A discussion of where they all sat now, a guarantee of truths and responsibilities.

“The responsibility lies mostly with him now,” Vitruvion said. “I warned him of the consequences should he even hint to his … cat girlfriend. He knows of who is involved.”

“Yes, all the gods of Althanas,” Ventura commented. “Well the major ones. The others had to really go along with their decision.”

The white-haired man breathed in slowly. “Indeed,” he replied with a dry tone. “Do you actually remember if any fought against the decision, Ventrua?”

The half-goddess shrugged. “I am not sure brother. At least you found …”

And some other things were said, but Stare was not listening then. Her eyes slid closed, and she pressed her body to the table. So many things had happened. The discovery that Vitruvion did not hate her soul, but rather had a love for her. A love more than an owner to his possession? Likely. And Nevin - Nevin knew of everything now. What she was, where she had come from. Well, he knew everything apart from one specific secret, but she was never going to admit that to her best friend was she now?

She paused. Best friend? Was Nevin really that to her? She thought of all the other good people in her life - Raevin, Mer … no, wait, forget her as a friend, Brer, Nosdyn - they were all friends but not in the same way as Nevin was … she thought. He had called her sister at one point. Maybe he could be that, a sibling to her. It wasn't like either of them really had one themselves. Well aside from Vitruvion but he was different in every situation.

“Stare.”

She barely noticed the word.

A sigh, then, Stare.

Hmm? she glanced up, eyes bright and filled with hope at the idea of a surrogate brother. Soon she would forget Nevin's admission that he had liked her more than a friend. That would forever be in their past, she was determined.

Vitruvion had an eyebrow curved. “Right. Now, we have things to discuss.”

It was then Stare noticed that Ventrua had gone. The half-goddess had left her chair and gone out of the room altogether. With a quick scan of her eyes the kenku found that she was not in the near vicinity.

“Firstly, you are right, a relationship in your case with anyone would complicate things. Anything. If you need to have a brief connection with someone in the future, that we can discuss, but a relationship would cause too many problems. A conflict of loyalties for a start.” He paused, “So I forbid you from seeking out one, or having one. Call it your punishment for the idiot action with the fire.”

The dull eyes bore holes into him. “I wasn't going to seek one anyway.”

“Well, it determines where we stand upon it. And I will adhere to my own promise not to use you as I did in the Hollow. With that we have an accord. It is not your use to me.” He slid a hand smoothly to tuck hair behind his ear, and smiled delightfully at her. “Yes?”

“Yeah,” she grunted in reply.

His smile warmed.

“We have to start organising how things will run now Raevin is not here. And ... I have a guest coming in a month. I need you to ready the house for him. I received his letter yesterday but obviously other issues became more important.”

With that she looked up, brow furrowing. “A guest?”

“One that I invited some time ago, but it seems he has time now.” He leant back, taking up his coffee. “He's from Hernsford city. The port.”

Hernsford. Stare suddenly felt the blood drain from her face. “Hernsford?” she questioned, unbelieving. “You mean?”

“The same one,” he nodded. “The only Hernsford, that there is. And the man who is coming is the very same merchant.”

The one who had arranged everything for Vitruvion's official ownership of her. Stare groaned loudly, feeling ugly, horrible and sick.

“He knows of who you are, and the circumstances, Stare. Our arrangement.” He straightened. “Anyway, what we need to do is …”

And the next several hours were spent organising what precisely a visiting political official’s needs were, in a foreign city. From another that depended entirely on slavery.

Nevin
01-03-2018, 05:36 PM
Nevin let a long, heavy sigh as he pushed the door to A Single Drop open. He had been told a message about his greetings and well-wishes would be passed on to Lady Philomel, who wasn't currently present within the ship, off on some business he was not to know of. So he had simply thanked them for taking his message and left, making his way back to his store. Which was dark, and quiet. The alchemist closed the door behind him and latched it - he was in no shape or mood to deal with customers tonight.

He slumped back against the door, his eyes drifting shut in the quiet shadows of the Alchemy store. He had become used to being around other people at this point, customers were constantly filtering in and out of the store whenever he had it open, and in the day he had business to take care of in the city. And for the last couple of days, he had literally been spending nearly every waking minute with his closest, dearest friend.

Who was firmly set in some kind of relationship with a god. The warmth had been laced with a strong possessiveness, an almost desperate attachment, but it had definitely been love. Nevin didn't know what had happened to Vitruvion that the other god refused to accept it - the alchemist paused and went back over his last thought in his head.

The other god? Nevin shook his head dismissively. Even if he was slowly transitioning in that direction, he was not a god, or godling, himself. Not yet. With a ugh, he pushed himself away from the door and began trudging his way into the back of the shop. He dropped his bags down beside his kitchen table and slumped down into a seat, staring across the table.

“It's too quiet here.” He slowly dropped his head down into his arms, resting them on top of the table. He had no idea how long he stayed there - he wasn't sure if he fell asleep, or if the quiet darkness just held him in its grasp for hours. It was strange to him - he was a reclusive person, or at least he thought he was. So why, instead of just feeling alone, did he feel.. Lonely?

Shinsou Vaan Osiris
01-04-2018, 06:17 PM
Stare receives 4225 EXP and 350 GP.

Nevin receives 4460 EXP and 350 GP.

Shinsou Vaan Osiris
01-04-2018, 06:19 PM
All rewards added.




Raiera