The Edge of Shadow || Original RP || IC Thread

[HawkGirl201]

▸ ▹ Tristan | Anna | Lockheart ◃ ◂
Overlord Slade's Prophetess
❝When you were standing in the wake of devastation
when you were waiting on the edge of the unknown
with the cataclysm raining down, insides crying save me now
you were there and possibly alone. ❞

"I apologize for my appearance, my lord.. I-. . ." Tristan paused. She took in a breath, and embraced her own legs in a hug. Without looking up to the male that she was not used to being physically close to. The prophetess turned to Overlord Slade and said clearly, "I saw someone killing me." Despite what Overlord Slade had said about his feeling towards her, Tristan desired greatly to lean into his face and kiss him. However, she had a glimpse of what the future may have had installed, and she decided against this action.

The teen finally got out of her own bed. She walked over to a large mirror, and took a glimpse of herself. She didn't like what she saw. Tristan knew she appeared unpresentable. She locked her gaze onto Slade's reflection, waiting for him to comment on her vision. She wondered if he would give her some sort of armed guard, or just deem the vision inconclusive.

Out Of Cookies?!:

Current Location: Port of Overlord Slade.
Speaking With: ---------

[Hack Thornias]

Current Location: Port of Overlord Slade.
Speaking With: Tristan

“I saw someone killing me."

This disturbed the Overlord greatly, someone killing his Prophet?! Unheard of, impossible, illogical, inconceivable! He would not allow this to occur, he immediately considered all the options, confining her to quarters, a guard, sending her away to a tower, and other such options. Finally he settled on one he could tolerate.

“I’m giving you a guard, some of my royal guard will stay behind and stay with you. In the past some of your visions didn’t come true, I’m sure this is one of the same. I will make sure you remain safe.”

He snapped his fingers and one of his captains hurried in, “Take five of your best men and place them around Tristan at all times. Wherever she goes, they go. No harm is to come to her or they will learn the true meaning of the word pain.”

The guard visibly paled but nodded he understood. Slade turned towards Tristan, “I apologize for this inconvenience but I do not want to lose you. But I must ask, what do you see of Dorian?”

[missxxriddle]

Location: Dorian
Speaking to: No one.

The Ride to Dorian had taken much time, but, it did not matter to Greggor as he rode back home, his heart swelling with imaginings of his surprise for his family and his dear sister Elle as he returned home for her birthday. In his saddlebag, resting on a pillow of satin was the finest set of pink pearls he had ever seen, and they reminded him greatly of his sister, so, unable to resist, he bought them for her birthday, and imagining the happy look on her face when she finally was able to have them. He smiled to himself as he saw his home draw near, and that warm, fuzzy feeling came once again, that feeling when you return home after a long period of time.

His studies abroad kept him away for some time, but, he always found his way back home so that he may discuss what he learned with his father. Of course, the news about Overlord Slade taking over the Sister Cities had just recently reached his ears, he knew that his father would be ready for that tyrant. He always would be. Greggor straightened himself, his fur trimmed cloak making him look much more elegant, more Dorian-like as he neared the gates. The guards immediately tensed, but, he raised his gloved hand, and smiled. It took them a moment to register that young Greggor had come home...and they were glad they were not the ones to tell him of his new title of Lord.

When he got past the gate and towards the front steps to his own house, the servants fled out to greet him, but, with somber expressions on their faces as they made still his horse and he dismounted, only to face with the head of the guard.
"What news, Fairmount? You look Grim,"
"It is because I have grim news, my lord...your father and sister Arabella...they've...they've been both murdered in their own chambers," He said, trying to choose his words lightly, but, no matter what he said, the impact hit Greggor like a ton of bricks, right in the gut. His face lost all color, and Fairmount grasped his shoulder. "I'm so sorry...my friend...my lord,"
Greggor, of course, now knowing his role, kept what tears threatened to come back away from view, and he stood up straight. "Take me to my mother and sister, they'll need me now more than ever,"

[missxxriddle]

Location: Near Azela's Pass
Speaking to: Erza Khalius.

As they moved through the pass, Felicity started to get more and more uneasy, tossing her mane, snorting, her eyes rolling back and forth as they moved onward through the pass. So far, things seemed quiet, though, she knew not to take that lightly. There was always something that could cut through that quiet the could be much more chaotic. Something that could delay them...or worse.

She shuddered at the thought.

As they trotted ahead, she noticed more and more loose rock on the ground, and looking ahead, saw a gap in the pass that had a very small strip of rock going along the side. She pulled on the reins, and looked to Ezra. "I think we should lead the horses from here across that." She said. "It'll be quicker to navigate them, and less chance for anything unruly to happen,"

In the womb of the leaves,
on the branches of the trees,
Lies the treasure of the morning,
The Pearls of Light.

[thequeen-- barbie]

Elle looked up from the cobblestone path to a servant, bowed before her. "M'lady, your brother has arrived and I.. he has news to deliver." The maid looked frightened at the prospect of telling her of the second murder to have occurred in the house that day. Having witnessed Elle's outburst at the first, anyone would have been. Elle nodded and stood, still sniffling though she appeared to have brightened at news of her brother's arrival. She ran into the house as fast as her feet would take her, into the arms of her elder brother. At least there she felt some semblance of safety. 

Here, she burst into tears again, her hold strong on his shirt. She couldn't quite form her first words and she had to repeat them many times to finally be able to speak. "Greggor... I'm so sorry.. I wish you didn't have to come home to this..." She said between sobs. "I'm so happy you're here and Mama and Ara-" Their mother caught Elle's chin and explained the situation in a delicate tone, tears running down her own face as she watched Elle's heart shatter for the second time in the day, face returning to her brother's shoulder. She hadn't known at all of Arabella's death until the moment.

Elle suddenly felt so guilty and an enormous weight pressed on her shoulders. If she had gone in and just talked to Arabella, maybe she would still be alive. Who could have done such things? How could the guards have let it happen twice? Questions burned in her mind as they popped up, doubts and uncertainties that were enough to drive even the most sure of people mad. 

"It isn't fair. I don't feel safe in my own home, my own city anymore." She said, pulling away from Greggor. Her eyes were red and swollen and her face was streaked with tears. "I don't even trust my own bed tonight. It's just too much..." She hated all of this, and she would grow to hate the days leading up to her birthday as well, seeing as how they would be an ugly reminder of the tragedy each year. "And to think all I'd wanted was a party..." 



{ location } • Dorian
{ speaking to } • Greggor

[HawkGirl201]

▸ ▹ Tristan | Anna | Lockheart ◃ ◂
Overlord Slade's Prophetess
❝When you were standing in the wake of devastation
when you were waiting on the edge of the unknown
with the cataclysm raining down, insides crying save me now
you were there and possibly alone. ❞

Tristan knew Overlord Slade wanted the use of her power. She couldn't think of another reason he would go by her bedchamber. She nodded to him, showing him that she would tell him what he wanted to know. With this in mind, she grabbed her staff, and sat in an armchair. She closed her eyes, and held her staff upright.

After a few seconds, the top of the staff started to radiate a white light. Her right hand squeezed onto the wooden armrest under her arm, and her left hand cringed onto the shaft of the staff. Tristan opened her eyes and the light stopped, but the visions did not. She took in a deep breath and held it. "I see treachery. . . Death in Dorian. . . A plot in the port. . . A celebration. . . They might already be here," declared the young woman as she snapped back into reality.

Out Of Cookies?!:

Current Location: Port of Overlord Slade.
Speaking With: ---------

[Hack Thornias]

Current Location: Port of Overlord Slade.
Speaking With: Tristan

"I see treachery. . . Death in Dorian. . . A plot in the port. . . A celebration. . . They might already be here,"

“More the reason for us not to be here, I want you to use your talents here while I am away. I am headed to Dorian to conquer the city. Captain!”

The captain of the guard hurried in and saluted. “I want you present for this. Tristan Anna Lockheart, I, Overlord Slade, do hereby reinstate the position of Royal Vizier and appoint you to that position with all rights, privileges therein.”

The Royal Vizier was in the old days of the kingdom second in command of kingdom, the hand and fist of the king. When his grandfather had ascended the throne he had abolished that position and had decreed the pin and robe to be sealed in the vaults. Slade was undoing that order.
“Have one of your men go to the vault and get the pin and robe of the Vizier, bring them here and give them to Ms. Lockheart, my new Royal Vizier.”

He turned to the young prophet and said, “I will be leaving now, run my Kingdom well in my stead, but don’t think about declaring yourself Overlady, you aren’t strong enough to take me down. Find the plots, find the traitors, and make sure they are eliminated...”

He smiled at her briefly and then headed towards the gates of the palace to his horse where the generals were waiting

[Kelevra Black]

Current Location: On the road from City of Azoth to Sa' Kari
Speaking With: Kelevra Lecarde

"What exactly are we looking for?" Kelevra finally asked. They had been riding in silence and Kelevra was unsure if it was his place to ask, despite it being his dream that acted as the catalyst. Kostro was unsure of whether he should tell him. Of course, it would eventually be necessary for him to know what they were looking for. But right now, Kostro wasn't sure if Kelevra would be able to comprehend just how important this little expedition was.

"They are something old." Kostro said. "Something far more powerful than you can understand. And something so malevolently... ordinary."

"Malevolently ordinary?" Kelevra said, not so much a question as a statement. "You're being malevolently vague. If you don't want me to know what they are, just say so. But I feel that might hinder my usefulness in the search for whatever-they-are."

Kostro raised an eyebrow and scratched his jaw. "It's not that I don't want you to know. It's that I'm not sure you would understand."

"Three months ago I didn't think I would become an assassin's apprentice. I'm pretty open-minded."

"Fair enough. Tell me, what do you know of Slade's power? His magic?"

"He uses all forms of magic. Which is something incredibly rare in any user of magic."

"Actually it's impossible." Kostro interrupted. "Nobody has the natural conduits to shift their energy into all forms. Most people can't use magic. Those who can only have a maximum of three natural inner conduits."

"So how does Slade use all forms?"

"Not all. Prophecy will forever elude him. He has made artificial conduits. Or found them. They are rare and take massive amounts of magic to create." Kostro explained. "Conduits can be anything. Any object... Do you know what magic is?"

"Magic is a form of energy, that is created from our life energy through the natural inner conduits."

"Indeed. But magic is also commonly referred to as Talent. We don't call ourselves Magicians, or Wizards. Some call us Users of Magic, but I find that too wordy. I've always preferred to call us Talented. Our magic is our Talent. And in order to make a conduit, it requires siphoning the Talent of a person into the desired object in order to create the artificial conduit."

"How does a person do such a thing?"

"Well, one can willingly give up their Talent and place it in an object. Or, more likely in Slade's case, their Talent can be stolen by murdering them and capturing the residual energy in an object before it disperses. It is a lengthy process... But it works."

"So why is it that Prophecy will elude Slade? Does he not have a prophet he may kill?"

"He does. But the world relies on a balance, and Prophecy is the one thing that can destroy that balance. Therefor, the world corrects any disruption in that balance... Immediately. When a prophet dies, the gift of Prophecy is transferred to the very next person born into this world. This only takes seconds at the most. Slade can not capture the Talent within that small of a time period. Creating a Conduit takes at least twenty minutes. Prophecy has him beat by a mile."

"I see. And how does this involve our quest."

"Because we all have natural inner conduits, and Slade has artificial conduits. But he does not have The Conduits."

"The Conduits?"

"Precisely."

"And these are ordinary objects?"

"Exactly?"

"So how are they any different than Slade's artificials?"

"Because these conduits were invented by the most Talented people of all time. Thousands of years ago, the greatest users of magic -- back then they were called mages and magae. Mages were male, magae were female -- the greatest mages and magae not only infused their Talent into the objects... They infused their very souls.

"Each possessed a different specialty. A different mastery over a certain form of magic. One may think they have mastered creating fire, or water, or earth, wind, magic, combat, so on, so forth... But these mages and magae bested them to the point that their mastered form of magic no longer held the threat of death.

The Red Conduit, the first created, grants the holder mastery over fire. They can control the flames. Withstand any heat. And they can be set on fire and live. The fire can lick their skin for all eternity and not leave a single burn. When the Red Conduit is in use, no amount of fire or flame can kill the Utilizer who controls it."

"Utilizer?"

"Utilizers are rare. The Conduits created by these mages and magae are different from other conduits in that they choose who they bond to. Not the other way around. One can force the bond, but doing so would be dangerous, since the souls of the mage or magae contained within may try to sabotage you."

"How would they do that? Can they still use magic?"

"No. But once the bond is made, the souls of that Mage or Magae fuse with the soul of the Utilizer. You will be able to speak with the Conduit, and it may offer you advice. However, when the bond is forced, the Conduit's soul may offer bad advice that could lead to your death, and thus, their freedom from that person."

"I see. So what are the other Conduits?"

"There is The Blue, which grants the Utilizer the power of water. They could summon a tidal wave if they so choose, and water can not kill them. There are loopholes. A wave can still sweep them into rocks and crush them. But they can not drown.

"Then there is The Brown, which grants power over earth. The Utilizer of this Conduit could move an entire mountain if they wanted to. Nor can they die by any manner of earth. This one is much more full of loopholes than the others. While they can be buried alive, they wouldn't suffocate on the soil, because the Conduit would simply devour the earth and make it stronger, as it is with all Conduits and their element... But the pressure of being crushed by a thousand pounds of soil can still kill.

"The Quartz Conduit grants power of air and wind. The potential of this Conduit was never fully explored because it was the first one to go missing.

"The Silver Conduit. The Blade Eater is it's other name. This one is infused with the soul of the greatest battlemage in the history of our world. Acaelus Drake. No relation to House Drake. This Conduit is called the Blade Eater because it will devour any iron, steel, silver, mistarille, mythril, ... Any metal weapon. Stabbing the Utilizer of this Conduit with any ordinary blade of metal would be like stabbing lava with a stick of butter. Their body will devour the blade and it will add to their strength."

"When you say devour, what do you mean?"

"The Conduits devour their element and it replenishes their own magic. Once their magical energy is restored, they can store even more. Almost like spare energy that can be used to preserve their own and keep them further from death by exertion."

"So if I were to try and kill the Utilizer of the Red Conduit by setting him on fire, instead I would be giving him extra magical energy?"

"Exactly."

"If these are so powerful, why hasn't anyone used them?"

"Because the Conduit chooses who it bonds with. If the bond is forced, that would require the person forcing the bond to know what it is before bonding it. The Conduits aren't anything special at a glance. They look like ordinary gems, but they are slightly more of an enigma. They are almost like a clear, metallic, colored diamond."

"What are the others?"

"There is the Pink Conduit, which grants the Utilizer the mastery of beauty. The first Utilizer of this Conduit was Magdalyne Acestius. She was known as the ugliest woman to ever exist. But when she activated the powers of the Pink Conduit, men would throw themselves at her feet. Songs were written about her, but the bards could never agree on what she looked like. Which leads us to believe that the Pink Conduit did not alter her appearance at all, but rather altered how people perceived her. It would make her appear in whatever form was considered most beautiful to the persons looking upon her."

"And the one I dreamed of?"

"The Black. The Black Conduit was created in somewhat of a secret betrayal. As it was the last to be created, there was only one remaining Mage left from the group that had began this venture, the most powerful of them all. He was simply called The First Son. Nobody knows why... But this Conduit was unlike the others. The First Son -- alone now that his fellow mages and magaes offered their lives to make their Conduits -- developed other plans. His Conduit, as originally planned, devoured magic. But it was also meant to devour the very essence of death. However, even the most powerful mage can not completely best death. His Conduit extended to only to magic, and poisons. This Conduit is called The Devourer. Though The First Son was unsuccessful in beating death, he did find a way to cheat it.

"The Utilizer of this Conduit can devour any magical attack against him. Magic can not touch him. Poison can not kill him. And death can not keep it's hold on him."

Kelevra's eyes widened in amazement. Never before was their a magic that prevented death. "So he's completely invincible?"

"No. He is immortal."

"What's the difference."

"Invincible and Immortal are vastly different. One who is invincible will not be killed. One who is immortal can live forever."

"I'm still not seeing the difference."

"Age will not touch the Immortal, but he can still die. The Invincible can not be murdered, but he will still age and eventually pass away."

"So if they both die, what is the point of the Conduit?"

"The Black makes the Utilizer immortal. They will not age, nor can they be killed by magic or poison. But blades, arrows, knives, and so on, can still kill them. However, they will not stay dead. The body will heal, and they will wake from their death like it were merely a long sleep."

"So what you are saying is that the immortal can live for all eternity."

"If they want."

"What do you mean by that?"

"In due, time Kelevra. In due time...."

"Am I a Utilizer...?"

"Yes. And you are the catalyst. Your dream lets us know that a new generation of Utilizers has been born, and the Conduits are ready to bond with them. It is up to us to find the Conduits and make sure they don't fall into the wrong hands."

"Does Slade know about The Conduits?"

"Not likely. There is no text on them. They are thought to be a myth. Only the Utilizers or the souls within the Conduits were able to pass down the information on them to the next generation of Utilizers. However, the last generation of Utilizers were born nearly three hundred years ago. With the exception of one... There was one Utilizer that was born not too long ago... Though he wasn't joined by an entire generation."

"Who?"

"...Me." Kostro looked at Kelevra and withdrew his blades and held them up. The black metal covering them melted away and moved away from from the blade, down the hilt, and into Kostro's hand, forming itself into a clear, metallic, black diamond. It looked incredibly ordinary. Something that a noble would have in their jewelry box, thinking it nothing more than a rare gem, not knowing what it was.

Kostro gave it a squeeze and ran his hands along the blades, covering them once more in The Black Conduit.

"This Conduit has more secrets. But the less you know right now, the better."

Kelevra was stunned into silence. His mouth was agape, and he wasn't entirely sure how to respond to what he had just seen. But he summoned what thought he could and simply asked, "Guild Master Kestus doesn't know you hold that, does he?"

"No. And one day, you will know why."

[Hack Thornias]

Current Location: 2 days from the Port of Overlord Slade
Speaking With: Gilia Wilder

How long have I been asleep?

“A few hours. You were twitching in your sleep. Are you alright?”

They slowly made their way back onto the road but Victor could feel that he was getting tired, sleep was something that didn’t come easily to whim with all the worries he had. For all he knew there was no hope for any of them and he should just surrender. He was closing his eyes before he knew it as his horse rocked him back and forth and he began to day dream…

He was standing in utter blackness, there was nothing to be seen in any direction, no indication of direction or of any light. Without warning a beam of light erupted from the ground several paces away and a man stood there, his features unknown.

“Hello?” He slowly made his way to the shaft of light and when he reached it, he slowly put his hand in it.

Seeing that no harm came to his fingers he entered the shaft of light completely and faced the figure whose back was turned towards him. “Who are you?”

The figure still refused to answer him so he placed his hand on the figure’s shoulder. With reflexes faster than any human a hand shot out and grabbed Victor’s hand, locking him in place. The figure had him in a vice like grip and as the figure turned to face Victor, he couldn’t help but scream.

It was himself, Victor. But a Victor gone horribly wrong, the eyes were sunken and empty, no emotion or life in them, the face was gaunt and skull like and the teeth were stained red as if from drinking blood.

“You will fail Son of Thornias. You are a hopeless wretch thinking you can stop the flood. You are an insect caught in the tempest. You are weak.”

Victor tried to speak but he found his mouth unwilling to open, he couldn’t answer. His arm was relinquished but he was still unable to move as this false Victor began to pace the circle, when he passed every few feet a ghostly figure was left in his wake. His father, Lord Dorian, his brothers, sisters, mother, everyone he ever cared about or had was loyal to was there. They all were simply standing there watching him as he struggled to get up from his knees.

“You will fail them Son of Thornias, you will fail them and die. There is no hope for you.” With a gesture at the figures they began to age, to wither, to die. In seconds nothing remained but skeletons and then, dusts.

Victor finally found the strength to stand and when he did the false Victor was standing not an inch from his face. The creature grabbed his head and squeezed his cheeks while staring into Victor's eyes. The eyes of the creature were pits, bottomless voids that you could lose yourself in for eternity. They seemed to draw him in as the creature spoke, “You have a dark desire Victor of Thornias, give in to your darkest dream and take what you want.” He was suddenly free of the creatures grip but he was rooted to the floor, he was witnessing a change now. The false creature’s features melted and shifted into that of Slade, the Overlord…

“You are Victor Thornias, and you are mine!”

Finally finding his voice he screamed and…. Jerked awake. He looked around in a panic but they were still on the road, still riding, still… safe. But what did what he saw mean? Was it a vision? A dream? Or gods forbid a prophecy? He shivered visibly and tried to warm himself from the cold that suddenly gripped him.

[Kelevra Black]

Current Location: Azazel's Pass
Speaking With: Sabelina Armallis

"Sounds like a smart idea." Ezra said, dismounting his horse. The mist above them swam unnaturally. There was no wind in these mountains, at least not this near the ground. The mountains pushed all the wind upward. But still the mist above their heads moved to and fro as if it were a creature all its own.

It was eerie. The sky could not be seen, and light seemed to abandon the place entirely as they pressed on through the mountains. It was lit only by incandescent moss that grew on the rocks. But even that light was ominous. It was dim and darkly colored, only offering them enough light for a few feet at a time. Ezra had to use his magic to create a small flame to light the gaps that the incandescent moss refused to light.

There was a crumbling sound high above them, as if the mountains were whispering to one another. If not for his years of training and honing his reflexes he wouldn't have made it out of the way in time. The mist above them obscured sight of anything falling, and that's exactly what happened. Rocks and boulders headed straight at them, bouncing manically down the mountain. Within the ten feet between them and the mist above them, Ezra created a small field to deflect the falling rocks away from him, Sabel, and the horses.

Once the landslide stopped, Ezra was exhausted. He climbed back onto his horse and closed his eyes. "Head south, my lady." He said. "Lead the horses south. It should only be about a half mile from here to the beach..." Of course, in these mountains even a half mile was a long distance. It was constantly raising and dropping elevation and it was dark. Some passes would not be easy to make. But it was better to go around the pass rather than through it. At least it would be safer, now that Ezra was too weak to defend them all from danger. "I just need to rest for half an hour. Wake me if there is any danger."

[Kelevra Black]

Current Location: Road from City of Azoth to Sa' Kari
Speaking With: Kostro Lenore

"Are there any more Great Conduits?" Kelevra asked. It was intimidating to know he was apprenticing under the Utilizer of The Black. If his reasoning was correct -- and it didn't take a genius to figure it out -- it meant that Kostro was immortal. And something about apprenticing under an immortal was comforting.

"There may be. They were made thousands and thousands of years ago and there was nothing made to document it except the accounts of the souls within the Conduits." Kostro replied. "However, I have inquired with The First Son many times about the other Conduits. But he keeps his lips pressed tightly together on that topic. A few times I have managed to outsmart him and learn a little more. But in order to maintain a balance, he doesn't tell me anything new. Only confirms what I have learned on my own."

"Is outsmarting them really that difficult?" Kelevra asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They're been around for thousands of years. They've interacted with many people. Whether it was through a bond or by sitting in someone's jewelry box. They've had thousands and thousands of years to watch the world, study, adapt, and become wiser. So yes... Outsmarting them is no easy thing to accomplish."

Kelevra was trying to find a proper way to lead to what he really want to ask. But he just couldn't find the right way to do that. After several seconds of silence, he finally decided to just ask.

"Which Conduit will I bond with?"

"The Black."

"But what about you? Can they bond with more than one person?"

"Sort of. They can abandon their previous Utilizer for a new one. But the bond won't be completed until..." Kostro trailed off.

"Until what?"

"You aren't ready to know that yet, Kelevra... Trust me."

[thequeen-- barbie]

Fae was careful to avoid any object with a shiny surface as she walked over the destruction in her study. Her reflection upset her, fresh bruises peppered her shoulders and arms and just under her eye, along her cheekbone, was swollen and ached horribly, the doing of Iryx herself. Fae hadn't meant to fall and break every bit of glass on the tray, she simply had. She was utterly powerless under Iryx's hand, and she'd had the unfortunate opportunity to do so before one of Iryx's imfamous parties. She'd been caught well by the diamonds on her mistress' fingers. Iryx held little tolerance for the ungraceful. 

And so, as Fae swept up the dust that had been knocked to the floor by the old shelves and books, she bit her lip and ignored the giant mirror on the back wall. The giant crack in the middle made it almost easy to pretend it wasn't herself staring back, just a distorted vision. She was slow with each stroke of the broom across the ancient tile, careful to miss not one speck of dust. Of course she was only concentrated on the movement of her arms, because two seconds later there was an enormous clash as a statue that was once sat across a tabletop finally came to rest in pieces on the floor. The other servants looked up at the blushing Fae, exasperated. "Oops?" She waved, embarrassed, forgetting to keep hold on the broom until that, too, fell. Her efforts to catch it failed and only resulted in her knocking over the table as well. Audible groans picked up and Fae peeked at her damage through her hands, which had flown up when she'd realized her efforts to save everything had been futile. 

"Fae," Came an annoyed voice from the corner of the room. Their back had been turned and they hadn't seen a thing but everyone obviously knew it was her who'd caused a scene. "Why don't you go see if they need help elsewhere?" The others agreed before she could get a word out and Fae didn't bother to argue, instead just walking out of the room with what was left of her slice of dignity for the day. She silently thanked her feet for somehow keeping steady as she walked over a pile of books; it would have been incredibly embarrassing to fall at that point. 

The other staff eagerly intercepted her and just as easily pushed her out the door with directions to snoop about and see if she could find out anything about what the Overlord was planning to do next. "Now do you really think it's best if I-" They slammed the front door just after getting Fae to the porch, leaving her holding up her hand. She dropped it and look down at her white cat Ida, slovenly draped across the entryway. "Well!" She knelt to pet the fluffy creature, taking note to fill the empty dish of milk barely peeking out from behind it's hiding spot beside the porch. "Come on, Ida. I'm not missing dinner again, so we've got to finish this quick." 

Fae quietly made her way out into the city streets, somber from their recent downfall. A few of Slade's guard still remained here and there and Fae was especially careful to avoid any sort of eye contact with them. They were big, scary men and she felt even more inferior then usual around them. On the bright side at least the crime couldn't be so bad with such people around. She agreed with herself mostly for reassurance, though deep down she was not entirely sure that was a solid idea. 

"Ida, where in the world am I supposed to go to find out the Overlord's plans? It's not like I know them." She asked the cat which did nothing to respond. Fae rolled her eyes. "Great. Even the cat hates me." 



{ location } • Coraline
{ speaking to } • No one

[Kelevra Black]

Current Location: Coraline
Speaking With: Nobody of interest.

"I win again!" Slevin gave an excited grin. His pockets were surely to be full before this day was out.

"I aint seen nothin' like this before, boy... You've won a dozen times in a row." The dealer said. It was a game of Three Cups. The goal being that you had to keep your eye on which cup was hiding the pebble underneath it. This man had realized that shuffling them by hand was far too easy for people to see. So he'd set the cups on a small rotating table and spun it as fast as he could. They were a blur of movement. Only those with the best eyes could keep track of anything spinning that fast... But Slevin didn't really need to look.

Slevin pointed to a cup and the man lifted it... Revealing the pebble. Slevin scooped up the silver coins and put them in his pocket while the crowd looked at him with their mouths agape.

"I know. I'm surprised too."
He wasn't.

"My luck will run out eventually."
It wouldn't.

Slevin had been cheating the man. Using his gift of prophecy to determine which cup was the right one. Many people had joined in and tossed their own money in to bet against Slevin, thinking that his luck would run out.

Slevin usually made his money by betting on fights that he had already seen the outcome of. Or horse races that he'd already seen the results of. Being a Prophet made him the ultimate cheater. Occasionally someone would accuse him of being a cheat and come after him. But when you could see the future, it was pretty easy to know what to do and when to do it. Fighting came easy when you knew what your opponent would do before they did. Running from guards came easy when you knew which routes to take and when to take them.

Of course, this all depended on looking into the future of the right people. Slevin already knew that looking into your own future held certain risks. The greatest of which was insanity. So he usually opted to scry the people around him to see the outcome. Or his opponent, just as a way of secretly adding insult to future injury.

But now Slevin was happy. His pockets were full and he was making his way from the game with a couple coin purses filled to the brim. It was a good day. They were mostly copper and silver pieces. But it was definitely enough to enjoy himself for a long while.

Of course, he wasn't out of the woods yet. Coraline was currently under Slade's control. And his ruthless guards had been watching. As Slevin made his way down the street, he looked a couple minutes into their future and saw them demanding that he pay "his dues."

Slevin had no intention of paying these guards. Especially since it was clear that they meant to take everything he had just earned... If earning was the right word for it. Slevin ducked down an alley and waited for the guards to follow. Once they did, he knocked one out with a stone and then hurled it at the other one, catching him in the head. Blood spurted, but he would live. It would just leave a nasty scar.

"You're supposed to guard us from thugs. Not act like thugs." Slevin said to the two unconscious men. Then he turned on his heel and headed to the nearest inn.

[thequeen-- barbie]

Fae was irritated; she'd certainly missed dinner by a good bit and she knew there wasn't any saved for her. And she hadn't learned a damned thing from anyone. Not even the merchants had an idea to offer her. If they did, it was a tall tale. But she had learned of the death of Lord Dorian and one of his famed pretty little girls, a fact Fae found sad but Iryx would find invaluable. Ida strolled along happily, having already slayed two mice and devoured them. "I'm glad you had a good dinner." 

Other than the fact that she was starving and that she had not a penny on her, the night was shaping up to be a pretty one. She looked up for just a second and admired the sky, but quickly returned her eyes ahead of herself. She didn't want to make herself look like a fool for the billionth time in the day. She was stalling so she wouldn't have to go back to the estate. Iryx was probably already out until the next afternoon anyways, sleeping like a lazy teenager. Far considered just staying out all night.

It didn't seem to be like a good idea, but it was something to do nonetheless. She walked on until-

WHAM! Her ears swam from an impact with a back alley wall, her head throbbing as the adrenaline began to kick in. Two strong hands had her, one pushing her ribs back and the other on her neck. "Don't say a word, or my friend will kill you." She looked behind the guard to see another, smiling wickedly. She almost threw up right there, disgusted and scared. She thrashed about, skirts catching and tearing on sharp armor. His grip on her neck grew tighter and her head fuzzed from lack of oxygen.

Fae took the opportunity to scream loudly as his hand mistakenly moved to her leg, pushing her skirt up to her thigh before he could stop her. She fought harder as the other pair of hands found her hair and threw her down, and she gasped as the cool edge of a blade pressed at her throat. 

"Please, please! I'll do anything!" Fae begged, knowing her scream had to at least have attracted someone's attention. She wouldn't be there for long, she hoped. Fae tried to shimmy backwards and fix her skirt, to no avail. She only pushed what was left of it dangerously high, leaving the modest girl blushing. She was amazed at how that was her greatest worry in such a situation.

"Anything?" Another one of those horrifying smiles.



{ location } • Coraline
{ speaking to } • No one

[Sirius Business]

ѠȈȽȈȺ ☽☾ ϢȈȽɖӬɌ
Current location: En route to Port of Slade
Speaking with:Victor Thornias

“A few hours. You were twitching in your sleep. Are you alright?” Gilia hesitated for a moment then answered, "No, actually... I need to ask you something about magic. My brother never taught me anything all that valuable about magic. Any magic I have learned is through practice, my old Guild Master, and you, of course. I know there are other types of magic, like Sensor, Prophesy, and the like... but is there any specific type of magic that can connect two people? I've been having these dreams, not reoccurring mind you. I had one during my travels in Dorian and another just a moment ago. In the first dream, my late family was telling me to run away from Dorian. I was caught there, but you rescued me. Then, mere minutes ago I dreamed of my late brother, Cygnas, beating me up... reprimanding me for heading towards the Port. Do you... I mean... is it even possible... could our mind be connected? Cause that would mean..."

Gilia could not even finish her sentence. The possibility of Cygnas being alive was... unthinkable. The Guild Master, Faelan, himself, had told her of her brother's tragic end during a mission. However, a body was never recovered or brought back. Faelan had reasoning for that that Gilia could not remember, seeing as she was so distraught at the time. If Cygnas was alive, surely, he would have sent her a letter or something, telling her he was alive, to meet him... something. Right? Cygnas had always been a secretive person, but he was also protective of his family. If he was alive, he would have returned to protect her from whatever they had fled from in Dorian, right?

These dreams could be nothing more than her conscience trying to get through to her through Cygnas. Going to Dorian was stupid, but she had no choice and did not know the true reasons as to why her family was known there. Now, she and Victor were heading towards the Port of Slade. The abilities she had acquired during her time with Victor far surpass her days as an apprentice at the Faceless Guild. Plus, the two travelers were only gathering information at the Port of Slade. It was not like they were trying to assassinate Slade himself. Although, the idea was tempting. The chances of them finding an opening to kill Slade was zero to none. Not only was the Port of Slade heavily guarded, but Slade was talented in all magic (save prophecy). That was something else about magic Gilia did not understand, but she first wanted her question about Cygnas answered.

Victor seemed to be staring off into space. Was he even listening? Gilia began to reach her hand over to shake his shoulder when a scream emerged from his lips, startling her and her horse. He jerked, looking around confusedly and afraid. Concerned, Gilia placed her hand on his shoulder and asked, "What's the matter?"

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