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 Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2016 2:23 pm
The heavy air was a forewarning of a strong storm coming through the forests of Jahaur. While Kian was accustomed to the rains that typically fell almost daily across the rain forests this one felt stronger than others. It had after all been almost a week without rain, something that he had mused upon with surprise. Even if it didn't rain heavily there usually was that constant drizzle which helped to alleviate the heat of the forests. Did it even matter about the weather? Rolling over on his bedding, Kian sighed. Evening was a time for rest, but for others it was a time when they began to stir. He was a strange creature who both roamed the day and also at times the night.
Tonight in particular he felt overwhelmed by a series of events. He had recently returned from helping a girl who haunted his thoughts - no matter how frustrating she was the hybrid had surprisingly found himself fond of her. It was strange how such things worked. Still, his actions made him question a few things. Had he truly given up that quest because of a few people in his life? Hadn't he grown stronger to protect them so why stop in his quest now? He had been so caught up in his guilt and their way of life that he had almost failed back then.
It was enough to crease his brow in frustration. So many thoughts had haunted him lately - taunting him of his growing weakness. Kian pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. What did he do? Am I really becoming weak now that I'm softened by them? After all they would have never accepted him if he had openly come about with his blood stained hands. Even Nerio had sent him on that foolish quest to try and redeem his humanity. I went and did something good I suppose. He had nearly lost her in the process...and that was what made his gut clench. The old Kian would have wiped a field of them out, but now? He was soft, far too soft.
At least that was what the voices in his head continued to taunt him about. Nightmares kept him awake and memories of his mother began to resurface as well. It was to the point that he had lashed out multiple times in practice and even against Nerio with spells that were far from gentle or contained. It's the temptation of those damned runes. If he could just go out and take care of those that had them...those that hid among the bandits and incited fear into helpless villagers...then he could grow stronger. He would just have to eliminate the enemy first and prove that he wasn't weak after all. The thought brought a dangerous smirk to his fine features - now that was more like his old self.
I suppose one last night stroll won't harm anyone.
That decided the hybrid placed together a few belongings and after crawling out of his tent headed out for the night...
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Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 3:48 pm
Eresin put his hands out by the fire. He decided to spend the night in his uncle's camp since he found himself training until the late hours, and it would be dangerous to travel back to his camp at this hour. Surprisingly, he felt chilly, even though Jauhar's humidity provided a constant heat. Something was in the air, and he could feel it, but he didn't know what. Sometimes I wish I weren't a mage... Being able to sense a shift tended to have its upsides, but most of the time, it left him feeling run down and he often had to shake feelings of paranoia. It was still difficult for him to handle, as an amateur mage, but each day of training provided him with the strength to control his senses and feelings better, on top of learning to better defend himself. His uncle was sleeping in his tent, but Eresin just couldn't sleep. Most nights he could sleep on things, but not tonight. For some reason, he just couldn't put away the gut feeling that something was about to change or happen. This is the life I chose, I suppose... As if trying to reason with it would put his mind at ease. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It will pass...
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Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 3:54 pm
Those bastards. Kian smirked as he continued down the trail. Mage fire was easy to track and it wasn't a surprise that he could taste some copper -blood- in the air. Now that was a familiar feeling~ The darkness in him purred at the enticement of a bloodshed. He used to be able to let loose like that with his own magic. Lightning to burn others down while fire got rid of the rest - ice if necessary, but he was much more likely to use wind, fire, and lightning to his commands. They after all were as wild and as dangerous as he...used to be?
But right now if he closed his eyes and just let the breeze rush past the hybrid could almost feel that old energy coiled in his stomach. Perhaps it was best if he just gave in and let loose. Not like those bastards deserve any better. Then he could steal their artifacts and see what was so important about their magic which allowed them to inflict so much terror in the area.
His smirk flashed in the darkness as he continued along towards where the trial led....
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Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 5:39 pm
Eresin stood up from the campfire. He couldn't take the feeling of dread anymore, and had to walk about. Perhaps a midnight stroll would do me some good. He headed away from camp as carefully and quietly as he could. Even though it was dangerous at night, he felt walking around would be better than stewing in his thoughts. As he roamed around the forest, keeping track of where he was going, he smelled something in the air. Fire...? At least that's what he thought, but there was something off about this fire. It didn't smell of burned wood. In fact, it smelled an awful lot like Magical fire... Perhaps Kian was practicing nearby, though that was pretty unlike him. Eresin felt the guy had been changing though, slowly reverting back to his old, aloof self. Regardless, he decided to see if he was around, carefully and quietly moving through the trees.
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Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 7:01 pm
They were up ahead. Kian smirked as magic swirled between his fingers with a runestone clutched tightly in his hand. It was a good thing that a thunderstorm loomed in the air above them - he was definitely feeling extra energy from the static in the air. He could hear them talking faintly as the wind brushed through the trees. Are they resting or plotting? He wished the words weren't so muddled. However, he was on high alert and so the feeling that someone else was in the area - rather than up ahead, but instead behind him - caused Kian to twist on his heels and stare backwards into the darkness. Who the hell?
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 8:57 am
"Kian...?" he whispered. He could barely make out his figure in the dark, but he did manage to notice his low posture. Was he sneaking around? What for? Perhaps there was danger nearby, or worse, someone was looking for him again. He ducked low and quietly made his way towards his hybrid friend. When he was next to him, he whispered, "What are you doing here?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:04 am
As the voice registered with him, Kian let out a groan. "Eresin, what the hell?" He cursed a bit more Zenan phrases under his breath before pulling the other mage into the shadows with him, "Currently I'm trying not to strangle you for being out here." He hissed back, "What possessed you to be up tonight out of all things?"
What were they to do? Kian supposed they should just turn back, but they were already pretty far into the enemy territory. The scent of mage fire on the breeze made certain to remind him of that, "Do.Not.Move." He breathed against Eresin's ear before pushing both of them tightly against a cluster of trees. Up ahead there was a rustling noise as several earthlings, of different species, all with decorative tattoos and seemingly glowing eyes walked through the trees.
"You sure ya sensed something?" Hissed a woman towards a male earthling, "I'm not fond of being taken from my work for your shenanigans. If this is to just try and do things again..."
"No, no. Shyv, I feel that there's something out here." The other man, obviously a mage, held up a hand. "The leader would hate to have someone stumble into this area now..."
"I suppose if there is someone then that I'll just make sure they can't walk so that they won't stumble along then." Quipped the shifter female before turning her gaze on the trees as if intently looking for someone.
Meanwhile, Kian kept a hand over Eresin's mouth before focusing hard to get some trees further down the forest to creak with a helpful push of wind and gravity...let's see how stupid these grunts are... And then there they went down the path to the right - thankfully. Kian let out a relieved breath before taking a step back away from his fellow mage.
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:16 am
Eresin squinted into the darkness as he heard a few earthlings come near them. He didn't know what to make of what they were saying, but a few things were certain to him. The first being that they were up to something, and the second that there were definitely more of them. As they left that part of the woods, he let out the breath he was holding in. "Who were they? What's going on, Kian?" He gave him a sharp look. "Are you in trouble again?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:27 am
"You love questions, don't you?" Quipped Kian with a hiss before taking a step forward to try and survey the area, "I'm not in trouble...but you might be." He replied casting a sharp glance back towards his companion, "I don't know if it's safe for you to go home right now, but you can't be here either." Now that was frustrating! He didn't want to have to worry about someone else - there was a reason he always worked alone in these situations.
"They took something from me - old documents and runestones - that could be very valuable. I knew they were here so I wanted to reclaim what was mine." Along with their blood of course for taking his belongings, but Kian didn't want to add to that. Nor did he want to admit that he may have killed others to get those damned belongings as well. In the end having that power though...it would be worth it.
"I'm moving forward now - I would advise you to stay hiding here or go home if you dare." He turned on his heel and after listening to the wind for any signs of life began to slowly creep forward through the woods. If those two goons had been here then that meant the encampment truly was close..
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:39 am
Eresin frowned. They stole from his friend, Kian? "Well then I'll go with you. If there really are more of them, then you might not be able to handle this on your own." He smiled. "I'll help you get your stuff back." In the back of his mind, his chivalry masked the same feeling of dread. He couldn't possibly know, and it did neither him nor Kian any good to worry now. Eresin gestured Kian to lead the way, and he gave an indication that he couldn't be persuaded to leave, or cower in some trees like he was suggested to do.
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:51 am
Kian frowned at the other mage. Why did he have to be such a stubborn fool? Cursing silently at their fate, Kian started to move forward through the trees - even more wary now that he had another body to watch over. Was it truly worth it to gain these runes? It had to be. He couldn't forgive himself for letting a dear one get injured...and never again would he be weak.
Power was that important to him.
So as they moved forward and the trees spanned out Kian noticed finally that the fire was in the middle of a meadow. It had been spawned by mages so still had that aura of magic, but the wood was helping it to create a more natural fire as the sparks held. Piles of things, cages of beasts as well, were gathered around the outskirts while others roamed through the woods. "Seems like a few are still here..." Commented Kian as he pulled Eresin after him once more towards the shadows, "no matter what you see - you can't just jump out alright?" He warned with a glare sent to the other mage.
Stakes were too high here...so it didn't matter when he noticed the slayed beasts or the cries of perhaps a child in one of the cages...
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 2:42 pm
Eresin nodded, but he wasn't exactly sure what Kian meant about that. What could he possibly see that would make Eresin want to jump out into the open? It soon became clear to him what the boy meant. Eresin clasped a hand over his mouth to silence his gasp. The horror of slayed beasts of all kinds, and some children in cages shocked him. People were truly this cruel and heartless? Was this the side of life that Talisia had warned him about when he first set out on his journey? If so, it really was something he wasn't ready for, even with his field experience. Eresin also noticed that the children were also all hybrids of different races. One of the boys, a Fire/Shifter hybrid, seemed to be staring directly at them, as if he knew they were there. Eresin made eye contact with the boy in the dark, and the boy put a finger to his lips. The boy pointed to a nearby sleeping bag, apprently full with a person. Eresin tapped Kian on his shoulder and pointed to the boy and the sleeping bag without saying a word. He whispered very quietly, "We... We can't just leave them here..."
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 2:49 pm
"Of course you would say that. Why not? I mean they have shelter, food, and water I'm sure..." Still, Kian let out a muted groan as he rolled his head back on his shoulders in frustration. That supposedly would be the 'right' thing to do, but what if letting them out served to only worsen their lives? Not that he could argue with Eresin here out of all places about such decisions - he already knew the other mage would be stubborn. It seemed to be a good key trait of his after all. "Fine, just fine."
"What do you suppose we do then?" His gaze followed Eresin's as he noted the sleeping bag, "If you think...that's the only person...then you're foolish. What if the rest come back? You know the ones out there looking for us already?" His gaze hardened even more as he studied their situation, "Are you even prepared to kill to help these children? Or are you prepared to let them out probably without parents into this world?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 3:04 pm
Kill? Eresin blinked. He never thought about it. He guessed he would have to if it meant doing the right thing. "Letting them out would probably be better than letting them go to a master as a slave... I suppose... If I have to kill to accomplish that, I will." Eresin looked around the camp. There were other sleeping bags, but no others were filled. This guy's sleeping on the job... Eresin also saw a few bags lying around. He pointed to the bags and other belongings. "Look, your stuff could be in there." "How do we go about this...?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 3:08 pm
"Big words for you." Replied Kian with faint surprise. Seemed like his friend was growing up and getting a good grasp of the world. Something about that did seem to bother him, however. Hadn't Eresin always been the voice of reason to Kian's own slips of insanity? Not that it was the time to question such things. They were in too deep and if they didn't act then they would be the ones killed...
"You think?" Kian frowned, "I can check, but we'll see. I suppose first is you go and find a key for all those younglings. I'll get my things while you get them out of here. If that guy stirs we kill him before he can call the others...I can take care of that, but it would be best if you don't wake him up." Obviously a mage battle would probably alert the others and that was not a party that Kian wanted anymore.
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