(Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board)

Subject: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Sun Sep 14, 2014 10:59 pm

Setting: New Racksom, Palace
Time: 19th of July, 2709, 11pm, a mild and clear night within the outer parts of Jiluria.

Rintho had always been a more reclusive sort than others. What had started out with a simple lack of belonging in the world even amongst his fellow orphans, had over time turned into a distance between himself and others that he did not care to cross. The truth was, even with his occasional moments of loneliness considered, he quite liked the peace that a life without others gave him. The freedom to endlessly peer into pages of arcane knowledge. After a time, even his body was no longer a true liability.
It was a shame then, that the Surahnians had to spoil everything so perfectly, so crassly, and without even the smallest notion of the damage they might be doing. Atoro was only the one worry on his mind, with the Surahnians now at his door and having taken much of the mundane things he owned, Rintho's comfortable and quiet life was in upheaval.
At times like these, if given the chance, Rintho had heard most people would begin to live in a bottle and never crawl back out of it.
As for himself, well, he didn't have that luxury, as it did not bring him any pleasure. While trudging with his head hung low in the shadow of his robes, under a dark sky with a bright and silver moon, it was the first time Rintho understood what drove some to the liquor and away from everything else. It's because it was away from everything else.
He had left Syru to his own devices at his home. Hardly something he had wished to do with the Surahnians prowling about the homes and looking for anything to take away, but it was even riskier to have the hatchling bounding along by his waist, aglow with dark magic.

He looked up from the dirt trail as he blinked with recognition, knowing he must be at the far-grave already as he felt the shiver of a spirit's...But, he was not yet there...Buildings were still about him and there was still the vague sound of music behind the walls of a near Inn and people talking somewhere else down a street. This was not the earthy silence of a peaceful grave.
And it was not light magic that he sensed, not even close, only the unmistakeable sensation of entwined water and lightning magic, merged into the potent form of empowered lightning magic. Rintho stood still, as this was not the more typical form of lightning magic one might feel from a wolf dragon or similar. It simply just felt different, and it had a definite direction that it was coming from. A focused point of it all and calling out to his curiosity as magic always did when it made him shiver with renewed interest. It was hard for Rintho to be surprised by magic, but that did not mean he could not be entranced or hopelessly curious about it, even when it lead him into death's jaws.
Taken by this diversion, even in all his tentativeness to be finishing his dealings in Jiluria, Rintho twisted away from his path, called to the source of the magic, knowing it was extremely near.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Mon Sep 15, 2014 6:50 pm

Although they had been barely detained, their close run-in with a Surahnian guard had not done anything to settle Kassandra's nerves. Jiluria, a freshly-conquered town, full of people, and not the friendliest of places anyway was far from her comfort zone these days, and she knew it all too well. Alas, it wasn't as if they had any other choices however. Especially now they were officially grounded.
At least she and Armeno had been ordered to a place with a bed and somewhere 'safe' to stay for the night, she thought as she rubbed down Tamarisk for the night, her hands moving quickly over his speckled coat as she bedded him down for the night. And at least there was Armeno close at hand too; thank the Guardians that the Surahnian hadn't noticed he was an elf, otherwise they'd probably be in much deeper shit than just a slap on the wrist and an order to get inside. It could have been much worse, in a thousand different ways.

Kassandra piled her horse's tack by the stable door as she moved round the little stable room, Armeno and Velox seperated by only a thin rope that served to give different stalls to the wide horse building adjacent to the inn they were to spend the night at. There hadn't been a stableboy to come out and give them a hand- surprisingly, normally every place had a resident scamp who would lend a hand to earn a few coppers- but perhaps it was due to the deficit of travellers... and other mounts. Kassandra was very glad to have Armeno by her side, when it was frankly a little bit worrying that there were so few people around.
They'd only be there one night; how much could go wrong?
Perhaps she shouldn't ask such questions.

Finished with Tamarisk and giving him a stroke along the length of his body, she leaned against the wall to watch Armeno finishing with his own horse. The night was quiet, and it was really very pleasant to have company, to know that it wasn't just her all alone in the middle of a quckly changing place. Her neck prickled just to know there were hundreds of other people close by, independent of intentions good or not.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Mon Sep 15, 2014 9:09 pm

It had been unnerving to have proof of the Surahnian occupation thrust at them so immediately upon their arrival in Jiluria- but given how non-confrontational the encounter had turned out, Armeno could hardly complain. He hesitated for a moment with Velox’s tack, loath to leave it unattended overnight- Surahnians or no Surahnians, this was still Jiluria- before withdrawing a small set of tokens, strung on a leather thong, from his saddlebag. They were basic arcanics, each marked to show their purpose, which were dispensed to magically challenged elves such as himself to assist with day- to- day living. A moment of concentration was enough to channel the tiny spark of magic required to activate a spell that would alert him if his possessions were disturbed. Satisifed, he returned to Velox and quickly brushed him down, taking a little extra time to check on the leg the horse had injured the day before. Thankfully, it didn’t seem too bad; satisfied with Velox’s wellbeing, he turned to Kassandra and gave her a smile.
“Finished?” he asked warmly, giving Velox a final pat as they left the stables.

The midsummer day’s heat was beginning to dissipate this late in the evening, leaving the night air pleasantly warm and refreshing after a day riding. Drawing closer to Kassandra, Armeno reached out to take her hand- but before he could finish the movement, a scuffle nearby caught his attention. Likely it was nothing sinister, but… One hand hovering at the hilt of his sword as a precaution, he motioned to Kassandra to wait a moment as he stepped around the corner of the building to look up the next street for the source of the sound. Probably just a stray animal, but something about the sound suggested it was made by something larger.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Mon Sep 15, 2014 9:53 pm

Oh it had to be close. When every step gave him a noticeable twinge of a feeling that he was drawing near to the source, it was hard now to turn his feet or his mind to the serious task at hand. For now, he had forgotten his greater troubles, forsaken for the hunt for the unusual instead.
Rintho's form looked like little more than a non-descript shadow as he slunk quietly along a calmer street. Unlike some of his more typical tasks of a day, there was nothing cryptic here to solve, only a clear trail to follow with such vibrancy emanating from the magic.
"Of all nights, it would be this one, wouldn't it?" He muttered to himself, quite pleased that he had decided not to take his excitable little dragon with him.

As he stalked further along the path, he was taken around and about into an enclosed area for a quite large inn...he was then lead away from its front, aglow with lowly lit lanterns there, into the cold tones of blue and black behind the building. Just as he inclined his head to peer around the corner he stopped abruptly with a jump, his hands twitching in the moment as his face was then caught in a bizarre contortion of shock, and a fretfully guilty look to have his search interrupted. He straightened himself out quickly with a strange shuffle of his feet and a jerk of his neck.
"Very sorry Sir, I did not see you at all there." He apologised, sidling himself around the man as he then confronted the focal point of all this magic, and then the coin dropped with a loud clatter on the cobbles. Rintho had to tell himself to then close his mouth, his behaviour already strange enough as he stared at her, not knowing quite what to say.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Tue Sep 16, 2014 10:32 am

It was so natural to reach back for Armeno's hand now; you couldn't even call it days they had been close again, but it felt so much more peaceful between them. Their fingers brushed together before he drew away to step ahead agan, and a tiny stab of dissatisfaction ran through her at it.
She tilted her head to look at him as he investigated ahead.
So protective, and probably only in the face of a mouse. Her dissatisfaction didn't last long with that in her head.

To Kassandra's surprise, Armeno was actually met by another, his voice seeping through to her before she could see round the elf. Certainly not a Surahnian before them, that was instantly obvious from the accent, although why- how- a native could wander round Jiluria at this hour without being detained as they had been, she didn't know.
This thought was quickly followed by confusion; she was sure she recognised that voice, although it was muffled. She reached out to put her hand to Armeno's arm, unnerved by this chance meeting, her brows drawing together as she took a half-step forward to see whom it was they had come across.
Then everything descended into a nightmare.

Suddenly it was as if she had no air in her lungs, and it was difficult to draw new breath. Realisation was like an icy-cold rush, drenching her from head to toe, her nails digging slowly into Armeno as her grip tightened. She had been tired from the long day they had had, but now she was wide awake and tingling with alertness. Eyes widening, she stood frozen with fear, as if Rintho had trapped her all over again with just his gaze this time.
Then she pulled back behind Armeno, both hands grabbing at his arm now.
"No..." her voice was cracked, disbelieving, then she pulled on Armeno again, drawing him behind her and pressing her back to him. "No!"

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Wed Sep 17, 2014 9:30 pm

Something about the stranger seemed strange somehow, something Armeno couldn’t quite put his finger on- and it went beyond his bizarre behaviour. Well, perhaps he had just been startled; he seemed polite enough and, despite all his skulking about in alleyways, he didn’t look especially threatening. Just… shocked? Embarrassed? It was impossible to say.

“Not at all,” he began slowly, his hand moving away from his weapons to return Kassie’s touch as she approached him. He shot her a reassuring look over his shoulder before turning back to the stranger, unsure of how to proceed. After a moment, however, that was decided for him.

He hadn’t spent nigh on his entire life training for nothing; the moment Kassandra tensed, gasping, Armeno’s weary body kicked itself into high gear and he drew his sword, scanning about them for the threat. The street was deserted apart from the three of them, clustered underneath the flickering yellow light of a guttering torch outside the inn. Yet surely the man had done nothing to provoke such terror? So… why the reaction? Her fear was clearly directed at him, but he seemed perfectly benign.

“What is it, Kassie?” he asked in a low tone, his eyes staying fixed on the stranger as he listened out for anyone else approaching- he leaned into Kassandra as she clutched at him, though, willing her to stay calm and just trust in him to protect her.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Wed Sep 17, 2014 10:07 pm

Rintho said nothing at all, staying still to be caught very unaware. Well, curiosity was going to get this cat killed one day. The last thing he had expected to find was his own work, that had run from him so fearfully, in what must have been a long time ago now.
"Ma'am, please do not fret, what is wrong?" Rintho spoke politely, his voice soft as he tried to at least reassure her a little. Rintho did not like that she had to now make all this trouble for him, and all while backing on to this stranger, considerably larger than he. What would the man think of him now? What would he then do? Rintho highly doubted he'd be sympathetic to a hooded and masked stranger that terrified what must have been his woman, whatever he had to say in his own defence. Even if she did look positively mad to him, and not one to be listened to.
Rintho did not want this, and he contemplated simply moving off.

"Well, whatever it might be, I am sorry if my presence has offended you." He said, the words leaving the bitter flavour of self-deprecation in his mouth, even if they were just to placate her. Rintho knew that he disgusted others, but he never entirely had grown used to it. Recoiling in horror at the sight of him was just, frankly, rude. "I suppose I had best be going then, before I cause any more of a problem...a goodnight to you both!" He said a little more cheerfully as he made his first step to leaving the pair. His gut protested though.
Of course it will not be so easy for you.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Thu Sep 18, 2014 10:38 am

Now Armeno's presence wasn't calming at all, not in the face of Rintho. She could feel the little grasp she had of her composition slip away.
"Get away from me!" That slimy, weedling voice, it made her skin crawl with all sorts of unpleasant memories. He'd use that, then do horrible things. Her own was shrill by comparison, sharp with fear. And he did not even seem to remember her, just a strange woman on the street whom he had not even come across before, rather than what he had made her. And all the events, even if they had happened in only a day, did not mean a thing to him.

Her nails clawed against Armeno as she stood wide-eyed and staring, her responses delayed as she tried to process what was actually happening, try and catch up with the fact that this man actually stood in front of her again like this. Perhaps she should have been relieved that he didn't seem to know her; perhaps it should have shown that she could have 'peace' from him now, and no repeat of before... but another part of her was horrified that he so easily forgot the cruelty done.
He was a monster, as clear as that.

She could feel her magic prickling unconsciously to be faced with this danger, making her even more jittery than before. She skittered back a pace as Rintho moved, breaking her from the spell he held over her. He had acted so chivalrous and understanding before, and now was a repeat. Already she had magic ready in her free hand this time though, the glow of green in her palm obvious.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Thu Sep 18, 2014 9:44 pm

Armeno could swiftly feel the situation getting out of his control. The other man hadn’t shown any signs of recognition, but for all he tried to hide it, there was a certain desperation behind his words- and it seemed obvious that Kassandra at least thought she recognised him.
“Wait,” he commanded, practically glaring at Rintho, daring him to disobey. He didn’t feel comfortable turning his back on the man for even a moment, but there seemed little else he could do, given how Kassie was acting.

“Please,” he murmured to her now. “Trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you- I won’t let him near you. Just tell me- what’s the matter?” He could feel the air crackling, his hair standing on end as electricity pooled in her cupped hand- with her acting so unstable, he couldn’t help but feel anxious, but it wouldn’t do anyone any good to show that now. All he could do was try to keep her calm enough not to kill them all and deal with this seemingly harmless stranger. One hand caressing Kassandra, he glanced back to make sure that the other man wasn’t moving, sword held steadily towards him.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Thu Sep 18, 2014 10:33 pm

Rintho had already guessed who the woman was, but had not wanted to indicate it to her or the man, then he might have stood a chance of getting away without a show, but as it was, that was not to be. He duly noted that she was no less a pain now than when he had met her, making crazed sounds without any provocation.
Rintho did not understand how he seemed to bring out such an awful side in others, but she was part of the worst of it and he also saw quickly how the man's tone changed too.

Do not flatter yourself so. Rintho thought sharply, though his tongue was a little less quick to make such a statement.
"I did not want to be near you." He added after her, looking away crossly before then glancing back as he heard the man speaking to her. Oh, he'd protect her, was that it? He wouldn't let him near her? This man was as clever as a ripe potato left in the sun. What did this stranger even know of him but the words of that deranged-looking woman?
"And I still do not wish to be, pardon me if I startled you. Though I do still take some offense to such talk of me..." He looked the man in the eye, even though it seemed so brash to do such a thing. In any case, he wouldn't be going anywhere fast. "As any might."

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Fri Sep 19, 2014 5:01 pm

"I'm not staying here. I can't... You keep away from me!" Kassandra's voice was fraught with stress, her fingers twitching at Armeno's arm as she pulled away from Rintho's too-near presence, although she didn't want to parted from Armeno either, reluctant to move even a few inches from his protection. She couldn't take her eyes from Rintho, whole body tensed to fight- or was it to flee? Her hand was stinging with magic now, a couple of specks of green dripping from her fingers like a liquid as Rintho moved, turning his head this way and that. Even the smallest of movements from him put her on edge.

"Offence? You...!" ruined my life. The words got stuck in her throat though, unable to make it past the lump of fear there. Agitated, she flicked away more magic from her hand, unable to concentrate properly and get it under control. All her composition was gone in the face of this unexpected, unpleasant meeting; she had not even thought of what to do if it had ever happened, had hoped it never would... She wanted to run back to her horse and leap onto his back and gallop as fast and as far away as possible.
"You take offence?" Could her voice get any higher?

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Sun Sep 21, 2014 9:35 pm

Gently squeezing Kassie’s shoulders, trying to buy himself a little time, Armeno nodded at the stranger, trying to fend off his annoyance at the whole situation. Couldn’t they just pass a day without incident? He’d been pleasantly anticipating a good night’s sleep after lying out in the open the night before, unable to sleep due to his wariness.
“Of course, sir, I apologise for any offence caused. I daresay this is simply a misunderstanding, but I’m sure you’ll understand that-” he broke off as Kassandra made a feeble attempt at talking, her tongue seemingly tied up in knots.

“Kassie,” he said, his tone snapping a tiny bit with frustration before he managed to rein himself back- that was only ever going to make things worse with her.
“Please, I want to help you, I- you just have to tell me what’s going on! Do you know this man? If not, then please, what’s wrong?” His voice was almost lowered to a whisper so that the other man couldn’t hear him, his face creasing with concern for Kassandra. How could it be this stressful to be with her, and yet so painful to not be with her? In what world was that fair?

Last edited by Zay on Wed Oct 22, 2014 10:04 pm; edited 1 time in total

Rintho noted the clustering and collapse of the lightning magic in her palm, along with what could only be called a shriek coming from her mouth, her mind clearly on a thin and sharp wire.
He grimaced a little to see this, putting up his hands in a gentle manner, flattening them in the air innocently.
"I'll keep away from you. You can...go, please go." He said calmly, though his eyes were wide and his brows cocked curiously as he looked at her. So very strange. He thought to himself; and people always were so keen to pick a fight with him, yet how did such people as her exist? He could only believe she had somehow suckered the man into pandering to her illness.

Even as the man apologised, now much more polite than the wretched woman, Rintho nodded, quite happy to make peace with at least one of them. Still, he was rooted to this one place for now, not yet trusting himself to turn his back and walk away when she held the lightning in such an unpredictable way at her hand, and when madness gripped her eyes to strongly.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Fri Sep 26, 2014 4:33 pm

Kassandra wanted to snarl for the apologies that came from Armeno. She meant offence, she wanted to cause it Rintho- but with no repercussions. The elf's grip on her shoulder, probably meant to be reassuring, only made her more tense, and she pushed it away sharply with one hand as he rounded on her, feeling trapped. She could feel the snap of lightning between their skin at the touch, unintentional, but tingling pain all the same. It wasn't his intention, of course not, but he was only riling her up more by being so pressing.

A sensible part of her knew that should aught to explain to Armeno what was going on, who this man was, but it was crushed into the same small space as her ability to speak, and both were struggling at that moment. Especially with Rintho's movements, slow but still threatening, she clammed up completely again. She felt ever more vulnerable, wary of the lich, when he had produced magic from his sleeves and then snap, that had been the end of good things. Sliding into a more defensive fighting position from merely standing was all too easy, her gaze unwavering and fierce, if only to hide her fear.
"You go. Leave!" She didn't want to turn away, when then he could accost her from behind, wrap his hands around her face and pour poison down her nose and... a shudder ran down her back at the thought, her palms glowing brighter in response.
"I'll shock you, you know I'll do it." Her voice quavered.

Last edited by Artemis on Thu Oct 23, 2014 8:53 pm; edited 1 time in total

Armeno couldn’t decide whether to feel hurt or angry when Kassie pushed him away- well, he knew he shouldn’t feel either, but his self-control had to run dry sometime. Compared to his younger self, he was the very image of patience, but that didn’t mean it was infinite.

His face showed his annoyance at the crack of lightning burning his hand as he withdrew it to hold it up in mock surrender. He felt vaguely guilty at letting the lightning get to him- it wasn’t serious, and he knew that she couldn’t help it, but an irrational part of his brain still insisted that if she really cared about him, she wouldn’t let it happen.

All things considered, it was probably a good thing when Kassandra finally made herself clear. If she and the bizarre man were in agreement that he should, well, then… He wasn’t about to complain. Sighing, he dropped his hands and stuck his sword back into its scabbard with a little more force than was, perhaps, strictly necessary.
“I’m sorry about all of this,” he said, ruffling up the back of his hair, not really sure who he was talking to. “I think it would be best if we all just went on our way. Sir.” He gave a little nod of farewell- the cordiality jarring oddly after having levelled a weapon at him only moments before- then turned back to Kassie, eyeing her glowing hands more than a little warily. He didn’t have any doubt that she meant her words; Arch Mage forbid, it could happen by mistake even if she was fairly calm, let alone when she panicked and half-wanting to attack somebody.
“Kassie?” he hazarded, holding out a hand towards her invitingly, the stranger almost forgotten already as his travel-weary brain turned its attention towards the bed which awaited him inside.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Wed Oct 22, 2014 10:02 pm

Rintho didn't like to take his chances with the deranged, so when Kassie threatened him he believed it without needing an iota of persuasion, if the crackling lightning magic she balled together so easily wasn't enough. He did note however that she amassed it strangely and without so much poise as a practiced user. Whether that was due to her impulse now or her lack of experience with it, he didn't know...but it made her even more of a danger.
He appreciated that this man was so polite and willing to leave, but Rintho knew that this woman was going to be less happy to simply turn her back on him and walk away. She probably wouldn't move at all until the man understood how she thought of Rintho.

He sighed under his breath, though was careful to rein in his expression, not wanting to tilt her further over the edge than she already was.
"I don't know what to say." He began, blinking in disbelief. "I am...I don't know why this..." Why did she behave like this? He didn't understand why she hated him to begin with, and even if it was what he had done...well, he had only the best intentions, yet she had this rage against him.
"I wished that you might make the most of your gift. Not try to send me to death with it. Though, I can see you have not yet made the best of yourself yet...by the way that lightning sears so wildly in your palm. Please do not harm me, as I see you might hurt yourself too."
His tone was calm and even, not a single word of spite or retaliation in it as he focused his full attention on her, pressing his tongue to the roof of his mouth as he clenched his jaw. It was simply to dangerous to even appear offensive.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:39 pm

Near enough to having had enough, pushed to the edge, Kassandra took a disliking to Armeno's disarming demeanour and cooling words. They made her prickle, how he was so familiar with this... this demon in front of her, disregarding him and treating her like a deranged child. A voice in the back of her head reminded her that he was just trying to calm her down, act the best for her; but she pushed it away. No, she was going to see this through.
"You know nothing," she snarled, her eyes wide as she looked to the elf for the briefest of seconds. Then she brushed away his inviting hand with her arm, one sharp movement, disregarding him for Rintho's threat. If Armeno would take no notice of him, then she would pay all the more attention. She had let her guard down last time, and he would not take either of them by surprise now.

"This is not a gift. You have done nothing for me, except make life worse!" Her voice had taken on a shrillness again, and she was appalled to find her eyes starting to sting at the edges. "You're a curse!" Not harm him? She'd tried to hurt him before, tried to burn him with her magic, but what had it done? Barely made him flinch, and not left a scratch.
That didn't stop her from trying it again now though, lightning jumping from her hands towards him, making her face crease in pain from the force of it. "You're a monster!"

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Thu Oct 23, 2014 8:11 pm

Rintho felt himself tense all over as her voice took on a high pitch with a knife like edge, though what followed felt far worse than the shriek from her mouth. He did not even hear or make anything of her words thereafter as light blistered from her palms in seemingly every direction, a furious jolt then connected to him in a blinding moment.

He felt as if he had been punched through his ribs and his innards had been dissolved. The lightning magic split wildly through all parts of his apparently dead body, striking him back with brutal force against the back wall of the inn. His body slammed at it and then fell, his body twitching and jerking uncontrollably until the magic burst away from him and dissipated.
Even once the lightning magic had left him he moved unusually and without any will of his own, suddenly sweating profusely all over, the colours on his face changing from his pale green to blotches of plum and blue bruises, dark streaks of his veins becoming visible in places.
Rintho gasped violently for air, trying to force his right arm one way to pull himself to his side, though his movement was erratic and he rolled onto his front instead, pushing himself up by his palm shakily. Before long, he then fell to his side.
He could not speak at all for the moment, his eyes ablaze in shock as it felt like everything inside of him had been thrown out of the fragile balance of the spell that held him together, a dizzying misalignment between the triad magics, surged by the lightning made him feel ill, in pain and the closest he had been to a true death in a long time.
He pulled one hand up to expose his palm to her and try for mercy.
"Stop." He breathed, curling his legs up to himself as much as he could manage.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Thu Oct 23, 2014 10:09 pm

Given how keen both Kassandra and Rintho had been to part only moments before, Armeno couldn’t understand for the life of him why this stranger suddenly seemed to be settling in for a conversation. What was more, his words now implied that he knew Kassie; hadn’t he been claiming ignorance just moments before? What was he talking about- calling Kassie’s powers a gift? While it was true that magical powers were generally regarded as a blessing, what did this man know about Kassie? If somebody attacked him on the street, Armeno certainly wouldn’t react like this. No- there was something more going on, but right now, all he wanted to do was get away. Unfortunately, it was swiftly becoming apparent that leaving peacefully was no longer an option. He felt a flash of anger as Kassandra brushed him off; all he’d tried to do was exactly what she asked. Was she never going to stop lashing out at him just for helping her?!

It was as she raved at Rintho that Armeno suddenly felt a realisation creeping up on him. Feeling oddly detached, he noted Kassandra’s sheer panic, the clear accusations- finally saying something concrete, that this man had done something to her. And he had no way to know what that something was- but, with a lurch of horror, he felt sure that he’d guessed at the answer. He might not know the specifics of it, but he did know what had brought about this new level of instability in Kassie, and something in her speech, her face, her body- he didn’t know what, but it held echoes of that day at the beach- only two days ago?- and, abruptly, there was no doubt in his mind that this man was the one who had scarred her. How or why, he didn’t know, but right now the what was enough for him.

Before he could react or even knew what was happening, lightning arced through the air, forks creeping out in all directions and sparking across Armeno’s skin. He hardly noticed the burn of it; a part of him felt vague horror at how Rintho crumpled to the floor like his strings had been cut, but mostly he was overwhelmed with anger, his previous frustration at Kassandra rapidly redirected to focus on the man who now cowered on the ground, his lips forming words that Armeno scarcely heard.

“You,” he snarled, gaze flitting to Kassie as if for confirmation before honing back in on Rintho. “You’re the one who did it?” Moving without thinking, he lunged forwards and snatched Rintho up off the ground, tossing him back and forth like with enough force he could shake the answers free.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Fri Oct 24, 2014 10:30 am

When the brightness of her magic faded again, Kassandra found herself shaking. She was half turned away from Rintho now, his body collapsed back against the wall behind him; she had shut her eyes in fear during the moment she had struck him, but had heard the crunch of impact, the sickening thump of his limp body on the ground. She had actually hit him! The thought ran through her before throbbing pain in her head caught up with her adrenaline, the sudden spike and release of magic enough to feel. Armeno was already darting forwards to Rintho's body, and she had a horrible realisation of all sorts of memories she didn't want to remember: this played out before, but with a different body and heartwrenching consequences; Rintho at close-contact being unpredictable and dangerous; vulnerability and pain and fear. The open look of disgust on Armeno's face did nothing to help either, misinterpreting its direction and cringing back into herself, hands still brought up protectively in front of her and flickering with the last vestiges of magic.

She felt sick, her ability for action fled again with such a violent act, as quickly as it had come. Rintho was small and broken-looking against Armeno's strong frame, his clothes askew from the force of her blow, the skin underneath it looking even more horrific than normal. He was going to hurt her for what she had done though, had tried to fight back, and any satisfaction or elation that had buzzed within her was now replaced by fear. And Armeno... he couldn't be angry at her? She wanted to clutch at him and beg him to understand, but her feet were stuck to the ground, unable to move closer to the terrifying Rintho.
"G-Get out of the way! He's d-dangerous." The elf never listened to her, but she knew Rintho wouldn't be without some sort of magic to aid him. She kept hers close at hand just in case, although her former blast had left her fingers tingling with sharp pain and her hair sticking to her face.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Fri Oct 24, 2014 12:57 pm

Rintho reeled inside continually, trying to regain some sort of balance, but with no luck. Before long Armeno had then seized him and he felt terribly ill and a great explosion of pain all over, his body shaking like a rag doll in Armeno's hands.
He heard the ring of the woman's voice again, though the words did not fit together in his mind.
It felt like a long time before he had collected himself enough to make his thoughts make sense and allow himself to join the dots together.
"Did it?" He began, heaving again from the pain that still raced through him in some moments and then lay dormant in others. "Did what?" Rintho exhaled harshly. His hands drew very slowly up until they weakly touched around the man's wrists that held him. Rintho's fingertips were black, and every tendon in his hands seemed dark and sinewy against the weak and failing skin around them, which had taken on a scaly quality. Flakes of it formed in places, and fell away in others. Such was the effect of the magic, disrupting his life spell.

He did not want to die, he wanted to fight back, but with his magic in such a state it would terrifically dangerous to do so. Panicking either of them would spell his end.
"Stop." He said again, his breath failing as the words seemed to fall off from his mouth like leaves from a tree.

He'd have to collect up his magic, consolidate it and then strike out to escape. Lightning magic would be the best, but so dangerous to use now...
The basic magics would hardly harm them, only enrage them. Looking at his options through a dulled mind, he eventually concluded that one of the complex magics would have to do - poison it would have to be. But even using the smallest part of that seemed like an enormity now.
Even so, Rintho focused in himself to calm the torrid storm of light, blood and dark in his spirit, which was now desecrating his body to stay alive. Then, he might just be able to gain enough to paralyse or send the lion before him to sleep...moreover, his antagonistic mate that insisted on killing him.
Rintho bided what little of his time might have remained, gathering the toxic magic in his hands by will. It was difficult enough when he was well, nevermind in this state and the pain made him shudder violently all over. He screwed his eyes shut in effort, his fingers slowly gripping harder on Armeno's wrists in reflex to the agony.

The tell-tale purple colour began to form like spots of spreading ink on his hands as he gathered the magic. Rintho did not speak as he did this; already well beyond his limit to think of anything else but holding his inner balance.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Sun Oct 26, 2014 10:35 pm

Kassie's words weren't entirely lost on Armeno; for a moment he hesitated, briefly distracted from his mission for a confession. Anyone who could do that to Kassie had to be fairly dangerous- she had many issues, but inability to defend herself wasn't one of them, as was shown by the state Rintho had been reduced to. Just because Armeno ignored her ability most of the time didn't mean that he wasn't aware of it. All the same... It was hard to see how this man, who was now taking on a rather alarming hue- what was wrong with him?- could be a threat to him right now. Certainly he wasn't going to deal any physical harm, and Armeno wasn't any expert on magic, but it was clear that the stranger was in no condition for anything major, even if he was a magic user.

Either way, any answer he might have made to Kassie was forgotten the moment he heard Rintho's gasping voice. Face transformed with anger once more- how could he deny it, straightfaced?- Armeno gave the lich another sharp shake, not noticing the hands closing on his wrists for a moment.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," he snarled. "You knew Kassie the moment you laid eyes on her, and yet you had the nerve to stand there, having me on that you were just some concerned stranger- why should I stop? You deserve every bit of what you're getting." It was only when he noticed the gradually tightening grip on his arms, though, that he realised quite what a condition the man was in. With horror, he noted the crumbling black flesh, falling away from ropey tendons- whatever this was, it wasn't human. After a moment of staring, horrorstruck, he noticed what the dark had previously concealed- a strange purple tone, seeming to leak from Rintho's skin into his own.

"What..." Armeno barely formed the question before it tailed off, as he noticed that at some point he had drooped, lowering Rintho halfway to the ground so that his legs lay against it uselessly. With a spasmodic shudder, Armeno dropped what now looked more like a corpse than anything to the ground and backed away a woozy step. Somehow he had hoped that the purple on his own skin had just been a trick of the light, the flickering shadows deceiving him; but now it was apparent that the stain was, somehow, truly there. The damage had been done. Even as he watched, the colour spread and faded, seeming to diffuse throughout his body and leaving him feeling half-drunk, weak and purposeless. With clouded eyes, he looked up at Kassie, vaguely confused as to why he was standing here with a mild sense of frustration. Had they been fighting?

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Mon Oct 27, 2014 3:21 pm

Kassandra couldn't see properly Rintho's small movements, standing back as far as she dared, when Armeno still held the lich fiercely- in the dusky darkness, all she could see that his skin was even more unhealthy, his visage even more frightening than usual. She had done that to him, her magic strong enough to hit him hard and weaken him awfully. She hadn't imagined such a reaction; she had thought Rintho near invincible, able to stand up after anything without a scratch on his body. Apparently it wasn't the case, although she didn't dare test it any further, and certainly not with Armeno in the vicinity like he was. She would end up hurting the elf just as much, if not more. However much he acted indestructible, she knew he wasn't.

Her hands started to spark with magic again as Armeno hissed vicious words at Rintho, natural self-defence despite the lich being weak and a good few paces away from her. His hands had come up to hold onto the elf, a gesture that made her hesitate forwards half a pace towards them, although her fear still kept her back.
"Armeno..." She was scared to come close, but when they started to droop towards the ground she hesitated forwards another step, another layer of worry blossoming in her stomach. There was definitely something wrong suddenly, and she looked helplessly between the pair of them as Armeno released Rintho again. "Armeno?"

She reached out towards him, her hands stretching towards his face before she saw the unfocusedness of his gaze. Magic still cracked heavily around her fingers and she drew away quickly from him once again, cringing away from Rintho even more now she was in close range.
"What have you done to him? What did you do?!" She raised one sparking hand to threaten.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Mon Oct 27, 2014 7:04 pm

Rintho collapsed heavily to the floor again, a deep groan of pain jerked from his gut as he did so, and he felt as if his entire hand was burning with pain, his fingers twisted like withering branches of a deadened tree.
He still was not far from Armeno however, and with great effort, he tilted his head to see the man standing there, simply doing nothing. Good.

"You be quiet." He croaked hoarsely from the floor, then feeling himself cough hard lungfuls of breath; a sensation he rarely ever experienced. He then added, his tone lowered to a quiet talk, as if scolding a child. "If you care, about him...at all."
Rintho lay there for a long moment, apparently inert, as he tried to gather himself up yet again. He felt fatigued beyond belief and his vision was nauseatingly blurry.
He still hadn't worked out fully what it was he needed to do, having only been in this position in a couple of rare moments in his life. The worst of times, with the highest of prices.

"He won't get far. And then he'll die." Rintho lied, his distant eyes rolling to find Kassie's in a long stare as he opened his mouth to breathe his heavy breaths. "Is that..." He heaved again, wincing in tremendous agony as the fire flared up in his hand again, where his poison magic had part failed and turned against him. "What you want? Him? Gone?" It was not in his nature to deceive and most times he failed at it, but this woman was another kettle of fish. Stupid, delirious, dangerous. He could scarcely think of the words in this state, feeling the triad magics shift within him again, the light magic waxing and waning...granting him thought and then stealing it away again like the waves of a turbulent sea.
"So you, you lower...your hand. Now." He laboured, a rare sharpness taking his last word. Perhaps his time spent in Kaionar had been of some benefit besides the rare dragon parts.

Subject: Re: (Jiluria) Fate Without Magic (30th Board) Mon Oct 27, 2014 8:50 pm

"Kassie..."
Armeno's vision fluctuated in and out of focus in time with the hot and cold flushes which ran along his spine. Clearly she wasn't annoyed with him... So why did he still feel angry? There was nothing to get worked up about, was there..? Gradually his frustration ebbed away, leaving him feeling mildly concerned for Kassie, who was clearly anxious.

"What... what..." Squinting, he took an unsteady step towards her, reaching out to pat her shoulder reassuringly. Who was she talking to? Him? Her words made no sense. It took a moment for the sound of another's voice to filter through Armeno's hazy perception; blinking owlishly, he turned to inspect this third party. What? What was this man on about?
"M'not dying," the elf insisted rather feebly, turning an imploring gaze on Kassie. Did they really think he would just go and die at the drop of a hat? Really. He had no idea who this guy flopping about on the ground was, but he thought Kassie at least would know him better than that. "M'fine." And he was, really- he was absolutely fine. Except, now he came to look at it, he couldn't quite get his thoughts in order. Why was everything so patchy? Suddenly overcome with a sense of having forgotten something important, he scowled petulantly, trying to grasp at a thought which seemed to be just out of reach.

"Kass... ee..." It wasn't that he needed support to stand up, of course not, he was strong enough to fight a dragon, he could stand up on his own, but Armeno found himself slinging an arm around her shoulders and half-hanging off it all the same. Why was his hand purple? He was pretty sure it wasn't normally purple.
"You know, Kassie," he mumbled semi-incoherently, "Y're mm'portant t'me..." He gave a lopsided grin before blearily turning his gaze onto Rintho, peering down at him as if noticing him for the first time. "Who's...?"

» (Jiluria) Something's Not Right With You [Liza & Zay] (29th Board)
» (Jiluria) Fair Play (26th Board)
» Star Wars: Fate of the Galaxy
» A Hunt Begins-Destination looming-Fate sealed-
» C1 Racksom~~~~And then, there was War~~~~(5th Board)