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| Obligatory favorite character poll. |
| Raven Sendemere |
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25% |
[ 15 ] |
| Elsynne Neott |
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5% |
[ 3 ] |
| Skylar Marridor |
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6% |
[ 4 ] |
| Felix Dragomir |
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22% |
[ 13 ] |
| Stephen Rosner |
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20% |
[ 12 ] |
| Ilia Ruden |
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3% |
[ 2 ] |
| Cymbeline |
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15% |
[ 9 ] |
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| Total Votes : 58 |
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| Author |
Message |
Xicrog
Joined: 05 Feb 2007
Posts: 229
Location: With these wings, I'll set the world on fire
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 Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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First review, gogogo!
Some more interesting plot details here. Penna blood stunts growth...? Poor Felix. XD;; And Raven's parents would be pleased to see him going back to the castle...in chains? Odd folks. (Kidding, kidding...)
Yeah, my reviews suck. ._.b But the chapter was good!
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taslin-jewelofglacia
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 211
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| Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:35 am Post subject: |
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 Whoa, this doesn't look good for our hero! Heading off to the castle in chains to see his folks...does this mean we finally get to find out what this is all about?  Tune in next time for the amazing adventures of ToC!
Seriously, though, I love this chapter, Mid.  It's got just the right mix of humor and plot-related stuff, and the characters are as lovable as ever.  I like Felix, even if he's a mite vertically-challenged.
Keep it up! I'll keep reading if you keep writing.
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"Cookies, approximately 87.9% of the time, are not travesties." ~Xicrog
Voice of Evelynne Darkstar in Tales of the Bane, Giselle Elwight and Alys Quindlen in Tales of Endlessia, and Lucia Talmeca in Tales of Valor |
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Sediea
Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Posts: 4891
Location: The Lost City
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| Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:42 am Post subject: |
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I've said it once, and I'll say it again...Skylar rocks! Mix his mocking attitude with Raven's anger issues and you got a smokin' comedy duo. xD
Can't wait to see what happens next, keep it up!
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seiks
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
Posts: 55
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Roadie
Joined: 05 Jan 2007
Posts: 12035
Location: Montana
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| Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:38 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the comments, everyone. <3
| seiks wrote: | http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj280/seiks_album/o-scan6-fansmall.jpg
Look please? |
Ooh, thank you, seiks! That's awesome, I love how you drew Raven and Elsynne. ToC's first peice of fanart, yay!
Skit: Fool-Proof Plan?
Felix: Raaaaaaaaavennnnnnnnn!
Elsynne: Skylar, was that necessary?!
Skylar: I told you, this is the only way to get him back~
Elsynne: Would you...care to explain?
Skylar: I'll tell you once we get on the castle grounds.
Felix: C-Castle grounds?!
Skylar: Well, we have to get arrested somehow...
Felix: A-Arrested?!
Skylar: It's honestly the only way to get into the castle. We're too low on the social ladder to get an appointment with the king himself, let alone dear Edward.
Elsynne: So if we go on the castle grounds, they'll...arrest us?
Skylar: Of course!
Elsynne: ...How can you be so optimistic about something like that?
Skylar: Fufufufufu...
Felix: That scary laugh is starting to creep me out...
Elsynne: (sigh) Fine, let's get this over with...for Raven's sake.
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seiks
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
Posts: 55
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| Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:44 am Post subject: |
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XDDD I was praised~!
I'm glad you like it, especially since characters I draw never look like themselves... (Kinda like my Symphonia fanart. Hell, kinda like my original characters too.)
I really like this story, especially Raven and his sheer lameness in using that name. It's kinda cute. But why didn't he just change his last name if he didn't want to be recognized?
I also like the running joke in the making, with Raven coming to meet Joseph with more and more people every time, despite his desire to be a loner. I can just see next time, when they bring Felix too...
(But why, why did it have to be elves? Elves, argh. Why not witches or sorcerers or shamans or Gifted or some cool made up name for magic users? Elves, argh.)
Also, Raven is a lousy mercenary. Mercenaries are supposed to have things like common sense and self-preservation instincts... which would both say to ditch Ell and co. while he still can. Well, too bad, more fun for the audience. |
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Roadie
Joined: 05 Jan 2007
Posts: 12035
Location: Montana
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| Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:27 am Post subject: |
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| seiks wrote: | | I'm glad you like it, especially since characters I draw never look like themselves... (Kinda like my Symphonia fanart. Hell, kinda like my original characters too.) |
I thought it was good. <3
| Quote: | | But why didn't he just change his last name if he didn't want to be recognized? |
I'm pretty sure a charatcer points it out later in the story, but I can't remember. It's one of Raven's quirks, actually (why he keeps his surname).
| Quote: | | (But why, why did it have to be elves? Elves, argh. Why not witches or sorcerers or shamans or Gifted or some cool made up name for magic users? Elves, argh.) |
Because I suck like that.
| Quote: | | Also, Raven is a lousy mercenary. Mercenaries are supposed to have things like common sense and self-preservation instincts... |
But if he was a good mercenary, I wouldn't be able to make jokes about him.
Oh wow look, another chapter.
First of all, words cannot express how much I hate the content of this chapter--mainly because Raven's technically royalty, and whenever I have to write about the interaction between him and his family I feel like I'm treating on eggshells. Yeesh. And a lot of (blatant) foreshadowing/dialogue will make things confusing...but more than likely questions brought up by the content will be answered in later chapters, so...
Oh and if you catch the School Days reference in here, I love you.
Chapter IX
When Raven disappeared from sight, Elsynne rounded on Skylar. “Why did you let them take him away?” she demanded angrily. “Skylar, I thought-“
The elf shook his head, still grinning slyly. “Elsynne, calm down. By letting his brother take him back to the castle, we’re eliminating one problem.”
She stepped back, looking at him curiously. “What do you mean?”
“If we ran off with Raven, then his brother would probably pursue us right out of the city. Did you see how eager he was just to get Raven back?”
“Yes, but still...what if his brother tries to keep him in the castle?”
Skylar tapped the side of his temple, still grinning slyly. “I have a plan on how we can get him back.”
Felix suddenly jumped, beaming excitedly. “Are we going to infiltrate the castle and help Raven escape?”
Skylar laughed. “Something like that. Although infiltrating sounds good and fun, it’s not something that’s completely possible in this day and age. We’ll have to think of a much more elaborate and foolproof plan to get Raven back.”
Felix stopped jumping. “What else can we do to get into the castle?”
Skylar smiled and Elsynne shivered; he looked much too pleasant and careless. “I already told you, I have a plan in mind,” he replied. “Although Raven is a completely useless asset to this group, we still need him with us. We have to get him back, no matter what it takes.”
Elsynne took a hesitant step backwards. How much did he know?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Raven suppressed a sigh as he was led into the massive castle on the outskirts of Itona; he had not been there since he was fifteen years old and had promised himself the day he left that he would never return. He was disgusted to find himself back in his former home, being greeted somewhat pleasantly by the surprised guards and servants working inside.
One by one, Lukas dismissed each of the guards and stood beside Raven. “Nostalgic yet?” his brother asked, smiling as they walked down the long, bright corridor leading to their parents’ chambers.
“If my hands weren’t in these stupid chains,” Raven started, wriggling his hands as he tried in vain to free himself, “I’d punch you in the face.”
“You don’t mean that,” Lukas said, casting a casual glance over his shoulder. Raven glared at him, still trying to free his hands. The iron manacles were too strong; he could barely move his fingers, let alone his entire hand.
“Fine, I don’t mean it.” Raven said. “I’d much rather murder you in your sleep.”
Lukas smiled sadly. “I can see you haven’t changed much in three years. If anything, you’re even more bitter than you were before.”
“Of course I am.”
Once they reached the end of the long corridor, Lukas pushed the heavy doors open without hesitating. He pulled Raven in behind him, ignoring his disgruntled muttering.
The room was richly decorated and furnished with thick, wine-red rugs and somewhat elaborate ornaments. The massive bed in the middle of the room was adorned with what looked like hundreds of satin pillows. A huge picture window overlooked the ocean to the east.
Every time Raven entered his parents’ chambers, he was taken aback by the sheer size of the bedroom. He often wondered why two people honestly needed so much unnecessary space. They were usually working around the castle, taking care of the various businesses that required attention, and very rarely had any free time to spend in the room.
“Lukas,” a female voice said warmly. Raven slid back as his mother looked up. She was perched on the edge of the bed, flipping through a thick novel.
“I see your search was successful,” The king said, standing up from the chair beside an elaborate wooden table, “you found him.”
Lukas nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. I was lucky I managed to find Edward before he left the city again.”
The king smiled; or, at least he tried to. Raven could tell that his father still was not acquainted with such an unfamiliar gesture. Whenever he tried to remember his father’s stern face, he was often frowning with disapproval.
“It’s good to have you back,” the king said, making no move to approach his prodigal son. Raven did not reply.
“Edward...” his mother said, finally setting the book aside as she stood up. Lukas stepped aside as she rushed forward and pulled Raven in a tight embrace.
Raven tried to shy away, avoiding her gaze. “I’ve missed you so much...” she murmured, pulling him closer. “You were so young when you left, but now...you’re nearly a man.”
“I...know,” Raven muttered quietly. “But I’m not here to stay.”
“Of course you are!” his father said, frowning. “Lukas went to a lot of trouble to find you. He’s supposed to be resting after what happened yesterday.”
“I already told you, I’m feeling much better,” Lukas said, smiling modestly. Raven felt his stomach convulse; he had not been back in his home for more than fifteen minutes and already his brother was sucking up to their parents.
“Lukas,” his mother said, pulling away from Raven as she turned to look at him, “thank you for bringing your brother home where he belongs.”
Raven instantly cast his gaze downward, trying not to look at her. The entire right side of her face was burnt beyond recognition; the skin was shriveled and dried a sickly mix of red and pink hues. Her eyelid had closed shut over what was once a dark blue eye and the corner of her mouth was a twisted into a fierce grimace. Part of her hairline had burned off as well, along with the eyebrow that had once grown just below her forehead.
Raven could vividly remember the day she received the ghastly burn – it was the setting of his frequent nightmares.
“Edward, it’s about time you stopped parading around the countryside and came home where you belong,” his father was saying. “We’ve let you run around long enough.”
“If you wanted me back so badly, why didn’t you come get me?” Raven challenged.
“I decided that you needed some time to think on your own. Besides, you were being well taken care of, weren’t you?”
“Just how many spies did you have stalking me?!”
“Now, now,” his mother said gently, patting his shoulder, “we’re all happy that you’re finally home. Aren’t you glad as well?”
“Of course not,” Raven said, trying to stave the wave of guilt he felt when he saw his mother’s pained expression. “I don’t belong here.”
“You’ll still have a place in the court, I can assure you that,” his father said reassuringly.
“I’ll just act as his backup in case something goes wrong,” Raven said, scowling. “The second son is always useless.”
Lukas frowned. “That’s a lie. You’re not useless.”
His father suddenly cleared his throat. “You’re very important to us, Edward. Not just because you’re our son.”
Raven arched an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah?” he asked sarcastically. “So what other purpose do I serve besides being a figurehead?”
Before his father could continue, someone knocked on the door. A guard stepped in without waiting for a greeting.
“Your Highness,” he said, quickly standing at attention. “Several people – an elven male and two human children – were caught on the castle grounds.”
“Did you imprison them?”
“Yes. They’re being held in the dungeons as we speak.”
Raven lurched forward, nearly tripping as the manacles threw him off balance. “An elf and two kids?”
“Yes.” The guard said, bowing respectfully to Raven.
“I forgot about these,” Lukas said, ignoring Raven’s outburst. A key clicked into place and Raven felt a weight drop from his hands as the manacles hit the floor with a loud clang. “I’m sorry, Edward.”
Raven turned back to the guard. “I know them. Can you escort them here?”
“You know these people?” his father asked skeptically. “Just what kind of group were you traveling with all this time?”
“I didn’t meet them until a week or so ago...at least, I met the girl a little over a week ago,” Raven quickly amended. “I met the elf some time after, and the boy yesterday.”
The king exchanged a quiet glance with Lukas, who nodded. “All right, bring them up here,” he said.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Please forgive me for saying this, Skylar,” Elsynne said as the guard behind them nudged her into the cell and threw the iron door closed, “but that was probably the worst plan I’ve ever heard from anyone.”
Skylar shrugged. “Well, our plan was to infiltrate the castle, and here we are. Getting arrested was the only way in.”
Felix’s brown eyes seemed to water. “That was so humiliating...” he said, pulling at the hem of his red jacket. “We just walked out onto the grounds and they caught us in five seconds flat. You didn’t even put up a fight!”
“Of course not. If we had, they would have put up a fight as well and we would be mangled bodies rotting in the sun by now,” Skylar replied pleasantly. “Be thankful that they decided to throw us right in the castle.”
Elsynne leaned against the bars. “But now we have no chance of seeing Raven at all. We’re trapped in here for good.”
“Not necessarily. We were only caught trespassing on the castle grounds without the proper letters of entry,” Skylar said, “they can’t hold us for long.”
“But by the time we get out, something could have happened to Raven.”
“The royal family are his parents. What horrible things could they possibly do to their own son?”
Elsynne folded her arms over her chest and sighed. “I don’t know...”
“We have plenty of time to find him. Don’t worry.”
“But the Gemini God’s revi-“ Felix started, but stopped as Elsynne shot him a glare. “Never mind...” he muttered quietly.
“Hehe, why does he want to see this weird group anyway?” a light, playful female voice echoed down the long hall. Elsynne moved away from the cell’s door and backed up against the opposite wall as they heard the sound of footsteps. “Besides, it’s just some weird-looking girl and her weird-looking friends.”
A small group of armor-clad knights appeared at the cell. A small girl accompanied them, twirling a lock of her long, light indigo hair with one gloved finger. She smiled at the group and stepped aside as a guard opened the cell door with a small rusted key.
“The king and queen want to see you,” she chirped. “Actually, one of the princes wants to see you, but it was the king who ordered you to the chambers.” She continued, correcting herself.
Elsynne watched the girl with interest; she looked as if she was only thirteen or fourteen, and yet she led this group of older soldiers with ease. What kind of government did the Itonian royal family run if it was allowing small children to lead soldiers?
“Come on, hurry up!” the girl said, running ahead. “The king’s pretty impatient, you know!”
Skylar smirked. “You see? We’re being led straight to Raven, just as I planned,” he whispered triumphantly.
“But you didn’t plan it this way, did you? We just got lucky!” Felix asked. Skylar chose not to reply and continued to follow the girl and the soldiers, still grinning.
“I can’t believe Edward knows you guys,” the girl was saying, flipping her hair over her slim shoulders, “I mean, he’s pretty much a loner, anyway. I joined the Itonian mage army right before he left, but I still heard a lot of stories about him, you know? Apparently he’s pretty antisocial and doesn’t like to talk to people, so why did he become friends with you guys?”
Elsynne sighed; this was going to be a long walk.
The girl continued to babble as they climbed several flights of stairs that led to the main floor. Most of the time, Elsynne was too distracted by the new sights of the castle and ignored the girl’s constant chatter. Felix busied himself with admiring the decorations as well, eagerly pointing out everything that caught his eye.
“Whoa! I can’t believe that the castle is still using candles,” he said as they passed a display lit by flickering candlelight. “I mean, I knew that the civilization here on the mainland was way behind us, but I didn’t think they were this far behind.”
Elsynne quieted him with another look, but the girl and guards had already heard. “What do you mean by that?” the girl asked curiously.
“N-Nothing,” Felix replied hesitantly. “I didn’t say a thing!”
“You’ll have to forgive the boy,” Skylar said. “He’s a fool and tends to babble incessantly when he’s in awkward situations such as this.”
The girl tiled her head to the side and gave them a crooked smile. “Yeah, whatever,” she said before continuing. She quickly launched herself into another long-winded, one-sided conversation as they walked down another long, darkening corridor. Elsynne stole a glance out a nearby window and saw that the sun was already beginning to set. Had it really been that long since Raven was arrested? She remembered then that he had not left the inn until almost noon, and was arrested an hour or so afterwards.
“So, we’re going to meet Raven’s parents?” Felix whispered in undertone. His eyes were wide with unconcealed fear.
Skylar nodded, “That’s how it looks. Be careful not to say anything that will get us in trouble.”
“Don’t mention a thing about the Heir or the Scale,” Elsynne added.
“Hey, hey! You don’t need to pick on me...” Felix said defensively.
“What are you guys talking about?” the girl asked, sounding more annoyed than curious.
“Nothing at all,” Skylar replied nonchalantly. “Why don’t you take us to the king and queen’s chambers before they get tired of waiting?”
The girl suddenly jumped and began leading them down the corridor at a much quicker pace. Elsynne took a deep breath to calm her nerves as they approached a door closely guarded by two soldiers.
“I brought the prisoners, just like the king asked,” the girl told them, craning her neck to look up at the two men.
“Very well. They’ve been waiting for you.”
“I know, I know. So let us through already!”
The guards stood aside as the girl reached up and opened the door. The soldiers who had been walking behind Elsynne and the others nudged them inside without waiting. The girl followed behind them, shutting the door as they got inside. Elsynne could not recognize the older man and woman – although she assumed that they were the king and queen – but she felt her heart skip a beat when she saw Raven and his older brother standing off to he side. She wasn’t surprised to see the hateful glare on Raven’s face when he finally saw Skylar.
“Here are the prisoners you asked to see, Your Highness,” the girl said, bowing respectfully. She then turned to Raven and winked. “It’s good to have you back, Edward.”
Raven grimaced and turned away as the girl moved to the corner of the room, watching them intently.
The king carefully scrutinized each of them, although his eyes lingered on Elsynne for much longer. His fists clenched at his sides as he spoke.
“So, these are the three people you’ve been traveling with for the past few weeks?” he asked.
Raven nodded casually. “That’s right. But Elsynne started following me around first.” He said.
The queen looked at her husband questioningly as he narrowed his eyes. “She’s...” he said, stopping himself as he paused to control his anger. “For how long have you known her?”
“I already told you, it’s only been a little over a week,” Raven replied harshly. “It’s not like I try to keep track of time while I’m out there.”
“I see,” the king responded quietly. He sighed and looked her over once more. “What are your intentions?” he asked.
Elsynne started. “M-Me?”
“Of course,” the king said, his mouth becoming a tight line as he repeated his words. “I asked, what are your intentions?”
“I’m just a traveler. I tried going through the countryside by myself and was attacked by bandits,” she replied, sticking to the old story she had told Raven when they first met. “After that, I decided that it was too dangerous for me to go by myself, so I decided to hire Raven to come with me, since he’s a mercenary...” she trailed off, flinching under the king’s harsh gaze.
“Is this true?” he asked, turning to Raven.
“Yeah. I agreed to travel with her for a while, as long as she can pay me for protecting her. The other two wanted to come with us.”
“Are they being compensated for their trouble as well?”
“No, they’re just going because they can.”
The king turned his cruel gaze back to Elsynne. “Why do you need my son to go with you on this journey of yours? Aren’t two bodyguards more than enough?”
Elsynne nodded nervously; the king’s words reminded her of Raven’s argument from earlier. “Skylar is an archer, so he can’t deal with melee fighting. Felix only just started using a rapier, too,” she explained. “Raven will be invaluable help.”
The king seemed to consider this for a moment. “Now, then...where are you from, and why do you need to travel?”
Elsynne winced; she had been praying that those particular questions would not come up in the discussion. “I’m traveling just for the fun of it.” She replied, hoping that the king would not notice that she had skipped part of the question.
“But where do you live? You don’t seem like you’re from Austror.”
“I...can’t tell you that.”
“Why not?”
“Personal reasons...”
Skylar folded his arms over his chest and Felix bit his lip nervously. The king was beginning to look and sound impatient because of Elsynne’s vague replies.
“Listen, let me make a deal with you,” Raven said quickly, turning to his father. “I’ve already been commissioned to this job, so I’m obligated to finish it. Let me travel with Elsynne and the others for a while longer, and then I’ll...come back here.”
Lukas raised an eyebrow skeptically. “How can we be sure that you’ll keep to your word? You left us once in the past with no qualm, and I’m sure that you’re capable of doing it again.”
“Send someone out to find me if I never come back, then,” Raven snapped.
Lukas turned to the king. “I don’t think that we can trust his word. It would be too easy for him to slip away from us again.”
The king shook his head, surprising them all. “Let him go with them for now.”
“Wh-What?”
“Let him travel with this group for a while longer. We’ll see how things play out,” he said, giving Elsynne a meaningful glance. She swallowed nervously and looked away.
Lukas nodded absently. “A...All right. But after I worked so hard to find him these past few days...”
“We’ll discuss things later,” the king insisted.
Raven narrowed his eyes. “Then why did you go to the trouble of bringing me here if you’re just going to let me go again?”
“Things have changed,” his father replied, “but you will be coming back here eventually. If you do not keep to your promise...”
“All right, all right. I get your point,” Raven said, moving closer to his companions. “I’ll come back here once I’m done with this job.” Although I can’t guarantee that I’ll actually stay in the end...
The king nodded curtly. “Very well. You’re dismissed.”
Once Raven and his group had been escorted from the room by a few of the soldiers, Lukas turned to his father, looking at him questioningly.
“Why did you do that?” he asked. “We’ve been looking for Edward for three years now and we finally brought him home.”
“I’m aware of that,” the king replied, his voice quiet. “But did you see the girl with him?”
“The strange-looking one...?” Lukas said, trailing off. His eyes suddenly widened with realization. “Do you mean she was-”
“That was the Heir, wasn’t it?” the girl asked. Lukas jumped; he had forgotten that she was still in the room with them. “She looked like she was one of the Penna.”
“Ilia, I’d like you to do a favor for me,” the king proposed. “The Heir being on the mainland puts us in a very delicate position, especially since Edward is with her. I want you to keep an eye on them.”
“Should I try to bring him back home?”
“Let them believe that is your goal. Try fighting them, and then join their group. Send me frequent reports.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Lukas looked skeptical. “I don’t know if that will work...he isn’t that dense. Besides, he already promised that he was coming home, wasn’t he?”
“The Heir is in his group. This complicates things...”
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty,” Ilia said, bowing again. “I’ll keep a close eye on the Heir, as well as Edward.”
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“Well, that was a complete waste of our day,” Skylar groaned, sighing wearily. “It feels as if we’ve accomplished nothing.”
“At least Lukas and the soldiers aren’t following us anymore,” Elsynne said, turning to Raven. “Do any of the ferries run this late at night?”
“Yeah, there’s one going to Arcion. That’s a port town on Libra,” he replied. “The ferry only departs at dawn and later in the evening. We might still have time to catch tonight’s boat.”
“Even though you promised your father that you would come home, he probably doubts your word,” Skylar said. “It would be wise to leave Austror all together for a while.”
“We might find out more about the Messenger on Libra!” Felix said excitedly. “Elsynne, you’ve already searched most of Austror, right?” he asked, and she nodded silently in reply.
“What happened to the boats you two used to get here, anyway?” Raven asked. “Can’t we just use those? I don’t want to have to pay the fee on the boat.”
Elsynne smiled sheepishly. “I’m not used to controlling boats, you see...after I was lost in the black magic cloud for a while, I crashed near Austror. I was able to make it to the mainland because I was so close, but the boat was destroyed.”
“Mine was docked near here, I think... I don’t know where it is now, so it might have been stolen or something,” Felix explained. “After that happened, I didn’t know how Elsynne and me were going to get home.”
“We’ll think of something, don’t worry,” Elsynne promised.
“Well, Raven?” Skylar said, looking at him expectantly. “We should be heading to the docks. I don’t want to have to spend another night here.”
Raven nodded. “All right, don’t be so impatient. The docks are this way,” he said, leading them down one of the cobblestone roads outside of the castle gates. The road was much wider than those farther in the city, although not many people were out at the late hour. The sun had already set and the sky was a murky blue-black, dotted with silver stars and a few light, feathery clouds.
The docks were on the outskirts of the city, beyond the massive stone walls encircling Itona. Most of the sailors were still working on their ships and others were preparing to head into the city for the evening. One boat, however, was fully lit by torches and several groups of people stood on its deck.
“That’s the boat traveling to Libra,” Raven said, pointing towards the ship. “It looks like we’re just in time to catch tonight’s voyage.”
“Nice boat,” Skylar commented. “It’s unusually large for a ship that ferries people, isn’t it?”
“It’s one of the only ones willing to travel in the dark. They know the route very well.”
“How far is Libra from here?” Felix asked as they approached the boat.
Raven pulled some gald from the pouch in his pocket and paid the fare. “A day or two,” he replied after they were allowed access to the ship. “It’s not very far.”
Elsynne turned and looked back towards the castle, thinking about what the king had said and how he had looked at her strangely. Maybe the humans put more stock into their beliefs than she originally thought.
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Last edited by Roadie on Mon May 05, 2008 2:25 am; edited 1 time in total |
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seiks
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
Posts: 55
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| Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:17 am Post subject: |
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XDDD
New chapter! Awesome, things are moving, though... I dunno about this pacing. It seems like we've learned things, and yet we haven't. Hm.
I gotta say though, it.... doesn't really read like a "Tales" game, or a game at all. For one thing, there's too much switching of POVs and such, which means that there's a lot more foreshadowing as such. Probably, in a game, we wouldn't get the scenes with Skylar et al or Raven's parents. We'd have to assume stuff or have it come out later.
Also, just how does the Heir look for the Messenger. I mean, obvious the one Penna that goes to the human place is the Heir, but how do they find the Messenger. And, some more exposition on the Gods would be nice. And some explanation just what "reviving" a god means. And why they want it. And the black magic stuff (but I'm not really expecting that. I smell a late-game revelation. Remember, the point of every RPG is to Save the World, but you don't find out about that until after the fake ending.)
(And, argh, elves. Archer elves, ARGH. .... Come to think of it, do Tales games not in the same timeline recycle races? But elves, argh. I'll let the dragons slide (there are always dragons), but elves-)
MOVING ON.
... Why does Raven wear a bright red shirt with weird stripes. (Baaastard.) That thing's weird and hard to draw, dang it. But I still like his lousy-mercenary attitude. It's cute. (... I think I have a thing for arrogant assholes.)
And Skylar is awesome. (Felix will grow on me after a while I'm sure) Elsynne though... I have trouble pinning her down. And .... loli. ... Well, it's a tales staple. Will she be very bad at cooking? Raine/Natalia bad? |
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Roadie
Joined: 05 Jan 2007
Posts: 12035
Location: Montana
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| Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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| seiks wrote: | | I gotta say though, it.... doesn't really read like a "Tales" game, or a game at all. For one thing, there's too much switching of POVs and such, which means that there's a lot more foreshadowing as such. Probably, in a game, we wouldn't get the scenes with Skylar et al or Raven's parents. We'd have to assume stuff or have it come out later. |
I'm sort of thinking back to Legendia, when they occasionally show us scenes of Vaclav or evil Shirley so the audience kind of has a grasp of what's going on (or for a different perspective, the times in Symphonia when they'd occasionally cut back to Yggdrasill and co., or Abyss when they'd show us what Van and the God-Generals are up to, or Innocence when they keep cutting back to several main villains on multiple occasions...). If those parts hadn't been added, the audience would be wondering about several plot points, and it also gave us a chance to get to know our villains/secondary characters a little better.
I don't know, the story would just seem a lot more confusing if I hadn't added in the dialogue bits with Skylar/Raven's family. It just felt like it needed to be added in, because otherwise this chapter might have ended up pretty bland; I don't want to focus too much on just Raven and co., because even though they're the "heroes" of the story, I think that readers should get to know the other characters as well.
| Quote: | | Also, just how does the Heir look for the Messenger. I mean, obvious the one Penna that goes to the human place is the Heir, but how do they find the Messenger. And, some more exposition on the Gods would be nice. And some explanation just what "reviving" a god means. And why they want it. And the black magic stuff (but I'm not really expecting that. I smell a late-game revelation. Remember, the point of every RPG is to Save the World, but you don't find out about that until after the fake ending.) |
Most of those questions are going to be answered in later chapters, so I'm reluctant to say much now. And by "reviving" a god, they mean that they want to essentially unlock Albasta's seal, etc. (that'll be revealed later as well...) Yes, I've planned out the entire story ahead of time.
And we're still at the beginning of the story, so of course not a lot is going to be revealed right off the bat.
| Quote: | | (And, argh, elves. Archer elves, ARGH. .... Come to think of it, do Tales games not in the same timeline recycle races? But elves, argh. I'll let the dragons slide (there are always dragons), but elves-) |
What do you have against elves?
| Quote: | | ... Why does Raven wear a bright red shirt with weird stripes. (Baaastard.) That thing's weird and hard to draw, dang it. |
Ehlly designed his costume, and I happen to like it. (I love you, Ehlly <3<3<3)
| Quote: | | Will she be very bad at cooking? Raine/Natalia bad? |
Nope. 
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KK Twain
Joined: 26 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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Great chapter! Sorry I haven't been posting comments, I've been a little lazy. I'm guessing that Raven is the messenger, due to the way everyone is acting. And the incident that happened three years ago still wasn't explained!
I was looking through the characters again, who is Harriette? I thought Elsynne was the heir. Maybe I misread something. Hmmm... Well, I be looking forward to the next chapter. |
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Xicrog
Joined: 05 Feb 2007
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Location: With these wings, I'll set the world on fire
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| Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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@Mid: Don't worry, I thought the chapter was great. 8D You're doing a better job with POV switching than I am, and the family interactions are probably better-written than how things will end up being with the MacPheresons in Virtue. Frickin' Ma MacPhereson and her nine kids. *grumble*
@seiks: Have a little more faith in Mid, will you? I was around for part of the planning of this story, and she might have some twists that will surprise you.
Either way, this is a fairly long story, so don't be expecting any major reveals nine chapters in. ^^;
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Aelph
Joined: 06 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Xicrog wrote: | | @seiks: Have a little more faith in Mid, will you? I was around for part of the planning of this story, and she might have some twists that will surprise you. |
Agreed. I haven't read as much of her stuff as I should have -- sorry, Roadie, I love you <3 <3 <3 -- but I know she's not often going to fall into the cliches you may think you see. |
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Kevvie
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
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Location: RONONKONOKOMA
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| Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:37 pm Post subject: |
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Yay, late comment! So busy lately... -_-
I enjoyed the chapter as usual. Surprisingly, Skylar's plan worked out quite well. As I've a;ready said before, he's awesome. ^_^ As for the transitions in POVs, I feel that it works fine and as Midna says, it's not a complete stranger to the series.
Anyway, looking forward to the next chapter. Hopefully I'll actually have some free time to read it. >.>
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Roadie
Joined: 05 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 1:39 am Post subject: |
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| KK Twain wrote: | | I was looking through the characters again, who is Harriette? I thought Elsynne was the heir. Maybe I misread something. Hmmm... Well, I be looking forward to the next chapter. |
Ooh, you actually reminded me that I've been needing to alter a few of the secondary character profiles. But Harriette's connection to the Heir/etc is going to be revealed later on in the story when we finally meet her.
And thanks for the comments everyone. <3 I love you too, Aelph.
I couldn't think of a good skit for this chapter...I have failed. :,D Oh and Ilia seems a tad Sue in this chapter...before you ask questions, I'm going to repeat myself by saying to "wait until later in the story for stuff to be revealed."
One chapter until Stephen's reveal- *shot*
Chapter X
Raven lay down on the cool deck of the ship, putting a hand to his forehead as the sea spun around him dizzyingly. He had not mentioned to the others that he had never sailed before; he didn’t know he would get seasick.
“Are you feeling any better?” Elsynne asked, kneeling next to him. She blocked out the blinding sun and cast a shadow over his face as she leaned over to put a damp cloth on his forehead.
“Yeah...” he murmured, closing his eyes again.
She smiled. “I didn’t know you got seasick, Raven.”
“Neither did I.”
Elsynne laughed lightly and looked towards the railing where Felix and Skylar were standing. Felix stood on the tips of his toes to look out over the ocean and Skylar kept an eye on him to make sure he would not fall overboard.
“I’ve been thinking...” Raven muttered, still keeping his eyes closed. “My dad just let me go yesterday and apparently they’ve been looking for me for all these years.”
Elsynne kept her eyes on Felix and Skylar. “I know...”
“Do you know what was he talking about?”
“I’m not sure...”
Raven was quiet for a while and Elsynne began to wonder if he was feeling too sick to talk again. “Do you think he believes those stupid stories about the Heir or something?” he asked after a long silence.
“Why would he?” Elsynne asked matter-of-factly – although Raven could detect a hint of sarcasm in her voice – as she took the cloth off his forehead. “The priest said that humans didn’t believe in the Heir and the Messenger anymore...not many of them, at least.”
“My parents were pretty religious. They might believe...or not. Who cares.”
Elsynne sighed and set the cloth aside. She positioned herself so that she was sitting next to Raven and leaned back.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Raven said, finally opening his eyes. “Did he scare you?”
“No, it wasn’t that,” she replied, pulling her legs to her chest. “It’s nothing. I’m just thinking.”
Raven nodded and closed his eyes again. “I wonder...”
Elsynne did not reply. She looked back towards the others and realized that Skylar was standing next to her.
“I thought you didn’t believe in myths,” Skylar said to Raven, smirking.
“Don’t get me wrong.” Raven replied, this time opening only one eye as he stared up at Skylar. “I’m still thinking about the whole Heir and Messenger thing. But I’m sort of curious...if Elsynne really is the Heir – this is all hypothetical of course – then who is the Messenger?”
“I wish I knew. That would make things easier for us, wouldn’t it?” Skylar mused as he ran a hand through his pale green hair.
“It’s Elsynne’s job to destroy the Messenger before he can get to her,” Felix said as he joined the others. “If she doesn’t stop him, then she’ll continue to suffer.”
“So you basically have to kill the Messenger?” Raven asked, turning to Elsynne. She frowned and bit her lip nervously, then nodded.
“Unless we can find another way...” she began.
“There isn’t another way,” Skylar murmured.
Raven shrugged. “If that’s what you have to do.”
Elsynne looked at him nervously, then turned away again, focusing on the horizon. “You’re willing to just kill someone like that? Even if you don’t know them?” she said quietly.
Felix looked at her strangely, tilting his head to the side. “Elsynne...”
Raven ignored her question and looked over the other passengers on the deck of the boat. He quietly scrutinized each person, wondering if there was anyone that he knew from the city, or if perhaps his father had not kept to his word and sent out a few soldiers to shadow him. His gaze finally rested on a woman with long, russet-brown hair and sallow, almost sickly skin. He could barely make out the ashy-gray circles beneath her brilliant green eyes; he noted how unnatural and beautiful they looked compared to the rest of her unkempt appearance.
His eyes suddenly widened with realization as he shot up into a sitting position, ignoring the wave of nausea that nearly overtook him. “Ophelia!” he hissed, his hands tightening into fists as he recognized the strange woman.
“Ophelia?” Felix repeated, confused.
“Didn’t the dragonlings we ran into mention that name before?” Elsynne said thoughtfully. She followed his gaze to the woman who was standing by the railing, whispering in undertone to a cloaked man next to her.
“I think so,” Raven replied, gritting his teeth as his stomach turned uncomfortably. “The Ophelia I know used to work in the castle as one of my father’s advisors until it was discovered that she was working with black magic. She was exiled and disappeared after that.”
“If she’s on this boat, then that means she was in Itona,” Skylar said, his tone becoming more serious. “Is she particularly dangerous?”
“I’m not sure...she didn’t do anything wrong in the court, as far as I know. But the dragonlings you helped us fight off mentioned her name.”
“Who’s that man she’s talking to?” Elsynne asked. “Why is he wearing a cloak in weather like this?”
Raven flinched as Ophelia turned and met his gaze. She grinned cruelly and motioned to the man next to her.
“They’re coming this way,” Raven said as he tried to push himself to his feet. He wobbled uneasily and fell back down, putting a hand to his stomach and grimacing as he felt sick again.
Ophelia approached the group and came to a stop at a safe distance, followed closely by her companion. “You’re the last one I thought I’d be seeing on a ship out of Itona,” she said to Raven, her smile spreading. “I’ve heard that you’ve been getting yourself into trouble...again.”
“That was all an accident,” Raven said, trying to will himself not to be sick.
“You mean the accident three years ago, or the incident the other day?”
Raven ignored her question. “What are you doing back in the city? I thought you left six years ago.”
“I was,” she said casually, pretending to examine a chipped fingernail as she spoke. “It doesn’t hurt to go back every once in a while to check up on things, though, does it?”
“I heard you’ve been working with dragonlings.”
Ophelia pursed her lips. “How did you...? Never mind.”
“Why did you send them after us?” Raven demanded, finally getting to his feet. Elsynne stood as well, shrinking back behind him. “And why are you working with them?”
“I probably know more about you than anyone else besides your immediate family,” Ophelia replied, quickly recovering her cool demeanor, “and I can use that information to my advantage.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“I believe in the old stories about the Heir and the Messenger. I’ve heard stories about certain things, whispers of the gods...” she said, speaking in an undertone so that the other passengers on the ship could not hear them. “But certain requirements must be fulfilled in order to obtain such a tempting thing as the Heir’s or Messenger’s life.”
“You’re after Elsynne’s life, aren’t you?” Felix asked, putting a hand to the rapier at his waist. “What could someone like want?”
“That’s my secret. Besides, I’m not working for myself.”
“What?”
“There’s someone I need to beat in order to obtain what I want.”
Raven quickly remembered that it was his job to keep Elsynne safe as he drew his sword. He grinned, realizing that her job could end up being more exciting than he originally thought.
Ophelia took a step back and held out her hand. “Don’t try to pick fights you can’t win, Raven, or whatever stupid name you’re going by nowadays,” she warned with a wave of her hand. A plume of fire suddenly materialized beneath Raven’s feet and exploded, sending him flying backwards.
“Raven!” Elsynne cried, quickly kneeling beside him as she healed his shallow wounds.
“I’m fine,” he lied, getting to his feet shakily. A rush of adrenaline blocked out the rolling nausea in his stomach, allowing him to steady himself easier and prepare for the fight.
“I don’t have time for this.” Ophelia stepped backward again. She placed her hands against the railing and motioned towards the cloaked man who had been watching her quietly. He turned to face Elsynne, smiling cruelly. The sun finally hit his face and they could clearly make out his features; his scalene brown skin was etched with black markings and symbols.
Elsynne gasped. “He’s a dragonling!” she said, her hands suddenly tightening on Raven’s arm.
“Ow! Let go!” he said, jerking away as the burn flared on his arm.
“I’m sorry, I keep forgetting that happens,” Elsynne said quickly, careful not to let her hands touch his skin again.
“Go ahead. You know what to do,” Ophelia was telling the dragonling. He nodded and flung himself over the railing.
Felix jumped back. “He just fell in!” he exclaimed, looking back and forth between Ophelia and the space where the dragonling man had been standing moments before. “Aren’t you going to help him?”
Ophelia grinned slyly. “Don’t worry. We’ll be seeing each other again very soon,” she promised, speaking to both Raven and Elsynne. And then she threw herself backward over the railing, just as her companion had.
Raven quickly pushed himself up and ran to the railing, ignoring the crowds of other people who had seen Ophelia’s display and were already standing in his way to get a better glimpse of the woman and her strange partner. Raven leaned over, expecting to see both her and the dragonling bobbing in the water, trying to keep themselves afloat on the rough waves.
There was no one there.
“It seems that we already have an enemy to contend with,” Skylar mused as he joined the others at the railing. “We haven’t known Elsynne’s story for more than a day and now we have that bothersome woman and her dragonling pet on our trail.”
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When the boat finally docked in the small town, Raven was the last one off. Once the adrenaline rush from the brief skirmish had worn off the excruciatingly painful nausea returned and kept him almost comatose on the deck of the ship. Elsynne had remained bravely beside him, bringing him cold water and placing damp washcloths on his forehead. She even sat beside him through the freezing night as he slept on the deck, too seasick to even move below deck.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said once they disembarked the ship, too embarrassed to look her in the eye.
Elsynne smiled gently. “It’s all right. I didn’t mind.”
“Ships are fun, but I’m happy to be back on solid land,” Felix said, grinning again. Their short-lived encounter with Ophelia had stunned him for a while and left him uncharacteristically serious as he threw himself into a protective mode, trying to keep Elsynne safe from the new threat that hung over them. He seemed to be better now; Raven was already growing weary of his overzealous attitude.
Skylar, on the other hand, remained his usual self – somewhat cheerful, yet pensive – throughout the remainder of the voyage. Raven was amazed at how calm he had remained during their encounter with Ophelia and the dragonling.
“I never want to go on another ship again,” Raven said as they left the harbor and entered the small town. “That was absolutely horrible...”
“Yes, I’m not going on a ship with you anymore,” Skylar said, sighing. “Your misery is my misery, I suppose.”
“What does that mean?”
“All of your whimpering and groaning was beginning to get on my nerves.”
“Well, I’m sorry.”
“You don’t sound sorry at all.”
“Because I’m not.”
Felix quickly jumped between the two, throwing out his arms. “Come on, don’t start arguing now! We have a job to do, remember?”
“Yes,” Elsynne added, clasping her hands together nervously, “I was thinking...maybe we should try forming pacts with the Spirits of this region.”
“Spirits?” Raven repeated, confused.
“The Spirits were beings that used to work with the Gemini Gods before the two turned on each other,” Skylar explained. “They’re said to be powerful beings that will form pacts with certain people who can summon them into a fight for assistance and guidance.”
“They might help us while we’re looking for the Scale,” Elsynne said.
Raven narrowed his eyes. “Where can we find the Spirits?”
“They’re all over the world. I know that there are definitely two here on Libra.”
“The Spirit called Rhett is here, right?” Felix asked as he pulled at the hem of his hat. “He’s hiding in the east, I think.”
“That’s right. His cavern is somewhere near the Tower, if I remember correctly.”
“This is all sounding more and more ridiculous...” Raven complained, letting his shoulders sag. “First you tell me a story about this extinct race that turns out to be alive, and then-“
“No one said you had to come with us, Raven,” Skylar said tensely.
“Yeah, I’m being paid to come.”
“You can still go home if you’re getting tired of all our fairy tale nonsense.”
Elsynne turned to Raven, careful not to take his hands or accidentally grab his shoulders. “Please don’t leave, Raven.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he replied. “I’m just saying that this is all sounding weirder and weirder as we keep going.”
“No one’s forcing you to believe us,” Felix pointed out, smiling. “But once you see the Spirit Rhett, you’ll understand!”
“Sounds like fun,” Raven said sarcastically as he followed them out of the town.
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The landscape of Libra was far different from that of Austror; high mountains and dark forests replaced the familiar open green fields as they walked up the well-worn trails. The sky and sun were a dull gray, partially obscured by a thin layer of colorless clouds. However, the dirt roads leading from town to town were much more defined than those on the plains, making the journey much easier.
“Who can form pacts with the Spirits?” Raven asked as they walked up one of the trails leading to the next town. “Or is that something only the Heir and Messenger can do?”
“You have far too many questions for a nonbeliever, Raven.” Skylar said, although his tone was patient and even. “You act as if you could care less about the Heir and the Messenger, and yet you’re constantly pestering Elsynne with questions about them and their history.”
“I’m just curious,” Raven replied, frowning. “These dumb legends are mostly news to me. I figure if I’m going to have to listen to them during my time with you guys, I might as well familiarize myself with them.”
“But why do you care?”
“I don’t care, I’m just curious!”
“That’s contradictory and hypocritical.”
“Anyone can form a pact with a Spirit,” Elsynne cut in, hoping to stop the oncoming argument. “The Spirit just has to accept the person who desires a pact.”
“The Heir and the Messenger can’t make pacts, either,” Felix added, “so that means it’s up to the three of us to form pacts.”
“And you can hold pacts with as many Spirits as you’d like.”
“Hm,” Raven said indifferently, shivering as a cold breeze swept over the road. “It doesn’t sound too complicated.”
“It isn’t, if you think about it that way,” Elsynne said. “But the biggest problem we’ll have is getting the Spirit to want to form a pact with one of us. They have to approve of the pact-maker, and many Spirits are very...” she trailed off, thinking of the correct word.
“Picky?” Felix offered.
She nodded. “Yes. They take a long time to choose who they want to serve and protect. It’s a big decision for them, since they’re essentially signing themselves away into servitude.”
“If I had the same power as a Spirit, I wouldn’t be offering it up to any humans,” Raven said, “so why do they form pacts with normal, weak people?”
“They’re bound to the location where they rest,” Elsynne replied solemnly. “They aren’t allowed to leave for anything.”
“So a pact with a person is basically their ticket out?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“If the Spirit named Rhett refuses to form a pact with any of us, we’ll have to give up and go on to the next one,” Skylar said, “but it would be beneficial to us if we could form pacts with as many Spirits as possible. It will make things easier when we finally run into the Messenger.”
Elsynne fell silent again, pretending to focus her gaze on the item pack at her side. Reo poked her head out from the opening of the pack and purred as Elsynne stroked her long, soft fur.
“What was Reo before she was mutated by the black magic?” Raven asked. He held out his hand for the cat, who leaned forward and bit his middle finger.
“A normal domesticated house cat,” Elsynne replied, laughing as Raven cursed loudly and quickly wiped the blood from his finger. “She’s been my pet since I was born.”
“That’s an abnormally long life span for a normal cat,” Skylar observed.
“The black magic is supposed to keep things alive for a very long time,” Elsynne explained as she pet the cat one last time before closing the flap of the pack. “Reo will probably end up outliving even me.”
“It all sounds weird to me, but I saw the cat transform,” Raven said before Skylar could open his mouth and ask about his curiosity in the cat. “It had to be black magic. That stuff is potent enough to make dragonlings.”
Felix suddenly stopped in the middle of the road, causing Raven to trip over his feet as he tried to stop himself from running into the boy.
“What the hell did you stop for?!” Raven demanded, trying to steady himself. Felix ignored him, looking over his shoulder at something behind them.
“Isn’t that the girl we met in the castle?” he questioned, pointing at a figure charging up the road towards them.
“Oh, I do recognize her...” Elsynne said, cautiously putting a hand on her staff. “I remember wondering why the court would hire such a young girl.”
“That’s Ilia Ruden,” Raven said exasperatedly as the girl came into view. “She’s one of the half-elven mages of the court.”
“I had a feeling that the king wouldn’t let you out of the country so easily,” Skylar said, sounding amused. “Let’s see what Ilia has to say.”
“I want to know how she got here so fast,” Raven said. “I didn’t even see her on the boat.”
Felix jumped in front of them, clumsily brandishing his rapier. “Elsynne, get behind us so you can use healing arts if someone gets hurt. But be careful not to overdo it, okay?”
“I’d be advising Raven to be careful, if I were you. He’s usually the one who gets hurt,” Skylar pointed out.
“Oh, you’re right.”
“H-Hey! That’s because I’m usually the only one who has to fight!” Raven protested.
When Ilia finally caught up to them, she stopped in the road and leaned against her knees, trying to catch her breath. “I...I’ve finally...caught up to you!” she gasped. “I’ve been behind you...the entire time!”
“Then why did you have to run to catch up?” Felix asked, smiling nervously.
“I wanted to catch you off guard!”
The corner of Raven’s mouth twitched as he tried to keep himself from laughing. “That’s one of the worst lies I’ve ever heard.”
“B-But I was trying really hard to stay a good distance behind you,” Ilia said, straightening up. “I waited until you were all too busy chatting to pay attention to what was coming!”
“I could hear you coming,” Felix said triumphantly.
“Anyone could hear you running up the road the way you were,” Skylar added, smirking as he spoke.
“Th-That’s beside the point!” Ilia seethed as she pulled something from the pocket of her white cloak.
Raven tried unsuccessfully not to snicker as she held out a small purple baton. “What kind of weapon is that? A wand?”
“It’s not a wand! I use it to conduct magic!”
“You don’t need a baton to manipulate magic,” Skylar pointed out. With a flick of his wrist, he cast an offensive spell that caused a spark of electricity to materialize and strike the ground in front of Raven, who jumped backwards with surprise and nearly bumped into Elsynne. “You see?”
“Half-elves like me can’t use magic as easily as pureblooded elves,” Ilia said, frowning sullenly as she gripped the baton tighter in her hand. “We need a catalyst to conduct the waves of magic.”
“Ah, that’s right, I’d forgotten about that...I don’t interact with half-elves that much.”
“Just because I can’t use magic that easily doesn’t mean that I’m any weaker than you are!” Ilia said, glaring at Skylar. She waved her baton and smiled as a brightly-colored glyph appeared beneath her feet. “Just watch!”
“Should we interfere?” Felix asked quietly as Ilia and Skylar stared each other down, both preparing to cast a spell at any second.
Raven looked between the two. “This’ll be over pretty quickly. Skylar’s a pureblood, so he’ll be able to cast magic quicker because he has a better handle over it than Ilia does. He’s also older than her and has much more experience.”
“Aqua Edge!” Skylar suddenly threw out his hand and extended his fingers as a casting circle formed beneath his feet. Several globules of water shot out from the circle and barreled towards Ilia.
Ilia jumped aside and waved her baton again. “Eruption!”
Skylar’s eyes widened. He threw himself to the side as the earth around his body grew hotter and lava materialized, shooting upwards and scalding the area he had been standing on moments before.
“See?” Ilia taunted, sticking out her tongue. “Don’t hold back on me just because I’m a kid.”
“I wasn’t expecting her to use something like that...” Skylar said, shrugging nonchalantly. “You’re a lot craftier than I originally gave you credit for.”
“Oh, come on. She just used a slightly stronger spell than you, big deal,” Raven said, folding his arms over his chest. “You just have to use something better!”
“Skylar wasn’t expecting her to use something like that at all,” Elsynne pointed out, casting a sideways glance in Raven’s direction. “He thought Ilia wasn’t experienced enough.”
“I told you that she was a mage hired by the royal family of Itona. Why didn’t you listen?”
Skylar ignored his comment and took an offensive stance. “I’ll be ready this time,” he warned, narrowing his eyes.
Ilia repositioned herself and grinned teasingly. “Are you sure, old man?”
“O-Old? I’m only a hundred twenty-one!” Skylar protested, suddenly flustered. “That’s not old at all!”
“It’s old to me,” Ilia said, laughing. “I’m just fourteen!”
“Fourteen, and already able to use magic like that...where did you learn it?”
“That’s none of your business! We’re here to fight, not exchange stories about our past!”
“True enough. Let’s go!”
Elsynne suddenly grabbed Raven’s arm again without thinking. “What if Skylar can’t get out of the way this time?” she asked nervously.
Raven flinched as she squeezed his arm. The pain quickly flared and intensified; it felt as if someone was holding a hot fire to his skin. Raven jerked out of her grasp, falling over in his haste to get away from her.
“Damn it, Elsynne!” he cursed, wrapping his fingers around the injured part of his arm. “Why do you always have to do that?!”
“I’m sorry! I keep forgetting!” she said, stepping backwards. “It’s a reflex, I can’t help it!”
“You’re going to have to if you want me to keep traveling with you.” Raven said, gritting his teeth against the pain. It was beginning to fade, but his arm still burned. “Do you know how much that hurts?”
“I’m really sorry...”
Ilia had stopped casting her spell as she looked over to Raven, curiosity shining in her indigo eyes.
Skylar seized the moment and took advantage of the distraction. “Spread!”
Ilia was taken by surprise as the column of water suddenly shot up beneath her and threw her in the air. She landed on the dirt path with a dull thud that knocked the breath from her lungs and left her winded.
“That was a cheap shot!” she gasped once she had taken a few deep breaths. “I didn’t-“
“You weren’t paying attention,” Skylar said, cutting her off. “The key is to keep your head in the battle. Don’t let something like Raven’s loud mouth distract you.”
Ilia pushed herself to her feet shakily and picked up her baton. “We’ll finish this later. I’ve got some stuff to take care of,” she said, brushing the dirt from her cloak and skirt. “Next time when we meet, I’m not going to be hit so easily.”
Skylar forced a smile. “We’ll see about that, kid.”
Felix frowned as Ilia ran back down the path in the direction of Arcion. “We’re just going to let her go?” he asked.
“She said she was coming back, don’t worry,” Skylar said. He took a deep breath and sighed quietly. “I haven’t had to use magic like that in a long time...I’ve been relying on archery for a few decades now.”
“I didn’t know you could use magic at all,” Raven said as Felix helped him up off the ground. He still kept his hand over the spot where Elsynne had touched him.
“Everyone with elven blood can use magic,” Skylar said, “I just haven’t had a need to use my skill for a while.”
“We should probably get going.” Elsynne sighed, watching Raven with wary eyes. “Maybe we can still get to Brancove soon. We’ve still got a fairly long walk.”
“Are you sure you’re not tired yet? We can stop for a while,” Felix offered.
“No, I’m feeling fine,” Elsynne said quickly. She turned to Raven again, her gaze questioning.
“I’m all right,” He said grudgingly, taking his hand from his arm. “I’m sorry if I startled you.”
Raven followed behind the others as they continued to travel up the road to Brancove, where they would form their first pact with a Spirit. He was beginning to wonder what they would end up finding; he still had very little belief in Elsynne’s stories, the Spirits included.
‘It’s no big deal,’ he thought smugly, putting a hand to the rattling gald pouch at his waist. ‘I’m being paid to listen to her stupid stories, after all.’
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Last edited by Roadie on Mon May 05, 2008 2:34 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Xicrog
Joined: 05 Feb 2007
Posts: 229
Location: With these wings, I'll set the world on fire
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:15 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | One chapter until Stephen's reveal- *shot* |
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAYY-*also shot*
*revives* But in all seriousness...the interaction between Skylar and Raven was gold as usual. And the spellcasting duel was really cool. 8D Probably my favorite chapter so far.
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