Aaron Winsett
Sage
Seeker of Knowledge
Knowledge is a weapon. I intend to be formidably armed.
Posts: 419
Sacae Fame: 1
Lycia Fame: 2
Profession: Student of Magic
OoC Alias: Feldsky
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Post by Aaron Winsett on Jun 25, 2011 11:39:33 GMT -6
Aaron believed Xavier's reason about simply wanting to go to Etruria. It fell much more in line with how the green-haired sage perceived the healer. He was a little saddened when he heard how upset Grayson was. He'd picked up quite a fondness for the purple-haired kid, but when Xavier questioned the sage's reasons, it only soured his mood again.
"Because my concerns were to keep you all from being caught up in this...."
Aaron sighed, ready to finally divulge the whole story. He couldn't help but wish the setting was more appropriate. An armchair would be nice. And plenty of old tomes for researching the subject. But then, research wasn't what was needed, but action.
"Take note. This isn't the sort of story you're likely to hear outside of a story ring. Ever."
The scholar took a couple of steps before turning towards his acquaintances, and speaking. His voice altered, changing from the clear, well-pronounced, voice of his everyday use, to a voice which sounded as though it mastered the mountains, led the winds, and rode the tides. It was the voice of a storyteller, dictating the world as he percieved it. This was no mere story though. It was actual events which he'd experienced, though he sometimes questioned them.
"A year or more ago, I traveled with a group of people from Laus to Ostia. We were pretty tight knit, and tried to look out for each other. Among them was a young girl named Lilith.... I was impressed with her, because she had taken up the study of dark-... elder magic. Despite knowing the dangers of it, she continued pressing on in her studies. We separated when the group broke up."
Aaron regrouped himself. Now for the crazy bit.
"Several nights ago, I... had a dream. It was like a dream, but it was more, at the same time. It seemed like I'd made some kind of contact with her... consciousness. She told me that she'd summoned a spirit too strong for her to control, and that it had...." The scholar hesitated to use a word so associated with fiction, but saw no other adequate word.
"...Possessed her." It sounded just like something out of an old legend, or folktale. Aaron hardly could believe it himself, but something about the dream had made sure that he felt it was more than the action of the day causing additional chaotic nightmares.
"I didn't remember the dream until after we made it to town. That's what I'm doing here. I'm challenging a force I wasn't even aware of a few days ago, on behalf of my friend.... I didn't even know that dark spirits existed until the dream. I wonder why the shamans never speak of them...."
The last bit was more mumbled to himself than to anyone else. He was fully expecting them to laugh, or call him touched in the head. Saffra might have heard of such things before though. She'd been around for longer than the books which Aaron studied from, and some of those were old books.
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Xavier
Troubadour
BANNED
Posts: 69
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Post by Xavier on Jun 25, 2011 19:58:17 GMT -6
Xavier listened as the mage recounted his tale. Xavier had to admit that at first it had sounded a little unbelieveable. However, as the mage went on to talk about what he had thought about as he reached town, Xavier had to admit that it explained a little about what the mage had done or had been doing in the town, when he had left them to go to the taverns on their own. And then, talking about the type of spirit or magic that the girl Lilith had used that had caused her to be possessed had caused Xavier to think a little about trying to learn a little about the magic type.
"This predicament is even more reason for you to ask someone for help. Even if my actual reason for wanting to come along to Etruria was not to help, asking for a little help from us wouldn't hurt your goal now, would it?", Xavier answered, trying to take the mage's attention off of the fact that he had followed the mage without his permission onto the mage being in the wrong for not asking for help.
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Aaron Winsett
Sage
Seeker of Knowledge
Knowledge is a weapon. I intend to be formidably armed.
Posts: 419
Sacae Fame: 1
Lycia Fame: 2
Profession: Student of Magic
OoC Alias: Feldsky
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Post by Aaron Winsett on Jun 28, 2011 22:08:12 GMT -6
Aaron closed his eyes for a moment. A pained expression passed over his face as he felt another wave of fear and longing wash over him. Now wasn't the time to be waiting around.
"Xavier, you might be right about asking for help..., but I'd rather get someone who's not going to die the moment they're set upon to help." The green-haired scholar still possessed memories. Memories from Lilith, of an overwhelming, crushing power that had set itself against her. He wondered where he would measure up to that.
The sage glanced towards the dragoness who was still dangling her legs idly over the side of the cliff. He wasn't even sure she'd been listening, to be honest. It was frustrating how she seemed to be there, and yet not really be there at all.
"Saffra?...." The sage wondered about her. What was her interest in all the world? Surely, she'd seen nearly everything by now? Was seeing the events of the world unfold truly her only interest?
"I could use the help of someone like you...."
The sage turned back to Xavier.
"And if you wish to continue with me, then I'd suggest you get ready to move. I'm not willing to wait around for an afternoon chat.... Even one with a dragon."
He glanced back over his shoulder again, wondering if he was likely to get any reaction.
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Saffra
Dragon
The Winged Girl
Posts: 169
Lycia Fame: -1
Profession: Ill Omen
Affinity: Fire
Dragon Element: Ice
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Post by Saffra on Jun 28, 2011 22:38:52 GMT -6
Slowly, Saffra got up onto her feet, and stretched out her arms and gave a bored yawn. She was called upon, and she needed to make some sort of recognizable movement. Flashing yellow eyes in the Sage's direction, she also nodded, and smiled to him as well, shuffling along the ledge, balancing upon it even, as if it were a tight rope, warms outstretched.
"Yes, Aaron?"
Saffra gave a chime that sounded totally innocent, and somewhat meek, but it was all a facade, of course,s he liked games such as these, where she was as ignorant to the world as most humans were to outside their houses.
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Aaron Winsett
Sage
Seeker of Knowledge
Knowledge is a weapon. I intend to be formidably armed.
Posts: 419
Sacae Fame: 1
Lycia Fame: 2
Profession: Student of Magic
OoC Alias: Feldsky
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Post by Aaron Winsett on Jun 29, 2011 0:00:40 GMT -6
The magic user wasn't quite sure how to respond to the dragon woman woman as she "walked the tightrope" along the cliff's edge. He wasn't even sure what he was expecting from her. Just that she could make it all better.... It was a foolish notion, he realized.
He hardly knew her, but she was a dragon. He'd immediately suspected that she was the be-all, end-all solution to the world's problems. He couldn't force that on her though... Not with her seeming so innocent light and airy now.... And yet, think of who she is, and what she's seen? Who was she, anyway.... It wouldn't change anything if he knew.
"I'm just lost, and I have no idea what to do. I'd feel better knowing someone like you was coming... and there's a certain, final service I'd ask you to render unto me, if things do go badly."
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Saffra
Dragon
The Winged Girl
Posts: 169
Lycia Fame: -1
Profession: Ill Omen
Affinity: Fire
Dragon Element: Ice
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Post by Saffra on Jun 29, 2011 0:57:03 GMT -6
As Aaron was talking, Saffra bothered herself by combing her fingers through her hair, due to lack of an actual comb, of course. Humming gently as he spoke, she just gave him what seemed to be a sideways look, not quite sure what he was going on about, or why. She understood, from having been eavesdropping, that he had planned to do something quite dangerous, possibly.
"You'd like to have me around because, I am a dragon, learnt and wise about the ever changing world?"
Saffra pretty much pegged that was what he meant for when he said he wanted to have her around...but the last part was... intriguing...and this perked her attention considerably, making her look more refined.
"And what would that task be, that you are requesting of me?"
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Aaron Winsett
Sage
Seeker of Knowledge
Knowledge is a weapon. I intend to be formidably armed.
Posts: 419
Sacae Fame: 1
Lycia Fame: 2
Profession: Student of Magic
OoC Alias: Feldsky
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Post by Aaron Winsett on Jun 29, 2011 1:38:07 GMT -6
"Yes." the magic user confessed. "Having someone as knowledgeable as you would be encouraging."
It was more than the fact that she was someone who could have stepped from the pages of a history tome. Her very nature intruiged him. On a lesser level of importance, she was one of the few people that he could actually speak to about parts of history, and not feel like he had to explain everything as he went. It was refreshing to find someone who was generally more knowledgeable about world events than he was, again.
"The final service...." the mage felt uncomfortable even bringing this up, to be honest. Particularly with a relative stranger. Never-the-less, after screwing up his will, and his mouth a bit, he finally managed to start fumbling it out.
"I'm dealing with something that takes over someone's body, and I don't know how well I'll be able to fight it off. I'm planning on taking certain measures to... end myself, should I fail, and be overcome, but having someone capable of performing the deed nearby would be safest."
Aaron gritted his teeth at the thought.
"I'm not going to let that thing have its way on Elibe. One way or another, that spirit won't be around to celebrate it's triumphs."
The green-haired man wore a grim expression, like that of a man getting ready for a fight to the death, even if that fight was still many days away. He wasn't planning on dying. Not at all, but he wasn't going to overestimate his chances. He needed to find out the weakness of his enemy.
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Saffra
Dragon
The Winged Girl
Posts: 169
Lycia Fame: -1
Profession: Ill Omen
Affinity: Fire
Dragon Element: Ice
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Post by Saffra on Jun 29, 2011 21:40:38 GMT -6
With Arms crosses, Saffra looked a little...too serious. This certainly was a grave measure to begin with, but she wondered exactly how he knew of it? Its not like someone sent him a letter, that would be poor form on this 'spirit's' part. The Dragoness seemed a bit bothered at hearing this, was this something she wanted to get herself mixed up in? Well, if anything, it would be better to fight against a mage in this sort of issue. She was specially suited for combating magic, though tough her scales were, it was not to the degree that she did for magic. She had a natural...affinity against human's magic spells, to a degree of course.
"So, let me ask you this..."
Saffra's narrow, almost fully slitted pupils, eyed the Sage cautiously, unsure of that sort of resolve.
"What if the demon doesn't take over you? What happens if it tries to possess someone possibly stronger, say, me?"
An eyebrow shot up curiously. She hadn't lived through the scouting to be brought down by a spirit!
"Though, if it does take you over, let it be known, I will give you a death fitting of a mage of your power. One fire wielder, to another..."
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Xavier
Troubadour
BANNED
Posts: 69
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Post by Xavier on Jun 29, 2011 23:03:48 GMT -6
As the Mage and the winged woman started talking among themselves, Xavier righted his position and looked around them. They were somewhere on the peak of a sort of mountain range, the peak they were on being on the first mountain of a group of mountains. These mountains had to lead into Lycia, was Xavier's first thought. The mountain range was near one of the borders of Bern. Probably a way for people to get from Lycia into Bern or vice versa without being stopped by the border authorities.
Xavier climbed back onto Ralph, feeling even more hungry than before after his previous ordeal with almost falling off the peak. He could feel the collie draining off of his face as he struggled to stay conscious at least until the group had left so that he may ensure that at least he could be following the group. Xavier also did not feel like saying anything about hi hunger for fear of the group deciding he was too much of a bother.
OoC: Sorry for the short post. You guys just suddenly posted consecutively right after each other, ignoring me so there was not much Xavier could do in that short span. Next time, don't make me wait days for posts then when I'm busy, make so many posts within a day, ignoring me.
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Aaron Winsett
Sage
Seeker of Knowledge
Knowledge is a weapon. I intend to be formidably armed.
Posts: 419
Sacae Fame: 1
Lycia Fame: 2
Profession: Student of Magic
OoC Alias: Feldsky
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Post by Aaron Winsett on Jun 30, 2011 0:28:28 GMT -6
Memories. A memory from the contact with Lilith's mind assailed the sage. Something in it suggested that Saffra being possessed wouldn't be a concern, but the sage couldn't find the reasoning for it, and ignored it.
The Dragoness' slitted eyes zeroed in on the sage, asking questions of him. They were intense enough to cause the green-haired scholar to take a step back.
"That must be avoided at all costs. Saffra, I'd expect you to stay hidden until the right time. Out of all of us, I'd hate to see you imprisoned the most." The dragon kin had suffered enough. The sage wasn't willing to be the root of more pain inflicted on any of them.
Taking a breath, Aaron forced his expression to lighten.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves though. I've got a good mind, and I intend to put it to good use on this matter before any confrontations."
Aaron felt as if he was waking up again. Xavier was ready to move, and the sage was too. He felt ready to take on the abyss again.
"I won't be offended if you choose to stay out of this mess, Lady Saffra. However, if so, then you will have no part in seeing its conclusion come to fruition."
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Saffra
Dragon
The Winged Girl
Posts: 169
Lycia Fame: -1
Profession: Ill Omen
Affinity: Fire
Dragon Element: Ice
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Post by Saffra on Jun 30, 2011 0:53:51 GMT -6
Saffra looked past Aaron at Xavier, seeing him mount up on his horse once more, but then she went back to looking at the sage, giving a small nod of understanding. That seemed well and good, so she wouldn't take part in the combat, that all seemed well for her, with her luck, she would have killed the possessed individual.
"That seems...acceptable."
With a small nod of her head, she relaxed, and brought those arms to her side once more. She fixed the cloth clinging to her leg, ridding it of a wrinkle, and then moved as if read to go.
"I'll do what I think needs to be done. I just hope you know how to use a light magic. Evil things seem to dislike that particular magic, though I don't understand why."
Saffra just seemed to make a silly quip at the whole light magic thing, who knew if it was true, it just seemed appropriate to say. Looking back at Xavier, she made a smirk at the blue...was it purple? haired boy.
"You coming too?"
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Xavier
Troubadour
BANNED
Posts: 69
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Post by Xavier on Jun 30, 2011 2:51:40 GMT -6
Xavier's hunger was getting worse, but Xavier ignored it. He knew that all he had to do was to wait for the next meal where he would hopefully be able to take a share of the mage's rations. He concentrated hard on ignoring his a few days old hunger and had therefore almost missed the winged woman's question to him. But the very most that Xavier could do to respond was just to nod his head weakly.
Xavier was very aware though, that his face's collie would be turning worse and he could feel a sort of cold tingling feeling coming up his spine and he knew that the other party members might probably notice his condition soon. At least he wasn't going to be the one walking. That was Ralph and Ralph's provisions still were not finished yet as Xavier was able to get more supplies for Ralph from the stables before the mage had decided to leave and he had started following the mage. Xavier hoped they wouldn't leave discover his hunger and then decide to leave him behind because he was too troublesome.
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Aaron Winsett
Sage
Seeker of Knowledge
Knowledge is a weapon. I intend to be formidably armed.
Posts: 419
Sacae Fame: 1
Lycia Fame: 2
Profession: Student of Magic
OoC Alias: Feldsky
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Post by Aaron Winsett on Jun 30, 2011 22:35:20 GMT -6
Light magic...? Did Lilith mention this too? Or am I making things up now? The sage had done it before. Sometimes, reality could be difficult to distinguish from unreality.
He turned to get back to following the trail, but took note of Xavier's silence. It seemed odd that he'd just clammed up all the sudden. And... he looked sick. Very pale. Actually, he looked like it was all he could do to stay on the horse.
"Here." The sage reached into his bag, and removed a pair of small travel biscuits, before practically shoving them into the blue-haired man's hands. "Not as tasty as fresh rolls, but you should start feeling better with something in your stomach.... Can't have you dying in the mountains." The truth was, they'd have to double-time it to get out of the mountains before the resources ran out. The sage hadn't exactly packed enough for an expedition.
Resigned to bringing the young man out of the mountains with him, Aaron quickly took the lead, and took the horse's reins.
"Light magic.... I've thought of studying it.... Considerably more than dark magic, at least. The unknowable and I are not good friends." Aaron was speaking out loud, but it was more to himself than anything else. His next words were more in the tone of an explanation though.
"Regardless,... there's a place I'd like to stop by once we've arrived in Etruria. A friend of my teacher's. Using this route, we should pass right by it." The rookie sage wasn't quite sure what he'd say when he arrived. "Hi. I'm Aaron Winsett. You send flowers to my Grandfather's arboretum." He knew Grandpa Barek and the person he was visiting were friends, but he wasn't sure of the kind of welcome he'd get. Magetypers could be notoriously eccentric, from time to time.
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Saffra
Dragon
The Winged Girl
Posts: 169
Lycia Fame: -1
Profession: Ill Omen
Affinity: Fire
Dragon Element: Ice
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Post by Saffra on Jun 30, 2011 23:50:15 GMT -6
Seeing the nod, and the apparent state that the man was in, she only smirked, and nodded back. She had lived very long, and knew what the faces of hunger looked like. He was displaying this perfectly, but was too proud, maybe, to even bring it up, so she didn't either. Though, thankfully for the Troubador, Aaron noticed as well, and tossed him something to eat. With a laugh, she just shrugged at the man. Saffra carried very little, she had a few berries in her left pouch, and carried a good sum of money with her, but not that it could be apparent, of course. She did like gold...
Saffra watched as Aaron took lead, but she stayed a step or two behind him. She listened, but she wasn't exactly...impressed. She loathed human magi, truthfully, everything about it. Magic created the abominable weapons that destroyed the world as she had known it...those were hard days to remember...she was 'young' according to dragon standards, then.
"I'm alright with a stop, I have all the time in the world."
Saffra gave a chuckle at the joke.
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Xavier
Troubadour
BANNED
Posts: 69
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Post by Xavier on Jul 1, 2011 3:11:45 GMT -6
"Thanks...", Xavier responded to the mage's biscuits. Xavier immediately indulged in the biscuits, feeling better almost immediately as the biscuit filled his practically empty stomach and gave it something to actually digest.
With his indulgence of the biscuits, Xavier immediately became much more attentive and was able to listen to what the mage and the winged woman was talking about. Whn he heard about there being Dark Magic to be dealt with as well as with what the mage had earlier told him about him having to save someone who was possessed by a spirit of the dark, Xavier decided that maybe he should show that he could be somewhat of a help too.
"Hey, you'll be dealing with Dark Magic, spirits and the like, right? I know how to use various forms of Staves, both healing and not. It's similar in a way to how Light Magic work, so I may be able to help, if only just a little...", Xavier offered, knowing that in some way, he had to repay the mage for agreeing to bring him to Etruria with them as well as for the biscuits. "Eh... I was just wondering if that friend of yours might be able to help me with learning some magic..."
That was Xavier's true intentions all along, for in the church before, he wasn't allowed to learn any forms of magic at all apart from the usage of healing Staves. It had been Xavier's long childhood dream to be able to find a magic tutor and learn some actual magic.
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