Even Evil Can do Good (Open)

[Aura]

In, out, in, out, his breathing was calm, deep, and regulated. Aura retreated into his own mental landscape. It was foggy and dark, only the distorted white mist of magic existed here. He might fear August and who he once was, but there was something here he needed to find. August was not gone, merely locked away in the recesses of his memory, so given to the nether it might not be retrieved. But he was the one who created Vadis and the cullings. Aura tried to navigate his own mind through meditation but he had no success. After what felt like hours had passed he opened his eyes to see that the leaves of the trees he sat beneath had begun to accumulate on his person.

Pulling a leaf from his white hair he examined it before letting it go. Aura looked to his hands and began to focus his magic once more. Vadis was better than him in every way. The loss of an arm would not change that fact. But what was also true is that August was stronger than Vadis. If Aura could tap into any semblance of his old strength perhaps he could grow exponentially from it. The first magic he returned to was Strength. With a deep breath the red aura began to manifest around his body. There were no physical alterations but he could feel it. It was as though his muscles grew denser and heavier while his own weight lessened. His speed, strength, and to a minuscule degree his durability improved, but for how long?

Letting go of his focus on the spell Aura relied upon the magic before it would fade to test his new strength and speed. Finding a distant tree he rushed it and delivered a fist that created a resounding crack in the wood. The sound reverberated in the area. Aura winced in pain however as he pulled his fist out of the newly formed fist sized hole. He may have been durable enough to make these sorts of hits but punching the jagged wood still split his skin open and left him with a fist filled with splinters and if he wasn't careful potentially worse.

"Gah hahahahhhhh!!!" Aura's cry of pain sounded on the verge of laughter as he tried to brush it off. With a sharp breath of pain he changed his focus to healing himself. Slowly his knuckles recovered as the splinters were pushed out of his body. He longed to have Drei and Althea here to teach him, but they had different roads to walk than himself.

Caelin was filled with bandits and criminals all looking to forge their own power these days. One could argue they had more authority than even the lords of the land. Aura hated the idea that criminals could continue to do harm to the good people of the world and then an idea occurred to him. Aura was already evil, or at least he was once. Even if he was scared now, August was charismatic enough to gain a fanatic following... perhaps, just maybe, he too could do the same, but for good. Aura was a man on the run, and a criminal so what could he do to be a hero within the law? But if he could gain control of the warring bandits then maybe, just maybe he could turn their nature into something better. He wondered what Althea and Ereshkigal would think of him and his idea but he decided he wouldn't pursue their approval.

Aura scratched his newly healed hand, he always itched after self-healing. Either way he was done with his training for the day and made his way back to the nearby village. It was one still solidly under the control of the Caelin nobility but in the morning he would depart for a village that was not in order to see what he could do to seize control. It was a crazy idea but it should be possible, and if he could flush out Vadis then all the better.

From the corner of his eye a street stand caught his attention, the merchant was selling masks. Some were ornate and beautiful, others little more than slits so you could see. Should he wear a mask? It could allow him to separate himself from the bandits and normal living, but it was also something Vadis did... Perhaps there was still more August left than he thought. A mask shaped like an owl's face caught his attention most. He turned it over in his hands appraisingly. He liked it, but he also detested it...

"I heard the bandits are going to war with each other," a nearby guard's voice attracted Aura's attention.

"Great, if they kill each other that means we won't have to get involved," the guard's watch partner replied.

No, Aura did not believe it would be so convenient as that. Whoever the victor was there would only become one gang in the wake of such a fight. That's it! That could be his chance! But... how in the world could he possibly seize control of two bandit gangs? Shoving his hands into his pockets Aura decided to wander the town some more. Forget it, there was no way he could bring bandits under his control like that. He sighed deeply and let his mind wander some more.

[End Thread]