Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » A Mage Among Mages (Open)

It was just another day at work for Pluvio, the task mage. Today would be another day filled with meditation, spiritual chanting, and ritualistic bathing. What was the purpose? To connect with the elemental powers of water and provide the lands with a gentle rain storm.

He was the town's storm mage. One of them at least. Some of the worst natural disasters were the result of battles between storm mages.

But now was a time of peace and prosperity. At least for the people who stuck to close to the population center of the big town.

Just outside the town was a fast moving river that was crossed by a towering bridge. It led out into the forest and the outlying populations.

A lot of these areas were isolated. Goblins in the western hills... Elves east in the Druid's Valley. The central town was an area diverse and usually crowded full of different races and species, all scrapping for their own piece of the pie.

Like most of the drow from this area, Pluvio preferred to avoid the heavily populated areas. There was a small drow enclave to the south. These drow had never been banished to any cave, but they did tend to be more nocturnal. Of course, drow that hold certain positions like Pluvio, had to be visible during the day. This leads to some drowsy mages.

It was a beautiful world. Large birds flew from treetop to treetop. Their songs filled the air with eerie, beautiful music. In the river, serpentine fish hunted in a diverse ecosystem full of fast swimming life. Everything seemed to have its place.

Except for Pluvio. The life of a mage could be a lonely life. But it didn't have to be. He had heard of a place. The Mages' Guild Tavern, a raucous place, where all sorts of mages could go, unwind, and meet other wizards. It would be a trip and the further Pluvio got away from his temple, the less of a hold he'd have on the weather... But he needed this. He needed to meet new people, maybe find a crew. Maybe find love. Who knew what was on the horizon?

After the day's meditation, as the sun started to set, Pluvio headed home. He would have to pack for his trip to town... To The Mages Guild Tavern...

The harsh pull of her hair was enough to bring tears to Kiari's eyes but she did not waver in her stance. Twisting around, the woman tried to break away but it was a vain attempt to fight against his hold. A sinister giggle erupted from behind her and instantly she knew what was coming. Before she could decide to either beg or threaten, he did the worse thing imaginable. The ten year old stuck a wet finger into her ear before jumping off of her back and running into the other room with a trail of laughter. Kiari wiped her ear and mumbled a series of curses that the smile on her lips made insincere. Her gaze landed on a disapproving mother who said nothing with her lips, but everything with her eyes.

Improper, they read, and childish. Kiari averted her gaze and left the house without a word, finding the silent judgment too suffocating to bear. Without a place in mind, she allowed her feet to wander as well as her thoughts. It wasn't until nearly walking into a tree was she shaken back into reality. A small building that appeared to be a tavern of sorts, was in her line of view and for the life of her, she could not recall ever seeing it before.

Parched from walking, the woman enters the tavern and takes a seat towards the back, facing the door.

The mage set out for the town. He carried with him, a flask filled with water, some coins, and a snack for the long walk. In his small pack was also a flint fire starer and a little kindling. They were wrapped in cloth, as to prevent accidental sparking. He carried a small scroll with a roughly drawn map and some written directions to the tavern.

His clothes were made of a black silk that was dark and smooth enough to rival his own skin. Lightweight boots were clasped to his feet. They trodded along the side roads and by ways of the valley. After maybe an hour's walk, Pluvio turned onto the main road that headed North into the Central District.

Slowly the road started to become more populated. He started to pass others that traveled along the road in both directions. Soon, horseback riders and donkey carts started to fill the streets. The background went from a dark green forest to a cluster of building after building. The facade was lit by torches and provided a majestic welcome into town.

This was a place that you knew was a city...

After a long walk of navigating through traffic circles, walking past various beggars and shady characters and briefly going down the wrong avenue, Pluvio stepped into the Mages' Guild Tavern. It was still a little early. So the scene was relatively quiet.

One of the first things he noticed was a woman sitting in the back, looking like she needed to de-stress. Pluvio made a note to go and talk to her after he got settled in.

"What will you have?" The bartender asked in a thick accent.

"Dwarven Stout", replied Pluvio, after reading that drink from a hastily scribbled menu on the wall.

A few seconds later, one ice cold stout was pushed into the mage's hands. He took a drink and paid the barkeep his coins. He took a seat in the center of the room and nursed his drink.

Kiari rolled her bottom lip between her teeth out of a habit that had followed her out of childhood. If one peered closely enough at her lip, indentations of the tips of her upper teeth could be seen. The woman always bit her lip when her thoughts got the best of her and unfortunately for her lip, it was more often than not. The faint sound of rusted metal hinges, distracted her train of thought and she looked towards the door as a man ventured in. His gaze caught sight of her momentarily but it didn't stick. It was clear that his intent matched hers but he clearly had enough common sense to go to the bartender. Her lips gave a subtle twitch, realizing how foolish she must have looked waiting on a waiter than would never come.

The woman stood from her chair and meandered over to the bar area. With one quick glance over the menu, she decided on the only thing she knew.

"Water, please," she murmured to the bartender who gave her a glance and a nod.

While she waited on the bartender, Kiari looked over the menu once more, wrinkling her nose occasionally. Once the bartender had delivered the drink, she laid down a sufficient amount of money in front of him, then with the drink in hand she began to make her way back to her seat. However, Kiari only made it halfway before she stubbed her toe on a leg of a chair. She bent at the waist at the sudden pain and began to curse but the word was cut off when she realized the chair was occupied.

Scarlet crept along her cheekbones and her eyebrows arched in surprise, causing her forehead to become flawed with wrinkles. Idly, her grip upon her glass tightened and her back straightened. Dipping her head out of courtesy, her mind reeled while her heart raised.

"Forgive my clumsiness," she said, her voice small beneath the weight of embarrassment.

In truth, Kiari was more embarrassed about having cursed than interrupting his peace. As her mother always reminded her, ladies did not swear, especially in front of the opposite gender. The girl fell silent and shifted her weight on the unharmed foot while she brushed aside wisps of curly, black hair from her forehead, causing the light to catch her eyes. He could then see one eye was emerald green whereas the other was an icy blue. It was a rare trait that was even more uncommon among elves. Many in their community whispered about her eyes, as if their judgement could not be clearly read on their faces. They thought it to be a curse since her mother had bore a child whose father had not an elf.

Self-conscientiously, she continued to fidget with her hair by tucking loose strands of hair behind her pointed ears, waiting on his response.

When the first sudsy drops hit Pluvio's tongue, he instantly started to unwind. His posture became slouched and he took a deep breath. His eyes closed for a second as he thought about the days events. What would tonight bring? Maybe it was silly to come all the way out here.

He placed his satchel at his feet, and looked up at the scene around him. The doors seemed to be opening frequently as the night's crowd was just starting to arrive.

The mage recognized another of the town's wizards, as he stepped through the ornate doorway of the tavern. The two men nodded and exchanged friendly glances before the newcomer made his way towards a group of others.

Pluvio turned his back to the bar and looked out of the window, becoming lost in a daydream. He pictured what it would be like to be a part of a team. Maybe he could talk to the other mage, he was in with some group. But Pluvio didn't care for him to be honest. They were crosstown rivals.

Just then, with his mind focused on adventure, someone bumped into his chair. The sudden action made him jump, and his first instinct was to grab for the drink. Luckily, it didn't spill, but it was a tense moment.

He turned to notice the woman he first saw when he entered. He released his grip on the beer and motioned for her to sit.

"It's okay", he said with a hopefully reassuring smile. "Here, have a seat", he said with a little too much enthusiasm. It would be nice to not be sitting alone as the crowd began to swell. "My name's Pluvio... I'm a storm mage from the south. What brings you here?"

His eyes looked down at her glass of water briefly before returning upwards to meet her gaze.

Thankful that he was merciful, the edges of her pale lips curved into a small smile that brought with it a natural beauty no amount of make-up could imitate. Kiari contemplated his offer to join him with uncertainty casting a shadow over her expression. Despite being of age, it was still frowned upon to be alone with an unfamiliar man, but then again, so was being caught in a place that served alcohol. Besides, she needed to unwind otherwise she would crumble beneath the weight of life's troubles.

"Thank you, " she said, taking the seat he offered.

The seat, like the one she had sat in when she first entered was a simple slab of wood that was not the most comfortable to sit on but she didn't voice any complaints. With a tilt of her head, she assessed the room around her once more. Many people were beginning to file into the place, all of which she avoided eye contact with. It was clear she was the average shy introvert. Kiari turned back to Pluvio with a polite smile plastered along her lips.

" Pluvio, " Kiari repeated for memory's sake. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Her hand raked the skirt of her dress along her thigh in thoughtfulness after he had mentioned that he was a mage. She had no remembrance of ever crossing paths with a mage before now. Several questions weighed on the tip of her tongue as curiosity surfaced, but she hastily pushed them back into the crevices of her mind. It was unlike her to make inquiries of someone she had just met.

"My name is Kiari. I'm just a typical pointy ear elf, " she stated with humor shaking her voice that was just shy of laughter.

The woman had an accent that curved the syllables with a soft tone that created an original melody. A lone dimple in her left cheek appeared as a real smile brightened her enticing beauty. The arches of her eyebrows heightened as she shrugged nonchalantly.

"I suppose my intentions reflect many other people's here. I was thirsty. "

The explanation was weak, she knew it even as she said so, but Kiari had no other reason than that. Relaxing, she leaned back in her chair and ran the pad of her thumb along the handle of her glass as her eyes studied the curve of his jawline.

"And you? " she asked, with the smile still intact.

His eyes were a bright green, the only source of light that emanated from his body. They were the color of a spring meadow after a morning rainstorm. Darting back and forth, they were calm, calculating....

Like a bird's.

The chair's foot screeched from the friction against the hardwood floor. Sounds of dozens of conversations drowned out the echo so luckily it wasn't a big scene. Pluvio adjusted himself in his seat as he was joined at the table.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Kiari." Pluvio replied. He leaned forward in his seat, getting a little closer to her. Her voice danced in his mind. A wry smile formed on his lips as he finally caught up to the dry humor with which she carried herself.

"Me? Well, I'm a wanderer, I guess... At least in my free time. I guess I came here to find someone to wander with." He raised his glass and motioned for her to do the same. "To thirst." He offered a toast.

This seems to be going well, Pluvio thought to himself as he put his drink back on the table. Just barely noticeable, Pluvio's relaxed and nonchalant demeanor was betrayed by a faint shiver of his hand. The drink clinked as it's bottom landed sharply on the table.

He was nervous and not just because of this woman's beauty. It was because he knew what sort of group he was looking to form and what they would be capable of if things went certain ways. One thing was certain. With people like Kiari around, things would be a lot more interesting from now on.

Grabbing a pause in the conversation, he spoke again. "So what is it that you do? Do you spend lots of time in the city district?" He could clearly see the slight tension she had about the incoming crowd and wondered even more what brought her here.

She was still young. Maybe she had not even taken on an apprenticeship yet. The drow had very long lifespans, so he did not feel or even look close to being as old as he was. It would be nearly impossible to guess his age at first glance.

Unless, of course, you guessed a high number because he was a drow.

Maybe Kiari would be interested in learning the ways of the storm mage one day. Pluvio thought to himself as he listened to her response.

((I'd like to give warning that this post is extremely lengthy. Have fun reading!))

The door creaked open at the arrival of another person, a man of about 5'8" rather small for a regular person, but this was nothing he was bothered with.

The man was thin, gaunt almost, his body was lean and straightened, more well mannered it looked just from his stature. He had dark auburn hair that was grown to his rugged jaw, the hair was thick and wavy, while the facial hair he had was in a clean cut form over his well rounded jaw. The hairs from over his upper lip were removed and shaven quite cleanly, allowing the area around his lips to be clean and clear of anything. He seemed to be clean and kept for the most part.

His eyes were a normal set it seemed, both of them were a hazel-green, making most of the strands of colour from his eyes seem yellow on the outside, while veins of green and brown were flowing around the iris. He seemed to have a long and thin line over his left eye that was coloured a bit darker than his pail skin, like a scar or cut. The line ending on the bottom of his forehead, an inch from his left eyebrow, and just above his left cheekbone. His pinkish-red lips were formed into smile, as if it was the only thing his mouth had known to do.

His attire was interesting for someone of his powers, he donned a double-breasted peacoat that ended at the bottom of his thighs and a long blood red scarf that ended at the bottom of his chest, the scarf was tied in its normal form-folded and pulled through the loop, and was tied around his neck. His pants were black as well, silken and long, the hem on his pants ended at his ankles where he wore black dress socks. On his feet were black leather wingtips, but the wingtips themselves had the toes extended out an inch or two, thinned out as to make it look like a point, and bent up on a eased curve. The wingtips had a metal bar over the front of the mouth, the metal bar was polished silver with an interesting insignia branded into it, a six pointed star with a helmet, though it was small and hard to see, even when up close to it, it was defined very well.

The man walked forward from the doors, his wingtips tapping the ground with ease and had a nonchalant pace to it, the doors closing behind him as he walks in. He looked around to see if there was anyone or thing to catch his interest, he wasn't in need of fight or lust, but to merely give notice to those who wanted more to just a boring night of nothing.

He paced himself to the bar and smiled a bit as he awaited the bar keep. He was aware of the foreign look the keep gave him and cared not as much. He talked to the man for a moment before asking his drink and after a moment of the keeps' absence, he returned while the man was shuffling through his pockets. After handing the man a few coins and taking the glass, a tall wine glass filled the bloody liquid of Greece, he took it in his pail hand and waved the keep a farewell pass.

He walked away as he took his first sip and relished the taste of the sweet wine, it was something he always enjoyed no matter what, he paced forward and moved over the table the two were chatting at. He moved his leg out a bit too far as he had walked passed the elf and bumped her chair, but instead of him walking forward with a fall and crash, he moseyed another foot or two before noticing, for his leg was shown to have no mark or scuff. In fact, the leg that hit the chair was enveloped in shadow! His leg reformed and recreated in an instant and caused him to realize his leg was no longer in a regular form. He quickly shot a glance down to his feet and to the chair, seeing his leg had hit the chair of someone sitting. He looked up to the woman sitting and smiled sheepishly as he turned to her.

"I'm terribly sorry, luv, I didn't notice that I had bumped you." He spoke with a chuckle, his voice was a dark tenor tone. It seemed to fit his body and form, though the the word spoken were not as posh as his body and posture gave. He smiled a bit and glanced over to the table now, seeing there was only two people there.

maybe I can inquire them for the night? the man was in wonder and looked to the two, now seeing they were both elven made him seem completely different especially his pail skin looking almost eggshell white compared to the dark ebony of the drow not far from him. He smiled a bit as he walked to the corner of the table and looked to the two of them, from up close it could be seen that two small flames were housed in the pupils of his emerald-Hazel eyes,

"Would it too much to sit here with you two?" He questioned politely, hoping a form of manner was a good way to approach the two.which seemed silly to do in a bar.

Or maybe Kiari had her own set of skills that one could not teach. That was probably most likely.

Magic sometimes worked in subtle ways. The previous night, Pluvio had read a spell that he had looked over many times, but never used before. In the ancient language of the drow, it translated to "The Attraction of Water".

The spell was designed to draw people to him, just as many things are drawn to water. And it seemed to be working with vigor. Before Pluvio barely started talking with Kiari, there was another knock at the table. This time, the beer was undisturbed.

He decided to wait for Kiari to respond to the stranger first, since he bumped into her chair. Plus he wanted to keep up the illusion that it was just a random, chance encounter... At least for now.

Finally Pluvio jumped into the conversation and figured it was only right to offer the well-dressed newcomer a seat.

"Please join us", he said in a friendly tone. A few moments went by as he let the newcomer get adjusted. "So tell us.. What brought you to the tavern tonight, good sir?"

He smiled to the drows' gesture, he assumed the woman was shy or was partners with the man, considering they were both elven and he was... Not. He sat down and took a sip of his drink, the bloody liquid was swirled around in the glass as he, again, relished the drink. He looked to the Drow as he asked him the question, he must have been those curious ones.

He smiled softly at the question and opened his mouth to speak, his upper fangs were long and sharp, nearly protruding from his mouth as he was to speak, "I came here for the same reason you are here." He commented with a flat tone, yet with his voice made it sound smooth as it flowed from his lips. "I come here for the fun of joining people in talk."

His reasoning sounded completely idiotic for a man of his attire and stature, a man like him seemed to be rich, or dressed rich, so why would his affairs be with commoners? But maybe he wasn't really rich?

He leaned forward, the ulnas' of his arms pressing to the rugged edge of the table, his elbows never touching the flat of the wood. He looked back and forth between the two for a second, his emerald-Hazel eyes glancing at the two, the man seemed to be wearing robes, perhaps he was a magic user as well.

He folded his hands over in front of his face as he looked to the man, "So, drow-..."

His eyes widened a bit as he spoke without realization and stood up straight, clearing his throat and smiling a bit foolishly,

"Goodness, terribly sorry, I didn't mean to point at race." He chuckled softly and his near porcelain face was slightly reddened over his cheek bones in his embarrassment and rudeness.

"What kind of magic do you use?" He asked, hoping that his guess was correct and accurate enough to make a statement of his intelligence, that or good guessing skills.

The color of his eyes was oddly intoxicating. It reminded her of childhood years spent beneath the cover of overhanging tree limbs as the air was transformed by the aroma of rain. The leaves of the tree failed to protect her from getting soaked but, unlike most people, she didn't mind the rain. Afraid of being caught staring, her gaze fixated on the table while she absently ran her index nail across the wood.

Without glancing up, she watched him out of her peripheral vision as he leaned closer. Her nostrils flared as they became subjected to the scent of masculinity that rolled off his skin. Kiari gave a nod in reply to his comment about wanting to find someone to venture with. The spark of wisdom within his words, as well as the calmness he had, suggested that he had many more years on her. However, age was a number and only that. Kiari had met many elders who had been chastised by their traditions, and no amount of wisdom gained throughout their many years saved them from their folly.

"And to quenching thirst, " she interjected with a small grin.

The woman proceeded to raise her glass and then took a sip of the water before placing it back on the table. For a moment, she watched the ripples along the surface of the water within the glass before answering his question with hesitation in her voice.

"I tend to stay around my home, " she responded.

It bothered her that she gave him such a limited response, especially, when he had been nothing but polite towards her. Kiari shifted in her seat and began to say something but a nudge of her chair cut her off. Startled, the woman jumped in her seat and looked at the man responsible.

"You have no need to apologize to me, I am not harmed."

A pair of emeralds stared back at her, or so she had thought until the stranger's eyes caught the light properly and she discovered that they were not completely green. Openly, Kiari looked the man up and down. It was strange to think both her and this man had bumped into chairs, and all by coincidence it had happened at the table of a mage. A trace of a smile appeared on her lips but her thoughts remained a secret. Taking another drink, Kiari allowed Pluvio to reply to the stranger, afraid to offend him by speaking for the two. She did, however, offer the gentleman a nod after Pluvio had given his consent.

The stranger's red scarf matched the black of his chosen attire well, and it also made the flames of his eyes look even more lively. Kiari couldn't help but wonder what he was, but she reminded silent, allowing Pluvio to speak.

It had been with delight that the drow mage took in the brief conversation with Kiari. She had already shown glimpses of being sarcastic and coy and therefore probably cunning as well. It is good practice to surround yourself with people who have traits you wish to possess.

And then there was the newcomer. Pluvio was not quite sure what to make of him yet. Truthfully, this was the first time he had been around these 'eccentric big city types'. That is how the drow elders usually referred to the citizens from the North.

The life of a water mage was usually isolated and agricultural. There work is tied in heavily to the crops and the seasons. It had been years since Pluvio had traveled the roads into town.

The adjective that seemed to come off of the newcomer to the table was sly. Calculating. Shrewd. The drow mage figured himself to be good at character assessment, although he was totally guessing. He placed his deduction mainly on the man's clothing and smooth demeanor.

"I am a storm mage", he replied. "I usually do the gentle storms.... Farm work really." Pluvio did actually live on a farm of sorts. A lot of the rural citizens grew their own food still.

His mind thought on how the two sitting with him at the table were somewhat similar. One was an elf, but they both had fair skin. They were both secretive with their answers. Or maybe the drow was paranoid. Either way, the two seemed similar. The question asked told a little about the newcomer. He was obviously a magic user of some sort.

He leaned back in his chair and took another gulp of beer. After returning it to the table with a thunk, his hands motioned for the barkeep to send him another one.

"And what kinds of forces do you work with?" Pluvio asked, trying to be a little more specific with his questioning.

As the man answered, Pluvio turned to Kiari and his lips could not help but form into a slight smile as his gentle eyes looked into hers. For a second, in the torch lighting of tavern, she appeared graceful... Statuesque..

A group of individuals started to gather at the front of the tavern where there was just enough space. It was a band. The four person group was only getting set up. The occasional note or scale filled the air as the musicians did their warm up rituals.

The barkeep soon came to the table and exchanged another cold drink for coins. Looking at Kiari, Pluvio couldn't help but wonder if she was hungry. She had shown money, but not everyone with money can spend it. And maybe a little food would be good for the soul.

"Does anybody want to go in on some food?" the drow asked, changing the subject. He smiled warmly at Kiari. "Food goes well with water."

The man raised an eyebrow at the mages' comment, the scar stretched a bit at his action and a smile graced his lips as he now realized what kind of magician he was talking to. If he had know that earlier, he would have been wary of his choice.

"I am a man of all elements, but I mainly focus with flames and darkness." Raised his left hand and created a light in the palm, making it bigger and closing his hand over it. And connecting it to his finger tips. All five of his digits formed five small flames while the large ball of fire was still there.

He raised his right hand and formed a another ball, one of a dark and near solid form, the ball looked gelatinous, but the ball was tangible and cloudy inside with a black storm cloud. Multiple arms of the same material formed from the right sleeve of his coat and started to form the same thing, making it a large ball of shadowy darkness. He looked to the two, hoping his attention was not divided due to the music and banter now going on. He clasped both hands together within a seconds worth of both the spheres becoming full with power. He lifted his left hand out of the two and out came a ball of flame, but no ordinary ball, a fireball made of shadow. It was black and flaring violently, but he did not dare let it move any closer to the guests.

He touched it with one pail finger after another, making each light with the darkened flames. The flames were long and wispy in each, but showed that this form of magic was dark, evil, destructive and not meant for someone pure, the black flames were now showing how ghastly his fingers were as they were ghostly white, despite them being still nimble and youthful, it did not make much of a difference, but it was not a good difference.

He heard the Drow mention food, not really sure if making the form of power from whim was a feat of showing off his power to prove his worth of just doing this for fun. Either one suited him, for experimenting with black magic was something he enjoyed,

"I could split you the cost, if you wish." He spoke up, making sure his voice was heard over the music. He smiled a bit to the storm mage and hoped that his hospitality would buy him a lighter glare, or maybe a full stomach.

Pluvio was very interested in the dark magician's display. It interested him that although the elements were extremely different, they were still the same. As a storm mage, Pluvio did not deal much with fire. But he did dabble in lightning. And the spheres of flame and darkness were similar to his balled lightning projectiles.

One of his projectiles was a dark ball of chained lightning. Since it was a darker art, it was one of Pluvio's weaker spells. Studying a little of this dark wizard's work would make him a much better mage. He made a note of this in his mental calendar.

"Impressive display." Pluvio said with genuine interest. He wanted to open up and tell the man all about his dark lightning spell, but decided it would be a better topic for some other time. The clues were starting to pile up and he was pretty sure he had figured out what kind of person he was. And Pluvio was interested because this type of creature was very rare around these parts. The drow had never met someone like that before.

The mage came from an agricultural family where sharing was paramount. There was no way he would let anyone else pay for the meal. But he did not want to be too showy about it.

"Well I'll buy enough pheasant duck for all of us. And you can add whatever sounds appealing to our feast... Tonight, we celebrate. I don't know what it is we are celebrating yet... But we celebrate."

His voice had taken on a jocular, playful tone. Maybe the drinks were starting to affect him.

"And what will you have?" the barkeep turned waiter asked, glancing at the dark wizard.

He was starting to gain liking of the storm mage and maybe his companionship would be a good one. now as for the lady...

He looked to the keep before addressing anything, "I am fine with what I have now, thank you, if I need anything , I'll will get it." He smiled a bit and waved off the keep as he started his objective. The man pulled back in his chair as he took an intake of his bloody drink, never seeming to lose admiration to his drinks. He smiles slightly as he places his drink down on the wood, making to be careful, as glasses like these were not meant to be slammed and clinked together.

He looked to the woman for a moment of thought before looking back to the mage.

"My name is Sasuki, Akane Sasuki." He pipped up. He felt need to give his name out to the two now that he was no longer a stranger, though not a friend.

He sat up straight and looked to the two, feeling as though he would want the both of them in talk instead of singling one or the other,

"Wouldn't be too much to ask for a name, yes?" He asked, it seemed more like some kind of joke he was trying to make to rouse the background, but was purely curious as he leaned in a bit, making sure they were not to speak too loud to him.

"You could tell me, I promise I won't let anyone else know." He joked, feeling as though a light heartedness to a person was something all people needed, things being fun and interesting were much better than things being dulled down.

It was interesting to see the newcomer blush. His expensive-looking, elegant clothes and his power suggested he was above such emotions. It was nice to see that he was not.

The two men reminded her of the difference between night and day, as they contributed to the conversation with talk about their abilities. Her long, thick eyelashes veiled the two different color eyes as she glanced at the band. Her steady composure conveyed the ravenous thoughts of her mind that captivated her attention, but, as usual, what she was thinking remained a mystery. Feeling the weight of eyes upon her, Kiari met Pluvio's gaze with an intensity that did not seem to fit the delicate features of her face. However, no certain emotion could be read within her expression, except for unapologetic confidence.

The second passed and she smiled at the other man's power he showed Pluvio. Showing appropriate respect, Kiari nodded in appreciation, causing the long, raven feather color curls that cascaded down her back to bounce slightly.

Despite the smile along her lips, it was clear she was respective of his capabilities and she gave him enough room at the table to work the spheres.

Kiari had great respect for the art as a whole, however, she had known of plenty of men who took advantage of other people with their powers; like her father had. Pursing her lips, causing her the curve of them to become a straight line. Suddenly, the thought of food did not seem appeasing, however, she did not want to be rude.

"I think I could eat some peanuts if they have some in stock, " she said, her voice rivaling with the loud atmosphere around them.

The window that gave a square glimpse of the world outside, had at some point been opened, which she was grateful for since the air had grown warm from the body heat radiating off of the people there. Kiari tugged on the sleeves of her brown dress, pulling them up to her elbows, and allowed the breeze to cool her off.

"I'm Kiari," she introduced after realizing she had forgotten herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sasuki."

Kiari's smile lengthened at Akane's joking.

"My name is hardly a secret, or at least one worth keeping, " she replied.

Her gaze fell on Pluvio once more, with a question glimmering within her almond-shaped eyes.

"Have you done bigger storms?" she asked.

Their talent intrigued her and she wondered if it was emotional driven, or if it was more thought out. Emptying her glass, she drank the last bit and excused herself for a moment to get her drink refilled. When she had returned, Kiari sat down and folded her legs beneath the cover of the skirt of her dress. Small splatters of mud covered the hem of her dress at her shins. Clearly, it had been worn during outside work but the dirt didn't phase the woman a bit and neither did the calluses along the palms of her hands that confirmed her hard work.

"Well I won't eat a whole duck by myself," Pluvio replied disappointed. He turned to the waiter as the other two at the table introduced themselves.

Pluvio realized he hadn't introduced himself just yet. Ah well, a little mystery is becoming on me, Pluvio thought to himself. He made a note of their names.

"Cancel the duck", he said. "Just bring some peanuts... And some cherries for me, please." Randomly enough, the drow were very fond of fruit.

The waiter left just as Kiari turned to the water mage. "Bigger storms yes... There is one thing I am rather fond of though."

Pluvio had felt the warmth from the bodies emanating from the room. Heat was a nice thing. But humidity.. Humidity was oddly enough the bane of a storm mage. It was something that was to be carefully regulated. And now with the changing of the seasons, the humidity was just starting to build.

It wasn't rainstorm season yet. But there was room for a few of the storm mage's tricks.

He reached down at the satchel bag that he had laid down at his feet with the supplies he had brought with him for his walk. A small, leather-bound book was in his hands as he beamed proudly.

"And that is cutting humidity", Pluvio said as he laid his spell book on the table.

The band started to strike a folksy tune. They paused for effect a few times to pump the crowd up before they started what turned out to be a popular song.

As Pluvio opened the book, a slight breeze started to go through the room, just barely noticeable. His large hands thumbed right to a certain page, as if he really knew his book well. He closed his eyes and started to speak in the ancient language of the drow.

Barely audible over the sound of the music was the gentle sound of distant thunder. The breeze started to pick up and soon the room was cool with the breeze's gentle kiss.

A large crack started to tear down the sky. It was the kind of lightning that you could see with your ears, because it sounded like a knife was cutting through the sky. And of course the crackle was followed with two vociferous BOOM BOOMs....

Several elves ran in from the outside, drenched and covering up their hair... Caught in the sudden rainstorm. Pluvio figured he had enough fun with the lightning and let the rain taper off into a fast moving, gentle light storm.

He snapped out of his trance and continued with his speech about humidity. "Cutting humidity with thunder is very important... Because humidity would rot everything out if it was left to run wild. So we storm mages bring a little lightning to keep it in check... From time to time."

As if nothing happened, the barkeep came back with two bowls... One filled with cherries and one filled with peanuts.

"Ah... Cherries", said the mage nonchalantly as he reached down and grabbed a couple. His strong elven teeth easily cracked the pits and his drow palate savored the bitter taste of the cherry pit.

"So what is it that interests you, Kiari? Do you grow many fruit trees?" It seemed like an odd question, but it really wasn't for one farmer to ask another. Or so he assumed based on her clothing.

"People... I bloody hate people."

A thin, golden-brown haired, young woman wandered up to the tavern. Her brown eyes focused intently on where she was walking. Barefoot, wearing a loose tunic and pants obviously meant for a man, she stuck out like a sore thumb, even in a tavern.

The sound of music and smell of alcohol did nothing to ease her internal seething.

"Taverns... I bloody hate taverns... too many people."

Why was she here? As a wanderer, she could only go so long before making a pit stop in some village to get a night's rest in a real bed and eat some food cooked by someone who actually knew how to cook! As a water mage, cooking was not on her list of talents. Boiling was on her list of talents, but boiling could not be counted as cooking.

Her barefeet thumped lightly on the floor and she trekked to the bar. Passing by various mages of all kinds.

"Mages..." She muttered under her breath like it was a curse word.

Upon reaching the bar, she decided she didn't particularly want to stay here. It was loud... she hated noise... more than she hated people... or taverns... or mages. She'd never really stopped to ponder how many things she hated...

She turned to leave, but an odd sight caught her attention. 2 elves and a drow sitting as a group... that was... different. Then again, she was so rarely in society that perhaps the divide between light and dark elves had loosened.

Her eyes flicked to the door, then to the bar, and she gave in to her hunger and ordered food and a drink and she settled herself in a back corner, where she could observe, without being seen by most people.Once more, she internally ranted about her hate for taverns and people... but she then focused on satisfying her hunger.

He was satisfied with the exchange of names, somewhat, the Drow was not to tell his name, but if he did't want to say anything, who would he be to tear that away from him?

He leaned back as everyone started to dance, though it was a dumb idea to do so as people started to bump his chair and kick it.

Though some were burned if they neared him too much, he just relaxed with a sneer.

At the sound of thunder breaking the sky and lightning turning us back to day, he had no doubt it was the Drow and watched for a moment in silence to see what would happen.

As it poured all of hells' wrath onto the city folk outside, some ran in and others panicked. Sasuki? He laughed.

He looked to the Drow with a form of soft laughter and smiled, "Interesting." He commented,

"How the storm was brought here like the battlefield of all the skies was born in moments, I do wonder what happened.." He mused with laughter as he drew his bloody cup, taking his intake before placing it down again and feeling composed.

He noticed a man come in just before and hid in the room, nothing that gave interest at the moment, but if the man decided to come and speak, then Sasuki would be willing to take part of being the mouth of the group.

He smiled a bit as he got back to his regular position of his ulnas to the table and his porcelain fingers folded over another in front of his rugged jaw.

"Now, please-" spoke the dark wizard, "Inquire me with a name so I may know what to call this beautiful monstrocity you birthed above us." He spoke to the Drow, holding his excitement.