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

As Pluvio mention the moving on, Sasuki looked back to him with a faint smile, "I'll be there in a moment, I am just going to get something to help me with keeping things in ballance." He gently mentioned as he turned back, the bartender looking worried as the Dark Wizard took the drink, a dark, cloudy red liquid. He smiled as he gave him a few coins and walked out with the drink.

The liquid was swishing gently back amd torth, though it was barely even moving inside the glass as he walked away. His fingers were placed over the bowl of the cup and the neck and base was hung gently in between his middle and index ring finger. He took a sip and cleared his throat, smiling more as he swallowed it and paced towards the two by the water.

He looked to it and smiled softly as he bent over and gently inserted the index finger of his spare hand into the water, the general temperature of the water started to heat up, but only as far as Kiari was, nothing further was effected as much. He stood up again and rubbed his hindex and thumb around, steam now flowing from his fingers for a second. He took another sip and sighed gently after swallowing it,

"Hopefully Miri joins us more." He commented dryly as he looked out to the distance, though there was nthing but small trees and brush. Maybe a few woodland creatures, but nothing bigger than a cat. "I figure she will leave soon, she is not meant to be traveling with a group." He spoke calmly as he waited to finish bafore taking another sip.

Kiari laid her hands in her lap and straightened her spine as Pluvio approached. Her gaze fell on him as he began to speak about the drow. With a nod, she indicated his inquiry had been correct. She was nervous to be held beneath a spotlight by strangers. What person that thrived to be a wallflower wouldn't be? Lifting her chin curiously, she wondered what he could have in mind.

"What were you thinking?"

Hiking up her dress over her knees to avoid getting it drenched, she relaxed her legs, allowing the water to cover her calves. It was freezing but it was successful at waking her up. Rolling her bottom lip between her teeth, it was clear she was on the verge of saying something but her hesitation caused her to miss out on the opportunity.

The sound of footsteps made her look up just as Sasuki dipped his finger into the water. Warmth spread up her legs, stopping the cold chills that had been running up her back, in their tracks. She gave him a smile in gratitude. The water was sensational with the alteration in temperature.

"I hope she doesn't go, " Kiari murmured, looking out across the lake as ripples distorted the surface. "I've grown to like everyone's company. "

Leaning back, the woman moved her arms behind her back but before her hands could touch the ground, she abruptly returned her hands to her lap. Her fingers intertwined, causing her knuckles to turn white from the pressure of their tight hold.

Looking around at everyone, Pluvio sat back from the river's edge and sat up on his knees. He started off by talking almost to himself.

"Well, last night was a long night. We really went through a lot together. I'll never forget. But everything happens for a reason. I need your help."

He paused and stood up. "Kiari needs your help. I think she should be more than a storm mage. You are all invited to the drow village. Once we get there, you can all split up and explore. Or you can sit in on the meeting with Kiari and I."

He paused and looked each member of the group in the eyes. "I had an idea. We could all mentor her. She could be an apprentice not to one person, but to the team."

He turned to Miriela. "Your manipulation of water is so strong. If she learned your art, think of what she could do with storms."

Next he turned to Sasuki. "And you have talent that goes beyond any book or lecture. Train her in some of the ways of the dark arts. Imagine what she will be able to do with her lightning if she had your patience."

"I must admit something. There may be a slight... Curse." He focused on Kiari. "Well, curse is a bad word, but lets just say that I have tried three times to train an apprentice and three times they had unfortunate accidents. If the elders ever let me try to have an apprentice again, I... We will have to pass a test. I don't know what it would be, but it would be another adventure. If you are up for one more chance to find glory, please come with me."

"If not, the clock tower has been fixed, and you could seek out the reward. Its a small world. We'll run into each other again."

Satisfied that he had expressed himself, he walked back towards the river and slid his bare feet back into the warmer water. Again, it bubbled after making contact with his skin.

Miriela wandered to the others and listened in silence, and she was a little startled when Pluvio spoke to her. The thought of trying to teach someone her magic was a bit baffling... as it was inherited for her. She hadn't really learned it... only how to control it.

The water mage listened for a moment. "Define 'accident'." She said, staring at Pluvio. If he was going to try to train Kiari, he ought to let her know what to expect. It wasn't fair for him to expect her to follow blindly.

She didn't look at the river, or touch it.

"Also, I was born with my magic. I cannot teach it. I can simply teach control." With that said, she folded her arms over her chest and turned her gaze up at the sky.

Sasuki smiled a bit to Pluvio's comment, "I will give her a tome or two of basic elementalism, I will not go fo anything else. None against her but she does not seem dark enough to study the evil arts of demonry." He spoke these words and chuckled, but realized too late that he spoke words he shouldn't and took another sip of his drink. He looked to the glass with slight worry and tapped the glass gently, "what have you been drinking, Marry?" He questioned under his breath as he inspected the drink, remembering to ask for a virgin.

He looked back and shrugged with a smile. "I will join and continue with you, I have no reason to go home anyways." He shrugged and chortled, "and maybe, if Kiari is interested enough to become evil, I could take her under my wings of nevermore and teach her." He spoke and leaned back against the nearest tree, the sound hissing came from the bark amd steam came from the back of his coat. "But for now, you will learn how to control elements, then we will toy more with power." He smirked to her as he took another intake of his drink.

He looked to Pluvio after Miriela spoke the words of an 'accident'. "Yes." He inquired with a soft and posh tone to his voice, "I would like to know as well, I'm sure they are quite unfortunate." He looked to Pluvio with a stern look, his emerald-hazel eyes were staing at him with a interest in his look, but care in his flames as he awaited the news.

Kiari's cheeks burned from a blush as Pluvio suggested they all lend a hand in teaching her various magic. It sounded exciting but she never liked being in the center of attention even with a crowd of only three people. It would be nice if they could attend the hearing with her since it would help take off the edge of her nervousness but if they didn't agree, it would be that much more embarrassing on her part. Pluvio was asking allot from the others. They would all have to invest time and patience on a student whom was unsure of her own capabilities. She feared of failing them. To fail Pluvio would be one thing, but three of them at once?

Sasuki's comment that raised an eyebrow but she didn't make any verbal indication of her curiosity toward his dabbling in demonry. If anything, a hint of an amused grin tugged at her lips. The smile, however, was wiped clean when Sasuki spoke of her choosing evil. Her mother would kill her if she knew.

Then again, it wasn't as if she would be returning home.

Miriela's statement drew in Kiari's attention. The woman possibly had more to offer than she realized.

Kiari turned to Sasuki.

" Thank you both, " she said, looking at Pluvio towards the end of her sentence. "I appreciate your willingness to help. It will be fun. "

Deciding to give away a portion of her secret, she laid a hand on the grass and various greenery and flowers sprouted from the spot. Vines with gorgeous purple flowers unseen or heard of, wrapped around her hand and arm.

" It would be nice not to do this every time I touched a plant. If you could help teach how you managed to control your ability, Miriela, I would appreciate it very much, " she said with more depth than the annoyance with the gift required.

If only plants were the only thing she had an issue with, she would be happy.

Kiari then looked back at Pluvio, with the same question pertaining his other apprentices in her eyes.

Kiari had expressed herself better than Pluvio could have. He was especially surprised by her ability with the plants. To him, this proved that she had her own gifts and did not need to learn to become a storm mage. But she would need, or at least could use the help from others.

His thoughts went back to the comment at the tavern about growing fruit trees. Now things had come full circle and he had learned the secret. And she had felt comfortable enough to share it with the group.

Hopefully people would stick together, just for Kiari's sake. Pluvio was old... One of the few remaining storm mages... And all because he had failed to train others in the past. This young woman had talent and he would do all in his power to help her harness it.

It was reassuring that Sasuki would be staying. Secretly, Pluvio himself hoped to learn from him.

And soon, there was silence. Everyone must have been waiting to hear about those other apprentices. He knew he should have pretended Kiari would be his first. Or had he tried that already. It was only a matter of time until he slipped up.

His gloved hand scratched his bald head. "I think I'm going to try growing some hair... Can anybody help with that?" He gave a sheepish grin. It was a feeble attempt to distract the group.

"Okay, okay... The apprentices. Well", he stalled. "The first one was struck by lightning. The second one. He was struck by lightning. The third, well she quit." He paused for a second and looked at his toes which nervously splashed in the water. "After she was struck by lightning... But she survived!"

Magic was actually dangerous work. Sometimes people forgot that.

"It has been decades since then though."

As Sasuki was told the resons for the problems to Pluvio's previous apprentaces and failiures in keeping them, he help back laughter for a moment and took a drink. He then failed to keep himself mannerly as he turned his head quickly away from the group and sprayed the drink into the air, which was now flooded with the scent of metal. The scent faded after a second as he nearly roard with laughter at the comment, his fangs and teeth seemed to be stained with the drink, making him look like some kind of monster.

He stomped his foot and forced a jut of rock to come from the ground, placing the glass on it as he walked to the river, laughing and kneeling over it as he got water to clean his face from the drink he spilled. After pulling some from the river with his power and washing his face, he then dropped the water back with the same power and killed off his laughter, which fought hard to keep it down. After he cleaned up and calmed, he walked over and placed a hand on the Drow's shoulder and gently patted it.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh at such a dreadful problem. Though the details of this were quite shocking and I'd never expect it to stike twice." He attempted to kill the urge to laugh, resulting in another sickening chrotle, "I do think finding shorter people to teach would help as well, lightning rods are not the best to teach." He chuckled and shook his head at the foolish jokes he was making. The wizard rested his hand over the mage's broad shoulder, "I do aplogize for my rudeness and I do feel sorry, but I'm sure with us around, she will be safe."

"Besides," he commened as his gaze moved to Kiari, his emerald-hazel eyes now looking to her with interest, then down to the floral arrangement she made. "No wonder you became a farmer. A lovely idea this is, but something like this in my home is not listed as what I would call dark." He smiled more as his eyes traveled back to hers, his odd emeralds looking over her sapphire and jade eyes, "but we can twist them and let a few veins pop before I can truly mess with it,. That is, of course, you have interest in being dark." He chuckled and walked to his drink. The chuckle sounded smoothe and slightly seductive, almost as if his words were trying to allure her into a night-to-be. Though this man never seemed like the kind of person to ever do somethign like this, especially with the growing bond between the two elves.

He picks up his drink and sips it again, smiling and humming gently, "maybe Charlotte will be better next time." He mumbles to himself as he rests his spare hand on the small stone pillar he created.

Miriela nodded a little to Kiari, not having the heart to try to explain her complex situation to the trio. It wasn't their business, after all. And none of them could really understand it. "I'll do my best." She said, admiring the woman's work. Plant magic... huh... rather pretty.

Pluvio's story made her laugh a little. When Sasuki commented on lightning striking twice, she quipped. "Thrice, you mean."

The water mage shook her head a little, trying to not laugh too hard at the predicament. "We'll just have to teach Kiari how to ground herself and not be a conductor, hm. Probably best for her to avoid water." Another laugh escaped the normally stoic girl.

She hardly noticed Sasuki's odd muttering by now. He was a strange man, she knew that. And both of them had their secrets, just like Pluvio and Kiari. While Pluvio was rather honest, Miriela noted that Sasuki, as jovial as he was, was very secretive.

But she didn't let her thoughts linger on it for too long.

Being struck by lightning wouldn't be as dreadful as an arranged marriage, or being a farmer for the duration of her life. Kiari smirked at the humor written on everyone 's face. Clearly lightning struck the same place more than once but it would end with her.

"I think I will be able to control myself, " she told Pluvio.

Sasuki's words unsettled her. It was not his fault. How was he to know her dark past?

"I don't believe choosing either side. I'm neither good or evil, nor light or dark. I would fail both sides no matter which I chose. "

Kiari smiled at Sasuki in admiration for standing firm in his darkness. In her eyes, it was better to linger in darkness than to be lukewarm like her.

The woman stood up and looked at Pluvio. "Let's go and get the meeting over with. The longer I sit here, the more my nerves threaten to get the best of me. "

Glancing at Miriela, she smiled at the woman. Kiari was grateful that the woman hadn't left yet. It was nice to be in the company of another woman.

Pluvio gave Sasuki a pat on the back as he laughed. He was a good guy, no matter how evil he was. He was glad he was enjoying himself. "No need for apologies", the mage said reassuringly. "It is quite the situation."

If the roles were reversed, Pluvio would have laughed too.

He turned to Miriela. "Thrice is right!"

Pluvio splashed his feet in the water a little faster now, relieved that he finally got this information off his chest. Training Kiari into a new mage could have unseen benefits. Never in recent times had so many diverse skills been merged and taught to one person.

Finally, Kiari mentioned that she was ready to go. It was a long road ahead.

Pluvio gathered his things, adjusted the laces on his boots and when everyone else had gathered their things, he set off on the path towards his village.

The wizard was not bothered by Kiari's decision on being neutral, he smirked a bit to it as he realized that he was not the one to decide either. He took the final sip of his drink and looked to the glass, smiling a bit more and clearing his throat as he extends his arm out more, kicking the jut of stone as it was pushed out more and made contact with the glass and breaking it on contact. The glass shattering into bits in his hand and turning into shards that have now rested on the stone and his hand. His hand did not seem to be bothered by the glass, in fact the shards seemed to be formed around shadowy skin and hollow fingers made of shadow. He walked over to the river and looked at the direction, happy that no on would be harmed as he patted his hands off over the river.

He turned back and smiled a bit to the group as he raised a broken shadowy index finger up to them, the shadowy wisps reforming to make the nimble finger in a motion to wait.

He walked into the inn and took a moment to return with a leather messenger bag. It was strapped over his left shoulder and rested over at his right hip. The bag seemed to be filled and packed to the brim, but enough for it to be closed and looked well formed without stretching it. It was a nice looking plain dark brown leather bag with a multitude of pockets and zippers, it looked to be used daily and frequently with all the marks of fingers and burn marks over the tanned leather, what seemed to be a nice and clean was actually a weathered and worn out bag of a long age. He walked to them and smiled a bit as he stopped not too far away from Miriela. To her view the handle on the top of the bag was also worn with multiple burn marks in the shape of a hand print gripping it tightly.

He watched as Pluvio got ready for only a second, for he was gone for the whole time he was preparing. As Pluvio started to head out he looked to Miriela with a soft smile and put his arm out to her, the soft smile now turning into a joking smile on his lips, "would you like to hold onto me again?" He asked with a joke in his tone. He wasn't really in interested in her in any way. He just wanted to see what her tolerance was now that they were in a group.

Miriela smiled softly back at Kiari. The woman didn't seem too awful to be around.

She then focused on making sure all of her things were in her bag. They were. She tucked her spellbook a little deeper into the bag to keep it from being conspicuous.

Her eyes flicked to the river briefly. But she pulled her gaze away. Thank the Gods for spells that helped fight against this kind of thing. She wanted more time... just a little more. Was it too much to ask for?

As she let her mind wander, her eyes fogged a little and grew distance... like she was in a trance.

Sasuki speaking to her drew her back out of her thoughts and into reality. "Huh?" She blinked a little. "Oh. No way. I'm not a child." She frowned a little, turning her gaze away from him. There was still a hint of strangeness in her eyes... but she tried to play it off. She frowned more at him before she started walking after Pluvio.

Kiari stared out across the water, watching the breeze wrinkle the surface. A beautiful day for a walk, despite her aching calves from the travels of the night before. Distraction from the discomfort was the key and she would certainly have that while conversing with the others along the way. Grass kissed her bare feet as she followed Pluvio. If she had to define the group, she would use the word 'interesting'. Neither one had the same personality, ability, or background. Yet, that was only a guess since she had yet to learn of the depths of their pasts. Pluvio had given her a window view of his past apprentices, but other than that, she knew him very little.

It would unravel with time and deeper friendships.

Maybe.

She was perhaps, the queen of hidden pasts and crippled skeletons behind bolted closet doors. It was hard building friendships with an open right hand while the left was clenched onto the knob of the closet door in desperation to keep her sins from pouring out into plain sight. Which was why she had tried so hard to avoid people, but Kiari found herself incapable of walking away now.

" How long do you usually train apprentices. I mean, unless they get killed by lightning? " she asked Pluvio.

Kiari fought back a smile at Sasuki's fowardness and Miriela's coyness. Such an odd pair yet perfect in the same case. Balance was essential in any relationship, even friendship. Which was why opposites attracted so often.

He laughed ever so softly at her reaction and turned away, walking with the group as a shadowy limb grew from the back of his coat and waved her to follow. "I wasn't going to guide you like some child, you are older than that. Besides, even if, I am much older than you so you would seem like a child to me." He looked back to her with a teasing smile, "a stong magician, most possibly, but a child nonetheless." He spoke with a soft laugh and walked behind the group.

He took out his watch and opened it, smiling a bit more. To Miriela's view was a small picture in the cap of the watch. The picture had a woman on it but the picture was faint from the distance she was at and could only see the form of the woman that was thin and slnder with platinum blonde hair. "Besides," he commented with a softer voice after looking at the time-or what it looked like as he closed the watch and placed in back in his pocket, the barbed chain swinging calmly. "I don't think you need another person to guide you around. I'm not your father anyways." He cpoke with a soft laugh.

He followed the group and looked up at the blue sky with a odd smile on his face, "I don't think I'll ever get used to this blue sky thing." He commented, though it probably was meant to be hushed. "It's not odd seeing different coloured skies, but when I wake up and see this pail blue sky every morning, it just not familiar with me. And I've been in this realm for years."

Now this was deffinately a random mumble. Perhaps he wanted to start chit chat, but on an odd subject like this?

Pluvio turned to Kiari as he walked. He made sure his pace was steady but not too fast. Since he was the one who knew where he was going, he didn't want anyone to feel rushed. Yet he didn't want them to feel like they were dragging their feet.

A warm smile spread across his lips. "Technically, its a lifelong process. But you should be ready to take on an apprentice within a few years." Magic is a long process to learn. "It took me dozens of years before I took on my first apprentice. Having said that, you have natural talent and a lot of people don't."

He thought back to her display with the vines and the flowers. "For you it is a matter of controlling the gifts you already have. That is why I will push to the elders that you become not a storm mage, but a shaman."

Pluvio had given it a lot of thought and a shaman would be the perfect mix of her abilities. She was connected to the Earth through her own gifts. She could be connected to water in its purest form through Miriela. Pluvio could tie her in to the wind and the skies. And Sasuki could connect her to the unknown. To a darker sense of spirituality that a shaman needed.

Shamans were rare in this town and if successful, Kiari would become a powerful member of the community.

The weight of his words of her becoming a Shaman hung heavy in the air, for the rarity and power of them was well known.

He caught the tail end of Sasuki's comments about the sky.

"So tell us", Pluvio said with a beaming smile. "What was the sky like in your day?"

Miriela prickled a little at him, feeling insulted. "Someday, I'll be strong enough to stand in an even match with you, old man." Her voice was cool, but her eyes shot daggers at him. She didn't smile or laugh. He was annoying, so very, very annoying. This was why she hated mages who liked fire.

The watch was of little consequence to her, though she did wonder if he was married. If he was... why wasn't he with his wife? She shrugged it off, it didn't matter to her. She was only with them for a short time.

His mention of a father elicited a highly uncomfortable expression on her face. One of anger, sadness and pain. "Like I'd want you to be a father to me." She managed to say, but her expression was still one of discomfort.

The girl then turned her face away from him and stared at the ground, trailing after the others.

Who knew what kinds of things she was thinking about...

He looked back to Pluvio as he mentioned the comment of Kiari becoming a shaman, though it was indeed rare to ever find a shaman, he didn't see her being one. She was more neutral that any other person in the group. He could see her in many classes of magic, but none that listed shaman.

"Perhaps a Dryad." He commented quietly in between his sentences as to not interrupt him. He was evil and dark, but was nothing close to impolite. "Dryads are more of a nature type of person and with her powers, we could be the first people to spawn a Dryad in this town." He spoke with a chuckle.

As Pluvio looked back and asked of his 'days' and how the sky looked, it made him feel old. very old. Though he could not lie and say he was young, despite his youthful looks and posture. The man looked to be in his early twenties at least, but this was not true.

"In my realm" he spoke with a slight emphasis in the end part to point out his home and not his age, "the sky was red, beautiful skies of crimson and lovely velvet nights. I always loved the colour red because of the sky back in my home. But the realms I have traveled have ranged from the bright blue skies of this realm to the black nights of the moonless lunar cycles around here. Everything in between was never missed." He smiled a bit with fondness and nostalgia. "I do miss it, slightly." He commented at the end with a chuckle.

With Miriela's comment of him being old and not wanting him to be her father. He was not phased, but he knew he hit a nerve in her and dug his fang into the corner of his lip. He felt rude for his comment and pulled back a bit from the group to talk to her, maybe. "I didn't mean to upset you, luv. I was only teasing." He spoke to her quietly. "I apologize if I hurt you in anyway." He looked to the top of her head and tried to pull something out of his mind to make her feel better.

She grimaced at Pluvio's suggestion and frowned at Sasuki's counter suggestion. But 'maybe' was all Kiari would say as she maintained an even pace beside Pluvio. A title would only draw attention she didn't want. After the group split up, she would travel and live some where in the mountains. It hurt her to know she was leaving behind her brother but he would be safe and taken care of. He had his mother's gift of healing and could make good money using it.

" Yep, lucky me " she uttered with sarcasm.

Kiari hardly appreciated how naturally magic came to her. It was more of a bloody curse than anything.

"How much do you charge your students to train under you? "

The question was directed towards Pluvio and Sasuki but it was open to Miriela as well. It had just dawned on her that it could cost her something to be their student.

For an older man, Sasuki seemed unconscious of his words. Kiari would have thought he would have been more skillful with speaking to women. Especially, when he seemed to have Miriela's favor.

Silently, she pictured the description Sasuki gave with a tilt of her head. She wondered what his realm was like and how much it varied from this one.

" It sounds majestic," she murmured with a smile.

Pluvio noticed the unimpressed looks on Kiari's face at the two career suggestions. The career path of the dryad actually did make more sense. It was more in tune with her natural demeanor. He still believed that she could make a decent shaman. But she would be an even better dryad.

Pluvio looked over at her after she spoke with sarcasm and smiled. "It's okay. Miriela will help you harness your talents."

Pluvio responded to her question with, "Nothing at all! Money corrupts the early mage. You can still earn coins along with the group. For example, we should get some kind of reward for fixing the tower and a chunk of that is yours."

Inside, he chuckled at the notion of having someone charge an apprentice. In this day and age, only a trickster would do that. A con artist.

Magic was about the pure.

The forested path cut its way through the towering oak and maple trees. A few sporadic pines dotted the landscape. Every so often, a deer would be seen grazing just off the path. They seemed to continue on about their day, not threatened by the group of four.

They passed a different lake as they took a route that bypassed the town. On the other side of it, they could see the outlines of the central district's relatively tall buildings. One could almost swear they saw the three story tavern that they had been to the night before.

Slowly, the trees became more and more sparse. The dirt path began to look more rocky. The sun had made its way to the other side of the sky by now. The path twisted up a small rocky outcrop and then carefully back down it.

Now they were approaching the drow village. In the distance, a row of huts was visible. The sound of drums beat through the air.

"Any last questions?", he asked the group. His head was held high. There was an air of nervousness about him. But it was mostly hidden behind the pride, beaming on his face.