The Corrupted Kingdom

[Xinjay]

Few know it, but magic is an essential part in the balance of nature. It flows in the air around us, in the grass beneath our feet, and in the strong trees of the forest.

Though in the Kingdom of Ascetir, one may not find any magic, at least in the people. The royal family had found the Cup of Life, an artifact that was said to be blessed and bring power and good fortune. Instead, the artifact, which contained the soul of an ancient powerful sorcerer, corrupted the royal family, and the sorcerer took them over to rule, content that no one would be able to bring him down, not without an ancient magic.

Though when rumours of sorcerers with the vestiges of said magic rose up, the sorcerer (in the kings body) ordered all magic to be outlawed, and the practice of sorcery was punishable by death.

With magic now slowly draining away from the kingdom, the select few sorcerers will need to learn of their power and their destiny, and work together to save the royal family and bring magic back to the kingdom.

[Merolg]

Octavius, or as he was better known around Ascetir, the "Ghost of Fire" or simply Fyre, grinned as he continuously deflected arrows shot at him by those stupid iron clad soldiers with small gusts of wind. Though he grinned, he was getting bored of this.

Rolling his eyes, he let his right arm drop down. A small stone leaped up to his hand and began to grow into a long javelin-like shape.

One final gust of wind from him knocked the soldier's bows out of their hands, he chucked the stone javelin at a line of soldiers, impaling them all through the chest and causing the bodies to fly back a ways.

Sticking his tongue out at the shocked soldiers, he leaped up into the air and employed the trick that had earned him the title "Ghost of Fire," gathering a ring of fire around himself, he fueled it with wind and caused an explosion that propelled him through the air at insane speeds.

Flipping over in midair, he landed right next to the bell in the bell tower of the church in the nearby town. Crouching down so that he was below the bricks, he panted, that spell always took a lot out of him. He looked at the top of his right wrist, the tip of what looked to be a fiery red scar poked out from under his sleeve, the one major sign of the change wrought on him by the Scroll of the Ancients.

[Spectre]

Nivrithi awoke from a well-deserved nap, having completed a contract earlier that day, his payment already weighing down his coinpurse. Forgetting where he had chosen to sleep, he took in his surroundings, noting that he seemed to be sleeping in the rafters of a bell tower just above the bell itself. He also figured he had been awoken by the strange man taking refuge beneath him. With a light chuckle, he rolled over on the wooden bar that supported him, falling off and unsheathing his curved straight and narrow knife on the way down. Landing with precision, he felt the tip of his knife lightly tap the man's neck. With another chuckle, he commented, "Aaaand you would be dead," his voice seeping with sarcasm, sheathing his blade.

[Merolg]

Octavius yelped, leaped up and spun around, immediately his hand was engulfed in a furious blaze of flames, "Who're you?"

((Forgot to mention, he's very paranoid))

[Spectre]

Nivrithi rolled his eyes beneath the lenses, Lovely, of all the people in the kingdom who could've woken me up, it had to be a mage, he thought to himself.

In false fear, Nivrithi backed up a bit, holding his hands up slightly as if in surrender, "Hey, hey, we don't need to get all magicky on me for a little prank, do we?" he asked, filling his speech with the same false fear he was translating into his stature. "Tell you what, erm, whomever you are, put down the balls of fiery death and I may be more inclined to tell you who I am."

[Merolg]

Lowering his hands, the flames tapered off until only a few licks of flame remained, he had a look on his face that said he didn't buy the fear that this man was giving off.

[Spectre]

Nivrithi sighed, lowering his hands back to his sides. "Either you're completely out of your mind, or you really want to know who I am...either way, I suppose it's safe to tell you..."

Nivrithi cleared his throat, "I am of no importance to you, as you are of no importance to me. To you, I'm little more than a passer-by...though to your fellow mages I would be a murderer, theif, scoundrel, and equal."

[Merolg]

"So...You're an assassin." Fyre growled, he decided to ignore the 'out of your mind' comment, "Sent by the royals. Aren't you?" His eyes shifted slightly to look at the streets below, no soldiers yet. His eyes shifted to a loose stone in the wall, the lessons of his mentor rang through his mind, Always be aware of your surroundings, be aware of all that can be used in your advantage, the magic all around you will help you.

[Spectre]

Nivrithi smirked beneath his mask, "Smart mage, funny how rare those are these days," he retorted.

Looking to where the mage was peering, the male's tone changed into a more serious tone, "You're thinking of sending that loose brick through my skull, aren't you?" he commented, taking a step forward, "Do you truly believe that I want you dead, little cinder? And even if I did, do you believe I wouldn't have killed you moments ago when I pressed my knife to your neck?" he snarled, "Make your accusations wisely, cinder, the last thing you want to do is piss off a man who has killed several of your equals and betters."

[Merolg]

"No, not quite." Octavius said.

Looking out to the road again, he saw the mass of soldiers that were still alive, cursing, "My accusations mean little. Well, it's been fun. But I have to leave now."

Vaulting over the edge, he slid down the sloped roof and 'rocketed' off to the west, he really didn't feel like dealing with a murderer and the rest of those soldiers today. It was getting too hot in that town.

Hitting the ground on the side of a small hill about a mile or so away, he rolled down the hill to soften the blow, came up out of it and began running, the winds enhancing his speed. He knew that he'd need to find somewhere up and out of the way to rest.

He had the distinct feeling that this was going to be a long day.

[Spectre]

Nivrithi chuckled softly, watching the mage flee from the bell tower. The robed man walked over to the edge of the tower, "Run, cinder, run away as fast as you can. Just don't stop running..." he turned away, clambering back up to the rafters, "Lest I find you again..."

[Merolg]

Octavius stumbled as he stepped into a cave that was set into a mountain that overlooked yet another town, he sank to his knees in exhaustion. The rapid-fire spells today had taken a lot out of him.

Touching the surface of a rather flat rock that was raised off of the cave floor, a thin layer of soft moss spread over it as energy rushed out of him. Laying down, he pulled back his sleeve to reveal a long, ropy, fiery red scar that extended from the base of his wrist to just before his elbow. The only visual change wrought on him by the Scroll of the Ancients.

The words of the dying Ancient rang in his ears when he closed his eyes, The scroll will only reveal the knowledge written upon it when a great Darkness returns to cover the land, and when revealed, the Darkness will know that it has found a host and will strive to destroy the bearer of that knowledge. Find those who also have been marked...they will aid you in...ending the evil.

Then the Ancient's final words came to him, the feeling behind them chilled him to the bone, That which...was thought...to be good...a simple facade for evil.

He hoped that he would find these "marked" individuals soon; he knew that soon enough, he would have to stop running.

[Spectre]

Nivrithi calmly walked through halls of masonry, the human screams and yells around him reminding him of where he was. He moved with purpose and ease, hinting that he had been here before.

Approaching a particularly large guard at the end of the hall, Nivrithi looked up to the beast expectantly. The larger man chuckled, opening the door he was guarding and stepping out of the way, "Welcome back to the royal dungeons, assassin," the guard's voice boomed. Nivrithi merely nodded and walked through the doorway.

Within was several people in cells, each crying out to the man in black garb. Nivrithi hailed down a guard, "Hey, what are these here mages in for? You know, what spells were they seen using?"

The guard chuckled, walking with Nivrithi down the hall, "Well, that young boy was apparently taught earthen magic..." Nivrithi barely looked to the boy, he didn't want to in the slightest. "This hag was seen conjuring lighting onto the soldiers who pursued her..." once more. "This one practiced Divining Magic before we captured her, honestly quite the easy captu-..." the guard was interrupted by Nivrithi stopping in his tracks, looking into the cell.

Within was a girl barely into her twenties, sitting in the middle of the cell idly. Nivrithi turned to the guard, holding out his hand expectantly, "Give me the keys, or unlock the door..." The guard sighed, quickly unlocking the door and letting Nivrithi in.

Nivrithi stepped inside the cell, hearing the door close behind him. Nivrithi crouched next to the girl. The girl barely moved in response. "What's your name, milady?" Nivrithi asked netrually.

The girl turned to him, her green eyes looking into his lenses, "Piss off..." she muttered.

Nivrithi sighed, he didn't want to have to put on a show for the guard. "Alright then, 'Piss Off'...I've got a deal for you that will decide how you die, you following me thus far?" The girl simply turned to face him, her face only showing mild nervousness. "You can either have a guaranteed death at the axe, or any old random death on the road helping mw find a very important mage." The girl spat at Nivrithi, the glob hitting the lens covering his left eye. With a sigh, he wiped away the spit, leaning closer to the girl.

The air near the two started to slow down, cooling rapidly. Nivrithi's glove hid a small wisp of visible air coming from his palm, a side effect of the magic he was using. The girl quickly began to shiver, the cold air seeping into her rapidly. "Feel that?" Nivrithi whispered, "T'is the cold of my very soul around you. It will freeze your limbs and chill you to the very bone if you don't co-operate..." his voice taking a sinister tone.

The girl finally caved, "Fine, I'll help!" she yelled.

Nivrithi chuckled softly, letting the cold fade away. "Good girl..." he muttered. Leaning back a bit, he continued, "I'm lookimg for a man in his young adult years, likely between 20 and 50, interacted with me earlier this evening, is a fire mage, and flew to the west. Where is he now?"

The girl closed her eyes for but a moment, opening them seconds later and quickly spouted, "He's in a cave atop the mountain closest to Riverhelm!"

Nivrithi nodded once, turning to the guard and throwing a hefty coinpurse at the man. The guard caught it with a puzzled look. "Consider her sentence delayed, Piss Off is gonna help us catch an elusive mage," Nivrithi called to the man, "Get me a collar, trail rations, and a horse..."

[Xinjay]

Elwyn made her way through the forest, a scowl on her lips but hidden beneath the high collar of her shirt, acting as a mask. Her eyes though, were narrowed with irritation at the fact that she had to flee the only land she knew. She was torn between being proud at the fact that their band of thieves had grown so big that they forced the king to actively search them out, and being irritated at the same fact for having to now flee or stay in the kingdom, constantly watching her back.

She was growing tired, having walked the whole way. She had been hoping to chance upon travellers, maybe steal their horses and their supplies, but unsurprisingly she hadn't stumbled upon anyone just quite yet. There didn't seem to be anyone around, even though she had spotted a town in the distance.

She was keeping to the foot of the mountain, and after walking a little while longer, saw the opening of a cave. Elwyn looked around the area, seeing no one around, and decided it would be okay for her to take a small break. She realized that she could stop anywhere, now that she was in a new kingdom, but old habits died hard, and she was so used to hiding. She entered the cave.

[Merolg]

((I'm just going to call him Fyre now.))

Fyre groaned as he tried to slip into the meditative state that had replaced his sleep ever since his impromptu apprenticeship to the Ancient. Sitting up from the stone, he gazed into the fire that he had lit earlier.

Covering his face with his hands, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the fire casting a stark shadow on the scar, he began to wonder how he would find these 'marked' ones.

[Spectre]

Nivrithi sighed, the moonlight settling in around him as he travelled through a forest. The familiar rythem of a horse beneath him and the yelps behimd him, however, ruined the tranquility of the situation. With a light grumble, he turned about in his seat, eying the feminine figure trailing behind him and the horse, a rope tethering the figure's wrists to the saddle, "Hey, keep it down back there!" he called to the girl, the latter barely able to keep up with the horse.

"I would have preferred staying in the cell over this!" the female called to him.

Nivrithi grumbled, "I just saved your life, the least you can do is thank me. Besides, the more you whine about my actions, the less generous I'll feel in the lines of making you feel more comfortable, alright?"

Many awkward moments passed before Nivrithi turned to the girl and asked, "So who *is* this mage we're after?"

(And it starts)

[Merolg]

((May as well post, Fyre's pretty deep into the cave))

Removing his hands from his face, he stood up and inhaled deeply. Settling into a stance, he began to practice something the Ancient had called "The Mage's Form," a martial art that was supposed to allow the mage or sorcerer to focus a lot better.

[Xinjay]

Elwyn didn't go to deep into the cave, staying just at the entrance. She didn't go further in, not really needing to, for she only came in here to catch a short breath. She leaned against the ragged wall of the cave and pulled down her collar, letting out a deep sigh. She was definitely robbing the next person she saw and blowing the money on a feast.

(( She won't be going further into the cave just yet, sorry. And sorry for the short post, still not sure how i want to go about this. ))

[Merolg]

As Fyre practiced, his mind kept slipping back to today's events and the lessons taught to him.

Stopping in mid stance, he stood up straight and suddenly jumped up and performed a vicious scissor kick which was followed by a wave of flame that traveled the length of the cave and dissipated a few meters from the mouth of the cave, all in frustration.

[Xinjay]

Elwyn jumped as flames almost licked her hands, and backed up a few steps. But as soon as the flames had come, they had gone. Where did they come from?

She tugged her collar up, pulled out her dagger and crept through the shadows of the cave, only, as she went deeper, it seemed to get brighter, an orange light flickering over the walls of the cave. She peered around a corner cautiously, seeing a male around her age, practicing some sort of martials arts? What on earth was this guy doing all the way in the back of some shady cave? Well, not to say that Elwyn hadn't stayed her fair share of nights in a cave.

She rounded the corner then.

"I sincerely hope that you didn't purposefully try to almost burn my arm off." Elwyn twirled her dagger around in her hands and rose an eyebrow.

[Merolg]

Fyre turned around, "No. No I didn't." He said shortly.

Eyeing the dagger in her hands, he clenched his right hand ready to defend himself, he was getting sick and tired of people coming to try and kill him.

The flames behind him suddenly froze in response to his tension, the light cast on the cave walls stopped flickering.

[Spectre]

Nivrithi chuckled softly, getting the horse to stop moving, "So we're hunting The Ghost of Fire, then? Sounds like quite the loner..."

The girl looked up to Nivrithi angrily, "Not that I'm complaining, but why did we stop?"

Nivrithi chuckled, "You were actually nice for once without complaining in the slightest, that earns you the priveledge of riding as opposed to walking." Without uttering a word, Nivrithi helped up the girl onto the horse, pulling back on the reins and causing the horse to enter a full gallop. With any luck, we'll be there by sunrise, Nivrithi thought anxiously.

[Xinjay]

Sensing the change in atmosphere, Elwyn looked around as if everything in time seemed to stop, and she eyed the male warily. She scowled as she lowered her dagger.

"I'm not going to hurt you, so you can stop doing... whatever it is you're doing. Stop it." Elwyn said, knowing how to pick her battles. She was hoping earlier that maybe she could snag something off of the guy, but she knew now that maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea. At least while he was still concious.

[Merolg]

Fyre snorted, the fire returning to it's normal wavering form, "So...You're not here to kill me?"

A flicker of flame ran up the scar on his forearm, his sleeves still rolled up to the elbow.

[Xinjay]

"Uh, no, why, do people make it a habit of trying to kill you?" Elwyn asked, a little confused as to how he jumped to that conclusion. Well, okay, maybe twirling the knife in her hand helped a little, but he looks perfectly capable of taking care of himself. She saw fire move up his arm out of the corner of her eye, before focusing her attention on it.

"What happened?" She asked afterwards, her eyes fixed on the scars.

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