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Post by Blindside Tex on Jul 5, 2022 17:39:33 GMT -5
Vaena gazed to Lana to her question and a small laugh came from her. “Hm, you’d have to study more for that, Lana.” She commented and raised a brow slightly. As Lana made her other comments and she chuckled, Vaena laughed as well, a bright smile upon her lips. She was enjoying herself. Something she rarely did. Though of course that all came to a screeching halt as soon as her father appeared. The smile washed away like that of pollen in a fresh rain.
She had packed her things so quickly that she’d forgotten the book that was filled with forgotten magics. A book from the forbidden library. That was the perk of being the daughter of the Dean. She could go in and out of that library as she pleased. No one asked any questions of her.
Later that evening Vaena came up the hallway with her books hugged to her chest, her eyes were tired. She lifted her Jade hues as she saw Lana before her room. “Lana.” She spoke as she quickened her pace. “You weren’t waiting long were you?” She asked, “Is Ellie at it again?” She rolled her eyes slightly. She knew Lana escaped to her room to get away from her horrible roommate. In fact, Vaena had her own dorm and she’d had a couch put in the room for Lana to sleep on. A smile came to her lips as she saw the familiar bags of the Chinese restaurant that she loved. She scanned her card to open the door and stepped inside. “Boost too?” She asked as a grin came to her lips. “I missed dinner. Thank you.” She spoke as she walked over to her desk. It was meticulously kept. She set the books in her arms down and then placed her leather pack in the rolling chair.
Vaena let out a sigh as she sat on the edge of her bed. “Tuley, is Tuley.”
Professor Tuley was known to be difficult to study under. He was one of the elder mages, he had been around since the time when the temple was closed. He knew many things and he had hand selected Vaena to study beneath him. It was an honor to learn from such a great mage. But it was also exhausting. He didn’t let up on her and he pushed her to the brink of her magic. She had sessions with him two or three times a week.
“He was quite cross with me for being so late. I don’t...understand why my father has him instructing me. He isn’t a white mage and he just...doesn’t let up...” She spoke as she stood and stepped over to her backpack. She sifted through it and organized the books upon her desk. “I shouldn’t have forgotten that I was supposed to be in his office...I just….lost track of time...” She rambled on slightly before she pulled out a small black leather book. The edges of the book cover were curled slightly from use and the age of it. She then grasped a final book from her backpack. It had a thick red cover upon it and a rune burned into the front. “But it was worth it I think, I would much rather study with you than hav him barking orders at me to push harder...” She sighed softly as she stepped over and sat on the couch next to Lana. “I didn’t forget your request.” She smiled weakly as she set the books down on the coffee table.
She grasped the small square container of take out and a pair of chop sticks. She winced slightly as she leaned back. Her body ached. There was a bit of dried blood visible within her nostrils that she’d failed to fully wipe away. It was a wonder what the Academy was preparing her for. Why did her father want to push her so hard in the first place? Did he care if she died from the overuse of her magic? It didn’t seem it. She took a bite and hummed happily. “This is wonderful as always.” She spoke as she cracked open the can of Boost. “So what exactly are you studying, Lana? You’ve always got an eye for interesting magics. Tell me more about what you plan to do with it.” Vaena had her full attention on Lana now. These moments when she didn’t have a book before her. This was a rare occasion. She was too exhausted to study in the moment. She took another bite of her food as she waited.
**
Vaena hugged her knees to her chest as she looked to Lana. “Why would they wait like this...” She whispered and shook her head. “If they knew...why would they wait?” She questioned her voice cracked slightly. She was afraid of what would happen if they couldn’t pull off the spell. What would happen when she lost control?
“The Capitol always waits until it is a roaring fire. They never do anything carefully. They think that they are bombproof.” Ashlyn spoke, frustration in her tone as she stood with her arms crossed over her chest. She looked to the frightened white mage and sighed softly. Ashlyn grinned as she saw the fire light within Lana. She nodded. “We should never play by their rules.” She chuckled lightly. “Oh I’ll gladly get us out of here.” She spoke as she held her hands out. “Come on.” She nodded to Vaena. Ashlyn performed the teleportation spell with ease. In the blink of an eye they appeared within her chambers. She drew in a breath and let it out slowly as if to release some of the tension. “A drink? Gladly. Let me grab it from the cellar while you fill her in.” She slipped away.
Vaena pressed her lips together, her arms were hugged to her body. She stared to the page. To Lana’s finger that pointed to her father’s name. Matheus Ivan Beraellis. She brushed her fingers through her red locks and sucked in a breath. “H-he knew?” Tears welled in her eyes. She had done everything. Everything. Her father asked her to do. Even when it made her ill. She did it without asking him. She followed his command day in and day out. “He made me get the injection. He told me I was hand selected by the Capitol.” Her voice shook. She brushed away a tear. “He...is no better than those of the Capitol.” She whispered softly. “He just kept silent about it...he’s never protected me...” She sniffled and shook her head.
Ashlyn’s boots clicked against the floor as she came back into the room with a full bottle of a barrel aged rye. She gazed to Vaena. “Focus that into rage, honey.” She spoke as she poured three glasses. She handed one to Vaena. “Drink up. It’ll help you feel better hm?” She gave a smile before she turned and handed Lana a glass and she quickly downed her own glass. Not that the alcohol could affect her since she was in the mud body.
Vaena stared to the thick liquid for a long moment. She lifted it to her lips and took a sip. Her nose scrunched and she coughed slightly. “Oh...that’s...” She had said it before. She didn’t drink.
Ashlyn chuckled as she watched her a moment. “Just drink it. It’ll help you clear your head.”
Vaena stared to the woman a moment and then looked to Lana. She drew in a breath and then downed the drink. It warmed her belly and she coughed again. She set the empty glass on the desk. She then returned her attention to Lana. “I might be able to break it into a spell that can be performed by three.” She spoke as she grasped the book. She flipped to the spell and looked it over again. “Yeah...I think I can...” She seemed to be thinking deeply as she traced over the runes. Her jade hues lifted to look to Ashlyn as she poured more liquor.
“It would be good to be in my own skin again.” She spoke as she sipped upon her new glass. “You think you can bring my body back?” She grinned. Ashlyn took a seat at her desk and seemed to think a long moment. “It all depends on where they decided to lay my body to rest...” She pressed her lips together a moment. “Though I do know how to locate it.” She stood and walked over to a bookshelf. She sipped from her drink and swirled the liquor within the glass. Her head tilted to one side slightly as she tried to remember. “Damn.” She touched an empty space on the bookcase. “Perhaps Reggie...” She stepped to the desk and set her glass down heavily before she rushed from the room.
Vaena gazed to Lana. “You saved me in school and here you are again saving me again.” She spoke with a small smile. She reached forward and hugged Lana then. She didn’t speak as she hugged her. There was a comfortable silence that settled in the room. Vaena released her and then moved to sit at the desk. She pulled a notebook and started etching onto the paper. She would read in the book and then draw a line or two. She made several notes as she began her work. Her brows furrowed as she focused, her eyes fixed on the book. Much like most of her time spent at the Academy.
Ashlyn pushed back into the room. She held a paper in her hand. “Well. So long as they actually buried my body where they say they did.” She spoke as she walked over. “We need to visit my hometown. My mother wrote the obituary.” She pressed her lips together as she gazed to the page. She glanced to Vaena whom was quietly working away. Ashlyn then stepped to the middle of the room. “Shall we?” She questioned as she held out her hand. Ashlyn closed her eyes and in a blink they appeared within a bustling city block. She took a few steps back and gazed about as people moved about swiftly. “This was a small town back in my time.” She spoke, her lips parted. “The cemetery...” She spun as she looked to the buildings and sighed. She was lost in a world that looked nothing like her time.
**
“Where are they?!” Marcus snapped as he stood in his office.
Damien held his hands up. “I don’t know, Marcus. I’ll find them.” He spoke as he rushed from the office. He grasped his phone from his pocket and hesitated a moment. He tried to call Vaena. The phone rang several times before it went to her voicemail. A groan came from Damien as he walked from the Capitol tower. He walked through the busy streets of the city. “Vaena, call me when you get this please.” He hung up the phone. Damien then dialed Lana. “Pick up.” He spoke from frustration.
**
Ashlyn glanced to Lana as her phone rang. She raised a brow slightly and swiped it from her hands. “Oh this is our friend from before isn’t it?” She asked as she clicked the answer button. “Lana’s a bit busy.” She spoke as she answered.
There was a long pause. “Put Lana on the phone.” Damien spoke, “I don’t have time for games.”
“Oh? Really? You don’t say. Neither do we. If you haven’t heard the world is going to end in four days. You ought to enjoy your time, Damien.” Ashlyn spoke with a pointed tone.
“What?” Damien questioned, surprise.
“Oh the Capitol didn’t tell their attack dog that the world is ending? That’s why you had to have Vaena. That’s why they are attempting to lock her down and force her to do a spell that is impossible.” She spoke quickly. “Find yourself a good hole to sit in. Because if we don’t pull this off the world is about to go to shit.” Ashlyn clicked the phone and then handed it back to Lana with a huge grin on her lips. “Ah here we are.” She spoke as they stopped before the cemetery. “It looks strange surrounded by all these buildings.” She looked up to the old iron sign. “Shall we?” She questioned as she looked to Lana.
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Post by Raven on Jul 5, 2022 21:53:36 GMT -5
“Nah I wasn’t waiting too long” Lana smirked, the food was still hot – but she knew about when Vaena would get back anyways. “Yes, yes she is, that Deviant” she scoffed and sat down on the couch. “I know you missed dinner, you almost always miss dinner” Lana pulled out her noodles and grabbed a pair of chop sticks.
“You know” she took a bite and dug through the pile of noodles for another perfect bite. “I would kill to train with Tuley, the dude can blow up a building with a flick of the wrist. You are right, I don’t know why you are training under him. It bothers me, truthfully” she took another bite. “I mean, obviously you are pushed to your limits… maybe that’s why?” she motioned to her own nose “You got a bit of residual” she took another bite.
“Well, study sessions with me do include food” she chuckled and leaned forward to the book. She ran a finger over the front of it and she cracked it open. “You are too good to me Vaena” she smirked as she turned a fragile page. She peered to it for a long moment and closed the book. “Well” she smirked and set the book down before her. “You won’t like it” her devilish grin grew wider.
“Watch this” she pulled a book out and there was a very intricate rune drawn on the first page. With a wave of her hand – mug began to form from the center of the rune. It crafted into a small figure, for the spell at least. She picked up the foot tall mud-figure and set it on the next page – yet another rune. Lana’s eyes glowed bright blue and then the figure began to move. Slowly it morphed into a tiny copy of Lana, and it glanced over to Vaena. The tiny Lana figure waved and then laughed.
“Check it out, Spirit Projecting” the tiny figure lifted its arms happily, the voice was high pitched – nearly squeaky.
Suddenly the copy turned it mud and Lana finished the spell. “I want to learn how to do the same thing, but, cast it simultaneously. So that there would be two functioning Lana’s. I am very close, but I think the answer I need is in here. There is a concept of Spirit-Fracturing, where I split my spirit up into pieces and put them in these body doubles. Don’t worry – my Spirit would recall and reform when I need it to” she smirked. “But think of that – two places at once. AND – when my spirit returns, I gain all of the knowledge that it experienced. So, I could technically study on two different materials and gain all of the benefit, hmmm hmm?” she laughed then. “As if I’d use it for studying” she smirked. “I think… this is a real breakthrough, but I don’t know. It’s going to take some time to master, surely”
Lana’s lips pressed into a line as Vaena learned of this unfortunately truth. She sighed softly and she peered to her, to her tear full eyes and pained expression. “I mean, we’ve learned a lot about how the Council treats us, and the powerful mages we think guide us… but we’re all puppets, your father too. He may have had no choice…” she tried to talk some logic into it, but it didn’t ever stop the pain. It never stopped hers.
When the drink was poured – Lana lifted the glass and downed it easily, she knew she would get twice the dose though. She welcomed it. She peered to Ashlyn who rushed away to find something to answer her questions. Lana leaned against the desk and released a deep breath. She was surprised to see Vaena get up and step over. A slight gasp escaped her lips as Vaena hugged her, she couldn’t think of the last time they had hugged.
Vaena wrapped her arms about her and gave her a warm squeeze. Her hand idly stroked Vaena’s shoulder blades, until she shifted back. “Well, Vaena, I’ve always had a soft spot for you” she turned towards the desk as Vaena sat down once more. “Seemingly the world revolves around this moment, around you – so, I guess by Proxy, you’re my world Vaena” she was able to crack a legendary Lana complimentary joke. “I’m not complaining” she turned towards the door as the door opened once more.
“I’ll be back shortly, use that brainiac mind of yours and solve all this shit by the time I get back huh, that’s what you do right?” she grinned and stepped away to Ashlyn. When they teleported – Lana gasped for a breath of air that was sucked from her. They stood on the corner of a bustling block, towering buildings crammed them. “Oh boy” Lana muttered as she peered around.
As her phone rang – she fumbled for it, but it was snatched away. Ashlyn took care of the situation, which made Lana chuckle deeply. This woman was so much like herself, it was wild to her. “Yeah, fuck that guy, right?” she slipped her phone away and followed Ashlyn.
“I’d feel bad for that guy, but I don’t. Anyone that doesn’t question the hand that gives orders is a moron who doesn’t deserve my pity, hm?” she tromped through the large archway that gave way to the cemetery. “Crazy how things change huh?” she peered back to the city as they entered the green. The place was packed with tombstones, flowers were placed at nearly every one. They walked for a bit – but it seemed unending.
“Let me try something…” she held her hand up and a small white orb appeared. “Ashlyn Pierre” she spoke aloud. The orb float in the air and it circled for a second, and then shot forward. It took them to a corner of the Cemetery, and then stopped dead above a stone. It was withered away, the name “Ashlyn Pierre” was faded on the small stone. It wasn’t a lifted stone either, it was embedded in the ground. Obvious that not much money was spent on the stone… Rough.
Lana knelt down and brushed some caked on dirt off of the stone and she nodded. “This is it…” she placed a hand over the grass. “The joy will be… getting that body out” she chuckled. “Or more like bones, at this point” she crossed her arms. “If we can get it and then teleport it out… it’ll be a successful trip” she peered down “Any ideas?”
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Post by Blindside Tex on Jul 6, 2022 11:12:36 GMT -5
Vaena lifted up the steaming noodles with her chopsticks and chuckled, “It appears you weren’t.” She quipped with a smirk. Though her smile fell slightly to Lana’s comment. She always missed dinner. Vaena didn’t have time to stop. She barely had enough time to breathe, let alone go to the cafeteria. “I um...yeah...” She didn’t have an argument. “Well at least you can get away from Ellie.” She smiled again before she took another bite of her noodles.
Vaena crossed her legs as she turned more to listen to Lana. Everyone wanted to train with Tuley. Everyone but Vaena. She didn’t care for his tactics. She didn’t care for the magic that he wanted to push her to learn. But the entire reason she was looking into defensive magic through white magic was because of Tuley. He was pushing for her to learn more of the dark magics so that she could defend herself if need be. She didn’t understand why. Why would she need to defend herself? She was a Mage of Argaris. The most sought after school in the country. She didn’t need to use black magic. She was a white mage. She always had been. She struggled with the dark arts. Her spirit was not aligned to it.
“Oh!” Vaena’s brows rose and she reached up to her nose. She brushed at the bit of dried blood. “I...uh...” She set the noodles down almost haphazardly as she stood and rushed into her small bathroom. The sound of water running could be heard as it splashed against the skin. She came back after a few minutes, her red locks were pulled back into a messy bun on the back of her head. Several strands hung loose. Vaena let out a sigh as she collapsed back onto the couch and grasped her noodles once again. “I am not so sure I like to be pushed like that.” She spoke truthfully. Would she ever tell anyone else that? No. Of course not. Of course she wouldn’t complain about her schooling. Let alone the grueling nature of her studies. But with Lana...she could.
Vaena watched as Lana inspected the book that she’d asked for. She poked around at her noodles and ate a piece of corn. “Hm, well you do feed me quite a bit. It is the least I can do.” She replied. As the wicked grin spread upon Lana’s lips that mage raised a brow slightly. “When do I ever like the things that you think up?” She questioned as she crossed her legs on the couch and turned more to look at Lana. She was interested in her reply. Vaena watched as Lana brought a small mud figure to life. Her lips parted as she watched the display of magic. She glanced to Lana as the woman’s hues took on the blue glow a grin spread upon Vaena’s lips. She loved magic. She loved to see others use their magic. And spirit magic? Well Lana was the only mage she knew that could harness it the way it was intended.
Vaena giggled as the small figure waved its arms and spoke in the squeaky voice. She reached forward to touch it just as it turned to mud and disappeared. “Wow...” She spoke and looked to Lana as she began to elaborate on what she would like to do with the magic. Vaena’s brows furrowed slightly. “Splitting your spirit? Lana….” Her voice was uneasy. She pressed her lips into a line and then took another bite. “Let me see.” She grasped the book that Lana had used to create the small figure. “You’re sure that your spirit won’t get stuck? What if...what if something happens?” She questioned as she flipped through the pages. She set her noodles down as she studied the runes carefully.
“What happens if one of these projections is injured, Lana? Or killed? What happens to you?” She looked to her with worry in her eyes as she set the book back down. “Have you thought of the repercussions of this? Of what might happen to you?” She lifted her noodles again and poked around absentmindedly. “I am not entirely certain this is a good idea, Lana.” She warned.
**
“No choice.” Vaena repeated Lana’s words, a bit of a scoff came over her lips. “My mother died when I was a child...my father put me in this room here at the Academy. I was 5. I’ve lived here since I was 5 years old under his supervision because it was all he had. Yet...he allowed them to inject me with this?” She questioned softly. “He told me that it would help me become a better mage. That those that were hand selected by the Capitol were getting it. That it was an honor for me to get the injection.” She rambled, her eyes welled with tears.
The long embrace was the only thing that seemed to soothe Vaena. The hand that stroked her back. She had no words. She didn’t know what to say to Lana. She had been locked away so long in the Academy that friendship was something she never truly had. Not until she’d met Lana. But even that was taken away from her when Lana was expelled. Vaena was lost in her concentration, but her jade hues lifted to look to Lana and a laugh came from her. She finally cracked a smile. “Lana...” She began to speak just as Ashlyn walked back into the room. She gazed to the woman a moment and then looked to Lana. Her lips parted to speak but then she returned her attention to the books before her.
She lifted her eyes to Lana and nodded, “I’ll do my best, Lana. Be safe, okay?” She spoke this just before the two teleported away.
Vaena stared to the empty space within the room that Lana and Ashlyn had once stood. She drew in a breath and then looked back to the book. “I wonder...” She muttered as she grasped the book and the journal. She stood and hugged it to her chest as she walked from the room. She glanced both directions and then took off to the left. Vaena wandered the hallways of the old archive. The lights flickered within their lanterns upon the walls that seemed to eternally burn from the magical spell cast upon them years ago.
The mage made her way to a large room. It held a table at the center of it that held 5 chairs that sat around the rounded wood. Vaena looked to the beautiful artwork that was hung upon the walls. This must have been their study hall. There were cases of books. Tapestries. Old artifacts. She moved about and touched a few things. Vaena tilted her head slightly. She hugged the books to her chest with one arm as her arm reached forward to a small orb. Her eyes began to glow as she touched it. She could feel her magic swell within her. Her breathing quickened slightly. “What is this…?” Suddenly an image projected from the orb to the center of the room.
A man stood in magi robes, his hands clasped before him. He had red hair much like Vaena, his eyes honed in on her. “If you stand before me, you must be a great mage.” He spoke his voice sounded almost pained in a way. “I need to warn you, and hopefully you will be able to do something with this.” He stepped toward her and unclasped his hands. Vaena took a step back, her brows furrowed as she stared to the man. He had likeness of her father. This was a projection of Reggie. Her great great grandfather.
“I am the last of the five. I will seal this place when I leave today, in hopes that the Capitol does not find it and the contents. They would seek to destroy much of what we have placed in the Archives. The Capitol wants nothing more than to control us. Even now I can feel myself growing weaker as the poison sets in my veins. Edgar poisoned us all. One way or another. Either through thoughts of betrayal. Or by the Capitol’s hand.” He paused a moment. “I hope that when you listen to this that the Capitol is something of the past. That it has been abolished. If it has not. Be wary.” He turned slightly, “Edgar killed Ashlyn – I watched him kill her. He didn’t want her dabbling in the magic of time. He warned her of it. He threatened her. When she failed to listen he...made me trap her in an alternate world. He gave me no choice. He held my family over my head.” Reggie sighed heavily. “I’m so sorry for that. I’ve regretted it everyday since...” He scoffed and shook his head. “The lies that were fed to the world about her...” He crossed his arms and his eyes seemed to bore into Vaena then. “If the Capitol still lives you must abolish it.” He held a hand to his chest. “I have encased part of my soul here and I will share with you my power. I hope that it helps.”
Vaena furrowed her brows. The globe began to glow a bright white color. She took a few steps back. Then a beam of light shot forward and arched into her chest. Vaena gasped as her eyes took on a bright white glow. Memories began to flash before her eyes. Memories that she didn’t recognize. She let out a cry as she tried to break the contact with the magic. Bolts of electricity began to arch out from her body as the books fell to the floor before her. Vaena’s body jolted as the heat of the magic rushed through her veins. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to move, tried to fight it. Then suddenly the glass of the globe shattered. The magic that syphoned into her body suddenly stopped and she fell to her knees. Vaena breathed heavily as she squeezed her eyes shut. Her body trembled. The Capitol had never been for the good of the people as they claimed.
**
“You shouldn’t feel bad for an attack dog of the Capitol.” Ashlyn spoke with a smirk upon her lips. “He’d jump off a cliff if the Capitol asked him to. Hell he would walk in front of a train all without a single question.” She tapped a finger to her head. “They brainwash them into thinking that the Capitol is almighty. It is no different than my time.” She gazed about to the beautiful tombstones. “It is crazy how things change yes...this place was so peaceful...I remember burying my grandfather...” She spoke, her voice soft. “We didn’t have such huge buildings back then.” She gazed back as well and then she drew in a breath. “But...this place is huge.” She remarked. “How are we supposed to find the tombstone?” She glanced to Lana.
Ashlyn tilted her head slightly as she watched the white orb appear in Lana’s hand. She grinned as the orb began to lead them through the cemetery like a dog after a bone. “Spirit magic was always fascinating to me. I just never had a knack for it.” She spoke as she followed along. She looked to the beautiful stones and the gorgeous flowers. As they approached the stone her eyes looked to the way that the grass tried to crawl over it. The way the words were worn away from years of weather beating down upon it. “Damn...” She spoke, her heart sank. She stepped to the stone and knelt down. Her eyes looked over the barely legible wording. Tears had welled in her eyes. She knew she was dead. But to see it. And to see that she was barely given the light of day, when so many of the stones around were artfully crafted.
Ashlyn jolted slightly and her eyes flashed with a blue light. The world around them had a rush of wind that sucked in toward them before the scenery spun about.
As everything settled Ashlyn found herself standing within a crowd of people that wore black. She glanced about and her eyes found Lana next to her. The mage turned her eyes forward as a woman stepped up to the hole in the ground, a casket was placed over it, open to display Ashlyn’s preserved body for those to pay respects. The woman held a silver necklace within her fingertips, tears rolled down her cheeks. She reached and weaved the necklace into the fingertips of Ashlyn. “My sweet girl.” Her mother spoke, her voice hitched slightly. She nodded to the men and the body was lowered into the grave. They began to throw dirt over the casket. One shovel full at a time. Her mother stood there as many came to her and hugged her. They spoke their peace and left. Soon enough Ashlyn’s mother stood alone, staring to the fresh mound of dirt that her young daughter lay for rest beneath.
“Delilah.” A man stepped forward. Edgar. Ashlyn immediately frowned as she watched her mother turn to the man.
“Edgar. I didn’t see you.” Delilah spoke she brushed her face of tears. Her eyes were puffy from sobbing.
“I wanted to pay my respects as well.” Edgar dropped a single red rose upon the grave. He looked to the woman, “Ashlyn was a great woman, she will be missed.” He spoke as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his black jacket.
Delilah gazed to him a moment. “Thank you.” She spoke, her voice shook slightly.
“Of course.” Edgar reached into his pocket and held a sealed envelope forward. “I do hate to do this. But your daughter had quite a debt to the Council. You understand?”
“What?!” Ashlyn stepped forward. “You fucking bastard!” She shoved at him but her arms passed through him easily. “Fuck you! She doesn’t have anything!” She had tears running down cheeks.
Delilah took the envelope and opened it slowly, her breath quivered within her chest. “A debt?” She questioned as she opened the letter. It was thousands of dollars that she didn’t have. “I...” She gazed to Edgar.
“You tell me where she hid her personal items. I’ll drop these charges.” He spoke as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “She has a few things that belong to the Council. You understand...don’t you Miss Pierre?” He questioned and watched her a moment before he turned and walked away.
Delilah watched him walk away, she eventually collapsed to the ground next to Ashlyn’s grave. “What do I do, Ashlyn?” She questioned as she sobbed. “You’re all I had...y-you….you can’t be gone. My sweet girl...” She ran her thumb over the letters of Ashlyn’s tombstone.
A wind kicked up and the sky turned black as the world began to swirl around again.
Ashlyn was on her back in the grass next to her grave, she breathed heavily as she sat up swiftly. “That bastard. He drowned her in debt. He tried to blackmail her into telling him where the archive was.” She grit her teeth. “I owed nothing to the Council.” She walked over to a shovel that leaned against a tombstone and brought it back to her grave. “That fucking necklace that my mother put in my hands was the nicest thing she ever had. I paid for everything once I joined the temple. I pushed myself so that she could get out of poverty. Just for Edgar to fucking kill me and take everything from her!” She dug and dug as she spoke. “The audacity! At my funeral!” She was nearly yelling now.
“Ma’am?” An officer stood just a few feet from the two. He hand his hand on his gun that was holstered upon his hip. “I’m going to ask you to put the shovel down and step this way. Both of you. Destroying a grave is quite the crime.” He looked back and forth between the two.
“Is it? Huh?” Ashlyn questioned as she continued to dig. “Is it a crime to dig up my own body?!” She was fuming.
The officer watched her a moment. He looked to Lana and then back to Ashlyn. His radio crackled as someone spoke over it. “I’ve got a 10-8.” He spoke into the radio. He watched the two as he unclipped his gun. “I’m not going to ask again.” He pointed the gun at Ashlyn whom didn’t seem to have a care in the world.
“Fuck you man.” Ashlyn spoke as she continued to dig. The shovel thudded as it met the wood of the casket.
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Post by Raven on Jul 6, 2022 15:18:40 GMT -5
Lana leaned back and chuckled as the mud magically disappeared into thin air. She closed her book and nodded slowly “Yeah yeah, I told you that you wouldn’t like it. No, that is why I’m trying to research more. Of course there are risks, all magic is full of risk. The balance, remember? It is how we toe around them, how we not deny the risks but obey the risks. Yes, if my clone gets hurt – so do I. If I recall my clones in a scenario – I can avoid death, but yes. If my clone Is decapitated, I will die” she shrugged and picked her noodles back up.
“Let me ask you something, maybe your analysis might help me uncover the balance of my nature. When you heal a wound – where does the wound go? What is the balance. You exert the power to heal, cells regenerate, but what happened to the damage… do you consume it, do you feel it, how do we make something just…disappear, without repercussions?” she leaned back and crossed her arms. “There is a secret in that balancing act that I think would say the same for me. Now – there have been years and years of people mastering, discovering, and developing this white magic, because it is so useful, beloved…” she raised a brow “and neglection on chaotic magic, that it is not capable of equally amazing feats, hm? The hatred for chaotic magic decreases the growth, forcing it to be continually a dangerous and hazardous magic. But think – this is my nature, it comes to me. I can learn to use it, grow it, or I can let it control me and consume me. Simply because I was not divine enough?” she was ranting now and she knew it. I was clear as day – Lana’s feelings about her magic, and how most frowned upon it… but her father believed it, she believed it. Magic is as good as science, it just depends what one uses it for. Science made medicine, but also poison, science made vehicles but also guns… How can we learn to handle it if we ban it forever? Those who reach for it because they were born with it – will find themselves lost and destructive, as all magics can be.
“Anyways… this book may have nothing for me, most have nothing for me… but I have to read what the ancestors learned, so I can avoid doing that myself. My craft… it’s not reading discovery, learning new spells. It’s learning what to avoid, what not to do, so I don’t melt my brains like the last guy… I will learn from their failures, because the world doesn’t recognize it’s feats.” She set her noodles down, half eaten.
“Oh, by the way” Lana dug through her backpack and pulled out a little pamphlet. It was to a local carnival that is in town “Mom wants to take me later this week, do you want to come and live a little? Eat some fried food and win all the dope prizes? I love breaking the scam games…like the dumb ring you toss onto the bottle.” She smirked, she was known to cheat now and again… all the time. They deserved it. “Sneak away for a little mental health day, call it a date, whatever helps you sleep at night, hm?” she smiled and waited for her reply.
***
Lana crossed her arms and peered down to the stone. It was then that Ashlyn flashed with power, a reaction of some kind. Her soul wasn’t ready, or a memory was lingering?
Lana peered around swiftly, she wasn’t expecting the world to morph. The place became crowded… in the distance there were no giant buildings, but rather quaint streets of small stores, cabin like homes. These were long gone, demolished and built over. She stepped forward to the casket before her to peer to the very same Ashlyn that was next to her. “Rough” she whispered to herself… to witness your own funeral. She turned as a voice spoke to a sobbing mother – Edgar. He was not what she expected to see… he had soft eyes and combed hair. Though his voice was rough and he was unapologetic, it was confusing to her. She grit her teeth as she watched the mother get duped… she had seen it all before…
The swarming memory came to an end with the shouting of Ashlyn, the rage within her. She knew no words would stop her, no… She shifted slightly as she gripped the shovel and began to dig among cursed words. “Ashlyn” she held her hand forward… An officer came just moments later, as he called for backup. Lana sighed and glanced around, she had little option.
“Officer” she smiled weakly. She held her hands upward as he held the gun, she stared back and forth. “Don’t mind her, she’s a little emotional. Listen…” she held her hand out slowly. A glow came from under her jacket as her rune on her arm activated. In an instant the man’s eyes went red, but like a red marble. No white of his eye was left. Lana tilted her head – her own eyes equally as red.
The officer grasped his radio and clicked it “Officer 126, disregard the 10-8 call, false alarm.”
“Understood, recalling backup” a voice replied.
The Officer then lowered his gun and holstered it… he then turned around and walked away…
Lana gasped for air as she finished channeling the spell, while she was doing it – she was completely vulnerable and unable to move. A speckle of blood trickled from her nose and she wiped it away swiftly. That was the most forbidden of blood magic, there was never a good occasion for it, that much she agreed on… but it saved her many times before, and even now. “Come on” Lana knelt down into the hole and held a hand upward. The top of the casket blew apart, revealing just a pile of bones. “No time to collect it all, can you transport the whole thing?” she questioned as she looked up to Ashlyn… “Your own words – channel that anger, hm?” she smirked.
In an instant they were in the middle of Ashlyn’s room once more. The casket boomed on the floor as it seem to land, and the bones within rattled. “Done deal…” Lana brushed her hands off. She slowly stood and peered down. “Sounds like the great Council royally fucked you too, huh?” she turned and peered to the woman. “It worked on you, and your mother, they did the same to me. My father murdered… I was sentenced to carry out his debts. Leaving me and my mother with nothing, making us even more powerless against them… but what they don’t have, we do. Magic.” She smirked “Come on… lets get you restored and we’ll let them have it” she knelt down and observed the bones. “Now, do you have any vials of your own blood stashed away, even if clotted and ancient? It makes the spell a lot easier if its your blood, rather than mine, but I can do it either way.” She followed behind Ashlyn. “It’s a unique combination of blood and spirit, a touch of well…” she grinned “Necromancy” she whispered, the word was as black as oil… “but let’s not repeat that, hm?”
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Post by Blindside Tex on Jul 6, 2022 16:30:09 GMT -5
Vaena set her food down as Lana spoke. Nearly half of it gone. “Balance, Lana...yes...balance...but...” She bit at her lip. She shook her head. Vaena didn’t seem to know what to think of this. If Lana’s clone was injured gravely...she too would feel the repercussions. Then Lana started to question about white magic about how it worked. The balance of it. “I can feel it.” Vaena spoke her eyes searched Lana. “The wound. I can feel the pain that it caused. It is brief, but I am swarmed with that pain. The more I practice the less I feel of it. Because my body has become conditioned to the response. You may balance yourself in the realm of spirits.” She pondered for a moment. “Have you read Bertaug’s Blood?” She questioned softly.
“Bertaug is very much a mage that is forbidden. But his book that he wrote. It is full of such rich information. But they forbid his magic. He used blood magic, yes. But he too used spirit magic. There is a place he speaks of. It is a realm between realms. It is neither here, nor is it there.” Vaena grinned as she watched Lana. “The whole book sounds like a fairytale, if I am being honest with you. But this place he speaks of. It might help you to balance your magic.” She stood and walked over to a chest in the corner of her room. “Believe it or not I stole this from the library when I was….” She pondered for a moment. “6? My father would kill me if he knew I had it. But I couldn’t put it back in the library. It’ll disappear.” She set the old journal down upon the coffee table with the other two. “Don’t lose this. Okay?” Vaena sat back on the couch and pulled her knees to her chest. “And...don’t do anything stupid, huh? I don’t want to hear about you melting your brains. If it is something big let me know, maybe I can look it over with you to help make sure it is safe. If you’re going to do this...I want to help.”
Vaena had never offered her help to Lana like this before. She’d merely gathered the books for Lana. But this was a true offer of her knowledge, as a friend. She wanted to make sure that Lana stayed safe. Even if that meant that she had to look away from her own studies. The mage glanced to the books upon the table a moment as Lana dug through her backpack. “A carnival?” Vaena asked as she looked over the pamphlet. Her lips parted slightly. She had never been to one. “Scam games?” She questioned. She had no idea what Lana was talking about. She looked to the pamphlet again and to the date. “I...” She looked to her calendar upon the wall that was filled with her handwriting. She had several things written on every single date.
Vaena stood and stepped to the calendar. She grasped her pen and began writing onto a date that held several things upon it. She stared to the calendar for a long moment before she turned around and nodded to Lana. “I’ll go.” She gave a smile. “I don’t want to miss you breaking the games.” She giggled slightly as she sat back down and held the pamphlet forward. Vaena stood and walked over to her desk then. She grasped a book. “You might find this interesting.” She spoke as she carried it over. “The theory behind spirit magic. I’m actually taking it in one of my classes right now. Are you in Perrin’s class this term?” She questioned as she raised a brow slightly. It was right back to the books for her. Vaena never missed a beat it seemed. ** Ashlyn paid no mind to the officer as he prepped to pull the trigger. She continued to dig at the grave, “I can’t believe that bastard!” She snapped. Though when she heard Lana speaking to the officer and the man suddenly called off the back-up. She grinned as she looked to Lana. “Ohhh you’re dabbling in the fun perks of blood magic aren’t you, Lana?” She chuckled lightly. She leaned on the shovel. “How many times have you done that?” She asked curiously. “You seem to have quite a good handle on it. I’m impressed. Not many can carry out that spell so seamlessly.” She complimented and watched as the casket was blown open before her eyes. Ashlyn’s expression softened when she saw the bones. The necklace was laced within the boney fingers. Her breath caught in her chest as she stared to the scene before her. The clothing remained upon her body, a once beautiful dress that was falling into pieces. It was Lana’s voice that brought her from her thoughts. “Right.” She nodded slightly. She drew in a breath and held her hand forward and in the blink of an eye they were back in her room. The casket shattered into pieces as it hit the floor. She stared to the bones once again. “Edgar was a slime ball.” Ashlyn poured a glass and downed it swiftly. She poured another. “He literally fucked everyone in the temple. He did his best to destroy magic. If a mage wasn’t within the Academy of Argaris he wanted them gone. That’s what happened to all of us.” She took a long drink and then scoffed. Ashlyn stared to Lana as she spoke her story, her lips parted slightly. “Sounds like everyone whom proceeded Edgar learned all of his fucking tricks.” She sighed and looked around the room a moment as Lana asked about vials of her blood. “Funny you should ask.” She smirked. “A blood mage always keeps vials of blood.” She winked. “Necromancy. Hm….that has a nice ring to it.” Ashlyn grinned wildly. “Perhaps you shall coin it?” It was not an art named in her time. It was the first time she’d heard the word. She glanced around again. “Where is the white mage?” She questioned curiously. She turned and walked over to a dresser and pulled it open. Within the dresser a small drawer lined in a blue steel rest within it. She held her hand over it and a rune glowed upon the surface. Ashlyn waited for the click before she lifted up on the top of the drawer. She then lifted a small case that held four vials of blood. “There are times that I’ve needed to use these. When acting in a pinch it is much easier to have blood prepped and ready.” She spoke as she set the case down on her desk. She glanced to the skeleton then and crossed her arms slightly. She let out a breath. “You know. It is surreal. To think that this is what is left of me in this world...after all these years.” She pressed her lips together. ** Vaena had pushed the table off to the side in the room. She was on the floor etching runes onto the stone. She’d already drawn one of the other runes – the one that Lana would use. Each line was carefully calculated. She had a book in front of her with calculation after calculation. The runes would be connected with one centralized rune. She had it all drawn onto a page in her journal. There would be several glyphs in a larger circle that would encompass the three points that joined into the center. It was complicated. To pull apart the spell in such a way. Vaena looked exhausted as she worked. Yet she kept going. She couldn’t stop. Not now. She wouldn’t give up. She glanced to the page in her journal and her fingertip ran along the lines of the rune carefully. She closed her eyes a moment as if envisioning it before she continued to draw. She would take up this entire room by the time she was finished.
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Post by Raven on Jul 6, 2022 19:33:46 GMT -5
Lana lifted a brow when Vaena mentioned Bertaug’s Blood. “Surprisingly no, I don’t know it, nor him…” she shifted forward, her attention peaked now. She was surprised to see Vaena do anything but argue or scoff at her. She always appreciated that Vaena let her do her thing, of course not without a comment about it. She reached forward and lifted the weathered journal in her hands and turned it. “A realm, a spirit realm?” she questioned curiously. “I won’t melt my brains out, Vaena, I’m not that weak” she grinned and slipped the book away in her bag. “Well… I appreciate it” Lana lifted her drink and cheered to the ceiling with it.
There was a muffled sound of surprise when Vaena mentioned she didn’t even know the games. “Girl, don’t tell me…” she scoffed loudly and then leaned back in the couch, awaiting her answer. “Perfect, good – then it is a date” she smirked and then even laughed when Vaena shifted back to school. “I actually am in his Advanced Spirit Theory class next semester. I tested out of his first class, and when he heard I am spirit attuned, well – he got excited” she reached for the book and glanced over it. “He seems pretty cool, a little more laid back than some professors, but I heard he grades his papers harshly…”
Lana raised a brow to Ashlyn after her comment regarding the blood magic she used. She pressed her lips together and refused to answer the question. In truth – it was too many times worth mentioning. She got in a lot of trouble trying to figure everything out… and yet a few days with Vaena gave her more answers than years.
When they returned to her room, Lana turned swiftly. She didn’t had any time to yank the glass from Ashlyn’s hand by the second drink. “Quit it” she set the glass down and sighed. “Lets get some blood” she smirked and followed behind her swiftly. “I knew you’d have some, I have some of my own too… a blood mage always keeps vials of blood, duh” she said in a silly mocking voice.
“It’s a very young field of magic, only one other mage has attempted it, Bertaug that is, but it did not end well for him…” she as they came to the dresser. The familiar clinking of vials rang in her ears like sweet music. She couldn’t detail the days she spent sitting out a droplet of her own blood – just trying to make it boil, or move, that was the truest form of blood magic. One could hardly call themselves a blood mage without having done such a thing…
Lana knelt down to the coffin and pulled the necklace from the fragile bones of the dead woman. It was hard to Lana to even see it as Ashlyn, since Ashlyn was right before her… “Here you go” she turned and offered the necklace to her. “Quite pretty…” she spoke softly, remembering the words of the mage who mentioned the necklace. “Oh shit, yeah where is Vaena?” she turned to the desk to see it empty. She was so encompassed by Ashlyn that she didn’t think to check for Vaena in that moment. “Lets go find her” she spoke and opened the door to the hallway. She raised a brow and trailed down the hallway, there was one door slightly cracked. Lana pushed it open and her eyes grew wide as there was a giant rune on the ground. “Gods” she muttered, though it was a fantasy of hers to walk over a huge rune. She dreamt it to be in blood though, thankfully not the case.
“You’ve been at work…” Lana spoke and slipped her shoes off, so that she would have a gentle step and not disturb the rune. She peered down as she stood near the center, it was enormous and made her heart pound just looking at it. She squinted her eyes and came to a smaller rune “Throw me a chalk” she reached her hand out and caught the small piece of chalk. She licked her fingertip slightly and rubbed away a part of the rune, wiping it off with a rough thumb, she then fixed the rune. “I remember that one time – oh. When you couldn’t make it to our hot date” she smirked “You know, I lied and my mom never was there. I just wanted to take you out and do dumb stuff with you” she chuckled. “But when I got back, you were slaving away over a rune… and we fought and fought on it. It took me 2 hours to convince you why I was right” she chuckled “Will you fight me now, if I help you?” she questioned with a smirk on her face. She caught Vaena’s eyes and felt the power of determination, that glow that was intoxicating and delightful, it fired Lana up. “You draw, I’ll review and correct, and if I find anything absurd I’ll mention it… but this… this is all you. Vaena, the savior of this dumb world” she smiled brightly. She pulled a hair tie from her pocket and tied her auburn locks up into a bun, which she only ever did when she was invested and interested. Otherwise her hair was about her shoulders in tasseled waves. “Show time”
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Post by Blindside Tex on Jul 6, 2022 21:11:11 GMT -5
Ashlyn glanced to the glass as Lana snapped at her. A chuckle came over her lips before she sighed and looked to the empty glass. “I’m drinking as soon as we get my body back.” She winked playfully. “You can’t stop me then. But I do suppose I need you to not be drunk if we are going to fix this mess.” She grinned. Everything was some sort of a game for Ashlyn it seemed.
A brow crooked as the words came from Lana, the name of old. “Bertaug?” She questioned and tilted her head slightly. “Hm, I can’t say that I know him.” She seemed to rack her memory and then shook her head. “What happened to him? Was he a mage of recent years? I can’t say that he was from my time. I feel as though I would know his name if he was.”
Ashlyn sighed slightly and then gazed to Lana as she grasped the necklace. Her brows raised slightly. “It...is isn’t it?” She asked and then gazed to the skeleton once again. She could see her mother wearing the necklace, as plain as day. She ran her thumb over the intricate design of the tree and the circle that it sat within. “My father bought it for my mother a few months before he passed.” She continued to rub her thumb along it. When she was a child she would lay on her mother’s chest and rub the necklace for hours. The silver was tarnished in several places from the way that Ashlyn had rubbed on the metal.
“Does she always disappear like this?” Ashlyn questioned as they wandered down the hallway. Though she didn’t really expect a response. She slipped the necklace over her head and followed Lana into the room. Her lips parted as she looked to the intricate work that the mage had already done. “How...” She spoke as she looked to the huge rune that was etched into the floor.
Vaena was highly focused as she etched the edge of a rune onto the stone. Her jade hues lifted as she heard Lana’s voice. “I figured out how to separate them...and I just...” She sat up from the floor. Her hands were covered in chalk. Vaena raised a brow slightly as Lana requested the chalk. She hesitated a moment before she tossed it to her. Ashlyn was leaned against the doorway as she watched the two mages interact with one another.
Vaena was in the middle of drawing another line as Lana began to speak again. She paused, her cheeks flushed red as she looked up to the woman. She remembered that night just like it was yesterday. “Well...” She stood and looked to the line that Lana had changed. She walked around Lana a few times taking in the angle of the line. “Perhaps...I won’t argue this time.” She gave a small smile. “But...for the record...I wanted to go to the carnival. I just...couldn’t...” She walked back over to her rune on the floor and began working with it once again.
Ashlyn had a smirk upon her lips, “When you’ve finished. Or you need a break come find me.” She gazed to Vaena as the woman worked on. Oblivious to the world. She then looked to Lana and motioned to her, a chuckle came from her lips before she winked and walked away.
Vaena was silent as she continued to draw. She moved about the room for hours. Her focus never waned. The mage would look to her book. She would form new calculations then she would draw. She drew and drew until the full rune was upon the floor. Meticulous. That was something that Vaena was good about. She wouldn’t ever give up. She would push all the way through until the end. That was something that was incredible about her. The determination that she had was stronger than most. It was what allowed her to excel over the others at the academy.
The night late and Vaena’s eyes grew tired as she made the last stroke with the chalk. She sat and stared about the room. She had chalk smudged on her arms and face. She’d pulled her own hair into a messy bun. She smiled to Lana as she looked around again. “Well. Do you think it’ll work?” She questioned curiously. Her jade hues landed back on Lana. “I mean...it has to work...right?”
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Post by Raven on Jul 6, 2022 21:42:15 GMT -5
Lana glanced up to Ashlyn, who watched with a keen eye. She rolled her eyes and waved her away frantically, as if to hide the truth they shared in silent whispers and glares. Lana smirked to herself though as she leaned back over a rune and peered to it. She chuckled to Vaena who replied – she wouldn’t argue, this time. “Hey, we’re pro’s now” she sat upright, placing her hands on her thighs. “I know, you wanted to go very badly. You even researched what a chirro is, I saw it on your laptop that evening when I went to check on you” she blushed slightly and tucked a strand that fell into her own face away. “I get it dude, your dad blows” she leaned back down and reinforced one drawing, she didn’t change but traced it so it was clearer and crisp.
“If anyone ever saw what a douche he was, it was always me. The way you would beg, and he wouldn’t even respond to your words. The way he demeaned you with no thought, I mean – he killed your self esteem…” she sighed deeply. “All the things you could have been doing, should have been doing. I mean damn.” She moved to another rune and paused her words. She sat for a long minute, more like 10 minutes, before she erased a rune and fixed it. “I really was excited for you, to get out of the Academy, experience life. Hell, you got on the back of my bike without really questioning me a hundred times, after seeing me for the first time in ages?” she shook her head as she drew over a rune.
Their conversation grew silent as she came across a section that forced her to think harder. After three hours in – she dug up a few granola bars and offered one to Vaena, as per usual late night sessions. After a bit she stood and paced the room, she started at the top and peered down the spell. She saw every crossing of lines as a mathematic equation, and it would move and intersect, but with certain runic letters to assist it – the frequency would change, invoking different methods and reactions, like a giant string of fireworks. She found a spot and tended to it, and returned to the top, following the math again. Until finally she did it for the 23rd time. “I can’t find a thing….” She took a in breath and let it go slowly. “It is actually… perfect. I sort of just want to lay down right here and sleep with it, its so damned beautiful…” she turned to Vaena and tilted her head. “I thought I was the rune expert, but you’ve learned a lot. More like, I learned enough and you – just don’t stop” her steps lead her away from the sigil, where she clapped her hands on her shirt. “It’ll work” she assured Vaena.
“I need a shower, and some freaking clothes, huh?” she had worked up a sweat, and there was powder every where. Smears across her brow, where she rubbed to think, on her cheek and arms. Her pants were all dusted over… she even more messy than Vaena.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Jul 7, 2022 10:38:07 GMT -5
Ashlyn merely smiled back to Lana, it was a playful knowing smile. She nodded her head as she slipped from the room. Vaena on the other hand was encompassed by the book before her and the rune that she was drawing upon the floor. Lucky for Lana. Though the mage did lift her jade hues to look to Lana as she spoke, her cheeks burned as Lana spoke about the research that Vaena had done. She knew nothing about fun events – especially carnivals. Her father hated such gatherings. He’d found the pamphlet in her room when he came to instruct her on another meeting she had with a professor. He made damn sure to pile her with work during the carnival. The entire week that the carnival was there was a living hell for Vaena. She barely slept. He gave her more and more tasks. To which she pushed herself to complete.
Vaena was frozen as she listened to Lana. She blew a bit of hair from her face and shook her head slightly. “I don’t believe he knows how to handle a child. He’s treated me like an object since the day my mother died.” She spoke. Vaena never spoke of her mother. Not once. Not even an uttered word in passing. She gave a soft sigh and then a weak smile turned up her lips. “I um...I still haven’t had a churro. I was looking forward to it.” She looked back to the rune before her again and continued the line that she was working on carefully.
Her jade hues caught Lana once again when the woman mentioned how she’d climbed onto the back of her motorcycle without a single question. Her cheeks flushed once again. She hadn’t questioned Lana. Not at all. Anyone else? She would have had a thousand questions for them. But for some reason Lana had always given her that sense of comfort. Even when Vaena had a day that Professor Tuley would beat her into the ground – to the point that Vaena was merely a walking shell of a person – Lana would be there. “I trust you Lana. That’s why I didn’t question you.” Vaena said after several long minutes of silence. Delayed response. Par for the course for Vaena.
The silence that settled between the two allowed Vaena to focus. She would glance to Lana every now and again, curious to what she was reinforcing or adjusting in the rune. Lana was right, she was the rune master. That had always been the case. Vaena learned quite a bit of spoken spells. She used her runes, but something as complex as this. It truly needed both of them to get it right. Vaena just hoped that every line was in the precise place that it needed to be. A line off in the wrong direction could spell disaster...worse than an explosion. It could cause the end of this world entirely. But somehow – that didn’t frightened Vaena as much as it should. The thought that if she didn’t get this spell right – she would lose control of herself...control of her own mind and body. That frightened her. She pressed her lips together as she stood and gazed over the huge rune. It was a work of art. Masterfully done.
Lana spoke and broke Vaena from her own mind. She chuckled lightly to Lana’s comment about wanting to sleep in the room with the rune. Her eyes played over the lines carefully – searching for anything that could be off. “I’ve spent a lot of time studying the runes over the past 5 years. When you left the academy I was assigned to Professor Young. She’s very meticulous. She wouldn’t allow a single mistake. I worked harder with her than I’ve ever worked for a professor at that academy because it felt like she was actually trying to help me. Rather than deplete me of my magic.” She smirked slightly. “You should never stop looking for more, Lana. If you do you’re only wasting that talent of yours.” She had a bright smile upon her lips.
Vaena stepped over to Lana and looked over her as she spoke about a shower. A giggle came from Vaena then – she gazed to her a long moment. “You should see the chalk on your face.” She reached forward to brush it away, but her hands held chalk on them as well so all it did was smear more chalk onto Lana’s cheek. The mage laughed then, a true genuine, feel good laugh. “I’m certain that we both look like we’ve been in a fight with a blackboard eraser.” She giggled again before she turned and glanced to the rune once more. “We did it though. Huh...” She looked over the runes as she dusted off her own hands.
She then looked to Lana, “I bet Ashlyn knows where a shower might be.” She stepped from the room and waited for Lana to follow. She brushed her hair from her face and glanced to the mage. “That was fun.” She spoke a bit awkwardly. Vaena wasn’t the best at communicating any sort of emotion. But she tried. She pushed the door open to Ashlyn’s room. The woman was sitting in her chair at her desk the necklace that her mother left her between her fingertips, her feet were propped up on the desk. Her head was leaned back and her eyes closed. Though as the door opened her eyes shot open and she sat up swiftly. She dropped the necklace and quickly scooped it up off of the floor and placed it over her head. “Is it done?” She asked and raised a brow.
“Theoretically, yes.” Vaena responded. She brushed a bit more of the chalk off on her clothing. “Are there showers?” She asked.
Ashlyn gave a chuckle and nodded. “Of course there are.” She walked between the two. She glanced to Lana with a smirk upon her lips. “What sort of mages would we be if we didn’t include a top of the line spa?” She grinned as she walked into the hallway. She led the two down the hall and down a set of stairs into a room that was filled with warmth. The trickle of fresh water could be heard. “We found a hot spring in the mountainside when we were working on building this place.” Ashlyn spoke as she walked down a set of stairs.
The room was a gorgeous untouched cavern. Stalactites hung from the ceiling and water dripped from them slowly from the moisture in the air. Within the center of the room was a pool of steaming hot water that had a blue glow to it. “These waters are as ancient as time.” Ashlyn spoke with a smile. “Rejuvenating for mages – there is a magical essence in this water. They say a dragon blessed these caverns ages ago in hopes to aid mages in the future. Is it true?” She shrugged and chuckled lightly. “I’ve no idea. But it’s a nice story isn’t it?” She chuckled lightly as she led them toward the back of the cavern. There was a station for washing and drying clothing that was positioned next to the luxurious showers. Cedar plank showers were built along the walls with large shower heads that would act like rainwater when turned on. “You press here.” She pressed a block and a drawer slid out to reveal bars of soap, shampoo and conditioner. Ashlyn then opened a small chest before the showers and pulled out towels and robes for the two. “Enjoy.” She glanced to Lana and then winked to her before she slipped away without another word.
Vaena looked to Lana and then to the shower and then back to Lana. Her cheeks were bright pink already. She stepped into the cedar plank shower and pulled the curtain. “They really knew luxury huh.” She spoke as she slipped off her shoes and kicked them out of the shower, then she slipped from her jeans. She hung them over the bar. She’d never experienced the dorm showers at the academy since she had her own room with a private bathroom. Next her shirt flopped over the top. Then she turned the water on. The water was the perfect temperature – not too hot or cold. The lovely scent of the oil filled soaps filled the air as she scrubbed away the chalk.
After the shower Vaena slipped the robe on and grasped her clothing. Her hair was held up in a towel as she walked across the room to the wash basin. She submerged her clothing to get the chalk out of it and she hung it above a golden light that emitted heat. She then stepped to the side of the glowing pool. She glanced to the shower area a moment before she slipped from the robe. She then stepped into the warmth of the cloudy waters of the pools. Her eyes took on a white glow for a moment as the essence of the magic swarmed around her. It caused her breath to catch in her chest for a moment before she leaned her head back and she truly relaxed. Vaena never allowed herself to relax. Her eyes slipped closed as she drew in deep even breaths.
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Post by Raven on Jul 11, 2022 21:51:33 GMT -5
Lana followed behind the two as they traversed through the hidden corridors. Her eyes played over the etched walls and glossy tiles, she was tired – truthfully. They entered the surprisingly lavish bath-house and a grin etched across her lips. She was certainly a sucker for the decadent, as some one who always lived below her means and then some. It had an interesting level of natural design that was almost out of a book to her.
“Wow” she managed to mutter as she peered to the tall ceiling of the caverns. The gentle drip drop was soothing, just like the natural scent of the room. The magic flooded from the waters like a bakery shop’s scent. “A dragon huh?” she questioned as she followed behind. “I’m surprised to see it in such a state after 200 years, but I suppose… my knowledge of magic is only what limited view of the Council’s crude restrictions. I’ve been chasing after some concept of truth beyond the veil… I’m finding… your world 200 years ago was so much… different” she muttered. “Something like this would be… destroyed or worse… milked for a profit. You all did the world a favor by protecting the wonders…” she seemed completely in awe. Her green orbs peered about, taking it all in a second at a time.
Lana smirked as Vaena found herself a shower. Lana took the one behind her and stepped inside. She poked the block and it magically popped out with fresh needs. She smirked and slipped her own clothing off, hanging it over the top of the shower curtain. When she pressed the shower on – it kicked on in a flowing rain over the top of her hair. She pulled her brown locks down and combed through it with her fingers. A lathering of soap, she sat for a long moment and allowed the rain to cascade over her. She shut her eyes and even leaned her forehead against the cedar wall of the shower, the water rolling over her back now. It was a steaming long shower before she finally cranked it off, several minutes after Vaena.
When she finished she followed suit and pulled a robe over her shoulders, and loosely tying it about her waist. Lana stepped forward with her clothes in hand and she chucked them into the air. They suspended in the air and slowly float towards the wash basin, magically it began to scrub it self in the bin. Lana grinned with the fancy show of magic and they hung on the drying wrack as well. By the time that Lana had stepped out of the shower – Vaena was already in the water, a robe in a pile at the base of the water.
Lana stepped over and tilted her head to Vaena, who rest in the water, eyes closed. A second later – the sound of water shifting filled the steamed air as her toes pushed the water away. She was stomach deep when her rune tattoo’d arm began to slowly fill with color. Her entire arm glowed purple, her eyes following suit as the magic flowed within her. She stopped – a gasp emitted from her throat as the power soothed her. After the brief pause she pushed further into the water. She said nothing as she succumbed to the demand of the waters.
Lana then dove into the water, dipping below the water. She came back up on the opposite side of the pool, her hands rest on the edge of the pool as her shoulders were exposed to the room, her gaze peering away. “It’s a wild thought” Lana finally broke the silence, still facing away from Vaena. “That there are only a few days left of the world that we know. You know?” she spoke softly. For once – a light layer of fear etched her velvet voice. She sunk into the water and turned around slightly, peering to Vaena now, the water lapping over her shoulders.
“There are three possible outcomes. We succeed and skip through the time dimensions, breaking every law known to man. Unaware of where it will.. throw us, right? In hopes that we can… fix it. This timeline will keep going, and…” she sucked in a breath. She thought of her mother then. She had not told her about this crazy tale. She would go on – worrying over Lana… “Or fail – magic consuming us to pieces” she sighed. “Or… I watch you turn into a flesh craving zombie or whatever” she chuckled slightly. “You know I’d have to kill ya” she gave a cheeky grin. “I’ll make sure it make it creative. Burst you into a display of fireworks that say ‘Fuck you Malcom’ “ she held her hands up to mimic the fireworks.
“So it’s down to just now… this is it. Everything we worked for rests now in these final moments” she glanced up to the stalagmite which dropped a bit of water to the pool. “So, if anything in the entire world. What’s the one thing you wish you did then? We are the most powerful mages to walk this land today, we can do anything you want. Name it.” She smirked, her eyes playing over the woman in her every bit of vulnerability.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Jul 11, 2022 22:17:26 GMT -5
Vaena didn’t move as the sound of the shower that Lana was in turned off. She was far too relaxed to care in this moment. The way that the water soothed her and recharged her soul. She took in deep even breaths as though she had fallen asleep. It wasn’t until she heard the splash of the water that her jade hues opened. She gazed to Lana as the woman sank into the cloudy waters. The purple glow in the woman’s hues was simply gorgeous. Vaena gazed to the runes that lit up like fireworks upon Lana’s arm, her lips parted slightly.
When Lana dove beneath the waters Vaena leaned her head back once again and closed her eyes. She was allowing herself to succumb to the waters. So many times in her life she wished she’d had something like this. Every worry. Every fear. It seemed to melt away. Every pain. Every ounce of exhaustion. It was gone.
As the silence was broken Vaena gazed to Lana. To her shoulders as they glistened from the magical waters that beaded upon her skin and rolled down her back. “We don’t know what this world will truly become. Perhaps there would be those that would survive and make this world a better place?” She gave a weak smile. She didn’t even believe her own words. She feared for herself. For losing her own mind. A sigh came over her lips.
She listened to the outcomes that Lana listed. “At least if we are ripped to shreds by our magic, then we will never have to face the pain of failure.” She had a shallow smile. When Lana said she’d have to kill Vaena a giggle came from her. “You had better make it a huge display, Lana.” She truly smiled now. “Fuck the capitol.” She spoke and leaned her head back. “I never...if we do go back in time...if we succeed in fixing this mess. I want to make sure that the Capitol never exists.” She whispered softly. “Perhaps not even the Argaris Academy.”
She lifted her head and looked to Lana, a soft smile played upon her lips as the woman spoke. This was it. The final moments. What should they do? Vaena’s eyes played over Lana, her jawline as she looked up to the stalagmite, her gentle features in the dim light of the room. “One thing that I wish I did?” She questioned and blew out a breath. “Just one?” She laughed lightly. She was far more relaxed in the waters than she’d ever been. “There are so many things that I wish I would have done. So many things that I missed out on because my father had my nose buried in books and my hand attached to a quill to draw up runes.” A sad smile came to her then.
Vaena looked away, “I haven’t enjoyed much of anything.” She admitted. “You were the most enjoyable thing while I was at the Academy. Something that I didn’t even have the time to realize until you were gone. But that’s what they say right? You’ll never miss something until it’s taken away from you.” Vaena gazed up to the ceiling of the cavern, taking the place in. “I’ve always wanted to go to that Carnival with you. You know? You seemed like you really wanted to go...and my father forbid it.” She chuckled lightly. “You know he would tell me not to hang around with you. He would say ‘That Highland girl isn’t a good influence on you, Vaena.’” She rolled her eyes slightly. “I never could figure out why he was so uncomfortable with you. You were the only person that was ever nice to me and treated me like...a person...” Her voice grew soft. She looked away and sighed softly.
There was a moment of silence before Vaena’s jade hues fell back upon Lana. “What about you? If you could have anything in this world. Or do anything? What would it be? Any last requests before we possibly get ripped into a thousand pieces?” She asked with a curious gaze, a smile upon her lips.
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Post by Raven on Jul 15, 2022 21:16:05 GMT -5
Lana tilted her head as Vaena expressed her feelings of the capitol, of even the Academy. Part of her chest sunk down in the thought, she had always wanted her to see the corruption, but the anger did not fit Vaena. Her friend was always the naive, sweet and hard working person – it pained to see her transform. Though, it wasn’t Lana who did it, she knew this, the truth would unravel and did unravel. Vaena was in a situation that could not be helped, she would have come to this realization either way.
“Who knows what will come of it. We are performing the spell, going back to change it all, that is all we can do. The rest is up to the nature of the world. In the end, there must be balance right? Some other form of bullshit will exist… but at least this time, we’ll set the corners of the playing field evenly” she ran her fingers through her hair and peered to her with gentle glowing eyes.
“I got so wrapped up in determining the truth, getting my revenge – I never stopped to think of what I left behind. I’ve been so full of rage, and ultimately it has made me even stronger… I’ve been teetering on this edge of being someone I promised I’d never become” she sighed softly and then smirked. “Being around you though, it brings me back to being me again. I’ve.. stopped thinking so much about my father, and the capitol. My eyes are on this now, a new path, perhaps” she gave an uncomfortable chuckle, like whispering her feelings outloud made her uneasy.
“Your father never liked me because he had beef with my dad as well, a little internal family war – perhaps. And I – I’m wild, I do what I want, when I want. He wanted to raise a proper daughter who would beck to his command, and… you did” she shrugged slightly. “And look where it got you, you are established, powerful, the Magister despite all circumstances. I was… a baker, who smuggled thugs and did horrible shit. Your father was right, in the end.” She shrugged slightly.
Lana slowly began to walk towards the center of the pool, making her way to the stairs out. “If I could have anything, do anything, it’s this damn spell” she smirked and then shrugged. “The carnival was the last good thought on my mind, honestly. It would be nice to do that, relive the days when I was happy again” she came to the stairs and slowly began to step out. She cared not to cover herself, her backside visible in all of its nature as she stepped out. Tendrils of soaked hair clung to her shoulder blades and she waved her hand. Her robe float into the air and fell upon her shoulders, she wrapped it and then stepped towards the drying rack, where her clothes were ready.
She didn’t say a thing, she took her clothes and walked off towards a changing area. Soon she came back out in her blue jeans, knee high boots, tank top and black leather jacket. She tucked her phone into her pocket and braided her hair into a thick side braid, that fell over her left shoulder. “Come on then” she held her hand up and a portal appeared before them. “Back then… I wrote a rune at the carnival, just behind the haunted house on the side of one of the storage units they had” she chuckled “We were going to just sneak right in” she peered to the round portal before them. They could see through it, like a tall screen almost. The Ferris wheel was spinning slowly in the distance, the horror house was just before them – a huge collection of graffiti was on the back, with attempts of the company painting over it. “After you” she held her hand forward with a grin.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Jul 16, 2022 20:53:13 GMT -5
Vaena kept her head leaned back as Lana began to speak. “If we set the playing field perhaps mages will have a chance in this future...” She spoke as she finally looked to Lana with a small smile. She took in the glowing eyes of the woman as she’d brushed her fingers through her hair. “I wonder what will become of us...this magic...it’s untested...dangerous...” She drew in a breath. “I do hope that it goes as planned. But even attempting to calculate where we will end up. I tried, Lana. But it is all dependent upon the three of us. Our magic. How it melds together. That is what will truly determine where we will end up. Some calculations I made put us back 10 years….others...well...” She bit her lip slightly. “Over 500 years and I’m not so certain we will be able to come back.”
She gazed to Lana as she began to speak about her life. The things she was wrapped up in. How focused she’d been on revenge. Revenge was something that would suck the soul from someone. It was a dangerous path. She smiled slightly as Lana spoke her feelings. She could see that speaking her feelings made her uneasy. But, finally Vaena had heard thoughts from Lana. Perhaps she was too busy in their past to listen to her. She was so focused on her studies. A sigh came from her lips. “You were too busy planning revenge. While I was too busy buried in books and my studies to notice much of anything around me...” She gave a soft, almost regrettable smile. “I missed out on speaking to you more...and truly spending time with you. My nose was always buried in a book. Yet you still hung around me even when my father tried time and time again to run you off.” She laughed lightly. “My father wanted to raise a proper daughter, but what do I know of the world?” She raised a brow. “At least you’ve seen the world for what it is.”
Vaena found herself staring to Lana’s back, her lips parted slightly as the woman so freely exited the milky waters of the pool. When she realized the way she was staring Vaena quickly adverted her eyes, her cheeks burned hot. She froze for a few moments before she herself left the pool. She dried herself and dressed in her clothing. She had a black v-neck and jeans with a dark blue hoodie and running shoes. She looked comfortable. The hoodie held the seal of the Argaris Academy on the back and her initials on the front left chest. She brushed through her hair and waved her hands over it carefully. Her hair dried swiftly, it left it in gentle tassels that fell about her face. The red of her hair caused the jade of her hues to pop.
Vaena gazed over as Lana reappeared. She tucked her phone in her back pocket and smiled as the portal appeared. “You didn’t.” She chuckled lightly. She peered through it, she could see people moving about and enjoying themselves. Cotton candy. Popcorn. Vaena had a grin as she looked to Lana. “This is perfect.” She grasped Lana’s hand and stepped through the portal. As she walked through she released Lana and looked around. The sound of carnival music played, laughter and conversation filled Vaena’s ears. She walked into the crowd, completely in awe. She’d never seen anything like it. Even the bustle of the city was not nearly as striking as this.
“Step right up! Step right up! Can you balance up Jacob’s Ladder?” A man stood on a ladder. He walked up it easily and rang a bell. “Ring the bell. Get a prize!” He called out as he hopped down onto the inflatable and slid down to the base of the ladder.
Vaena listened to the chiming of games. A few kids ran around her with cotton candy in their hands, they giggled happily. A tired mother chased after them. “You there!” A voice called. “Lovely fire-haired woman.” A man in a top hat walked up to her. “You could be my next lovely assistant.” He grinned. He had a thin mustache that was twirled together. “Awe the crowds! Be part of the magic.” He held a deck of cards up and fanned it out easily as he grinned to her. “Pick a card, beautiful.” He had an infectious smile.
Vaena gazed to him. He was so close she could smell his cologne. She glanced to Lana almost nervously. “Okay.” She reached forward and grasped a card.
“Show it to the other lovely lady there.” He nodded to Lana. Vaena showed the card to Lana. She’d never seen magic like this. Performed by those without true magic. She chuckled and looked back to him. The magician smiled and nodded. “Put it back in the deck, beautiful.” He spoke in a smooth voice. He began to shuffle the cards around and bridge them from one hand to another. The art of his shuffling had Vaena watching with curious eyes. He slipped a card from the deck and held it forward. “Your card m’lady.” He smirked.
Vaena grasped the card, a look of awe on her expression. “You’re right...it is...” She furrowed her brows slightly. She had no idea how he performed the trick. “That is incredible. Very well done.” She complimented.
The magician pulled his hat off and bowed before her. “Of course, of course. Only the best for two gorgeous ladies.” He showered them in compliments. He gazed to Lana and then to Vaena. He was looking for a tip for his trick that he’d performed for them.
Vaena seemed to have no idea. She placed the card into his hat and smiled brightly. “I’ve never heard of magic tricks like this.” She spoke and then looked to Lana. “Come on. Lets go in the haunted house.” She grinned as she rushed off toward the haunted house. The magician looked to Lana with a bit of a weak smile as he placed his hat back on his head and moved to perform a trick for another group of people. “Lana! Hurry up!” Vaena giggled as she rushed into the haunted house.
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Post by Raven on Jul 16, 2022 21:43:42 GMT -5
Lana followed behind her and the portal shut close with a dramatic wooshing sound. The particular location smelled a little bit like trash, as the dumpster – which was crated in by four walls of falling apart lattice fence, was overflowing with stuffed black bags of trash. Lana quickly skipped behind Vaena, who barged between the buildings and right into the commotion.
Lana’s hues peered to the woman, who’s curious eyes peered around. She watched Vaena do a near 360 spin while finding herself in the middle of the small park. They were in an isle of booths, which created a grid of activities. Between stands, or game booths – wandering artists chased down their next victim. They meandered half a block when a magician sought Vaena’s pure eyes out from the crowd, a sucker to dupe. Lana stood next to Vaena and smirked as she watched her reaction, her dumb-foundedness when the magician schooled her in a wave of his wrist. He was fast, that was for sure – and he played Vaena like a fiddle with his charismatic lips, and obnoxious entertainer posh accent, belting to distract the player from his hand. It was all too perfectly done, and she saw the spirit of the attempt illuminate Vaena’s eyes, a dream she dared to whisper.
When Vaena placed the card in his hand, so niavely and sweetly – Lana muffled a chuckle. He glanced to Vaena and the magician and she held up the number 1 on her hand. Her first time – she motioned to Vaena. Lana then held her watch out and it scanned the QR code on the brim of the hat, she then punched in $5 and waved him away as she followed behind Vaena.
“The haunted house? Of you are going straight for gold, huh?” she walked up to the large purple building. It was a huge purple castle, with black peaks of the gothic style. The door itself was a huge mouth – agape with vampire fangs and sharpened teeth. To enter would be to step through this treacherous door. From the door emit a smog that lingered over the concrete pathway. The door was cracked open with a glowing dark purple hue behind it, a light flickered In the window above to the spooky humming music that directed their path.
“You sure?” Lana paused at the door, There was a X sign with a sign next to door that said. “Wait to enter for the most enjoyable Experience. When the sign has a red X – do not enter and wait behind the red line. When the sign has a green check mark, you may enter. No beverages, and please do not destroy the property within.”
“You ever been in one of these?” she questioned, she then scoffed and chuckled lightly. “What am I saying, of course not… well, you’re in for a treat” she smirked. “I used to volunteer for this one back in high school, and they would mix it up every year. Oh… good times…” she smirked “get all dressed up, scare some kids? Ahh…” she stretched her arms above her head. Just as she did she glanced up to the sky. The sun would set in just under an hour, so the world was slowly dimming as they stood. A night breeze moved in and wafted the thick sound of frogs and crickets over the hustle and cheering of the night.
The glowing neon sign before the door chimed and the green check filled the box. “Okay, here we go” she pushed the cracked door open and a waft of cold air washed over them. Immediately Lana got goose bumps – she raised her arm with a chuckle to point it out. They walked down a slender hallway, which had vintage sconces that held a flame. The heat could be felt, but it mixed with a drafty cold that pushed down the hall. It seem to go forever until it came to another door.
Lana glanced to Vaena and then reached for the door. The handle was super cold, but not painfully so. Lana yanked her hand away and glanced to Vaena “Touch the handle” she motioned. She watched Vaena open the door and peered forward. The next room was a living room. The fireplace was lit with a real fire, and there was ragtime music playing on a record player. The room had a cozy feeling… but in the corner of the room was a vent. From the vent a purple cold smog entered the room and wafted about their feet in long tendrils of smoke. A wicked voice came from no where, a speaker hidden in the dark living room. Perhaps in one of the book cases loaded with leather antique books…
“You feel the cold on your ankles? It shall grasp you whole, you will die here today” there was a slamming. The door behind them shut loudly and a huge locking sound filled the air, with a thudding sound. The music completely stopped and there was silence. After a moment the wicked voice cackled a witchly coo, and a candle lit up suddenly.
Lana peered to the vent, which leaked more of the said poison. It smelled of lilacs and honeythistle, scented on purpose to make you realize it. “Vaena, we gotta find a way out” she looked around the room. “It’s like an escape room, but easier – uh, you never did one of those. It’s a puzzle, some where is a lever, or a key – there is a door right there.” She glanced up and there was a screen that lit up. A timer for 1 minute started to count down, starting at 59….58…..57…
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Post by Blindside Tex on Jul 16, 2022 22:38:55 GMT -5
Vaena stood before the haunted house with an excited grin on her lips. She glanced back to Lana as she caught up to her. “What took you so long?” She commented before she stepped up to the entrance. “You said the haunted houses were the best. I remember you specifically telling me that you’d drag me into one. So yes, I am going for gold.” She grinned as they walked up to the door and gazed to the red X that was illuminated. She looked to Lana as she asked to make sure Vaena was sure. “Yes, yes, you said these are the best. So yes.” She laughed before they entered.
Vaena looked to Lana and raised a brow slightly as she questioned if she’d ever been in one. But Lana was quick to answer her own question and tell her a story of her childhood. She gazed up to the dusky sky and smiled. “Thank you for this, Lana.” She spoke just before they entered the attraction.
Her jade hues gazed about to the walls, the fire, the smog on the floor. She looked to Lana’s arm that held goosebumps and she held her own up. “Me too!” She exclaimed with a giggle. Vaena walked forward and paused at the door. She looked to Lana with slightly furrowed brows. “Oh that’s cold.” She commented before she pushed into the room.
She gazed about the cozy room with a confused look in her eyes. It wasn’t frightening. She expected blood and gore. She tilted her head as she looked to the bookcases, her arms crossed over her chest. Though as the door slammed shut Vaena jumped, her eyes widened slightly. She gasped and held her hand to her chest. Jump scares were the easiest. She glanced to Lana as she explained. “A puzzle...okay.” She looked to the clock and got to work. She moved about the room and pulled several off the books from the shelf. She knocked on one of the books. “Here Lana.” She opened the book and pulled a key from it. “Bookcases always hold helpful things, hm?” She giggled lightly as she moved to the door. She slipped the key into place and turned it. She then pushed the door open. They entered another hallway. Vaena walked along carefully, the air was chilled. She glanced back to Lana and smiled.
“You will never escape.” A voice came from no where once again and cackled. The sound of the door behind them slammed shut. “The walls will close in on you and you’ll be stuck here forever.” The voice was dark.
Vaena looked back forward as the walls began to slowly inch inward. “Lana run!” She grasped Lana’s hand and tugged her forward swiftly. She rushed through halls that went left and right. The further down the hall they got the closer the walls squeezed in on them. She shoved her way through the next door. Vaena glanced around this room. It appeared to be a study of some shape or form. There was a large desk with a chair turned around away from them. Several bookcases.
“Even I cannot leave. So neither will you.” The voice again.
The chair slowly turned around to reveal a skeleton that had a hole in the skull. A gun rest in the skeleton’s lap. Vaena glanced to Lana as she felt a heat begin to creep up in the room. Above them a fire errupted. “Oh no!” Vaena glanced around swiftly. She rushed forward to a door and tried it. “It’s locked Lana!” She gasped as she turned to look around. “What do we do now?” She questioned swiftly. She rushed to a bookcase but all of the books were secured in place.
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