Private Tales Enough of Our Disease

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria was entirely too used to waiting in the wings.

She was always a last resort, expected to stand aside and be witness to the incompetence of those before her when all the while, Initiate Larrainth was someone capable of securing a fast win. The girl was a walking devastation. An ending. A young girl nurtured to tear things apart, and even at her age now, a year from graduation, she was unrelenting to loosen her talons. But she bit down on the impatience, the sneers. Vittoria complied with the orders given to her, because this was not the first time.

No, no matter how capable they thought their plans were, they always needed to resort to the girl with an unnerving smile.

She waited outside the entrance carved into the cliff face, taking tentative steps closer to the edge of the rock that gave the feeling of being suspended into the air. The wind battered against her, foretelling the winds of a storm that was to pass, and the dark shadows loomed in the horizon. Vittoria knew one more step would be precarious, but she stood there, a pillar. A voice called to her, one without panic lacing it until her name was called a second time. It tried to sound firm, commanding, but there was that worry against as she ignored the summons.

"Vittoria."

She peered over her shoulder, a soft hum of recognition.

"The Proctor has asked for you."

It was now her turn to perform. With careful balance, she pivoted and headed for the tunnel carved into the stone, had walked into the swallowing dark until her eyes adjusted enough to see the faint direction leading her to the room they had discovered. She knew her uncle had followed her, the familiarity of weight and pace of his boots loud enough to deafen her soft steps.

Word had reached certain ears that a curse, a spell, a reckoning was defending a weapon not meant to be placed in the hands of their enemies. A fae relic, Vittoria had gleaned, that was capable of rebuilding what has fallen. It was a symbol of hope, a symbol of renewing.

Something to be destroyed, something to be procured...

They only needed to get past the protection barrier first before analysing the might of the relic that waited deeper into the tunnels.

"A fool's task..." She announced her arrival. A great number of experts were scattered about the chamber, but her eyes quickly found the face she only cared enough to seek. "is it not, Proctor Krixus?"

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair stood silently behind the row of experts taking their turns looking over the magical barrier. He did not bother with pushing his way to the front as he could already see what he needed to do from back here. Unfortunately, he was also being patient as they were letting some of these experts make their own attempts at solving their problems.

It was fruitless, and anyone who could stop and think about it would recognize that. They had already determined the spell and items were fae in origin, but Vel Anir did not have many that dealt with the fae, and it showed. These people were still treating it like some standard Vel Anir magic.

However, Alistair could see the truth. It was actually his first time getting to experience fae sorcery with his vision and even he admitted it was impressive. It was...fluid, everchanging, malleable. The opposite of foundational Vel Anir magic. Of course, besides solving puzzles, there were simpler ways of bypassing puzzles.

That was when he called for Vittoria. It was a stroke of luck that she had been picked for this assignment, but he was glad it was her. She was too often used for simple destruction, but that did not take advantage of her innate talents. With enough time, he hoped to show that breaking down was the first part of creation.

Alistair was taken from his own analysis as he heard his own name, and looked over to see her arrival. He smiled as he motioned her over.

"Yes, Initiate Larrainth, but the Fae always did see us as fools I suppose...What would you suggest? May I call you Vittoria? You may call me Alistair for the remainder of this assignment. I find that efficiency is more important than formalities."

Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Her attentive eyes were on the Proctor, listening to him with a smidgen of amusement. "Yes, you may, Proctor." She was not going to break protocol just for a mission, and liked her distance from others in terms of familiarity with names.

But Vitt liked Proctor Krixus' classes. Every lesson had her transfixed on the work, had her envisioning herself being able to see the magical strings all coming apart and showing what lay beneath a spell.

There was a theory that Vittoria could break apart a curse like this. A mage-made wards were certainly an obstacle to tackle, but ancient fae magic? She could smell it's difference from here, not even within touching distance of it. The closer they stepped up to the clear barrier, the stronger the scent. Her eyes began to pick apart the flickers of strangeness, as if alive and well and capable of operating without the one that cast the spell. A sentient opponent, if they were not careful enough.

"This used to belong to a Court within the faefolk, before they broke through earth and let the sea swallow half of it. They hid relics all over Arethil, spreading the magic and might in all corners lest they are in need of a saving grace... That is all the faerie was able to say before we killed him." Connall cleared his throat to get Vittoria's attention, stepping closer and holding up a key. She raised a brow, offering him one wrist bound with a runic nullifier band. "And the other one." He instructed after unlocking it.

She had burned through too many of these to keep up with the demand of leashing her powers, and so the Academy decided to go ahead with the locking mechanism despite knowing full well she could pick it apart with her magic within a minute.

But Vittoria was keeping trust between all parties on a tight leash.

Let them believe her to be compliant.

"All magic can fall, even fae magic." If this was the effort and spell to keep a relic protected, then she could only imagine the wit and craft of magic within that object beyond. Vittoria rolled her wrists, looking to the barrier again and tried to spy and weak spots. "Where shall we strike first, Proctor?"

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Ah, he had forgotten about that. How rude of him, but the idea of a runic suppression band on an initiate was...unbecoming. While he could understand the reasoning behind their fears, Alistair found the practice of collaring their Dreadlords, even future ones to be unsettling.

It was a good sign that Vittoria could also seem to sense the differences in the fae magic. Maybe some of them were actually listening in his class.

As he turned back his attention to the barrier, Alistair began to perform his spell while speaking.

"I want to try using your magic in the ways that I believe we have mentioned in my class. However, we have to be careful."

As his spell came to fruition, a large runic array came into being. It was his best attempt at deciphering the magic of the barrier before him. It had all of the correct forms, but...it was like trying to recreate a painting with only numbers.

"This is the magic before us...In the way that I see it, but then imagine it is also doing this."

With a wave of his hand, the array in front of him had several sections begin to spin and shift around each other in a complex pattern.

"That's what we are working with, but if we use your magic uncarefully, then there could be dangerous feedback, so we need to find just the right place to...break it down."

Alistair had already been looking at the pattern, but it was like trying to catch an oiled eel. Even when he felt like he had a firm grasp on the spell, it would just slip out of his hands when it rearranged itself.

Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

It was the same as threading string through the needle's eye.

To even navigate this foreign magic, Vittoria had to admit to herself that she was glad to have the eye of the Proctor for this task. His eyesight unique, and the point of view she lacked to tackle this task. Her eyes fell to the demonstration of magic, watching as it coiled and interlaced, but the different strains worked together to become a stronger layer.

Much like sinew between bone and muscle, a layer she could peel apart.

"A slow investigation then... may I?" She asked, stepping closer to his magical demonstration and examining it before calling her power.

The Proctor would see the silent shadow of her magic's aura, a greyness clouded around her being as she began to cast. Like smoke, her magic seeped into whatever space it could find, investigating the individual tendrils and identifying them enough to isolate them.

But Vittoria was careful. Tentative. This was not her first curse she had broken, but what she knew of the fae was enough caution going in. Tricksters. Superior. Magic flowed in the ley lines that covered the world of Arethil, a resource not monopolised by those residing in the Anirian territories.

"Odd... I can feel possibly hundreds of different strains within this." Vittoria began to peel away the larger, more common strain.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair watched Vittoria and her magic carefully. He wasn't sure if she even realized it, but the way her aura appeared played a large part in explaining her talents. The shape may be because it was a specific focus area, or maybe it was just natural talent. The smoke demonstrated that she had a talent for finding the cracks and weak points to take things apart. The Academy was likely urging her to just barge into things with her magic and tear it all down, but this ability to find the weak points was the real talent that should be trained.

"Yes, hence the need for caution."

The formula that she was looking at and he had created just a diagram, and not the actual spell so she could experiment with it all she wanted.

Alistair had begun to notice others beginning to pay attention to their work, some stepping closer maybe in the hopes of assistance or just learning something for themselves. He held up his hands towards them indicating that they were not required for this and they should stand back. His blank gaze did not leave room for argument.

As Vittoria continued to work, her aura interaction with the spell assisted with his own insight. He removed certain pieces from the formula as they were revealed to be decoys or tricks meant to slow the spellcaster down. This simplified the array and revealed more of the core fae magic, but that core was a very complicated piece of work.

"I will give it to the Fae. They certainly know what they are doing."

Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria agreed with the Proctor, but would not voice it so aloud with others present.

Not only did they linger out of curiosity, they remained to witness Vittoria's destructive magic being tamed for this task. She earned the name Unmaker, earned the fear and respect of those that knew her father. What she know became, so bloodthirsty even in the age of revolution, Vittoria was all the more eager to show just how capable she was with her magic.

"The fae are also foolish to leave trinkets of great power lying around."

But Vittoria worked carefully and slowly. Steady hands like a surgeon, she eliminated layers and layers of the magic. Undid all the complexities of being woven as one, until what was left was an obstacle of near impossibility.

"This... this is now a puzzle." There was an excitement to her voice, a lighting up in her eyes. Puzzles had been a way the Academy kept her occupied in her younger years, and this one did not weigh on her one bit. "You see that, Proctor Krixus? How one strand is in fact made up of three? Each component touches another magical strain..." A pattern. A possibility of figuring out the complex system.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

"True, I wonder if I was as old as some of them then maybe I would leave lying around artifacts of great power like discarded pieces of paper."

Alistair offered dismissively as he largely ignored the crowd. He was well aware of the reputation that Vittoria had developed for her year, and some of Alistair's friends had had similar reputations. However, Alistair was largely the opposite.

He was easily forgettable in his abilities, often seen as another name on a report of successful missions, but rarely the star. Even his magical discoveries that he had proudly perfected in the last few years, while innovative would eventually be used to far greater effect by those like Vittoria. Those he called the hero types, while Alistair considered himself far more of a shadow. He was never noticed, but always there when the Republic needed a win.

As Vittoria pointed out the strain, Alistair leaned closer in looking closely. Each strain combined nearly perfectly into one, but...his eyes were not so easily tricked. The faintest of changing colors revealed what he needed to see.

"Right here, and follow this seam up...It should unravel." His finger pointed to the bottom of the piece of the puzzle before carefully tracing its way up in a slightly curving arc.

"Not too much here. Just enough energy to make it unravel but not dissolve."

Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

The path was there, she could see it just as the Proctor could. He was right, there was no need to rush this, that her magic could just as well be applied with too much pressure and disintegrate the entire thing. It could be catastrophic, a sure result in death, but Vittoria was a master of control with her magic.

Slowly, smoky tendrils of her magic began to work at the seam, to peel away from the rest.

"Decoding this labyrinth has given me much joy. I had thought this venture to be boring, but this...." This had been worth the travel.

There was pure happiness in her facial features, her fingers tucking raven strands behind her ears to better look at the construct of magic before her. With expertise and patient, Vittoria unfurled two more strains of magic at the same time, carefully untying them from their conflicting placements, and at last, leaving the last strain.

"The heart of the magic." Her voice was on the precipice of passion, and Vittoria stood up straight to give herself time to take a much needed breath. "The last piece of the puzzle."

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair stood by and watched with a proud expression like, well, a teacher. Vittoria had already had strong control of her magic before his classes, but he liked to think that his tutelage had only sharpened the sword further.

While no one else may be able to understand was had happened like the two of them, they could all feel the change in the room as the main ward unraveled. That simply left Alistair to cast an average dispelling spell for their path to be opened.

Like a pack of hyenas looking to pounce on a wounded predator, the so-called experts moved to hurry forward only for Alistair's voice to boom outward.

"There is no guarantee that there are no more magical defenses. Please form an orderly line and follow behind us." If he had to play the role of Dreadlord rather than a magical specialist to ensure these fools did not get themselves killed then that is exactly what he would do.

Satisfied that they would follow them, he turned back to Vittoria, "Excellent work Vittoria. Let us learn of the reward for our labors."

He stepped forward to lead the group down the tunnel to the fae artifact, expecting Vittoria to follow at his side.

Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Praise was always good in her eyes, especially from her educators.

It allowed her to realise she was on the right path, that her understanding of magic was with no fault.

Proudly, she walked alongside Proctor Krixus. Her uncle stepped in behind them both, grunting at the vultures that followed behind. Most were not magically inclined, had resorted to spelled objects and artifacts to study the fae magic, but in their quest for knowledge did they forget the might of the Dreadlords.

Vittoria would be more than happy to demonstrate her power, the nasty effects it could have on a person... but to be trusted without the shackles at her wrists, Larrainth needed to play her part.

"I expected paintings on the walls. Fae are savages, are they not?" She mused allowed. Connall chuckled behind her, and Vittoria threw him a look of equal amusement. "Perhaps they were not capable of such arts."

"The fae boy claimed this relic is not one well protected. Their kind do not care for it as it belongs to an isolated Court." Both Vittoria and Connall scoffed, as if the fae being so organised and civil enough to hold courts was ludicrous.

"Well, then. That makes it our treasure." Vittoria delighted.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair smirked at Vittoria's quips about the original owners of the artifact. It was true, that many in Vel Anir saw the fae as barbaric, often because of their ignorance of the mysterious creatures. Alistair would even admit to being one of them, as he had never seen any fae art pieces in his life.

However, maybe the fae simply found their art in other areas of their life. Even now, in this abandoned place long forgotten by time, the magic energy was so thick that Alistair could see better than he ever had with his human vision.

So maybe the fae would not be creating the next hyper-realistic Siege of Vel Anir (a personal favorite piece of Alistair's), but he would classify the spell they broke through as nothing short of artistic. These were a people beloved by magic...How unfair.

"Yes, Vel Anir's treasure."

He turned his harsh eyes back to stare down those behind him, reminding them all of their first duty to the Republic.

"We will proceed with a quick study of the artifact, and then once we are able to conclude that it is safe for transport, it will be moved back to the city of Vel Cirak for further study."

Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria so wished to banish the scholars, the researchers, the so called decoders, but the idea of showing them how this should be done appealed to her more.

The walls grew shorter, smaller, until there was a point they all needed to go forth in a single file. Vittoria even had to stoop, changing her footwork to adjust her stance and be ready.

But darkness filled and swallowed her and Alistair, Connall soon to follow. Light came in the form of mage light, and Vittoria's zeroed in on the altar at the opposite end of the chamber. The stone was red in colour, turned flame in the warmth of the light provided, as it was made from...

"Sunstone." Vittoria saw the flash in the stone's clarity that identified the stone.

She brought up both hands, weaving and stretching tendrils of her magic before her, and with a single breath expelled it forward, finding any other traces of spellwork that needed to be addressed.

Nothing.

"How should we proceed Proctor?"

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Sunstone, Alistair almost wanted to laugh, because in this instance that was what it truly was as the stone was giving off some and extreme magical signature that it was, at first, blinding to Alistair. He winced ever so slightly as he commanded the scholars to head back and bring forward any equipment.

Vittoria had detected not other spells, and he could not sense any either, so he was confident they were safe from any magics.

"Still be careful of normal traps, but let's move forward and get a good look at this alter."

Whether the alter was the artifact or not was still yet unconfirmed. Several of Alistair's rings and pieces of jewelry began to glow as these engraved enchantments activated several wards designed for magical analysis and detection.

"Mr. Connall, would you be so kind as to delay the scholars while Vittoria and I take a closer look at this altar?"

Frankly, any time with the rats out of his hair would make this entire process much easier, even if he had to deal with their whining when this was all said and done.

Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Normal traps.

Vittoria tilted her head to the side and cast her gaze to the chamber ahead.

There was a clear line midway through the room, as if a barrier should be there and yet the absence of one was ever present. Vittoria used her eyes to find any other trappings, a brow raising as nothing else threatened them. Her magic told her there were no other locks, binds, nor traps.

The altar looked clear of any relics, but the closer they got to it, dark and ancient magic caressed at their cheeks, beckoning them forward.

It was the first time in a while that Vittoria hesitated.

"Good thing uncle is a Dreadlord. Those scholars would fight to get back in here..." And what fools if they were this close, perhaps susceptible to the allure of the faerie magic. Her lips curled back to bare her teeth, two more steps and she could see that the sunstone dipped, creating a basin. Underneath the water, a perfectly polished gold coin lay at the bottom. It was not deep, perhaps reaching midway of her forearm if she were to retrieve the coin. It was large, almost larger than her own palm.

"There is an inscription... I... it is in the language of the fae." Her lips pursed.

Language, was a subject Vittoria was well versed in. Not only did she know the languages commonly spoken on Liadain, but there were bits and pieces of elven and faerie she had picked up on in her readings.

"Sun... and water... no, no... perhaps heat..." Decoding the language occupied her mind, kept her busy. "A cost."

 

[Alistair Krixus]

In fact, Alistair was far more fearful of the normal traps as they would have no magical signature for him to sense. However, he was counting on the fae not dirtying their hands with such...mortal tools. It seemed he was right.

As they neared sunstone, most of the spells Alistair had going were telling him things were relatively safe. That left the inscription. He was pleased to see Vittoria could understand some fae, while he knew a few basic words, he had forgone the fae language to learn the Outlander language that the tribes of the savannah spoke.

"Well, there is the sun stone, and water provided...so heat?"

Alistair held his hand over the basin to get a feel and see if the water was putting off any heat. He could feel nothing, but that did not matter when dealing with magic. The real worry was this cost the inscription spoke of...He had never been afraid to give up in search of power. He had done it more than once before as his eyes were a testament to.

He wasted no time rolling up his sleeve on his left arm and removing all of his jewelry from that appendage. The best way to learn was to do...they just had to do it safely.

"Be prepared to call for a healer...and defend yourself." With nothing left to say, several runic spells wrapped around his arm to protect him and he shoved his left arm into the water to grab the coin.

Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria audibly held her breath, her eyes catching the inscription once more as the message began to come together to read well in her mind. "Proctor—" But his arm went in.

Every warrior of Sun knows that to withstand the heat of the stone's water, it must leech the Sun from you.

The water would be near boiling as soon as Alistair's arm went in. She could see the steam rising from the surface, the slight shift in the air as the scent of heat brushed against them. The coin would be the hottest, would scald anyone that was unsuspecting. The coin took the touches of the Sun from you, would take that warmth in your blood.

Humans died if they got too cold.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

It would have been impossible not to notice the slap of heat as Alistair's arm took the plunge. Instantly, he grits his teeth and tries to move quickly. All of his wards quickly moved to protect him. If it had just been from his sense of feel then Alistair would have been so focused on counteracting the heat that he would not have even noticed the primary spell of the coin. However, his eyes spotted it at the last moment.

The alter's high magical field made it difficult for other spells to be crafted, but at this moment, Alistair turned to one of the first spells he had ever learned. It was one of the most basic spells trained at the Academy and a mainstay for those who practiced some crafting skills.

Mage Hand.

The ethereal blue hand appeared just in front of Alistair's own and yanked at the coin, not even looking to hold it for long but more just throwing the coin out of the basin. Meanwhile, Alistair yanked his own arm out of the basic, his arm steaming with much of the skin, which turned a raw read, already the signs of a heat blister.

"Don't touch it." Alistair quickly barked before quickly turning to his bag with a frown. While the coin had been the primary focus point that pulled the heat away, the water had also pulled some of the warmth. Even now with the feeling of the burning water dying away, he was already noticing how cold his body felt.

"Vittoria, the next part...I should be fine."

He moved quickly, extracting a clear liquid from his bag before mixing it with a thick red mucus-like substance. The concoction known as, Wyrm's Blood, was actually something that his friend Samantha had discovered during her time at the Academy. It drastically improved the physical capabilities of a combatant, but for most people who weren't like Sam, there was a huge drawback.

The potion ramped up the user's internal temperature often forcing the person into a fever-like coma. He only kept the substance for his, last stands. However, it was the side effect that Alistair needed at the moment. Without further explanation, he downed the potion before focusing back on...not dying.

"If I pass out, keep my body temperature high."

Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

It was a different perspective to watch another risk their health and strength to get what they want than it was Vittoria convincing them to carry it out. The Proctor earned much of her respect for this act, his small sacrifice to get the coin from the basin despite the trickery of the fae.

She stood aside, clearing herself out from the coin's trajectory. Her eyes watched it spin before toppling over a stone and falling flat some feet behind them. It was at that moment her uncle returned to view, and her eyes lifted to his.

Vittoria shook her head, commanding him to pause and not move.

"Fae magic?" He inquired. Lightning buzzed at his fingertips, magic ready to be wielded should Vittoria alert him to use it. She nodded to him, but ignored him to turn to the Proctor. He understood, and defended the entryway.

Her eyes fell to a red substance, and a clear vial, before the Proctor combined the components. Her senses were heightened, her awareness raised at Proctor Krixus' forewarning.

"Do not die, Proctor." Vittoria looked almost seething at him, but loyalty and respect kept her there, ready to assist him in keeping his temperature at his order. She had no inkling of her own abilities to do such a thing, almost sending her into a minor panic until her uncle called out that he would assist her.

Do not die.

It would be a waste if the Academy was to lose such an enlightening Proctor so soon.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair was accustomed to many different types of pain. The Academy had had many variations on torture or 'training' and they had used them all liberally. However, he was finding the pain of freezing to death was certainly up there on his list of least favorites.

He knew the magic was advancing when several parts of his body started going numb...that wasn't a good sign. While he would not notice it, his lips were also starting to turn blue. The Wyrm's Blood he had taken was doing its job, as he could feel the battle going on in his body. He quickly switched back and forth from cold to hot.

Alistair broke into a cold sweat as he started mumbling words, often broken into stuttering as he just tried to focus on moving his magical energy around in his body. If he could last long enough, then the magic would fade with the help of the potion and his own magic.

He knew what it was like to be broken, and as he gritted his teeth, he made a decision: This would not break him.

After several seconds of trying, Alistair finally managed to craft a spell. It was a simple warming spell often used for enchantments for cold weather clothes or just keeping rooms at reasonable temperatures, but Alistair poured in as much magic as he could without breaking the spell. The temperature of the large space they found themselves in quickly began to rise.

As several minutes passed, Al was unsure if his condition was unchanging or getting better, but he was growing used to the feeling. He was still sweating and incredibly cold, but the feeling had returned in most parts of his body and he could speak once again.

"I'm...ok, for now. Let's check out this artifact and then I'll get checked on when we return."

Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria did not let relief come to fruition on her facade seeing Alistair not collapse, his body not giving into the faerie magic he had weathered. He did not look better, but at his word, the Initiate kept a close watch on his pallor.

"How do we know it is safe to touch after all that, Proctor?" Even her uncle kept his place by the entrance, a Dreadlord that was smart enough to know not to mix his force of lightning with unknown magic that protected this artifact.

"Do not touch it, Little V." He warned, and Vittoria shot him a look that told him she indeed would not think to touch it. "Test it, if you must. Now that is it not behind protections, use your magic... find anything that gives away any hidden spells."

Larrainth sighed, and turned to the Proctor, seeing him still not at his fittest health.

She strained a hand towards the coin, the medallion shaking before being lifted into the air and Vittoria created a channel between herself and the artifact, searching for any hints of magic she may need to dismantle before they got any closer. She did not know she halted her breathing, her concentration on sniffing out any trickery left her exhaling shakily as she checked once again to ensure she was right.

"No more spells upon it." The Initiate declared.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

It was still hard to focus, it felt almost like he had some sort of head cold. And...he was shivering, Alistair had not even noticed until he looked down at his hands.

He drew in a deep breath as he focused on steadying his breath. Slowly, but very slowly, some semblance of warmth was returning to him. After having to deal with himself, he turned to take a look at the others.

Vittoria was right, the coin's defenses were gone. It was still very magical from what he could see, but the initial enchantments that had targeted him were gone. It was only after noticing this that he also noticed that the arm he had stuck into the basin had severe burn blisters.

"Nasty work," he mumbled under his breath.

Walking over to stand by the others, he looked at them both before nodding in approval at Vittoria. She had done well today. Now, it was time to see the rewards for their labor.

He reached out to grab the coin once again. He trusted Vittoria and his own assessments, but if there was some hidden response from the coin, it was better it target the one person who was already injured rather than harming a new target. Besides, Alistair's wide variety of spells made him the best suited to handle any unforeseen attacks.

"I'll be honest. When I was thinking of an artifact, a coin was not what I was expecting."

Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria watched with keen eyes as the coin no longer reacted to another's touch, rendering Alistair Krixus no longer at the mercy of magicks as old as time. The state of his arm looked angry, ready to burst and inflict more pain upon him. "We should return to the Academy with haste. Have Proctor Urahil look at your arm."

For her to suggest someone seek medical attention was rare, but the Proctors have always earned Vittoria's respect. She had been learning a lot from Proctor Krixus' classes, allowing her to learn his language and terminology, and in some way it had broadened her aspects on her own magic.

"Perhaps coin is not the right term."

"You are right, uncle... Do the fae deal in currency such as this?" Texts on the fae were far and few, but Vittoria's hunger for knowledge often had her connections to come into possession of such writings. It was always best to learn about their enemies, in which she still viewed the elves to be as such.

Anyone that could turn on Vel Anir was considered no ally to her.

"Medallion... or coin... whatever it is, perhaps the scholars may know of something." Otherwise what other purpose did they have here? They had called upon Dreadlord and Initiate for assistance, but none were any the wiser on preparing for what it was they were searching for. "Have you searched for other magical possessions before, Proctor Krixus?"

 

[Alistair Krixus]

"Several."

Alistair responded with a grimace as he reached into his back to pull out a small lead box that was made to suppress and contain magical artifacts. He stashed the coin-shaped medallion inside the box before placing it away again.

It had been the search for magical artifacts that had unfortunately gifted him his eyes. It seemed he attracted curses, and abnormal skill that maybe said something about him, but he was not going to look into that.

His arm was in a lot of pain, but he wanted to make sure they did not miss anything in the surrounding area. But Vittoria was right, he did need healing.

She was also right that it wasn't currency, while Alistair did not bother himself with fae culture, it seemed unlikely that they would bother themselves with physical currency. It seemed counter to their ethereal natures.

"We can study it more in a more controlled environment. The medallion certainly has a purpose, and even if not beneficial to our cause then I'm sure we can use it to track other fae creations...For now, let all of the researchers outside in. They can proceed with the rest."

Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

One of the scholars had proved to be useful after all.
The interiors gave no other indication of anything useful or interesting, the altar gave some excitement and marvel that Vittoria was able to understand some of the language — something she had informed them was just a hobby to learn languages — and the coin itself had a name given by the fae.

A token.

"Not quite the most valuable, I will say, but it is still a marvel to see up close." Remarked a scholar.

A Court belonging to the fae had spread these artifacts around Arethil so that warriors could be summoned should war break and threaten the faefolk. Centuries ago, perhaps longer, the tokens began to decrease in power as the Court began to send out their own spies to keep an eye on the others.

But to obtain this was a way to study fae magic. There was still something about it, something Vittoria could not properly understand...

A week later saw Vittoria entering Proctor Krixus' office, carrying some tomes in her arms that she had asked nicely from the scholars to aid in her research with the Proctor. She had such an interest in other forms of magic, the need to learn and understand it and be prepared for the chance to dismantle it should the need ever arise.

"One of these texts state there should be another artifact near Amol-Kalit. Do you think it would be another token, or perhaps something else entirely?" She asked by way of greeting. The young Initiate had asked to meet with the Proctor the moment the books had arrived that morning, and all afternoon Vittoria waited for her classes to come to an end so that she could spend time learning about magical theory with the Proctor. "It is listed to have five layers of protection, surely that indicates a larger prize?"