Private Tales Light After Dark

[Audreyn]

She fell silent again, a bite of pain stinging at her tear ducks. The magic responded in turn, awaking once more, but harmless in its tiny ripples.

She wavered in place, her thoughts sloshing in every direction. Grief over parents remained surprisingly dull, her psyche suppressing it while pressing matters, like survival, remained at the forefront.

"But... I didn't deal with any demons," she told him, open palmed and a touch defeated. "How could this all be? I didn't ask for this."

 

[Gerrard]

That grimace crossed his face again. Gerrard looked deep into the very limited pool of patience he had to find the strength to continue.

"Magic is not a deal with a devil. You can use magic. That just means you're lucky. You have so much more potential than everyone we left back in that village. You are better than them and it frightens them. But you need control. Quickly."

 

[Audreyn]

Better than them? She didn't feel better than them. She was standing ankle deep in cold water, her clothing sticking to her soot-stain skin as her parents remained left behind and dead because of what she was. There was nothing better about almost killing everyone around you.

It was a curse.

She took a long breath in and out, trying to ignore the slight blue haze of energy forming around her like an aura.

"And how. Do I. Get this. Control?" She asked carefully, trying to stay calm. She really didn't care to be knocked out again. And what did he say about that stealing years of her life?

 

[Gerrard]

Gerrard sighed. He had never been good at dealing with other people in distress. Back when they had allowed him to teach he had been chastised on several occasions for failing to listen to the needs of his students.

I get paid to talk, they pay to listen, he had told them brusquely.

"Listening, learning. Control comes slowly. At least, leaning to control and use your abilities. Learning to keep them doing shouldn't take too long. Probably be done before your feet get too cold."

He spoke more softly this time. In part because it occurred to him that she had been through some deep trauma today. Mostly because he didn't want her to become a fireball again.

 

[Audreyn]

"You'll help me then." It was no a question, but a statement, the girl stepping towards him as if she was abruptly worried he'd walk away and leave her there.

"You said you wouldn't let them kill me, but if you don't help me, they will. So you have to," there was steel to her voice, the girl insisting on it. The magic flared out in a stubborn wave to match. Regardless of what she was, whatever it meant for her, she didn't want to die. She would make this work. Some how. She had to.

 

[Gerrard]

He grinned this time. That was more like it. No point spending your days worrying about what could have been or what could go wrong. Set your mind on what you wanted, what you needed and reach for that. It was how he lived.

"I will, yes. I need two things: I need you to concentrate on what I tell you and to please keep your feet in the lake until I say otherwise. It will ground any lightning. And I'll just dunk you under if you start summoning fire again. Trust me, better than the alternatives."

 

[Audreyn]

She grimaced, face set into stubborn determination. The magic fizzling around her, jumping out in visible flairs, had her very uncomfortable. She wanted it gone and she wanted it gone now. Even it meant wet feet.

"Just don't... knock me out again," she requested, taking a step back deeper into the lake as it lapped at her ankles.Her brows furrowed, concentrating on... well, nothing. But the intent to actually tunnel that focus somewhere was clear. " 'k, go."

Please no fire balls ... she hated wet hair.

 

[Gerrard]

"I'd rather not," he declared. "It would not be good for you to have that done again." Audreyn might have sense a light touch of magic in the waters around her. If necessary he would draw up a globe of water around her. If she generated enough heat there was always a chance she would steam her own skin off before it doused the flames, but better that than both of them dying.

"Close your eyes and imagine a furnace for me. Picture every detail. A black iron body, the door wide open. The fire roars as several logs burn with a fierce fire. Take your time. Picture it, hear it. Make it real in your mind. Find that centre of power that threatens to take control and draw a link in your mind between the furnace and your power."

 

[Audreyn]

She jerked back a little, sensing the magic and startling for a moment. Her nostrils flared with fear. It took all her strength to close her eyes after that, the aura slowly crackling into licks of flames.


It took near a solid minute for her to calm down from that, her thoughts too chaotic to control like that. But after some moments of quiet expectation from him, she stopped peeking at him through her lashes and settled down.She managed some deep breathes, bringing up the image to mind and doing her best to bring it to life for herself. She was deadly determined to succeeded with it, if only because not succeeding might mean death anyway.

The fire dissipated from the air. The blue aura slowly dimmed, then flickered out. The magic around her calmed, still present and still very much susceptible to lashing out with a wayward thought. But for the moment ... under control.

She peeked through her lashes. "Is it like a kitchen furnace or a fancy noble furnace cause i heard you nobles have gold furnaces, is that important here?"

 

[Gerrard]

"Picture a furnace like one you've seen," he said, mentally wincing. A noble he could have left some books and the address of the nearest school. Audreyn would need to learn to read to actually do any self learning. Also needed a lot of prejudice and village mentality tearing down.

"Keep making it real in your mind down to every last detail. Then, when you're ready, close the door and the vents. Let the fire burn itself out slowly until it is just warm embers. Seal that heat away. Starve it of its power."

 

[Audreyn]

She snorted a little, but closed her eyes and obeyed, becoming aware in that moment of the stinging burns licking across the side of her body.

They only motivated her to focus harder, fearful of more harm from the fire inside the furnace.

It took effort, the girl not use to using her mind like that, but slowly he'd sense the magic withering away, flickering out of existence as she stood still on the lake's edge.

She shivered, letting out a slow breath and dropping to her knees. "T-there." She wasn't sure how she knew, but she sensed she had accomplished it. She felt abruptly weak, tired and dull. She had no other words for this moment, at a loss and unsure what would come next for her.

All she knew was that something had to come next for her. Because she was not rolling over and giving up to this fate. No matter how hard her life had just become.

She looked up to him, a spark of that determination behind her dull eyes. So... What... next?

 

[Gerrard]

"Excellent," he said curtly and that was all the praise she was going be issued. He met her gaze and held it for a few seconds. He did nothing to make it clear whether he was taking that time to think over the situation or to appraise the woman. In truth it was both.

"I know its cold in there," he said, "but do you think you could finish explaining what happened to you today?"

The coat he had given her earlier was out on dry land still. There was a spare scarf in his bag too. If he had waited and asked tomorrow then he would be risking setting her off again. It seemed safer to get the story now where he could contain the damage with her newfound control just locked down.

 

[Audreyn]

She grimaced, looking away from him then. What had happened? Even now it felt hard to understand, her life upturned in a single night for no understandable reason. "Two men came to my home and demanded to speak to my father," she reported, no emotion to her voice.

"He-... he sent me and my mother away, I don't know what was said. Only ten minutes later they found us inside the potato cellar. They took her first ..."

She swallowed hard, her eyes remained trained on the way the sunrise reflected off the water.

"She was dead by the time I was brought up. Then they killed him and ... ... made me watch. I don't know why- they held my head and..."

She was silent for a long moment.

"Everything exploded. I ran to the inn. That's it," she finished, her voice still monotone. It all felt distant. Surreal. Like events this horrible couldn't truly had happened. It was all a dream. But then ... the sun was rising... why wasn't she waking?

 

[Gerrard]

For the first time there was some genuine sympathy playing out on his face. He pursed his lips, silver eyebrows making a sad arch. Despite his ambition he could never have carried out something so cruel. There had been accidents along the way, and he didn't have the time to mourn for them, but he rarely set out to do harm. There were many who didn't believe that to be the case.

"Nothing I can say will make that better. I don't know who they were or what they wanted of you. But...we can get you warmed by a fire and some hot food."

Gerrard picked the jacket up from the mossy ground. "Come on, I think you've got your power contained for now." His voice was much softer now.

 

[Audreyn]

She blinked slowly, attention shifting back to him. She appraised him in turn, turning to fuss out the man before her and just what help he could actually offer her in this situation.

He had kept her alive thus far. In many ways, that was enough.

She stood up, the water slooshing as she padded forward. The coldness hit her as she slid into the warm coat, a shiver rippling through her body as she sat dripping next to his belongs.

"...They wanted me, didn't they?" She finally croaked, curling into the jacket. "It makes sense now. The things they were saying. They're not done with me."

 

[Gerrard]

"They didn't perish in the blaze?" he asked. Given enough time, he supposed a competent mage could have prepared to conjure a barrier the moment they snapped. Then it begged the question why they hadn't followed her to the inn. Gerrard couldn't help but try and unravel a mystery that fell into his lap. It was one of the most dangerous parts of his nature.

In this case the answer wouldn't wait for him to start pulling on the threads. A horse snorted behind them. Gerrard went stiff. He had been too focused on Audreyn to hear the approach of hooves on soft, mossy ground.

"There you are girl," crooned a voice. Gerrard didn't turn to look. The younger of the men sat astride his horse. The edges of his cloak black and charred. "We were worried about you."

 

[Audreyn]

"No," she murmured, sighing heavily. "I think I just..." she made a motion for 'explode', not having the vocabulary for it. "It wasn't like- One of them chased me, but..." She frowned, the details fuzzy for her.

One moment there had been two people inside her home and the next her home was ablaze, beams falling... a hand reaching out to her... She wasn't even sure how she had gotten away. She had fallen into a state that was so primal, she simply did it.

She tensed, her control snapping and magic flaring through the air in an instant at the approach of that voice. She scrambled backwards on the pebbled beach, catching her footing and standing up to take quick steps backwards. "You," she practically spat, tossing a handful of pebbles she had been clutching in stress at them.

They exploded into fireballs as they struck around the men's feet. One went wayward, falling short at Gerrard's as the rest soared past him.

The older man tisked at the display. "Enough of that now. We've given you back your powers, it's time you come with us." He dismounted, his bootfalls heavy.

 

[Gerrard]

Gerrard raised a palm towards Audreyn and then slowly turned towards the two men as they got down from their horses. The older man squinted to look at his face before his own eyes went wide.

"Gerrard Duvont, what the fuck are you doing here?" If the younger man knew the name then he kept it well hidden, his expression stoic. The older one ran a hand over his bald scalp. There was amusement in his gaze as he considered Gerrard standing firm and Audreyn back into the edge of the lake.

"Do you have a coin for me, assassin?" Gerrard asked calmly. He knew exactly where these two men were. Not by name, but he could sense the magic they carried. It was almost disappointing to have the mystery laid bare so quickly.

"No," he replied with a slow shake of his head. "You killed the one who had your coin."

"It seemed prudent at the time; he was trying to murder me," Gerrard called back. One assassin from the Order of the Steel Coin was trouble. One with an apprentice along was truly concerning.

"A shame he didn't cash in. I am Jard Peld, my apprentice Gin. We are here for her, who was promised."

"I heard what you did," Gerrard said, taking half a step forwards. The assassins held their ground. Rumours were the secretive order would purchase magically inclined children and raise them as killers.

Jard turned his gaze towards Audreyn slowly. Despite the hate in her eyes he addressed her calmly. "You would be better off with us girl. There's no one in the land worse for you than this disgraced monster. No one lasts long in the Devil of Murant's company. Come," he beckoned, ignoring the fire in Gerrard's eyes.

 

[Audreyn]

Audryen's face contorted in utter disdain. "M-Monster? You killed my parents!" An inferno flared off her like a halo, flickering out with her accusation.

They regarded her evenly, not intimidated by her displays. It only made the apprentice smile primly, pleased that he had been right in the way to break the binding spell they had learned were placed on her powers.

"They had a coin," the master said simply. "They did not pay their debt. Now come, you have no better place to go."

She shook her head, the magic in the air vibrating around her. She tried desperately to envision a furnace, but it was impossible with these men standing before her, her rage boiling in her gut.

She let out a primal scream and released the magic inside of her in an explosive force of hot blue flames, wanting nothing more than to see those men dead.

Even if it killed her to do it.


So that would be a no.

 

[Gerrard]

When the flames stopped all three men were still standing. Gerrard had thrown himself to one side and still nearly been engulfed by her rage. The apprentice was breathing hard, embers burning along the trim of his cloak. Tendrils of smoke rose from the hairs of his head until he patted them down in a panic.

Jard stood firm. A neat circle crackled blue in the grass around his feet. He shook his head slowly in dissapointment. The horses had all bolted.

"This is nothing personal Audreyn. Try to see that we want what is..."

He was cut off by a flash of cerulean that lit up his face. Jard turned to his left to look at Gerrard who now held a length of shining blue energy.

"A Twilight Spear? Even we would not..."

"I believe she said no," Gerrard spoke calmly. He held a slight hope that the two would simply leave even if it was to come up with another plan. There was always a cost with magic and he was concern Audreyn would pay dearly if she didn't get her control back in place.

 

[Audreyn]

She glared at them. She positively rippled with power, her body quivering, barely able to handle the intensity of it.

The master looked over the spear leveled at him, appraising her, sensing how dangerous this saturation had abruptly become for him. He pursed his lips, sensing one wrong move would have that tentative power in her snapping. Even though he could survive it, she wouldn't. And perhaps not even his apprentice.

That would be waste.

After a long moment of consideration, he sighed and shook his head in shame, relenting for the moment.

"You can't escape this, Audreyn. You have been one of us since birth. In time you will see. And I will be there to collect you."

"Never," she swore, letting out a more controlled burst of fire that tunneled at him, attempting to engulf him where he stood. She stepped forward again, holding up her hand this time, electricity slamming into the ground besides her as she gathered the idea to try and call more of that power to her. She didn't know what she was doing. She didn't care. She held out her hand and released it all with a screamed, wanting nothing more than for the energy to envelope the man and smite him where he stood.

She was set on this path, blinded to the vengeance glinting in her eyes.

 

[Gerrard]

For just a second Gerrard had thought it was all over for now. He would have been content to let the pair leave. If he was going to face two trained killers then he needed to be prepared. Magic had a cost, but with time one could assemble all manner of deadly traps and spells to defend against even a magical assassin.

The girls rage was unbridled now. The furnace likely engulfed in flames. She would burn out quickly.

Having never been one for honour in combat, Gerrard took advantage of the situation. He swung the spear in the air. The ground metres away was thrown in all directions as an unseen force from the tip gouged deep through the ground. He picked his target and threw the spear.

The streak of blue crackled as it lanced through the air, cutting through the flames. Gin screamed in pain as the spear impaled his leg. Gerrard had been aiming for his chest.

Concentration broken, pinned to the earth, the apprentice screamed before falling silent as he was consumed by Audrey's flames.

"Audreyn! Stop!" Gerrard tried to cry above the roaring flames.

 

[Audreyn]

The master took a step back, face set into a mask of stone as he buffered her flames. But his apprentice did not. He gaze turned deadly in that moment, a hint of true anger appearing on his otherwise smooth face. He was not a stupid man. He took a step back to retreat. She followed with a step forward.

"But he needs to die!" She screeched, her skin growing pallor as the cost began to take its toll. She couldn't stop. The man needed to die. He needed to pay for what he did.

She cried out, unaware the level of magic she was showing as she raised her hand and summoned lightening to her from the sky. The sunrise vanished behind a rumble of dark clouds, a blue haze of electricity buzzed around her hand.

Blood dripped from her nose. Blood vessels busted in her eyes. A stream of red trailed down from her ears.

She lowered her charged hand at the man as his nostrils flared and he actively fled. She prepared to release the power at his heels, blithely believing that it would simply follow her orders and not backfire on them all.

 

[Gerrard]

"Fuck," Gerrard grunted as electricity arced out in all directions, seeking a route to the ground. A bolt struck his leg and it collapsed under him. Audreyn was going to burn out all the fuel in that furnace. If she did so there was a very good chance she would die. If Gerrard used the same curse to send her to sleep then it was probably just as likely.

The ground beneath Audreyn started to rise and fall. Gerrard dropped a palm to the ground and muttered a counter incantation to stop the subtle attack from. Jard.

Clever

"Stop or you'll die!" he cried out. The assassin was clearly still alive by Gerrard couldn't see him. If Audreyn collapsed then Gerrard was going to have to bluff his way out of this. He was perilously short of options to fight back.

 

[Audreyn]

Audreyn gasped, stunned by the pain as the magic released from her. The world hallowed out around her, blood pounding in her head.

His words echoed through her, resonating dully. She felt like she was dying. Her breath was hard to catch. Her heart beat erratically, pumping at a frantic pace. All she saw and tasted was blood as every part of her burned at her efforts.

Was magic suppose to hurt like this?

Electricity continued to arch down around her. She took a step forward, as if to press onward to the attack. Through her blurring vision she saw the man grab a horse in the distance, his stern gaze set on hers as he mounted and kicked off.

She took another step forward, rising her hand ... and then her world tilted and she was on her knees, coughing up blood. It coated her fingers, which she raised to her face in no small amount of confusion.

No, wait... she had to kill him, not die herself.

The door to the furnace closed, a faint flame of power left undevoured as she pitched face first onto the rocks. She fell unconscious, leaving Gerrard to deal with the sudden silence of the dewy beachfront.