Private Tales Nine Lives

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Isaac shrugged. "I could."

He explained as he followed Layla.

"But someone would have to pay the price." That was how all magic worked after all, the balance that the cosmos inflicted upon them/ Nothing was free, not even the effects of his own magic. "Either me, or the child."

The Warlock plopped himself down besides Layla, another book appearing within his hand. "I certainly don't want to pay."

He told her.

"And if the child does...well, it will become an issue down the line." A likely violent, demonic issue. Not one that he wanted to deal with, particularly if it came with the addition of a very angry Noble at his heels.
 
Layla thought about his words. She was curious what the price he paid was but she didn't ask. They had other things to focus on right now.

"What if...I did it?" She, obviously, had no concept of what she was asking. She was born with her powers and it was found in her research that at least one of her parents was also a shapeshifter so it was genetic. Perhaps someone had paid a price to become one in the first place but that was many years ago. It wasn't something she worried about now.

She looked up at Isaac with the desire to help in her eyes.
 
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Isaac stopped reading for a moment, but didn't pull his eyes away from the page. It was as though he were working something through in his mind.

He considered, and then shook his head. "No."

It wasn't that he couldn't do it, just that the price would be rather...funny. The cost for his magic had been his soul, for something like this? The results would be very different indeed. At least he was pretty sure. Such things weren't always exact.

"The result would be..." He mused. "Unpleasant."

Isaac finally glanced up at Layla. "You would experience...corruption."

That was the best way to put it.
 
Layla just nodded at his answer and explanation. She trusted Isaac with her life and if he told her no then it meant that the price was indeed more than was worth it.

"Very well," she replied unphased. "We need to find an actual cure then. I do not feel like spending the rest of my life in this city for failing to help the kid."

She pulled her legs up onto the couch and crossed them. With the book resting on her knees and calves, she started to read about the disease.
 
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Isaac flipped another page. "I agree."

Plus, while he could stall the Graf for some time, he doubted that the man would give him weeks to solve all of this.

"Look for..." Slowly he glanced up towards the child. "Look for symptoms of corruption, blood poisoning. Things that effect the veins."

The list of such things would be smaller, though he knew they would still need plenty of time to find what they needed. Fingers snapped, and then two more books appeared. His gaze flickered between the three, slowly searching as pages turned.

Teekle meanwhile seemed to let out a quiet mreow, then stepped over towards the childs bed.

The cat bounded onto the mattress, stepping in small circles before he laid himself down besides the dying child.
 
Layla looked up from the book to watch Teekle make himself comfortable by the prone form of the boy. It felt like a bad omen for the cat to be cozying up over there. She didn't say anything though.

She was a little jealous of Isaac and his ability to skim three books at once. Cheating asshole, she thought to herself with a smile.

Her own fingers turned through the pages of her book as she looked for anything that matched what he had described. She had done more research and thinking with this man than she had in her entire life before. Killing people was easy. Puzzles were not.
 
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Hours went by.

Two, three, and then finally four before Isaac stood up and let out a loud exasperated sigh. "Kress fuck this."

The Warlock said with a shake of his head as he stalked over towards the bed. His head shook, and he looked at Teekle. The cat had supplanted itself on top of the boy, looking up at Isaac as he approached. There was a smugness to his eyes.

"Mreow."​

"No!" Isaac told the cat. "That will only cause more problems. I already had to cure one kid of that-"

"Moooow."​

"Well...he's a Graf, he can..." Isaac dawdled on like a man man as Teekle once again interrupted him.

"Preeow."​

The Warlock stopped, frowning, then looking to Layla for a moment. "No..."

He said slowly.
 
Layla had unintentionally dozed off while reading. Isaac's exclamation to Teekle roused her. She sat up from her slouched position and looked over at Isaac who was mid argument with his cat.

The one sided conversation didn't mean anything to her until her lover looked over at her before telling Teekle no. Layla set her book on the table before she stood and walked over to Isaac.

"What did he suggest Isaac?"

She had long since given up on the notion that the man was insane when he talked to the cat.
 
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Isaac frowned. "He offered a suggestion."

The Warlock said, fingers running slowly through his hair.

"A twist on your...earlier thoughts." Isaac said. "He can cure the disease, with not too much consequence to you."

Though it would be a lie to say there would be none. "Your forms will be...changed."

Isaac explained. "Some stronger, some faster, but..."

How did he best put this?

"Fragments will cling to them. A darkness." Isaac did not know how else to explain.
 
Layla had to admit that she liked the sound of stronger and faster but she didn't understand the darkness part. What did he mean? Fragments of some kind of darkness.

"What does that mean? I don't care if it's complicated, I need you to explain it to me. If I am going to consider any suggestions like that...I need to know everything."

She knew Isaac didn't like the idea but they couldn't let the boy die. It would most likely mean their deaths were soon to follow. She didn't know much about this place but she had a feeling the nice, grieving father of a Graf could turn on a dime.
 
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Isaac considered his words for a moment. He was not entirely sure how to explain, mostly because...he'd never faced this problem before. "Picture a..."

He frowned.

"A lion, but instead of just a lion, it has been touched by magic." The Warlock chose his words carefully. "Dark magic."

For that was undoubtedly what Teekle was. "It's claws are bigger, it's eyes red and darkened. It's muscles larger. It is more violent, angry, but...a form of itself."

Isaac glanced at Layla.

"That is what you would be, all of you. Your transformation." He told her. "Stronger, but corrupted."
 
Layla listened to Isaac's explanation and frowned. Being more powerful and faster sounded great but one of her favorite things about being a shifter was the ability to blend in. People thought she was a normal animal. She wouldn't give that up.

"No," she said simply. "I cannot commit to that. It would negate the whole reason for shifting."

She looked at Teekle with imploring eyes, "are there any other options?"
 
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Isaac nodded. He couldn't really argue against the facts. If she thought the deal wasn't worth it, then it wasn't worth it.

Teekle seemed to let out a 'mrooooow' of objection, but The Warlock simply waved him off. There was no arguing with this sort of thing. "There are always other options."

He assured Layla.

"I suppose we'll have to use gold old fashioned College Magic." Isaac mused, gesturing to the bed. "There are a few spells, but they take some...work."

Annoyingly. "We'll need to gather some things from town first."

Then...then he would have to try to remember things he had long wanted to forget. Things the Master's had told him he would never be good at.
 
The way that Isaac said the word work made her chuckle softly. He certainly preferred to snap his fingers over actually doing anything and it entertained her slightly. She couldn't blame him though, it was really fucking nice.

"What do we need?"

It took a couple minutes but Layla was able to find some paper and a quill. She would make the list so nothing would be forgotten. She sat down on the couch and set the paper on the table. She looked at Isaac to let him know she was ready.
 
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"Wolfsbane, Willow's Heart, Vurillium." All three of the plants were not too difficult to find, even heart in Neus. Willow's Heart might be a bit of a struggle, but they had the power of a Graf behind them.

Ritual magic was a tricky thing. It had to be just right. "Elkroot as well, but that grows everywhere."

With a spell like this there was little room for error, especially since they still hadn't figured out exactly what this disease was. Knowing would have made it easier, but there were always hills to climbs. "I will also need a sapphire."

He mused.

"A large one." Isaac ran a hand over his chin. "Perhaps we'll have to ask the Graf himself for that."

The Warlock doubted they would be able to pluck one from the nearest market.
 
Layla dutifully took notes on the items that were needed before walking over to the bedroom door and opening it.

She spoke softly to the servant that had been placed there for the purpose of fetching things. Layla had informed the young girl that the required the Grafs presence here or they could meet him in his audience chamber. He was who they needed before they could do anything further.

After she closed the door, she walked over to Isaac and drew him into a gentle hug. "We will figure this out," she said to with a small smile.

They had to figure it out.
 
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"Oh I'm sure we will." Isaac had every confidence, in fact.

There was never a problem that he hadn't managed to overcome, and if in the end the boy died...then the boy died. The Graf would be an issue after, but it wasn't as though he hadn't dealt with angry nobles before. "But."

He sighed. "It's all such a waste of time.

Isaac twirled his hand.

"One little boys life, taken away." He snapped his fingers, slipping from Layla's arms as he fell backwards into a chair that appeared from nothing. "Doesn't really matter much in the grand scheme of things, does it?"

Particularly in his schemes.
 
"It matters in the grand scheme of things if it means that the Graf wants us killed," Layla said as she rubbed her forehead.

She still did not regret the fact that she had joined Isaac but she did worry at times like this.

She looked over at the boy and at Teekle. There had to be something else in the cat's evil little daemon brain that could help. She knew that the regular spells weren't going to work. At least she didn't have any faith that they would.
 
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Isaac lounged in the chair. "We'll deal with it when we must."

The Warlock said as he reached up and grasped Layla's fingers.

His hands were soft, not a callous to be found upon them. Isaac had never done hard work for a day in his life, and that would not be changing any time soon. His thumb traced over her knuckles, drawing slow circled as he considered.

"Don't worry so much, Kitten." Isaac's voice was firm. "Everything will be just fine."

There was not an ounce of doubt in his tone.
 
Something about Isaac just holding her hand made some of the tension leave her body. She smiled down at him and squeezed his hand.

"Don't worry so much, Kitten. Everything will be just fine."

Isaac's next words made the rest of the tension leave her body. He only pulled out her pet name when it was time for her to listen to him...to submit to him.

"You're right, Isaac," she bent down and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Everything will be fine," she touched his cheek softly before standing up to her full height again.
 
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"Of course I am." Isaac said as he ran his fingers over her thighs.

Whatever came their way, it would be solved. He was more than sure of that, for a dozen different reasons. The magic he carried would see them through, and in emergency...well, Teekle would always offer his own solutions.

"Now." The Warlock mused. "Go on and get those things."

He told the Shifter. "I'll see to the Graf."

For a moment Isaac paused, pulling himself up from the chair.

"Then perhaps, we'll take a boon or two from our Noble Host." It would due to speed their hunt for the puzzle along. He was already growing tired of this nation, and at this rate with all the problems he would have to promise Layla a beach vacation to keep her subdued.
 
Layla gave Isaac another kiss before she gathered her paper and headed to the door. "I will be back, Isaac," she said as she pulled the door open and stepped into the hall. She spoke with the guard about her list and how she would be most appreciative if someone would assist her with gathering the items.

Within a few minutes, Layla was being led to the market square. The majority of the places were still closed as the morning light was just starting to shine through the grey clouds. She was grateful for her guide because the ability to use the Graf's position to get merchants up and about saved lots of time.

It did take a few hours before she had all the ingredients but she had did as she was told. She finally arrived back at the boys room and dropped her back of supplies on the table.
 
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Isaac had a very quick, very terse conversation with the Graf. It didn't take long to get the sapphire that he required, though it was apparently very valuable. The Warlock didn't much care of course, money was about as paltry as a piece of shoestring.

Apparently, the Graf felt the same when it came to his son.

As Layla dropped the supplies onto the table Isaac stepped into the room, tossing a sapphire the size of his fist into the air and catching it seconds later. He spun it gently around with his fingers. "I think we have everything we need."

The Warlock mused.

"The spell should work, it's a cleansing ritual." He mused, setting the gem gently down on the table. "Now I just have to put it together."

Slowly Isaac glanced at Layla. "Sit back, rest."

His hand gently cupped her cheek. "I'll take care of this."
 
Layla did not argue with Isaac. If he told her to sit back and rest while he took care of the spell then that is what she would do. She smiled at him wearily and then went to take a seat on the couch.

She watched Isaac for a little but then she fell asleep. She was not sure why she was so tired today. Maybe it was the days of traveling, maybe it was the stress, maybe it was just that she was bored...she had no idea. She would not complain too much though. Sleep was sleep and it passed the time.

The boy would be healed soon and then they could continue on with their journey.
 
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As soon as Layla tucked herself away Isaac began on the Ritual.

It was not a simple thing, depressingly. For a ritual such as this one needed to draw out the aether lines, set the ingredients in the right place, and ensure that the magic could be channeled properly. It didn't help that Teekle often got in the way.

"No!" He whisper shouted. "Go away."

Isaac hissed. "This one can't be running around chopping bodies."

"Mreow!"​

The Warlock let out a long sigh, shaking his head as he drew the final line on the spell. A few moments later he let out a sigh, pushing the little cat with his foot and urging him forward. "Get Layla, we need to move the boy."

Then, hopefully, it would all be over.
 
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