Open Chronicles Southward Bound

[GreekGod]

Marius turned to leave and grunted, seemingly contemplating something before running towards Phillipa. "Stop, leave the boy alone, he can't do any harm out here." Marius said as he ran after them. "If The College doesn't like rumors they shouldn't give people reason to spread them. Let the boy leave here unharmed. He clearly hasn't benefited from the theft and he's banned from The College and seemingly Elbion, that's punishment enough."

Marius chased after the pair following Luc, with Serbert hot on his tail beside him. "I can be nice about this or I can be rude about this, please let me be nice about it!" Marius yelled.

 

[Nayella]

They were following her.

She had no idea why, no idea what they wanted. Perhaps they were angry with her attacks? Perhaps their earlier words were lies? Either way Nayell didn't like it. Her fingers tightened, her gaze drifted over towards Luc, and then she began to run even faster.

The pale green light around her hand burned brighter, and as she rushed forward she gently touched the tree trunks around her.

It was only a light tap, a slight press of her hand, but it was enough. The Blight Witch was an infection, a disease made into a walking being. Her touch was toxic, the effects showing almost immediately as rot began to take hold within the foliage that she touched.

The heavy weight of the once living tree's forced them to crumple, and within just a minute of contact the trees began to crack and break.

Like thunder a barricade formed behind her, trees falling upon one another and slamming into the ground.

 

[Luc]

Ebonheart! Her name rang through his mind with a flash of anger. He had never enjoyed her company at all. He always believed she looked down upon Lady Eneer and himself because of her nobility. Luc had half a mind to turn around and fight her but the notion of such a silly thing vanished as soon as it came to mind. For all her misgivings, he had to admit she was skilled in her abilities. Going against her now would be foolish on his part.

Luc had no intentions of stopping, not even when Phillipa Ebonheart suddenly shot into view ahead of him, ready to intercept. Lady Eneer had trained him well however and the half elf could prove ever crafty. Hands surging with mana, he would trust his palms to the right and release a gust of wind that lifted him off his feet. The sudden blast of wind was enough to send him off to the mage hunters side and when he redirected the flow of magic, sailed past her in a similar move to what she had performed moments before. Imitation was the purest form of flattery some said, or at least something to that effect.

Funny however, that it was her words that would almost stop Luc. Racing after the Blight Witch the weight of his satchel was ever present. Perhaps it was guilt which drove him to look to the bag, causing him to take his eyes off of Nayella and stumble over a exposed rotted root. Luc would regain his footing and keep pace, eyes now on the path before him. He could easily give the mage hunter the items he took. But what guarantee would he have that Lady Eneer would ever see them? His stealing of her magical items was his attempt to place all the accusations of theft on his shoulders alone. One day, he would get them back to her. He would explain everything. But this was not that day.

The splintering of felled trees brought him back to reality and grasped Nayella's plan. He plowed forward as the trees began to fall and knew what he had to do. He followed her lead, leaping into the air twisting his body to spin. With the mana gathered in his hands, he released blades of wind that cleaved no less then three trees before dissipating. As he completed the maneuver, for a fleeting moment his eyes connected with Marius who took chase as well and he winked. I choose rude, he thought as his feet met the earth once more and he took off running as the fallen trees blocked the paths behind them.

"There!" Luc called out to Nayella and pointed off into the darkness of the woods in the direction they should go. A plan was forming in his devious mind. He looked back to see if the torch bearers or mage hunters still took chase. Timing for this next part would be everything.

 

[Phillipa Ebonheart]

The men that had accompanied her went headlong into the chase like hounds after prey. Phillipa watched Luc fly by her, her eyes on him the entire time as a frown formed. It seemed Eneer had taught him well enough as he copied her move with elemental magic. When he passed her, she shook her head and sheathed the daggers while looking to Marius.

She owed Eneer a favor, but she wasn't about to sweat for something like this. She wanted the items he had, not a chase in the woods at dark. Since they seemed so keen on tiring themselves, she would follow at a leisurely pace and bide her time, saving her energy for later.

Those running continued on as she brought her hand close to her mouth and blew gently. A small, iridescent black bird formed in her palm. It gave her a quick chirp before heading skyward and off to tail the group.

She peered over her shoulder at Marius, her expression annoyed at the man's continued presence.

"So how have you been? Not placing your apprentice in danger like this frequently are you?" She teased him, turning to face him properly. Waving to scene behind her as if it could be missed before crossing her arms. She had never expected to see the scholar whilst tailing Luc, never mind that he would interrupt the whole charade.

The men tried their best to keep on the two that were running, most giving the fallen trees only a few seconds thought as they tried to vault over them. The sensible ones gave the area a wide berth and skirted the whole mess, a few in the middle having fallen over and scrambling to collect themselves.

"Come on then! Don't let them get away!" One shouted, catching glimpses of the mage and witch.

 

[GreekGod]

Marius stopped running and placed his hands on his knees and doubled over, out of breath. He snorted with laughter at Phillipa's comment. "I spend most...of...my...journeys...in...Amol Kalit." Marius huffed in between breaths, he stood up straight. "Of course he's in danger constantly, it's bandits, bandits and bandits out there. I've been good though, I'm getting a little old for hard sprints in the middle of the night. I'm getting close to making a big discovery, so that's exciting. How about you? What's new? I almost didn't recognize you until the boy pointed you out." Marius nodded his head at Serbert who stood off to the side nervously. "Say hello boy, she's not going to bite you." Marius said. Serbert turned to Phillipa and waved. "H-Hello, professor."

Marius took one last deep breath and sighed. It'd been a long day and it seemed like it would only get longer. If it wasn't for the adrenaline in his body, Marius probably would collapse on the ground. He really should have left when he had a chance, but he kept getting himself more and more involved into something that isn't his problem. "Oh, Phillipa, did you hear Professor Oraksen is retiring next month? Some of us are chipping in and buying him that wagon he wants so he can travel, you want to give some coin for that?"

 

[Nayella]

The rot spread quickly to those who touched it.

Nayella's blight was a plague, quick, painful, and self fulfilling. It leeched and ebbed at the life of those that touched it, infecting and grasping at the skin itself. Those guards that directly came into contact with the plague upon the trees would suddenly find an itch spreading across their body, black veins of rot contorting through their flesh.

Weakness would come next, then paralysis, and finally pain.

The song of the screams delighted Nayella even as she ran.

There was a price to the blight of course, one that she paid with the lives she took, and her own health. It was concealed by the crown, but beneath a glamour of magic Nayella was herself little more than a rotting corpse. A broken thing, not quite dead, but hardly alive.

She ran, and when Luc yelled and pointed, the Blight Witch hesitate.

For just a brief moment she waited, and then cursed. On her heel she turned, bounding down to where the elf had pointed her.

 

[Luc]

He saw the hesitation fade way to decision and it seemed the Blight Witch had listen. Arms pumping, Luc took the lead. He dared not turn around to chance a look but from the screams he could tell what ever magic she worked had taken root. Still, the need to put distance between them was ever present. The trees would slow them, her magic give them pause, but the truth was, they were both being hunted and that would not change.

Soon a different sound joined the chorus of wails as they neared what Luc aimed to deliver them to, a river. The elf splashed along the shore into freezing knee how water before turning to the Blight Witch, hand reluctantly offered. He had a plan to get them far away, quickly at that, and he was willing to share with Nayella.

"You don't know me but I think I know you witch... We are both being hunted.. Stay here and fight... Risk being caught or worse... Or allow me to help... I only ask for one thing... You're going to teach me how to survive." Luc spoke his part.

 

[Phillipa Ebonheart]

Marius's comments elicited a small chuckle from her, waving a hand at the bandits comment. "The bandits will always be present so long as an easy score is to be made. I do hope your encounters with the unruly brigands hasn't been to detrimental to you all." She spoke softly, her tone going between concern and amusement.

"A discovery you say? I am intrigued. Though nothing new with College Acquisitions, save for this little mess. As for my own studies, I've put them on hold for the moment. Some personal matters to attend to before I can expand the possible applications of my magic in both the industrial, and personal fields." Phillipa expounded as she waved her hands back and forth to accentuate her speaking. Then the apprentice spoke a greeting that had her smile appearing.

"A tad shy my dear? Don't worry, I really don't bite." The smile that was behind the words was truly a wicked one. Marius brought up the retiring of one of their fellow professors was retiring, and mentioned the wagon that they always talked about.

"I could likely do such a thing yes. They've helped me enough times I wouldn't be shy about helping buy the wagon. Though I didn't believe they would be retiring so soon! Goodness, things must have truly worked out for the best if that is coming upon us so quickly." Phillipa replied with a small touch of her hand to her chin. She hadn't realized he had already announced his retirement. Of course, he may have failed to mention it to her since he still had a few of her books and was likely scouring to find them before telling her.