Fate - First Reply Taboo

[Drederick]

"You shouldn't be looking at such things, Drederick. Such things could get you some... unwanted attention."

"Well, of course," he grinned, "but my spells will keep these texts hidden. No one will ever -"

"I caught you, didn't I?"

"I let you."

The elder apprentice shook his head, "how do you know I won't say anything?"

Drederick considered the possibility, "well. I would do well to remember such a treacherous thing..." he slammed the tome shut, and began to leave, "and repay it with like generosity."

Vel Anir

​

Larin never said anything, it seemed. That was good, for him. Drederick never had much fear of him doing otherwise, his little secret was enough to chill some of the greener ones it seemed. Well, one at least. And so when he'd been approached by his superiors it wasn't for any kind of reprimand, it was actually to have him report for duty.

An afternoon patrolling the streets was just about in order. Funny, that they should pick a day of torrential downpour to assign him this task. But, he was eager enough to prove himself to be of worth in the line of duty instead of these simple training excercises. Prove to himself more than anything, that he was indeed as he believed.

The most powerful being in the Universe.

He just had to go about the task he'd set before himself: to become a human and reclaim his powers, triumphantly. But of course, he would eventually succeed. He just needed to do it at a pace that these simplistic mortals would endure, a thing he sometimes thought himself a fool for subjecting himself to.

So as he strode through the streets under the dark of storm clouds, shielded from the rain by a well crafted cloak, he hardly even acknowledged the people as he and those with him passed. They were ants to him, and they would all one day serve him. He was their better. He would not regard them.

The sound of trouble a few streets down piqued his interest, and his companions' as well.

"Let's see what this is about, then," one of them said with a sigh.

 

[Gabriel Oro Khastan]

It was an accident, he was running through the rain with his hood down and didn't really expect to bump into anybody in this downpour.
But it happened all the same.
Just a noble with his wife and a butler out for a stroll, they wore cloaks and the butler held a large umbrella for them. He wasn't paying attention and bumped headlong into the lady, knocking her into a puddle and raising much protest and shouting.

Gabriel was extremely apologetic and went to help the lady when butler grabbed hold of him and the noble man bent down to help her out of the puddle instead. When the noble turned back to Gabriel those eyes were far from friendly.
"Cough it up, urchin!"
"I- I'm sorry sir. I really didn't mean to bump into her, it was an accident, honest!"
"Shut up you thief! Give it back, you stole her necklace!"
Gabriel was confused, "No I didn't, I wouldn't steal from anybody, I'm just trying to get home!"
He looked around and spotted the necklace on the ground, "Look, it's ove-" He was silenced by a slap to the face.
"You think you could knock my wife into the filth and then steal from us? I'll have the guards cut your hands off you wretch!"

There wasn't any talking to these people, so he began struggling, trying to get out of the butlers grip as hard as he could, but to little avail, he did manage to get one arm free but the butler had his other arm in a vise grip and threatened to snap it.
Gabriel could have used his magic to deal with them, and if things got even worse he might have to. But for now he still felt like he could talk his way out of this so he kept his magic hidden, didn't want people to know there was a magic user on the loose in Vel Anir.
"Listen, your necklace is right over there in the puddle, I swear I don't have it!"

 

[Drederick]

Briskly, he and four others all garbed the same rounded the bend. Before them at the center of a now forming crowd, there seemed some trouble afoot? Drederick would not do to have this sort of dissention taking olace in his streets. And all he saw now was a large man restraining a young boy.

It was an interesting moment then. He almost felt sorry for him - but truly all he did was recollect his own misfortunes at the hands of some of the Dreadlords' handlers. The thought put a bitter taste for the moment in his mouth.

They were soon upon them. Drederick pulled forth his sword and rested its tip just under the butler's chin, causing him to abruptly freeze - the cool metal's touch a most unwelcome sensation.

"Very well then, that will be enough," Drederick ordered as two Anirian Guardsmen took up either of Gabriel's flank, each one reaching out to grab an arm.

"Right then lad, come with us now," the taller one growled, impatiently.

"This here is a thievin' boy! And look at the state of my wife, knocked he-"

"I said, that will be enough."

He looked to the man with eyes like ice. He expressed no anger, no impatience. Nothing. Perhaps that was what gave the nobleman pause, well that and the neckless which now floated listlessly just behind him.

"The child I expect complacency from, but from one such as yourself, well now..." it began to hover over a bit closer, "... you disappoint me."

Gabriel Oro Khastan ​

 

[Gabriel Oro Khastan]

Dreadlords showed up and intervened, not the city guard... Dreadlords... Now was a far worse situation where he might need his magic, but it was so much worse that if he did use his magic he would be discovered and taken by the Dreadlords.

His face went sheet white as the guards came up on him after forcing the butler to release him. If they couldn't sense his magic already they would soon, he had to get out of there and quick.
So far they hadn't seemed to notice anything off, but he's been running from them for a while, he knew that at least some officials suspected there was a runaway from the initiative hiding in the city, but he'd been able to find ways to hide from their magical senses.

But right now, they were right next to him, and it only took a moment of attentiveness to solving some civil unrest to notice one of the people involved, namely the small child that slipped through the Dreadlord initiative, was practically a magical hotspot.

 

[Drederick]

The nobleman grumbled as he reached out and snatched the necklace and then began off - almost forgetting his wife while he did so. He promptly returned, gathered her up and carried on his way moaning on about how his superiors would be hearing about this. It was little matter, Drederick had solved a pointless outburst and maintained perfect order in this city. As far as he was concerned this little endeavour had been a complete success.

He had only deal with the child. A curious thing, for one so small to be out on their own on a day like today.

Once the entourage of disgruntled "betters" had properly departed, he turned his attention to the child. Drederick was a cold soul, and while he had felt the burden of his own trial at the sight of this child's - he failed to have even a shred of empathy for whatever it was he might be feeling. Fear, confusion, anger. He didn't care.

He raise his sword now the child's chin, looking down at him with a horrible passive stare, "and just where are you off to, boy?" He imagined having knocked a full grown lady right off her feet, he had to have been moving pretty quickly.

He leaned in a little bit, his gaze hardening into a more stern expression, "just who are you running from?"

Gabriel Oro Khastan ​

 

[Gabriel Oro Khastan]

The blade was pointing at his throat now and rough hands were holding his shoulders. This was really, really bad! He needed to get away, but he couldn't use magic to do it. His excuse had to be really good, but it wasn't so bad if his excuse was the truth.
"I was just running through the rain trying to get home. My brother got a cold so I was trying to get this medicine to him as quickly as possible, I wasn't paying attention and bumped into the lady. It was my fault and I tried to apologize, but they thought I was a thief and threatened to have my hands chopped off!"

He really had to convince this guy of what he was selling, He looked up with a well practiced pathetic childish look with tears brimming in his eyes from his recent scare. Every word was the truth, except that the urchin boy the medicine was for wasn't technically his brother but they were close enough.
He presented the medicine for the Dreadlord to see.

Hopefully that would be enough to convince him. Nothing to see here, just a little boy getting medicine for his brother in the pouring rain. But that deadpan stare and the blade at his throat were making his heart beat faster, which made concealing his magical aura even more difficult.

 

[Drederick]

Drederick's eyes searched the boys face. He didn't bear any resemblance to anyone he knew, but the was something about him that didn't sit right with the young apprentice. He studied him as he told his tale, searching for any hint of a lie. Truthfully, he did not see one. For everything the young boy said he could find no reason to distrust him.

But there was this lingering feeling of uncertainty, something that for all his intellect he could not identify. Almost like something, not quite tangible.

He took the medicine the boy handed him, examining it with one furrowed brow. He handed it to another one of them - Larin. Also a Dreadlord. The other two he didn't know so well, but Drederick had assumed the lead and they had chosen to follow. The pair of Guardsmen with them were little more than extra muscle.

Larin nodded and handed it back to the boy. Sure enough, it was as he said.

Drederick yet held the sword to him, and with what he imagined to be his final question for this episode he narrowed his eyes, giving the boy a slightly more aggressive stare.

"What is your name?"

Gabriel Oro Khastan

​

 

[Gabriel Oro Khastan]

Name... Name??? He was getting so scared he was forgetting his name! The one he always used whenever he met anybody except his friends! But he had to come up with something, the longer he hesitated the more suspicious they would get.
"I'm... Gabby... Sir..."
That was a nickname he earned in the slums with his friends, too close to his real name for comfort but still... If this didn't work, if they recognized him, he would have to do something drastic. His parents died trying to get him out of this city and away from the Dreadlord initiative, he couldn't let their sacrifice be for nothing!

He was practically glowing by now, really if one of them just took a step back they would notice the contrast between that and being close to the boy. The situation was bad no matter what happened, once they let him go they might notice how much magic he's putting off, but if they stick around for much longer they might notice anyways when their own magic begins to feel a bit more boosted around him.

His eyes began to dart around, looking for exits that he could use. He spotted a few so that was good, but that was providing he could get away from them in the first place.

 

[Drederick]

"I'm... Gabby... Sir..."

Hmm... his lips displayed his contemplation, and then he leaned back upright and withdrew his sword from the boy, replacing it into the steel sheath at his hip. He stood there in silence for a moment, examining the child. He could feel Larin's impatience festering.

"Let's just take him in if you're going to and be done with it already. Carelessly bumpin into nobility like that. He should be taught a lesson anyway."

Drederick hummed as he looked down at the boy. He largely ignored what Larin had to say. He was in fact weighing whether or not to arrest him and have him tossed in a cell for the night - at the very least to straighten him out a bit. But there was something else bothering him.

His name. It rang a bell in his mind, but it was distant and vague. He couldn't define the source.

"No, I think he's been through enough. Look at him shaking, look at the fear in his eyes."

While the words were those of compassion, the invisible abyss that swirled in his eyes told a different tale. He leaned his face down close to Gabriel's.

"There's no need for any more, education - is there Gabby."

Gabriel Oro Khastan​

 

[Gabriel Oro Khastan]

He shook his head, "N-no sir! I learned my lesson! never run without looking where you're going and never bump into people."
He breathed a little easier now that the sword was sheathed. This was a good sign. Maybe if he was lucky they wouldn't notice anything as he was walking away.

This was all way too close. If he's truly being let go he really needed to watch himself from this point on, no more getting into bad tangles with people and drawing attention to himself. Better yet, he needed to get out of the city.

Before they died his parents had sent all of their resources and assets to Elbion where Gabriel could live without fear of being taken. He didn't know what all their resources or assets meant, but he knew that if he could get there and prove he's the son of the Khastan family, that he would be set and secure. But Elbion was half the world away!

And anyways, he had more immediate concerns. Namely, casually walking away and hoping these Dreadlords were actually novice enough to not be able to sense his magic. If he could escape from this one encounter his life would be golden!
"C-can I go now, sir?"

 

[Drederick]

Drederick let out an unenthusiastic sigh before rising back to his full height. He looked over to Larin, giving him a knowing look - one the child would not see. Larin caught his gaze, and turned his head to the two Guardsmen at Gabriel's sides.

"Let him go, we've seen enough."

Drederick turned to leave, but not before giving the child a sideways glare, "run along now, little Gabby. Your friend needs his medicine now."

As Drederick spoke to the child, he likely wouldn't notice as the two Guardsmen came to take up formation around him that Larin and another one of the Dreadlord apprentices ducked out of sight.

Gabriel Oro Khastan ​

 

[Gabriel Oro Khastan]

Free, they were letting him go!
He clutched the bag full of medicine close and scurried away in the direction he had been going originally. The rain hadn't let up yet and he needed to get out of it soon, but he didn't feel safe going straight back to his hideout after that encounter, but once he made it back to the slums he would be back in his element around the streets he knew. Then he could take all the shortcuts and alleys he wanted just to make sure no one was tailing him.

He ducked down the first alley he saw and began making his way toward the slums, taking a random path of turns down random roads and alleyways, looking back occasionally to see if anyone was following him.
At one point he climbed through the window of an abandoned house and then came out through another window on a different street.

He was exercising utmost caution, today's scare was a stark reminder of how close the Dreadlords were coming to finding him. He's evaded them thus far, but his luck could run out any moment.

 

[Drederick]

As Drederick moved to depart, he kept a close watch on Gabriel while he left. When he was soon out of sight, Drederick turned another way, having feigned a direction more or less opposite to the one the boy had chosen. Now instead, he would follow trail, one that was more closely watched by the two apprentices who had departed already.

The longer he went, the more directions he received from ahead, the more irritated he became. This child had decided to lead them through a ridiculous chase throughout the city - soon it grew into anger. His pace quickened, and soon he found himself quite content to toss this kid into a jail cell and leave him there for a week to think about what it costs to play these silly little games.

And yet, another suspicious thing from this child. First it was but a feeling, and now he displayed very erratic behaviour. Very... anxious behaviour.

"I'm... Gabby... Sir..."

Wait a moment... now he began to realize why that name had piqued his interest. Some time ago there had been an incident - it kind of reminded him of his own in fact. Mother and father, slain defending their to-be-initiated son. Gabriel.

His brows furrowed together, and as he rounded one last corner he found the boy - just nicely descending from the window of an abandoned building.

He didn't make a sound - instead, he only ran toward the boy, the three men who followed with him joining in the charge.

The other two apprentices were no where to be seen.

Gabriel Oro Khastan ​

 

[Gabriel Oro Khastan]

As he climbed out of the window he turned and saw the Dreadlord and two guards running at him full tilt!
He let out a surprised squeak as he jumped back, instinctively his magic kicked in sending him flying backwards just out of reach of the hands trying to grab him.
He landed on his back but didn't let his momentum stop as he scrambled to his feet and kept running in the direction the jump sent him.

He didn't see the other two Dreadlords, which worried him, they might have known where he was all along and were planning a pincer tactic! So where he was running was probably straight into a trap, but there wasn't anywhere else to go but full speed down the street till he found the next alley.

But he was definitely in it now. If they caught him there was no way in the world he wasn't being sent off to be tortured and turned into a Dreadlord. If he got caught... He would have to fight, and if he had to fight... there was no telling what might happen.

 

[Drederick]

Gabriel spotted them, and in a quite blatant display of magic he propelled himself just out of Drederick's reach. He growled in frustration, but a grin found his features. He was correct. This was an escapee, fleeing the rigors of the Dreadlord Academy, no doubt influenced by the foolishness of his late parents.

Drederick yelled out, "sieze him!"

One of the guards leapt to grab him when he'd fallen on his back, but Gabriel slipped through his grasp. Drederick leapt over him, and maintained a close pursuit.

"Stop now, and we'll be easy on you," shouted one of the other apprentices. Speak for yourself.

Drederick frowned when the boy ducked down the alley - the other two were not in position to cut him off through there. But, luckily, Drederick perhaps did not need them.

He rounded the bend, and as he too entered into the shadow of the alley he drew from his hip a knife. He tossed his glove from his left hand, and grabbed the knife with it.

As he slid the blade across his skin and drew blood, he whispered the words, "malthinae fjandí."

He gripped his hand hard, blood gushing through his fingers, and then he opened his palm again and stretched it out toward Gabriel. There, in place of the self inflicted wound a dark symbol had taken shape, and glowed red.

As he reached out, a strange shadow took the shape of an enormous hand and drew near to Gabriel. Its fingers stretched to reach out around the boy, and ensnare him in its icy grasp.

Gabriel Oro Khastan​