Completed The Night Followed Fast

[Zephyrine]

It was a simple task veiled under the pretense of a mission, suitable for two to take care of. It did not matter which would accompany Zephyrine, as long as the Initiate accepted to undertake this detour. It was a test, a way to see to what extent her magic could go and the cost of using it.

Larkin was just there to ensure someone was able to drag her body back if it became too much.

"Out of any of the Anirian territories, they send us here." She grumbled, walking the edge of the city limits and dragging her bare fingertips against the smoothed stone building shy of the outskirts. Vel Zrada was said to be her birthplace, but she had been too young to remember much. What she could recall of her early childhood before being taken to the Academy was a life filled with colour, and such a memory echoed even now throughout the illustrious city. "As if visiting this place gives me a sense of loyalty or that it sweetened the deal to accept such a mission."

She shouldn't complain, not when she already had and changed her whole outlook on her experience at the Academy and now begun integrating herself with the other Initiates. Here, Zephyrine could spare a glance Larkin's way and frown at the light happiness that seemed to always remain on his facade.

"At least you healed up alright. From what I have heard, you got hit real bad with some lightning..." It was a rumour... no, just a whisper, but Zephyrine was curious all the same.

All she needed to do was locate this barrier spell and learn it, to attempt with all her might how to recreate it and with rapid work.

 

[Larkin]

Larkin hummed idly as the two had made their journey. He hadn't quite returned to singing, in fact, he had gone as far as destroying all his instruments in a fit of hurt and sadness. He was still grieving, grieving many things. Ysobel had broken him in a way that he hadn't figured out how to fix.

They hadn't spoken much, he didn't know much about the girl he traveled with at all. Especially since be had hidden away in his dorm, refusing to participate in anything unless absolutely forced by people he could not say no to without major consequences. This mission being one of them.

Vel Zrada, he had never been, but Zephyrine seemed to be familiar. At least he gleaned it from her mutterings. He tilted his head in her direction as she directly spoke to him for the first time.

He gave her a smile, he wasn't sure if she was genuine, but still he kept up his good nature for the sake of the act. "Lightning scarred me, yes." He laughed softly this was going to get interesting he mused. "It's still on the mend, but I can function just fine. I appreciate your concern." She wasn't concerned, but his niceties kept him from calling her out. No, he would play the nice guy like always. "I will admit I don't know much about you at all, save for how pretty you are."

Zephyrine

 

[Zephyrine]

Unsure if her annoyance stemmed from his compliment or the fact she was yet to come across this barrier she had to search for, but it deepened a frown on her face. Zephyrine turned to look at Larkin and scoffed. "Well you should know I won't fall for your supposed charm." They continued, her hand still placed on the stone and waiting to come across a shred of magic for her to recreate.

When this building didn't produce a bounty, they went on to the next.

"Anyways, there isn't a lot about me worth even knowing. You're the interesting one. I heard you are quite the singer, and what fortune that we are here, where performance is celebrated." Zeph paused, turning front on with the new stone building and joining her other hand to the exterior. She had felt something, and she wondered if at last she found the first barrier magic. At last, a little to her left, Zephyrine found a soft hum of it.

"Oh! I found the first spot!"

 

[Larkin]

Oops, looks like he struck a tiny little nerve. He could see that little vein in her neck as she seemed to get increasingly frustrated. "My supposed charm? I guess that's the reputation one receives for simply being nice." He shrugged, his small smile growing wider.

"Despite what you think I'm doing, you  are pretty." He wasn’t, not anymore. The scar ripples across his face, he felt like a monster. Larkin glanced at her thoughtfully. " I don't believe that there is no reason to get to know you. Isn't that the academy's new thing, friendship is magic or whatever." He waved his hand idly as she paused to test for something.

At her secondary comment he shook his head. "I don't sing anymore." He dropped it then, quickly trying to move the conversation onwards. "What are we supposed to be looking for, I'm in the dark on this. All I was told was to follow you."

Zephyrine

 

[Zephyrine]

Zeph ignored him for a moment, studying the magic beneath her fingertips. It was alive, and at first her hopes began to die with the electricity she felt. Zephyrine tried again, clearing her head and focusing on the pulse.

"Zephyrine Caddel." She began, slowing her breaths and deciding to give him some morsels of her being. "I am in the class below you but they're also thinking I am able to graduate with your class if I can make my magic look like I should be sought after."

"I hid from other Initiates too, only because I grew up at the Academy with the ideals that I only needed myself to succeed." Zephyrine closed her eyes and scrunched her 'pretty' face. There, that little thread of magic that was severed. She smoothed her hand over it, her palm pressing against the shred of the barrier. Zeph imagined it multiplying, the same shield stitching into the expanding copies until it connected with the rest of the barrier magic for this zone.

"My magic is being able to recreate things that are not alive or once alive. I cannot repair broken bones or wounded skin, but I am wicked fast with weapons. Now I can add magic reparation to my repertoire." Zeph stood back and grinned at her invisible handiwork.

"That's the first ring of barrier defenses. The next one is outside the city."

 

[Larkin]

Larkin had naught to do but follow her, practically twiddling his thumbs waiting to see what happened. It definitely wasn't a typical mission, and he didn't know if he preferred more action or not at this point.

He watched, and he listened very carefully. His entire focus was on the girl before him. "I can't say I blame you for your thinking, but I think working together is usually a better alternative. In any case, we both have come out of hiding and I think that's for the best."

His eyes widened slightly as she explained her abilities. "A very useful thing to have in your toolbox. Can you create from memory, or do you have to have the object before you?" He was genuinely intrigued, she was no doubt useful to have around.

"You obviously know what you're doing, I'm here for any support you might need. Feel free to lead on. I really don't think I'm imperative to this at all." He laughed, a real laugh. It was small and it was soft, but he couldn't remember the last time it had happened.

Zephyrine

 

[Zephyrine]

Zephyrine opened her pack and fished for the map given to them to follow, studying the streets and routes they should take to make it to the next barrier.

"Sometimes my magic is like instinct. Repairing and recreating things only take a shred of what it once was in order for me to bring it back to existence. I can create a full arsenal of weapons but their durability isn't the best. It's why I carry this with me and why I went to go see the blacksmith before we got started." At her hip was a pouch fastened to her waist belt, clinking and clunking with off cuts of metals and shrapnel pieces. "With material, I can recreate something and it lasts that little bit longer. Doesn't drain my energy either."

They were now straying from the general commotion that the city boasted, leading towards the road leading back to Vel Anir.

"Working with others... I do not mind it if they are not insufferable. I lack the patience I am afraid." At least Larkin wasn't annoying her. If anything, he was doing what she had asked him when she met up with him at the stables at the Academy, passing it off as official notes from the Dreadlord that tasked them with the mission.

Larkin

 

[Larkin]

Larkin was content to let her pick and choose the route, it was obvious she knew exactly what she was looking for. Even if he were to take charge, what would the point be. He listened intently, mismatched eyes glancing in her direction occasionally.

"It is an extremely useful talent, I don't see why they wouldn't allow you to graduate. Especially if they're sending you out on missions already." He hummed quietly as he thought more on her abilities. "So if I were to hand you a piece of a wooden instrument, would you be able to reconstruct it, or because it was once organic would that not work?"

They meandered back towards the main road and he smiled to himself as she spoke on her tolerance level. "I'm quite different in that aspect. I have all the patience in the world. I still think it lucky we were paired together. "

Zephyrine

 

[Zephyrine]

"Wood? It is workable once you can separate the differences from the live particles." She looked at him curiously as they passed the welcome sign to Vel Zrada, one full of colour and visual spirit. "It also is one of the loop holes. Once it is detached from the root, it is no longer part of the living. So, buildings, broken staffs... I can fix that."

To demonstrate, she pulled the two halves of her quarterstaff from her back, showing him the metal at either end. Connecting them together looked as if they melted into each other and created one long piece of a weapon, her magic working as if it were barely an after thought.

"So... when you say instrument, do you mean to say you may be looking at something to be fixed?" It was a rare almost offer, but so far Larkin had been beyond what she thought of him initially. She could see some attractive qualities, but it wasn't an interest for her. He was pleasant, his temperament relaxing and non intrusive, save for hks insistent compliments she was not after.

"Let's say that I do this one service for you, but what will I get in return? Perhaps a story of how it came to be broken? What it means for it to be fkxed?"

Larkin

 

[Larkin]

Larkin was absolutely entranced, Zephyrine's abilities were quite amazing really. He wondered how far she had tried to stretch it, what limits she had reached. Maybe one day she would even expand to organic matter, wouldn't that be something?

Larkin watched with rapt attention as she brought out her example. It was seamless, a perfect bond. "Magnificent, truly. The things you could do with that. Unique too." He gave her a respectful nod and a smile. "Thank you for explaining Zephyrine."

At her question, his smile dropped and he looked away. "I don't know if I desire anything to be fixed. I went out of my way to destroy everything." His lips formed a grim line. "I do not wish to speak of it." He snapped his jaw shut with his last words, his demeanor completely different from what she had previously witnessed. Would she let it go, was the question.

Zephyrine

 

[Zephyrine]

Zeph cut him a look before shrugging it off. She didn't need a companion to chat with, but she thought it easy to talk with Larkin and perhaps build a professional relationship and put her hand up to work with him again. He didn't want to talk? That was more than fine. The silence settled between them for most of their journey to the second point, where the magic should get stronger according to the reports. It meant that it might cost more for Zeph to fix, recreate and spread the magic a greater distance than the first point.

She broke from the path and gestured Larkin to follow, skipping the bridge and making the careful descent down to the muddy banks of the stream.

"Luckily it hasn't rained in a while. I have odd memories that this used to always be swelling with water. A flood? Probably not..." She continued on, boots squelching and sinking in the soft earth as she reached her hands out and blindly searched for the barrier point.

"I remember tiny details about this place, but it feels like they are artificial and not of my own memory. I have no need to go around asking who my parents were either... I guess the Academy is good at toughening out those wants while you're young."

"Where do you hail from, Larkin ?"

 

[Larkin]

Larkin was content following the girl, she had no need for him to do anything, and she knew what she was looking for. He felt a slight guilt at his abrupt reply, but it was still fresh, all of it. He could still feel the pain, still see the look in her eye...

He dragged himself from the pit of his memories as she gestured for him to follow. His mismatched eyes watched her carefully. He was prepared to catch her should she slip.

"The academy is good at many things, though I wouldn't consider the things the academy does as good. Perhaps one day, you'll come back here and desire the truth, but I am the same. I have no desire to know my own lineage."

Zephyrine turned to him, back to friendly chit chat. He did feel like he was warming up to her, and so he answered her amicably. "My earliest memories involve my life in an orphanage, before the academy snatched me up. I unfortunately have no memory outside of that."

"I am sorry for how I reacted earlier. You didn't deserve that. Fresh wounds and all"

Zephyrine

 

[Zephyrine]

Zephyrine was not used to apologies, but she felt as if his words abated the annoyance she held for him previously. She pretended to concentrate on finding the barrier, having followed the map to where it could be found and recreated. As if to test herself now, her magic shimmered and spread out in an attempt to find the starting point. Something shone beneath the stream, a gentle cascading of water over the rocks smoothed over with time.

"I have to get in." She announced, already working on removing her armour in order to take her boots and socks off. The water would reach above her knees, and there was no way she wanted to experience that while kitted out in her new armour. Zeph turned to see where Larkin was stood, offering him to hold her unique weapon while the rest of her gear was laid out in the mud. "Mind this for me?"
Larkin

 

[Larkin]

Larkin was finding more respect for Zephyrine than he anticipated. Focused, intelligent, amicable. It baffled him that she had so little involvement with the others, she should fit right in. It was good she was able to try now, never too late to find friends.

Larkin took one look at the murky water, a frown on his face? "In there? I don't enjoy that thought. Be careful." He watched her strip her armor, and delicately took her weapon. Most would be more reluctant to give that up. He hummed softly, his golden eye glowing as he watched her begin to wade into the water. She would find that the cold of the water would not reach her, nor the muck of the bed hinder her.

Zephyrine

 

[Zephyrine]

As if her safety in the shallow water was absolute paramount, Zephyrine slowly inched her way deeper. Her trousers clung to her skin, and she tried her best not to grimace as the mud squelched past her toes, and the stones that ended up in the way of her feet would stub her toes on. With curses and groans, she made it halfway out and lowered herself to kneel. The gentle current broke past around her middle, and Zephyrine shivered at the cold.

"Oh Gods, I am regretting this choice now." She called out. Making quick work, her hands stretched and reached to where the barrier glimmered to her keen eye. This one had more punch to it's power, needing to be able to cover a greater expanse of land than the barrier outside the city gates. The water bubbled, accommodating the new force breaking the course of the stream, and eventually Zephyrine rose to her feet and watched as the barrier came back up with her recreation magic.

By the time she returned to the banks, climbing out from the water and shivering, Zephyrine had worked up a sweat. Beads of perspiration clung to her dark brows, shoulders sagging with exhaustion as she planted her feet by her armour.

"I wish Thraah was around to make a fire so I could dry myself by it." Grumbling, she slowly began to put her armour on piece by piece. "Or we could head back into Vel Zrada and find a fire... and perhaps some food?" It had been quite some time since they got out from the carriage, a Dreadlord and their driver going to do their own thing while the Initiates did what was asked of them. They simply had the instruction to finish it all by sunrise, so why not take the break?

Larkin

 

[Larkin]

Larkin watched her with a keen eye, ready to help if she needed it. What she was doing was beyond him, though he did recognize the benefit it was bringing.

By the time she returned from the water, he could see the exhaustion on her face. She was like a wet, tired, puppy. He helped her assemble her armor again, relinquishing the weapon he held to its rightful owner.

At her mention on Thraah, he had no input. He did not know her, and probably never would considering his reclusive behavior as of late. "I don't see any harm by warming up and putting some food in our bellies." He nodded in agreement, though he felt as if she needed the break much much more than he did. He led the way, casting glances in her direction. He wanted to make sure she was safe, above anything else.

Zephyrine

 

[Zephyrine]

Zephyrine lead the way back into Vel Zrad, back towards the tavern that had been reserved for the night for them both and their escorts. A room each, it had made her happy that she would later enjoy an evening on her own and be one with her own thoughts.

But a fire was well needed. And food, the smell of it wafted other both Zephyrine and Larkin as they pushed through inside. Wet hair clung to her cheeks, but the growing cold was halted at the threshold as warmth enveloped the Recreator the deeper she went into the tavern. Two armchairs by the fire were left unoccupied and it was there that Zeph began to shed her armour again, intent on getting herself dry and warm.

"Whatever that is cooking in that kitchen smells so good!" Zephyrine sighed as she kneeled before the fire. She turned to see if Larkin had followed her to the fireplace, throwing him a look that turned to a smile. "I could eat. What about you?"


Larkin

 

[Larkin]

The trudge back was a quiet one, he felt bad for the girl. She was fairly drenched and probably cold. A tavern would do her good after all the work she had done today. He was not tired, but warm food did sound good right about now.

A warm light welcomed them as they entered the tavern, the soft glow of the fire inviting. He could smell the roasting meat they were cooking, and his belly grumbled in anticipation.


He followed Zephyrine to the fire, his mind lost in thought as she discarded her armor once more. Larkin typically didn't wear armor, rely on college magic and his own to protect him. He needed freedom of movement, and armor did not provide that luxury.

She kneeled before the fire, and he leaned against the arm chair, his face drawn and weary. In the quiet, that's when his thoughts disturbed him. He broke free of them as she spoke and he nodded with a smile.

"My stomach definitely agrees, and I very much would like to fill it." He laughed softly, summoning a barmaid. "We'll take whatever is fresh." It wasn't coming out of their pocket anyways. "I'll have them draw you a bath before you retire too, it will feel good on your bones."

Zephyrine

 

[Zephyrine]

Zephyrine perked up at the thought of a bath, but this break was meant for eating and then heading back out to finish recreating the next few sets of wards. Their meal was on the way, already ordered by Larkin and so Zeph got herself comfortable before the fire and sat to face him.

"We need to be quick with dinner, and as soon as we are done, we got to get back to task. I rather a good night's sleep than working through it. We have until sunrise before we need to be heading back to Vel Anir." She also was not sure if the soft tingling in her fingers was from the growing cold outside or her power depleting that little bit. It had been entirely too long since she was depleted, needing a few weeks of rest before she could attempt recreating again.

By the time their meals came from the kitchen, placed on the low table before the fire, Zephyrine's hair and trousers were not sticking to her skin. She was still damp, but that delicious smell of roast pork filled her sense of smell. She inhaled deeply, loudly, and let out the most starved sigh. "Oh, we deserved this!"

The meal was the warmth she needed inside her belly. How long ago did a simple cooked meal have her already wanting seconds?

Larkin

 

[Larkin]

Larkin wanted to tut and make her rest more, but she was adamant about continuing the task. It wasn't unusual for missions to take longer than initially expected, and so he had hoped to have her relax and regain her energy.

Despite his internal struggles, he found himself enjoying the company of Zephyrine, she was easy to get along with. He could see himself befriending her with time. He rubbed his scarred face while deep in thought, his brows furrowed as they turned towards the darker part he kept hidden.

He was torn from his thoughts as the piping hot food was brought to them, steaming and mouth watering in aroma. He smiled to the girl next to him as she perked up. "You definitely did after your impromptu cold bath."

Larkin waited for her to dig in, following suit slowly. "I apologize for how I reacted earlier, when you asked me about your little deal. You see, it's still fresh and it hurts. I don't even know if what I destroyed can be remade." He looked away from her, revealing more than he had since they started this journey together.

Zephyrine

 

[Zephyrine]

His apology made Zephyrine fall into a silence needed to gather her thoughts on what to say. She pondered as she ate, savouring the surprisingly tender meat before swallowing and lifting her light brown eyes to meet Larkin's two toned gaze. "It's fine. You didn't hurt my feelings." They were strangers, and he did not owe her an explanation either. She showed her appreciation via a smile, tucking into her meal once again.

"The only thing I cannot recreate is something alive... so... you break something like an object, I'm your girl." Despite her being able to recreate magical wards... it had been a new venture. One she had poked around and asked about until they gave her this mission to test it out. Zephyrine was only surprised how long it took before she could feel the fatigue. Perhaps with practice, with more understanding, she wouldn't be slowed down by concentrating on the essence of the very thing she was recreating.

Larkin

 

[Larkin]

Larkin supped slowly, savoring and chewing each bite like he was deep in thought. He was not above realizing his shortcomings, and this was one moment he had decided to address. Zephyrine seemed indifferent to the explanation, and part of him was relieved that she was. "I'm a bit rusty with people. You're the first person that I've actively spoken with or even in my company since my.. accident." He took another bite of his meal, glancing at his dinner company at intervals.

"I think I may have to take you up on fixing something, perhaps when we are finished with the task before us. I don't want you to let them pressure you into finishing your task too quickly. They will have to concede to your needs, so if this wears you out too much, they will have to deal with waiting longer." He would never let them bully him into completing a task set before him, they observed and reported, that was all. "There is no point in bringing yourself to the brink of exhaustion." She had already used a considerable amount of energy, she was bound to be feeling it a bit by now.

Zephyrine

 

[Zephyrine]

Zephyrine threw him a sheepish look, almost deflating before him. "Do I look exhausted?" She asked. Hoping that she did well in hiding in, Zeph had not wanted to appear weak in admitting her exhaustion. It was fortuitous timing that she suggested a fire and a meal, so as to recuperate from the lightness she began to feel. Her head was no longer faint, but her muscles were feeling heavier at the thought.

"It looked easy, recreating the magical constructs that make up the wards... and I know I could handle such complexity... I just never used my skills on magic before." She stabbed a roasted potato with her fork, biting into half of it in defeat. "I was convinced this would not work." Now the next question she posed internally had her thinking on Kor's past words.

What if she told the Academy and the Dreadlords she had done a perfect result?

What then? Should she have tried to make it appear as if she made an attempt? Or was there truly no harm in executing perfection?

Larkin

 

[Larkin]

Larkin gave her a quick reassuring grin as she glanced at him in embarrassment. "I am very good at picking things like that up, others may not but." he touched his nose in a knowing manner as he laughed softly. "I have quite the knack for it." He took another small bite of his meal, washing it down with a drink. He had not experienced nearly as much exhaustion as the younger girl next to him had. He was here mainly to keep an eye out for her, the work was unfortunately all on her shoulders. He was no fan of the academy either, and encouraging her to take her time was one thing that sort of stuck it to them too.

"At least you know more of what you are capable of, it is a great power that you possess. I'm sure it will only grow with time and practice. I think you will continue to surprise yourself, and you get to choose what you share with others." He pushed his barely touched plate away and turned in his seat to fully face her. "I really do encourage you to take your time and rest. You've earned it, and we can continue when it suits you."

Zephyrine

 

[Zephyrine]

Zephyrine stared at Larkin for a moment, surprised he had taken an interest in her well-being when so many other Initiates would take care of themselves before anyone else. She knew she was guilty of that, or at least she used to be before being mindful of making acquaintances. Quinnick had given her advice that struck something within her, to be more receptive of working as a team than relying solely on herself.

"Really, it is myself that is pressuring that I get this done, and do it right. Someone told me there was no harm in using the Academy in order to gain for myself." If she hadn't taken on the advice of thinking as a team, then Zephyrine would not have taken the advisement from Kor. "I will be the greatest weapon, for myself before any other organisation." It was certainly something she hoped to uphold. She would rather defect before being turned into something she no longer desired to be.

Night had approached, washing the city of Vel Zrada in darkness. It only seemed to fuel the streets to be brighter, all lit up and filled with nightlife. There was song and dance filling every street it sounded like, and many citizens and visitors dressed to go on their way to a theater show or dinner reservation. "I... would much prefer we complete these wards before it is too late. I kind of wanted to explore while we are here..."

There was only one ward left, and it covered quite a lot of ground. If she looked tired now, how will she look after this last one? Would she have energy to spare to wander the city like she wanted?


Larkin