Private Tales The Price of Blood and Energy

[Vigil]

Is there ever a time when discovering more of what you are, or what you could become, be a waste? Would it ever become as such for myself? I doubted that. Living alone and on the road, meant I had to deal with many people who I did not like, or ever want to be near. More over, I had to do everything possible within my skills, to survive. Scavenge, forage, even kill. So when there was tales of old ruins where people had gone missing, I wanted to investigate.

At best, it would be a place that the locals hated, and that I could find and learn something from. Worst? Might have to get into a scuffle with undead minions long lost of their master, or some kind of entity that I had to sneak around. Often times, it was just a story made by bandits or thieves to keep people away from their hide out. One too many times I have encountered such people. Hating it with all of my fibers.

That is why I hesitated entering this little mineshaft that the locals have been warding me from. Apparently this lead to some Necromancers tomb, and those who entered, never found their way out. Lost to the mines, or taken over by the ghost of this fabled being. Surely the Templars would have gone after this should it have been a credible source. No sign of disturbances for quite a while from what I could tell.

I stood up from the kneeling position that I had been in. Looking at the floor to find barely any kind of sign that someone had entered. Looking around, I didn't find anyone near me for the moment. Reflexive of any kind of danger, my hand pulled on the stud that held my long-knives in place at the small of my back, and the strap that held the short sword I carried in its sheath upon my hip.

Silently, I stepped into the darkness of the Mine.

Esmeralda

 

[Esme]

After conquering the elven tomb up north, Esmeralda was fairly certain she could handle a simple necromancer's tomb. Especially with her new found ... understanding of their abilities. Comparing then with her own, it seemed fairly likely she could complete this raid without a hitch. All she needed was enough energy, something she was still desperately short on since events.

Ugh.


And so gathering energy was what she was focused on doing outside the mines, the woman sitting cross-legged against a tree as she meditated on the life around her and slowly... carefully... leeched at it for later use.

The sudden presence of another life at the entrance to the mines jolted her from her state, causing her gasp and quickly withdraw from her efforts before she sucked at the intruder's strength as well. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing to take from other humans, she didn't particularly care. She didn't didn't want to be caught, curious about who would else turn up here, in the middle of no where. Where locals claimed all who entered died.

Sitting up carefully, she watched the figure enter the mine, her head tilting.


After a moment of deliberation, she followed distantly after, carefully tracking his movement by sensing the energy inside his body.

Maybe he would disable some of the traps before he died and save her the effort.

 

[Vigil]

The mine was not too difficult to see in for the first part. If that first part was the couple of feet at the entrance and maybe a few more after that. It was not the ideal situation for someone who did not have fire, or some source of light. I hated doing this for the pure fact of requiring something to burn. I stopped for a moment and scavenged around for anything. A stick, broken piece of the trusses that held the mine up. Anything. I couldn't find much. A few rocks and maybe some scraps of animal droppings.

Taking a few more steps inwards, I felt behind one of the trusses. Hearing a loud clank sound as the head of a pick ax fell to the floor. I shook my head at the clumsy attempt to pick it up. Seeing that the handle that had been on there, was broken in half. Not quite the best solution, but it would work. Holding the pick ax by the head, I used my dagger to carve into the shaft of the handle. Making sure my lines were straight and curved at the right moments, and not out of alignment.

After doing so, I lightly knicked my flesh with the blade. Letting the few drops of blood land on the rune. It only took about a second or two, but the upper portion of the shaft began to glow brightly before bursting into a flame. The rune was engulfed by the mixture of oranges, reds, and yellows, but the flame never went any further down the shaft.

Suitable for now, I worked my way deeper into the mines.

Letting the flame fueled handle be pointed down at the ground. Making sure I didn't walk over any wires, or possible traps as I continued onward.

 

[Esme]

Esmeralda gasped as the trill of magic entered the stale air of the mine walls.

Interesting.

After a moment of thought she decided to press deeper and close distance between them, willing to risk exposure for a glimpse at what exactly it was that she had just felt. She knew what was rumored to lie deep inside this tomb, and while it did not suit her own type of magic, it would fetch a fair price on the black market. The fact that she felt another magic user in here at all was curious.

She let her senses drift out across the mine, picking up the minute forms of energy all around them-- pin pricks of life from small creatures so numerous she drowned them out. Most notably she searched for the stagnant signs of magic left to slowly leech out of the rocks around them-- a tell tail sign of a trap laid long ago. It wasn't just physical dangers they would have to face, but magical ones.

Only the worthy could access these treasures.

Beyond Vigil, she felt the first one. The magic sensor laying thickly across the floor, she was sure the magically charged ground would do something wicked to the foot that touched it.

She pressed into a crevice and watched, curious of the make of this mage.

 

[Vigil]

Do you ever have the feeling like eyes are on you? Like someone, somewhere is watching?

I could only assume it would have been this presumed necromancer, I shrugged it off for the moment as I walked forward. Taking careful steps to not set any traps. However, that is when it hit me. Why would a Necromancer use physical traps that can be broken easily, or stepped over with the ease of a child? Magical ones. Ones that would be marked not by a wire, or a plate, but a rune, a sigil, or a magical presence.

I shook my head at this. I hated using some of my abilities. Yes they were tools, but using the skills I had tend to lend itself to my lineage. A gifted magic user, that has the stigma of a Stormbird. Someone who brought the storms of the heavens with him without meaning to do so. I slowly centered myself and felt along the path in front and behind me. Making sure I had not passed any traps that I should know about.

I could have easily overstepped them, or they not activate due to one of the laws of magic. Time. They would all fade eventually, but I would still like to be cautious. I could feel the trap in front of me, and- No.

I spun around as fast as I could. My left hand tossing the torch down the length of the mineshaft while my other hand quickly withdrew a Long-knife.

"State yourself!"

 

[Esme]

Esmeralda remained tucked inside the crevice as the torch came streaking down the hall towards her. A glimpse of her face was shown in the light it casted-- a flicker of a scowl of a streak of blond hair before she snuffed out the energy of the torch and briskly stored it on her palm.

The light cut out.

It clanked across the stone beyond even her.

She was silent for a long pause as she considered her options.

Despite the darkness, she could reasonably well. Pinpricks of energy around her formed a distinct picture, only minute things like rocks on the ground and spiderwebs in the air surpassing her senses. The world was composed of energy. She closed her eyes, seeing the world through it.

"This is not your crypt," she respond softly back, knowing in that moment that it would not be wise to engage a mage in a battle if his abilities were not first know to her.

"Leave now," she bluffed. "While you still can."

 

[Vigil]

After throwing it, I couldn't make much out. Something was hiding in the distance, I didn't want to chance it. However, what really brought my senses to me that this person was an avid magic user, was that the rune I made on the haft, was supposed to last almost an hour. Whomever did this snuffed out the flame with ease as it passed them and clambered on the ground. Pyromancy? Energy based magic? Heat based magic? Likely a mix of all of those.

I shook my head as the voice came out. Clearly not a male due to the pitch, but the Echo may have been an attempt to distort her voice. I slowly reached to my arm. The cut still there and fresh, poking it with a finger to draw on my own skin. The palm of my hand really. I invested no magic into it at the moment as I spoke. Working as quickly as I could.

"Yet I am not writhing upon the ground. I doubt this is your's either."

Once I had gotten the blood written upon the palm of my hand, I quickly spoke two words in my native tongue as I jumped forward.

"Kral Voch!"

Rushing forward, My hand exploded with a bright white light that I nearly couldn't see through myself. However, as it was being thrust forward from my hand, I could barely make out the shape of a face hiding off to the site. Seeing every stone, break in the ground, and crevice. Even so, this magic was hot on my hand. Warming up my hand. Holding it too long would literally cause my hand to burst into flame. However, hold it I did.

"Again, State yourself."

 

[Esme]

Esmeralda smiled to herself, his magic literally lighting him up like a beacon inside her mind's eye. She resorted once again to defensive magic, not keen on investing in an attack until she could learn more. The blood was not a force she could see inside her mind

His hand began to grow hotter, the woman focusing in on the energy there and adding back all the energy she had stolen from his torch ... into the ball of magic he held himself. It was a punishing bite of magic, Esmeralda using his resources against him as she tried to force him to abandon the spell, or face dealing with his hand abruptly turning into the torch she had snuffed out moments before.

At least she was kind enough to give his stolen energy back?

"What's that they say about playing with fire..." She near teased, unable to help her amusement. "You're in over your head, Krah Voch. Leave this tomb at once."

 

[Vigil]

I kept my hand out extended. I could make out some of this figure but barely. They were hiding from me. Attempting to stay as much. However, I saw movement to my right side of the cave system. Suddenly. my hand was heating up rapidly. I should have been able to hold this for about a minute, instead it was barely seconds. No. This was energy the person could control. I smiled as I whispered the same words of incantment, and dropped my hand.

"Krah Voch, is not my name. Magic user."

I clutched my hand. My hand had not been burned up, but it did sustain burns. Ones akin to sticking your hand upon a stove or a hot rock near the firepit. Red and slowly starting to raise into blisters. It hurt, but I couldn't show that weakness to whowever was here. Not yet.

"Just because you practice, does not mean you own this cave. I'll cut you a deal."

I slowly brought my long-knife up and pointed it into the direction of this person. Almost as though I were attempting to hold a rapier ready for thrusting.

"Half spoils for you."

 

[Esme]

She slowly opened her eyes, none the less blind for it, her sight remaining set on the energy around her.

"Sounds like the words of a cornered animal. What good is a book to me split in half? No dice. Unless you can offer something better," she hedged, every part of her body braced for him to lash out like the cornered creature he was.

 

[Vigil]

I just shook my head. Chuckling as they mentioned I was cornered like an animal. Willing to lash out or do anything. I completely forgot about the fact that I may have been so, and merely spoke.

"So you don't owe this mine, and you want to take what is inside. Without competition."

Taking the long-knife, i slowly ease the blade back into the sheath on the small of my back. Even closing the clasp on the grip so it wouldn't slide out. A small snap noise made it clear that it was locked. Drawing it wouldn't be as easy as I did it before. I raised a hand up to show that they had me.

"Yeah. You got me on the Magic department. However, I know well enough that a book split in half is no good for me either. Nor will I willingly just give it up to you."

As much as I would rather just do this on my own, and trek on even if this person was behind me, I had a feeling that as soon as the chance came, they would take whatever they could from my own hands.

"I am just trying to find something, anything in here. If there is something specific you are looking for, then its yours. I really don't want to be held up with this talking. So either join me in taking this trap down, or I can set more so you can't pass here. And trust me, I am one mean Rune Mage."

 

[Esme]

Esmeralda pursed her lips, considering the stale mate they had set each other in.

"... And I call that bluff and keep you cornered here until you die of thirst or lack of sleep?" She challenged, curious about the lengths he was willing to go. It would define a lot about it. And shape her next decision.

 

[Vigil]

I smiled as she was attempting so hard to keep this all to herself. She attempted to call my bluff. In honesty, if I were to die, then this painful life would be over. I did not mind sending my life off to the void if it meant others couldn't get what they wanted out of me. Taking my fingers of the right hand, and digging into my skin, I drew more blood upon my fingers. And very easily began to draw on the side of one of the pillars holding the structure up.

See, if this girl was as good at absorbing magic as she thought she was, then she might have a problem with my kind of traps. Runes held no power when sitting there. They didn't manifest as energy because the runes were not activated. It was much akin to having a fire place, wood, fuel, and even excelerant, but the fire itself being there. A rune would sit there for a long time. Waiting to be activated per the circumstances came true. Only when they did, would the rune take effect.

"Life matters little to me. If I should die, then my very blood will do all it can to prevent you."

The first seal was done. Second seal was being worked on quickly as I could in the dark and with very little light.

"With so much power that you hold, I can feel your aura. Must be quite nice absorbing power."

Magic users all had an aura. One that can even be used to feed runes. These traps? Activated when an energy signature got close enough too it. In essence, she was her own trip wire. The heat that would bring forth a flame from the wood in the fireplace.

My feet didn't move from their place. Reason? If I were to start moving, then my own trap would go off on me. If I fell asleep from such a lack she stated, then the trap went off. If she attempted to pass me, the trap would go off. If she attempted to move me from my spot, then it would go off.

"So tell me. How do you fancy a cave in of a diminishing mine shaft? Sure the explosion might not kill ya, but I am sure the literal weight of the world would."

 

[Esme]

Esmeralda fell silent, not bothering to correct him. Correcting any one of his assumptions would only give him more of an insight to what she could do, and as she still remained marginally unsure about his limits himself...

But he had said one thing to her. One that that made the hidden source of his magic apparent to her.

"Your blood, huh?" She murmured softly.

She fingered a stone under her shirt, judging the reserves she kept stored in there. Could she survive this mind shaft if it tumbled? It wouldn't be the first underground collapse she had gotten out of alive. She glanced towards the exit, silently measuring.

And then because she was just that stubborn, she called him on it.

"Go ahead. One way to find out." She wasn't going to trust him with her back on a retreat, nor would she trust him on teamwork.

The whole cavern went abruptly stale, their breath puffing out against the frigid chill as the stagnant energy around them went rushing to her.