Private Tales The Ritual Eye

[Selina Della Altas]

"You're horrible, ya know that Selina?"
"Shut up!"
"I mean, what did they do to deserve this?"
"Shut up!"
"And now look at us... We're running through the fricken woods being chased by a bunch of meat heads?!"
"I said shut up!"

Selina jumped over a log as she bolted headlong through the forest, a Margay cat clinging desperately to her shoulder and berating her as they ran. They could hear howling behind them as the barbarian brutes gave chase.
Black robes and cloak billowed behind her and her hood was pulled back leaving her wavy black hair to bounce free behind her.
She kept hold of her staff in her left hand and clutched a small object to her chest in the other.
Her breathing was labored but she was making good time...
She ducked just in time to avoid an arrow passing just over her head... Perhaps not as good as she thought.

Using her staff to clear the way and stabilize herself she slid-ran down a draw and turned right at the bottom to follow a small stream bed for a moment before heading up the other side of the draw.
Another arrow just missed her calf as she climbed up. She had to do something to throw these guys off her trail quick!

 

[Shinera]

Shinera sighed into the fresh air of the foreign woods. She were so confident about getting along well on her own, as she left her hometown, that she wouldn’t need any help on her journey, even though she never traveled alone before. But she was grown up, wasn’t she? Knowledgeable and educated, how difficult could such a journey be for her?

And now there she was, with a map in the one hand and a compass in the other, yet she had more and more the feeling of getting lost in those woods. It was embarrassing. Well, if only there were someone to be ashamed. The compass was even magical, making it easier in use and defining directions. Shinera just … would never ever tell someone about all this.

Putting the compass back into her pocket, she lifted her head, looking across the way in front of her. At least, one could recognize a path. Two parallel lines trampled flat, revealing, that sometimes carriages or carts had to pass, but at the moment, they were almost completely covered with dead, brownish leafs. The path would surely lead out of the forest sooner or later, right?

The way the sun broke through the tree canopy, like curtains of light, waving slow in the soft breeze and across the floor, while denser parts of the forest submerged in darkness, this contrast, it gave the appearance something mystical. The leaves above the treetops rustled loudly, quieter down here and falling silent in the dense depths of the forest.

Only the sound of her own feet stepping through the dead leaves could be heard in the immediate vicinity. But something behind the wall of logs caught her attention. Something that didn't quite fit into the overall picture and soundscape of a peaceful forest.



Shinera slowed down and listened more closely, opening her flow of sound. She noticed water gurgling somewhere near, another sound sometimes cutted sharp through the air, but she couldn’t classify what it were. In a distance something rushed through the woods. Her first thought and fear were wild boars, hopefully no monsters or worse, but she also recognized some voices. People? Here? In the nowhere of some lost forest? She quickly scurried off the road and between bushes, ducking behind a tree. Not sure how dangerous the what- and whoever was, that seemed to moving right into her direction.

She leaned forward to catch a glimpse but not recognizing much between darker green and brighter green, she activated the flow of vision, being able to see farther into distance. She recognized a female figure, not far behind were other ones, but they seemed more crude. Shinera couldn't make out much more here, after all, bushes and trees blocked her view.

The female shape seemed to flee from the others. Normally, running-away-people had a good reason to do so. For example, because they had done something wrong or criminal. However, considering the mob running behind the person, Shinera sympathized with her, because she had the feeling that the woman was actually more off a victim. Shinera bent over, touching the ground beneath and the tree bark beside her. Letting her magic flow in and through it, waiting, till the chasing horde were near enough and within her sphere, then she pushed tendrils out of the ground, whipping up some dirt and earth, that grabbed and held onto those hunters. Some stumbled and fell, one ran through it.

Too slow, Shinera thought. The one that came through stopped. He looked around and his gaze turned into her direction. As their eyes met, Shinera paled. Past him, at the edge of her vision, she saw the men free themselves from the roots and chopping them. One of them didn’t even need do use a sharp weapon, only strength to pull those roots away. Fuck.



The moment of realization of her situation, in which she stared motionless and frightened like a deer, lasted just as long as the confusion on the face of her counterpart, probably because she popped up out of nowhere and wasn’t what they chased after. But just as she snapped out of her stupor and jumped off, the man sprinted off too – probably seeing her as a sidekick of the fleeing now.

Shinera simultaneously activated the channel of strength and endurance. Pushing muscle strength and stamina, but in the panic and face of danger, she probably pushed it more than actually needed. It allowed her to sprint quickly and keep the men at a distance. Where had that one woman run off to?? Shinera was desperately looking for her and as soon as she caught sight of her, she ran after her.

“Hey!”, Shinera shouted in the hope of getting attention and maybe help. After all, she had also helped her slow down the men. Whereby she was not sure whether the woman had noticed anything at all. Hopefully she didn't thought Shinera would now hunt her too …

“Hey, you!”, she shouted again. Shinera suddenly realized that she was running off the path into the middle of the forest. Oh, hopefully she would find the way back to the path … but right know, she had other problems.


Selina Altas

 

[Selina Della Altas]

Selina kept running and she could hear the barbarians still hot on her trail, if she didn't get clear soon they would catch up with her and probably kill her.
She heard a bit of a commotion behind her but could spare a moment to look back, she just kept running.

“Hey!”

That was in common, these barbarians only spoke their own guttural tongue. She looked around but kept running trying to find the source.

“Hey, you!”

Selina jumped around a tree and brought her staff up to point at whoever was chasing behind her. The voice was female but she was still surprised to find another girl out her besides herself. She was running too and Selina could see the barbarians closing in.
The runes on her staff glowed for a moment and Selina muttered an incantation. The next moment a wall of roots and trees sprung up from the ground between them and the barbarians.

When the girl caught up she would hold out her hand, "Let's go, that wall won't hold them for long, we need to get as much distance as we can!"
Whether she took her hand or not Selina would begin running again.

 

[Shinera]

Shinera felt the adrenalin rushing through her veins and the energy flooding her body, after she had hastily opened and pushed her channels. She could sprint quite effortlessly, gaining distance from the barbarians while approaching the woman. She called out to her, but just at the next shout the silhouette reacted, jumping behind a tree and pointing something that looked like a staff at Shinera. It was the second shock today, which made her stop immediately. She briskly raised her hands.
"I'm not your enemy!", she quickly added. But too late, with her flow of vision still up, she could sense something glowing up at the staff and feel the concentrated magic behind her like thikening air. She instinctively threw her hands over her head and ducked. Shinera winced at the noise of breaking earth and roots. But ... she remained unharmed. Irritated, she raised her head, first looking at the person in front of her, then at the wall of earth and root tangles behind her. Oh, this attack wasn't even directed at her? Shinera quickly turned around again and hushed towards the other woman. She surely was some kind of magician, a fact, that increased her sympathy and trust.

For some reason the other Person offered her hand, Shinera wasn't sure what for. Running while holding hands surely wasn't more effective, but since she didn't know what the other mage had in mind and after she thankfully accepted any help, he just took her hand without further thinking,

"Let's go, that wall won't hold them for long, we need to get as much distance as we can!"

"All right!", Shinera answered, while squeezing her hand firmly. Wait. Was that a cat on her shoulders? Shinera gave her a surprised look. But there was no time for more, because her new companion already ran off. Tied by hands, she was pulled along and also ran. Standing out branches tugged at their robes here and there as they scurried through the forest.
"Where are we running to anyway? And away from whom?", Shinera asked, without being anywhere near out of breath yet, but still firmly holding the others hand, like she could lose her otherwise.

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"All right!", Shinera answered, while squeezing her hand firmly. Wait. Was that a cat on her shoulders? Shinera gave her a surprised look. But there was no time for more, because her new companion already ran off. Tied by hands, she was pulled along and also ran. Standing out branches tugged at their robes here and there as they scurried through the forest.
"Where are we running to anyway? And away from whom?"

Selina was much more out of breath than her new companion, so instead of talking she saved her breath for running and spells.
She breathlessly uttered a brief incantation and her staff glowed again, forest stride, which allowed them to pass through the thickest and briariest parts of the forest without harm and without slowing down.
The barbarians would have a much harder time following them now even if this was basically their backyard.

She led the girl by the hand but she kept up just fine without her so she eventually let go of her. And kept running in a random pattern through the woods.
Eventually Selina jumped behind a tree and came to a stop for a brief rest and to catch her breath.
"The answer... *Gasp*... To your question... *Pant**pant*... We're running from barbarians, and we're currently going anywhere they are not!"
She peaked around the tree, looking for any sign of pursuit while she gathered her strength.
She turned to look at the girl at last and gave her a once over with her eyes, "Who are you? What are you doing in this part of the forest?"

 

[Shinera]

The young woman beside her again murmured some words and Shinera didn't just saw but felt the magic within her staff glowing. This time she was preparet, not thinking it would be aimed at her. As the magic troughout her staff were released, the plants in their path bent aside rustling and cracking, making room. Shinera was surprised by how fast she could command them to move, she for herself would have needed more time and focus and maybe weren't able to do it while running at all. But at least she wouldn't need a staff to do it.
At some point while her run she noticed, that her new companion wanted to let go of her hand and so she loosened her grip. Hopefully she hadn't gripped her hand too tightly, for she had still her channel of strength open, eventually not noticing if she were too rough.

The other woman all of a sudden jumped behind a tree and Shinera quickly followed her. This time the abrupt change of direction was not to lose and confuse the barbarians, but to hide for a rest - her companion was completely out of breath

"The answer... *Gasp*... To your question... *Pant**pant*... We're running from barbarians, and we're currently going anywhere they are not!"

Barbarians? Well, yes, they looked like that. Running anywhere they were not seemed to be a good idea, even though ones needed to know at first where they are, to know, where not to be.
"Alright", Shinera anwesered, guessing that she wouldn't get a more precise answer. As the woman turned around, peaking behind, Shinera followed her gaze.
"I, for my part, can't sense them anymore.", she added. She couldn't see noticeable movements and heard no suspicious noises. As the other magician; a wizard or a sorceres, she didn't know yet; turned around, Shinera tensed inwardly under the inspecting gaze.

"Who are you? What are you doing in this part of the forest?"

Shinera blinked. In this part of the forest? Was this part special in any way?
"I'm ...", she started, putting her hand on her heart as she introduced herself, "I'm Shinera, from the house Vhallor. An graduated sorceres and ...", she sank her hand again. "I'm just travelling through the forest, I have no business here. You ... and the barbarians who followed you, just crossed my way." she explained truthfully. Actually, she did not immediately reveal her profession as a sorceress, but she was possibly facing another one here. So she saw no reason to hide it, the other person possibly would have figured it out pretty quick anyway.
"And you? Who are you rushing through this forests and what have you done, that the barbarians chased after you?", she asked.

Another glance to the side. She still couldn't sense them, maybe the barbarians really had lost track of them, so maybe she could take a rest, too. After all, she shouldn't keep the channels open for too long, especially not several at once.
"I'll need a short break, too.", she admitted. Looking around, she found a fallen log, large enough to serve as a seat. She stepped up to take a seat, but let go of her channels right before doing so. The sudden loss of her strength caused her to plop down on the log bumpily, rather than sit gracefully, as if a puppet had had its strings cut. Shinera gasped. She sat slightly hunched with her shoulders slumped and her arm propped up seeking a hold. Her vision blurred and her sense of hearing dropped.
"What?", she asked, not sure, if the other woman actually said anything at all or if it were just the rustle of the trees. She squinted her eyes in a slight bout of dizziness. Maybe letting go of all channels and flows at once wasn't a good idea either. But it would get better in a bit. Only the first moment of the setback hit hard. Like a tense bowstring that snapped back.

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"I'm Shinera, from the house Vhallor. An graduated sorceress and ...", she sank her hand again. "I'm just travelling through the forest, I have no business here. You... and the barbarians who followed you, just crossed my way."

Selina sighed as her lungs began to not burn so much, "Damnit, sorry for mixing you up into all of this."
She leaned on her staff and closed her eyes for a minute.

In response to her question she shrugged, "I was doing some research on an artifact in the possession of this tribe... I discovered that it had a cursed property that was effecting the tribe, they didn't believe me and they didn't like it when I stole it..."

"I'll need a short break, too."

Selina nodded as if to say, 'do what you gotta do'. Her mind was racing for a plan, she doubted the barbarians lost their trail being seasoned inhabitants of the wilderness with a hunter and gatherer society, but even if they did lose the trail it won't take them long to find it again.

She glanced up when the woman asked if she had said anything, she was seated now and finally seemed effected by their running.
"No, I didn't say anything... But you did say that you're a sorcerer, correct? What sort of magic can you do?"

 

[Shinera]

Shinera looked up as the other woman apologized. She seemed really to be sorry and so Shinera smiled, she raised a tired hand and waved it away.

"Don't worry.", she appeased. They had gotten away with it now, hadn't they? But she was interested in return what the other magician actually did in those woods and who she was.

"I was doing some research on an artifact in the possession of this tribe... I discovered that it had a cursed property that was effecting the tribe, they didn't believe me and they didn't like it when I stole it..."

"Oh? I see.", Shinera answered with wondering and growing interest. She seemed to be a dutiful and caring person, bringing herself into danger to help others, without receiving gratitude. Even worse, being hunted for it. It reminded her of some quite similar experiences ... and it raised her sympathy towards the magician.

But first things first: although she seemed quite fit for the moment, Shinera herself needed a break. As she sat down, letting go of her channels that supplied her with energy, she now sank down a little powerlessly, the stimulated senses now decreasing.

With dampened hearing, she had to focus to understand the woman.

"No, ဒါ didn't say anyမပြော... But ဒါ did မျှော that you'မ က sorcerer, ယ်rect? What ယ်လို magic can you လဲ?"

Shinera didn't understood every word and syllable, but enough to get the context and key message.

"I have mastered a kind of dendromancy, I can influence the flora around me and extract components out of it.", she explained and frowned thoughtfully. "I am also gifted with a physiological ability, but it hasn't to do much with magic anymore."
Slowly she felt better again, her senses returned to normal and she now sat up straighter.
"What is your name? Are you a sorceress too?", she asked. While she has introduced herself, she still didn't know her name.

Shinera heard a crackle in the background. Muffled voices in the distance. She flinched looking around.
"Oh no, did they pick up our trail?", she asked in a low voice and stood up. She had thought they had shaken off the others. At least she didn't expected to be found again so quickly.

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"I have mastered a kind of dendromancy, I can influence the flora around me and extract components out of it.", she explained and frowned thoughtfully. "I am also gifted with a physiological ability, but it hasn't to do much with magic anymore."

Selina nodded and she took mental notes. She wanted to write this stuff down in her spellbook later.
"Interesting... If we get away I'll have to ask you about your talent more in depth!"

"What is your name? Are you a sorceress too?",

She shook her head, "My name's Selina, a wizard... Of sorts I guess, but it's easiest to just use the term wizard."

"Oh no, did they pick up our trail?",

She looked up when the twig snapped.
"Whether they have or not it's time to go."
She hefted her staff and looked around, picking a direction she started off at a steady pace.

 

[Shinera]

Shinera smiled as the other woman expressed her interest on Shineras ability. She called it a talent. It sounded strangely in her ears - yeah, it was a sort of ability but it was also pretty common back in her hometown, so she never would have entitled it as something like an talent. Since she left, however, she never encountert anyone else with her Physiomancy.

"Yeah, of course", she added, but were also interested in who the other person actually was, so she asked it in return.

"My name's Selina, a wizard... Of sorts I guess, but it's easiest to just use the term wizard."

"Oh, I see.", Shinera answered. After Selina had demonstrated what she could do with her staff, Shinera had already assumed that she must be some kind of mage. She was glad to encounter her. After all, one understood each other on a different level if one was from the same field. She had only met ordinary people on her journey for a while now.

But it seemed that they hadn't much time for chit-chatting anymore. Something rustled in the bushes and it was probably no animal. Shinera sighed, surprised that the barbarians had picked up her trail so quickly. At least, if it were the barbarians.

"Whether they have or not it's time to go."

Shinera nodded and followed Selina right away. Luckily, she had already rested. Hopefully the fleeing would soon come to an end. They couldn't run through the whole forest, could they?

"To be honest, I am glad to have met a friendly figure. Wandering through these woods alone was a bit unsettling."

Shinera took a quick gaze behind her, but it seemed that the barbarians where yet to far away to see them.

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"To be honest, I am glad to have met a friendly figure. Wandering through these woods alone was a bit unsettling."

"Likewise. These forests are dangerous in the best of times, you've always got monsters and bandits stalking the roads waiting for some unsuspecting wanderer to walk by."
She didn't cast her forest striding spell again, opting to push the brush aside with her staff. Some barbarian tribes hated magic and were very keen on hunting it down and destroying it. She doubted this tribe chasing them was among those barbarians but it was better to be cautious.

She led the way through the forest, her time as a witch gave her plenty of experience with the woods and she was able to navigate fairly well. She was looking for a stream they could cross, once they made it there they could more easily elude the barbarians, it was difficult to track through water.

They were still trekking through the woods, Selina didn't hear any signs of pursuit so she broke the silence, "You said your name was Shinera, correct? Where are you travelling? Do you have a destination?"

 

[Shinera]

"Likewise. These forests are dangerous in the best of times, you've always got monsters and bandits stalking the roads waiting for some unsuspecting wanderer to walk by."

The more Selina spoke, the more uncomfortable Shinera became. She must have been lucky not to have encountered anything like that yet.

"Wait, really?", she wondered rhetorically. She knew that monsters and bandits could be everywhere, but she somehow didn't knew, that these forests were that dangerous. Now she was even happier to have met Selina. Someone who could use magic and defend herself, after all. Shinera could do this as well, but it was safer together.

Shinera followed her new companion the rest of the way. She herself had completely lost her orientation and was glad that Selina seemed to have an idea where to go. For a while one could only hear their footsteps and the silent rustling of plants, as well as some birds singing. As they came across a stream Shinera drank a little and refilled her water supply before continuing.

"You said your name was Shinera, correct? Where are you travelling? Do you have a destination?"

Shinera looked up with a smile.

"Yes, that's correct.", he answered the first part an then her smile faded a little, as he glanced forward again.
"Elbion is my intended destination. I want to apply for a position at the college. But I don't now yet whether I'll fulfil the prerequisite. I do have magical knowledge and education, however, it is not very diversified but more ... specific.
Yet I think it is more useful to have a good knowledge of a certain subject in order to be good in teaching it, rather than having a superficial knowledge of many things.", she answered and sighed.

"And I do hope that I can continue my research. I was actually already in training to become a professor."

Shinera looked up to her companion again.

"What about you? You're not from the elbion college by any chance?", she asked.


Selina Altas

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"Elbion is my intended destination. I want to apply for a position at the college. But I don't now yet whether I'll fulfil the prerequisite. I do have magical knowledge and education, however, it is not very diversified but more ... specific.
Yet I think it is more useful to have a good knowledge of a certain subject in order to be good in teaching it, rather than having a superficial knowledge of many things.", she answered and sighed.

She raised her eyebrows at her traveling companion, "Elbion? I see, you want to teach your particular craft."
She nodded half to herself.

"And I do hope that I can continue my research. I was actually already in training to become a professor."

Shinera looked up to her companion again.

"What about you? You're not from the elbion college by any chance?", she asked.

She nodded again, "I see. Yes I attended Elbion, I still go back every now and then to take classes. It's a good place if you want to eventually become a teacher of your art, you can advance your tenure and magic. They also like to specialize in specific magical arts and sciences."

She smiles, "My magic is... Expansive. It covers a variety of subjects both mundane and arcane. I once even joined a witches coven to study a new type of magic. Various arts, sciences and disciplines, it's my desire to learn it all."