Private Tales Trapped Inside One's Mind

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Katja shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting with the lace on her boot as she considered his response. The notion of cowardice had burrowed deep within her, yet his words held a strange weight that made her pause. Still, she couldn’t shake her own harsh judgment. She’d made her choices, for better or worse. But Alistair… here he was, facing death with a grace that she couldn’t fathom.

“There’s not much to tell about me,” she said, her voice almost too quiet. It felt strange, almost forbidden, to share pieces of herself. She hadn’t spoken this freely in ages—it was as if she’d forgotten how to converse about anything outside of orders and silence.

She glanced up at him before dropping her gaze back to her boots. “I was… very sick once, and my father brought me to Evander. He saved my life. I owe him for that. So… I stay.” Her voice wavered slightly, but she steadied it. “He keeps me here as part of his work, as… payment.”

She swallowed, surprised by the vulnerability she’d let slip. But as she looked at him, she dared to ask, “And you? How did you end up here?” Her head tilted, watching for his reaction, wondering what had led a man like him into Evander’s clutches.
 
If Alistair wasn't in an incredible amount of pain and, simultaneously, high on a pain killer then he would have burst out laughing at her story. Not because he did not sympathize with her, but it was the irony of it all.

"You know that makes you the second person I've met serving a life debt to a dark mage."

There wasn't really anything funny about it all, but Al needed to find humor in anything he could at the moment. Of course, that emotion was quickly washed away as he sensed Katja's own demeanor.

"I will say the same thing I told them. Repaying a debt is an honorable endeavor, but... no debt is worth an entire life of servitude." That would leave it to Katja to decide when enough was enough.

As he made himself more comfortable, he had to decide how much he could say to her.

"I came here after my research discovered very strange and dangerous magical energy readings. I came to decide how much of a threat they were...I guess the answer is very."

Katja
 
"I'm not staying here for honour," she shot back, her voice sharper than she intended. "I'm staying here because that was the deal he made." Her fingers dug into the fabric of her skirts, knuckles whitening as she fought to keep herself calm. "Evander has no qualms about using anyone to get what he wants.”

She sighed, her gaze dropping to the cold stone floor as if searching for answers she knew she’d never find. "I don’t care what he does to me,” she muttered. “But if I leave, he’ll go after my family. So I stay."

Her cheeks warmed, but she wasn't ready to apologise for her shift in tone. He was, after all, in a worse predicament than she.

"You can sense that?.." she asked curiously in effort to change the refocus the conversation.
 
Alistair slowly nodded in understanding, getting the sense that he may have been a bit rude. He quickly apologized, "Sorry for misunderstanding...that is very evil sorcerer of him." For a moment, Alistair wondered if he was free he could kill this Evander...maybe with enough preparation, but the man likely had several years of experience with him.

"And yes, I can track the energies with the right rituals. I had gotten lucky before, so I thought I had gotten lucky again. Unfortunately, that did not prove to be the case."

Lucky might have been a strong word. The last time he used these rituals, he discovered Luminor and ended up blind. That wasn't exactly a good day, but every curse had its own benefits. He would not have been able to find Evander without his current vision.

"It's less sense and more see."

Katja
 
Katja snorted and waved off his apology with a faint shrug. "Forget it," she murmured. The concept of honour felt far removed from anything in her life now, but Alistair couldn’t have known that.

She tilted her head, studying him as he spoke about his "luck" in tracking the energies. Seeing them? That threw her. She couldn’t help but glance at his eyes, even if she knew they couldn't see her.

“What do you mean, ‘see’?” she asked slowly, her brow knitting in confusion. “I thought you… well, you mentioned…” She hesitated, unsure if she was being insensitive. "I don't understand." her head tilted.
 
Alistair waved his hand in the air reaching for something that was hard to explain, before waving his hand in front of his eyes.

"I can't see like you or most people see, but I can see...magic. It takes different forms, but all magic gives off a field or aura that I can see. When it interacts with objects in the environment I can see the outlines of those things. So...I can't see you per see, but I can see enough to know that you are a humanoid, and not some giant snake or something." He offered.

He had tried to explain his new-found senses several times before, and each time, he had missed or added something unnecessary, but he was getting the gist of it.

"The chains I am in dampen my mana sensitivity, so things are a little blurry, but there is enough magic in this place for me to see."

Katja
 
Katja managed a quiet laugh under her breath at his mention of giant snake ladies, the tension in her shoulders loosening for the briefest moment. “Oh… well, that’s reassuring,” she said, a trace of amusement softening her usually guarded tone. It was strange, finding any humour in this dark place, but perhaps humour was necessary when everything else was so bleak.

She glanced at the chains binding him, the dampeners carved into the iron glinting dully in the low light. “So even now, in all this...” Her gaze swept around the dim, stone walls and the flicker of torchlight casting shadows, “you can see something? It must be… disorienting.” The thought of seeing the world only through the prism of magic was beyond her imagination, and she wondered what the strange auras might look like, whether they were vivid or faint, chaotic or orderly.

A frown pulled at her lips as she contemplated his situation. “Is that why Evander keeps you here, bound like this?” She paused, something shifting in her expression, a flicker of determination. “Does he know what you can see?” The question was almost rhetorical, but she wanted to understand what dangers Alistair faced, what leverage the dark mage might already have over him.

She exhaled and shook her head. “I still don't understand why you'd willingly come here, if you knew how powerful he was." she frowned, her head tilting.
 
"It definately took some time getting used to it all. Immediately after my accident, I wandered around as if I constantly had the sun shining directly in my eye...It was overwhelming."

Alistair often described it in simple terms, but the information he had to process with his new vision was massive. Not only shapes, distances, and the common factors for regular sight, but now he was noticing the near-constant shifts in mana density, characteristics, or sudden mana flat zones.

"And, he may know if he is really good at guessing. Who can say, but I haven't told him."

He did not make a habit of telling evil people about his sight. That was how he would end up getting his eyes plucked out of his skull, and he had a vague sense that that would hurt. Instead, he often just told people he could see with his runes, which was not even a lie, but he needed his own magic to do that which he did not have at the moment.

"Well when you put it like that I seem rather dumb, but in my defense, I did not realize the powerful magic was coming from a person. I thought it was a natural anomaly that I could study...In hindsight, I probably could have done a bit of scouting, but I was in a hurry."

Katja
 
Katja's eyes narrowed slightly, absorbing his words and piecing together fragments of his story. An accident that left him with this extraordinary and burdensome vision—it piqued her curiosity more than she cared to admit. “An accident?” she repeated.

She shifted on her knees, fingers toying with the laces of her boot as her mind raced. Alistair’s unusual ability could explain why Evander kept him alive, chained but not silenced. The idea that Alistair might see the things even Evander sought but couldn’t perceive made her chest tighten. If Alistair could see portals or veils between realms, Evander might go to great lengths to extract that particular talent.

"I suppose you could see all sorts of things.. Magical items..Illusions.. portals.." she pondered aloud, a hint of question in her tone.

If Alistair could detect such things, then Evander’s ambitions were closer to realisation than she had feared. The fae realm was said to be a wellspring of power, and any means of accessing it would be a dangerous advantage in the wrong hands.

She bit her lip, hoping he would deny it, yet dreading the possibility that he wouldn’t.
 
"Yes, I suppose. I've never seen a portal, but if it has magic then I can see it. Even the faintest traces are noticeable. For example, there are things called Talents, which are people that have really minor gifts that are just extraordinary enough to be considered special, but not rising to the level of being able to do magic. I can even spot most of them."

He had never pushed his abilities to their limit, even though he should. For someone who loved experimentation and study as much as he did, Alistair was always fearful of messing with his eyes more than he already did. If someone were to happen to them then that would be it. He would be well and truly blind. That experience, however brief, had not been fun for the young man and he had no desire to go back.

Judging by Katja's tone, Alistair's talents weren't exactly a good thing given the situation at hand. He let that silence hang for a moment before asking,

"Don't suppose you are having second thoughts about letting me out now?"

Katja
 
“No…” The word left her lips quietly, wavering with hesitation. The truth was more complicated. The thought of freeing him had surfaced countless times, but every time it did, the faces of her family flashed through her mind. The fear of what Evander would do to them kept her rooted in place.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, a deep frown shadowing her features. “I wish I could do more.” She had already bent the rules, giving him food, water, and numbing his pain. But guilt gnawed at her. It wasn’t enough—not against a man like Evander.

A thought surfaced, tentative but persistent. “Maybe… maybe I don’t need to let you out to help you,” she added, her voice tightening as she grappled with the implications.

“He’s only ever wanted more power,” she continued, bitterness coating each word. She couldn’t just stand by and let him seize it. A tremor of resolve passed through her as she lifted her gaze to meet Alistair’s unseeing eyes, her expression deadly serious. “There’s no other way. Either you need to die before he can use your gifts, or you need to kill him.”
 
The last sentence brought Alistair's brows up in surprise. Clearly the idea did not detest him, he was just surprised that Katja had been the one to offer it.

"Well, I am not the biggest fan of dying and I don't mind killing him."

It would help if he could get his hands on a sword, but all he really needed was his magic to give him a chance. His mind, having been nudged in this direction, was already going at full speed as he tried to calculate all the way that could combat this individual. But the first step in this plan.

"Then, I need these chains to be taken off."

The sooner he was released, the sooner he could not only take apart this estate's defenses before the dark mage returned but also add in a few of his favorite traps...It was all about time.,

Katja
 
Katja’s frown deepened as she considered Alistair’s request. Her gaze dropped to the chains binding him, then back to him, her mind swirling with conflicting thoughts.

“I… he’ll know it was me,” she murmured, her voice heavy with the weight of her dilemma. The idea of freeing him—and allowing him to kill Evander—was dangerous. It wasn’t just about the risk to herself, but the cost to everything she’d fought to protect. If Evander discovered her role in Alistair’s escape, there would be consequences. There always were.

She stood abruptly, her thoughts turning into frantic motion as she began to pace. Each step felt like she was walking further from a decision she was terrified to make. She was good at weighing risks, but this... this was different. How did she know he was strong enough to defeat Evander? How could she be sure that, even with his abilities, Alistair wouldn’t end up being another casualty in the dark mage's twisted schemes?

Her fingers brushed against the wall as she walked, her mind calculating the potential outcomes—each one worse than the last.

She glanced at Alastair. Slipping him poison... it would be easy. It would be quick, clean, and safe for her, though it left her stomach twisted with the idea of murdering the man.

But this... freeing him, trusting that he could actually do what needed to be done... It was a gamble. And if things went wrong, it could cost her everything.

She stopped pacing, turning her back to Alistair, her face flushed with the weight of her decision. “I don’t know if I can do this,” she admitted softly, her voice laced with doubt. "But if you’re going to try… I need to know you’re certain."
 
"He won't know if he is dead."

Alistair replied simply, his face not giving away any indication that he was joking. Alistair had often been accused of sometimes being overconfident, he would not deny that, but he also had a reputation for being calculating and organized.

While no fight with a skilled mage would be easy, if he had time to regain his strength, and maybe a little preparation then he could win against anyone.

A long sigh escaped Alistair's lips as he looked at Katja. Up til now, he had been polite and tried to not be pushy, like dealing with an incredibly shy and anxious animal. He had not wanted to spook her, but if this decision was going to be made then she needed to do it now if he was to have a chance.

"Katja, I can kill him. But if this is going to happen, you need to release me right now. Every second is a moment I could spend gaining an advantage."

There was another thought that he was leaving unsaid, not wanting to add any more mental stress onto her plate. He would have an even better chance of killing this man if Katja were to assist him. She had not shown it yet, but she was magical, from what Alistair could tell. That meant she had to have some sort of skill.

Katja
 
Katja’s hands clenched into fists at her sides as Alistair spoke, her breath catching in her throat. His words were blunt, to the point—almost too much so for her liking—but she couldn’t deny the truth in them. If Evander was dead, he wouldn’t know. He wouldn’t hurt anyone ever again. The thought sent a flicker of hope through her, but it was quickly extinguished by the image of her family’s faces. If they paid for her decision with their lives, she could never forgive herself.

Her gaze darted to the chains binding him, then back to his face. He looked calm, focused—too calm, really. Did he not understand what this would cost her if it went wrong? Or was he just that confident in his ability to win?

"I..." she started, her voice catching. She pressed her fingers to her temples and turned away, pacing again. The weight of his words settled heavily on her shoulders.

"If I let you out and you lose," she said finally, her tone sharp with suppressed fear, "it won’t just be you who pays the price. It’ll be me. My family. Everyone I care about." Her pacing slowed, and she stopped, turning to face him again.

“But if I don’t…” she trailed off, biting her lip. The thought of letting Evander continue unchecked was almost worse. Then again, if Alastair succeeded. She could go home...

Her gaze softened as she looked at him, studying him for a long, silent moment and folded her arms across her chest, as though trying to shield herself from her own doubt. "Please don't make me regret this.." she whispered and approached the lock of his cell hesitantly, her pulse quickening with every step.

Her hands hovered near the cold metal, trembling as she summoned the courage to act. Slowly, she extended her fingers, and a faint warmth began to build beneath her skin, radiating outward.

Her movements became deliberate, almost instinctive, as if guided by something deeper than thought. Her fingers traced an invisible rune in the air, the motion fluid and precise, forming a faint shimmer of energy that danced at her fingertips. The air around her seemed to thrum with power, until a low, resonant click echoed through the chamber as the lock gave way. The door creaked open on rusty hinges, the sound breaking the tense silence as she stepped back, staring at the open cell with wide eyes, her heart pounding in her chest.
 
Alistair held her gaze, unflinching from his emotional pleas. This wasn't the first time people's hopes and fears were being put on his shoulders. In fact, it was almost comfortable. When he had entered the Academy, his family's hopes had been put on his shoulders. Then in the Academy, when he was honored to be made the leader of missions, once again lives were placed there. Hell, every time he drew his sword it was in the name of keeping someone safe.

This feeling of being pushed to the edge of a cliff, having no more room to fall back...This was familiar.

He stood to meet Katja at the doors to the cell and had to nod in approval when he saw her rune work. Good, not enough people studied runes so maybe that is why they got along so well.

As the door opened Alistair stepped out to finally stand right in front of her, he held out his shackled hands to her. He still felt weak, the manacles blocked his magic, it was like trying to breathe with a heavy weight on his chest.

Al forced himself to stand to his full height, "I know and I won't let you down. Let's end this."

Katja
 
Katja’s breath caught as Alistair stepped closer, his imposing frame seeming even larger now that the cell bars no longer stood between them. He loomed over her—not in threat, but in presence—and her heart stumbled in her chest. For a fleeting moment, she questioned her sanity. She didn’t know this man, not truly, and yet here she was, entrusting him with her life, her family’s lives.

But what other choice did she have?

Her mind swirled with doubts as she tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. His face, illuminated by the dim, flickering light of the dungeon, was worn but steady. His eyes held a conviction that both comforted and unnerved her. Let’s end this. His words reverberated in her mind, stark and final. If he succeeded, she would be complicit in the death of the man who had once saved her life.

But wasn’t she complicit in so much suffering already? Every time she ignored the cries of the helpless, every time she turned away from the horrors Evander wrought, hadn’t she chosen silence over action? How many lives had her inaction and cowardice cost?

Her hand trembled as she raised it toward his shackles. She nodded, her resolve hardening with the motion, even as doubt clawed at her insides.

Focusing on the task, she traced the rune in the air once more, channeling her energy. The metal of the shackles glowed faintly, heating as the lock mechanism clicked. A surge of power broke free, dissipating the oppressive magic that had bound him.

Stepping back quickly, she braced herself, hands clenched at her sides as she stared at him, waiting for his next move. Please don’t run. Please don’t turn on me.
 
As soon as the chains fell away, Alistair sucked in a deep breath as he felt the ambient mana rush into his body. His muscles flexed as he was reinforced by his own magics. The formerly null runes that decorated his body all lit up with various magical energies. Most importantly, he opened his eyes and he could see. He looked closely at Katja, memorizing her aura and the facial features he could see.

Even though he knew the situation was tense, he could not help but pull a small smile onto his face at the reassurance of his magic.

"Alright, let's get to work...Can you find where he stored all of my things?"

Alistair did not know how much time he had, but he would remove any further defensive wards the estate had. Then he would add a few of his own tricks. Evander thought this to be his fortress, but Al would turn it into his own.

When they sprung this trap, hopefully, they would kill him before the mage would even know what had happened.

"I won't force you. You may hide if you wish, but I could use your knowledge of the home."

Katja
 
Katja watched with wide eyes as the chains fell away and Alistair’s magic surged back into him, the very air around him seeming to shimmer with power. His muscles tensed, his body crackling with renewed energy, and she couldn’t help but watch in awe as the runes along his skin lit up, vibrant and full of life. There was a another momentary flicker of fear in her chest—what if this was a mistake? What if he was more dangerous than she realised now that he was whole again? But then, just as quickly, his smile appeared, small but reassuring.

She swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on her. Her pulse quickened as he turned his attention to her, the focus of his piercing gaze causing her breath to turn to stone in her chest.

Her lips parted slightly as she hesitated, the room suddenly feeling much smaller as she contemplated the danger of helping him. You’re already this far in, Katja. Just... focus.

Her brow furrowed in thought as she nodded, trying to shake off her nerves. "It’ll be in his study, I assume," she said, her voice quieter than she intended. She paused for a moment before adding, "I’ve been in there a few times. It’s hidden behind library on the second floor."

Katja offered a small, reluctant smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. She wasn’t sure why she was smiling, but it felt like a strange, subconscious attempt at reassurance—for herself more than anything.

"I can show you the way."

She turned toward the narrow corridor that led to the stairs, the soft echo of her boots against the stone floor the only sound between them. Her heart hammered in her chest as she led the way, feeling the weight of Alistair’s presence behind her.

The study was just beyond the library, a large room filled with dusty tomes and strange artifacts. It had always made Katja uneasy, the air thick with magic and the faint scent of parchment and ink. She knew Evander’s study well, had been in it many times, but this would be different—this time, she wasn’t there as a guest. This time, she was leading a man who had the power to destroy everything Evander had worked so hard to build.

She hesitated as they approached the bookcase, but she pressed forward, and reached to shift a book onto its side. Metal clunked and clicked, and the book case shifted. “It’s here,” she said quietly, her voice low, as if the room itself might be listening. "Evander's wards are strong, but you should be able to break through them. Once we’re inside, you’ll find everything—my magic is weak compared to his, but I’ve seen the way he keeps things." She paused, giving Alistair a sideways glance. "Don’t trust anything in there. He’s… meticulous. Everything is guarded."

As the door creaked open, Katja’s breath caught in her throat, the faint light spilling into the room illuminating shelves of books and strange artifacts. She stepped inside first, her eyes scanning the room with caution.
 
Alistair was quick to follow after her, eager to get his weapons back. When she mentioned the wards, he just smiled eager to get a look at them.

"That's actually my specialty."

Katja was not joking about the secrecy, the man even had a secret bookcase door. He had always wanted one of those for his home, maybe he would add one to the new residence being built.

When he actually stepped into the study, a whistle of appreciation came from his lips as he looked around. This place was truly locked up tight. His eyes allowed him to see every ward and every object of significance in this place.

"Not bad."

But it was not good enough. As much as Alistair wanted to destroy every single ward just to prove that he could, right now he had to focus. He quickly found his own things hidden within a chest. It took a few moments for him to crack the multiple wards on the container, but eventually he did and it opened revealing his clothes and his tools.

Now a full smile appeared on his face as he quickly went about getting dressed without much care for propriety. Manners were great, but they were also the first thing that needed to be thrown out when expediency was the key.

"Our next stop should be the front entrance. I'm going to remove all the defenses and then maybe even put some of my own in place...Are you aware of any specific defense plans he has if he were to get attacked?"

Katja
 
Katja lingered near the doorway, her arms wrapped around herself as Alistair moved through the study with a practiced efficiency. Her stomach churned as she watched him dismantle the wards with a casual ease, as if he were merely untying knots. That’s his specialty? she thought with a mix of curiosity and unease. She’d seen Evander create those wards—seen the intricacy of the runes and spells woven together—and yet, Alistair made it look effortless.

Her eyes flickered to him as he began pulling on his clothes and arming himself, her cheeks flushed faintly as she turned her gaze away, focusing instead on the faint hum of residual magic still vibrating in the air.

His question pulled her from her thoughts, and she forced herself to meet his gaze. "The entrances?" she echoed, her brow furrowing. She hesitated for a moment, weighing what she should say, before giving him a small nod. "He’s paranoid. There’s a trigger ward tied to a stone in the archways of each."

"The west tower is impenetrable.. At least, he thinks it is. Not even I've been allowed in there. Whatever he keeps in there is important to him." she added, her voice wavered slightly as she spoke as the enormity of her betrayal started sinking in.
 
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The room was silent as Alistair froze from securing his weapon built for several seconds before continuing along while bobbing his head at some idea he was forming.

"Alright, perfect. Then we will twist some of the wards in that area. Then we set a little fake fire to get him worried. He comes running and walks smack into the wards. Then we pounce. Simple, but effective...Thoughts?"

Alistair was now fully suited and prepared and he was once again moving with purpose. He now not only had a purpose, but he had a plan to go along with it. All that was left was to inact it all.

As they hurried through the estate, Al would stop for a few seconds to sever or distort wards that he did not feel comfortable leaving active. The more he was able to walk around, the more he marveled at this place. This place was warded tighter than his own home, which was really saying something.

Once he killed this man, he would not only be freeing Katja, but he would be standing on a treasure trove of tools, artifacts, and information that he would be taking for himself.

Katja
 
Katja stopped abruptly, her breath catching in her throat as his words registered. "We pounce?" she echoed, staring at him, her brows assaulting her hairline. "What do you mean we?"

Her arms folded tightly across her chest as she tried to suppress the rising panic that threatened to choke her. "I agreed to help you get out and... and maybe help you with the wards, but I didn’t sign up to pounce on anyone, certainly not Evander." Her voice was sharper than she intended, her fear spilling into her tone.

She took a shaky breath, her brows knitting together. "You’re the one who said you could kill him." she said, her voice dropping to barely a whisper. "That you could handle this." Her gaze flickered to the gleaming weapons strapped to his body, then back to his face. "I’m not... I don’t even know how to fight, let alone..." Her words trailed off, her stomach twisting at the thought of what he was asking.

Katja’s hands clenched at her sides, her nails digging into her palms as she stared at him. "I’ll lead you where you need to go. I’ll show you the wards, the traps, the failsafes—everything. But that's as much as I can do."
 
Woah, ok, that was definately the wrong choice of words. He quickly held up his hands in a placating manner trying to but her at ease. Yes, she was not a fighter, that much was clear. Trying to force her into that would only put him in more danger.

"Hey, it's ok. That was more the 'proverbial' we. I will handle the fighting, you just try to keep yourself safe, and I will let you know when the coast is clear."

He allowed her to continue leading while he was already working on some of his own wards for the traps he planned to set. Through the watchful tutelage of Zana Morrid, Alistair had become skilled in countermagic. While he still would not place himself in a battle of magical knowledge against such a skilled mage, he could put several traps that would disrupt spells at the most opportune times.

Noticing that they were drawing closer, Alistair decided to try and put Katja at ease, "This will work Katja. I promise."

Promises were bullshit, but as long as she believed it then that's all that mattered.

Katja
 
Katja’s pace quickened as Alistair reassured her, though his words did little to calm the knot of anxiety twisting in her stomach. Every second that ticked by felt like sand slipping through an hourglass, and she couldn’t shake the overwhelming dread that Evander would return before they were ready. Her palms were damp, her breath shallow as she fought to keep her composure.

She ignored the promise he made. She hated promises.

“We need to hurry.." she said quietly, her voice brittle with tension. “What if he gets back before you're done? What if—” She cut herself off, her hands clenching at her sides as she turned to look at him, her eyes wide and fearful. “He’ll kill us both, you know that, right? And not quickly.”

Her gaze flickered to the sigils and wards Alistair had been crafting as they walked. The intricacy of his work should have reassured her, but instead, it only made her more acutely aware of how little time they had left.

She ran a hand through her hair, the action shaky and agitated, before she spun around and continued leading the way, pointing out every ward she could find until he knew the place as well as he could.

"He'll be home any time now.." she said, standing at the window of the library, her gaze narrowed as she searched for movement in the darkness. "Is everything ready.. Is there.. Anything else I need to do, that doesn't involve potentially getting myself killed?" she asked hesitantly.
 
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