Flowing Rivers (Alea Davenport)

by **Venser Rush** on January 14th, 2014, 4:32 pm

The Flux Mage was by no means prepared for a fight. Even if it was a girl. His daggers were on his person, but his arms were injured to the point of being unable to move properly. He could lift them, he could try for basic tasks, but otherwise, he was useless. The Flux despite its power, had drawbacks, part of which was why Venser took his learning slowly. He could resist the pain, he could push it over what it was now, but he could not destroy his body at this point in his walk with the Flux. The very idea of moving faster than what he was doing appalled him, for it meant walking into the realm of darkness with little more than a match to light his way. No, he would wait until his skill was at the point of being a torch to guide him through the darkness. Then, he could take bigger risks.

The horror that the woman expressed when learning that the bracelet could be magical was simply ridiculous. She wasn't even aware of the word, Malediction. The lack of an education was such a problem in Mizahar, Venser knew this much. He had almost fallen victim to the very same ignorance as the woman before him, though his brother, Rhysol's greatest gift to Venser, was his saving grace. He had shared his education with him, allowing Venser the ability to, at the least, find his way. With Verin's assistance, he could have found a safer path, such as Verin's interest in Hypnotism, which Venser had learned about years before, but... danger appealed to him. Hypnotism worked with subtlety, a trait that Venser deemed inappropriate for him. Though Venser was more than capable of associating with the common folk of Ravok, having lived here his entire life, he did not enjoy it to a large extent, content to pass the time with his own thoughts and aspirations, locked deep within his mind.

I am not my brother. I work to a higher understanding of Magic than Verin will attempt... I need to. The young man's inferiority to his brother, had been for years, uncontested as Verin had delved into Hypnotism. His own Maledictive pursuits had been limited due to a lack of suitable items. The sole exception had been a jaw he had harvested from a dog several years before, which he now kept in his and his brother's shared room. The Maledicter would scowl at his guest as he listened to her speak, "Yes, I said that it was Maledicted. Yes, I knew that it was magical. My path mingles with that of the magical. But you need not fret, if I had meant you harm, I would not have shared that piece of knowledge with you. Is the fish staying down okay, now?"

The slave seemed to be just fine now. His debt to her had been repaid, by explaining to her the cursed nature of her Maledicted bracelet. She seemed unwilling to discard it. A pity... I could make a better use of it. A passing thought, before realizing that he wouldn't want an item that was utterly stained with curse. Perhaps there was a benefit, but to not be able to eat fish in a city surrounded by a lake seemed a greater curse than any possible benefit it could have. Venser stepped deeper into the house, picking his backpack from the table and beginning to gather his belongings in case he needed to get away from the woman. Prejudices against mages were common, but he doubted he needed to fully worry about her.

She was after all, a slave. If she were to injure him, painful retribution was likely to ensue. Venser was by no means going to allow another person to beat on him as his father had. There was no way.

by **Alea Davenport** on January 14th, 2014, 10:47 pm

Alea frowned as she considered the man's words. "You keep using that word, but I still don't understand what it means," she grumbled irritably. "Is Maledicted just what you call anything that does magic? Like mage but for things instead of people?"

She still wasn't sure she trusted him, never having met a friendly mage before, but now that she considered the matter, she supposed not ever mage she knew was a heartless killer. At least... not the she was aware. Though the only mage she'd met who did not immediately kill someone was he same man who told her that all mages eventually go insane. Perhaps Venser was one of the ones who hadn't got there yet. Not that that helped. From what she understood, mages were perfectly willing to sacrifice their sanity for the power and knowledge they obtained.

Still, she had to at least try to talk sense into him. "You do realize how dangerous that path is, don't you?" she asked nervously. She got up slowly from the chair, not wanting to provoke him, but needing to be ready to know him over and run if he became unhinged. "And I think I will fret if you don't mind. The previous owner of this bracelet was killed by a mage." Her old suspicion, that the bracelet would bring death to whomever carried it, was hard to shake even now that she knew it had a more direct effect. Who could say that it was not also cursed in the general way, in addition to being unpleasantly magical?

Though, now her traitorous mind began thinking up scenarios where even this unpleasantness could be useful. If she ever needed to fake being sick, for example, the bracelet would be invaluable.

by **Venser Rush** on January 14th, 2014, 11:42 pm

The woman was beginning to irritate him with her distrust of him. He had done absolutely nothing that merited the prejudice that he was receiving, especially not when she was the ignorant one, the one who believed that the power of magic was one that immediately marked one as untrustworthy. Magic was not a craft to be taken lightly, and Venser knew the risks that he was taking in traversing the path of illumination. Her words were received as condescending, Venser thinking that she was chiding him for his devotion to a path that allowed him such freedom. When all in Ravok were slaves to either their devotion to Rhysol, or the God's power over the place, Venser felt free. For the first time in his life, he felt that he was the master of his own destiny, able to shape it much like the ball he had carved for his brother so many years ago. He delved into the art of Flux in particular, for just that reason. The ability to protect himself, to defend against those that would try to shatter him again, that was what he desired more than anything. Even more so than the wisdom that Magic led to. It was now that Venser decided to answer her question, unable to keep the bitterness from his tone as he replied, "Of course I realize the danger. It would be folly to underestimate the power of Magic."

The young mage would step back from the woman, his fists clenching as a medium of controlling his rage, having forgotten about the wounds in his palm. He nearly cried out, Venser biting down on his tongue to suppress the sound, a trickle of blood staining the shirt even further, a droplet falling to the floor. He needed distraction, and leaped at the chance with her other question. Venser shook his head, "Malediction is a precise definition. For an item to be Maledicted, it must be made of organic matter. Specifically, bones, as they are the most permanent. I am unsure of whether or not any other organic material could be used in the craft. There is another craft, which I'm not prepared to delve into, that involves crafting items and infusing them with magic."

Venser had not been able to study the other art in detail, given its nobler, and by which he meant more expensive nature, which due to Venser's economic condition and the lack of contacts in that particular craft, he was unable to pursue. He reflected upon this for a moment, his gaze lowering to his bandaged hands as he considered her next words. Killed by a mage. It was a common fate for those who dared interfere with a mage's pursuits, and if he looked at it from that point of view, Venser could say that he had done the same to his father. The accidental nature of the murder and Venser's past hatred for his father released him from any sort of guilt he could feel. He had, in the past, been haunted by the consequences, but once it was plain to him that his father had been bad news in the city of Ravok, those fears dissipated. "Consider it a rather interesting twist of Fate, then, that it was a mage who's malevolence allowed you to gain possession of a Maledicted item, and another who bestowed upon you, benevolently, the knowledge that it is magical."

Venser smiled at the woman, in an attempt to assuage her doubts as he stepped towards her, "May I see it?"

by **Alea Davenport** on January 15th, 2014, 6:32 am

Something in Venser's bitter tone broke through Alea's caution, and it nicked her brain with familiarity, which bred curiosity, enough that she noticed for the first time how he clenched his hands. She had not noticed the makeshift bandages before, but now that she was watching, she saw the blood trickle, and frowned. When had that happened? Something about the tension in his bearing, and the general sense of instability, reminded her strongly of an old friend, and she began to feel less that this was someone she had to avoid, and more someone she should help.

She paid careful attention to his explanation of Malediction. She was vaguely aware that there were different types of magic, and the more information she had, the better she'd be able to defend herself against it. She wasn't quite sure what 'organic' meant, but from the sound of it, this particular type of magic primarily used bones (and apparently teeth if her bracelet was any indication). She also suspected this branch of magic at least was not likely to pose her a direct threat (unless she actually used an item, which she was apparently reckless enough to do). At least, a practitioner of the magic did not seem life-threatening. She would just have to be careful in the future about what kind of bone jewelry she picked up.

She did not think particularly highly of Venser's "twist of fate" idea. She debated trying to impress upon him how nothing was worth the death she had witnessed. But it was late, she was getting tired, and she had the impression that Venser was not in a mood to listen just now. As he stepped toward her with that smile on his face, something in Alea flinched inside--she could feel it, like a tick in her right shoulder--wondering where the anger she'd seen in him before had gone. Banir had never smiled that easily... at least not that she knew of. To be fair, she had rarely seen Banir's face.

At his request to see the bracelet, Alea hesitated. It wasn't so much that she didn't trust him...well, maybe it was that a little. But she also was finding a devious plan forming in her brain. It had taken her several seasons to get Banir to open up, mostly because he had not been fond of talking to strangers. But now, with Venser, she had something he wanted! Maybe. For all she knew it wasn't important enough to him to bother. Still, it was worth a try.

After she hesitated for a bit, she smirked a little and said, "How about this. It's getting late, and I need to be getting back to the Nitrozian house. If you want to take a look at my bracelet, you find an excuse to see me again. Then maybe you can convince me that you're not a dangerous murdering maniac, and we can become friends." She said the last part in a brash, joking manner, mostly to soften the blunt truth in the words themselves.

by **Venser Rush** on January 15th, 2014, 7:35 am

For a moment, the woman seemed to soften, what was once suspicion had converted itself into a sort of compassion. Venser wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He noticed as Alea's gaze lowered to his hands, the frown that materialized upon her features. Was it concern? She didn't seem to care earlier. Then, she seemed to have an open mind as he explained the art of Malediction, nonplussed by certain aspects of it, but otherwise unmoved. It seemed curious that a woman who had been so suspicious of magic with almost no knowledge of it was utterly unshaken by the craft of turning bones into magical talismans, but Venser decided not to raise the point. It was better, and easier if she decided that it was simply not a threat to be dealt with.

He suppressed a smile as he noted her reaction to his opinion about Fate. She seemed to disagree with him, perhaps some close-minded nonsense about the sanctity of life, or how all should be mourned. It was absurd. The Gods saw it fit to kill a person, and their remains and possessions were spoils to be taken by those nearby. After all, one man's waste is another's treasure. This extends to their remains, of course. They don't need them anymore. Venser need not share that particular opinion with the woman, assuming that her distrust of him, which seemed to have already manifested anew, was to intensify. It suited his interests for the woman's compassion to spring forth, instead. The Maledicter listened to Alea's solicitation carefully.

Firstly, she openly admitted her status as a slave, something he had not expected. Then, she stated the particular family she belonged to. The tone that she took with him was infuriating, her assumption that his interest in her cursed bracelet was anything but casual, while accurate, was presumptuous. Venser allowed a moment to suck in oxygen, his chest expanding with the effort, then decompressing as he exhaled. His fists curled again, though he took care to ensure that he wasn't going to injure himself again through his distraction, Venser taking an incredulous stare as he replied, "Or, you can take my word that I'm not a dangerous, murderous maniac, and we can become friends now." His own expression formed a smirk to exceed hers, a bit of pressure was present in his tone. He wanted to end this, at the minimum, upon even ground.

He also wanted to push for the advantage, though. "Then, as friends, I can enlighten you further about the art of Malediction, and we can possibly figure out more information regarding your clever little bracelet. And, we can kill two birds with one stone. I'll make an excuse to have you accompany me to the surrounding wilderness. And you can, perhaps, even see what it is to Maledict. It's a very interesting craft. Subtle, beautiful, even. It tells a story. Maybe you can even teach me how to swim, so this doesn't happen again." In all honesty, Venser thought that his terms were very fair. The slave had to put nothing forward other than her time, and swimming lessons, and Venser was to reveal unto her the secrets of the Transmundane. Years worth of study and painful works, of course, highly condensed, but a working knowledge nonetheless. He could even assist in extending her vocabulary.

by **Alea Davenport** on January 15th, 2014, 8:30 am

Alea grinned. "What's the matter, you don't like being heroically rescued?" Though she couldn't keep her big mouth shut, she didn't really want to offend him again, not this late at night after what they'd both been through. Her clothes were semi-dry at this point, which just made them feel clammy and gross, and she wondered if Valerius would let her spend the evening in his room with the big fire. That train of thought made her remember that she didn't know the way home.

"Your plan sounds good, if we can get Valerius to agree with it. Though we might have to be clever and come up with an excuse for him to give me the day off. I'm not sure he knows what a friend is." She spoke sardonically and waggled her eyebrows at Venser as if letting him in on a private joke. It occurred to her briefly that making fun of people not in the room might be a better way to make friends than making fun of the person you were talking to.

She stood up, preparing to start the long walk back to the Nitrozian mansion. It was fully dark outside, which made her even more skeptical about her chances of finding the place. She shivered as the cool night air touched her wet skin. This was going to be uncomfortable. She glanced at Venser and, putting on a brave face, said through occasionally chattering teeth, "Since we're f-friends and all, maybe you c-could help me get back? I don't exactly know m-my way around yet."

by **Venser Rush** on January 15th, 2014, 9:40 am

Despite himself, Venser could not help the grin that managed to worm its way upon his features. The woman's impulsive remark was laughable. It was true, and might have offended him if he had more blood moving through his head, but as it stood, Venser was calm, and quite a bit of his blood was staining the torn shirt wrapped around his left hand. The wound was quite severe and Venser needed to buy a new shirt before the next day, so the young Flux mage decided to accompany his new friend.

He hadn't quite gotten to the point where he was finding difficulty moving about, but Venser could tell that the bloodflow was beginning to slow, his body adjusting to the ill effects of both hunger and loss of blood. He'd have to hurry this along so that he could eat along with Verin in the Malt House. Or... no. What was he thinking? Verin couldn't see him like this. His twin brother would go mad if Venser came in to his workplace, shirtless and bleeding, his pants still wet and his feet bare. The boots that Verin had bought Venser about a year ago were likely still drying, but the mage wasn't worried about that. You need new clothes, but apparently you're doing well for yourself with shoes, Venser. Thank Verin for that. And he would, later. He faced Alea, looking from her and into the house before he said, "Hold on a tick. I need to get something." The young man entered the other room, pulling his spare pair of boots from his bag. They were weighty and less luxurious than the generous gift his dear brother had given him, but they would have to do.

Placing them onto his feet, Venser left the bag open, possessions sprawled about on the table as he motioned for Alea to follow him out of the house, their path set towards the Nitrovian estate. Venser had seen it in passing, and was quite certain of its location. Their pace was to be rather brisk, Venser's intent to take her there, then leave and set about the business of purchasing a new shirt.

by **Abstract** on January 18th, 2014, 12:17 am

Grade Awarded!

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Venser

Award :

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Alea

Award :

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Notes

Nice thread! I was careful with the lores, Alea, only adding the exact terms she learned… so I didn’t call Venser a ‘Maledictor’, just ‘Mage’. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Just a note Venser, keep an eye on the tenses. As your twin (IC) slips into present tense, you often use future. Keep it to past! Otherwise all was good.

Closed Flowing Rivers (Alea Davenport)