The Hunger

[Alea Davenport]

Still trying to feign sleep, Alea couldn't resist keeping her eyes open. This was probably a bad move, since the scrawny man caught sight of her eyes before she snapped them shut. She was still trying to feign sleep, even though she knew it was completely impossible at this point that anyone would buy it. A stream of curses ran through her head as she panicked and for just a moment, had no idea what to do. Then she mentally shook herself. She wasn't dead yet, there had to be some way out of this. Pay attention, keep the mind open, some solution would reveal itself.

The brief hope that the scrawny murderer would play along with her charade in front of the mage vanished when he declared her a witness. A feeling of dread filled her, and she shut her eyes tighter as if that would somehow delay the inevitable. She slowly curled herself into a ball, knowing that charade was useless at this point, and subconsciously finding the most defensive posture.

She debated leaving it like that, but she'd seen what they did even to the thugs who weren't fighting back. The survival strategies she'd learned in the Spires weren't going to be effective against rational humans. She'd have to draw on something older, a time when the biggest threat was the awful smell of fish guts. That was the only way she'd be able to keep her head next to two killers. In a tone of voice she hadn't used since she was a child resisting her mother's chores, she mumbled, "Leave me alone."

[Miro]

Miro followed behind Vien and found the spy Ender had mentioned. She was captured so easily, and only muttered to be left alone. The Chained One released the corpse he was dragging and made a move down towards the young woman. He knelt before her and shook his head. "You saw some awful things, didn't you? Not only that, but I am scary, and you'd rather not remember my face." He sighed at the terrified young woman. "Poor child, none of this is your fault, and I can help it all go away." Though he would not allow her to get away.

The undead reached his hand out and made an attempt to gently stroke her hair a few times before speaking further. "Don't worry, I won't eat you, or hurt you, and I can make you forget everything here. You will wake up blissful and ignorant once again." The Hypnotist backed away and closed his eyes. He expanded his aura of influence and prepared to manipulate the woman. He focused his Djed through his voice and charged his every word as a suggestion. "I will help you forget, just close your eyes and get comfortable. Listen to my words and accept them. Relax your mind and let all thought slip away."

The wizard moved beside her and made a shushing noise. He filled the incessantly long tone with emotional responses to ease her mind. Feelings of peace and relaxation, a sense of being fulfilled and blissful, and a wash of sleepiness. He ceased shushing her and began to speak again. His voice soft and quiet, yet clear and focused. He attuned his influence to hers and began to progress. Another spell was readied and he would begin pushing for a trance. With a series of suggestions he would push her to accept the trance state. If she accepted it her consciousness would slip away and the Hypnotist would have greater influence over her mind.

"You are feeling much more relaxed now, ready to fall into a deep slumber. One where all of your fears and anxieties will slip away from you. You will wake later, unharmed, happy, and only ever think about what you saw as nothing more than an awful nightmare." Miro waited a moment to watch her reaction. He hoped she had given in and remained still. Now would come the push to close her mind off, and then he could work on removing his presence from her life. Though he could not spare any more Djed than that without risking Overgiving. It was her only chance to be spared.

The Hypnotist gently cleared his throat and continued. As he spoke each word it furthered an emotional response of relaxation. He would also speak them as suggestions, though wished also to employ his newer techniques. However they required much more Djed. However he had become proficient enough with his novice techniques to suffice. "You are ready to let go, slip into slumber, and forget this all. You will hear three snaps, each draining your consciousness further. And by the third snap your mind will be at peace. It will slip away into stillness." This was his chance, it had to be done well. Though the casting was beginning to wear on him.

Miro prepared to snap the first time and readied a spell. An emotional response of acceptance ringing out as he snapped the first time. Then a suggestion to follow it. "Your mind is blank, filled only with my voice." He prepared another spell and snapped. This time the emotional response was that of comfort. "You are beginning to dream of happy things, and your body is without a single ache." And finally the undead focused his Djed for the final snap, a flash of pure darkness to force her mind to clear for an instant. As he released the snap, he felt a rush of stress from casting. His new techniques were still foreign to him.

If the sweet girl would give in and resist the panic, she would find herself compelled to listen to the kind words offering her a way out. They would guide her into a state of calm relaxation and fall into a deep sleep. Alea would fall into the Hypnotist's trance and be even more receptive to his suggestions and manipulations. However if she fought, instead the magic would manifest differently. Fighting against a wash of feelings and words being pressed against her, knowing the truth of what the Chained One was. It would be a struggle to hold onto her truth and be able to think clearly. However there was not much chance of survival for a witness to his crimes. Vien had done well.

[Alea Davenport]

Alea bristled as the mage approached and spoke in a tone she could only describe as patronizing. She only tensed up further as he stroked her hair, and when he suggested he could make her forget, her mind instantly rebelled. Forgetting this was the last thing she wanted to do. This mage was possibly the biggest threat she'd even encountered, especially considering he could allegedly affect her mind, and the only thing more dangerous was not remembering he existed.

As he continued speaking, Alea felt the calm try to creep into her mind, but she knew now not to trust a single word this murderous mage said. He had made his intentions clear, he wanted her to forget, and she had no doubt that if she relaxed the slightest bit, that was exactly what would happen. The feelings of calm his voice inspired might have been useful if she'd been practicing meditation, but now was not the time for that, and she quashed such feelings with thoughts of violence and rage. She imagined smashing her fist into the mage's smug face, and the only reason her hand stayed still was the fear of what would happen if she moved. She held onto the fear too. Anything to keep her awake, and aware of what this monster was.

When he began snapping, Alea panicked inwardly at how sleepy it made her feel. Her fists clenched until her nails dug into her palms, and she bit her tongue, hard, the sharp pain forcing her mind awake. Only a little longer. If she could stay awake without the mage realizing it, she'd be able to get away. After the second snap, she bit her tongue harder, in direct defiance of his insistence that her body was without ache. She began to taste a hint of blood.

His final snap was the hardest to resist. A wave of sleepiness washed over her, and she badly wanted to give in. It wasn't even dawn yet, she shouldn't be awake anyway. WAKE UP! she screamed at herself, and then she kept screaming it inside her head as loud as her mind could make it. She wanted to force her eyes open but couldn't resist the mage knowing he'd failed. With the combination of tongue-biting and screaming at her own mind, she was beginning to feel more alert.

After half a chime or so, she noticed that she wasn't feeling particularly sleepy anymore. Had the mage stopped? Did he think he'd succeeded? Could she relax now? Well, obviously she couldn't relax; that was out of the question. But she could focus again, pay attention to what was going on around her instead of just within her own mind. She was overwhelmingly tempted to open her eyes and sneak a peek at the people standing over her prone self, but with an effort she forced herself to remain still. If she was lucky, the mage would think his little trick had worked, and if she were smart, she would give him no reason to believe otherwise.

[Vien Lotus]

Vien watched in silence as Miro spoke to the woman, even going as far as comforting her. The tension that had crept into Vien's demeanor faded as Miro revealed that he had no intention to kill or otherwise eat the woman. Good, that is one less thing to worry about. As he stood there he watched curiously as Miro worked his craft. He looked at the woman but to Vien's untrained eyes he could not tell if it was working or not. Then his stomach churned reminding him of how hungry he really was. He looked at the corpse and almost pounced like an animal would his prey; however, with a significant amount of mental restraint he walked forward and knelt next to it.

Then without a second thought bit into the dead woman's neck and began to suckle on the sweet liquid that came spilling forward. He lapped the liquid quietly until he had his quenched his immediate hunger. He looked around just as Miro's started to get hoarse. He quickly shifted around and sat watching the two again until Miro had finished his work. Vien being the novice he was could not tell one way or another but as he looked to the east he noticed it had begun to get brighter.

"Miro we need to leave soon. The sun will be rising shortly and the dock workers will be moving about. I would rather not be seen if at all possible." Vien whispered as he rose to his feet. Every second they squandered here was another second closer to being caught and he did not like the thoughts of being caught for a second time today. He also looked at the corpse and cringed at the thought of having to carry that as well. "We might need to get rid of the corpse or hide it somewhere to come back for it later?" he thought out loud as he awaited Miro's response.

[Miro]

Miro finished with his induction of the trance and recovered for a minute. Using the flash technique was still uneasy for him, and things would have been much easier had he Ionu's Light. Vien prod the wizard to hurry things along, but they would not be much longer here. Though one could never be too sure of the success of Hypnotism. It had a habit of being choosy with its effectiveness. He consulted Ender for an observation of the target. "Ender, you were watching me. Tell me, is she truly entranced?"

The Irylid continued to watch the woman. For a while he was unsure, seeing her toss about in unease. However such things as the mind being tortured by a clash of fear and possible relief could take a toll. Most would wish a way out of what seemed like more a nightmare than anything. Though any would be wise to fear if a wizard would only put them to sleep for some dark experiment. Exactly what the duo was out to do on this night, to kidnap prey. However the girl seemed more scared than anything, and after some struggle seemed to give in. Her breathing had returned to normal and she was quite still. The Familiar would be watching her for any reason to doubt this however.

"From what I can tell, she was unable to struggle against your magic. She gave in and has lost her consciousness. Now you can decide what to do with her. Shall we take home an unstruggling victim, or offer a show of mercy for Vien? Perhaps instead we show an act of cruelty. You could eat her, or I could kill her, then dispose of the body. Show him that there is much to fear indeed. I can tell you have something in store for this Symenestra." And the Chained One did of course have ideas for Vien's fate. What path would be taken, not even he could be sure, but the outcome was sure to please. Proud of what he had done, the Hypnotist turned to his accomplice.

"You see Vien, I am a Hypnotist, able to influence the mind. My Familiar Ender, the silvery orb who dealt with your problem, he assured me that my spell was successful. He spotted her spying while slaying one of those thugs, and told me through our linked thoughts. And as well you can see, I am the strongest Reimancer in the world. I have mastered the elemental magic to a degree unrivaled by even Sahova's greatest." The undead always talked himself up, but this was something else. For those who were unfamiliar with magic, such an introduction would likely be quite overwhelming.

Miro walked forth to Vien, barely able to see much more than a silhouette. He placed a hand on the Symenestra's arm and spoke in a sincere voice. That special tone of voice he reserved especially for when he was lying. However the movement of his arm obscured Ender's line of sight on Alea. "I chose to save you for a reason. I see something in you that I don't in any other in this city. You are brave, willing to stand against your problems, and refuse to turn away from your destiny. You chose to give me a chance, to help me, and now you can choose again. I want you to decide what we do with this girl. Kill her, release her or use her."

The wizard grinned and gripped Vien's shoulder as he spoke further. "You have potential to work with me in the future. I believe in your ability, and if you believe in me, I can make it so you never lose a fight like that again. I would talk you as my apprentice, and all you would need to do is swear your loyalty to me and my teachings. I would gift you with magic and power beyond anything you have imagined. To offer you the teachings to perfect your mind, body and soul. Kill her to show dedication to my cause, use her and grow stronger from it, or simply release her and walk away." The Reimancer released the Symenestra with a slight shove and scoffed. "Though I would have to toy with your mind until you've forgotten me. Though I am sure you will remember everything else I leave in there for you."

[Alea Davenport]

Alea listened with consternation to the mage's explanation. He was speaking so quickly, and using unfamiliar words. He directly admitted to the attempt at mind-control, and even now Alea bit down on her tongue every few seconds to make sure she stayed conscious and alert. What she'd assumed was a generic ball of magic, the mage described as if it were some sort of person, and words like Reimancer and Sahova she didn't recognize at all, though she memorized them for future investigation.

Of course, then the mage decided to let the other killer decided what to do with Alea. She didn't like the sound of that. Could she trust the scrawny man to do the decent thing? Seemed unlikely, but Alea didn't want to make a move until she was sure she had no other option. Still, she felt her muscles tense, preparing to spring into action, and her mind raced through various possible escape plans, trying to find the one most likely to succeed.

As the mage started offering power to the other killer, Alea considered her options. The water was almost certainly out as an escape route. She'd seen a vast portion of it lifted and frozen, right before a huge wave of it knocked her over. The mage clearly had too much control of the lake for it to be a safe escape. Running would probably be faster. That hadn't stopped the thug from getting killed, but he hadn't known that the white orb thing was a mage in its own right. If she could disable or distract it somehow, she might be able to get a head start. Then all she would have to do it get lost.

Then the mage gave the scrawny one his ultimatum. Kill Alea and gain power, or let her go and suffer torture. Well, shyke. Alea wasn't going to give him time to make that decision. She snapped her eyes open for half a tick to take note of everyone's positions before she moved. She didn't see the orb anywhere, which both relieved and worried her. Still, she couldn't risk hesitating a moment longer.

Propping herself slightly on her arms to get better leverage, and kicked her leg as hard and swift as she could, coming at the mage's leg from the side like a whip. If she had aimed right, she should have broken his knee, sideways.

Not waiting to see if that had been effective, she sprang to her feet and took off running. She didn't think about where, she only thought about fast. This wasn't a paced, long-distance run like Yuros had taught her about (though his breathing techniques still helped). No, this was an everything-you've-got-in-one-burst run. She pumped her legs like they were on fire, and she tore down the canal. She tore out of the alley and sprinted down the canal. Within a few ticks, the canal turned a corner, and she followed it. Not thinking too hard about where she was going, she crossed a bridge, then ducked into another alley and ran through to the other side of that block of buildings.

Her lungs were burning but she wasn't ready to slow down yet. She couldn't hear the sound of pursuers over her own heavy breathing, but for all she knew, that orb thing could be right behind her. She zigged and zagged as best she could through the streets along the canals of Ravok, trying to go roughly toward the center of the city so she didn't run out of space to run. But soon, she knew she'd have to slow down. She had never run like this before, and her muscles couldn't take it. It was time to hide again, and hope she wasn't being followed.

Some distance ahead of her, she saw a half-open door to what looked like an abandoned building. It was her best shot. The door was closing, but she reached it in time to throw herself inside and yank the door shut. She stood there, panting and heaving, trying to catch her breath. Praying, to whatever gods would listen, that she had evaded those who would threaten her.

[Miro]

Miro was caught entirely off guard as he finished speaking to Vien. He had returned his arm down to a resting position, once again allowing Ender to watch Alea. But she was not where they had left her. The young woman was not entranced at all, and had rose to attempt an attack of the undead of all things. The Irylid wished to say something to warn his master, but only the sense of worry and surprise was conveyed before the attack landed. A well placed shot to the left leg, a weak spot, sure to be effective.

The wizard felt the foot connect to the back side of his left leg, where Ink had spread, and he hadn't much strength. It was not painful due to this, but no less effective. He also hadn't enough foresight to counter such an assault with the Flux, and without the ability to brace himself would collapse. The attack knocked the unstable support of his leg free and shifted the weight placed on it. He tumbled forward towards a wall, and though he avoided taking Vien down with him, it was likely their prey would get away because of it. Miro caught himself with his hand and scowled quite angrily. He was upset that his Hypnotism was broken again and that Ender was wrong.

Though there was still a chance that his prey could be caught. Vien might have had chance to observe the woman's movements, and even to catch her if he was quick enough. In a hoarse and upset hiss of a roar the Chained One commanded the Symenestra. "Catch her! She can't slip away. She knows too much!" Miro made some effort to climb to his feet, but struggled greatly. It took nearly an entire chime to stand proper. And it was likely Vien would be unable to catch her. If it came to such things the wizard would shrug it off and wait for his accomplice to return. Things unresolved for now would definitely be put to an end later. This was the Symenestra's chance to impress however. Though he could hardly be faulted for failure where the master was unsuccessful.

[Vien Lotus]

Vien took off after the woman leaving Miro behind to fend for himself, but it was quickly evident that he was not going to catch her. It only took 2 corners for Vien to lose sight of her. Knowing that it was futile to continue the chance he allowed his stubbornness to take hold and continued even after he lost sight of her. After turning to more corners he finally gave up succumbing to the fire that licked at his lungs. Sweat poured from his brow and his feet and legs began to hurt as he slowed to a stop. The woman was gone there was no doubting that but it still irked him that she had slipped away.

He slowly walked over to a nearby wall where he tried to gain control of his breathing. After resting a few minutes Vien decided to make his way back to Miro. That was a nasty kick and he will no doubt need help getting out of here in one piece. He thought to himself and he began to make his way back. It did not take him long as he used his knowledge of the city's layout to his advantage. He rounded the last corner and jogged up to Miro.

"I am sorry, Miro. She is clearly well versed in running because it did not take her long to out distance me." he said heavily. "Your spell might not have worked but I doubt she will be back any time soon. For now we need to leave. Do you need a hand?" he asked wondering how severe the damage was.

[Alea Davenport]

~Meanwhile~
After about a chime, Alea's heart began to return to a sane pace and she could breath without gasping. She was pretty sure that if anyone had seen her come in here, they would have followed her by now. Sighing with relief that she'd gotten away, she turned around to get a look at her hiding place.

She blinked. This was not an abandoned building at all. The decorations were far too opulent, and those chairs looked way too comfortable to be here by accident. There was also the matter of the few people already here. There was one woman adjusting chairs and picking up glasses; it looked like she was cleaning the place up. And there was a rosy-faced man behind the bar, watching Alea out of the corner of his eye. She was worried for a moment that she was in trouble, that she'd stumbled somewhere she didn't belong. But he man's expression was merely curious, not unkind. A wealthy-looking man Alea didn't recognize came from behind a curtain she hadn't noticed before. He headed straight for Alea, and she scuttled away, but he merely walked past her, exiting the establishment.

Alea quickly determined that the best route to take here was half-truth. She walked meekly up to the bartender. "Excuse me," she said, her voice hoarse from all that running and breathing too hard, "Can you tell me how to get back to the NItrozian house? I...I got lost." She did not think it was a good idea to spread wild tales of mages and murder; not to people she didn't know or trust. For all she knew they were in league with the mage and would take his side. It was best for Alea to keep her head down, at least until she reached Valerius.

The man poured a glass of water and passed it to Alea. He did not look as if he entirely believed her, but he didn't say so out loud. Instead he just gave her directions back to the Noble district as she gulped the water gratefully. She sat at the bar resting for a few more chimes, also hoping that if the killers were out there searching for her, they might give up soon. When she left, she looked both ways before leaving the not-so-abandoned building, and walked briskly, following the bartender's directions. She frequently stopped at corners and looked around, checking for either of the two faces or the deadly silvery-white orb before she moved on. Luckily, her return trip was uneventful, and she entered the Nitrozian mansion with a deep sense of relief.

OOCThat's the last post for me

[Miro]

Miro dragged the remains of the body Vien had consumed and threw them in the lake. He heaved a long sigh and walked to greet the Symenestra again. Hopefully now they could finish their business. When the wizard regained some of his Djed, he would have more options, but for now it was up to Vien. Would he accept the promise of great reward in exchange for a few freedoms, or would turn away from the undead horror. Indeed their lost target was the only one wise and able enough to escape with knowledge of the Chained One's nature.

The Symenestra would have to accept responsibility for this knowledge and make a decision. Turning against the wizard's would likely would result in Hypnotism, but at such a time it was hardly an option. Killing him wasn't either, and Miro wanted to take him as an apprentice. By doing this he could convince him to accept his apprentice contract, only really explained as a list or perks. It holds only one cost, loyalty, what Miro deems equal to what he has given. Though such a thing is never specified, only implied by the fact that he is a wizard and there is always a catch.

But that would take some work, and likely some more Djed. Finding an apprentice was only the first step however. From there it was an effort to forge a soul into a weapon and claim it as his own. And ideally to convert him to lord Uldr and secure chains to claim him. And of course, while in Ravok all served Rhysol. Though the truth to the seeming brokenness of Hypnotism, Miro was coming to realize, was that an unwilling mind. Strong willpower was definitely the magic's greatest weakness. The tone the woman spoke in as she was cornered, it was not pitiful, but defiant. Not so weak willed as to just give in. That made especially clear by her feisty escape.

The Chained One could not force an apprentice into serving Uldr, but wouldn't need to. There were other ways of gaining followers, and other ways of cementing an apprentice's loyalty. Especially with the ability to induce a trance. It was becoming tiresome to continue to hold the facade for the Symenestra whose face was as of yet unknown however. Miro found the outline of his companion and began to speak at him. "Vien, fetch a Ravosala and let us go to my home. If you haven't a bed tonight, mine is free to you. We can talk about more sensitive subjects there. I know I wouldn't mind resting a bit. I absolutely insist on it in fact."

Things had settled down for now, and hopefully things would come to a conclusion soon. The Reimancer wished to begin weaving Vien's fate quickly, for he showed a great promise in his current situation. Though there was always the chance that the man wanted to be cut free as well. Indeed it would again be insisted that he take the night to finish business with the undead. When finally a Ravosala was called over, directions would be given to Miro's home. He would also pay the fare and guide the way to his room. A shabby place with naught but a bed, a wardrobe and a desk. The only light pouring in through the window.