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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Jan 31, 2023 21:19:08 GMT -5
There was a hard creak in the wood as Shaa shoved the small door inward opinto the next chamber. Instead of a hallway or another cave, Shaa walked to something that looked like an old study. The room rectangular and was well lit with several pieces of art on the wall. This time, the room was actually carpeted with a shaggy rug of some sort of large animal. There were bookshelves and a large desk with an accompanying chair. There was however, one peculiar thing about the room. In the corner was a large full length mirror with silver ornate trim all around.
Though beautiful and obviously well made and cared for, the mirror seemed out of place in such a grand study. It is something that you would expect to see in a bedroom or servants chamber. What in the world was it doing here? Curious, Shaa walks up to the mirror and peers inside. He can see his own reflection looking back at him, eyes looking tired and hungry. He rubs the matted fur on his chin, picking out flecks of mud and blood from their adventures. Shaa had an errant thought that he should take better care of himself. He truly looked like someone who lived on the road.
Taking a longer look, something about the reflection was off. Then it dawned on him. Although the study was full of books and art, the room in the mirror room was mostly empty and disappearing faster and faster by the moment. Shaa looks back to the room but nothing is out of place. Back again to the mirror, it is now completely empty except for Shaa’s reflection. Reaching out to touch the surface of the mirror, his fingers find purchase on the smooth surface. The mirror is ice cold to the touch, the brisk nature of it sending a small chill down his spine. Slowly, Shaa’s own reflection is vanishing before his eyes.
He quickly gives himself a pat down to ensure he was still all there. He was relieved to find that he could still see and feel everything as he had expected. The only thing that was missing was his reflection, replaced by the dark abyss of the glossy mirror. Shaa couldn’t help but stare into the emptiness. Then, in the distance, he could see something or someone walking towards him…from the other side of the mirror. The being was getting closer and closer. The chill in his spine was growing more prevalent as the seconds passed.
The mirror being was close enough now that Shaa could could make out a shape. It was a Minotaur…but unlike the mimic, it was not Shaa. This Minotaur was an older female, a rare sight outside the normal Minotaur rutting grounds. As the female Minotaur approached, she was familiar somehow but not not someone that he knew for sure. She was right up to the mirror now, and he could see how beautiful she was. She was big for a female Minotaur, almost as tall as Shaa himself. Her horns were shining black and curved upward and outward. She had light brown fur and wore a white toga wrapped around her left shoulder. Her most striking feature though was her eyes. They were sky blue…just like Shaa’s.
Shaa moves his hand slowly up the mirrors face. The female Minotaur placed her hand matching his on the other side and smiles at him. His eyes could be playing tricks on him but it appears that she is also crying. Almost not wanting to ruin the moment, Shaa breaks the silence. Do I…Do I know you? The cow tilts her head a bit and covers her mouth with her other hand to hold back the sobbing. She collects herself and clears her throat. No..I’m afraid you don’t know me. But I know you. I have known you and loved you your entire life. The tears are coming in streams now, she is barely hanging on. Shaa…I am your mother. Shaa feels like he has been punched hard in the gut. Could it be? Was it even possible.
Shaa’s background was spotty at best. His earliest memories were of his time running around, surviving on the plains of Kings Valley. Minotaur were pretty independent from an early age so a young Buck alone was not that surprising. He had, however, always wondered where he was really from. Who his parents were. Why they had left him alone. And now here she was, all the questions he had ever had, here ready to be answered.
My mother? I never knew my mother, I basically raised myself until the centaurs picked me up. As even more sadness passed over her, she shook her head. No, it wasn’t by choice. I loved you. Your father loved you. We…we were supposed to be together. She grunts hard and slams her fist into the glass in frustration. If nothing else, that look on her face convinced Shaa that they were related. Please…what’s your name?
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Feb 7, 2023 17:46:41 GMT -5
Kamille managed to grab from the depths of her purse the two Rooks, but when she opened her eyes to look around and see where she would drop them, she once again took the fright of her life, nearly expelling all the air in her lungs. Under the water, several aparitions slowly gathered around her, with glowing eyes inside empty cavities. The gray skin stretched over the bones, they still wore clothes, even if time and water made them no favor. The colors were pale, but she recognized robes and vests that once were respectable, with arcane runes etched to the hems....
Those were once mages.
They still had a faint residue of the arcane might they once carried, but their minds were far gone. Undeath robbed them of their senses and wits, even if the warmth and sweet spiralling arcane mist they felt from other beings still attracted them as something they once had in abundance. As all undead things, they were drawn by everything they once had that was taken; everything they once were, but not anymore. And for the moment, that meant Kamille.
Hurried incantations left her lips as water came in. Pressed against the stone floor, her mana once again being drained, she felt the ground shake when the two stone gargoyles dropped nearby. Consciousness was starting to escape her once again before she felt herself being yanked from the ground, the mana sucking vines ripped by the stony claws of Sir Prize, the six foot tall gargoyle that was just a tiny chess piece a minute ago. Miss Fortune stomped around to keep the remaining aparitions away as Kamille ressurfaced and spat out water, coughing violently the water she had taken in.
"Let's..... get.... out... of here!"
The Witch finally managed to spit out and the gargoyles exchanged a quick glance before jumping into action. Sir Prize got Kamille with one single arm, without much ceremony, while she could vaguely understand Mis Fortune was seemingly fighting something - maybe the amalgamation that had been draining her mana. The two gargoyles fought and stomped around for just a moment, until she understood Sir Prize bursted through a door somewhere and barreled down a corridor, while carriyng Kamille in one arm as one would carry a sack of potatoes.
They must've gone up a flight of stairs somewhere around, because when Kamille commanded the gargoyles to stop, the basement filled with water left behind, there was no water and they walked along a large corridor, with beautiful carpets and tapestries. Sir Prize simply released Kamille to the ground, causing her to plop without a hint of grace on the carpeted floor. She coughed some more.
"Goddamit.... this house........ It surely.... knows how to give mages some trouble.........."
Finally she got the time to stand and look around, taking a deep breath.
Looked like.... a regular enough house, if that was possible. It was a large corridor, flanked by small tables here and there and doors to either sides. Not much ahead, Kamille could see a big wardrobe that certainly looked out of place there. Kamille groaned as she stood up, but was inevitably drawn by it.
"Be careful, this is fragile," she said as she handed the bottle of wine still in her hand to Miss Fortune. What could she say? Damned be the person to separate a girl from her wine.
Like everything there, the huge oak wardrobe was of really good taste, a monstrosity of wood that was supposed to belong in the bedroom of a noblewoman. Well, she was soaked after her encounter with.... whatever it was back there. Maybe she could find something to dry herself with? Of course nothing would be as easy and straightforward as that in that house, but there was a nagging feeling she shouldn’t give her back to the wardrobe. Instead, she would face it head on.
"Okay..... here we go...."
With both Miss Fortune and Sir Prize at the ready, the Witch braced herself, rubbing her hands and standing sideways to the wardrobe. On the count of three, she violently opened with a Telekinesis spell and.......
Nothing happened. Except the doors of the wardrobe opening and revealing..... really old clothes. Was that her enemy there? Hideous old fashion in colors of mud and wood? Gods this was so stupid.... The anticlimatic sequence seemed to leave Kamille impatient, for she stomped forward to see if there was something more dangerous than ruffles and out dated sleeves. She muttered to herself some curses as she found... nothing of interest.
"Well then. Let's go."
As she was about to give the wardrobe her back, an absolutely outrageous green dress hugged her, pulled her in, and the wardrobe closed its doors with a loud thud.
The gargoyles exchanged a confused look.
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Feb 7, 2023 20:10:15 GMT -5
Shaa’s ghostly mother looked at him with tears still flowing from her eyes. Ralah. My name is Ralah. I have waited so long to tell you, to hear you say my name. When you were a child, you were still too young. So young. Ralah…Shaa said with some awe in his voice like he had cast some long forgotten spell that had opened the world. Ralah clawed at the glass like she was looking for a way through. After all of this time, they were so close but still so far away. Shaa couldn’t help himself and started to break down under the weight of it. It was unfair. The years of loneliness. Of the empty roads. The musty caves. The countless streams of bastards that were trying to end him. The one person who loved him unconditionally, stripped violently away in his infancy. Unfair.
Ralah takes a step back from the glass and holds her hands over her chest, speaking some quiet words that Shaa can’t quite make out. A strange glow starts emanating from behind her. Shaa looks out in the distance. Someone or something else is coming. And it was very, very big. Ralah didn’t seem concerned, more expectant. The being was close enough now that he could tell it was yet another Minotaur coming towards him. This one had almost all black fur and giant horns that curved forward and to a wicked point. He had huge muscles that made Shaa look tiny by comparison. His eyes were an amber color that kind of stared straight through you to your core.
Is this the boy? The new Minotaur gruffed deeply like he had swallowed a tuba. Yes Tee’ Grath, he’s here. Our son is here. Son. Tee’ Grath..you’re my father? The massive Minotaur peered at him through the glass. Yes… Have you been crying boy? If I wasn’t dead, I’d punch you and give you something to cry about. Ralah grabbed Tee’ Grath by an ear and pulled him in close. If you so much as tussle a hair on that boy’s head I will twist your tail off and make you eat it, do you read me? Tee’ Grath burst out laughing at the tirade. He held his hands up in surrender giving the now fiercely protective mother a side hug which she begrudgingly accepted. This is why I love your mother boy. Toughest being in all of Charon. And this is why I love you. We may be dead, but, in you, a little piece of me and her will always be together. If you are still alive, you must have turned out ok.
Yeah thanks…I think. What happened to you guys? Tee’ Grath got a serious look on his face. I don’t know how much time we have, so I’ll make this quick. We were betrayed. Betrayed? By who? By another Minotaur of all things, a flea bitten monster named Hulfran. The name seemed to pain them even to say it.
Hulfran was our friend, it should never have happened. It was less than a year after you had been born. Your mother and I had been trying to have a child for several seasons. Finally, unexpectedly, your mother was pregnant. The entire clan was overjoyed at the news. Hulfran was, at the time, the chief priest and was set to preside over your naming ceremony. It was going to be so beautiful. There was food and flowers and dancing. But it never happened. Before the ceremony could begin, raiders entered the camp and started slaughtering everyone. Bulls, cows, didn’t matter. No one was armed and…they were mercenaries. They knew just how to get us.. I remember waking up, looking over my body. There was so much blood. I managed to stay long enough to see Hulfran, my friend, talking to the mercenaries. They were laughing. Planned the whole thing. Apparently there is a market for Minotaur parts for crafting the heartless bastards. They sold you. A baby Minotaur didn’t even have horns, no good for parts. You were sold to a tribe in Kings Valley. Did they raise you?
It was a good question, one that he didn’t have an answer to. Maybe…at first. The tribes down there tend to wipe each other on the regular. My earliest memories are of me wandering around the plains by myself until I was about 11. That’s when I helped some Centaurs and they took me in and gave me an education. Tee’ Grath growled a low guttural angry growl. Education? I bet they did those know it all horsemen. And they are the ones who did that to your horns right? Yes. They are runes.. Yes boy, I can see. He shook his giant head and stomped the ground. Disfigured my boy…no. I am grateful they helped you, no matter how misguided the nags were. Your disfigurement and exile….I can’t fix this for you boy…I can’t change what happened. But…we can help you now. Help me? How? By showing you a magic that some nag can’t teach you. A magic that will bind us together and help us keep you safe. Here. Cut your thumb and press it to the glass.
This was a lot to take in. His parents, his history. What was the spell going to do exactly? And why wasn’t he scared. There was something in his bones telling him the truth was here. Here, in this creepy house, he had found something more valuable then anything he could have ever wished for. Placing his thumb on the edge of his horn, he slices it open and presses it to the mirror face. As he does so, his two parents vanish and the mirror cracks from top to bottom. Just like that, they were gone and Shaa was alone in the room. The sound of a wall clock is ticking in the background. Shaa sees a crack of light in the wall. Pressing on the panel, he finds himself back in the house’s foyer. There is no sign of Kamille. Ginma’s beard…
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Feb 8, 2023 15:38:42 GMT -5
The scene that would find Shaa was unusual, but maybe just on point with a haunted house that clearly devoured magic: a giant oak wardrobe hopped heavily down the stairs, chased by a stone gargoyle. When it hit the floor and started to run away, it was knocked down by the gargoyle, that grabbed both sides of it and started to shake violently. The wardrobe was battered, but resisted bravely.
Soon after, another gargoyle showed up, carrying a bottle of wine in its open palms with the care someone would reserve to a baby; which was probably the reason this one wasn't helping the first gargoyle in his rampage to bully the wardrobe, for whatever reason. Their stone faces didn't change much, but he was clearly very pissed at the wardrobe by the violence it used to shake it.
The reason became clear when a muffled voice started to sound from inside the wardrobe.
".... the fu.... doing he.... can't... FU-.........STOP!...... YOU MO-!......" followed by an onslaught of curses that would make a sailor blush, not proper of a lady, but clearly Kamille's voice.
It was clear the gargoyles were Kamille's minions and were trying, to the best of their limited intellects, to set her free. The wardrobe was very resistant, but nothing like a little bit of well placed brute force couldn't handle.
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Feb 9, 2023 8:58:18 GMT -5
Shaa walked around the foyer, checking each spot meticulously for sign of where Kamille could have gone to. The thought of the paperwork involved haunted him almost as much as the recent experience he had with the mirror. Eventually he finds the door that he went down originally that started this whole thing, hanging casually open. Shaa wondered whatever happened to that mouse or, if in fact, it was even a mouse at all. Maybe it was a tiny mimic who trapped mice and got the cookie as a bonus. Maybe it was all an illusion and the cookie was here the whole time. Shaa checked around and with no sign of the, cookie, felt a little crestfallen.
Where was that crow? Mischief? As Shaa continues this circuitous mental meandering, he hears a noise coming from upstairs. Hmmm that could be something. Suddenly, a large stone gargoyle comes crashing down the stairs with a very animated cabinet trying to get away from it. The second one is close behind him gingerly clutching a bottle of old wine. Shaa would probably have been surprised but, oddly enough, this was not the strangest thing that had happened to him today. He can hear what sounds like Kamille’s voice coming from the cabinet.
Shaa rushes over and calls to the cabinet. Kamille? Is that you? Or are you another thing pretending to be Kamille so you can try and eat me? Shaa wasn’t taking any chances. Fool me once. He could smash right through the cabinet door but it might be magically enhanced like that first door. Or, even worse, he might accidentally smash Kamille if he tries to punch into it. He had to be a bit more careful. He feels along the side of the furniture for the door hinges. Finding them, he applies all his weight them until they pop right off the cabinet. With no hinges to keep it shut, he simply lifts off the doors and pulls Kamille out. With his charge safe and sound, Shaa then stomps the rest of the strange cabinet into tiny pieces of wood and random clothing. It was the smart and cathartic thing to do.
Hey, are you ok? Kamille looked pretty disheveled and Shaa worried that he would get blamed for whatever unhappy experience the house had put her through. In truth, the whole thing should never have happened and Shaa was pretty embarrassed. This whole trip had been a torrent of emotions for the beleaguered adventurer. Seeing that she seemed ok, for the moment at least, he gingerly takes her hand to try and comfort her. I’m so sorry this happened. If what I experienced was any indication of what is waiting for us in this place, we should just go. This house is just a honey trap for mages, it’s no wonder the other creatures steer clear of it. The smart ones at any rate. For all we know, this isn’t even a house at all. I don’t want to hang around to find out. Besides…Shaa hesitates a bit.
If his experience with the mirror was real, what did it mean? What did that spell that his dad cast even do other than crack the mirror? He said that it would help them protect him. Kamille was a powerful mage. She might have more insight into the mirror or a different perspective of his experience. If it was real. If it was all true. Shaa had just gained a direction in his life unlike anything he had ever experienced. There was a Minotaur out there that was directly responsible for well…everything. Even though Shaa wouldn’t change who he was as a wanderer, if there was ever anyone that needed a solid beating, that guy did. He just needed to get Kamille to safety, and the hunt was on.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Feb 10, 2023 4:55:00 GMT -5
The Kamille that came out of the cabinet looked like a shaky angry cat that had just forcefully taken a bath. She was literally soaked, her hair was a disastrous mess and she was clutching a few pieces of clothing which included the outdated dress that tried to strangle her. Other than that, she didn't look particularly hurt, only tired. Indeed, the house looked more and more just like a honey trap for mages, like Shaa suggested. Kamille still wanted to explore more, but the place had already showed itself to be more dangerous than it was worth it.
Once she's out of the wardrobe, she takes a moment to take a deep breath and look around to find out where she was. They were back to the main lobby it would seem. The door that took her to that damned basement was still there, unsuspectingly inviting. Calling her in to investigate the apparition that nearly drained all of her mana...
Then the minotaur - the brutish looking, giant, powerful minotaur - gently took her hand to try to console her, getting a bit of a surprised look from the Witch. Shaa had already demonstrated the capacity for being careful and tender, but it was still surprising for her to see that side of the person she saw destroying werewolves just a moment ago as easily as someone would squash roaches. Kamille smiled at him, and even if it was a weary smile, she always gave off that warm feeling.
"Don't worry, I'm okay Shaa... I guess you're right, this house just wants to drain on mages mana. I'm not sure what this house is, but I'll see it destroyed one day or another. For now, we might as well just go back. There seems to be no magical artifacts here, I guess. At least... Well."
She reached out and the gargoyle with the bottle of wine stepped closer. Kamille took the bottle. At least she would take a small thing to remember that place, right?
"I hope you didn't find as much trouble as I did. I found the thing that drained the mages mana in the basement, maybe we should steer clear from that... The mages are still there, they............"
They looked like undead, but not quite. She didn't have a way of explaining that with words. In a moment, her two gargoyles suddenly became too still, quickly reducing to their original sizes of chess Rooks. After that, she let out a tired sigh and took a really good look at Shaa to see if he was hurt. He didn't look like he was hurt, but... There was something off about him. Kamille raised a concerned glance to him as he trailed off without continuing. His gaze was different from everything she had seen from him so far - not that she knew the minotaur for long, but he was definitely feeling different.
".......Are you okay, Shaa?"
Kamille squeezed his hand, trying to feel reassuring.
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Feb 10, 2023 9:45:53 GMT -5
Shaa breathed a sigh of relief that Kamille, although a bit disheveled, was going to be ok. Frankly they had been more than a little bit lucky at this point so it was time to cut their losses and get out of here. Besides, they were still in the middle of the werewolf forest. They would still need to be strong enough to get out of that even if they got out of here. And Shaa needed to get out of here. He had to track down that traitor and make him regret leaving him alive. But Kamille had a right to know the real reason their quest was being cut short. He needed to talk it out.
No Kamille…I’m not injured but..I’m not Ok. Shaa explained about his fight with the mimic and the similar mana draining vines he had to get through. He also talked about finding the strange mirror in the study, who he saw, what they said and how the mirror broke when it was all said and done.
I know this place is full of illusions but there was something different about the experience. It feels like it’s still with me. Like it’s true in my bones. The other illusions felt like waking up from a horrible dream. This feels like, it feels like they are still here with me, a part of me now. And it feels…good. Like I have been missing something for my entire life and I am finally whole again.
Shaa looks at Kamille with tears welling up. Can love do that? Transcend space and time and even death? Can you love someone so much that you can latch on to their very soul? Shaa drops her hand realizing he probably just made things super awkward. Sorry sorry. It’s just. I need to know. I HAVE to know. And there is one person who can answer that question, Hulfran. If he really did betray my parents, then I’ll know what I experienced was real and not just in my head. I have to go home, my real home in the Ash Lands, to see if anyone knows him. But don’t worry. I’ll get you back to camp and make sure your safe first. After all, I have a reputation to uphold. Shaa wipes his face on the back of his hand like a child, and sniffs hard trying to keep himself together.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Feb 11, 2023 18:33:24 GMT -5
Much could be said about Kamille being a good listener, but on top of that, Shaa could clearly see every emotion that crossed her mind as he told his story. First she looked a little suspicious about the mirror, probably much like Shaa himself would feel about anything on that house - it seemed like everything around there held the potential for being a trap. Then her eyes widened in surprise as he talked about who he saw in the mirror and the story they told. Kamille didn’t know much about the realm of the spirits, but that didn’t look much like an illusion from the house either. The house had been trying to trap and keep them docile, which didn’t look like anything that Shaa described.
Before she could realize, she felt her own vision starting to get blurred as tears welled up in her eyes as well. Tears had always come easily for the Witch, who often wasn’t afraid of showing them. But whether or not she let them fall Shaa wouldn’t know, because she gently pulled his hand to make him bend over just enough to slide her arms around his neck and bring him into a hug. Words escaped her for a moment, and the only thing - the best thing - she knew to comfort someone was a warm, tight hug. When she spoke up, after a moment of silence, her voice was a bit muffled.
"Oh, Shaa........ I don’t.......... I don’t know much about this..... But if you feel this is true, I believe in you..... I'm sorry you had to go through all of this, I.........."
Suddenly, she stepped back. Her eyes were teary and slightly red over a plight that was not even hers - she felt his pain and sadness the same, regardless. But a shocked expression took her features for a moment.
"I...... I could help! I can know if he actually betrayed your parents.... All I need to do.... Well, I'd need to touch him to know, but....."
Suddenly she felt ashamed for interjecting so bluntly in such a personal business. She had only met Shaa that day, and was already sticking her nose in his story.
"If....... If you want me to help, of course......"
She didn’t let go of his hand, clearly not giving a damn if he found that awkward or weird.
"Your parents must love you so much.... To persist. To remain. For you. That is certainly something worth fighting for. It won't bring them back, but... if it brings you comfort to know the truth.... to bring justice to them...... I can help you."
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Feb 12, 2023 14:29:24 GMT -5
Shaa, for once, didn’t know what to say. It was true that this quest was deeply personal to him but the fighter in him was screaming. “Don’t be STUPID” No matter how personal it was, no matter how he felt, Shaa managed to stay alive for all of these countless battles because he used his head. And that was all that mattered in the end. He wasn’t about to add himself to the list of the betrayer’s casualties. His one and only advantage was that Hulfran didn’t know that Shaa was coming or who he even was. For all intents and purposes, Shaa was just another rando Minotaur causing trouble. Shaa couldn’t tell anyone else for fear of losing that advantage. The party would have to stay small, just the two of them. If Shaa was smart about this, he could get his answers and dismissing the help of one of the most powerful sorceresses in all of Charon was stupid.
Shaa’s hand were trembling. I..I don’t know what to say. Thank you but…I want to be clear. The path I’m heading down is going to be one that only me or him is walking away from. I won’t be able to rest until I put this bastard into the ground, permanently. But, considering what I know about him and what he does, it’s not going to be easy. Assuming he’s still alive that is. But if he wasn’t, I’m sure that my mom and dad would have known.
They stood there quietly in the dark void of the entryway. It was as if the mansion was holding its breath as something much larger than itself and its machinations was being born into the world. If you come with me, I don’t know what will happen. The only thing that I can promise is that I am going to use everything at my disposal to take this guy down. I will not stop, until it’s over. If you still want to come with me, I will be eternally grateful but I want that to be your choice. It’s certainly nothing that I have any right to ask of you. Dust fell gently from the ceiling, twisting in the errant beams of light that penetrated the gloom as Shaa waited for her answer.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Feb 19, 2023 8:36:18 GMT -5
Kamille didn’t know Shaa for long, but she was well aware of a son of Ginma's stony disposition - she wasn’t much different herself. Focused, stubborn, persistent. She understood that all too well, and it brought her some kind of comfort to know she could relate to someone like Shaa on that level. Her wish to help him came from a place of genuine care and trust, even if later on she could try to tell herself Shaa's alliance was something important and powerful. But first and foremost came the fact she actually wanted to help and see his story through to the end.
It neither came as a surprise nor as something bad that what Shaa sought was more along the lines of revenge, rather than justice. She would want the same in his position. The Witch squeezed his hand when she realized he was shaking.
"I understand. And once we make sure he is the one responsible for the fate of your parents, I promise I won't stand on your way. I will help you, Shaa."
But first, they needed to make their way out of that house. Kamille doubted the house would offer much resistance in that regard right now. They escaped its tricks so far, they certainly wouldn’t be bothered anymore, right?
Dusk colors seeping into the house through the windows suddenly woke her from her daydreaming.
"But first things first... I want to see this house on fire."
Despite her nice tone and smile, the house itself seemed to shiver as she promised - not a threat, a promise - to leave fire behind. So much so the front door swung open eagerly, as if to hastily invite them out. The Witch made a gesture for the minotaur to follow her out, stepping outside only enough to get enough space for her next spell.
"I imagine you might want to step aside for a moment..."
The words barely left her lips and a thick, black smoke swirled around her, starting to shape a rather big figure behind her. This figure was big even for Shaa, and from inside it, two scarlet eyes appeared with a low gutural growl. Two scaly wings swooshed the smoke away, revealing the imense muscular body of a black drake, covered in obsidian scales, each one of them a small, polished black mirror. A thin line of smoke still slithered away from its nostrils[1].
"Shaa, this is Kalaf, a friend of mine. I wasn’t able to find the house with him, so the house must have some protection from overhead... Still, from here I bet he can do some damage to the house... And be our ride back to the camp."
[1]Summon mount: Kalaf
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Feb 20, 2023 15:37:52 GMT -5
Shaa stared at the large reptile and hoped that it wasn’t hungry. He had met his fair share of drakes and a large metal dragon but couldn’t quite remember running into one this large before. It was a good thing that Kamille seemed to have a good bond with the beast. It would definitely come in handy. Ummm good boy? Feel free to torch the house at your leisure?
Shaa looked around the lawn and noticed the mist was giving them a fair bit of space. Apparently the creatures had learned their lesson. The sight of the dragon was also probably helpful. There was something neatly symbolic about burning the house down behind them. Burning things was always a good symbol of destroying the old to make way for the new. If there were any more dangerous artifacts in there, this would solve that problem as well.
After your buddy here gets done and gives us a ride back to camp, we can plan out our route. Just tell your mage buddies we are going on vacation or a research trip or something. But our real destination is the Ashlands, and my old village in the mountains. It’s a pretty long trip. We just need to stay as low key as possible until we find Halfran, and I shove his foot up his nose….
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Feb 23, 2023 5:12:08 GMT -5
Kalaf, despite his ferocious outlook capable of sending fear into the bravest warrior's heart, took a good look at Shaa and... Blinked, one eye at a time. He looked sleepy, maybe a little slower than usual. The black drake sniffed Shaa for a moment, growling low as he glanced back to Kamille.
"Mr. Shaa is a friend. We don't eat friends, remember?"
Kalaf shook its massive head, looking somewhat annoyed. Despite that, he spread out his wings and in a strong swirl of wind and dust, he took flight. The drake kept flying in low circles over the house, and suddenly, the night was filled with light: from behind his giant teeth, a volley of fire shot out towards the house. It was evident that Kalaf was no rookie, but instead an older drake, with more control over his own power and abilities. Each circle he made over the house, a new breath of fire was released upon it, all of his power concentrated on the house. Soon, roof and walls were ablaze. At first, it looked like nothing out of the ordinary would happen, but when the fire really started to lick at the foundation of the house that they heard a strange noise: first some ungodly growl, but it quickly turned into what seemed like... screams? Looked like someone was trapped in the house! Someone was asking for help! There was someone-
"It's an illusion", Kamille looked like she wanted to convince herself more than Shaa. "The house is making a last attempt at keeping us from attacking it. There's no one there."
And if there was, clearly it would've been no one good. The amount of dark magic that started to bleed out of the building made the smoke that rose to the sky turn black, with an ocre, horrible smell. It felt like it only started a minute ago when Kalaf landed on the ground to their side once again, making the ground shake. There were no signs of the creatures surrounding the yard either - they must know well enough to stay clear from a creature like the drake.
"I guess we're done here. Let's go, Shaa. If you wouldn't mind, I guess it would be good to go to my house to refil my potions and have a good rest. From there, we can plan our trip calmly. But first, let's go tell those old farts we're going to the beach or something."
Kamille was quick to approach Kalaf once again, still radiating heat from his fiery breath - though he seemed much more alert and... happy? Setting things on fire really did connect him with his instincts. The Witch hopped on his back with a little bit of help, as the drake crouched over a bit, waving for Shaa for him to follow suit. The drake probably could take Shaa's weight, possibly not for so long, though. A quick flight was all they needed now.
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Feb 23, 2023 5:52:49 GMT -5
Shaa watched the beast carefully as he tried to board it. He took note that the lizard was not nearly as accommodating with him as he was with Kamille. With Shaa’s bulky frame, he could hardly blame him. From the description, it would be a relatively short trip to the house. Maybe he could rustle up a goat or something to pay the beast back for the labor. Soon enough, Shaa was settled in and, with a lurch, they were airborne.
Shaa had a surprisingly large number of opportunities to be airborne in his life. Voluntarily more often than not which supposed was a good thing. In the back of his head, he was always worried about being in the air though. As a semi devout follower of Ginma, he was concerned that air travel was a territorial invasion somehow. He had never seen any evidence of that so far so it must be ok right? Besides, Kamille was a Terramancer as well and she probably flew all the time. Doesn’t hurt to look for lightning bolts just in case.
They had circled the nightmare house a couple times to be sure it was truly in ruins before going on their way. Shaa took a certain kind of satisfaction in watching the thing go up. There were still unanswered questions of course. Who built the thing? What other treasures are now lying in a smoldering heap an the like. But these were questions that were for academics and other adventurers. Shaa had other, much more pressing questions on his mind. Questions that actually had an answer, somewhere and he was going to find them.
Sure enough, the trip to Kamilles house was relatively short from the air. As they landed, Shaa quickly hopped off not wanting to burden the drake anymore than was absolutely necessary. Ok, thanks buddy. Shaa considers giving him a nice back rub to say thank you but thinks better about how the fire breather might react to uninvited touching. Stepping away to the lawn, Shaa takes a good look at Kamille’s house.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Mar 2, 2023 9:39:58 GMT -5
Not unlike Shaa, Kamille had initial reservations to flying. It didn’t feel right, and at first she had the same feeling she used to have when she was in the sea: trapped by a surrounding body of water, unable to feel the earth and having to carefully use her fire magic as to avoid a catastrophe.
But riding Kalaf was different. She and the beast had apparently developed some kind of connection, and he didn't need much more than a glance to understand what she wanted of him. The beast was intelligent, willing and most of the times very calm and seemingly understanding of her mortal affairs. Kalaf wasn't used to fly with extra people, so it took a bit more of him to take them both back to Kamille's house. The Witch's house looked, on the outside, like a simple wooden hut. . . As much normal a simple wooden hut could be if it was squashed between two hills up above the river. At the base of the hill sat a small stone stable, a fiery mare peeking outside for a moment as they arrived. A stone staircase led up to a small front patio, where several potted plants stood keeping her guard.
"Whenever you want to come by, the key will be always under this plant. Don’t try anything silly. Even if I allow you through the magical wards, the house will respond if you try to sneak or force your way in."
Kalaf left them at the base, wandering off to his own sleeping place, a cave he started to dig on the side of the hill.
As they entered her small hut, Shaa would be faced with the interior of what looked like a castle, much, much bigger than the outside view would led on. Luxurious marble floor, black and white like that of chessboard, stone walls and so many goddamn books and scrolls and tomes and notes covering the walls. A cozy fireplace raged on one side, next to Mischief's perch, glittering with his collection of asorted baubles and trinkets. It looked like the interior of a house of a noblewoman, even if a touch of chaos was inherent to every Mage's nest. A broom was sweeping by itself on one side of the room, and a few tarot cards tried to carefully stack themselves up in a cards castle.
"Do you drink, Shaa? Ale or wine? Let's get something to eat too while we plan our route. I'm not sure Kalaf will be able to take us both all the way to the Ashlands, but he can at least take us to the port..."
Kamille led Shaa into her kitchen as she talked. The Witch's kitchen was severely more chaotic: to one side, a balcony with regular kitchen apparel like pots, pans, knives and cleavers; to the other, a balcony heavy with an alchemist's glassware so impressive as to make any apothecary jealous, with a large, ominous cabinet with no aparent openings sitting on the side. From the ceiling she hang her spices and herbs - Shaa probably would have to walk hunched over - while a big cauldron with a spoon that stirred by itself sat on the middle. There was already some kind of thick stew stirring inside, and Kamille quickly served them both portions.
"But let me ask you something for a moment, Shaa.... What is it that you intend on gaining from this? From taking revenge? I'm not saying you shouldn’t do this, I'm just wondering whst will it change for you, in your heart. What do you think?"
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Mar 3, 2023 16:40:53 GMT -5
Shaa could appreciate Kamille’s homes natural feeling as he looks around the ground, taking special note of her warning about Shenanigans. He had spent enough time in booby trapped houses and secretly appreciated the open nature of sleeping on the ground. Sure he now had his own establishment underground but it was more functional than preferential. I mean, how often do you find a muffin bar in nature? Unless it’s attached to a witch, not that often and Shaa had looked.
Once inside, he was surprised to see that the inside was much different and larger than it looked. You could always learn something about a person based on how they lived. Kamille’s home obviously said learning and mystery, the unexpected. Looking over the several trinkets around the house, he could get an understanding of why she might be interested in exploring a magic house like they had just left. While he was sad she only got a bottle of wine out of it, he knew that torching the place was the right call. The two of them together represented some of the most powerful Terramancers in Charon and they barely made it out of there in one piece.
Your house is wonderful, thank you for the invitation. I’ll try to keep the visits as surprise less as possible. He saunters over to a small table and picks up a glass orb. Upon examination, the orb seems to contain millions of tiny butterflies on the inside. As he turns the orb just so, the butterflies change into all sorts of vibrant colors. Not wanting to break anything, he sets the orb down gently, back on the table. Umm sure, ale, wine. Whatever your having is fine. Minotaurs aren’t exactly known for our discriminating pallets. With three stomachs, its a bit more about quantity. Shaa ducked as he headed into the kitchen and found a small seat while Kamille looked around for something to snack on.
Yeah, I don’t really want to get on the dragons bad side. If he can get us at least to the port, that would be for the best anyway. We need to be as subtle as possible and a Minotaur flying in on a dragon doesn’t exactly qualify. Shaa took a large mug of something foamy from Kamille and took a sip. Umm not bad, thank you. Quickly after, Shaa took the bowl of stew and sniffed it deeply. There was something warm and earthy about it which Shaa appreciated. Thank you again, this smells wonderful.
Stew and drink in place, Shaa considered Kamille’s question. He had been seriously considering something similar since they left the mansion. Basically nothing had changed for him, not really. His parents were fpdead and nothing was going to change that. He had lived his life and nothing was going to change that either. Shaa had lived his entire life without even knowing this guy. He could probably continue on living and be just fine. Chances are, he probably thought Shaa was dead already and never given him a second look. Why risk so much now when ultimately it wouldn’t change anything important.
No, not revenge really. A wise old man once said that ‘ An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind” It’s the cup that never fills. Justice? Shaa snort a bit. Can’t bring my parents back, no justice. I guess, I’m doing it for my parents. They brought me into this world and I will never be able to do anything for them. Not really. If I can get this guy…I guess..in some little way…it’s the one thing I can do for them. I just feel like it’s an unfinished story. Shaa points to Kamille’s books out in the hall. Imagine someone came and ripped out the last chapter in all those books. That’s how my life feels now. That I have unfinished business that needs a conclusion. I just won’t feel right without it. Even if it leaves me dead, I would rather end my story going down fighting than let that joker live his life like my family was nothing. A footnote. Now that I know..I …I just have to find him.
He takes another large bite of soup and thinks deeply.
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