• Mature • The Eye of the Woods

[Alistair]

They had killed them. The two Coven mages that had acted as the coincidental gatekeepers to the Fracture, were dead. And more than that, they had been wholly disintegrated, turned into a paste of molecules before even that ceased to exist. Intentional destabilization of a portal was easy, for Alistair, who typically envisioned it as pulling out a thread to unravel the whole of a portal's structure. Alistair was just glad that they were dead. It had been fortunate that they discovered two isolated Coven magisters, with no way of contacting their brethren before their death.

He took pride in killing them, both of them, and found no discomfort in the brutal manner in which they'd been slain. A chopped off hand, a melted face, two bashed in skulls - one nearly glued to the tree, the other stomped against the floor. Alistair was quick, strong, brutal. He had always been this way, and being a Coven member himself for over ten arcs, he did not find any particular issue with killing his enemies in the most efficient - albeit violent - way possible. It wasn't sadism that compelled his actions, but pure calculated efficiency. The head stored the brain. A dead brain was a dead man.

Why not, then, crush the head on the first opportunity? Or swipe it off. Or plunge a spear right through the middle of the face, between the eyes.

Certainly, the effective nature of his murder had offended Jon, who was now vomiting on the floor. Alistair looked back to him with a discerning look, but didn't really express himself, or say much of anything. He simply stared, quietly.

"Are you alright?" he asked. It was difficult to be wholly compassionate after brutally murdering two mages, and then disintegrating their bodies. But... he supposed he could comfort the other, as was his role as his partner, and mentor. The mage stepped over to him, quietly, and laid a hand on his shoulder... offering him a kiss if he desired to.

The mage was certainly sheer, and colder than normal. But this was the man that bloodshed created, and eventually, Jon would understand. It was best not to be emotive, emotional, contemplative or introspective after killing another. Even if they were bad - even if they struck first, like in the case of the fallen Coven mages.

"We still need to go to the Fracture," he stated, offering Jon a hand to stand up with and beckoning him forward. "Come on. Don't let the blood and brains deter you. Unfortunately, that is simply a permanent aspect of being a mage. Seekers, the Coven... now, us, the Commonwealth - we don't yet get along. But eventually, we can. And part of that is growing your strength."

[Jonathan Burr]

"I'm ok." Jon said, leaning into his lover's hold. "I just...I've seen death. Overdoses. I had a guy's heart implode when he was in the middle of fucking me. But...I've never seen anything like that. The...just crushing someone's head. The sound reminded me of when my father used to crack open geodes." he shuddered a bit and took another sip from his waterskin. He made sure his mouth was clean, then kissed Alistair. "Thank you. For saving me. Again. You're developing bad habits." He could understand a little of why Alistair was so cold at the moment; killing another person so brutally required shutting off that part of your brain that wanted to scream and cry. Killing someone else was horrible, and the fact that Alistair had to wall himself off to do so comforted Jon greatly. He would have been more worried if Alistair had acted like he had with Daeva. Laughing. He banished the thought from his head and nuzzled his lover.

"I'm going to be the helpful sort of mage. The mage who teaches other mages not to do this." he said quietly. "I hope there's a place for my university among your big plans for Acadia." he smirked a bit. Yes, the Fracture. The Fracture was important above all things and Jon checked to make sure he had everything. He shouldered his pack and nodded to Alistair. "Let's go." he said eagerly. "Regardless of what happens we have to reach the fracture. And now I at least know that not all mages are out to...be friends, to put it lightly. But um.." he lifted up a hand and summoned a small ball of glowing ether. "I learned this the other day. I wanted to surprise you with it. I didn't mean to use it like that, but it was pretty good eh?"

He was proud of himself. He'd learned a new aspect to his spark, and he wanted Alistair to be proud of him too. He wanted Alistair to know he'd been practicing, not just with his lover but on his own.

[Alistair]

Truthfully, the mage didn't particularly understand Jon's bewilderment at his efficient killing practices. Sure, they were brutal and bloody, but a life ended was a life ended. It was better to kill them fast - though of course, there was still pain. Considerable pain. Alistair typically began with melting the outer layers of the skull, to ensure that he could crush the bones within his hand like an egg. Perhaps that was the part that didn't sit well with Jon? Still, he didn't get it.

If he was to be an Aberrant, he would have to do far worse. Watch as people writhed, flailed and screamed, as their whole form turned brittle and limp and the light left their eyes. Flaying was a horrific, reprehensible and violent practice. Alistair continued to believe that Jonathan was not fully prepared for it, if he could vomit at this relatively trivial display, at least in the scheme of things. But, he supposed he needed to be more... generous. Not that he wanted to even believe that Jon was willing to flay someone, but, he clearly seemed willing to do so - Alistair could tell that he had still not yet renounced Aberration.

He simply wanted a new Harvester, and perhaps a "better one" by Alistair's standards. They'd have to see.

"No problem, darling," the mage responded to his gratitude, smiling faintly. "I've always had the habit of protecting people I care about - trust me. I'm simply a bit more... extreme about it now, whereas before, it was rather underhanded," the magister explained.

As the two locked proximity and Jon nuzzled him, Alistair listened to his lover, expressing that he wished to teach mages not to do 'this'. Certainly, what he meant by that, was attack other mages... and join unsavory groups. But it was difficult to teach mages that. Alistair did not know how easily it could be taught, and that was why he'd already assembled ideas for a more direct way of enforcing peace within the magical community.

An Abrogant-Guard, name still pending of course and certainly not "Abrogant-Guard", but... a method of policing mages through determent and submission. Education wasn't always enough - magic needed to be contained, in truth, just not wholly locked away or burnt at a pyre.

Still, there would of course be room for a University. He was, in fact, delighted to hear of the idea; Alistair had desperately wanted to establish a university within Acadia. Fancy, large, with many wings and many professors. Mages with knowledge and ability, and an ideology to back their words. If Jonathan wished to pursue that goal, he had Alistair's support. Indubitably.

Regardless, they went, heading towards the focal point of the oddities - the Fracture. The two mages had already entered its sphere of influence, with the strangeness appearing clear as day. Leaves that appeared to sheen like metal, lodging into the floor as they fell. Trees colored amethyst, ruby and quartz... glittering and gleaming. Soil that seemed as solid as paved flooring. The Fracture had peculiar effects on the world around it, and that was already demonstrable. Before long, he could see the entrance to it, though it was still in the distance... within a large, gnarled tree.

Jonathan, from behind him, showed him his ethereal creation - a ball of energy. Alistair stared at it passively for some time, finding the creation highly attractive in its appearance. It was mesmerizing, almost, and drew him in for a time. He wondered if he could have lights that looked like this in his home.

"That's excellent," he grinned, clearly impressed. "You'll have to put it away now, though. Now that we're in the Fracture's realm of influence, we don't want to use ether. None at all - the consequences can be dire," he warned him, as they drew nearer to that large and ominous tree. Staring upon it from a distance, he looked to Jonathan at his side, curious to see his thoughts and initial reaction. Within the center of the tree, surfaced with the ground, was a glowing doorway... spires of light extending outward from the core. This was the entrance to the tunnel, that led to the Foyer. But they would only go paces in, and then out.

This place terrified even him - and he was not pleased to be here knowing that Coven members prowled around. Their stay would be brief.

[Jonathan Burr]

Jon was a gentle soul at heart. He was an academic, a partier, a lover. He didn't truly want to hurt anyone. Given his own choice he would have travelled from fracture to fracture interacting with all of the magic he could get his fingers on. He was a rich boy, raised as a rich boy who had dabbled in the darker parts of life. He had never seen anything die as brutally a death as Alistair dished out. As an Aberrant, the soul meant little to him. It was a meaningless concept better left to the immortals. Harvesters, apparently, killed as quickly as Alistair. Partially out of greed and partially to secure their prey. Not that he was ready for it, or that he'd given it serious thought. He'd only learned so little from Daeva before she'd been killed.

He kissed Alistair again, happy the man was pleased with his thoughts for a University. Jon was relentless in that aspect. He wanted the biggest library in the world. He wanted to be the receptacle of all knowledge. Men would come from across Idalos to look and browse his library, or listen to a lecture from a learned mage. He would have Astronomy, history, art, mathematics, science, engineering. Anyone who wanted to learn regardless of economic status would be given freedom to do so in exchange for work. It was going to be a utopia of knowledge. He pictured it so clearly in his head. The very stones and bricks infused with magic. The building breathing ether...and protecting itself by doing so. He didn't want just to make artifacts. He wanted to instill a spark in a building itself.

Jon doused his light with a smile, glad Alistair was impressed. He nodded; no ether. He wasn't sure what it would draw in. He hurriedly grabbed his paper out of his pack at the sight of the fracture's door, hurriedly scribbling down notes and a small picture of what it looked like. He logged it's location, then pushed it back into his pack and smiled. This was magic. This was enchanting. It was so beautiful he wanted to make years of art from the sight of it. It was inspiring! He wasn't frightened of it at all. Beyond lay adventure, and Jonathan loved adventure. "What are we waiting for?" he grinned, looking at Alistair. "Come on!"

He rushed ahead, through the entrance of the Fracture. He was expecting an empty hallway, not something occupied. Clearly, neither had the occupant. What he crashed into looked like a seething mass of snakes had overtaken the skin of a rabbit and spawned extra arms. It was vaguely human shaped, but muscular, much like Alistair. Its four arms were delicate and wiry with impossibly long fingers tipped in glittering claws. Its head was the strangest thing Jon had ever seen. It was a rabbit; huge ears that swept to the floor, large eyes, but the similarities ended there. Its face split open, flaps on either side of its mouth pulling back to reveal gigantic fangs.

Jon could only stare at it from his position knocked back on the floor of the Fracture. Gods, it seemed to move even when it was standing still! Its muscles writhed and seethed under its white fur. It stared at him, twisted its head upside down, and hissed. 'Watch where the FUCK you're going.' it snarled, and vanished in a puff of white fur. Jon stared for a split second, then hurried to grab as much of the fur as he possibly could. He sat down, and examined it. It...writhed. Like pinworms. He resisted the urge to fling them away from himself.

[Alistair]

He was not immensely satisfied in seeing Jonathan wandering so hastily into the Eye of the Woods, his name for the Fracture before them. But, this was only the entrance, and the spiral of light extending out from the core obscured his vision regardless. Alistair would simply run after him, needing to in lieu of the presence of the Fracture; he no longer felt comfortable blinking, and so, running became a necessity.

He bent over and brought his arms to his sides, holding his biceps and forearms apart at a ninety degree angle before dashing forward in the attempt to catch up with Jonathan, and calm him. As Alistair's feet dug into and disturbed the dirt, however, he saw the light trickling out begin to subside . . . and he could see a shape more clearly, one that screamed of both power and danger. "Jon!" he yelled for the other man to cease, but as he did so, contact had been made. His apprentice barged directly into the body of the apparition, the creature notably irritated as they met. Alistair pulled out his spear, once more, and prepared an acrobatic lunge at the beast. He lowered the spear to hold it with both hands, running linearly with his spear in hand. He heard it yell, profanity. It spoke Common, implying intelligence. Even more danger.

Then, right before plunging Shadowsong into the bowels of the beast, it vanished . . . leaving behind a writhing - and frankly mortifying - collection of fur. Alistair looked around rapidly, making a complete circle with his body in a mere half-second. He held his spear out intimidatingly, but alas, there was nothing left to see. It had gone - much like apparitions often did, though always, they came back.

"That thing looked... almost like a man," he narrowed his brows, lips curling together. "Save for - well, everything but the torso I suppose. And the legs," he remarked. Even Alistair could still be influenced, if not compelled, by Emean apparitions. They were so odd, so varied. Each had a ridiculous personality - ravenous, playful, sometimes even friendly. This one was abrasive, but not necessarily violent. Perhaps it would leave them alone; perhaps, as per its initial impression, it was aloof.

"Alright," he collected himself, keeping his spear tightly clenched between his palms. "Drop the fur - I don't trust it. We need to move forward. That was... not a very heartening introduction to this Fracture; it might be very active," he whispered.

[Jonathan Burr]

“Alistair wait!” Jon was lucky the creature vanished before his lover could finish his spear thrust; he didn’t want the apparition harmed. In fact he was fascinated by it and it’s abolity to speak Common so well. Despite its strange mouth it had enunciated as clear as a bell. That deserved study, not death. “It was my fault, Alistair. I ran into him; he had every right to be angry at me.” He got up, the fur securely in his palm. He could feel it in there whipping around. It was a strange sensation but it needed study, and Jon wasn’t about to ditch a sample because Alistair was afraid of it. Instead he carefully put his pack on the ground and quickly folded paper into an envelope, carefully tipping the furs in. They made raspy, whispering noises as they flailed around in the paper, but Jon made sure they wouldn’t escape. He tucked it into his pack. “I want to understand these creatures, not go on a killing spree. He didn’t hurt me even though he would have been perfectly justified. I mean, he swore at me but so would anyone if you slammed into them like that.”

He smiled at Alistair. “No harm, no foul. Let’s just keep moving. This time I’ll be a little more careful about charging into places like this...I’m lucky he only decided to swear at me. Well, I think it was a he, I couldn’t tell from the voice.” Daeva had always sounded female to him but she’s also told him sex was a very vague concept in places like this. She had probably accepted female more as a default than an accurate description of what she was. Jon looked around as Alistair inspected the area, and ran his fingers along the wall. He couldn’t use transmutation here but he could remember and describe later what he saw. He could also take pieces home and identify them there. “What are we looking for in a well?” He asked, ready for his lesson on the Grand Fracture.

Secretly he wanted the strange creature to return. To apologize if nothing else and thank him for the samples. He’d be studying them for weeks. It was his first share of a piece of an Emean monster. He’d wanted a sample from Daeva but she’s said she considered it rude to have people owning pieces of her. “You need to go into places like this to get wells yourself, don’t you? What’s the difference between them? I know there are different types but no one has really logged them all. I want to be the first to get samples of everything. I want to embue Acadia with it. Wouldn’t that be interesting? Our very walls breathing magic? We wouldn’t need an army. The city would protect itself.” He looked over at Alistair. “Will I get to see a Foyer? Have you been in one?”

[Alistair]

"You're right," the mage stated, nodding with a very... agreeable expression. Of course, this was only followed with chastisement. "You are lucky he only swore at you. You... are destined to die," the mage said bluntly. His face was stern, if not mostly cold; he seemed aggravated, immensely so. "You treat magic, Fractures, all of these dangers like a game. You treat men's souls like a game. In five arcs from now, if you're even still alive... you'll be dismembered, covered from head to toe in the curses of Immortals, and holding a bounty of tens of thousands of onyx nel. You are reckless - dangerously so."

The magister clearly did not approve of his apprentice's brashness. He learned abilities quickly, surely, but nothing else it seemed like. He had heeded none of his instructor's warnings, and proceeded to ignore them. Jonathan treated Fractures, and Emea, like a big joke; perhaps he didn't feel that way considering his fascination with them. He would argue that in fact, he revered them, admired them . . . perhaps even showed more interest and knowledge in them than Alistair. But he was wrong. And Alistair, right now, needed to show him how he was wrong.

"You saw Damien earlier," the man gritted his teeth, half-prepared to snarl at his apprentice. As much as he loved Jon, and cared for him, he felt anger at the fact that he could not seem to spare him. He had, in a way, already resigned him to death if he continued to act in this manner. "A powerful Lich, over a hundred arcs old . . . a hundred times more powerful and knowledgeable than you. And in a Fracture just like this, no more significant or dangerous, he was reduced to a fading corpse and only spared by pure fortune. If I had not been there to fend off the spirit who defeated him, he would be dead. And if I had been there alone, that spirit would have defeated me, too," Alistair told him, unable to understand how Jonathan failed to acknowledge this... despite so many warnings.

He didn't get it. How had he remained so incredibly naive to the dangers? Why did he continue to treat spirits like they were the same? They weren't the same. It wasn't kind or humanitarian to see them that way - just suicidally foolish.

"Spirits - apparitions - are not a game. They aren't like people; there are as many benign spirits as there are murderously evil ones. That one could have just sworn at you, or he could've pulled out a ten foot long cleaver grown from his arm and lobbed you in half. Are you really going to tell me that you're thinking in the manner you would if you were interacting with another person? Saying you 'deserved it because you bumped into him'? Don't be absurd. If you get into any situation where a spirit has the ability to kill you, you must be prepared to kill them first... immediately. In Fractures, it is always better to kill first and ask questions later. Do you want a citation for this knowledge? Me. I've been through how many of these? Tens. I've seen their horrors; most of the creatures that dwell here are ambivalent or malevolent, scarcely benevolent. Yet you, stepping into your first fracture and within the first few trills . . . claim to understand the situation better than I do."

The mage scowled. "You don't," he added, frankly. "You clearly don't. So stop. Act like a student, not some grandiose explorer from another plane. You think I'm so terrible to these... things? I'm a mage, Jonathan. We're all survivors, all killers. If you don't live like that, then you fucking die. So either listen to me and let me guide, or..." he bit his lower lip. It pained him to say it, but . . .

"Follow your ridiculous idealism and die. I won't protect you, since you don't seem to want me to. I see exactly where this is going, because I've seen a hundred apprentices like you in my life. All fucking dead, now."

Did it hurt to word it like that? Certainly. But he would never have done so if he didn't care about Jonathan - as ridiculous and suicidal as he was.

[Jonathan Burr]

Jon was an idealist at heart. He truly wanted to believe that the creature he’d slammed into had spared him out of some sort of mercy; or perhaps it had simply sensed a larger predator. It had disappeared with scant seconds to spare when Alistair had showed up. Maybe it would have killed him. Or worse. He looked down and ran his hand over the back of his neck. He thought of Damien, and what had happened to him. It had to have been something horrible for that monstrous crystal arm to have sprouted. Maybe he only survived because he teetered between life and death. Either way, Jon had disrespected the Fracture. Alistair was right. He had to take this slower. He had to be careful and above all he needed a weapon. If that creature had decided to kill him he wouldn’t have been able to defend himself. He had nothing.

Jon breathed in and looked at Alistair. It hurt to hear. It hurt a lot. Emea was his escape from reality and honestly he didn’t really care if it killed him. He would be dead doing what he loved. But it occurred to him that he might care about himself now. He had a purpose now. He wasn’t alone in the world. He had Alistair now and the man was just looking after him. He loved him. Jon nodded quietly, most of the curious light gone out of him. He needed to be serious now, and listen to his teacher.

“I’m sorry.” He said quietly. “I know it looks like I haven’t been taking this seriously. Perhaps if we knew each other better you’d understand why. But I love you and from now on I’ll pay better attention, ok?” He stepped toward Alistair. The wall right next to them both opened, yawning like a mouth. It expanded open, a strange black maw. It didn’t crack or tear the stone but stretched it like flesh, and an arm reached out of it. It seized Jon by the neck and pulled him in, closing as soon as Jon’s feet vanished through the opening. It was only a portal to the other side of the wall, and if Alistair listened faintly he could hear Jon cry out for a moment. It wasn’t pain, but confusion.

‘Fur. Now. The creature he’d crashed into before was reaching a set of claws down to him. His fur was white but nearest the ends of his arms it faded into black, around the elbows. ‘You people steal everything.’

Jon, dumbfounded, reached into his pack and pulled out the envelope. The creature snatched it from him and tore it open. The fur worked into his skin, replacing tiny bald patches Jon hadn’t noticed before. He also noticed the way the creature moved; four arms working in tandem. The larger pair seemed to do bigger tasks while the smaller pair roamed endlessly and checked over the replaced fur. ‘He’s right you know. Certifiable morons the lot of you.’
Jon stared at it, and it stared back. He tried to remember Alistairs warnings. To strike first befor he was killed. That the thing before him was dangerous and it should be both hated and respected. He swallowed thickly. He didn’t have a weapon or anything to back up Alistairs teachings, and he couldn’t use magic. He was stuck. He slowly stood up, looking at the creature. “Look I...I didn’t mean to steal your fur.” He said quietly. “My teacher think we should kill you.”

The rabbit laughed. It’s mouth split open impossibly wide, and it cackled. ‘Humans. You see something you kill it. You’re too weak to be worth my time in ether. He’s too strong to be worth it. Interesting how unafraid you are. It’s going to get you killed one day.’

Jon took a deep breath. “Regardless I’d like to return to him.” He said. “Please.”

The rabbit eyed him for a moment. Then those arms shot out at him and seized him by the front of his shirt. When the portal opened again, Jon was thrown bodily toward it. He crashed right through the wall adjacent to Alistair, and would slam into him if the mage didn’t move. Just as quickly as it appeared the portal closed. This time Jon had the sense to look properly rattled.

[Nightshade Eld]

Alistair

Points: 15/15

These point CAN NOT be spent on magic.

Knowledge:
Running: Adrenal bursts of speed
Running: Using traction to slide into an attack
Persuasion: Forcing someone to understand
Persuasion: Yelling can be effective at persuading
Teaching: Protecting your students from the harm of ignorance
Teaching: Protecting your students from existential threats

Loot/Loss: N/A

Injury: N/A

Renown: N/A

Comments: Jon, when you get approved shoot me a PM and I'll add your rewards. Despite the abrupt ending, it was still an interesting thread and a good read that I wish could have been finished properly. The concept itself was extremely interesting. I would have liked to see how the situation panned out. I'm sorry that you couldn't get inspired Ali, but it happens to everyone. Trust me, I understand the feeling

Enjoy your rewards.

[Nightshade Eld]

Jon

Points: 15/15

These point CAN NOT be spent on magic.

Knowledge:
Aberration: Harvesters come in all shapes.
Discipline: Keeping cool under pressure.
Discipline: Speaking to a horror
Discipline: Restraining yourself running into danger
Harvester: Hob
Etiquette: Be polite to spirits.
Intelligence: Be patient
Intelligence: You get more information by asking.
Intelligence: Being open-minded gathers more information.

Loot/Loss: N/A

Injury: N/A

Renown: N/A

Comments: Gald to see you get approved~!