• Closed • [Noatun] The Storm

[Victor Amielle]

Saun 3, Arc 720

When Victor left the small inn where they had taken up lodgings for the duration of their stay in Noatun, Hestia muttered something under her breath and made a face. When he turned his head in order to look at her, the young blonde swordswoman who had been lounging on a rough-hewn wooden bench that had been placed against the stone wall, abruptly sat up a little straighter before she claimed, meeting his gaze as she did so, “I said ‘Yes, Sir!’ I’ll stop taking a break now and go back to doing my job!”

A moment later, she stood, frowning, grabbed her weapon and subsequently went on her way (mostly not because of him, but because she didn’t want to risk all those sweet nels that she would hopefully get paid with when they returned to Raelia because of a feking outlander). Victor watched her for a moment before he walked in the opposite direction in order to do his job.

The Syns had given him a team and told him to compile a report and investigate the aftermath of the Lotharro attacks that had taken place a couple of trials earlier, among other things; getting the half dozen mages and warriors to listen to him had turned out to be more challenging than he had thought that it would be though.

Some of them were jealous of his rapidly rising through the ranks – he had been a nobody just two seasons earlier, and now he was a Warlock while they had been waiting for their promotion and their tattoos much longer – some of them had problems with his being an outlander, and an outlander noble at that, some challenged or disrespected his authority, some suffered from a case of hero worship (which was not as helpful as it might seem), and some – and some just wanted to do their job which was something that he was grateful for, everything considered.

He understood why his older brother had been so tired and frustrated sometimes much better now. Being a leader and earning your subordinates’ respect was hard work – sometimes it was incredibly hard work, in fact. Of course, the fact that he understood his brother so much better now didn’t mean that he would ever forgive him. It didn’t change anything about what had happened between them. Stefan had had his lover executed even though he had promised to spare him, he’d been cruel and never really been interested in his accomplishments …

With that thought in mind, he smoothed his tunic – he was dressed in a belted tunic, Melrathi style, and a warm cloak, among other things – checked his weapons that included a fine adamantite blade, and made his way to the pier in order to take a look at the destruction, talk to the locals and offer them his support, as did the rest of the team.

He had visited the village once before, but it had looked different then, and not only because of the damage that had been caused by the Lotharro that had attacked by land and by sea.

People, plants and animals – such as the large shaggy dog that watched him as he walked past – radiated with swirls of energy since he had gained the Gleam. Coupled with his Awakening that almost made him taste the hardness of the path that he walked down, it was quite overwhelming sometimes and made his head spin, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything on Idalos. For the first time, he had the feeling that he could really see.

He had almost reached his destination when something suddenly caught his attention, and he stopped dead in his tracks. Over the course of the previous cycle, he had learned that there were differences between those swirls of energy. Sources of ether, such as the mages that he worked with, were clearer than other sources of energy. The man that he could see some distance in front of him, that particular mage … that particular mage was not one of his subordinates though. It had been over a season, but their two meetings had been unusual enough that he recognized him almost right away, nevertheless.

What was Balthazar Black doing in Melrath of all places? Wasn’t he involved with the military of Scalvoris? Had he helped defend Noatun against the Lotharro raiders – or was he here to take care of some sort of business? Either way, he decided that there would be some merit in talking to him and getting his take on things (and he had to admit, he also looked forward to catching up with him after the incident with the mountain).

He raised a hand in order to get his attention and called out, smiling slightly as he did so, “Mister Black, may I have a word with you, please?”

[Balthazar Black]

3 Saun 720

Noatun was not what Balthazar had expected it to be when he heard about the village. He'd expected something much larger and more settled that would stretch across the coast as far as the eye could see. The little fishing village was quite the surprise but Balthazar actually liked it. It was nice to be somewhere with fewer people and more active elements. He'd never had a great relationship with water but he certainly felt closer to it as he neared the village. He'd come to see the damage left behind by the recent attacks. There was always work for someone like him after something like that... but he couldn't deny he also just wanted to get a little closer to the sea.

As always, Nimue traveled with him only she chose not to materialize. He wore her dagger on his right and his Faldrunium katana on his left. The ghost lurked around but went unseen to all who did not have some special means. Balthazar had Attunement to try and track her but that never really gave him more than a vague sense of where Nimue was until she got close. She didn't see the point in traveling to a fishing village. She didn't think it was worth their time. They were supposed to be looking for power or interesting objects that might help them improve the Elements! Nimue didn't care for the law enforcement of Scalvoris, she just enjoyed adventure and adrenaline that she could syphon. Fishing villages were boring. However when Balthazar told Nimue about the attacks from Lotharren raiders, she agreed to come along... not that she really had a choice when he carried her dagger.

They'd arrived in the village some time before Victor and his group did. They'd been stopped for a snack when Victor noticed Balthazar and when the mage heard his name, his eyes widened suddenly and he swallowed the bread he'd been chewing. It wasn't much but bread and water traveled well and Balthazar didn't mind the simple taste. It had been a long walk and he was just stopping for a little break. Nimue wouldn't talk to him. Maybe she wasn't listening? He'd posed several questions to the air already with no response by the time Victor called out to him.

Balthazar looked around for a moment and when he saw Victor he grinned slightly. He didn't immediately recognize Victor with his new tattoos and his special eyes, but when Balthazar reached out with his spark and Attuned to the man who'd called out his name, he recognized the frequency. Victor? In Melrath? Oh! Yes of course! Balthazar would have hit himself for not realizing sooner if Victor hadn't been looking towards him. What a coincidence? Balthazar had just been with Woe in Quacia and now he'd reunited with Victor. Where was Yeva? She was probably next at this rate...

Balthazar crossed the street towards Victor wearing his trademark black tunic and pants. Shockingly enough, Balthazar's boots were brown. He'd walked through the bottom of his black shoes and was in the market for a new pair. "Victor?" Balthazar asked as he reached the group of Syns. Even though he was certain he recognized the frequency, the changes Victor had undergone in the time since made Balthazar doubt himself. He didn't realize that the tattoos indicated the profession of those traveling with Victor because he hadn't been in Melrath long enough. Given a few more trials he was sure he'd have heard about it but not quite yet. "From the mountain?"

[Victor Amielle]

While the weather in Raelia where Victor lived nowadays was fairly pleasant, it was relatively cold in Noatun. The night before, there had been another thunderstorm with heavy rain showers and lightning that had kept him awake for a break or two. The worst of it had passed, but the sky was still overcast, it was windy, and the weaves of the ocean that extended endlessly in front of him were higher than they usually were. Some of the fishermen were already readying their boats again despite the weather and the Lotharro attacks though. They couldn’t afford to just take a break because of the weather or because they were traumatized. Their very existence depended on the fact that they caught some fish.

Victor glanced at them thoughtfully for a moment, wondering how to best support them and what could be done in the case of another attack, before he turned to face Balthazar who was walking towards him again. He didn’t know his fellow mage well enough to realize that his wearing brown shoes was unusual, and he did not cast more than a brief glance at his attire, anyway. He was not particularly interested in what might constitute an interesting color combination; he just wanted to talk to him – alone, which was why he stepped away from the rest of the Syns.

“The very same”, he replied with a slight grin as Balthazar said his name in a somewhat questioning tone of voice. The soft glow in his eyes and the tattoo that he had been given upon becoming a Warlock – and his distinctly Melrathi attire - were not the only things that were different about the Lysorian. He moved with a new kind of confidence – and he was somewhat pale. Victor had contracted a disease while he had been imprisoned in Niflheim, and while he had finally started to feel better, he still hadn’t recovered completely yet.

“Have you seen Yeva and Woe since our adventure in Scalvoris?” he wanted to know. “And are all of your council members like the Devout and have a penchant for abducting people rather than asking them to help out?” he added and raised an eyebrow. There was nothing accusatory about the tone of his voice; in fact, it was tinged with a hint of humor. He had been quite mad at Tio during the mission – he had gone to Scalvoris to tie up a few loose ends and suddenly found himself in an entirely different place where he had been forced to face the ghost of his dead lover, among other things – but it had been over a season, and he was only mildly irritated nowadays. Besides, that unwanted adventure in Scalvoris did at least make for an interesting story.

“My team and I were sent to Noatun because of the Lotharro raids a few trials ago”, he continued a few moments later – his tone of voice abruptly turned much more serious and business-like. “We are supposed to compile a report and see where help is especially necessary. I was given a position in the Ragnari, the military of Melrath, shortly after my return from Scalvoris, in the Syns, the magic branch, to be exact”, he explained as it was unlikely that Balthazar knew what the tattoo meant. “There are rumours of other concerning occurrences as well”, he continued. “How long have you been in Noatun, if you don’t mind me asking? Were you there when the Lotharro arrived? I’d very much like to hear what you have to say – and how you view the situation”, he remarked.

[Balthazar Black]

3 Saun 720

Balthazar grinned somewhat when Victor confirmed he was the very same from the mountain. He looked quite different and when Balthazar reached outward with his ever-probing Attunement spark, Victor's frequency seemed different than it had been. The changes were small, notes had been added and notes had been diminished with the different experiences in Victor's life since the mountain but Balthazar was skilled enough to recognize that there were changes. Yet those were only the changes Balthazar could hear. He saw a great many other things that he'd only heard rumors of in his travels in Melrath. He was glad to have Victor confirm a few of his suspicions without Balthazar having to ask. The soft glow behind Victor's eyes made Balthazar think of his own mutations he was soothing but Balthazar said nothing of it. Victor was also a little more pale than Balthazar remembered but he attributed that to the weather.

It was the tattoos that garnered the most of Balthazar's intrigue. He'd heard some stories of the Melrathi military marking themselves with tattoos to indicate status but he didn't know anything passed that. Balthazar would have been lying if he said that he wasn't interested in the markings. It was a effective symbol of status but Balthazar heard rumor of the markings having some secondary use. If he could discover how to create something similar for Scalvoris... Balthazar banished the thoughts of stealing Ragnari secrets from his mind and focused on what Victor had asked him.

"As fate would have it, I have." Balthazar replied when Victor asked if he'd met Woe or Yeva in the time since their crusade against the mountain. "I saw Yeva again late in the season but we didn't really have much time to talk. Faldrass was erupting and we were both busy." Well that was a grand summary of why he and Yeva hadn't really interacted. Balthazar was sure to exclude the part about him passing out when he tried to attune to an induk after swimming through a volcano. "And I've actually just come from Quacia where I was working with Woe and the Dragoons to repel the Creep but that's a story for another time." Balthazar didn't want to get into his time with the Creep. There were some good memories... but he was too sober to dig through the bad ones to find them.

Another soft laugh escaped Balthazar when Victor mentioned the Devout kidnapping them. He gave a shrug. "I've met most of them by now so I can confirm that the Devout seems to have an unusual habit. The others use letters and messengers. Then again the Devout is-" Balthazar paused as he considered his words "-an interesting individual." And he'd leave it at that to address the next thing Victor said. He and his team? Balthazar raised a curious brow and looked passed Victor to those he'd been standing near when Balthazar first approached. Was that the team? They seemed a little... unruly. Then again keeping mages in line was hardly an easy task. Especially young mages. Victor went on to explain that he'd become a member of the Syns- the magic branch of the Ragnari. It was incredibly useful information in the hands of someone like Balthazar but he'd sit on it for now. Developing spies took more time than Balthazar intended to be in Melrath. He'd settle for the few 'friends' he could make in the meantime. Another glance was cast towards Victor's team only this time Balthazar was wondering which of them was the most likely to talk.

Then Balthazar turned and looked out at the village while he considered Victor's question. He let his spark reach out towards the elements instinctively and felt the kind embrace of the wind. It wasn't quite howling but Noatun had a greater breeze than Quacia had when Balthazar was there. The strong wind was always comforting to he who was kin to it. "Congratulations on your position. I arrived a few trials ago and came here when I heard about the attacks. The people seem to be recovering well but manpower would probably be useful here." Balthazar crossed his arms, unsure of what to recommend. "If I'm being entirely honest, I'm not sure what would be best for these people. I don't know them well enough... but you mentioned rumors of strange occurrences. That tends to be my area of expertise. What did you mean?"

[Victor Amielle]

To Victor who was not an Attuner and did not possess any abilities that were comparable to Attunement either, Balthazar did not look … claiming that he did not look any different would not have been entirely correct because he could see the energy around him now, but apart from that there was nothing that he considered to be out of the ordinary, nothing that he had not expected to see which was why he was, once more, focused on their conversation. Away from the mages that he had been tasked to lead, the Transmuter was a little more relaxed although he still did not let his guard down entirely.

These were concerning times, after all.

When Balthazar confirmed that he had heard from their companions, Victor’s eyes lit up only for him to furrow his brow a moment later. “Faldrass? The volcano?” he asked, his tone of voice filled with unmistakable concern. Before he had come to Melrath, before those disastrous events in Lysoria that had led to his lover’s execution, he had lived on Scalvoris. He had gone to university there and studied all the strange things happening there (Scalvoris seemed to be more or less act like a magnet for strange things and strange people – there was something about the island that drew them to it).

“Was anybody hurt? How great was the damage caused?” he wanted to know before he listened to the rest of Balthazar’s story, crossing his arms over his chest and cocking his head a little to the side as he did so. When the other mage told him that he had been to Quacia, he remarked, “It seems as if both of us had our share of adventures since the mountain then. I would very much like to hear more about how you fought the Creep sometime”, he admitted before he fell silent for a moment, thinking.

Just like Balthazar, he decided to keep a few things to himself. He had gotten to know Balthazar as a skilled mage, and his performance on the mountain had been impressive, to say the least, but his stay in Niflheim and the hearing about said prison where he had served as a witness were not something that he wanted to share regardless, at least not for the time being.

When Balthazar called Tio an interesting individual, Victor laughed softly. “That is putting it mildly. Did the Devout really float, or was I just imagining things? I met him once before, in a graveyard in Almund, but he was still comparatively ordinary back then”, he admitted, sounding a little amused. “We dealt with the ghosts of pirates, among other things. It’s good to know that the rest of your government has more normal habits”, he added in a comparatively dry tone of voice.

“Thank you”, he spoke in a sincere tone of voice as Balthazar congratulated him on his position and cast another glance at the mages that had come with that position and that were some distance behind him now. They were fortunately going about their work rather than complaining about the outlander they were stuck with now. “It’s been a bit of a challenge so far, but one that I will face gladly. Fortunately, there were soldiers here at the time of the attack, otherwise things would likely have been worse, but I agree that more manpower would be a good idea. As for the strange occurrences”, he continued and gestured for Balthazar to follow him so that they could take a look around the village while they walked.

“Melrath is not quite as bad as Scalvoris when it comes to unusual occurrences, but we’ve had our share of them recently, ether rain showers that are supposed to heal old wounds and enable you to use magic without pause, magical rainbows, dark tales of fae-like creatures that offer questionable bargains, and have you ever heard of the Stormtouched?” he asked and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“Some of the locals that I’ve met since my arrival in Noatun also talk of some sort of prophetess that warns of a great catastrophe that will overcome this village. I used to be suspicious of such individuals and did not think much of them, but … do you believe that people can predict the future, barring Ziell’s blessing?” he wanted to know.

[Balthazar Black]

3 Saun 720

"I don't have the official account of the damage but I can get it." Balthazar replied when Victor asked how great the damage from Faldrass was. He was certain that he could project to Isabella in Scalvoris and get her to find records. Then she'd relay it to him and he could tell Victor. But for the moment, Balthazar didn't really know how bad it had been. He knew that he was hurt in the process but pride or ego stopped him from admitting the depth of his injuries. "I'm not sure anyone made it off the island unharmed but it could have been worse- the Induk of the island could have tried to kill us like the mountain had." Balthazar grinned slightly, referring to their last adventure. He certainly had a bad record with spirits. When Victor expressed an interest in hearing about the battle with the Creep, Balthazar nodded. "Perhaps when we next meet."

The conversation moved forward to the Devout and Balthazar shrugged. "I think he might have. It would not have been the strangest thing I've heard of him doing." Balthazar admit. He hadn't really noticed because floating figures weren't all that intriguing to a mage who could float. Normally Balthazar had a certain curiosity when he saw things like that but with Tio... Balthazar just got the impression he shouldn't probe. But Victor said something else that caught Balthazar's attention- the strangest thing. A graveyard in Almund? "The graveyard where you met Tio, would it have happened to have been the Witchwood Graveyard?"

Balthazar listened to Victor as he talked about his job with genuine interest but not nearly as much interest as he listened to Victor talk about the strange occurrences in Melrath. Balthazar had always enjoyed exploring strange occurrences in Scalvoris. Ether showers that provided nearly endless magic use and healed old wounds? Did anyone save some of that rain? Where could I get some? A small wave of regret washed over Balthazar but he quickly got over it. There was nothing he could do about that. He was in Melrath now, so what was going on now? Strange fae-like creatures? Now that was something... but too hard to track down. Stormtouched? "I've heard the name but not much more. Are they similar to Rharne's Flameborn?" Balthazar had heard more about the Flameborn than the Stormtouched. Were those two things like the elemental wolves in Scalvoris?

Then Victor told Balthazar of a prophetess claiming a catastrophe would consume the village which Balthazar found intriguing. He'd encountered many strange things but never someone who could see the future- genuinely see it. Balthazar's magics gave him the ability to perceive a great many signs and warnings but he couldn't see the future. He didn't even know those blessed by Ziell could until Victor told him. Did he believe someone could? "I've seen enough strange things in my life to think it's possible, but perhaps we should seek out this prophetess? I might be able to tell, at the very least, if she'd lying or if she really believes what she's saying."

[Victor Amielle]

“I would appreciate that“, Victor remarked as Balthazar told him that he could get the records for him. That he didn’t live on Scalvoris anymore, didn’t mean that he had lost interested in it. He still cared about the island and its people; and besides, being aware of what was happening in the rest of the world was a good idea either way. “There was another spirit involved though?” he asked, his eyes widening slightly as that was something that he had not expected to hear. It seemed as if neither of them had a particularly great track record when it came to spirits. At least, he thought somewhat wryly, the spirits that the Melrathi worshipped had not tried to do anything to him yet.

“Perhaps next time”, he agreed, referring to the battle with the Creep. Unlike Balthazar, he considered a man that was capable of floating somewhat fascinating, especially since he had been able to figure out what kind of magic it was that the Devout practiced. He was different from Balthazar who he knew as a Defier and Rupturer of some skill. He was just wondering if Tio had perhaps blessed by an Immortal when Balthazar asked about the name of the graveyard where he had met the Devout.

“That was the place”, he confirmed as they moved closer to the water on which part of the Lotharro raiders had arrived. The locals and the members of the military that had helped them had begun to clean up, but the traces of the fight were still visible everywhere, a damaged shield that was lying in the sand, shreds of cloth, a fishing spot that sported a large hole and that probably wouldn’t be used again anytime soon, among other things.

“I am not familiar with the Flameborn”, Victor remarked in a perhaps slightly apologetic tone. “The Stormtouched however are people that were changed during the etherstorms that took place approximately an arc ago. I had not yet arrived in Melrath, and thus I only heard stories about it. Some of the people that were exposed to the storms found the color of their skin changed. Yet others grew horns and scales – or adopted animalistic threads and became aggressive, rabid, even”, he spoke, furrowing his brow slightly.

There were people in Melrath that believed that you should help the Stormtouched, and that they were harmless and innocent victims. He would never attack a Stormtouched just for being what they were – but they were frequently dangerous and unpredictable, and anybody who failed to realize that was naïve in his opinion. Sometimes, violence against them was necessary in his opinion. A solution needed to be found.

He was just wondering whether he should share his views with Balthazar when he talked about seeking out the prophetess. He had not thought much of those rumours before, but after he had given the matter some thought, he had come to the conclusion that they might merit investigation, after all, on the off-chance that there was some truth to them.

For that reason, he inclined his head. “That might be a good idea”, he agreed. “I’m not sure how likely it really is that she is capable of predicting the future, but we should take a look. If there really will be a catastrophe, we might be able to take certain protective measures”, he mused. “Of course, we’ll have to find her first”, he added.

“Perhaps, we could talk to people and find out where they last saw her?” he suggested. “Unless you have a better idea?” he wanted to know and cast another glance behind him, at the village, wondering about the other Syns. If Balthazar and he decided to try and track down a potential prophetess, he would need to talk to them first and tell them that there was something potentially concerning going on that he needed to look into. They needed to be aware of where he was going. You didn’t just leave your team without a word.

[Balthazar Black]

3 Saun 720

With Victor's confirmation, Balthazar made a mental note to get the official report about the damages in Faldrass. When he had that information he'd probably be willing to go a little more in depth on his own experiences there and the long reaching fallout of it all. "The Induk of Faldrass, yes. It was a complicated mess but when is it simple with induks?" Balthazar replied when Victor asked for clarification about whether or not another spirit had been involved. Balthazar hadn't been in Melrath long enough to worry about encountering one of the native spirits but he had a feeling that if he did, something strange would happen again. Strange things happen all the time around Balthazar.

An amused grin settled over Balthazar's face when Victor confirmed he'd met Tio in the Witchwood's but Balthazar didn't explain his amusement. Instead he cast his focus around him at the remnants of battle that had been left behind by the Lotharro raid. It saddened him to see the village like this but he'd never seen it thriving before. Had he known the depth of the damage, he might have been more moved to help... but instead he allowed himself to succumb to his curiosity in stories about fortune tellers. Victor explained that the Stormtouched were individuals who'd been changed during etherstorms an arc ago in Melrath and Balthazar's brow shot up a fraction in surprise. It frequently rained ether in Melrath? Balthazar considered sticking around for a while before Victor went on to explain the adverse transformations. People were turned into literal monsters.

"And what happened to the Stormtouched? I haven't seen one since I arrived here." Balthazar asked with an Attuner's natural curiosity. It would be interesting to seek out the transformed notes in the Stormtouched's frequency but Balthazar could shelve that pursuit for another trial. For now he wanted to find the fortune teller which was not going to be easy. Asking around would take some time but they didn't have many options. Balthazar was new to Melrath but there were certain things he felt were universally true when it came to gathering information. Call it stereotyping, but certain types of people were certain to have information that others would not.

Children for example, always seemed to know the local rumors. A prophetess who could see the future? If their parents had seen the woman, they probably said something their kid would overhear and children seemed to like to talk to each other. Balthazar began forming a plan while Victor spoke about the possibility of making some defensive measures to prevent the coming catastrophe. Victor suggested they ask around, Balthazar's first thought as well, but the mage had moved on from such small thoughts. He was eyeing the other Syns that had come with Victor. A little deception could go a long way and if they had mages at their disposal... "I might have a better idea. What sort of mages serve under you?"

[Victor Amielle]

“The Stormtouched don’t live among other people, for the most part”, Victor replied as they walked through Noatun and took a look at the damage that had been caused by the Lotharro attack. His tone of voice was slightly somber now as the sight did not leave him unaffected, even though it could have been much worse had there not been any soldiers present.

“There is a village of them on the shores of Lake Svariella, across from the town of Alvilda, and I heard of Stormtouched gathering around Svariella’s Stone as well. People were not the only ones that were affected by the etherstorm though. Stormtouched animals caused no small amount of trouble. That was, again, before my time for the most part though”, he remarked in a somewhat apologetic tone of voice. Most of his information on the events surrounding the Stormtouched, apart from a mission at Lake Svariella the season before, was unfortunately second-hand.

They were close to the water now, and Victor inhaled deeply in order to take in the cool, salty sea air while he observed his fellow Syns – since he had progressed in his chosen magic, even such simple things as the air that he breathed seemed new and exciting to him – before he turned to face Balthazar again. When his acquaintance claimed that he had a better idea and wanted to know what sort of mage served under him, he raised an eyebrow as he wasn’t sure what that had to do with tracking down the woman that might or might not be an actual prophetess. Did he want to enlist the help of his underlings?

He wasn’t sure about drawing all of them away from the task that his superiors had given to them, but he decided to answer Balthazar’s question regardless – he saw no reason to withhold that particular piece of information; besides, his assumption might be wrong.

“There are a Rupturer, an Attuner and an Abrogator with me in addition to a few members of other branches of the Ragnari”, he told him. He did not mention that all three of his fellow Syns were relative beginners when it came to their magic, especially compared to him; in his opinion, it was pretty much self-explanatory. They would not put the weakest mage in the team in charge. “Why do you ask?” he wanted to know.

[Balthazar Black]

3 Saun 720

"Interesting. It sounds as if Svariella’s Stone might be worth a visit one trial." Balthazar spoke his thoughts aloud after Victor's explanation of where the Stormtouched gathered. Even if it was before Victor's time and they weren't there now, Balthazar thought it might be worth it to practice a little Attunement around the stone. He'd been burned before but hey, progress requires work. Balthazar looked out to the sea as they came closer to the water, the sudden shift in the song of the elements capturing his attention for a moment as he watched the sea move. Water and fire did not often go together but any Defier knew that the relationship allowed for a little more flexibility... unfortunately water didn't seem to like Balthazar. Perhaps water simply enjoyed messing with him. It never failed him in times of real need but when he was merely trying to practice with it things seemed to go... poorly.

Balthazar frowned slightly at Victor's response about his recruits. No one useful. Another Attuner maybe but Balthazar had that magic more than covered. Rupturing as well... and what good was an Abrogator? Balthazar took a deep breath as he felt the water calling to him. The tide seemed to reach towards the Defier beyond his own control, like a friend trying to drag another into a game. Balthazar seemed ignorant of the change as he stood beside Victor but he was everything but that. He was just trying to focus on the task at hand. "Well I meant to use them to find the woman but I have two thirds of the magic they could provide so we'll be just as well off on our own." Balthazar admit without any shame. Was the thought of manipulating the Syns a bad thing? Or just the action?

"I suppose if we walk the length of the village for a while I could attune to it. I might be able to find her by searching the village's frequency but it isn't often that easy." Still, it would get them a lead at least... maybe. It didn't help that Balthazar had never met the woman before. He crossed his arms and thought a little harder. It wasn't a large village. How hard could it be to find someone prophesying the end of the village? Wait a minute... "Victor, you've been here longer than I. If you wanted to warn the village of the storm- I am assuming she meant to warn villagers and not to spread panic, where would you go? Where would the most people be gathered to hear you're message?"