A Guest in the Castle

[Balthazar Black]

13 Zi'Da 719

Balthazar looked out at the vast horizon and saw- to his dismay, more darkness than light. There were storm clouds blocking the sun which cast various shades of grey light through the dark black. The ocean seemed more looming from atop the lighthouse. The colored waters which churned with their different viscosity seemed like it might reach up and strangle the mage. He had always had a complicated with water due to his chosen kin element but never before had the water seemed so hostile as it did atop the lighthouse where he could see it violently crashing against the shore. It was like the water was trying to tear away the base of the the lighthouse faster than erosion wanted to allow.

Balthazar was shaken from his thoughts when he sensed the visitor moving closer to him with his hands extended slightly outwards. His Rupture spark had always been a reliable warning for surprise attacks and Balthazar tensed but tried not to assume the worst of the visitor. Admittedly the trust was easier to grant because Balthazar knew that he could survive the fall. He knew that if he had to he could call upon the ether running through him. When Wald placed his hands on the railing beside Balthazar the mage would visibly loosen a little- whether he wanted it to be so clearly seen or not.

Then Wald posed a question to Balthazar that revealed a lot to the mage. The most important of the revelations being that the dreamer beside him was not lucid as well. Balthazar immediately thought it would be best to make the man lucid but he didn't attempt it. Part of Balthazar wanted to keep things the way they were in this moment and so he simply shook his head in response. "It wouldn't be safe. At least not here." Balthazar looked from Wald back to the horizon as doubt began to weed its way into his head. What was the worst that could come from a little demonstration? Just a little bit of magic use in Emea... what could go wrong? Yet Balthazar didn't act on the growing doubt, he tried to push it down.

[Wald Lowca]

The ocean seemed to be in a gloom, though the dreamer did not mind. Wald looked out with a relaxed expression on his face, the soft ocean air against his skin. It had been so long since he could see the ocean from this high. It was a slight treat, despite the crystal being unattainable. He also had a curious friend next to him, just what was a defier. It made the dreamer curious.

Sadly the man next to him said it was not safe. Wald started to think to himself, what about it was not safe? Maybe a small amount of encouragement was needed to pry a display. He shuffled slightly where he stood, placing a hand on a object he kept in his pocket, out of view of the man.

Wald turned his back on the rail, before looking to the other man. "Why is it unsafe?" Before Balthazar could answer, Wald leaned back over the edge. He began to fall from the top of the lighthouse, head facing downward. If the man had a good pair of eyes, he could see a shining string. Though it was so fate that an untrained man would miss it. The dreamer had a smile on his face. He was either going to get a demonstration, or the other man would get a good shock to his system.

The rocks below grew closer, as Wald reached half the distance to them. The sound of waves splashing against the hard stones, the foam fuzzing as the collisions retreated. The rush of falling made the dreamer's heart race, even if he knew there was no danger, due to his little trick.

[Balthazar Black]

13 Zi'Da 719

Balthazar cast a sideways glance to the visitor when he asked why it wouldn't be safe and he tried to comprise a response in his mind that would not shake the dreamer from his dream. "It will attract the attention of-" Balthazar began when suddenly the man who'd ascended the steps with him, hurled himself over the edge of the railing. Balthazar had good eyes, his initiation into Rupture had made his eyes one of the more useful organs, but he just wasn't quite able to detect Wald's wire. As a result he thought the dreamer before him was tumbling towards their demise and while part of Balthazar reasoned it would be alright because the man was dreaming, his immediate reaction was to try and save the man.

Balthazar leaned over the railing and reached his hand out towards Wald but the man had already fallen beyond his reach and so Balthazar reached out to the elements around him with his spark. He felt the ocean churning violently beneath them. He felt the pink flame burning brightly behind him. He felt the earth holding steadfast against his weight. He felt the wind whipping against the lighthouse... the wind... Balthazar focused on the wind and urged it to act. The fingers on his outstretched hand curled slightly and the wind around Wald would kick up drastically to begin slowing his descent so that he could land safely on the floor. Yet as soon as the act was done Balthazar pulled his hand back and looked around.

So far nothing, but Balthazar knew what he'd done. Magic in Emea was a dangerous thing.

[Wald Lowca]

The stunt caused quite the ride, as Wald fell to what looked to be death. Though a gust of wind forced its way up, causing the man to slow down his decent. He would stop only two thirds from the top, as the wind stopped just as suddenly. The wire he had attached to his waist held him in the air for a moment, as he dangled on the lighthouse.

Curling himself up, Wald would grab hold of the wire, slowly pulling himself up. Walking one foot in front of another, scaling the lighthouse slowly. He seemed to have a smile after his small stunt, he felt the strange effects Balthazar had on the wind. It seemed to amuse him, the power was quite curious indeed.

Soon Wald would of made his way to the rail, his arms leaning on it before lifting over it. "That was quite the display." Wald fixed the wrinkles on his clothing, they got slightly messy from the jump and wind. His head was slightly flushed, but he seemed to be perfectly fine. "You showed me something interesting indeed." The man who just flung himself to perceived death, extended his hand. "My name is Wald, it was a pleasure to meet someone as interesting as yourself." Wald would notice the worry Balthazar had, simply ignoring it as nothing seemed to be around them.

Slowly the man showed the thin wire off. "This is my secret. Always be prepared." Wald would look over to the pink flame once again, it was still the same pink glow. Looking out of the ocean, the colors were the same. The only change that occurred was the wind seemed to grow from strength to weakening. Magic was a strange thing, even for the waking Wald. He had dealt with Mages before, though he did not know what all they could do.

[Balthazar Black]

13 Zi'Da 719

It didn't take Balthazar long to realize that he was not the only thing supporting the visitor's weight as he tried to prevent a smashing demise. He pulled his hand back and let the wind rest when it became clear that the man had something attached to himself. Balthazar watched Wald ascend slowly, and wondered for a moment if it might be just to sever the wire holding him up. Just something to allow the man a similar experience. But morals often got in the way of a good time and so Balthazar did nothing to the wire the man climbed up the lighthouse on. Instead he backed away, going closer to the crystal with the pink flame and crossed his arms.

Still nothing had come to kill them... perhaps the danger had been exaggerated? Perhaps it was not as bad as it had been in Yaralon... no... Emea was Emea. He would remain vigilant.

He shook Wald's hand when the man extended it, and made a note of his name when he said it, but most of Balthazar's thoughts were lingering on pushing Wald over the edge again with a gust of wind. He wasn't the most fond of being the subject of one's practical joke but he also wasn't so bothered that he'd actually act on his little whims. Balthazar nodded to the wanderer when he showed the wire and explained his secret.

"And I suppose I'll have to be a little more observant in the future." Balthazar said simply before moving back to the railing. He looked over the edge at the seas below one last time before going over to the crystal with the pink flame. It was warmer near the crystal than near the rail. Balthazar turned to Wald. "Was the journey up shorter from the outside?"

[Wald Lowca]

Wald walked to the rail next to Balthazar, he gave a smile as he leaned against it. "I will not jump this time, do not worry." The see foam from the colorful waters below contrasted with the rocks. Even if the water was not blue, the foam stayed a pure white. It must have something to do with what is in the water, but Wald was no chemist, nor was he particularly smart outside of certain things. The question caught Wald in the back of his throat with a laugh. "Yes, it was much shorter." Wald pulled the wire, giving attention to it once again. "I only wanted to fall a third, it seems like I fell double that." Wald was very aware of his surroundings, something like height could be understood easily enough. He measured on the way up the lighthouse, in case the Balthazar wanted to force a fall.

The strange man reached behind his back, pulling an empty arrow shaft from behind him. It had fletching, but no head on it. He began to aim with his hand, as if he was going to throw a dart. "So, I have meet many people. Each of them wore a mask." Wald threw the arrow, as if flew in the air out to the ocean. "What is it that you hide, behind yours?"

Before Balthazar could answer, Wald spoke first as not to be rude. "I keep a happy and ready look, as my mask." The arrow shaft soon left the view of the ones on the light house. "It hides fear and pain, I travel to find interesting things, but nothing seems to catch me long enough for me to stay." The man looked out for a while, as on the surface of the water, the red fletching of the arrow shaft could be seen, returning to the shore.

[Balthazar Black]

13 Zi'Da 719

Good because you've exhausted the number of times I'll catch you.The thought fluttered through Balthazar's mind when Wald said- in jest, that he would not jump over the railing again. Balthazar looked over the edge of the railing as well when Wald began to elaborate on what he had intended to do and what had happened. Then the strange man produced an arrow and asked Balthazar a question a little deeper than he'd been expecting of the wanderer. Balthazar could concur that he'd seen nothing but an abundance of masks in the streets of Viden that he hadn't seen in Yaralon. No one was exactly what they professed to be and Balthazar- who lacked the skill to read into them, always found his suspicions confirmed when all that could be done is dealing with the fallout.

Balthazar wouldn't have answered Wald honestly if not for the fact that Wald revealed his mask first. At that point it would have felt improper not to be honest with the stranger. But that was his mask wasn't it? Manners. Politeness. Consideration. Balthazar carried two sparks and with them he carried their desire to grow and expand into something greater but he convinced himself he was content. He convinced himself he was in control of his magic rather than the other way around.

"I pretend to be confident in my choices." Balthazar finally concluded. "It helps me hide the simple fact that," Balthazar paused for a trill and thought a little more on what he was saying "I guess... I'm afraid of what I am and can do."

[Wald Lowca]

Wald gave a slow nod while he listened to Balthazar. The words seemed to be hard to come by for the defier. Perhaps the doubt from within all men's souls tore at him. Wald slowly leaned back, off the rail looking at Balthazar. Giving a soft smile, something that was an obvious farce of a symbol. "You seemed to be a good man." The blonde man pointed to the railing once more. "I jumped, and you used everything you had to save me, a stranger." Wald gave a slow shrug. "Perhaps you should be in fear of what you can become. Though as long as you keep control of yourself." A hand touched Balthazar's shoulder. "A man has restraint, unless you come across a true enemy."

There was a slow release, before Wald turned to the stairwell. "It is time I should be going, this time I will take the stairs." Wald would open the stairs and begin his way down them, going down them was much easier then going up thankfully. Perhaps the words would help Balthazar, though it was all spoken by a mask in itself. Wald's dreams were only a mask, characters from stories of the past. Would his real self say such things? No perhaps, his characters were always more confident around others. But, Wald would understand what Balthazar said, he himself had so much he was afraid of. He had become an efficient killer, though he never enjoyed it. What would happen if he started to enjoy it? Would he be able to stop himself?

[Balthazar Black]

13 Zi'Da 719

Wald's kind words brought Balthazar a comfort that would- like his blanket, be lifted from him when he awoke in Idalos. And that time was drawing near for Balthazar. The mage did not stop his visitor from leaving. He only offered a nod to the man when he stated his intention to depart. Balthazar didn't follow Wald down the stairs either as he felt this was a fitting goodbye to the visitor. He would stay at the top of the lighthouse for a time longer. When Wald had departed, Balthazar sat with his legs crossed and attempted to mediate in the warmth of the flame-bearing crystal. It was easier to clear his mind when the thoughts of the cold were dulled.

Balthazar began breathing deep, repetitive breaths as he tried to push his thought from his mind to achieve some sense of serenity. But for every breath he breathed, the fear of an encroaching Emeyan being grew worse. What from would it take if it came for him? How would he kill it without magic? These were questions he tried his hardest not to linger on but all the same they were the questions that stuck to his mind. After a few bits of effort, Balthazar resolved to leave this place as Wald had... well not exactly as Wald had. Slowly, the heat from the crystal turned to the cold from the winds of Viden.

[Doran]

Balthazar:

Knowledge:
Socialization x 4
Endurance x 3
Meditation x 3
Deception x 3

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 15

Wald:

Knowledge: -
Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: -
Points: 15

- - -

Comments: I’ve read a few of Wald’s normal threads where he is rather feral. He seems to be a completely different man in his dreams. He’s much more sociable, and he seems to be a relatively kind man. I found it interesting that he didn’t seem to know what a Defier was.

I also found it interesting that Balthazar wasn’t as friendly as he usually is in the waking world and that he considers his dreamscape to be his sanctuary and his home. I hope that he doesn’t use any more magic in Emea though, otherwise an Emeyan will eventually come for him!

Enjoy your rewards!