Amazing Day 4

Donnie Darko: Alright, they had about fourteen hours out here in the middle of no-where before they could head into the next town. Which meant they had about six hours before they had to start walking, or they could catch a caravan from city to city and get arrested and.. yeah. On the grassy mound overlooking the city lay Dominic and Rhia. Alex had wandered off somewhere and didn't answer any questioning. He had that spacey look in his eyes before he left auditory range. Dom sat up and glanced at Rhia, a sly smile across his face. "You owe me, you know. At least one favour." His hand slipped into his pocket and when it came back into view he grasped three books. "I can't imagine they'll leave your house alone for long after our little stunt. I saved some of your books." He waved them, teasing her.

The Author: She rolled her eyes as she rolled herself over onto her back, wincing slightly at the ache in her bones. She was too old for this kind of shit...not to mention she'd just gotten over a near-death experience. "I've committed all of those books to memory. Don't need hard copies." She glanced over to him, meeting that sly little look. "So you still disobeyed." She started to sit up, though let out a bit of a groan as her muscles protested, letting herself lay back down with a heavy sigh.

Donnie Darko: He nodded in agreement at her, but he carried on, getting to his feet and walking over to her. "I may have disobeyed, but at least now I don't have to bug you all the time about teaching me a little voodoo." Grinning once more he took a seat beside her, laying the books in front of him. "And you also owe me a favour for getting into your fight. I could have left you alone.." he cocked his head to the left. "But.. technically, you didn't need me. Your all powerful, why didn't you stop those hot heads?"

The Author: "I am not 'all powerful', Dominic. I am only as powerful as my mind and body, and as it so happens, I nearly died about fifteen minutes before that little fight." She tried once again to sit up, and this time managed fairly well, only wincing rather than groaning as well. She turned and reached for her staff, pulling it over to her. "And I would still much prefer it if you didn't try to learn some of that stuff on your own. It's not voodoo, where you have to believe in it to be effective.. This stuff will kill you, and anyone around you, if you don't take it seriously. Even the littlest illusion can go horribly wrong." She held the amber stone up under her nose, running her fingertips over it. Close up, there were tiny, hairline fractures all along the stone, some passing clear through it, not nearly as solid and pure as it looked from far away.

Donnie Darko: Dom listened, but was more concerned with flicking open the little black scaly book to the first chapter. He looked back up at Rhia and caught her eyeline. "It's not just you nearly dying, it's.. something else." Dom thought about for a second. "When you were fighting, you made sure not to hurt the men, even though they had every intention of killing you." His eyes switched onto the little stone, following the intricate little hairline fractions. "Are you capable of killing? Like, if Alex came back all full of Necromancer and attacked you. Could you kill him?"

The Author: She paled a bit, the hand holding the staff tightening. "I could, if I had to. And I have..killed people." She gazed down at the stone, a look of deep sadness in her eyes. "But it pains me... Perhaps not physically... But it hurts, down to my very soul I ache when I watch a person's life leave their body. To see the Mana stream abandon them..." She slowly shook her head, lifting her gaze to the city, off in the distance, that storm still hovering directly over the city. She knew what was causing the storm now.. And this sitting still was going to drive her mad as soon as her muscles stopped aching.

Donnie Darko: Dom followed her gaze over the city and his smile dimmed a little. Turning back he tried to nod her attention down towards the book. "Well, I suppose I can understand that. I can't see the mana stream and blood just isn't as.." he stared upwards towards the clouds, before whipping it back down to her. "Majestic. But then again, if you, you know, show me how to use this book then you don't really have to do any more killing, not at least until it's absolutely necessary." His smirk returned in full force. "I know you're tired, but if you teach me the basics, I -swear I will sit.." he poited to a patch of grass a few feet away, "..there are let you rest. I'll read in silence." The swords on his back clinked witht he small jolt of excitement he twitched out.

The Author: She glanced at him sideways for a moment, before rolling her eyes again with a sigh. "Alright, alright..." She got the staff upright and used it, rather skillfully, to help herself up to her feet, doing so gracefully despite how exhausted she was. She wouldn't lean on the staff once standing, seeming never to use the staff as they were originally intended, but regarding it with the greatest of respect - even when she was falling. By throwing it away from herself, she saved it from possibly snapping beneath her. She looked over at him with a slight frown. "Basics first, understand?"

Donnie Darko: The child within him took over his expression. He nodded quickly, "Basics first." Standing with her, he left the books on the ground for future referance. As of this moment, anything he was told or shown was open water. He supposed he would be here for a long time before he would be able to cast a spell of any description, "I guess I won't be needing these." Unhitching the swords around his torso, he let them fall gently onto the grass. A gentle breeze lifted the hair from his brows and lifted his spirits. "Basics.." 'Oh God. What the Hell are the basics?' He became scared very quickly.

The Author: She noticed that fear right away, watching his aura fluctuate, the colours changing. She reached out with one hand, resting it on Dom's shoulder. "First of all...relax. You can't be afraid. I'm going to teach you very simple stuff, but like I said, even simple stuff can be dangerous. This is just like riding a horse.. If you fear it, it will know, and take advantage of you. There is nothing to be afraid of, so long as you trust me, and yourself." Her eyes were now earnest, seeming to gaze right through his eyes and into his soul

Donnie Darko: 'Fear is not an option.' He'd heard that somewhere before; maybe he read it? When he felt her hand on his shoulder, he did calm down. The childish fear vanished and was replaced with an anxious adult, waiting to be shown that Santa Clause was in fact real, and learning to slide down chimneys was the first part of the job. "I'm sorry, but this is nothing like riding a horse." He laughed nervously, taking a few deep breaths. Maybe he should stick to sword play. "I'm a quick learner, when I need to be."

The Author: She smiled faintly. "I believe it. Good." She let go of his shoulder with a nod. "Much better. First, I need you to take a few deep breaths. Every magick user must be calm, collected. Every beginner must have a regular heartbeat, slow breathing, and a complete awareness of self. When you are calm, close your eyes, feel your heartbeat, listen to your breathing. Starting at your toes, flex your muscles, a few at a time, working your way up to your face. This will open yourself up better to the Mana streams."

Donnie Darko: Taking a more sturdy stance, he followed her instructions. Seeing as she was in fact one of the more powerful mana users, she probably knew what she was talking about. His eyelids closed the outside world off and one very deep breath nearly hyperventilated him. Cracking both sets of knuckles, he flxed his fists before letting his fingers sway loosely. Hunching his shoulders until they felt as comfortable as they could, he continued taking breaths. Nothing was happening. "Should I be feeling something?" The voice was quieter, not as teasing or as fun as usual. 'Time to grow up a little, Dommy-boy'.

The Author: "Not necessarily.. But you're doing fine. The Mana stream is moving through you much easier. Next you should be feeling something.. I want you to listen closely to what I say, visualize every word, think of nothing but my voice and what I say." She began to lead him through a sort of meditative speech, describing first a peaceful scene, then slowly introducing things a little more abstract, gradually building up that scene into what she herself saw all the time, the world as it was with the Streams. She then began to describe how the Streams moved through a person, and how the person could feel them. If he truly was listening to every word, he would suddenly become aware of something almost like a breeze across his skin, all across his body, despite having clothes on. It wasn't cold, or hot, but comfortable, natural, and it would feel as though he'd always been able to feel them, or like he couldn't imagine having lived without that sensation.

Donnie Darko: 'Ok, ok. Trees, peaceful trees, full lush trees. Grass underfoot, new, crunchy. Birds and bees, sun. River, flowing clear blue water. Water changing colour? Light purple water, light purple trees. Grass turning purple, breeze feels nice, eyes closed. Eyes open, everything purple. River flows up and over trees, across grass. Heartbeat racing, breaths faster.' Snapping out of his meditative state, he stared at her wide eyed, "Woah..". Allowing himself a few times to blink, he simply wasn't aware that the breeze he had felt earlier had totally changed. Like a comfort blanket that people keep, or a teddy bear. It indeed did feel natural, enough to let him not notice it anyway. "It can't be that easy." He smiled playfully.

The Author: She simply smiled. "You'll be able to feel it forever, now." She tapped the staff against her shoulder, gazing out at the city while she spoke. "Now that you can feel the streams, you can manipulate them. Mind you, this will not be easy. The first thing you need to learn is how the Stream can actually be manipulated." She looked back over to him, taking a couple of steps closer. "Be calm.. You will learn how to do this to yourself in time, but I find that being able to see what you're doing makes it so very much easier to know if you're doing something right." She lifted a hand over his eyes, and without speaking a word, he'd be able to feel that breeze pass under his eyelids and seemingly swarm around his eyes. It wouldn't hurt, though it would tickle a little, maybe itch. When she pulled her hand away and he opened his eyes, he'd be able to see those Streams, just as he'd visualized them before.

Donnie Darko: 'Strange, although not all together bad'. When she got closer he felt his pulse start to race again. Santa couldn't keep up with this mixture of tension and wonder. The soft touch of her hand once again calmed him a little, but the sensation of someone blowing on your eyeball was a little annoying. When she released her hand his eyes opened slowly, but they firmly shut again when the whole world went purple. "Why is the grass not green anymore?" he took another peek, seeing something that moved like smoke, but if you touched it, it would feel like water flow into Rhia and then back out again, playfully and without care. The same went for the city, albeit a very large cloud of it was below the city, swirling wildly and letting off small parts of itself. "Magi.." he whispered. Looking back to Rhia he made out two brightly shining white orbs where her face would be. They must be her eyes. "Is that what you see all the time? Really?" taking a look at his own body he saw the same liquid smoke flow through himself, but not nearly as much or as strong as Rhia.

The Author: She smiled, just faintly. "It's all that I've ever seen. I am blind otherwise. Magesight is all I've ever known." What would be even more fascinating was that the Mana that flowed through her all filtered itself through her staff, specifically the stone, and if he was perceptive, he'd notice a thin strand of energy creating a straight line from the stone all the way back to the city, specifically the castle. It was as though she were on a leash. "Take a few minutes..get used to seeing like this. I want you to take notice of the tides and currents within the Streams, realize what they pass through and what they don't."

Donnie Darko: Far too concerned with trying to memorize patterns and items connected to the stream, he didn't notice Rhia's leash; it was praobably better since he would have just made a 'Dog' joke, most likely ending their lesson. The seconds fell away. Sitting on his haunches, he let his hand stroke the grass. The sensation of grass was clear in his mind, but what he saw was the smoke wisp around his fingers before continuing thier path. Every mana stream in the area seemed to gravitate towards the city. Turning to Rhia again, he narrowed his eyes and stared at her shoulder. Curious, he stuck out a few fingers, hovering them above her skin. When flesh touched flesh, the bright mana stream within her and the smaller in him sparked with life, flowing in and around each other. But none of her stream passed into his body and vice versa. "You can't use someone else as a source of energy?" He looked into her glowing white eyes. "Isn't that what the Necromancers do?"

The Author: "Ah, that is something Container's do, when we choose. Necromancers use the energy of the dead. That is something you cannot see, not with the spell I have placed on your eyes. You're better off not worrying about that just now." She smiled lightly at his perceptiveness. "It's a good observation, though. And something important to remember. Now, have you noticed that while the Streams that do not pass through you will move around you, you cannot bend or collect them where you wish to put them? It is far easier to manipulate that Mana which already passes through you than it is to reach out into the open."

Donnie Darko: Pretending he understood all of what she just said, he got the gist. 'Mana inside, easy. Mana outside, hard'. "I understand. Kind of." A sheepish smile. There was no way he'd have taken seriously when he was a kid. Better late than never. "There are two sets of mana?" Having not taken her hint about this question, his eager eyes found hers again. "Is this one.." he motioned around him at all the purple, only just about having got used to not seeing things in colour. "..all you are allowed to use?"

The Author: "It is all you are safe to use. To use the Dark Mana Stream without the proper knowledge and training is a very good way to have your life sucked out of you. Necromancers get thin, drawn, and pale for good reason. Shall we move on, or do you want a history lesson?" Apparently annoyed by his unnecessary questions.

Donnie Darko: "Alright. Fine." He rolled his eyes like he used to when he was told he couldn't have something; several times. "Let us continue with our lesson. Less questions, more fireball throwing." he laughed and looked around him once more, the mana streams flowing endlessly. "I dont mean that, by the way." letting the smile fall off his face, he gave up his attitude for now. Learning time was now, not later.

The Author: "Good.. Fireballs don't come 'till lesson three," she said with a hint of a smile. Just letting him know she wasn't all stiff neck, hard attitude. It seemed she was enjoying this whole teaching thing. It had been a very, very long time since she'd done anything like this. "This is probably what is going to take the most time for you to learn, as it is the most difficult thing when you're just starting out. Especially as an adult." She adjusted the staff so it would rest freely on her shoulder, freeing up both of her hands. "Now, watch the Streams within me closely, so you know what it should look like. Then I'll talk you through doing it for yourself." WIth that, she formed her hands into a meditative posture, a focal point for Mana to come. She controlled her breathing and her heartbeat, then after a few seconds, the Streams began to move in a way they hadn't before, beginning to flow down to her hands, until they focused into a very bright, very dense sphere. Then, when she was finished, she made sure to slowly let the sphere dissolve back into her. Opening her eyes, she began to breathe normally again. "It is important that any Mana you gather but do not use be filtered back into you. if you just let it go, it will go Rogue, and can very easily destroy you or anyone around you."

Donnie Darko: Watching her carefully, he mimcked the position of her hands and began to slow his own breathing. He wondered what that bright sphere looked like in real vision. Once again assuming the sturdy stance he had taken before, Dom adjusted his weight and let his head lie still atop his shoulders. Carefully watching the mana flow like blood along his fingers, he focused. Willing it to do his bidding; then willing it some more. It didn't budge. With a sigh he released his hands and flxed his fingers. "Come on.." His hands were back in position and his focus was on them again. However, instead of watching the mana in his fingers, he closed his eyes and listened to his own heartbeat in his ears. And them something very disturbing happened. The blackness behind his eyelids became filled with the mana stream. From what he could see, he was inside a stream, moving daintily around a grey vessel. His vision circled round and yet he didn't feel the slighest bit dizzy. Still watching intently, he noticed a large clump of the mana stream that pulsated. It was.. his heart. Surrounding his heart, the mana stream was a casing of water, aimlessly moving and yet it never swirled off. The beating sound became louder and faster until it was all he could hear. 'Thump, thump, thump'. Opening his eyes wide, the vision vanished but the sound remained. Looking back down at his hands he tried his hardest to keep the thudding. He pushed his hands together a little harder and then something happened. Had he not been concentrating so hard he would have missed it it was so small. A spark, like that of the mana ball under the city passed along his fingers. Then another, and another! His smile grew at each flicker. Slowly, the mana stream within him left the confines of his hand and began to enter the world around him. It carried on moving, dancing like a snake on the wind, facing the nearest strong mana stream; Rhia. With a massive grin, he peeled the bottoms of his palms apart and the stream reversed, coiling back into his fingers. It felt like someone had a vice around his fingers and was slowly tightening it the more mana he returned. Tensing his hands as much as he could, he just managed to separate his hands before his fingers started screaming. "That.. was awesome."

The Author: She shook her head some, but smiled nonetheless. "Do be careful, hm? I want you to practice that until you can get a ball the size that I made. When you can do that, we can start forming that ball into an actual spell." She reached over to him, resting her hand over his eyes again. Just like that, she withdrew the Seeing spell, and the world returned to its usual green-grass, blue-sky. However, he'd still be able to feel that gentle wind all around him, now permanently aware of the Streams. Apparently considering the lesson over, she turned away and moved to a spot where she could sit, groaning once again as she sank to the ground.

Donnie Darko: About an hour would pass until Dominic would next speak, or even acknowledge Rhia. She was probably happier for it. All that he did for the time was repeat his routine and at first, nothing changed. His fingers still hurt when returning the mana and the ball he was supposed to be making barely formed at all. But slowly, with every passing minute and every attempt, the vice-like feeling lessened and lessened until he no longer felt it. As he grew more confident, he let the mana flow out of him for longer until it formed an egg sized ball. Every time he released more mana, it got easier to do so and soon he didn't have to concentrate half as hard. It became faster too, releasing and capturing the stream. He must have repeated the ritual a hundred times until he finally managed to create a mana ball the size of a babies head. Just to make sure, he tried again and the result was the same. Babies head, check. In out flow, check. Rhia watching.. damn. "Rhia? Time for the next lesson." He grinned sheeepishly again. This magic thing wasn't so hard.

The Author: She glanced over at him, eyes narrowing slightly. "No.." She sat up again, this time with a little more ease. "It's time for you to rest. You're about due for a pretty killer headache. You should find some water, then sleep for a couple of hours to avoid the worst of it..." She had a slightly concerned look on her face. She'd never experienced the dabilitating Mana headaches that she'd watched other people deal with after working too hard and too long on something new. Granted, she had a pretty good idea as to how it felt...she wasn't envying Dom just then. But, it would be a good lesson as to the seriousness and power of Mana and magick. She turned her attention back to that city, gazing at the storm with moderate interest. She was starting to get that antsy feeling.

Donnie Darko: The expression on his face could best be described as melted. Everything drooped at once. Arguing was simply out of the question, she wanted him to rest. But he wasn't ready to rest. And then.. Ping! An idea. "We don't have any water with us, seeing as we were'nt really given time to pack. I'm going to go back to the city. Pick up some supplies. Like water, food, bags. A portable bed would be nice too." His eyeline moved over the city. 'That storm hasn't budged yet?' "I'll get enough to last us till the next city, and the market will be in full swing now. I won't need any money." A proud smile washed over him. Without turning to her, "You are going to have to stay here. I'd imagine they've already got posters of you everywhere. But me.. I might be able to sneak around."

The Author: She glanced over at him with a frown. The thought of him going back down there with all the fuss still going on.... She motioned for him to come over to her. "Alright, but let me do something first." When he came closer, she lifted a hand to rest against his chest. He'd feel the tiniest prick, but wouldn't be able to see what she'd done. When she pulled her hand away, there would be a tiny point on his chest, over his heart, that felt colder than the rest of him. "Be careful, alright? Come back in one piece." She rested her hand back in her lap, watching him closely for a little longer, before once again turning her gaze to the city. She wasn't his mother, and couldn't tell him he wasn't allowed to go. He wasn't a slave, either, and had a right to do whatever he wished. But at least this way, she'd know if something bad happened to him.

Donnie Darko: Whatever she had just done to him, it tickled. When she spoke, he laughed a little. "I'll be careful, but the world would be better off without a thief like me." One last smirk and he was running towards the city. Again he picked up his robe and tied it on while he ran. Reaching the city gates he was surprised to see no guards, normal or magical. Then again, who would think that those who attacked the ArchMagi would return so soon? The bustle and noise of the market was the first thing he heard, followed closely by the sound of crashing pottery and yelling. Now he felt at home. Walking casually, he ducked and dodged the people that passed him. No-one payed him a second glance; why should they? As he had suspected, images of Alex and Rhia were at every street corner, in every window and flapped from every stand. They were very much wanted to return home by their superiors. When he thought about it, one of the first things he'd said to Rhia was that the Magi Council didn't trust her. He was so right, and yet he still didn't pack. Speaking of which. Up ahead was a container stand, bags, pouches, satchels. Feighning like he had been pushed from behind, he knocked into the stand pretty hard, just hard enough to knock two of the larger sacks on the floor. Wrapping his foot around them he apologised to the merchant and walked off, dragging them about ten feet before he knelt down. Two lovely new packs. Now he needed a third. Wearing them both on a shoulder each, he surveyed the stand layout. If bags was behind him, camping equipment was just.. around.. here. Ah yes, 'Right again' he smiled. This stand was quite low on business today, so it would make it easier to thieve. Walking up he pleasently saluted the seller and pretended to be interested in one of his larger sleeping bags. Without warning, he picked it up and whipped it against the air, cursing as it unravelled in the merhcants face. Without a seconds passing, his right arm scooped three sleeping bags off the stall and he stuffed them into the sacks. He vanished before the guy had even got the bag ot his face. 'Gah, this is so -easy-'. Now sauntering down another packed street, things like a deck of cards, a Swisss Army Knife and a lock picking set were such an easy wak and grab that he didn't even bother looking. Within twenty minutes he had set the trio up for a comfy nights rest and entertainment. On his way out of the city, Dom was just glancing around, eyeing up the merchandise when he saw a pack unattended. it was black and slightly larger that the two he stole. Another quick look around and it was on his back, bobbing playfully with the others. "Hum tiddle ee dee, a thieve's ife for me.." he hummed quietly, heading back towards Rhia. Before he left the city he visted a confectionary shop and actually bought half a dozen sandwiches and a dozen bottle of water with the money he had stolen not two days ago. Before he set off out the city again, he attempted his mana conjuring skill again. Perfect, And he kept trying until he was back in veiwing range of Rhia. He waved at her.

The Author: He'd return to a rather interesting sight. She'd felt him leave the city, and so had cut off the spell she'd placed on him. With her own Mana still not settling through her the way she'd like, she decided to go through a few excercises that would set things straight. Her eyes were once again blindfolded, staff laying off to the side on her cloak. She was moving through what looked a heck of a lot like a martial arts form, albeit a very slow and calculated one. Bits of light and colour flowed around her, Mana passing in an out of the visible plane. The wind carried gracefully through her clothes and hair, creating a very peaceful scene.

Donnie Darko: When his wave was not returned Dominic stopped walking and watched her with amusement. Her movements were flowing and she did a kind of slow motion punch followed by a yellow stream of colour. whatever she was doing, she looked extremely odd. Shaking his head he nabbed a sandwich out of his larger black sack which he had emptied of its previous contents along the journey back. Beef and cheese, his second favourite. Tucking in happily, he walked up beside her and sat, offering up the bag of food. "Almost every flavour."

The Author: "Mm...I nearly forgot I haven't eaten..." She came to a stop very slowly, taking a deep breath in, then out. Still blindfolded, she casually took the bag and sat down beside him, rummaging through the bag with one hand while a foot stretched out to pull her staff closer to her. She pulled out one of the sandwiches and handed the bag back to him, drawing the sandwich closer to her nose for a moment. Satisfied, she unwrapped it and took a bite out of it. When she swallowed, she glanced over at him. "How's the head?"

Donnie Darko: "At the moment, the head's fine. Even managed to get a little more practising in before I got back." It had been about two hours since Alex had wandered off. Maybe he'd gone to the next town alone anyway, just to see what was going on? "What's the next stage, anyway? I can make a ball in about three seconds now. How do I use it?" Another large bite into his sandwich; too large. He started to choke on it, every time he cought his rang with pain, Maybe it wasn't fine.

The Author: She smiled faintly and shook her head. "We'll worry about the next stage when you're well and fit to get there. Just eat, and take that nap I mentioned before." She sighed softly and fiddled a bit with the sandwich, tugging a little on the meat. "Besides, I don't think I'm well enough to teach you." She took another bite of the sandwich, pulling the staff a little closer to her with her free hand. She looked completely worn-out, that seemingly young and fit body looking frail, as if a wind a little bit too strong could crumble it.

Donnie Darko: Finishing his sandwich made him feel a little better. It must have been about ten in the morning by now, and questions were starting to pop into mind. 'Where was Alex?' 'How long was it till the next town over?' 'Should I eat another sandwich?' and one that kept repeating itself 'What is with that staff and her?' He eyed it for a few seconds before letting off another smile. "That nap you seem to fond of wouldn't be a real nap without one of these.." he pulled a sleeping back out of his black bag and rolled it out along the grass. Using his cloak as a pillow, the books underneath it provided a little neck support. Throwng her bag lightly to where she was, he took out a bottle of water and finished it in one swig. "I will probably fall asleep once Im down, so just kick me or something if you need me. And if Alex happens to wander back up here, dont let him see me asleep." A sheepish smirk. "I dont trust him." Crawling into his bag he found a comfy bit of grass and closed his eyes, the breeze that the mana stream provided was unbelievaly comforting.

The Author: She smiled a bit and nodded to his requests. It would be nice having someone so lighthearted around. She caught that sleeping bag, but only used it to lean back against as she finished her sandwich. She let her mind wander to Alex. She'd noticed a flicker in his resolve once they'd stopped running, as though everything he'd just done back in the city had caught up with him. She hoped he was alright, and that he really was capable of handling the pressure of becoming a Necromancer Lord. He had the potential for it, but would he be too quick, too eager to gain power... Dom's words rang in her head. Could she kill him if he went out of control? She finished off that sandwich and slowly lifted the staff up onto her shoulder. Could she...? Yes, she could... The question truly was, what would it do to her? She wrapped her arms around the staff, suddenly feeling very, very cold. Her gaze, unhindered by the blindfolded, went down to the city again, watching that storm. "What is it you want..? And how in the world am I going to get to you?" she asked outloud, barely a mumble, though in the silence of that hill, if he wasn't fast asleep by now, he might just hear it.

Donnie Darko: He had heard her question to.. well.. to no-one, but he ignored it. As playful and immature as he sometimes was, Dom knew when someone needed to be left alone to their own thoughts, answer their own questions. Right now, he was more lost in his own thoughts than anything. The events over the last few days had, while fueling his love for danger and adventure, landed him in a pretty bad position. A BattleMage, no doubt one of the Kings battalion had been slaughtered by his own hands, and now he was in fact fleeing the city with a robed clown who could choke people at will and a container who was sworn to the King's service and yet she defended the would-be Necromancer. Even though Dom had no family, he knew that soon enough he would begin to miss his old life of simple stealing to survive and sparring with Juno after they'd drunk themselves stupid. On the plus, he was learning magic and that in its own would be one hell of a story to tell. Some of the spells he'd read about looked so incredibly fun that the sooner he learnt them the sooner his mind would be at rest. Speaking of rest, by the time he'd imagined himself on some far off battlefield fighting a war with his new skills, he'd dropped off to sleep. He did not dream. He did not snore. Sleep was just bodily rest, nothing more.

Xan Torez: 3 hours was about all the meditation and reflectice wandering that Alex could muster during the day, even if he was covered by the shade of a small tree and a rock. There was something unlreaxing about noon, and finally he stood up, raising his staff into his clutches then slowly walking back. The past few hours had been dominated by thoughts of the Necro Lord's words. Were his parents still alive, or was that just Necromancer Trickery? Was all of this worth it? Afterall, the Magi Coucnil had never done anything wrong to Alex, or anybody else; they were simply upholding the law. An un necessary law and a slightly corrupt one, but a law of the kingdom nonetheless. Those who practiced the Forbidden Arts would be punished. They were warned, and if they ignored, they would get what they deserved. A week ago, Alex would have never dreamed of crossing the line of the law, and yet, here he was now, wearing regalia of a young Necromancer Lord, wielding the staff of an ex Fallen Archmagi, and teaching himself the Forbidden Dark arts. What made it all the stranger and surreal to him, was that the man who passed all the laws in this kingdom, knew what Alex was and what he intended to become. it all felt strange, but a part of him that seemed to have woken in the final minutes of the city battle said that it was all okay, and it would all come naturally. He just needed to open his mind a little. Some, in their merry band of Outcasts, had doine the opposite and had closed their mind. Alex glared at Dominic sleeping. He had silently entered their mini 'camp' and sighed, before looking at Rhia, who was gazing out at the silhouette of the city walls. He walked up on her right hand side, his staff in his left hand as he too followed her gaze to the city walls, and the tall towers of the Magi behind them, "Do you think the Magi will still protect the King as his guards, even if he is now moving against their very reasons for existence?" He remained stood, the edge of his robe flicking very lightly at the bottom in the wind, the ends of his considerably long hair following suite.

The Author: Rhia wore that uniform's blindfold, she was focused not on the city, but the cloud over the city. Her voice was very quiet, and she seemed to be clinging to that staff, cheek pressed against the cool, white wood. "Protect? Maybe... They won't kill him, if that's what you're worried about. They wouldn't be able to explain it to the people. No, if they kill anyone, it will be us. Or, more specifically, you. I'm not really sure what they'd do to me..." Her voice trailed off and she let her head droop a little, eyes closing behind the blindfold. She looked pale, despite the rest and food, and looked as though she couldn't have sat up without the aid of that staff and the rolled sleeping back propping her up. While Alex was looking out at the city, Rhia rummaged in the dirt beside her for a small stone, flicking it back behind her. WIth a tad bit of magick, she guided it so that it plopped right down on Dom's nose.

cwkjstr: Waking with a start, Dom shot up out his sleeping bag and clambered towards his swords. He'd crawled about two feet when he realised that danger was not looming over him, nor was it twenty minutes since he'd fallen asleep. Looking like a bit of a twonk he straightened himself out and started rolling up his sleeping bag, glaring at Alex. "You disappear for hours on end, and you choose -now- to come back, jsut when I thought I might get some sleep?" His anger was only justified by the fact that he'd just been awoken with a rock to the nose. Turning his attention to Rhia, his scowl continued, "And a simple 'Dominic!' would have sufficed." 'Gah, these people have no respect.' Jamming his rolled up bag in his pack, he took another sandwich and chewed on it slowly. "Where the hell -have- you been anyway? And to come back without anything cool. Tsk."

Xan Torez: Alex didn't even turn to look at Dominic as he spoke, ".. To think.." his robe was swaying gently with the wind, which seemed to be picking up a little. The weather outside of the city was much nicer than it had been inside, but it looked as if it could rain if it chose to. Normal rain, this was a natural storm for sure. Silently, Alex turned and walked past Alex to a spot that he decided was his. A sleeping bag and a small bag of food was placed there untouched, but he wasn't hungry, instead sitting on the mat and hugging his knees to him. "I'm sorry for getting you both into this.."

The Author: She directed a few words to Dom, somewhat amused tone in her voice. "You stole my books. I can do whatever I want to you." She quieted then, shifting her head to the side to watch Alex head over to the third sleeping bag. She shook her head when he spoke, looking back to the city. "You've nothing to be sorry for. We're all getting a thing or two out of this." She sighed faintly, her voice dropping down to a low mumble. "Though just how much is yet to be seen.." She let herself sink down, so that her head rested back on the sleepingbag, not seeming to care if she were laying in the dirt or not.

cwkjstr: "oh, thinking, thats nice." Dom mused to himself, attaching his swords to his back. He played with the tightness of his harness and frowned at Rhia. "I told you, I saved your books, not steal. Same act, different motives. Shaking his head he cocked his head over at Alex, "I don't get you. You leave to think and you come back all sorry for yourself?" He walked over and stood above Alex, looking down on him. "Rhia's right. Don't be sorry. I enjoyed running from those guards as much as I did running from you a few days ago. Although they didn't cheat like you." Dom laughed and picked up his sack, haunching it over his shoulder. "We should get moving to the next city. When we're there we can make camp and wait for nightfall. And it looks like it might rain out here too, and I dont wanna scuff these shiny new pants." He did a little spin and grinned.

Xan Torez: Alex smiled a little then looked over his shoulder, "The next town along is a way point along the road from the Magi Capital. To say it's so close to the home of the Mage Tower, there is surprisingly little Mage presence there. It's self guarded, so the strongest guards we'll see there are Footmen, probably not even properly trained." 'You are forgetting something, Alexios. The town does not have Magi presence within its walls NORMALLY, but a Necromancer, a container, and a thief have just escaped along the road leading to Karatham. The town will be defended until night fall.' Alex sighed, "Yeah.. still.. nightfall's definately going to be our best option. It's a few hours walk from here if we follow the road. There will be Magi travelling from the city on horse however. They'll probably be doing searches of travelling merchants as well to make sure we haven't tried stowing away aboard their carts. The road will not be the safest journey, no matter how fast it is. There are other routes to Karatham, but they're a little different. Quite a bit steeper, slipper.. and muddier.." He directed the last part at Dominic, motioning to his trousers, "I'll leave the decision up to you too.."

The Author: She was quiet for a bit, and wouldn't look back at them. "If we go that way... I'm not so sure I could keep up with either of you." Quite the words coming from the one who'd led that five mile run out of the city. Then again, that run was part of the culprit. During that little lesson she'd given to Dom, it had taken every ounce of self control to keep from collapsing. "My magick's fine, but my body's not..." The amber in her staff glowed softly at those words, almost as if it was trying to console her, perhaps reacting to her sullen tone.

cwkjstr: Glaring at Alex for even suggesting a route that might ruin his pants, he walked over to Rhia and gave her a reassuring look. "Unfortunately the robed guy is right. If they're watching the roads we will have to find another way around, and I'm not so sure we'll last more than a day in the open like we are now. Once they can't find us they'll double up the search party, I saw reward posters for both of you in the city and its only a matter of time before they spread elsewhere." he turned his head towards Alex. "I've visited Karatham once before, I know an easy way in the guards won't notice." With a subtle smile and nod towards Rhia he turned back. "If you really can't walk at all, I'm sure me and Alex will be able to carry you there." his tone was as teasing as it could get. 'Play along?'

Xan Torez: Alex nodded a little in acknowledgement of Dominic's method, "it is possible we can combine the two routes. If we take it steady along the roads, with one of us watching out for any sign of Magi, we should be okay. If it comes down to it, the Council will not send Battlemagi out along the roads. It's too far for them to travel in heavy gear. They will send Imperial Magi at the most. The chances are, they will just send bog standard Magi. They won't be hard to.. neutralise if it comes to it. The only problem with that, of course, is that we will be showing our position if we do so, so the longer we avoid confrontation, the better."

The Author: She glanced over at Dom with a bit of a surprised look, brows lifted over the blindfold. After a moment, she put that same dull pout on her face that she was sure to be the soon usual look to give him. "Your choice." She turned herself then to look over at Alex, setting the staff down across her lap. I can keep watch for the Magi. I'll be able to see them coming long before either of you. If I am being carried.. I should be able to contort the Mana Stream so that no spells can reach us." She obviously didn't like the idea of 'neutralizing' any of those magi. The few kills the two of them had dished out back in the city had been more than enough to make her feel ill.. She wasn't so sure she could stand any more of it. Which brought up another problem... She slowly turned away again, brow furrowing. Just how would a Container physically respond to a full-fledged, 'all powerful' Necromancer Lord? Seeing someone die made her queasy...what was it going to be like looking at someone who was entirely intune with the Dark Mana Stream. She whimpered, just faintly.

cwkjstr: Dominic's sly little smile appeared again. "Alright. Well, Rhia, there are a few options." Dom placed his arms out in front of him. "We have the damsel in distress lift, suitable for dainty women who need a hero.." he lifted his jin to make it look as square as possible. "We have the firemans lift.." he lifted one arm above his shoulder where she would be slung over.. "for those extra heavy girls." Laughing, he stuck both his arms out from his waist, curling them a little, looking more like a dancing monkey than anything. "Or the endearing Piggy back. Which ride would you prefer, m'lady?" Grinning over at Alex he stood normally again. His expression flickered for only a moment, a look of understanding flashed up. The two of them would have to kill again before the end of the night. The harder they tried to avoid it, it would catch up to them.

Xan Torez: Alex sensed this in his look and shook his head as if to say, 'don't mention it in front of her' before he looked out. There were plenty of hours before nightfall, so the journey could be taken slowly if it had to. The sooner they got in however, the better, and the less people they had to fight, even more so. His previous kills had been strange, devilishly exciting, and to some extent he had enjoyed them, but now the reality was catching up to him. The excitement he had wished for was upon him, and it wasn't all fuin and games. he would prefer to avoid killing again, but a part of him was ready to do it again if he had to. He was a murderer now, but that wouldn't stop him. A nation meant so much more to him than the lives of 3 Mages, who would have killed the three of them anyway, had Alex not done his part.