Chapter 6: Liadrin

Cobalt gripped her tightly as he ran towards the road a short distance away. Liadrin was hesitant towards seeing people since leaving Ghelard, but knew unless she was a hermit somewhere eking out a meager living in the wilds, she would have to take that step eventually.

She unwittingly clenched her hand in anxiety, and Cobalt turned around, giving her a grin, "Don't worry. You're with me. And we both are mag. We should be treated well once we show off." His words brought her some comfort, but she couldn't help feeling a sense of trepidation.

What if they attack us on sight? I've never killed any- she paused her thoughts as the vivid memory of the guard in Ghelard melting coursed through her mind. She took a deep breath to calm herself. You have killed someone, she thought. But it was justified. If these people attack without even talking to us, then they deserve it.

"Halt! Who goes there?" A boisterous voice echoed outwards towards the two magi. Three men were mounted on horseback surrounding a carriage being pulled by two more horses. They were dressed in leather armor with bits of chainmail, swords slung across their hips, and crossbows at the ready, but not leveled at the two.

A carriage-driver was seated up front, calming the stopped horses alongside another guard with a crossbow. The carriage was quite ornate and a crest was carved into the side, but not one Liadrin recognized. Cobalt came to a stop with Liadrin and called back, "Two travelers. Are you heading to Thunderfall?"

There was a brief pause and muffled conversation. Cobalt turned back to her, "They're discussing whether or not we are a threat."

"You have really good hearing," Liadrin commented. Cobalt just pointed to his one good ear atop his head and gave her a wink.

"Approach. So, we can talk like civil folk rather than just yell," The voice shouted once more. The two beast-cursed slowly approached and Liadrin heard several gasps and mutters.

"She-devil"

"Cursed soul."

"Damned ones."

The various guards muttered their own unique take on a beast-cursed slur.

The one who seemed to be their leader - inferred due to his silver-inlaid armor - dismounted and waved his men to lower their crossbows, "Relax lads, they're not armed." He approached the two and extended a hand, "Fellow travelers, eh? Without boots even!" he chuckled as Cobalt did at the joke. Liadrin attempted a forced laugh, but couldn't - she was still quite unsure of what was going to happen.

"Good to meet civilized folk," Cobalt said as he released her hand, gesturing between them. "My companion and I are headed to Thunderfall."

"That is where we are headed! I'd offer for you to join us, but it's not my call. You'll have to ask the man inside." The guard stood easily two heads taller than the both of them, "My name's Fort."

"Cobalt," the blue beast-cursed replied shaking the outstretched hand. He tilted his head to her, "This is Liadrin. We are magi."

Fort laughed heartily and reached an arm out to steady himself against Cobalt's shoulder. He looked up after laughing at Liadrin, "Right! Beast-cursed magi. And I'm the Doge of the Isle of Sapphires."

Liadrin held up a finger as she was taught, and focused on emitting a bright inferno from the tip of the clawed appendage. A red flame exploded upwards, the blue sparks flying straight upwards in a display of raw power. The blazing column stayed the width of her hand, but shot far up into the sky - so high that it appeared as if a new star was being born in the heavens. The blue bloomed into reds and purples that cascaded across the night sky.

The shocked face of Fort made Liadrin feel quite happy she had mastered this spell already. A relatively simple one; magnified by the fact she only could access a single element of creation. The two magi had discussed this prior to approaching the caravan - her showing off power, and him ready to defend if things went poorly.

Cobalt reached a hand over and rested it on her forearm. Liadrin looked and saw all of the guards had raised their crossbows at her. She quickly dismissed the flame, but was confident that he would have defended her at a moment’s notice.

"It's alright lads!" Fort waved his men down once more. "Sorry about them, they're pretty fresh to my company. A little jumpy. Easy escort mission to break them in, you know?"

He began walking to the carriage and gestured for them to follow, which they did - Liadrin holding Cobalt's hand tighter as if to apologize for the slightly-too-strong display of power. She felt a squeeze in return. Message received, is what she imagined that meant.

The horses shied away from the two beast-cursed as they approached the side of the carriage. Fort knocked and the blue velvet curtain was swept aside. Liadrin could see the dimly lit interior well - a swarthy skinned young man with pointed ears and sharp fangs that protruded past his lower lip stared out at them.

His blood red eyes seemed to pierce into her soul. A Blood Elf? She had heard stories of them before; those who ruled the darkest places of the world with benevolence and grace, but fed on the life essence of those they ruled over.

"Why did we stop, Fort?" The seemingly young-looking man asked in a curious voice. "For these two?"

Fort nodded, "They're traveling magi, looking for a lift to Thunderfall."

At the mention of the word magi the Blood Elf's ears perked up - quite literally, rotating on some hidden joint to a more forward position - and he grinned. He looked at Cobalt, then Liadrin, and directed his question to her. "Are you sworn to a lord yet? I'd gather not, since your attire is…rather squalid."

Liadrin looked at Cobalt, "What does he mean 'sworn to a lord'?"

Cobalt glanced at her and whispered rapidly, "Serve, protect, advise. It's a route we should consider since we are rather aimless right now."

Liadrin looked back to the Blood Elf and shook her head, "No, your grace. We aren't sworn."

The Blood Elf's grin grew even wider, "I'm not a king, though I appreciate the 'your grace'. Give me a moment to get out of this-" Fort opened the door and the elf stood to his full height as he exited the carriage - he was just a head taller than Cobalt. He was dressed in finely tailored pants and a shirt with gold buttons.

As he stood and stretched his arms, he looked down at the two beast-cursed. "I am the Lord of Aran'Danil Falan - in your tongue, The Valley of the Dark. You may call me Arestil." He bowed from the waist slightly. "To whom do I owe the pleasure of conversing with?" he asked as he straightened.

"I'm Cobalt, and this is Liadrin. I was a student of The Magister, and she is my apprentice."

"A student of The Magister himself, eh? He's the most powerful practitioner of magic on this continent."

Cobalt nodded, "We are seeking passage to Thunderfall."

"What incredible luck! That's where I am headed. Back towards my homeland." He gestured towards the carriage door, "Please, join me. We can discuss as we continue the journey. You are welcome to ride with us, and let me entertain you with an offer."

“How far we taking them?” Fort asked as he waved to his men to relax.

“The Crossroads." Arestil’s eyes shifted towards the two magi, "And perhaps further, should an accord be reached."

Fort nodded and waited until all three had entered the carriage before the door shut behind them.

Liadrin sat on the plush cushions as Cobalt took a seat next to her. She had never sat on something so luxurious before, and Arestil offered the two of them glasses of wine. Liadrin took hers and sipped it slowly, but Cobalt just stared at the Blood Elf. Liadrin cleared her throat as the carriage began to move. "Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Arestil."

"By all means! A lady and her…" he trailed off as he glanced at Cobalt, "Companion should not be out traveling the wilds and left victim to the elements."

Liadrin blushed, "He's not really a companion-"

"Well, whatever he is to you, you are both magi? That's quite incredible - a pair of beast-cursed at that. I have only heard of one before - Boldar the Lion - from my history lessons." He leaned forward, tenting his long, elegant fingers over his knees as he talked rapidly but with precision and well-enunciated words. "What would it take to convince you to become sworn to my court?"

Cobalt - who had remained rather still until this point - drank the entire cup of wine in one large gulp. After setting the glass down he spoke, "I may be the more experienced mage, but my only goal right now is to mentor Liadrin in magics." He set a hand on her shoulder and looked at her with a caring expression, "She should decide."

Liadrin smiled gently at Cobalt before turning to see the bemused Arestil glancing between them. "What exactly does being sworn to a lord entail?"

Arestil leaned back and gripped a nearby bottle of wine, taking a large swig from the container. He wiped his mouth with a small kerchief before speaking, "Protecting me. When we get to Aran'Danil Falan, protecting the city. Carrying out my will with your powers. Advising me on matters of magic. Going on quests that only a mage could handle - you know, acquiring artifacts and whatnot."

Liadrin glanced at Cobalt and he gave her a slight nod, confirming what Arestil had said. "What do we get in return?"

"Protection of the political variety. If you cause a major incident as a side-effect of serving me, you won't face dire consequences - if my formidable reputation can afford that protection, at least. Access to a portion of my coffers. You're effectively a courtier with additional access to me.”

He looked at Cobalt, "But since you're just an apprentice, I'd imagine Cobalt here would be the one advising me." He smirked as he took another swig, "I'm not the most powerful Blood Elf on The Dark Crescent, but I do hold a monopoly on the most profitable trade product. It's actually why I traveled across three continents and two seas. What I sell is quite rare on Mistral."

Liadrin opened her eyes wide at the realization of how far this man had traveled, "You're from the other side of the world...What is it you're trading?"

Arestil smiled and set the bottle down. He pulled a small chest out from under the seat and gently removed a key on a chain from around his neck. He unlocked the chest and opened it, turning it around towards the two of them.

Liadrin and Cobalt both gasped; the chest was full of the same gemstone that Cobalt had hidden in his pocket. However, the ones in the chest were tiny in comparison; little more than the size of a seed, whereas Cobalt's was the size of an apple. There were sixty holes in the velvet cushion, and only seven were filled by the objects. "I trade in Miracle Seeds."

"I've never heard of such a thing," Cobalt whispered.

Arestil nodded as he shut the case, re-locking it and turning some odd dial with a loud CLICK. "They are quite useful. They only grow in the valley that I hold domain over, and anyone would pay a hefty amount for one…once they know what they do."

Liadrin glanced at Cobalt as he frowned, "Can they awaken a mage's latent power?" He asked.

Arestil shook his head, "I've never heard of such a thing. Miracle Seeds are just that - they grant small miracles. Minor things - such as healthy crops, less painful births, curing of illnesses. They are a one-time use item, however. Hence their rarity."

"What about removing curses?" Liadrin asked.

Arestil shook his head again, "Nope. I've seen it attempted - nothing happened." He glanced up and down her body, "You are definitely something special. I'll assume a salamander." He did the same to Cobalt, "Wolf, obviously. Looks like she got the rarer beast, Lady Liadrin." He put a hand to his chin and sank back in the seat, "In my eight-hundred years on Limnalia…two of you…"

Liadrin grinned slightly at the comment of her being rarer than Cobalt, but when she glanced at her companion his gaze was still firmly set on where the box was stored. Liadrin nudged him slightly with her shoulder and he shook himself out of his reverie. "I would be happy to accept your offer, Lord Arestil. How does this work exactly?"

Arestil smiled and clicked a button on the inside of the carriage, revealing a small writing desk with paper, an ink well, plenty of quills with fine, silver tips, and a few small books. He removed a folder of documents and pulled one out, sliding it over to Liadrin. "A contract. The tenure of service is left empty - for you to decide, of course."

I can't read half of this, Liadrin thought, feeling confused at many of the unfamiliar words. "I'm sorry, Lord Arestil…I was raised as a barmaid. Other than my numbers and letters…this is beyond me."

Cobalt tapped her hand and gestured for her to hand him the sheaf of parchment. She did so and his eyes rapidly darted back and forth. He looked at Arestil, "Strike the clause regarding collateral damage to your property, and it's quite fair."

Arestil looked as if someone had struck him, but a hint of amusement also crossed his face. "Now why would I do that?"

Cobalt smirked and sat up to his full height, "We are both attuned to prime elements only. I'm attuned to air, her to fire. Collateral damage isn't a matter of if but a matter of when."

Arestil looked taken aback and knocked on the wood behind him. A small slat opened up. "Stop the carriage, I have to see something." The carriage came to a halt and Arestil gestured to the door, "Show me!"

Cobalt took the lead and opened the door, stepping out and offering Liadrin a hand to step down from the carriage. She felt her heart flutter slightly at the gesture. No one has treated me like a lady before, she thought as she took the hand and stepped down. She had seen noblewomen treated in such a fashion before, and never before had she felt like someone important.

Arestil joined them shortly after and waved at Fort, "Don't be shocked! I want them to show off a bit." He looked back to the two, "Now…show me what you can do. Don't hold back!" He smiled as he climbed a hidden ladder embedded into the wood of the carriage, taking his place on top.

Cobalt nudged Liadrin and squeezed her hand, "Go on, upwards and at an angle. Don't expend all of your Quintessence."

Liadrin nodded and took a deep breath. She stepped away from Cobalt slightly and raised both of her clawed hands in front of her, aiming slightly upwards and at an angle. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing, feeling her heart calm and return to a regular rhythm.

She focused all of her will on a single thought, one clear desire.

Burn.

A brief pause stilled as the air around her quieted.

A small bead of fire coalesced in her palms, wrapping like tendrils around her claws before projecting into smaller beams of flame; all centered on a single point just in front of her. The sky exploded into crimson as an enormous, blazing inferno shot forward from her hands; up and into the sky.

The bright, crimson flames roared outwards, the blue sparks cascading within. She willed the outpouring into a narrower beam, and as it condensed it lengthened - piercing the clouds above. She lowered her hands and willed the magic to cease.

She felt a wave of lethargy fall over her and began to slump backward, feeling familiar hands catch her. She looked up and saw Cobalt smiling. As she fell to unconsciousness, she heard his voice as if at the end of a distant tunnel, "We have to work on that control."

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