A certain story

Byron listened to the conversations passing between each of the people with a small smile. This was turning out to be more interesting than he had originally thought. For a while there he'd been thinking about heading out because all they were doing was eating. Or bartering or something like that he hadn't really been paying much attention. He'd nodded when he'd been addressed and smiled politely but it wasn't until he'd heard more did his interest get piqued again. Perhaps he might stick around a little longer.</SPAN></SPAN>

"Byron." He said to the group, "my names Byron, a pleasure to meet you all." Bowing his head politely he smiled at them. Settling down a bit more comfortably on the grass. He wasn't quite part of the group but he wasn't away from it either, he was exactly where he wanted to be pretty much non-existent.</SPAN></SPAN>
 
The river warbled loudly and sun shine if possible even harder than before. Lucian squinted and gazed up to the sky. He yawned. Having finally his stomach full he was getting sleepy. He stood up and walked to the river to wash his face. Getting back at the fireplace he sat next to the knight. The lad, Bartleby was helping himself with some fsh too. "Those fish really are delicious, aren't they Bartleby?" he fantsized.

Lucian quikly got interested in Novas book. "What's that? It has no title written on it. Is that your journal or something?" He leaned against the log and moved to get more comfortable. "Daniel, how can you sit so straightly? Does that armour help? I sort of envy you, your posture is really good. Oh, and should I be calling you Ser Daniel?" he blabbered. The knights sword was truely amazing. Lucian grabbed one of the coins piled up next to it. "These coins look really old. Where did you get them from? They look like they have been dug from an ancient grave or somewhere like that." he stared at the coin trying get hints of it's origins.
 
The book that the blue haired young man produced was not of any interest to Bartleby, mainly because he was entirely incapable of reading. Although relatively highborn, reading had not been allowed to him, as - of course - during those days he had been Aoife. Elven women were not permitted to read, for their function was little more than to maintain the race. It might have been diifferent in other elvish communities, but in this one that was the case. Of course, it was never too late to learn, but the embarrassment of admitting such a weakness wasn't anything he wished to endure any time soon. It was hardly a necessity, anyway. He'd managed so far, and with any luck that wouldn't be changing.

So, pointedly not showing an interest in this journal, or whatever it might turn out to be, Bartleby turned his attention to an extremely talkative guy. "Yes, they're excellent." He was slightly non-commital to this somewhat unexpected group dynamic, but couldn't deny that he was finding thise situation interesting. Despte nnot really knowing what to do or say, he still found this time quite comforting. It was nowhere near as cold as his usual setting, often simply a shadow amongst a city of more reputable men and women. For now, he simply took a leaf out of Byron's book, remaining relatively unobtrusive for the time being.
 
Daniel glanced over at Lucian, helmet grating. His pale eyes flickered through his helmet visor. He thought, for a moment, on the Fish Boy, or Nova, he supposed. The book that he had was similar enough to his own to make the death knight wonder if it was a spell-tome or a journal, as his was both. Perhaps it was a guide to help him speak. Daniel did not know, and diverted his attentions. His eyes watched carefully as Lucian examined his coins. They were heavy, and the engravings on them had all but succumbed to greenish mold; but there was a faint engraving, almost lost to the ages. It depicted a set of scales and weights; and a series of markings in a language that Daniel himself knew very little of. It had been minted by the Bank of Mouqol, which Daniel assumed had long been lost to the ages in place of more powerful faith. He wasn't sure who. His family, though blessed because of their faith, were not particularly open to the religions of the world.

He inclined his head with a grating sound, trying to formulate answers to the multitude of questions thrust upon him. As he did, a piece of his grey hair slipped out from beneath the plates of his head and neck; it was gathered about neatly in a piece of black thread and while it rightfully should be dripping with sweat, it was not. It was the only thing, other than his eyes, that gave the indication that something human might be beneath the armor. Daniel gathered his thoughts, and spoke.

"The coins are not of my family. They were the currency, one hundred years back. Ser Daniel would be more formal, but we are all friends here and I see no need for such things. Daniel, or Danielson." The death knight's eyes flicked downward, looking down at his sword. "And I am perfectly well. Thank you." He wrung a hand around the other's wrist, a scraping sound emitting from his gauntlets as he did so, "My armor helps my posture, but I was trained to stand up straight, and look the others I sit with in the eye. It was part of my Knighthood."

Daniel lifted his head to the others, paying no heed to the piece of grey hair that was slipping down his shoulder. There was the customary creak as he did so. "Greetings Bartleby Durant, Byron. Nova. May I inquire as to your encampment here, and your place of origin?" He laughed hollowly once more, but this time he did not choke. "I am from very far away and know little of the game at play here."
 
Nearby, a bush rustled, and a small squirrel jumped out of its hiding place and ran away. If anyone had been paying careful attention, they would have noticed a small tinge of white in the bush. If anyone had been listening, then they would have heard a very odd conversation, someone talking to himself.
"N-No! You can't make me go to them! Something just feels off! And they have weapons!"
-slightly more gravelly voice- "We won't try to force you to make friends, but I highly advise it. After all, you need something to do, right? And, if I wasn't mistaken, you're quite hungry, maybe you should go up and ask for a fish? One of them seems to have been fishing recently."
"Don't remind me about how hungry I am... Look, how about we just go to that one town.... we can beg for food again!"
*irritated voice* "I am NOT going to BEG again in front of those half-minded twits. If you wont go, then I will!"
"H-hey!"
-A short, scrawny teenager fell into the river, and quickly scrambled up to the group. Upon realizing which side of the river he ended up on, he scrambled backwards and tripped over a nearby log, hitting his head.-
"Ow....."
 
Lucian placed the coin back to the pile and whisteled. "One hundred years old currency! Seriously, where did you find it?" Suddently they heard a loud flash and saw a boy falling into the river and he soon appeared at the fireplace all wet. Apalled he moved backwards and tripped over a log. Lucian stood up appraoched him. "Umm... Are you okay?" he asked gingerly. The boy was quite short and skinny. "Did you want something to eat too? You look like you could use something to eat. And those fish can be smelled from quite far away. But you could have made a normal entry, like that Batrleby guy, instead of rushing through the river. It'll take a while for your clothes to dry up." he peeked at the sun. "Well, the sun might actually dry you up pretty quikly, especially if you sit close to the fireplace. ut them you'll start stinking like smoke and you'll have to wash your clothes. Again."
 
(Ah there it is)
Nova closes the book and turns to Daniel.

There isn't much to tell about my home. It's gone.
And by the way. Could it be that you are wounded? If you want i can cast a kind of healing spell on you.
(If what i think is true, he will reject that offer.)
A small violet sphere gathers on his hand. It looks like a gentle healing spell.
((I am not sure if this rule works here too, but if undead are healed that healing is turned to damage))

Then all of the sudden, another visitor joins the group. Nova doesn't hesitate and simply grabs him with his right hand, puts him on the log and gives him a pot and a piece of cloth.
Clean that up and you can have a fish too. Deal?
 
Byron glanced at Daniel and said, "not much to tell from me. I grew up traveling from place to place. My family wasn't exactly welcomed wherever we went but the work was good." He said wondering if any of them might get the hint of his origins. He didn't want to go out and say it completely but he wasn't going to lie about it. If he stayed with them, they'd probably figure it out eventually anyway. His eyebrows shot up in mild surprise when he saw the magic come from Nova. It had been a long time since he'd seen something like that. "That is some trick." He said to Nova with a nod of his head.

There was a smile on his face until the commotion of the new comer. He'd gone into a crouch and stared at the kid, some with curiosity while the rest was reflexive fight instinct. It only was there for a moment but when he realized the kid was not a threat he relaxed. No weapons were drawn from him, they were safely hidden about his person out of view. They all seemed to accept what was going on so easily, Byron was having a much harder time. He couldn't help it, it was in his nature, so to speak. His father would have his head should he find out he'd let his guard down.
 
Lucian leered at Daniel still keeping an eye on the boy. "Oh right I completely forgot about your question. Hey, you didn't include me! Well anyway, I came from a village couple days walk away from here. And I'm sort of looking for information about my parents. Though it's pretty likely that I won't find anything." he shrugged happily. "Anyways. I'm just travelling around." He now had more time to immerse in Novas spell since the boy from the river was safely sitting on a log. "That was amazing! You can use magic! Was that a what a healing spell looks like? There was only one person who culd use magic in the village I grew in, and he mainly used it to make the crops larger. It looked sort of like that one, but it was green instead of purple. What other spells can you use? Do all of the spells look like spheres like that?" he got all excited and stared at Nova with large eyes.
 
After giving the new visitor the pot and cloth, nova takes a seat and listens to Lucian. His spell is still in his hand.
Easy there. Take some time to breathe. Let's see...
This is not the regular kind of magic you see. This is the power of chaos, or at least a small part of it. It gives me the ability to change reality to a certain extend.
I have no idea what could be possible with this energy, but i learned how to heal, teleport, and even attack with it.
It has no elemental weakness, but also no advantage.
Depending on what i want to do i change it's shape and properties. Right now, if i would touch a wound, it would slowly start to heal.
If i form it into a spear, it would pierce everything that is not capable of defending itself with ether a hard material, or magic.
And like i said, i can also teleport myself, and everyone i touch, within the blink of an eye to a nearby location. I just have to know where i am, and where the target area is. So it's no use if i can't see anything or i don't know the area.

Are all of your questions answered?
 
Daniel made no sound as he listened to Nova's description of his magic. The death knight merely stared at him. The Elemental Plane of Chaos was not a place to take powers from. It was too voltatile, too vicious. And who had ever heard of chaotic magic healing somebody? Not Daniel. He doubted that the teleport would take them where they wanted to go, and he was certain that the lance would not always hit the target intended; protection or not. His own magical might came from his family, at least, even if it did have a curse with it. He could cast a handful of spells. They included the ability to strike fear into the hearts of the feebleminded, the ability to rid the area of magical effects if cast by a weak man, and once, every once in a while; he could cast a spell that stunned, blinded, or slaughtered. He did not use his spells often. He was capable enough with sword that his ill-begotten powers became less and less attractive as the years rolled by.

At Nova's offer of healing, he predictably tilted his head from side to side in the universal gesture for 'no' with all of the creaks and cracks of his helmeted head. "I do not require healing, Nova. I am quite well. My cough is merely a persistent trait." The death knight's eyes flicked to the boy who stumbled out of the river. He inclined his head in a half-nod, the bit of grey hair slipping out of his helmet further, streaked with red motes of rust and dust. "Join us, friend." He said stiffly, before redirecting his attention on Nova and Lucian.

"Magic used to protect crops is a good use." Daniel said slowly, metallic voice seeming ponderous. "But magic should not be used lightly. There is a cost. I have heard tales of wizards who lost themselves in their arts, and were never able to be recovered from the abyss they built for themselves." His hands tensed on his greaves, making a sheer clinging sound as his fingerplates clicked together. He would not speak the name of the place he was thinking of. It was where the man who had owned his sword had found himself, where the most famous of his new mantle was condemned. The place of swirling mists, far from Sheldomar and any world of earth and soil. It was made of mists and ghosts, and Daniel feared it above all things. It was, perhaps, his most present fear, and what gave him motivation to end his curse in the first place.

"You are searching for your parents, Lucian? Do you know where to look?" His question seemed strangely genuine, his flat voice panged with a strange interest, a levity near the end of the sentences.
 
As you wish.
(i knew it)
He small glow on nova's hand fades away.
His theory was confirmed, or at least he got another fact that speaks for it.
A old armor, even older coins, a big sword that needs inhuman strength to be used while wearing a armor that weights at least 90 Pounds, and he rejects healing.
With this facts in mind, nova has the theory that Daniel is a undead.
(He can speak and think like a regular human. This puts him into a strong category.
Maybe on the same level as a Lich. But he doesn't seem to have bad intentions. From what i've heard, even the smartest undead give away their plans just by the way they speak and behave.
I don't have enough informations to act right now. It's probably better to just keep an eye on him for now.)
 
-Upon hearing Lucian's desire to know more about his parents, a small grimace apeared on Chris's face. This, combined with the talk of magic, made him uneasy.-
Why do I have a bad feelnig about this?
Cheer up! You made some new friends!
But be wary, theres something about that man I don't trust
-Chris's hand makes a small flicker at Daniel-
Something's not right.
More importantly, how about you finish cleaning that pot up? I'm starving!
And if the fish is poisonous?
You worry too much! Lets finish up!
-Upon finally cleaning the entire pot, Chris handed it to Nova, and immediately fell asleep on the log without eating.-
 
Straing at Nova while he explained chaos power to him. "I've only heard stories of chaos power, never really heard of anyone who could use it. I always thought it was just something that appears in fairytails. But I've never heard of anyone with a blue hair either. Man, the village I lived in must have been really isolated." he sighed. Turning his attention to Daniel he shaked his head happily. "Nope, no idea where to look. But since I find travelling really fun, I guess I'll just wander around for a while." He glanced at Nova again looking a bit wistful as he saw him letting the spell fade away. "What about you Bartleby? Your the only one who hasn't said anything yet." he got interested again.

The boy who came from the river fell asleep after cleaning up the pot Nova had given him."Well...that was fast. We propably can't just leave him here? Should we spendour night here too?" Lucian wondered hesitantly. "I doubt there will be enough of rooms for all of us stay in the town."
 
Good point. As i know those small towns there are probably just 3 or 4 rooms to begin with.
Nova packs his things and stuffs them in his bag. He leaves a fish, which is wrapped in paper, beside the napping boy, so he has something for his work.
First come, first serve. See ya.
He steps away from the group and his hand starts to glow again.
Chaos Control.
He snaps with his fingers and with a quick flashlight, nova vanishes from his spot almost instantly.
The only thing he left behind is the fireplace and the fish.
 
Had he been paying all that much attention to what anyone was saying, rather than the actions that they took, Bartleby might have answered Daniel a little sooner. As it was, he only registered that he had been included in a question muh later on, belatedly blurting out, "I'm just a wanderer. You know elves, we get restless easily." He offered a roguish smile that was rather feminine, though of course this was impossible to prevent. Presumably he managed to get away with it, seeing as much haappened between his answer and any further interaction. A newcomer, and magic - for want of a better word.

Unlike many elves, Bartleby didn't take kindly to magic, perhaps due to its uses in torture, as well as the fact that the only supernatural being he had come into contact with, happened to be the demon that would eventually take his soul. As a result of this, Bartleby took himself slightly away from the group, and actually cried out in high pitched shock as Nova disappeared. He also happened to draw a sword, just in case...he was a bit jumpy.
 
Daniel watched mutely as one boy fell asleep and the other teleported away within the blink of an eye. His teleport would be imperfect, he figured. There was always a chance of failure. His own scroll of teleport had come from a high-magus who was then, slain by his hand. A cracked neck. He never defaced the corpse, never cut out its tongue. The other high wizards of the world could easily cast a spell to bring him back, or to speak with him from beyond the grave. His name would eventually come out; Daniel Danielson, Mage-Slayer. He chuckled to himself at the thought of anybody putting any sort of honorific after his name, and his helmet made its dull rattling sound as he did.

Daniel looked at the spot where Nova once was, and then, his eyes flicked to the boy who was asleep. His eyes narrowed. "He certainly fell asleep quickly. And our host appears to have departed. Hurm." His voice echoed metallically in his helmet. "Perhaps he will return. Perhaps not. Perhaps we should follow him to town, and find rooms of our own." The death knight glanced over his younger, boyish compatriots. He was beginning to feel like a rooster amongst chicks; experience making him older and stranger. Perhaps he would become a silent ally to a real hero later on, and break his curse. It was a comforting feeling, that. It felt like hope.

The death knight stood, with the creaking of armor and the sheer sound of metal against metal. He scooped his blade up from the ground, and fastened it once more to his back, the base of the sheath brushing against the cloak that hid start of his upper greaves. Daniel drew his cloak around him, hiding his armor, book, and bag, once more. His red-grey eyes flicked to Lucian. "We may journey to town, or we may spend our night here. I will provide my aid, regardless of the decision made." He glanced down at the sleeping boy with a crack of his head. "I am capable of carrying him."
 
After a moment or two of standing ready to take out anyone that popped out at him, Bartleby gradually lowered his sword. Now he felt just a tiny bit embarrassed, and looked around at the others, feeling rather sheepish now. He was usually on edge, but that didn't mean he was incapable of feeling like a fool, as he did now. Even so, it was probably be better that he be over sensitive to any potential dangers, as anyone with too little of that instinct would inevitably be slain far before their alotted time.

Still not having decided whether he would spend any further time with the group, perhaps even joining up with them for a good while, Bartleby did at least intend to remain with them for the next night. Travelling alone in the dark was rarely - if ever - a good idea, and so he hoped to stay just until the sun rose. He listened to Daniel's proposal, and half wished for them to journey up to the town. He wanted to undress from these rather constricting clothes, and just be Aoife for a few hours. Of course, that would require spending money on a single room, and certainly appearing rather selfish - but it was necessary. Although Aoife was excellent at maintaining the charade, she still needed respite from the pretence.
 
Lucian stared at the place where Nova disappeared. "That was so amazing! Wonder where he teleported himself to? I wish I could teleport too." he boasted all exited and hopeful. Getting his feet back to ground he glanced around the fireplace. "Well, we could most likely get rooms if we share them. But I don't have any money, and apperentl neither does Byron." he noted crestfallen. "But sleeping indoors really does have it's sides. Maybe if offer to work there for a while?" Lucian cheered up again. "Okay, let's try and see. And let's take that fish with us too." He already desided for himself and was ready to leave. He completely ignored others opinions the fact that if they wouldn't get the rooms, Daniel would have to carry the boy there and back here.
 
Byron frowned at the sudden teleportation a throwing knife appearing in his hand momentarily before vanishing again into the confines of his long sleeved shirt. He could not afford to be this jumpy but apparently the Bartleby person could. There was something off about him but Byron just shrugged it off. Standing he stretched and yawned looking at each person in turn. "You guys can have the rooms if you like, I'm going to camp out somewhere else. I don't like sleeping in rooms unless the weather is disagreeable, so far it looks like it is going to be kind." He hopped over the small end of the bridge and asked, "You guys coming or what?" before heading toward town. He knew Lucian was ready to go and they all probably were as well, he was just going to start off and see if they followed him into town, or if they would take another rout, either way he'd decided he was going to see what comes of the boy's adventure.</SPAN></SPAN>
 
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