The Pickpocket and the Cursed One

The blacksmith stiffens at Cipher's harsh words. Even before the magic user's lecture about going after Ogidnew, his eyes narrow, and his jaw tightens as he steps forward to meet Cipher's steely gaze with a venomous one of his own. "First of all, lad," he mutters curtly. "I'd no idea the man was a black mage. He's been one of my most regular customers for years. And secondly, if you knew what I have been through these past few years you would not be so cruel as to sully the names of my children."

His gaze softens a little as he sighs, setting a hand against the stone wall of the building. "This smithery was not always so quiet. I had thought, perhaps, that if I were to have another child, I would have another chance to regain what once was. A family. And I happened to mention it to - to mister Ogidnew - " He spits after the name and curls his lip. "He told me he knew the perfect soul I could take in. Someone with the hard work and tenacity it takes to be a blacksmith. How could I know what he was truly after?"

Salem listens quietly, his eyes flicking back and forth. "So you really did want to adopt someone," he murmurs. He blinks back the shimmer in his eyes and swallows. "W - well, I . . . I still want to be your apprentice. If you'll still have me."

Both are interrupted as Cipher continues on berating the blacksmith, and they exchange glances as he explains what a foolhardy mission going after the mage would be. Then Cioher starts to stalk away.

Before the blacksmith can get another word in, Salem huffs and runs after Cipher to grab his arm a second time. "You're not going alone," he says firmly. "It's dangerous. He knows you have powerful magic now, and he's going to be preparing. You might need help." He smiles and tilts his head, leaning forward to try and make eye contact. "By the way, what's that little wispy thing? Is it a tracking spell?"

The blacksmith sighs heavily and walks to catch up with the pair. "Stop a moment. No one's going anywhere until we get the donkey harnessed, aye? It could be a long journey."
 
If the blacksmith's words of grievance had any impact on Cipher, it certainly didn't show on his face. Cipher couldn't care less about what he'd been through in the past few years, or how benevolent his intentions had been. It was irrelevant to the man. All he wanted was to finish this new task, and then leave this city and these people far behind.

However, it was obvious that they had no intention of giving him the opportunity. He didn't ignore the boy's sudden appearance on his arm as he had the blacksmith's words, however. The moment Salem touched his arm, Cipher shook him off with a brisk movement. Even his curse didn't object to the action, apparently respecting the notion of personal space.

"Help?" Cipher repeated, before laughing out loud. "And just how do you think that you can help? Are you a mage? You weren't even capable of picking my pockets without tripping over your own feet, you really think you're capable of going toe to toe with a black mage?" Cipher snorted in ridicule, the look in his eye obviously disregarding Salem's offer as nothing more than the heights of foolishness.

However, the blacksmith's comment about the donkey drove Cipher firmly over the edge. He'd been fully intending to get out of sight of the little farm before triggering the second half of the tracking spell he'd released earlier, opening up a portal that would take him to his target. However, now, a faint, violet glint in the depths of his eye hinted at his other intentions.

"Since both of you seem incapable of understanding the spoken word," Cipher finally snapped, as he called to the magic that swam in his blood. "Let me give you a demonstration of your foolishness."

As though matching up to the end of his words, purple flames began to cover Cipher, quickly traveling up his arms and along his shoulders. With their appearance, the very air seemed to vibrate. With but a thought the flames on his shoulders grew stronger, and a boundless pressure began to fill the air. To Cipher, it felt like a faint tingling inside his chest, but he knew from his own past that nothing more than a mage's pressure could bring people to their knees, pressed down to the earth as though some invisible hand had fallen from the sky onto their shoulders.

With a glance at the two, the weight of Cipher's magical might pressed down upon them.

"Remind me again," he said, voice mock sweet. "How you said you were going to help?"

With a final snort Cipher turned aside again, weakening but not fully removing the pressure. Instead, his hands began to spin through the air in circles, leaving waves of purple flame behind in their passage. The flames gathered together, before beginning to spiral in time with the motion of Cipher's hands. Only a moment together, the motion of their passage seemed to begin to crack space, black fissures running through the air before condensing into a black point at the center of their spiral. Every moment the crack grew, until there was a pitch black, man sized hole in the middle of the air in front of Cipher.

"Just sit still and shut up," he offered as a farewell, before stepping into the black maw, which immediately began to close behind him.
 
Salem's eyes widen, reflecting the sparking purple magic that's flickering across Cipher's body. He swallows and starts to run forward again, only to be slammed against the ground by an invisible force from the sky. He groans and shoves up against it. "C - Cipher! You can't go alone! I won't let you get hurt!"​
The portal starts to close behind the mage. Salem panics and throws all his weight into his shoulders, suddenly tumbling forward out from under the invisible hand. "Wait!"
"Safe travels, lad!" the blacksmith calls as Salem leaps into the last open crack of the portal. Then there's a sharp crack of thunder as the portal closes. Everything is quiet again. The blacksmith tries to push himself up, only to huff and decide against it. "I'll . . . wait here, I suppose."​
On the other side of the portal, Salem crashes to thr ground and skids forward. He blinks and shakes his head, slowly stumbling to his feet, and he glances up at Cipher with a tilt of his head. "Whoa. Where are we?" he murmurs.​
Black mountains and rocky hills surround the pair, streaked with occasional streams of sluggish lava. They're on a small island just off the mainland. It's newly formed; not many animals or plants can be seen. There are, however, suspicious stone shapes scattered about, as though anything that dared climb the mountain was transformed into a part of it.​