Valur

[Noctis the Devious]

Ryder was many things and possessed many skills, but to claim he had "tactical finesse" would make even the witch himself laugh. If there was a point to hit, you hit it. It was not like a person stopped to think about how to press a button when there was one to press, so the redhead did what he did best, target weak points to incapacitate his opponent. Or, well opponents as cultusts didn't seem too keen on a one on one battle. But as he concussed two more away from him, he stopped and for a second, stood in awe at the way the other handled himself so effortless against five men, seamless transforming from one weapon to another.

But right before any interesting details could reveal themselves, one cultist took advantage of the brief distraction and came at him from his blind side. Ryder's senses didn't kick back into full gear until it was almost too late, but thankfully he had a fail safe spell that worked almost every time. He ducked the energy blast and dove for the caster, his finger tips crackling with energy up to the moment they were japped into the various pressure points. The cultist froze where he stood, paralyzed, and all Ryder had to was snap his fingers. The spell worked instantly, sending electrical-like pulses through out the human's body.

Three more came at him and the young wanderer quickly drew on his hand the stealth circle he used previously to sneak up on them in the first place to briefly disappear. Another magic circle drawn on his arm and he bounded up a tree silently. It was there he ditched his cloak and bag, digging out his book of magic circles in the same motion, and hung himself on a branch by the bend of his knees. The illusion wasn't broken until he pressed the palm of his hand to a specific page and it glowed. He knew he had to make it quick, and what quicker way was there to summon a magic circle that magically projecting it on the ground instead of drawing it? The glowing bends and runes distracted the cultists from throwing more spells at him and he took the oppurtunity to activate it. A sharp bang followed by a puff of smoke resounded through the thin woods, and when it all cleared, he grinned at the remaining chickens left to cluck about in confusion.

Who didn't like a good old fashion transmutation spell?

His fun was short lived though, when a spell abruptly knocked him off his perch and he plummeted, landing rather hard and awkwardly. He hissed, back arching in pain, and left mildly dazed. "Well aren't you more magicly competent then you initially lead on?" He locked on the to presume leader of the ritual and blinked, slowly gathering himself up onto his feet. Another cultist caught him by surprised and landed a solid hit on his ribs before he could complete the action and sent him sprawling out once more. He groaned and clenched his hands, bringing to attention to the two bracelet sized belts buckled over his long sleeve shirt at his wrists.

One buckle briefly warmed only to cool once more, and instead energy manifested into the shape of a needle. He quickly launched it at the hooded figure and knocked the hood right off. He smirked at the familiar face of the grey bearded man they shared a card game with just last night. "And I see you didn't heed my warning. You know, just because you have magic doesn't mean you should go and challenge an experienced witch and all that lovely jazz?" He attempted to make to his feet again and that time succeeded, if only because man with the gray beard called off the rest of the lackeys.

Ryder was visibly tired, his lack of meals and previous night's shenanigans catching up with him. There was also the pain from his latest injuries but details details. The cultist leader snorted and, looking to catch him off guard again, launched energy beams at him. The younger was quicker, however, and shouted one simple command with a singled raised arm,

"Disperse!" They all seemed taken back as the energy forming the spell broke down into particles that looked just as harmless, and as pretty, as glitter. It was a defense spell that could only be used on spells that were of equal power or below the caster's own power. It was a sure way to show dominance over one's opponent. Ryder hummed and rotated his wrist. "Reform." The particles gathered and just like that the gray beard's spell was redirected at him, though altered so that when it hit, it hit solidly, throwing him back and knocking the air out of his lungs instead of piercing him through. Ryder grinned and wipped his hands together. "Well, who's next?" By then most had either been injured by Valur or encountered Ryder through out the fiasco, and with the leader taken cared off, those who remained standing promptly surrendered. The red head was just about to gloat when more light caught his eye and swore colorfully.

The first ritual was just a diversion!

He groaned and scribbled another magic circle on to his hand with the intent of suppressing his pain and fatigue. He had no time to tend to his injuries, and he'd feel them full force in the morning, but right then he couldn't afford to be hindered. The second group would be smaller, but there were also half way through the ritual.

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

Blue light shown once more from Valur's hands as the form of a pair of swords came forth from both, thrust out towards flanking cultists. Both went down, their chests pierced by his magic blades. With a spray of blood, they came loose as he made his way over to the captive, sealing quick blows to her bindings to release her.

"Up you come. Stay close; you're safe now."

Flashing her a smile, he turned back to the others who only moments later surrendered. Normally, he would have relaxed but something was still up, the proverbial hairs on the back of his neck standing up. There was still magic around and it was far fromt he now familiar feel of Ryder's.

"Down!" he said, spinning around and hurling his blade into the distance as the freed captive paniked and dropped to her knees on the ground.

At least, it seemed as though it was heading into the distance. It stopped halfway there, the blue blade quivering in midair as though it had stuck in stone. Around it, cracks spiderwebbed out before opaque shards of light and darkness shattered, falling alongside the blade to release more light and the sight of another group of cultists performing their own ritual.

There was only a moment of shock upon their faces at having been found out but that was all; no doubt the illusion he had just shattered allowed the casters to see beyond it. Lifting up the freed woman at his feet with his free hand, he jerked his head towards Ryder, indicating that she should head over to him.

Leaping over the altar, he lashed out with the sword, only for the blade to extend, segmenting along what appeared to be a cord or wire of some sort to lash out at the circle. This group had clearly seen what had happened to the last one and had taken precautions, his blade diverted off to the side of the markings harmlessly. Of course, that wasn't much of a concern to Valur. He lashed out again and watched his blade be diverted again, right where he expected it to be. A third was much the same way, all three scoring the ground. A fourth time he lashed out, completing the box around the victim, the scoring on the ground not once marking the runes but completely surrounding the second victim.

Smirking, he crushed the blade between the palms of his hands in a shower of blue sparks, his eyes glowing with silver light.

"Remanding the victim into protective custody: Adjudication - Safeguard."

From the scores he had left on the ground surrounding the altar, blue walls of force rose up, the sound of fizzling magic crackling over it. As they reached their apex, they collapsed in on each other, forming a protective pyramid around the second victim.

"The tribunal is now in session. Will the defense present their opening statement?" he asked, light shining forth from his hand again into the shape of a massive hammer that he swung onto his shoulder.

 

[Noctis the Devious]

Ryder was left in awe when that sword made completely out of magic was sent flying through the air and lodged itself in a shield of sorts. A shield Ryder himself could barely sense. He frowned and pressed a hand to his head. Seems the battle took more out of him than he was willing to admit. He shook his head and watched the magic shatter before raining down upon the earth in a delicate shower. It was a beautiful sight that only lasted a brief moment before the shocked faces of the cultists were revealed. He stared back at them. There was one among them that should have stood out but it seemed these cultists were so oridnary they blended together. The young wanderer grunted and rubbing at his one good eye. Maybe he was far more exhausted then he originally assumed.

He wasn't given anymore time to dwell on the matter when their female captive, the one Ryder nearly forgotten about, came running at him on Valur's command and practically threw herself into his arms. For a second he simply stood there, not really knowing what to do with a hysterical woman. Eventually his arms enveloped her. "Hey, no worries, we got you," he tried, offering his most reassuring smiles. That simply made her grip his long sleeve shirt even tighter. Did the cultists freak her out that badly or did Valur also have a hand in it? He continued to frown and glanced up, but gaped when Valur took to the air in a high leap over the second victim. His own sword lashed out at her further freaking out the girl in Ryder's arms.

"What does he think he's doing?! That's my sister!"

"Uh..." Thus the con of working with someone new; he had no idea what Valur was up to and could only watch as each strike of his sword pelted another shield over and over again. He had no doubt Valur couldn't break the shield so why didn't he? His answer came soon after in the form of Valur smashing his own sword between his hands scattering the magic and highlighting the smooth confidence he exerted. His eyes glinting like that of sword catching moonlight. The young wanderer's breath hitched at the display; fuck was that hot! And this is the guy I epicily failed at flirting with last night, he realized to no small amount of embarrassment. He pinched the bridge of his nose with a slight blush. This was so not fair! He shook his head and returned back to the matter on hand.

Valur had impressive magic, no doubt about that. He probably could have took on both cults on his own with no problem. But Ryder couldn't be counted out just yet. It seemed the girl wasn't the only one Valur scared, proven so by a cultist trying to escape Valur's strange spell. He didn't take more than two steps forward before freezing in his tracks. Ryder grinned. "What? You didn't think these guys fought us because they were loyal to the cause did you? Not all of them at least. No, they were forced to fight because they were trapped. It happened earlier when I was scouting out all of your rune rocks for any, and not the ones you had leading away from your ritual site either. You practitioners are so arrogant you didn't even think to check your own rune stones for any alterations before starting the ritual, so the moment you stepped into the circle to start your incantation you became my prisoner. Only I have a say in who leaves and who doesn't. Might as well surrender now huh?" He couldn't help the polite smile he flashed them all.

Unfortunately for Valur, that also included him as well. He knew it was too much to ask of the other to blindly trust him after recently meeting him so he remained silent on the matter. He at least allowed him to leave on circle and entered another so that had to say something.

He blinked his good eye when his vision abrubtly doubled and he raised his hand once more to touch his head, but stopped when he saw his magic circle still in effect on the oalm of his hand. That's right. Even if the circle also drained his energy, something he'll quickly regret the moment it came off, his pain and fatigue were repressed, which meant it wasn't his exhaustion messing with him. No, something, or rather someone, was diliberately mesding with his senses. Another illusion spell perhaps? That could explain why he couldn't make out any distinguishing features on these cultists. He bet the leader was hidden among them.

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

Contrary to the silver dragon's invitation, no statement was actually presented, though one cultist made to leave the area he had created, only to freeze as he touched the barrier. Sighing in mock exasperation, he shook his head, his white-silver hair flowing in the movement. He was completely oblivious to Ryder's attraction or blush; he was oblivious to much of his own charm, never having realized why he attracted to gaze of many was due in part to his adoptive father's womanizing ways.

"You did hear me say protective custody, right? That means nothing comes in, nothing goes out, aside from me. You cannot run, you cannot hide, and most importantly... you cannot take hostile actions."

As he spoke the last line, a cultist who had drawn a dagger and had been approaching the victim froze, dagger caught in mid movement to her throat.

"So then, all of you are trapped, you have no hostages, your allies are dead or disabled... and if need be, I can come in there and dispense justice as I please. You have no cards left to play and you are standing before judge, jury and executioner as given by the Silver Covenant of 4 Ante Mortem Talix. Now, will the leader of this group rise or will I have to find out who it is myself?"

His attention on the group of cultists left alive, he had no clue as to what was going on with Ryder behind him. Unlike the warlock, he could make out the individual features of each of the cultists. He could see several possible candidates for leader, but without more investigative methods, it was easier to make them rat each other out.

"The court does show leniency to those who help the prosecution..."

 

[Noctis the Devious]

The whole ordeal was starting sound fancy and official the more Valur revealed. The whole "Silver Covenant of 4 Ante Mortem Talix" especially. He made a mental note to ask the other about it later. Right then, he was a timer so to say, with the seal on his hand continually draining energy to hold back the pain and fatigue. The redhead shook his head and step forward, ignoring the girl reaching for him, and took a look around. Their faces still blurred together so he looked down at the circle. "If I were a leader opening a circle, where would I stand?" he hummed. He slowly spun in place, still looking at the ground, before stopping and looking up. "It's one of you two, isn't it? Don't lie to me, I already know. That's why you cast that spell on me, huh? So I couldn't recognize you as a cultist. Was it in that tonic earlier, Mr. Tavern Keeper?" One of the cultist Ryder had his eye on tensed and he grin. "So I was right! Thought you had a little too much information on this. Well, my job is done here."

He stretched and made his move to walk away. "Wait, you're just going to leave?" The tavern keeper demanded.

"Yeah, like I said, you were trapped the moment you stepped into this circle. The guards will be here in the morning. Right now, I'm going to go get some more of that Stormy mead before they realize you've been busted." He grinned once more at the Leader Cultist/Tavern Keeper and sauntered over to the tree to retrieve his things. He'd leave rescuing the captive to Valur. He glanced up at the branch with a frown, knowing this was only going to make it hurt worse when the seal on his hand gave away, but he could at least make it back to the Tavern. Until then, he jumped for the branch and hoisted himself up, securing the cloak around his neck and collecting his books and bags. He jumped down and took a deep breath.

That battle with the gray beard may have actually fraction, if not broke, a rib or two. He shook his head and threw his back over his shoulder. He had a couple of potions back in his room he could down. He eventually turned to the girl he and Valur saved, well, mostly Valur, and quirked an eyebrow when he realized she's been following him like a loss puppy. "I can walk you home if you like," he offered with a reassuring grin. After all, her and her sister have been through a lot. It was the least he could do.

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

As Ryder walked around his barrier and looked out at the cultists, Valur met the gaze of them after Ryder. Some of them he barely recognized in passing but as the redhead paused in front of two in his musings, he recognized one as being the tavern keeper from before. Only now, Ryder had outted him as the leader of the cult. The silver dragon's lip curled slightly in a smile.

"Well, that makes things easier for me. If only one of you could have cut a deal."

He stalked amidst them, heading straight for the young woman still held on the altar. Undoing her bindings, he helped her down from the stone block.

"Sorry about the attacks - it was the only way to make the marks at range," he said, a soft blush coming to his pale cheeks in sheepishness. Speaking of which..."

Leading her out of the boundaries of his own spell, he stood on the edge of it, taking the hammer in both hands and raising it over his head.

"The court finds all of you guilty and is ready for sentencing... Sentence: Incarceration!"

He brought the weapon crashing down onto his own spell, shattering it as the hammer fell to the ground. As it hit, it too shattered, leaving a glowing sigil behind that was familiar yet different to most. It was recognizable as a seal of the office of judge but the markings that would indicate any sort of jurisdiction made no sense and it was expected that they wouldn't since it was a universal jurisdiction that hadn't been used by the mortal races since they knew dragons were fact centuries ago. The shattered spell overlaid the ground in the same sigil, glowing dimly in the night.

"Something extra on top of that. That can only be undone by a lawmage of this jurisdiction under orders from your local magistrate; I suggest that you inform the guards so they can alert the appropriate authourities. As per regulations, if your jurisdiction has no lawmage or magistrate, I will remain in town for three days from this time to act as such if need be."

He dusted his hands off, sending a few particles of blue light flickering to the ground before offering his arm to the other captive.

"Now then, shall I return you home?"

 

[Noctis the Devious]

[Sorry for taking so long to reply Dx]

There was enough light from the moon for Ryder to see the faint hints of a blush dusting the other man's cheeks and Ryder couldn't him tilting his head curiously. Flushing in embarrassment because he had to do what needed to be done was odd, albeit endearing. It didn't last, however, as Valur quickly turned to deal out the finishing touches of his spell and as blue sharks of light fell from his hands like loose dust, Ryder couldn't help but think, amazing. He chuckled when Valur offered an arm to his respective captive and took the lead back towards town. If Ryder prided himself in anything, it was his sense of direction.

The young woman on his arm seemed quiet and pale, probably still coming to terms with what exactly she witnessed and what had nearly became of her and her sister. Ryder, on the other hand, at least tried to engage her in a light conversation, but it soon turned one sided. Not that it bothered Ryder, he was used to filling silences with chatter if only for his own benefit. "So, uh, where do you live?" he finally asked when they crossed the bridge back into town.

"Thanks, but I think my sister and I can take it from here," she replied, slipping away from Ryder and mentioning to her sister. Ryder blinked but respected her wishes and took a step back. While Valur and the other girl went about their chatter, Ryder simply stood off to the side wandering over what he could have possibly done to earn such a reaction. Was it something he said? Did he say too much? Was it the eye patch? Some woman he met didn't like the eye patch, even fewer like what was under it. Or maybe she just wasn't a fan of magic. Ryder rubbed the back of his neck until he realized he was just awkwardly standing there. Wait, should he take his leave now? Was Valur returning to the Inn? Or maybe he wanted to go back to the gaming hall, or maybe with the girl he saved. She sure seemed for fond of him than the other one was of him. Well he was interesting. Such a cute blusher--

And he should be going. He flashed an awkward grin and kind of waved at them. "Well, I should be going. At least before the people working the tonight figure out their boss may not be coming back, so yeah, nice to meet you ladies, Valur," He half bowed to each party and turned with a flutter of cloak back the way to the Inn. The beginnings of exhaustion set in and he placed a hand on his injured rib. Well, at least the repressive spell he used didn't wear off immediately, that would really be bad for Ryder.

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

[Sokay. I've been just as busy]

The young woman hesitated before taking his arm, prompted only by a gentle smile from the silver dragon. Rylis was right as usual; a smile was all you needed after saving a young woman's life to get them on your arm. Then it was a short walk home and into her bed. Or yours. Someone's bed. Not necessarily belonging to either of you.

Following after Ryder, he answered the eager questions from the young woman, asking about who he was, what he did, what kind of magic it was, the usual after something like this. It was easy to deflect the questions the same as he had so many times before. Claiming the title of Lawbringer, though not untrue, answered many questions. The strength of his judgements could be attributed to his own capabilities, etc. etc. and so forth. Had she been a lawmage, she might have seen a few things off but outside of an astute eye among those scholars in the field, there was no need to worry.

Ryder and the sister seemed to not be so well off, mostly being quiet. Even as the redhead tried to start a conversation, she pulled away from him and began heading over to her sister.

"The two of you should write down the events of the night as soon as you get home. Regardless of when, you will need to have the details ready. As I said, I'll be in town for another three days because of this, so if you have any concerns, feel free to look me up at the inn."

The pair of them headed off, both of them looking back, though with different emotions. Valur turned towards Ryder only to see the warlock heading off.

"And where do you think you're going? Better not be anyway outside of town for the next three days, otherwise I might have to imprison you as well," the silver dragon said with a laugh, though whether his words were facetious or not was indeterminate.

 

[Noctis the Devious]

Ryder half turned toward Valur, blinking his one green eye owlishly. "Wait three days?" He inwardly groaned. Normally when he worked these kinds of jobs he was in and out. He should have known asking for outside help would complicate things. Sadly, Ryder had no real reason to leave either. He was nothing more than a vagabond who got too restless if he stayed in one place for too long. Well, there was that one festival but that wasn't for another couple months, but it would also take him a couple of months to get over there. Anything for good food though.

He licked his lips at the thought and grinned. "Well, as long as you feed me captivity doesn't sound so bad. Wait, free food is included right?" He was kidding of course (but it was good information to have in case Valur did decide he looked good in his fancy spell). He grinned and did his awkward wink-blink before be continued toward the inn, a loud yawn escaping him. He winced when a jab of pain shot through his ribs at the action. The sooner he got to his room the better off he'd be.

The inn didn't even notice the absence of its owner it seemed, with most of the employees being women that night and the patrons just as rowdy. A couple of them recognised the red head the moment he stepped through the threshold and he grinned and waved at the warm welcomed he received. "You okay, you look a little pale," one if the passing witnesses observed. Ryder waved her off.

"Nah, it's nothing. Guess the mead down in the Dreary Cove didn't agree with me." He flashed a reassuring smile before treading up the stairs, steps more ginger than usual. By the time he got to his room, Ryder wished he was instead at some cave he could crawl in and hibernate for a good few months. Or the rest of his life. That sounded good to. He pressed his forehead against the heavy wood with a sigh, listening to the rowdy patrons have a good time. Also, his bed was still in front if the door. Considering he didn't exactly wake up in his room that morning, relocating the current inconvenient piece of furniture completely slipped his mind. He shook his head and pushed the door open. As expected, the door caught on his bed but there was just enough room for him to slip by through the gap.

He took a deep breath and did just that. Immediately upon entering the room he took off his cloak and let it slip to the floor carelessly, just nearly avoiding the four candles set in the middle of the room. In fact, the entire room had been rearranged, pushed against the walls to make space for the fairly large spell circle dominating the floor. The candles were placed at crucial points of the circle, but instead if the typical orangeish light, they emitted an eerie green glow. In ever direction lines extended from the circle connected many different objects laid out in the room, from an assortment of books to a little alchemy station set up on the desk provided for guests. Fortunately what Ryder needed was already pre-brewed and waiting in a small vial organised into loops of an alchemist's case. He quickly knocked it back and made a face at the bitter taste.

He shook his head and glanced back at the still open door. Did Valur get hurt as well? If that were the case he did have another potion for him too, and well, it was the least he could do with out helpful the other turned out to be (even if he did trap him here for three days).

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

"Food depends on where we are," the silver dragon said, oblivious to Ryder's wink. "But since we're here, it probably will be free. Though it's usually whatever I happen to be having, so I hope you like it rare. But yes, three days, though you could be gone sooner. It's only in the case that I have to handle the judgement myself. You're a witness and you assisted the court - you have two reasons to be here for it. We'll have to see how the local magstrate handles it."

He shrugged with indifference, making it clear that this was far from the first time he had done something like this, belying his apparent age by quite a bit.

"You should probably do something about that pain," he said after Ryder's yawn. "You don't look all that well. Paler than you should be at least."

Watching Ryder go off to his room, Valur went into his own, flopping onto his bed and letting his clothes vanish off of him. There was something that was bugging him about all of this. Why had the tavern keeper let all of this out? If he was the one leading it, why tell it to two random strangers? Why let them go off to handle it themselves instead of trying to dissuade them?

 

[Noctis the Devious]

Normally Ryder didn't sleep through the night even under the influence of alcohol, and often woke up in a different place from where he fell asleep. This morning was an exception as the young wanderer rose with the sun in his own bed. Well, in the bed he rented for himself anyway. It had been years since he had a bed to call his own. Not that Ryder was complaining. His strong sense of wanderlust made it near impossible for him to stay in the same place for very long, and thus his dilemma. He hadn't planned to stay more than two nights and be no more than a memory by morning.

Adding a second man made the equation both simple and complicated at the same time. He was under no delusions he could have handled it himself as cleanly as they did, not without pushing the very boundaries he had placed on himself and he definitely couldn't promise the safety of the two captives. On the other hand, Valur seemed to prefer to work within the law. Ryder didn't care for such rituals as much. Witches had always taken a more neutral stance when it came to human affairs and these situations were always dealt with quietly, especially if sensitive information was in danger, and therein lied the complication.

Those men had a reason to lure a witch into those woods, but obviously didn't have the experience to do so discreetly. Ryder knew from the start he was being honed in on the moment he had mentioned his heritage to the tavern keeper. The little job offering was just the missing puzzle piece. What Ryder still didn't know was why, and if Valur really should be the one to handle them. He may have trusted the man enough to work by his side, but he was still an outsider. Perhaps he should initiate coven law. He would have to have a really good reason through and that required questioning.

It wasn't as if he didn't have the time; he couldn't leave for three days. Well, he could, but he didn't fancy having someone like Valur hunt him down and do who knows what. Turn him in for invading the law? Make him his personal slave? The latter didn't sound too bad - not with the kind of mind Ryder had - but the former? Too dangerous. He would be better off staying for the three days than be relinquished to the coven's jurisdiction. Humans didn't have the right to try a witch. Well, unless they were sneaky and tried the witch as a practitioner.

He huffed and turned away from the window. The sun hadn't even peeked over the houses but he knew it was there, nagging at the back of his mind like a chore he knew he should do but just wanted to forget about. His still tender ribs protested the action, but that was to be expected. Even with his healing potion he was always sore the next day. He laid there until the sun started to properly peek over the horizon and fill his room. Then sleep was really futile. He debated packing but decided against it and quickly washed up before securing his eyepatch in place. Digging out his emergency money from the bottom of his bag, he double checked and sure enough he had the appropriate amount to buy some rations for the road or he could make it last the three days he was here and hope he had time to find work. Who knows, maybe he would even get a pretty coin for the work he already done. He pocketed the coin and left the room rubbing at his neck.

The tavern seemed more tamed than usual. Either because the staff was starting to worry where their boss had gotten off to or because Ryder wasn't up to causing a ruckus was anyone's guess. Not wanting to break the ritual he set for himself in the short time he had stayed, he sat down and ordered a simple serving of porridge and made small talk with both staff and patrons to see what rumors were floating around. Apparently, he and Valur's little light show was quite noticeable from the village. He couldn't help but grin and fought back the temptation to launch into another of his dramatic retellings.

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

Valur was up before Ryder but unlike the previous morning, he had remained in his room, preparing several things. By nature, silver dragons were beings of law and order, militant though some may have called it. Even one as free-minded as Valur was not immune to the natural callings, though it was well tempered; there was a time and a place for law and order. By that same lawful nature though, Valur had access to anything he needed by virtue of simple words. As the oldest race on the planet, ancient draconic was the foundation to all languages and even though numerous permutations and perversions had happened over the millenia, he could still discover and manipulate whatever he needed to. In this case, it had to do with this particular town.

He pored over a small, leather bound notebook, draconic runes inking themselves across the pages as he turned them, his eyes running over them quickly. As it turned out, this town had no court of it's own, but it was part of a circuit court that serviced the area's smaller towns. While he could leave it to the circuit court to determine the assorted fates of the cultists, that could be anywhere from weeks to months in the future when they would actually be tried. As a silver dragon, his jurisdiction extended everywhere and it was perfectly legal for him to act as judge in this instance. Of course, depending on how long it would be until the circuit court came through, he could always leave earlier; this too was part of the laws governing this interaction.

Clapping the book shut, he tucked it into a pocket and strapped on the sword, the weight somewhat of a comfort to him. He headed down to the main floor to find Ryder at the bar, once more eating simple fair. His thoughts returned to his before sleep thoughts, dashed away until now. The tavern keeper had had a goal in telling them about the ritual. Had it been to lure in more victims? Surely not since he would have tried to dissuade the silver dragon from going, having seen him in a simple fight. Of course, that only counted for Valur. Ryder was a warlock, though he hadn't explicitly said as much himself, alcohol loosening his tongue enough for enough of the truth to slip out. It was unlikely that the tavern keeper had known about that but it was obvious that Ryder had magic; that could be enough to draw attention.

"Ryder," he said, taking the stool beside the warlock without nonsense or preamble, "can you think of any reason why they might have come after you particularly?"

 

[Noctis the Devious]

Ryder glanced at the man next to him before tugging free a piece of chalk from the seams of his shirt and drew a small magic circle on the counter between them. Discrete enough not to caught the eye of anyone. "See, that's the thing," Ryder began. "I don't think I was the target specifically." He took another thoughtful bite of his porridge debating his next words carefully. "I think they needed a witch in general, but here's the kicker; even with an advanced tracking or even a lure spell there's still no guarantee a witch will show up." Afterall, he himself was considered a witch but even he couldn't say where the nearest coven was. But saying as much was probably too revealing.

Yet, if there was an advance lure spell in place, it could explain Ryder's presence in such a dreary little town when it would have been easier to camp out in the wild and by pass it completely. Cheaper too. The thing was, Ryder wasn't a witch, not a common one at least. Would a lure spell really lure him in? Unless... He frowned and rubbed at one of the leather band bound around his wrist: two on each arm. With his magic restricted as it was, forcing him to rely on spirit magic, he could easily been drawn in too. He shook his head and went back to spooning food into his mouth. "But they were just too new," he pondered out loud. "They haven't done this for long, luring in witches I mean. Otherwise they would, well, last night would have went differently that's for sure. That and being indiscriminate as well. This could be a new operation altogether and I'm willing to bet it isn't the only one.

"But why is the question I'm asking myself too. Why go to such great lengths for a witch? What was the point of luring me to their ritual site? They didn't try to bind me or anything. Or, if they did, they were doing a terrible. Or maybe I'm just that good." He chuckled and scraped the spoon against the bottom of the bowl, gathering up the remaining porridge to scoop up better. "Either way, It's better if we asked them our selves." He finished his porridge and licked his lips. Hopefully that would be enough fuel for his magic. His sore ribs he'd have to tough out.

He made a move to stand be hessitated. "Valur, I know you mean well, but if these cultists are doing something, something we witches wouldn't smile upon, this may have to be dealt with my way, and I don't think you'll like the way I deal with these kinds of messes." He shot him an apologetic look and wiped the chalk drawn magic circle off the counter. "Noise cancellation spell. It's never a good idea to talk so openly about something like this," he leaned in and whispered, shooting the other man a wink. He then grinned motioned toward the door, fighting back a wince. "Well, shall we?"

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

Even though Valur was agreeing with Ryder's assessment of the situation, he had been around long enough and far enough to know that if someone had set this up for a general witch, it could have been set up for a warlock. It might have taken a stronger focus, more spellcasters, high quality components, ancient magics, but it could be done. If someone were after Ryder, this could have been an opportunity to see what he could do, even weaken him for capture. This of course led back to the question that was still at the forefront of his mind - having seen what Valur could do unarmed, why did the innkeeper not try to dissuade him from going? Did they expect that their magics could handle him, especially if set up for a warlock? Were they just overconfident? Or could this be some sort of subtle play to get the sword? Experience had taught him that while the simple answer was usually the right one, experience had also taught him that expecting the usual answer was a great way to get your ass handed back to you.

"I'm not opposed to interrogation," Valur said, his lips tight with seriousness. "Similarly, I am not beholden to the laws this land has set down, only given the power to enforce them. If your way is the law of the witches, then I am fully capable of enforcing such as that would supercede the authourity of the circuit court that handles disputes here. That said... I am allowed to act as an inquisitor in circumstances like this."

As carefree as he typically was, Valur did take his duties seriously when they managed to catch up with him, which was often enough to be a nuisance. Once he found out the date, he could possibly conduct the trial immediately. The duty of prosecutor fell to him as well.

"Whatever you feel necessary, I can act upon, such is the way we work," he said, just before Ryder wiped away the circle. "Lead on. I imagine they will be quite twitchy while still in stasis."