Points Converging

Points Converging

Postby CherryStatic » Sun Mar 20, 2016 9:57 am

Melanie Tabard heard the crack of the whip a second too late to avoid the coil of woven leather that snaked around her legs, sending her to the ground in a heap. Her familiar flew from her outstretched fingers, legs kicking madly as he rolled through the leaves.

"Reggie!" the girl cried, straining to reach for the rotund hedgehog. The length of the whip wound about her ankle kept her from going anywhere, and she rolled over on one elbow to defend herself from her assailant, an alluring red haired woman wearing a uniform the color of blood. Panicked, the young witch began stringing together the syllables of a cantrip, gathering a bright light in the palm of her hand and flinging it at the woman's face.

The redhead all but ignored the light as it fizzled out of existence, almost as if she couldn't see it in the first place. Melanie froze in confusion, thinking that she had bungled the spell, while the woman came to stand over her, pulling a knife from her belt. Melanie crawled backwards as best as she could, but the woman's firm grip on the whip prevented her from moving more than a few inches.

"I'd stay still if I were you." the redhead said without any real menace in her voice. Still, the blade in her hand and the fact that she was apparently ready to use it at the first sign of a spell kept Melanie from lowering her guard.

Footsteps approached from the direction they had come, and soon the tiny clearing in the forest was host to several men and women holding torches, all armed and wearing matching grey uniforms, different than that of the red haired woman's. A slender woman--no, a man?-- with slightly elvish features dressed in robes of gold and chocolate stepped forward, regarding her with a disdainful violet eye, the other half of his pointed face obscured behind a fall of platinum blond hair.

"I believe I told you to 'catch her', not 'tie her like a wild boar', Alcara." the half-elf muttered, coming to a stop several feet away, his gaze never straying from the young witch's own. "All the same, that was quite a show. I was convinced that she had escaped after she sent our horses into a frenzy."

"I'm used to taking down casters." Alcara said tersely, giving the man a very clear and very pointed look. He chose to ignore it, and the redhead disentangled her weapon from Melanie's legs with a flourish, coiling the whip but leaving it free of its strap on her outer thigh. Bending down, she hauled the still puzzled witch to her feet and held her forearm loosely.

"Who are you guys?" Melanie asked, eyes darting from face to face. "Why didn't my magic work?"

"The answer to that question would ill serve you now, child." the half-elf said. His eye caught the movement of the hedgehog and narrowed. "A familiar. Then I suppose that would make you a witch? That would certainly explain the foul energy wafting from within the forest."

"What?" The girl's confusion gave way to indignation, eyebrows knitting together as she pulled her arm free of Alcara's grip. "I don't know who you think you are, but I don't have anything to do with this forest or any bad vibes it gives off! I came to investigate it!"

"I find that hard to believe considering you fled the moment we made our presence known." he replied flatly.

"I didn't mean to run, I just--" She waved a hand at the men and women in uniform behind him, several of whom went for their blades thinking that she was trying to cast a spell. She flinched at their reaction, glancing uneasily at Alcara and her knife. "I guess I just got spooked at the sight of all those torches. I wasn't sure if they were meant for me. The people in this town aren't very gracious to witches, it turns out."

"I would imagine not. Thievery is hardly something to be tolerated, especially when it pertains to rare and valuable magical items."

Melanie perked up. "You're talking about my Fact Finder Tome, right? Did someone find it? Do you have it?"

There was a pregnant pause in the clearing. Alcara looked to the half-elf with raised eyebrows. "What is she talking about, Vess?"

"I'm not entirely sure." he admitted, beginning to wonder if they had detained a madwoman. "A witch of considerable magical talent has relieved me of a rather crucial instrument, a crystal ball, that I would very much like to get back. And I find it interesting that you should make a n appearance around the time she did. Friends of a feather and all that."

"A crystal ball?" the witch's eyes grew a tad rounder. "I'm not even sure where you can buy those in this day and age? Out of a special edition catalog, maybe, but I could never dream of being able to afford something like that! And I would NEVER help someone steal one! Even if I wanted to, it takes decades just to learn the basics of scrying."

Michta opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the appearance of two new faces across the clearing. A woman dressed in the colorful skirts and scarves that marked her as a gypsy strode boldly forward to meet them, all but ignoring the soldiers that attempted to bar her way. A handsome but apologetic man followed behind, holding a lantern. His eyes snagged on Alcara, and he gave her a winning smile. She stared blankly at him.

"Release this girl at once, seer." the gypsy woman said, a subdued accent clinging to her words as she came to stand nearly face-to-face with him, fierce despite being several inches shorter than him. "She is as much a victim in this as you are. As I am. As all of Myrken will be if we waste our time bickering amongst ourselves."

The half-elf considered the sudden invasion of his personal space with tangible disdain. "Ah, of course. You must be the 'Donnabella' I've been hearing so much about from my men. I had hoped not to encounter one of your kind during our unfortunate misadventures in Myrken, but when it rains, it apparently pours."

The gypsy smirked brazenly at his contempt. Alcara glanced at the seer, still taken aback by the woman's sudden appearance. "Wait, hold on. Is she a witch, too?"

"No, my dear." the seer said evenly. "She is known as a 'fate dealer'. Or as practitioners of authentic divination call: a joke. What little magic their kind may have once possessed has been reduced to smoke and mirrors. Now they are simply glorified con artists who travel the land."

"You speak highly of the powers you call upon, seer. I wonder, did they tell you that you would find yourself in the same situation as a lowly gypsy?" Her tone smacked of mockery, but there was genuine anger beneath it. "Perhaps if you hadn't been staring so deeply into your trinkets, you would have noticed someone sneaking up to steal them out from under your nose."

"Strong words for one who relies so heavily upon the cards that shape her craft." He made a show of looking her up and down. "Speaking of, where is your deck? I sense nothing of a magical nature on your person, although that could be telling of your profession more than anything else."

"My cards were stolen from me, the same as this girl's book. The same as your crystal ball. Why, I cannot say, nor can you, as much as it must pain you to admit." She brushed a wavy lock of black hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. "We have a common enemy, yet here was stand in the middle of this forest arguing."

Mictha was silent for a moment, considering her words. After a long moment, he breathed a dainty sigh. "Very well. It seems that we have made a slight misstep." He turned to Melanie, who had been watching the exchange like one would watch an alley cat square off against a dog. "I apologize for the misunderstanding. Perhaps it would behoove us to work together towards a mutual goal."

"Um. That's fine with me." The witch said, picking the hedgehog up off the ground. "I don't know how much help I can be, but I really want my book back, so just tell me what to do."

"Well said." The gypsy gave a small nod of approval. "My companion, Vance, and I will do our part as well. I can't say what this crow witch intends to use our items for, but she won't get the chance if I have anything to say about it."

The half-elf gave her a slight nod, reluctant at best. "Indeed. Whatever the case, I think it best to be gone from this forest. It reeks of a sinister magic. I have the sneaking suspicion that some of the answers we seek can be found here, but we are ill prepared for what might lie further in. Let us regroup this evening at the Floating Dragon. We can discuss a plan there."
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CherryStatic
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