RP:Lost and Not Quite Found

From HollowWiki

Part of the You Must Have Been Human Arc


Part of the Lies Within Us Arc


This is a Mage's Guild RP.


Summary: Two days after Karasu’s kidnapping during another kidnapping’s negotiations, Magikrios returns to the Mage Tower to consider his next steps. Karasu greets him with no memory of her kidnapping, nor of the surrender of her guildmates. Something happened during her kidnapping, as her sword is caked in blood. Exhausted by recent events, the pair become paranoid that Provost Tsuji may be listening when they realize the communicator used to relay messages to other clan members has gone missing.



Meditation Center

Magik is pacing back and forth with his head held low in the empty room. No fancy Veneficus robes this evening. He's in his more casual wear; black boots, leather pants, and a button up black shirt with his sleeves rolled up to reveal his smoky and pulsating tattoo. Magik is not in a happy mood. His bow rests against the small alter at the far side of the room.

Karasu is terrified. She has no idea why, but she knows something has gone terribly wrong at the negotiations. "Magik? Where is everyone?" The spell-blade stands at the foot of the staircase in the same summer clothing she had been dressed in the day of her disappearance. The stolen apprentice robes are missing, and there's faint smell of iron coming off of the feline. Notably, the black crystal that hangs from her ear while in human form is missing.

Magik's back happened to be turned to Karasu as she made herself known. He elf stops in his tracks and whips around holding a black ball of fire. "Prove it's you! Now!" The elf pulls his arm back like he's about to throw the projectile at her, "NOW!" He looks panicked, stress, and any other emotion considering the recent events.

Karasu holds her hands up defensively, her almond eyes going wide. Dazed and confused, hostility from the elf was the last thing she was expecting. "You-- you have a ferret named Vhid, you have a magical compass with a chunk of black obsidian in the center, I--” Wait, anyone could have known those things! “I know you pretended to have the hots for my sister to make me mad, but really it was to distract me from getting stuck on this crap with my dad." She rambles, looking from his hand to his face.

Magik brought his arm down to extinguish the flame and rushed to Karasu. He practically slides as he kneels down in front of her. He grabs her arms to give a quick look over, tilts her head side to side to check for any bruises, then pulls her in close for a tight hug. He holds her close for a moment then kisses the top of her head as he stands up. The elf grabs her shoulders and takes a step back to hold her at arm's length, "Are you okay? Where did you go?" His eyes darken quickly as the flame within grows. He growls, "Where is Kaaname?"

Karasu lets out a small noise of protest as she's pulled into the hug, unaccustomed to the display of affection from him. Or really, anyone who was not Quintessa. Hugging was not in her curriculum growing up. The feline does not seem to be visibly harmed; rather the scent of iron comes from her scabbard, the leather of which seems to be discolored. "What do you mean 'where did I go', I just woke up in the pass and everyone was gone. My earring must have fallen off too." Her brows furrow, seeming to be completely unaware of what day it is. "Why would I know where that monster is?"

Magik studies Karasu then flips the bottom of her sword up and lets it fall back to her side, "No. Kaaname dragged you off when the violence started. I caught a glimpse of it. I..I almost had you until that poor kid jumped in my way." He finally releases the grip on Kara before he fully stands upright. "You were gone. I scanned the area to look for you. I even came back here and searched the whole tower for you." He stops then tilts his head, "Who else is missing? Tessa got captured..I don't know when, but she's still alive.." The master of remaining calm under pressure is starting to crack and he knows it. He sits down on the steps as his thoughts start racing again. However he points to the scabbard, "What's going on with that?"

Karasu looks up as the scabbard is flipped. The bottom is tainted with blood. Karasu's face turns white. "What the fu..." She rushes to unclip the belt from her waist and draw the sword. Sure enough, the sword is covered in dried blood. Seeing Magikrios' reaction, what little composure Karasu had seems to crumble as well. "He dragged me off. I-I don't remember that." She admits, her eyes flicking back and forth as she tries to recall. "I just... I remember you leading me next to Odhranos, he was having some kind of flashback, and I going to try to say something, and then I was alone there. I've been looking all over for the communicator, and then I found you." She lowers her head. "I-I don't know who is missing. I mean, how long has it been since they got taken, they can't have gone far, right?!" She sheaths her sword and moves to stand as if to try to chase down a carriage.

Magik stares at the sword the looks back to Kara. He heard her speak but he wasn't listening, "You..You can't be here." Everything suddenly starts to click with her missing the communicator. He holds a finger up to his lips as to shush her. He then points to his ear that houses his dark tunnels in his ear lobe. He winks at her numerous times as he starts to get loud, "Get out of my office! It's your fault Tessa got captured!" As he yells, he rushes to the altar to scribble something on some parchment. He quickly holds up the paper that reads, "HQ." "Look at this mess you've caused..Maybe I should let your father have you!" He was shaking his head the whole time and waving his arms to signal that he wasn't serious about his statements. He moves to collect his bow up and searches the room for anything he may have misplaced all while telling Karasu to get out.

Karasu trembles as the realization dawns on her upon seeing his gesture to his own tunnel. "You were supposed to protect me!" Karasu retorts, taking the parchment from him and stuffing it into her pockets with a nod. She moves away from him and over to the doorway. "I know I am a liability, and a cowardly one at that too. I thought you had more faith in me than to blame me for Quintessa's capture." Despite her amateur acting, Magik would be able to tell that Karasu's remark about her cowardice was a bit more than a play. She runs a hand through her hair as she moves from the meditation center to the offices. Her eyes linger on the doorways of the various councilmen. "At least..." Her tone is sad, but she clears her throat and resumes her defiant act. "Surely the councilmen are working on getting Quintessa back from Larket, right? Odie would never let them execute her like they did to the witch Valrae." She looks from the offices to him, trying to get across another question: 'Is Odhranos okay?'

Magik threw a couple books as his voice continued to get louder however, purposefully missing Karasu. He needed that extra flair incase someone was listening. His cursing got more aggressive but between throwing stuff at no one in particular, he made a heart shape with his hands. He scribbles another note quickly that reads in big letters, "Me find Odh 2morrow." He holds it up then yells, "I said OUT!" before he disappears into his smoky form to take an alternative route back to the SoS hideout.

Karasu smiles, matching the heart gesture with a stifled laugh. The feline leaves when he dissipates into his smoky form as well, and rests her back against the door. Alone with her thoughts in the Tower, her mind races. Without Quintessa around, there was no one to defend Kanna should Kaaname hone in on her. Come to think of it, if her father had captured her, why had he just let her go? Did he only need her to kill whoever's blood tainted her sword? There was something terribly wrong about this entire affair. For now, she had to get back to Kelay.


The Syndicate Grand Council Hall, later that evening

A small black box sits near the edge of the meeting table. Magik is mindlessly staring at the ladder leading down to the meeting room from his normal seat. It's obvious he hasn't had quality sleep for a couple nights now. His one leg is bouncing up and down rapidly as he tries to collect his thoughts and focus on his next move.

Karasu opens up the secret entryway to the clan headquarters and jumps down the shaft rather than descend the ladder rungs. In her arms are multiple scrolled up parchments. "I'm here. I've got maps of Larket, Kelay, and the forests all around both cities. I think we can narrow down where exactly Quintessa is being held if we cross-reference where the witch Valrae was not found during her confinement." Her hair is frazzled, with curls sticking up at unnatural angles. It seems sleep has not visited either of the clanmates.

Magik pointed to his naked earlobes then to the black box. He gathers the box up and places it on the goodie table before returning to his seat. However, he pulls the seat back and stands instead of sitting down. He pushes a few of his own papers out of the way to make room for the maps. He says in a lowered voice, "Here. Let me help you spread these out and let's have a look." Empty plates and beer bottles can be used as paper weights.

Karasu hangs her head slightly at his gesture to the stolen communicator. The maps are laid side by side, and the makeshift paperweights are placed onto the edges. Without a word, she points to the black box with one hand, and uses the other to rub at her eyes.

Magik continues his hushed tone as he smooths out the maps as they are placed accordingly, "Mine are in the box until we locate yours. No luck then? It's not your fault, Kara.." He squashes that before she even thought about blaming herself. He offers her a reassuring smile before tracing a hand along the maps, more so over Larket.

Karasu gives a curt nod. "No, no luck. I tried using this to locate them," She withdraws a compass with a garnet heart in the center much like her shapeshifting pendant, "But it just points at myself. I don't think it understood the question." She murmurs before putting it down on the table. The compass flips open, and a deep red arrow made of arcane magic hums softly as it points at the feline. She clicks it closed and slides it out to hold down the parchment where the southern bridge lies. A quill is produced, and she begins mechanically crossing off certain buildings from her own research while obtaining said maps.

Magik stops at Karasu's words then fumbles within his pockets. He opens the obsidian hearted compass and focuses on what he really wants right now; that damn earring of hers. The arrow spins for a second and then points at Karasu as well. He looks at Kara then back down as he drifts around her but the compass remains locked on her, "Kara.." Magik moves the compass up and down and all around Karasu, even giving it a light tap and shake to make sure it's working correctly. "Did you swallow it?"

Karasu stops and looks at Magik, her brows furrowed. "HUH? Why would I swallow it?" She shakes her head as if that's the most ridiculous idea in the world. There would be just the slightest sound of something small bouncing against the metal of her armor as she shakes her head as she does so. The feline does not seem to notice this sound as she hunches back over her map. "If it's not in the pass, then we just have to find a way to destroy them from a distance when new ones are made." She murmurs, putting another X over a bakery.

Magik takes the compass and focuses it more towards her head. Back and forth the arrow starts to pinpoint where the earring is hidden, "Kara..Sweetie..Shake your head again..Like there are bees in there or whatever..spiders..something. Just..shake your head.."

Karasu crosses off the general store, then looks back at Magik. It finally clicks. "No. No way." She says, not in answer to his response, but to the idea that she has been paranoid for the last twenty-four hours for nothing. She shakes her head again, and a glimmer of light peeks out with every shake.

Magik gasps then reaches to pick the jewelry out while her head shakes. After a few failed attempts he let's his aggravation take over, "Just. Stop. Gahh." He finally grabs the earring from Kara's hair then holds it in front of her face.

Karasu stares at the communicator dangling from Magik's fingers. For the first time in their months of friendship, her eyes well up with fat tears, frustration finally having reached its peak. "So he didn't steal it. Then why the hell did he wipe my memory, and how did he do it?! Wouldn't he want this to eavesdrop on our movements with?!" She rants, angry tears spilling over as she takes the earring and hooks it back into place.

Magik stared at Kara then nonchalantly tosses a plate to the side. No anger. No frustration. Just. Whatever. After the plate breaks as it hits the floor he ruffles Kara's already mess of a head, "Well, one less thing to worry about, kiddo.. I'm glad he didn't get it though.." He offers Kara a handkerchief, "Breathe." Magik then makes his way to the black box to remove his own plugs from within. He pops one in each ear then rejoins Kara. Back to business. He seats himself on the edge of the table as he fiddles with his plugs more. He looks over the maps as he whispers to the shadows. "Tessa? Are you there?"

Karasu passes her sleeve over her face, trying to keep her composure. The handkerchief is taken with a word of thanks. She sniffles, moving back to the map once she's sure the earrings are secure. "I'm breathing. I just... I don't know what to do. I went there to help, and I ended up making things worse. If Quintessa had known who I was, if I hadn't felt the need to disguise myself, maybe she could have intervened where you couldn't. Maybe that would have prevented her capture." With a deep sigh, she declares. "The only place that makes sense for them to be is somewhere inside the actual castle itself." Karasu whispers to the shadows, hoping to reach Quintessa. "I think I've zero'd in on your location. Just give me a cough for 'yes', two coughs for 'no': Do you believe you're in imminent danger?"

Magik slammed his fist down on the table, "Stop!...blaming yourself." Magik's outburst is short but he regains his calm immediately, " s*** happens. I could easily sit here and say I should have done this or that. I could blame myself for -you- getting torn away from right behind me because I told you to come back to the tower so you wouldn't get kicked out." He shakes his head side to side, "What matter is how we react. Sitting around blaming others or ourselves solves nothing. How we react, however, that's where our power stems from." The fire within his eyes dims out completely to reveal his true blue color, "You are stronger than you think, Kara. I need you to start believing in yourself. You sure as hell wouldn't be here," he gestures to the meeting room, "if I didn't believe in the fight I know you have in you." His fire returns, "Are you with me?" To the shadows, he says, “Sniffle for however many other Guild members are with you.”

Karasu chews on her lower lip. "I know I'm strong. I just... I don't know what's wrong with me." She taps her finger on the table as they await any kind of answer from Quintessa. "There's no way she's dead, right? The Larketians aren't -that- reckless."

Magik replies to Karasu, "She sounded okay last time we had communication with her. Let's just see."

From the shadows come two stiff coughs, but no sniffles.

Magik smiles. “See?”

Karasu lets go of a breath she did not even realize she was holding. "Thank Xalious above." She prays quietly.

Magik nods and asks, "You asked where everyone was yesterday. Who did you not see at the tower??"

Karasu lets out a slow exhale as she thinks. "None of the councilmen were there. I also didn't see Veneficius Khitti or Kasyr, but they also are not at the tower frequently enough for them not being there to be a problem. Come to think of it, I didn't see any indication of a small child being anywhere in the Tower either. This whole debacle came about because of a child apprentice, right?"

Magik gets to his feet, "Hmm.." He retraces the happenings in Xalious quickly. Everything happened so fast. He starts making a drink for himself but asks, "Drink, Kara?" Too bad. She was getting one anyways. Two glasses. A few different alcohols and an orange slice as garnish. Straws too. Twisty ones. He returns to his spot on the table's edge and slides Kara her drink, Rynvale Island Iced Tea. Omnoms. The elf takes a few sips as he thinks on everything, "Kasyr was at the pass...I haven't seen him since..Maybe he's passed out under his office desk?"

Karasu takes the fruity cocktail and takes a sip far too big for someone her age to be capable of downing. "Thank you." She considers his musings, and her brows furrow at the mention of Kasyr. Was there really a time where she thought he was the greatest thing since sliced runes? "He could have been, yeah. He's probably one of the only persons I haven't cleared as being in on the conspiracy with Dad-- Kaaname." She corrects herself, making a face as she moves to take another sip. "He probably confused them with his accent and buggered off before they could capture him." Karasu slumps back in her chair, her eyes growing heavy. "But Quintessa isn't in danger. That's... good."

Magik enjoys his drink between pointing out various positions that the SoS could breach at the Larket fort just in case they needed to spring Quintessa out. They are going to give politics a shot first seeing how she's not in any danger at the moment. Everyone's done a little time in their life. No big deal. As he finishes his drink he gives his Owl just one more command, "I'm going to head back to the tower to look for Kasyr. Keep the whispers to a minimum but check in with Tessa every once in a while to verify that she's okay. Good?" Magik pats her head once more then walks to the ladder. He turns around to take in the view of Kara at the meeting table putting in the work. The elf smiles then heads up to the streets.

Karasu keeps her head turned away as the elf exits the meeting place. Left to dwell on her thoughts, she tries to remember what it was that happened out in the mountain pass. If her father had no use for their ability to speak through the shadows, then he was an even more powerful mage than she even feared.