RP:The Blues of Magic
Part of the Thy Kingdom Come Arc
Summary: Linn and Khitti finally meet for the first time. Before an actual introduction can be made, Raiez swoops in and creates an awkward situation for the two.
The Rolling Hills
Linn currently sat on the outskirts of the bustling war camp with his mithril plating laid out in front of him, arranged and built to form an empty shell of armor that he’d normally occupy. With the remaining scale and mail around his joints and abdomen remaining on the doublet he had a maybe odd half-silvered appearance as he worked, working on some kinds of invisible components in the gaps of the empty armor on the ground. With a pull to one of the ‘arms’ the whole suit seemed to follow along like a ragdoll in spite of the clear spaces between the parts that shouldn’t allow such a thing to happen. Seeming satisfied he sat down next to one of the arms to remove a plate with a slot cut under a ridge, muttering a soft curse before removing his pack and rummaging through it until he retrieved what appeared to be a vivid violet needle that he simply held in his hand for now, his foot tapping at the air in idle thought.
Khitti had been pacing impatiently at one of the healer's tents for what seemed like ages. The slight woman's concern had long since shifted into irritation. How was Alex? Was he doing alright? Was he awake? Was he even still breathing? Would they even tell her? No, they were doing their best to help him. They had to have been. At least that's what she reasoned in her own mind. Heaving a sigh, she snatches up her bow and quiver from the ground where she had left it and returns to the outskirts of the camp where she had been when Adagio arrived with the battered and broken Alex. Her chosen target from before, a random tree, still bore the few arrows she had managed to fire off and was not far off from Linn. They're yanked from tree with ease, and then the proper distance made between her and the target. Arrows are let loose in an attempt to take out her aggression towards the situation that she was unable to control. Her motions were quick and angry, her thoughts solely on that of her friend.
Linn twirled the needle between his fingers once or twice before giving another look at the plate he had in front of him and settling into some kind of trance for a fair amount of time. The arrows striking the tree brought him back to attention slowly, as if waking up from a nap. He watched for a little bit as Khitti practiced before turning the needle towards the spot where the metal bridge on the plate’s edge recombined with the rest of the metal before a small wash of fire sprung from the end. With a sigh he shut out the current world to focus on the current task, the stream of flame beginning to narrow and brighten. It wasn’t too long before the focus of the stream began to waver, the edges blooming and contracting back in and out as the jet threatened to spring back into an open flame; sweat began forming on Linn’s forehead as if he had been working a forge, even though the heat of the fire was directed away from him. With another deep breath he continued pushing the prototype enchantment, only for its focus to finally collapse as the jet of fire exploded into a large rush of flame with a resounding ‘FHWOOM’. Just as quickly as it came it was gone, leaving the enchanter back in attention of the real world, a little shocked, and now with a patch of grass beginning to burn with a spreading ring of flame. With a defeated ‘heh’ he tossed the plate aside and got up to begin stamping out the fire quickly as he could to keep it from spreading.
Khitti 's senses was drawn away from the task at hand as the scent of fire filled her nostrils. The bow is lowered, her attention shifting towards Linn, a crimson brow raising at the scene unfolding a short distance away. The vampire is hesitant as he seems to have things handled, but she eventually heads over to where the strange man stomped out the flames. "You know, I don't zhink zhat Hildegarde vould appreciate it if her var camp vas burned down so soon after it's been constructed." Verdant optics study the male carefully, having as of yet seen him. It's not like she was actively seeking out the people that Hildegarde called allies. The Silver may trust them, but she didn't entirely.
Linn made his way around the spreading ring of fire to stamp it out as he went, checking it twice over to make sure nothing else was lighting up after the job seemed done. Again he froze for a second as he looked over to the heated plate he discarded; it was only smoking where the metal hit the ground. Whew. A few people on the edge of the camp near him had turned their attention due to the bright flash of light the fire made, though they went back to their business once it was clear that mistakes have been made; Linn fortunately had enough of a reputation as an ally here that such an event wouldn’t turn many hostilities his way. His head snapped around as Khitti commented on the accident, an involuntary blush reddening his cheeks as he got to learn that someone –did- see what happened. With a sigh he sat back down next to the discarded armor plate, turning it around to inspect it again. “No. She wouldn’t” he responded with a weak chuckle to try and recover. “Yet here I am playing with fire. Nothing should go too wrong… should.” Again he twirled the violet sliver between his fingers with a self-depreciating roll of the eyes.
Raiez flies overhead, roaring like the beautiful, grand beast that she is.
Khitti allowed a grin to form briefly as she also caught sight of his reddening face, but it's short-lived as she hears that familiar dragon's roar over head. The situation was both fortunate and unfortunate at the same time. While it would appear that the blue dragon known as Raiez was still about (and that was bad), it would appear that she didn't have her heart set on landing and eating the vampiress for her attitude earlier. A moment or two of uneasiness washes over Khitti, but she's soon shaking her red-haired head and returning her attention to Linn, "Uh huh. I see...and vhat is it exactly zhat you're doing?" A few steps closer is taken, carefully closing the gap between the two, but still keeping a respectable distance. If Raiez did land, perhaps she'd be distracted with the live and delectable human being instead of the mouthy vampire woman.
Linn briefly glanced up at Raiez with a similarly suspicious mood. He could get his armor on fast, but not –that- fast. When Khitti finally asked what he was doing he shrugged, angling up the mithril plate to reveal the slot cut into it. “Figured out I didn’t entirely think through the order in which things had to be done with this. So now I have to remove this little bit and reattach it. And melting mithril isn’t easy. So…” a motion with the crystal needle in his hand, “Trying to get some fire focused enough to do exactly that without messing anything else up…” With that he cracked an exaggerated smile as he tapped his foot on the scorched ground from his previous accident. “That’s all details though. Really I’m getting this armor ready for the coming fights. Giving it a few more tricks I can use in case things go the wrong way.” A glance past the vampire towards the arrows in the tree. “Getting ready yourself?”
Khitti wasn't exactly knowledgeable when it came to armor, or armor-making, or whatever sort of odd magic he was using. Magic in general wasn't her forte, despite being magically-inclined herself. "I see." is said as she does her best to follow along with the strange male and his attempts at fixing his armor, "Vell, perhaps if you vere at an actual forge and not using zhat tiny crystal zhen maybe you would fare better in your endeavor." It was an honest suggestion; for once sarcasm not taking hold of her words. "As for zhings going zhe vrong vay, zhings seem to be fine so far." Except for that dragon flying over head.
Linn shrugged at the suggestion. “Possibly. It’s a smaller piece though, and I’m not sure a forge might have the right tools for what’s needed. We’ll see soon enough.” Really that one failure was enough to get him into stubbornly trying to figure out how to do it correctly, if just having the idea right for its own sake. When Khitti mentioned things going fine so far he chuckled lightly. “So far anyway. But when that time comes to take Frostmaw, there’s going to be fights, and I’m probably going to be in them. I’d rather not get killed in the process. Dying isn’t fun.” He knew a person or two that was (un)dead. Certainly didn’t look like a fun fate. Continuing to idly examine the plate and the crystal in his hands his head began to bounce in a weak nod. “So, what brings you out here?” The nodding directed itself over to the camp. “Not hard to know what the giants and elves out there are here for. I guess I’m here for the same reason. Taking back a home.”
Khitti merely nods at his insistence on doing things correctly, smirking when it's mentioned that dying isn't fun. "Indeed, however, I'm quite certain that Hildegarde has enough allies to keep things like zhat from happening." Tiring of holding her bow, she fixes it to her back, then folds her arms over her chest, "I'm one of said allies. I'm going to Frostmaw too."
Linn gave a morbid chuckle as the topics of Hildegarde and death came together. According to her it wasn’t that fun either for what he knew. When Khitti mentioned going to Frostmaw as well he nodded with a slight smile. “I think all of us are. All sorts of people here looking to fight for the same thing…” He set his own tools down to look into the camp, watching the activity for a little bit. “Can only wonder how Balgruuf is going to stand up to this kind of a move. Be interesting to see how he’d hold up under that lich that came through…” His words became tainted with venom as he finished the statement, both figures in the hypothetical conflict proving to provoke quite a bit of spite. “Guess it doesn’t matter. Just have to move in and do what we came to do. That’s all.”
Khitti frowns at the mention of a lich, worn boots leading her to the nearest tree, her back sliding down it as she sits on the ground, "I've not heard much about zhat lich, but I'm zhe one zhat's going to make sure ~zhat~ doesn't happen again. I'm an ambassador for Larewen Dragana, zhe necromancer. Hildegarde vants to essentially fight fire vith fire. Zhis Balgruuf zhat you speak of, however, I don't zhink he vould stand a chance against any lich, regardless if it's zhe one zhat assaulted Frostmaw." She falls silent for a moment, eyeing the ground carefully. She hoped things were going to go as well as she said they were. There was still the little matter of her magic. Sighing heavily, she looks towards Linn again, "I'm sure zhings vill be fine. Ve'll take it back in no time." It was clear that having a positive outlook on things was not her speciality.
Linn ’s head snapped around with a flash of a suspicious glance as Khitti mentioned that she was the necromancer sent to help prevent the problems that started out west. It broke with a hard blink as he began rubbing his brows with another sigh. “It’s not a bad idea, knowing the tools that brought about a disaster to fight them. So long as you’re working to keep these kinds of late disasters from going on…” Turning away he released a nervous chuckle. “Of every kind of magic I’ve seen necromancy has been the one that the power-crazed maniacs wield the most. You think that’s why it’s considered a dark art? Or maybe it’s just how directly it can affect someone.” Maybe it was that she wasn’t super obvious about the whole necromancy thing that put him at ease. It shouldn’t really. It was a breath of fresh air at least. Another sigh as to things going fine. “I don’t think we can say that for sure, but we can certainly try to make it go as clean as it can. All we can do really.”
Khitti felt that unease grow around Linn. It was something that she had grown used to over the years. Her frown worsens, her line of sight moving away again as if she were ashamed. "Zhis vas not of my choice. I didn't ask to be zhis. I don't agree vith zhe vay Larewen zhinks she can raise whomever she vishes. Or any other necromancer in general. It's not right. Zhey zhink zhemselves gods. Zhat's not going to happen in Frostmaw. I von't let vhat happen to me happen elsewhere." She doesn't let on to what actually transpired in her life, letting it drop as she shakes her head. "Don't vorry. I'm not like zhem. In more vays zhen one." She holds out her hand, a faint glow shimmering in her palm. Soon it fades, leaving a rather large monarch butterfly. An odd wispy thing, it seemed to phase in and out of this plane of existence, it's black and purple coloring not at all like typical butterflies. "Also, ve can't even raise zhe dead properly, so you can at least take some comfort in zhat." is offered lastly in jest.
Linn turned back to Khitti as she spoke, seeming to carefully analyze her during her speech; as she finished he nodded. “Well, I’ll get to see it soon enough once we take Frostmaw back. I’ve seen necromancy and death used for a good thing or two; it’s just that so many more times it throws everything into chaos. It’s hard to remember what else can be done with it.” Another sigh as he weakly smiled. “You get a chance at least. If you’re not lying… well, you’ll make good on it.” He broke with a laugh, “Just don’t screw it up. But you know not to do that.” Picking that violet splinter in his fingers he twirled it once more, watching the bright color flash in the light. “All of it’s just a question of application. Even the more basic magics can do quite a lot of damage if used the right way…”
Khitti gives a slow nod to his words, mustering her own faint smile, "I'll try not to screw zhings up. I've got a bad habit of it zhough. I zhink I need to find myself a teacher. Someone zhat can teach me another sort of magic zhat I can fall back on. I can't entirely depend on Amarrah all zhe time." She nods towards the butterfly, indicating that it's the Amarrah she speaks of, "It's better to use her powers in dire situations. I suppose I should also figure out my armor situation. Typically, I'm not zhe sort to vear it, but I've also never been in a var before." She looks down at her handmade lanternshark dress that had been made by Kreekitaka himself, but decides against asking the crab the next time they met. She was already indebted to him enough. "But, I need to make sure zhat I survive long enough to prove myself. I'm...I'm not a monster."
A roar once again echoed across the mountainous region, but no shadow of a great drake passed over the war camp this time. No, this time there would be much time that passed, and not another roar to be heard. Perhaps the dragon grew tired of the region and moved on. Perhaps she went back to hibernate. Or perhaps she- Oh, nope, there she was, strolling up towards the war camp once again in her humanoid form. That tail of hers swayed behind her as she walked, the skirts of her robes flaring with each step, and, just as last time, there was that arrogant look about her face. The Blue lingered away from the camp proper, but she stared inward. It was as though she were counting the bodies there. Or maybe she was looking for some crab legs. Who knows; maybe she found some butter.
Linn nodded with a weak smile. “Too bad I’m not sure what I could teach. A lot of it comes from… things that shouldn’t really have happened. A lot of it’s feeling, testing, screwing up. Learning from screw-ups. Maybe that’s what makes some of the bad views… consequences.” Back to the musing. As the subject moved to armor he tapped his foot in thought, “Depends where you stand in the conflict. I do stupid things a lot. So I wear all this.” His foot kicked against the empty suit on the ground, nudging the whole thing a little bit. When she finally spoke about the ‘monster’ deal his head tilted slightly, curiously. “Monster… abomination… just something people fear for one reason or another. If you’re here to do what you say you are doing, you won’t be one.” Something personal echoed in his voice as he spoke, some kind of recognition to the way she said the term. He seemed to trail off into his own thoughts again until the roar returned, bringing his gaze skywards. Nothing. Shaking his head he looked around, catching the form skirting the camp before going back to the tools and armor at hand.
Khitti tilts her head to the side, casting a sidelong glance at the armor that would be entirely too much for her and the things that she can do. "I'll likely be standing somewhere in zhe back. My magic is better used at a distance, and likewise my archery skills. I don't zhink I'll need something quite like vhat you vear, but I'm certain zhis dress von't protect." Nothing more than a nod is given to Linn of the subject of 'monsters'. There wasn't enough trust yet between them for her to elaborate. Her attention wanes from the male again as she hears that roar, her eyes widening a bit. Gods damn it. She was back again. But then...she wasn't? No. No. She was here. The scent of the dragon woman quickly finds it's way to Khitti's nose, causing Khitti to jump up from her spot under the tree and edging somewhat closer to Linn, her anxiety flaring somewhat and it was evident in her body language.
Raiez strolled casually, her eyes still on the camp not too far in the distance. Her stroll took her towards Khitti and her human companion, though she did not recognize their presence quite yet. No, she was being the aloof, haughty creature that she was, instead opting to pass right in front of them...and then to circle about the tree that they lingered near. "Hm...It would appear dinner is not here," she complained to herself with a sigh as she rummaged through the leather satchel that hung at her hip. Out came a bowl of some sort with an attached lid...and away it was tossed. Yup. She had found butter. "Such a waste."
Linn nodded with a ‘hmm’ at Khitti’s thoughts on armor. “Yeah, you’ll want something light and unobtrusive. Even more than mine. I had to cut a few corners to get this to where it is with tricks of my own.” The vampire’s jump led him to furrow his brows, a bit of paranoia flaring up in him as well. Setting the plate aside he drew something from the pouch at his side, keeping it closed in his fists as he looked forward for Raiez to go right by him, eyes tracking the dragon without turning his head. He stayed silent for now, returning his attention to the crystal needle in his other hand.
Khitti was doing her best not to have an outward panic attack, especially when Raiez circles about the tree so close to her and Linn and tosses the bowl to the side. Did...did it smell like...butter? "Oh..." is said as the realization that she intended to eat Kreekitaka and he just so happened to be nowhere in sight. In an almost comedic fashion, Khitti half covers her mouth to muffle her words, whispering to Linn, "Don't uh...don't say anything about zhe vay she looks. I zhink she might be bitey. She's a d-r-a-g-o-n. Zhe man-eating, bitchy sort." Awkwardly, the vampiress clears her throat, glancing about the area with shifty eyes. Don't make eye contact with the lizard. Don't do it. Don't. Do. It.
Raiez put her hands on her hips as she stood there, a frown clear as day on her pretty, thirty-some-odd-year-old looking face. Or, at least, what the dragon thinks looks pretty. It wasn't until Khitti started to whisper that the dragon's expression change, and a smirk formed upon her lips. She waited, that dragon, waited for the most opportune time to pipe up. Such a moment as when Khitti began to -spell- dragon as though the beast was illiterate. "Why yes, I -am- a d-r-a-g-o-n. A man-eating, bitchy dragon, as you so elegantly put it." She spun on her heel to face the pair then, icy eyes dropping to focus on Linn's clenched hand. "Now what do you have hidden away in your hand, I wonder?" A slow step forward, another, and another yet, all the while her thumb being hooked around the strap of her satchel.
Linn didn’t show any signs of panicking quite yet, though Khitti’s shift in mood was certainly giving him the urge to start donning the armor like a fight was coming. He continued looking forward as the vampire explained, not daring to nod in recognition. The tail gave most of the identity away, really. And then the third party entered with words that only brought another deep sigh of ‘well, crap.’ The question on the little thing he decided to draw out brought him to stand and turn, prepared for whatever surprise was coming. The fist came up, remaining closed. “What do I have hidden away?” he returned the question. Anyone with a magical sense may be able to sense it as an object of condensed power, though it would be difficult to tell through the energy that saturated his form as well; any with a spiritual sense may notice a faint draw of death towards it. Despite his open stance, he stood with a confidence that might just betray that he had some trick ready for a surprise thrown his way.
Khitti 's right eye twitched a little as first she's mocked by the beastly woman and then Linn seemingly pokes the bear (or in this case, dragon) with his mirrored response. She gives him side look as if to say 'What the hell are you doing?!' but her attention is soon taken by whatever the male is holding. First she sensed that flare of magic from the object and then it's necromatic nature. From deep within that well of magic that was embedded into her arm so long ago, the very spot where she was bound with Amarrah, there was a ghost-like pull to Linn's object. The urge to outright take it was resisted; the butterfly that had once been in her palm earlier moving towards the human, flitting about him wildly. A glance is sent towards the dragon briefly, weighing her options on what she should do. The struggle between light and darkness was ever present for the vampiress.
The magic that permeated Linn was, essentially, a beacon to one like Raiez. Being a mage, she was attuned to things of magic, but she was no archmage. She could not differentiate the item in the man's hand from the magical aura of his body. Further forward did the dragon woman move, close enough to the pair that she could have touched them with her tail. "Put your trinket away, little boy. If I wanted to kill you, I would have just swooped down and plucked you from the ground as I flew. As it is, I was merely hoping the crab friend of your companion, here," she motioned towards Khitti, "would be here so I might have something exquisite for supper after my slumber. So you needn't worry, this night."
Linn ’s focus was too fixed on Raiez to catch much more of Khitti’s and Amarrah’s responses to the nature of the tools he carried; the violet splinter he was recently using (along with some of the other contents of his pack…) possessed, or –were-, a similar concentration of magical power, though the deathly draw only existed in whatever thing he had clenched in his fist. As he was seemingly dismissed, the fist fell to his side, but remained closed and readied. Another sigh as the ‘crab friend’ was mentioned. Getting into a fight with a dragon was something… not preferred today. “This night…” he repeated with a rather morbid chuckle. Was this more crap he was going to have to deal with?
Khitti was glad that the majority of the attention of the dragon was on Linn and his object, for she too was also drawn to the human and whatever it was he was holding. Lithe fingers twitch idly at her sides as she fights inwardly still on whether or not to snatch that thing and run. Hildegarde would forgive her, right? I mean...what's a little thievery between friends or rather in this case, potential friends? Finally, with much disdain and quite a bit of cursing in her native language, she takes a step away from Linn, resisting the pull of this deathly thing. She remains silent otherwise, shifting her gaze away from the other two in hopes that it'll help her resist further.
Raiez moved forward so that she was rather inside Linn's and Khitti's personal bubbles. She really had no sense of boundaries. Ice blue eyes shifted from human to vampire and back again before she cocked her head to the side with a curious expression on her face. "You both radiate with magical energies, to a degree. Hers vastly different from yours, however. Still..." She trailed off and began to circle the pair, eyeing them from crown to toe. Fingers trailed barely inches from their bodies as she examined them, as though she meant to pluck at the strings of the mana that tied themselves to the pair. Every dragon had their vice, the thing they hoarded the most. For the Blue, it was all things magical.
Linn released a light ‘heh’ at Raiez’s exclamation on the radiant magical energies. Man, if she saw some of the stuff that he had dealt with as of late… With the whole issue of space becoming a very close topic he seemed only guarded; he had what he needed to make a close punch if he had to. His patience, or sanity perhaps, seemed to be wearing thin though. He continued watching the blue, paying very close attention to where hers wandered to try and figure out if he was going to have to cut in on something or not.
Khitti wasn't one for having her personal space intruded on. The desire to steal waned and the awkward air that naturely gripped Khitti like a hand around her throat surfaced and made the vampiress tense up. A side step is taken, dark eyes focused on the Blue as she examines both of the magically-inclined beings. The fact that Raiez could tell that her magic was different put her on edge. Perhaps she wasn't lying then when she said she was quite old. "Y-you don't know a zhing about me." is stammered out to the dragon. The woman with the feline name was more mouse than cat at the moment.
Raiez grinned at Khitti's reaction as she started to stroll away. "I will, in time," she promised the vampire woman. "If I don't eat you two, there will certainly be...inquiries." And so away the dragon walked...at least for about fifty yards. After that, the woman's body began to stretch and grow, to fall forward onto all fours as a pair of great wings sprouted from her then lizard-like back. Great flaps of those wings propelled the dragon, fully in her natural form, into the sky, and with a few quick roars she was away into the mountains. Perhaps, just perhaps, that is where she laired.
Linn had to do everything he could to avoid rolling his eyes and cracking an inappropriate morbid joke at the idea of being eaten. The thought had already been entertained with a certain cat… “Just go…” he muttered as Raiez left, though her path into the mountains prompted a low and rather obscene curse to slip from his mouth. That wasn’t good news. Though with the source of stress removed he returned the object in his fist to the pouch at his side before dropping back down to a sitting position with the armor. “Radiating with magic…” he mused as his head bounced from side to side. “If it’s similar to what I dealt with, judging by your story about not choosing to deal in necromancy… I think I can bet what you went through…” the violet needle had found its way back into his hand, pointed right at the vampire, “Was a lot worse than what I went through. Not having a choice in magic is a nasty business. Necromancy doubly nasty from what I’ve seen.” He spoke with some uncanny lightness, as if the topic was just as normal as the weather.
Khitti was supressing the want to scream out her anxiety. Yeah, it was that bad in that head of hers right now. Linn's thoughts on her magic drew her from her panic, dark eyes finding his form as she takes another step away from him, backing away towards the camp. "You have no idea." is said sadly to the crystal-wielding male. This wasn't the first time in the past week that someone could sense that her magic was different, and in this very camp no less. The vampiress blinks once, then twice, then shakes her head, "I...I need to go." Hiding felt like a good thing to do right now. The right thing. Today had been an odd day for her what with finding an almost dead Alex, meeting a bitchy, bitey dragon, and now it was getting out that she was different. Spinning on her heels, she takes off in a run towards the tent she shared with Pilar, intent on likely not coming out for sometime.
Linn was about to go back to working on his armor when Khitti responded, bringing him to freeze and look back at her curiously, a blink of his own coming when she decided to leave. Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best way to handle that topic. Oops. Another couple seconds before he tried to shake the strange mood that had taken him. Where –did- the significance of everything just go? “Yeah…” he muttered in response, “I’ll see you later.” Rubbing his brows he went back to his work on the armor. Maybe a better way to focus this fire could occupy him.