Fantasy Dying Magic {one on one}

[FaddedFox]

"It is no imposition at all," he chuckled when he heard her stomach growling. "I'm happy to provide it for you. I'll bring you something good. It will only take a moment," he promise as he got up. Just as he was readjusting his ruffled clothes, the door opened. Sylas's eyes widened. He hadn't expected his mother to just come into the room. The woman looked much like her son; the same dark hair and bright yes. The two stared at each other for a moment before the woman rushed forward and hugged him to her fiercely. "Sylas! I was so worried about you!" she said.

"Mom.." he called softly and hugged her back, his eyes closing and enjoying her warmth.

She pulled back then and caressed his cheeks, looking into both of his eyes before she looked him over. "Sylas! Look at you! You are covered in bandages? Where have you been? What did you do? No one has seen you in any of the kingdoms? Do you know how bad it looks for you not to attend any of the important political festivals? It makes us all look like we are hiding you away, that you have no interest in the realms!

"But Mama, I have other things I need to attend."

"What could be more import-oh. Who is this?" she asked as he pulled away from him to see the girl sitting on the floor. What was her son doing in his bedroom alone with this stranger? She hadn't even known they were home! How many times had he done this? This could be a scandal!

"Oh Mama... this is Esca from an Elvin village. Esca, this is my mother." Sylas introduced.

"Elf!?" his mother gasped, surprised. She looked over the girl with new eyes. Elves hadn't been seen in... ages! Why was he in an elf village? The poor girl looked like she had a rough night. "Did you need a bath, darling? Tea? Some biscuits? It seems my son has lost all of his manners while away from court."

Sylas just rolled his eyes at his mother's words.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

The Elf girl averted her eyes, unable to look at him straight. That was really... embarrassing. She couldn't believe that her own stomach could betray her so readily like that. She decided to concentrate on the small figurine perching on the nearby desk instead. Hmm, it looked weird, but the more she looked at it, the more she think that it was cute...

Suddenly, the door was opened, and Esca had almost jumped out of fright when a human woman barged into the room and locked Sylas in a painful-looking hug. Err... was he okay?

"...Mom?" She muttered that word under her breath, repeating what Sylas had used just now. Oh. So it was his mother... and judging from how similar they look, there was no question about its validity.

It was strange. The Sylas that she knew until now was a mystical figure, so powerful that she was a mere ant in his presence. He was capable of bequeathing death with a flick of his finger, just as he had done to those adult Elves. But in front of his mother, this honored being was no different than a spoiled child.

She was a bit... envious...

"Who is this?"

"Eh?"

She was caught unprepared when Sylas's mother suddenly turned to her. There was something with the way the madam looked that made her a bit uncomfortable. What was it... ah, it made her felt like a piece of antique that was being appraised...

When she was asked if she needed any food, or drink, her first thought was, huh, mother and son think alike, and her second thought was to decline the offer again.

Hmm... a bath would be nice, though... she was still wearing the white ceremonial dress from before, and it was already badly torn up.

Eh, no, she had to decline, decline!

"Thank you for the offer, Ma'am, but I don't need anything, really-"

And that was when Esca's stomach betrayed her for the third time of the day.

"...May I have some biscuits... please...?" She requested in tepid resignation as she covered her burning-hot face.

 

[FaddedFox]

"Oh you poor thing, you are just starved! And look at the state of your dress. I can't believe Sylas didn't let us know you were here and greet you proper and get you all settled in." She gave her son a glare, already assuming the boy had been trying to take advantage of the poor thing. It sounded like he had just taken her from her home! The poor dear. "Come on, we'll get you a nice bath set up for you and while you do that, we'll get breakfast and a new change of clothes for you so you just relax."

"Mother! We don't have time for all that and a long drawn out breakfast. We need to head back out."

"Nonsense. You've been gone a long while and you are hurt. You are pale which means you've lost a lot of blood. I don't know what you've been doing or what you are planning, but you need to rest. You can't go saving people if you are falling over. Now be a proper host and gentleman like I taught you. Send for some servants to get the food prepared."

Sylas sighed but straightened himself and gave a nod to his mother. "Alright." He hurried away to do just that. Sylas's mother, Jane, gave a nod of approval before she redirected her attention to the elf. She was a pretty thing, even under all the dirt and smudged clothing. "Come along, child. Sylas... he didn't try and take advantage of you or anything of the sort, right?" she asked. "If he has, I will make sure you are rightly compensated and taken care of."

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Esca couldn't believe that a day wwould come when the Last of the Magi, the revered Blood Mage that her people had greatly adored, would get reprimanded by his own mother. And she was watching it unfolded at the front seat. It was so surreal that she was at a loss for words.

By the end of the lecture, she quickly rose up to her feet when Sylas's mother called for her, and then obediently followed the older woman. Perhaps it was survival instinct, like when a prey recognized the predator of their predators, the highest one in the food chain...

"N-no, Ma'am, no such thing... Your H- I mean, Lord Sylas had been good to me. He... saved me..."

In fact, he had gotten hurt because of her, but she didn't dare to say it out loud. After all, she could tell that this human, this mother, genuinely loved her son.

Aah, what to do, she really is envious after all...

"...If anything, I should be the one who have to repay him."

 

[FaddedFox]

"is that so? Then I guess I'll go a little easier on him. I am glad that he was able to save you then." Jane brought the girl into the bathroom and pulled a chain to let the servants know they needed a bath prepared. "It will only take a moment but the water will be brought up shortly. Sylas placed a little rune here to make gathering water easier. And steam it as well! He is such a sweet thing, always trying to make things better," she mused. And true to her word, a crimson mark flared to life at the bottom of the basin and water suddenly filled it, steaming at the touch. "I'll come and check on you soon and bring you a fresh pair of clothing." The woman hurried away then to get things prepared.

Meanwhile, Sylas did as his mother was told and breakfast was soon sitting on the table, waiting for their guest. Sylas himself was pacing. There was still much to do. He was thankful at least his father was at court and wouldn't be adding to the suddenly family involvement. He took out his map and set it on the table, tracing his steps back to the forest. It was probably a safer bet to go in the complete opposite direction thing time, head towards the human establishment to the North and Lord Bannen's territory. Maybe he could pick up another trace of the shard and let it guide him once more.

Sylas, why don't you just take Wrath's shard? Passions asked. We need to be whole; if she has it, we won't be. And her tug will cloud your judgement of where the next one is; you'll always feel Wrath.

But Wrath is in Esca now Empathy chided. He cares for Esca.

It would be nice to have a traveling companion you can see, I am sure Adventure chimed in.

"You guys aren't helping. I'll talk to her about it later," Sylas murmured as he watched the map.

"What was that dear?" his mother asked.

Sylas looked up and shook his head. "Talking to myself," he informed.

"Ah." She patted his shoulder as she headed for the door to check up on the elf, unphased by her son's antics. He had talked to himself for years. After a while, you kind of get used to it. " Your friend should be ready soon so have a seat and put that map away."

Jane gave a knock on the bathroom door then, careful not to drop the pale green, simple dress in her arms. "Esca? Everything okay? I have clothes for you."

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Human architecture was vastly different from Elf's. The latter was overly concerned with elegance to the point of extravagance, with emphasis on curved, organic shapes and excessive display of decors. On the other hand, humans had their simplistic yet functional design, pleasing to the beholders without overloading one's senses. The chandelier, the bright windows, the railings around the staircase, every aspect of the mansion was objectively of far lower quality than what the Elves had possessed back in the glamorous woodland-metropolis of theirs, but for Esca, it was a novel experience. She was captivated by the smell, the touch, the sight of it all.

The self-filling basin was even more a surprise for her.

"Lord Sylas made this?" she stared at the crimson rune, feeling the unique trace of Sylas's blood magic emanating from it. How odd. Even the Elves wouldn't use Magic for something so mundane. At least they had to carry the water by themselves whenever they wanted to have a bath. Although, boiling the water was still done with the help of fire spell...

"Thank you, Ma'am," Esca replied with a polite smile as Jane left the bathroom for herself. She took a quick glance around. The bathroom was kept clean, as expected from a manor of this size, and while it wasn't as spacious as the one back at the resident hall, it had a more homely feel to it.

She let out a sigh as she tugged at her shoulder straps, and then pulled them down slowly, one at a time, slipping out of her dress as if she was shedding off her cocoon. The dirtied white dress was once a source of joy for her, but now... she wished for nothing more but to burn it until nothing remains-

"Huh?"

She immediately threw the dress, which had been crumpled into a tight ball of cloth, to the side. It bounced off the wall slightly before falling limply to the tiled floor. For that split second, she felt that something atrocious was abruptly swelling within her.

'...No, no, I'm just being tired. That must be it.'

She quickly discarded her thoughts and focused on cleaning herself up instead. She had thought that the steaming water would be hot to touch, but it was actually quite lukewarm, staying at a pleasantly comfortable temperature as she scrubbed off the grimes and dried blood that were sticking to her skin.

"Steaming water, huh...?" she murmured to herself. As she was enjoying her bath, her mind started to wander, and it went full circle before coming back to the rune that Sylas had inscribed at the bottom of the basin. She could tell by feeling alone that it wasn't a magic that an Elf like her could do. In the first place, she, and the rest of her generation, wasn't capable of using magic like the rest of the adults. However, she did have an unusual affinity with fire...

While scrubbing at her right wrist, she playfully opened and closed the palm of her hand, imagining a flow of Magic coming from within her body, willing it to catalyze with the surrounding energy and activate the spell that she used to practice secretly. But she realized that it was just an empty gesture. After all, there was no Magic in this land, no surrounding energy to interact with unlike at the Elven city. It was impos-

A spark ignited on her palm.

"Eh?"

The spark grew larger in the blink of an eye, rising up into a spire of fiery flame. It was the self-taught spell that she had demonstrated to Sylas before, but it felt different. It was wild, and in the second that she was aghast, the fire had grown way bigger than the last time she had attempted it.

"Wah-wah-wah?!"

Panic set in as she rushed to cut off any flow of Magic in her body, but the resulting flame resisted her attempt to extinguish it. Faced with no other choice, in her infinite wisdom, she threw the searing flame at the bathroom wall, creating a sharp, hissing noise as the flame spread out and left a trail of soot all over the rocky surface.

"Oh no!"

She quickly scooped a bucketful of water and splashed it on the wall, trying desperately to wash off whatever that she could before Sylas's mother returned. At least the soot was easy to clean, but the faint burnt mark and the smell...

It was then that she almost jumped out of fright when she had heard a knock on the door. Jane's voice came right after, asking if everything was okay. She quickly wrapped herself in a towel before rushing toward the door. She cracked it open ever so slightly and popped her head out while flashing what she hoped was a natural, totally-not-nervous smile at Jane.

"Yes, everything is..."

Everything was not okay, she accidentally scorched the bathroom wall-

No, no, she didn't dare to say that! She really didn't dare to say that!

"...Everything is okay! Really! Um, thank you so much, this is really... wasted on me," she replied as she timidly accepted the dress. "I'll be ready in a minute."

She slowly closed the door again, and then went back to scrubbing the burnt wall as clean as she could.

 

[FaddedFox]

"Nonsense, Esca. I think it will look beautiful. A page will escort you to the dining all when you are finished," Jane called before she went on her way and returned to the table where her son was still sitting and waiting.

She sat down beside him and took his hand in her own and squeezed. She had been really worried when she'd gone to his room and found him gone, safe a note he had left explaining he had left to start his journey. Her hand tightened on his and she pulled his arm forward. She pushed up his sleeve to reveal the bandages that went all the way to his elbow. Her heart squeezed at the sight of it. This was her baby after all, first and foremost. She worried so much that he would one day bleed himself to death trying to do some sort of spell. He was too kind and wanted too much to help others at his own expense.

"Please be careful, Sylas. I know you left to help others and I may not truly understand why you were given this magic and what you believe your task to be, but you're my son and I worry about you. You can always come back here, no matter what, share your troubles with me and your father."

Sylas smiled softly and moved forward to hug his mother tightly. "I know. Thank you Mama. I am sorry to worry you. I do have to keep going. I am doing this to protect all of us."

She sniffled and nodded. "Promise me you'll be careful and not do something stupid like bleed yourself dry. And come home more often, just so we can see you. You'll be a grown man before we know it and I won't even get to see it," she huffed then.

Sylas just chuckled. "Okay, okay, I promise to visit often and be careful."

"Good boy," she cooed and looked him up and down. She caressed his cheek and beneath his magical eye. She kissed both eyes then before she sat back.

"We do have to leave really soon, Maman. We have a long journey."

She sighed but nodded. "I know. Let me at least keep you for breakfast. Esca should be down shortly."

 

[Ranix Aurus]

From behind the door to the dining hall, which was cracked open, a pair of golden eyes was watching the precious moment playing out between mother and son. The owner of that curious gaze heaved a long sigh when she saw Jane caressing Sylas's cheeks so lovingly. It was too sweet, like when she had accidentally put in too much sugar in her tea...

"Miss? Is everything... okay?" The page, who looked even younger than Sylas, called out to Esca, not sure whether he should stop her or not. The Madam of the house had told him to escort their guest to the dining hall, but she had stopped him from announcing their arrival before proceeding to... uh, spy, at the madam and the young master.

Elves are weird, he thought.

"Ah, yes, everything is fine," Esca quickly stood up from her crouching position, realizing that she had gotten a bit too absorbed with... whatever she was doing.

"Ahem, then..." The young page gave the sturdy door a hearty knock to announce their arrival, and then pushed it open. "Excuse me. Madam, Young Master, miss Esca is here."

The boy gave the masters of the house a courteous bow before retreating out from the dining hall. He also closed the door back on his way out.

"Ma'am," Esca gave Jane a curtsy, just like what the mentors back at the Elven city had taught her. She unconsciously swept her sight over the table, where a rich smorgasbord of freshly-cooked meals were waiting. The appetizing smell was so strong that her belly hollered again.

"..."

She was trying so hard not to cry on the spot. That was the fourth time already. Couldn't her stomach give her a break?!

 

[FaddedFox]

Jane and Sylas looked up when they heard the page introduce Esca to the dinning hall. Both smiled in greeting. And though Esca's stomach growled and betrayed her hunger, the two did not make fun. It was natural after all and it sounded like she hadn't eaten for a long while. Jane motioned for the girl to come and sit at the table beside Sylas. "Here you go dear. Eat as much as you like!" she urged.

Sylas just smiled at her before he leaned over to her. "You look good in that dress," he complimented before he began to add some of the breakfast onto his plate. He had to admit he had missed having a good hot meal like this. His provisions were starting to get low too so this was a welcome change. And now he'd be able to restock and ensure they both had food for the journey ahead. He nibbled on a honey-nut roll, planning his conversation with Esca and what they needed to take on the journey.

"Oh, Sylas," Jane called, "Lord Barington requested your presence for the winter ball. Please don't forget to attend. There will be quite a gathering there."

Sylas sighed. He hated balls and politicking. But if there was going to be a throng of people from various territories there, it would behoove him to go. Perhaps he'd find another shard there. "Alright mother," he obliged. He turned to Esca then. "Esca, I know you've had a rough time but would you come with me? This way I can keep you safe." And watch over Wrath. He may not be taking Wrath out of her now, but he still needed to make sure the shard remained nearby. "If you really didn't want to come with me, you could stay here."

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Esca scurried over to her seat, and then plopped down before her stomach could do the fifth encore. She was already beet red from embarrassment, so when Sylas struck her with the unexpected compliment, her mind just straight exited the scene right there and then. She just stared dazedly at the fine selection of meals until the clinking of cutlery prompted her back to the present.

"T-thank you," she stammered out shyly. Ahh, not good, her heart couldn't stop fluttering. It would be better for her to focus on eating, that way she wouldn't have any errant thoughts. And also helped to stop her traitorous belly from acting out. Yes, yes, that's important too.

Although, she had a bit of difficulty on deciding what to eat. He didn't have much experience with human cuisine, and these selections didn't resemble Elven cooking at all. In the end, she decided on a piece of deviled egg for starter. She hovered the dish in front of her mouth for a few seconds before gobbling it up in one go.

"...Delicious!" She blurted out. For someone who had been raised on flatbread, the exploding flavor was akin to fireworks, stimulating every bits of her taste buds. Her lips unknowingly curved up into a smile as she gobbled another piece and savored the taste.

She heard a sigh from Sylas when his mother mentioned about the winter ball, and her joyful mood was dampened for a bit. She could tell that he didn't fancy the idea. Surprisingly, he agreed to Jane's request. Was it because she was his mother? Esca pondered while trying out a spoonful of casserole. Hmm, not as flavorful, but this dish had a satisfying texture...

"Yesh?" She replied without thinking when Sylas asked her to come along with him. It took her another second before she finally processed what he had said just now.

"I-I mean, yes, Lord Sylas. I'll come with you, I also... have something that I want to ask you. But it can wait," she stole a glance at Jane. It didn't feel like a good time to ask about what had happened back then in the Elven city. Especially since Sylas didn't seem too keen about his mother knowing the nitty-gritty of his 'job'.

 

[FaddedFox]

Sylas smiled when Esca seemed to enjoy the food that had been presented to her. He was glad that after her ordeal, she could enjoy something as simple as a warm, well-cooked meal. He wished... he wished he had realized earlier that something was wrong. Maybe he could have saved the others. He regretted that the hadn't been able to save them; unable to stop the elves from putting Wrath inside Esca and for not saving Wrath earlier. Period. Wrath had suffered more than he could fathom. Sylas had only seen a fraction of the horror the elves had cooked up in their spire. The images in his mind quickly turned his stomach and he found he was no longer hungry.

"Alright," he said softly to Esca and forced himself to eat, least his mother detail them and question about his certain shift in emotions. The rest of breakfast was uneventful thankfully.

Jane smiled at the two at her table before she got up. "Well... I suppose I should leave you two to your business. I assume you both will be leaving soon. I am glad I was able to meet you, Esca. Sylas, I am glad you are okay." She gave him one last kiss and hug much to Sylas's abashment before she left the room to go about her duties for the day.

Sylas stood then with a stretch. "I asked the cook to pack us some provisions for our journey. Do you feel able enough to leave? I don't want to push you too much if you need more rest."

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Esca had a new problem now. She might had had a tad bit too much. The mentors back at the Elven city had drilled self-discipline into her for years, and they were all ruined by the eternal allure of delicious food. What a tragedy...! She rubbed her belly under the table, feeling a bit unreal at the moment.

Aah... she really was not there anymore, was she?

Breakfast ended faster that she had imagined. Soon, it was time to part once again. She stood up and gave Jane another curtsy, with a deeper bow than before, a sign of Elven gratitude. It was a bit wasteful to use the gesture for some food, but eh, there wasn't any mentor figure to scold her anymore, so she didn't care.

"I'm fine, please don't worry about me," Esca replied to Sylas with a confident grin. "Somehow after eating that much, I feel like I can walk around the entire world! ...Or not, please, let's not go that far..." She shrunk back a bit, realizing that the feat didn't sound too absurd for a great mage like Sylas.

"...Where are we heading to, Lord Sylas?" She asked. "I... don't know much about places outside of that forest."

 

[FaddedFox]

Sylas chuckled lightly and gave a smile. "We will eventually travel the world but I think a shorter distance for the time being," he grinned "As for where we are going, it seems my mother gave us our next destination. We will be going to Lord Barrington's estate to participate in his ball. I haven't been to Lord Barrington's land since I was a little boy, before I began my journey or knew I had this task set out before me. It would be good to try and find the next shard there. And considering it is going to be quite the gala, maybe a visitor will also have a shard we can retrieve. We'll be get there a week before the gala so we'll be mingling in town for a little while. I like to see the town folk before I go to the nobility. Have you ever ridden a horse by the way?"

 

[Ranix Aurus]

"The world..."

The world Esca had lived in was a small one. All it comprised of were the village she had been born and the Elven city where she had been raised in. The scope of the 'world' that Sylas had said was something that she had only seen through words and sketches within pages of books. The prospect of traveling the world sounded scary, but at the same time, a bit exciting.

"Understood, let's go there. I have ridden a horse before. Err, once... it was with someone else, and I think I was only seven at that time," she replied.

 

[FaddedFox]

And it short order, the two of them were on their way to Lord Barrington's estate and the gala he was throwing. During the three day travel, Sylas kept them off the main road. He didn't want too many run-ins with people who would detain them or see bandits patrolling the road. And Esca got to see how odd Sylas could be. He tried not to talk to the other voices out loud, but sometimes he forgot Esca didn't know about the voices and he got carried away; forgetting himself the voices were just in his head. When you lived with voices your whole life, it just seemed natural to talk to them like one would to a physical person standing before you. It was abashing though and he tried to brush it off.

Finally, they did reach their destination. He could see Lord Barrington's home higher up on the hill and a small town bustling before it. He smiled softly as he took in a deep breath. Okay maybe he shouldn't have done that. The smell wasn't the greatest since there was animal and human smells that weren't pretty, but behind all that, he could smell freshly baked bread and goods. He did like the smell of spices. "The party is not for a couple of days and I don't plan on being inside the manor the entire time. As I mentioned before, I liked to be in the towns and villages, cities first. That way I can get a feel if there is another shard here, meet the people, and get an idea about the lord himself. Let's get an inn to stay in for the next couple of days and then go exploring. You game? Or did you just want to relax today?" he asked his partner then.