Fantasy Primacy [Closed]

[cleopat]

Drazhan had indeed heard the voice before Varick told them to follow him. It was too far away to know who it was, if it was someone he knew, so naturally he had hoped it was Mikhail talking to Kirsikka.

Well, it was someone talking to Kirsikka, but it just had to be the undead mage he didn’t wish to encounter ever again, a feeling that only grew as he watched Dravon focus on an unconscious Kirsikka in his lap. An unconscious Kirsikka who looked like she had been through a fight.

Tamsin remained behind Varick, not wishing to get anywhere near the undead mage.

Drazhan’s lips twitched at the knee-jerk reaction of Kirsikka’s attempt to slap Dravon. “What happened here?” he demanded to know, stepping forward. “Why are you here?” The panic that Dravon could steal Kirsikka from him, even with his current dead state, was present deep within him, manifesting itself into an uncomfortable pressure in his chest.

He knew Kirsikka still love him and wanted to do anything to save him.

“Was Mikhail here?” Malina asked before any responses could be given.

 

[Lucyfer]

Dravon calmly looked upon Drazhan. Perhaps Kirsikka didn’t hear it, a bit too tired for nuance, but he heard the panic that had little to do with Kirsikka’s state. He arched a brow at the inquiries directed at him, “Since it isn’t obvious,” he drawled, “I was healing Kirsikka. The work is hardly done, but I can only do so much,” he fanned the skeletal fingers before rising, “and she’s damaged herself in other ways that makes healing difficult.”

He offered her a hand up, but she didn’t take it, rising on her own. “The explosion of magic drew my attention. I sense things at my resting ground still, but I was not present at the event,” though he could guess pretty easily what happened, he wouldn’t speak to it.

Especially as Mikhail was brought up. That was his cue, “Try not to do this again soon, Cherry,” Dravon sighed, “I’m not free yet, but…soon.” Now that he knew, he could start to plan.

“No promises,” she still had to murder Rience, after all, and Dravon snorted, fully aware, before he made a portal and stepped back into it, leaving Kirsikka to her friends – and the explanation that would condemn his choice to help Rience.

He’d rather not have that argument be public.

Kirsikka looked back to the others, “Mikhail’s not with me,” she said, “Why?”

“He’s missing,” Varick stated, “we were hoping he was with you. What are you even doing out here?"

“Research,” she shifted her weight. She didn’t want Varick knowing what, though she supposed there was little point hiding it now, “cursed books were involved, I didn’t want that in Mikhail’s home. I was researching with Rience before he decided to fucking backstab me since Dravon made this a competition and didn't tell me,” she put a hand to her face, “I’m going to murder him.” Rience, though her rage towards Dravon at this wasn’t masked, either. It was tempered by the healing, but not gone.

Varick was actually surprised this Rience got away alive.

 

[cleopat]

Now with Dravon gone, Tamsin stepped out from her hiding spot behind Varick, assessing the situation before her and taking in the damage that was done right before they came.

Malina stepped up, fury blazing in her eyes. “Rience?!” Flames licked at the tips of her fingers, but she didn’t direct it towards Kirsikka, or anyone else, right that moment. “What were you doing with him? What did he want?”

Drazhan straightened when he saw the flames form in her hands, but Tamsin was the one who stepped up to try and play mediator. “What is going on?” Anger was the obvious answer. Confusion and anger. “Who’s this Rience?”

“He’s a blood mage who has an insane obsession with Mikhail,” Malina answered. “He’s hurt him in the past.” She wouldn’t elaborate on that. “Where is Rience now?” She turned to Kirsikka. “What did he do?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Mikhail was missing. Dravon offered a deal to whoever solved his riddle. And Rience had an obsession with Mikhail. If Malina hadn’t put it together, it was only because anger wanted to blind her to the possibility of such a horrendous thing, but Kirsikka did. ‘If I had known….’ Guilt made her feel ill.

She had no idea of the history.

“What makes you think he would have told me, Malina?” Kirsikka asked, but shook her head. “Give me a moment. I can find him.” She had to find him, and though she’d prefer to use one of her own mirrors, she left those in the cottage.

There was enough broken glass that answered her call when she gusted it up into the air and formed shattered mirrors around her. Exhaustion bit in immediately; Dravon was right, she really wasn’t healed. The blast took it out of her, but she wasn’t going to let Mikhail suffer long if she could prevent it.

She focused both on Rience and Mikhail, and as she’d done with Tamsin, tried to locate glimpses of them through the waters, glasses, mirrors, and other reflective surfaces of the world, hoping that Rience hadn’t been in the right mindset to hide them from all such things.

 

[cleopat]

“I thought you called him a friend.”

Anger was going to get them nowhere. As much as it pained Malina, she had to play nice with Kirsikka in order to find Mikhail. And she had to let Kirsikka concentrate on locating Mikhail and Rience through their reflections in the broken glass.

Everyone was on edge as they awaited the answer on where the missing two were located. Malina looked like she was ready to burn the world down, Tamsin was anxious, and Drazhan tried to keep his cool for the others. He wasn’t as close to Mikhail as the others, but the man graciously allowed them to stay in his home and eat his food. He would never forget that.

And as time continued, there would be no answer to Kirsikka’s call. No reflection to hint at where Rience took Mikhail.

 

[Lucyfer]

Kirsikka didn’t respond to Malina’s comment. She was focusing, trying to draw forth the images, but nothing came, no matter how much she flicked views and sought through as many reflective surfaces as she could. Wherever Rience and Mikhail were, they were protected. Likely not by an illusion.

Perhaps Rience had a place that he had protected.

He wasn’t exactly beloved by the Council of Light, either. Creating such a place may have been necessary. It was never something Kirsikka did, because she was too mobile for that to be of use to her.

The glass fell to the ground. “He’s protected himself somehow from being seen. I doubt it’s a potion, he’d have to do it to Mikhail, as well,” which didn’t seem likely as Kirsikka shook her head, frustrated, “my only guess is he has his own sheltered place to hide in,” and she couldn’t find it.

She couldn’t find Mikhail.

Varick’s fists clenched, “How do we find that?”

Kirsikka was silent, not defiance, but simply a lack of knowledge she didn’t even want to admit to herself. There were ways, but time was a concern. “Kirsikka!”

“I—there’s ways to bounce reflections starting at a different point,” she covered her face, fingers digging into her scalp, “if I had an idea of the area, I could try that, but it’s not foolproof,” she dropped her hands in frustration, “There would have to be a constant line of reflections in, and that’s not easy. A river, to a dewdrop, to broken glass, to a bucket of water above a well, to a window…that might not exist. It might not be possible to find him that way.”

Varick swallowed, frustrated. He tried to think of other ideas, “Can you track if had something of his?”

“Yeah,” that was easy, “I don’t. It’d need to be blood, hair – a physical connector, not just clothes or something he touched.” Not that she could be 100% sure hair or blood wasn’t here, but it was just as likely to be hers. Their hair was the same, and all blood looked alike.