Dragon Age (recruiting again, started)

[Sir Strange Of The House Lycan]

"Assuming that isn't a euphemism,no,never."
He stood and leaned on his blade while bending over to recover his helmet from the floor.He clipped it into place and set back down,pulling his blade out of the floor and letting it lean on his shoulder.
"Was that question one of idle curiosity or an offer to spar?"

 

[Crayzor]

Ashalle sat herself down next to the fire. She sat cross legged, with her staff across her legs, ready to be used if needed. Reaching in to the bag she carried with her, she pulled out a small vial with a blue liquid in it. Pulling out the stopper, she drank the contents in one mouthful. She shivered slightly as she felt the effects spread through her, but lyrium always did that to her.

 

[Darth Caelum]

Allister was reading a particularly interesting portion of the Transcript, talking about how one can turn their own blood into poison with enough practice, when the other half of his brain that was observing the others noticed a figure sitting down next to the fire. He glanced up slightly and saw the Spirit Magus sitting cross legged across from him. He looked at her for a few seconds, shrugged, and was about to get back to reading, when he saw her pull out a clear blue vial. Once she unstoppered the Vial, and the smell had reached the Bloodmagus' sensitive nose, he realized what it was. Lyrium.

His guess was confirmed when Ashalle practically shivered in.....Ecstasy in all manner of speaking. He decided to talk to her, for no other reason than because he was bored. He put down his book and said "Hmm. Lyrium eh? I hope that's processed. Otherwise, I'd have to go through all the trouble of hunting down your family members and giving them your body." he said sarcastically.

 

[Crayzor]

Ashalle looked at the vial for a second before putting it away again and looking up at Allister. "Yes, it's processed," she snapped. "I'm well aware of the risks of unrefined lyrium. And of lyrium in general."

 

[The Zango]

Neria laughed slightly as she buckled up her armour and picked up her sword.

"Twas an offer my friend, if you think you can handle me"

She smiled again, the smile full of unspoken meaning and promise but it was the type that could be so easily misconstrued and so would leave him unsure if it was just a friendly gesture or something more. She stood and twirled her sword around in her right hand, swapping intermittently with her left, she wouldn't be using her shield for this. After all she wanted to grow closer to him, not cut him into thin strips.

She rotated her neck and her body was once again surrounded by a purple aura. Her posture was more tense, yet at the same time fluid and with a slight crouch. She looked up at him and smiled once more.

"Shall we?"

 

[Darth Caelum]

Allister waved his hands in front of him, in a gesture of mock terror "All right, All right. I didn't mean to insult you. It just seems.....odd. That's all. All I wanted was a friendly discussion."

 

[Sir Strange Of The House Lycan]

Sevink grinned under his helm and stood.He buried his blade into the floor and reversed the way the blades on his blades were facing.He turned to Neria and bowed.
"I assume you'll use magic in this session?"
He readied himself to lunge.

 

[The Zango]

"Dont worry Sevink, I wont melt you. as they say in Orleis, En garde!"

She raised her sword as she spoke and pointed it at him, a sign of challenge.

He accepted.

Sevink seemed to be gearing up for a lunge, nice. She'd just have to roll to the side and then perhaps hit him with a weak bolt, powerful enough to unbalance him but not cause the burns, she prided herself on inflicting.

Neria lowered her stance further and awaited to coming attack

 

[Sir Strange Of The House Lycan]

He lunged quickly and brought his hand down on the ground,his blades stuck itno it.She had rolled out of the way at the last second...clever girl...he span round and sliced at her again,purposefully missing by a few inches,so as not to cut open her throat and kill her,It was just sparring practice,after all....

 

[The Zango]

'Whoa, cutting it abit fine aren't we?'

As the sword came towards her neck, Neria instinctively fell backwards, into a strange one handed crab position, the other hand pointed squarely at Sevink's chest. She gave him a quick wink before she summoned the bolt. From her hand shot a small, dim ball of purple energy that rocketed into Sevink's chest, knocking him off balance.

Using the brief window she had available, Neria ceased supporting herself with her left hand and fell to the ground, rolling to the side once she came into contact with it and springing to her feet shortly afterwards.

She raised her sword once more, as Sevink righted himself.

'Round 2'

 

[Crayzor]

Ashalle smiled. "When have you and I ever had a friendly conversation, blood mage?" Sighing, she rubbed at her face with both hands before looking at him again. "I'm sorry, lyrium always puts me a little on edge."

 

[The Zango]

Spoiler: @The esteemed Sir Lycan

Feel free to win the match next 'round' with Sevink, you can even control Neria if you'd like (just dont say any lines or thoughts). I'll have Neria concede victory to Sevink in my next post, if we're in the correct place.

 

[Sir Strange Of The House Lycan]

Sevink sighed happily and smiled under his helmet.He put the blades on his wrists the right way round before recovering his great sword and adopting a defensive pose.She was faster than him,no doubt,he'd have to use power instead,striking when and where it counted.Of course he didn't want kill her,not at all.He just wanted to win...He charged and brought his sword down,it grazed her armor and distracted her for a few seconds.He span round and tapped her lightly with the flat of the blade in the ribs.It didn't hurt,but it had enough force behind it to knock Neria to the floor.He leaned over her and flipped up the cover of his face.
"You alright?"

 

[Darth Caelum]

Allister looked at the Spirit Magus in a look of mock surprise "Really? I'm Hurt! We've NEVER had a friendly conversation?!" he said somewhat sarcastically. Before the Spirit magus could react, hr waved his hand and said "No worries. I know that we haven't exactly been the best of chums. But frankly? I'd rather we all be friends instead of allies of convenience. If, When, this quest is over. I don't want to be immediately looking behind my back if one of you were to try and kill me."

Allister then laid down on the ground, his cape keeping his back clean. He said off-handedly "Still, it's not exactly healthy for you is it?"

 

[Shanaar]

"Well in that case, if someone would be so kind as to wake me up when were going, I would appreciate it."

A couple of minutes after saying it, Laurence fell asleep.

Were is she, she told me to see her here. "Laurence are you coming or what, the old man does not like it when were late after a job." Ok, ok, give me minute Jef, why don't you run along to the old men first and say I was leading away some guards that were after us. I will be along later. "Ok but make it quick, I am not holding on to your share for a long time like last time. I still hurt from the Daltons brothers last time." Ok, you don't have to remind me of it. You kept whining about it for days. Jef runs off Wait what is this, there is something poking out from this rubble. He? What is here medallion doing here? Well, well, what do we have here brother. Well brother, I think it is that elf lover brother. Ooh what is the matter elf lover, your little elven friend not here to defend you? I heard her family got killed by the earl's his man, after the earl got poisoned. Yes I have heard something like that also, her father was the one who did it. What are you guys talking about? What lies are you guys telling now? No lies only the truth, we Maker fearing people would never tell any lies now would we brother? No we would never and do you know what we Maker fearing people do with elf lover like you? We beat them.

Waking up screaming and pulling out his daggers, Laurence looks around bewildered. Searching for his tormentors from his youth and not finding them he shouted to them "Here father would never poison the earl, never!"

 

[Crayzor]

"No, it's definately not good for you..." Ashalle glanced down at Allister before turning her attention back to gazing into the fire. "I'd prefer it if we were friends as well, Allister, but I'm not sure I can be friends with a blood mage. Past experience with blood magic has left me with a very bad taste in my mouth. Besides, you don't strike me as someone who cares for having friends."

 

[Darth Caelum]

Allister continued to lie on his back, having fully expected the Spirit Magus' reactions. But her past experiences comment was interesting. "Oh really? What did my Fellows do to you that made you distrust all of us? While I'm sure that the Majority of Blood Mages are Violent, Manipulative, Crude, Ambitious and Unpredictable. I don't believe I'm like that. I don't think I'm Crude." Allister chuckled a bit.

"Perhaps I don't want friends Magus. But, I like Life very much. I also Like Knowledge. Now, for me to continue gaining Knowledge, I have to be alive. For me to be alive, I have to make sure my Allies, since that is what you and the others are magus, don't stab me in the back. Now, If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. However, know that I'm not a Mass Murderer like the other Blood Magi like to do. Seriously, do they think that the Path to Power over Blood Magic is by spilling Blood every chance they get? Pathetic....."

 

[The Zango]

Neria sat up from her prone position on the ground and dusted herself off, she stood from the ground bearing a large, warm smile and nodded to Sevink, while propping her own sword up against the side of the cave wall.

"I Yield"

She did a small, almost joking curtsy and looked up at him again, her smile slightly more restrained and this time some red in her cheeks from the embarrassment of loosing her 'resolve'.

"You are a fine swordsman Sevink, I'll be glad to have you watching my back"

She leaned in as if to give him a comradely pat on the shoulder but then...

"Here father would never poison the Arl, never!"

Not listening to the words but to the tone and ferocity of which they were said, Neria sprung into action, surrounding herself and coincidently Sevink, with a swirl of bright purple energy. The energy lit up the cave and whipped around them, practically roaring, inside the sound was dimmed but it would almost be deafening to those outside.

Her eyes darted, looking for some unseen assailant, scanning the cave for some enemy incursion she could obliterate with a flick of her wrist and a gratuitous use of deadly magic.

There was none.

Realising the error of her ways, Neria closed her open palms and just as she did so the swirl vanished, leaving the cave feeling empty by comparison. She looked around the party, real embarrassment playing on her face.

"I apologise, the sparring session must have tweaked my reflexes"

With that she turned and nodded to Sevink but this time utilised her embarrassment for her means and simply flushed an even darker shade of red before resuming her seat at the side of the cave.

'Blast! I was not to reveal my further magics in front of Allister for the time being but know he knows, he's seen what I can do! Granted that is but the tip of the iceberg but he knows nonetheless! Oh well, I will have to live with my mistake and besides, perhaps Allister and the others, would think twice before making any moves against me in future. Still mother wouldn't be pleased'

The last thought in particular sent shivers up her spine and she pushed the thought from her conciousness. She simply sat on her rock and sharpened her sword absent-mindedly. She would continue until they moved out, no more chance for error.

 

[Darth Caelum]

Allister jerked from his position, spooked by the unexpected Magical Power that he felt, as well as the abominable racket it caused. For once in a long time, his mind was stumped by the unexpected power. It was too close to be a long range attack. Too Far to have been a Magically Laid trap so what the Hell......

The Bloodmage stood up quickly and was about to engulf the entire location in a Tornado of Brimstone when he saw the the Purple Light. Allister saw enough of it to be alarmed into choosing an even bigger spell, one that would potentially wake up every darkspawn within the cave complex when he saw it dissipate. His eyes narrowed when he saw the Archon Magus. His suspicions were confirmed when she said

"I apologize, the sparring session must have tweaked my reflexes."

'Bullshit. You did not show an Ounce of that magical ability when fighting the Darkspawn earlier. Why show it now? The Fact that you aren't even TIRED from using that spell must mean that you're Mana supply was not particularly drained from that display. Which means you have even Greater spells than that one.'

He watched her suspiciously as she sat down on a rock and continued to sharpen her blade 'But why show it? I knew of her Physical strength and Manipulative Nature, but her Magical Abilities, Not a single thing. Why would she even give a HINT of such power here? Where it would bring her at such a disadvantageous position? She cast that spell for a reason. Why? To get me to fear her? Ridiculous. She knows me, even to a small degree. So why even try to Intimidate me when seduction would not work? If she saw an enemy, she wouldn't have cast such a powerful spell in the first place. She didn't use it then, so why should she use it know. So, Manipulation would do her little good. Defense, even lesser good. So why then? Why would she even TRY. Situational? No, not a situation to be seen to even WARRANT it. Emotional? No, she has considerable emotional control over herself. She wouldn't lose it like that. Even if she needed an outlet, she is much too logical to have even attempted such power here. Sexual? Really now? Why did I even put this on my list!? Psychological? No. She is much too calm for her to be haunted by her Demons. She has shown no sign.'

Allister sighed irritably as he sat down. As soon as he did though, a brief mental image came to him. A Deep Resounding Yell. A Yell of Pain. Anger. Vengeance. Despair. The Bloodmage held himself still for a moment. 'Well......I'm not the most Psychologically Stable person either am I? While I am a Jerk at times, I do not believe most would attribute it to any Psychological Instabilities. But even so, why show it here? The only possible reason to do so would be that she has even Deeper Issues than previously Imagined.....'

Allister snorted and shooked his head. 'In any case, I'll think about that later. That's the best theory I have right now. Though It's still very unsteady. So. I'' file that for know, and in the meantime, since the ***** ruined a perfectly good conversation I was Actually enjoying. I need to deal with the fact that I have no counter plan for THAT. Dammit. What an Embarrassment.'

 

[The Zango]

Neria didn't acknowledge it but she could feel Allister's gaze upon her, like fingers wrapping around her head, searching for something. But behind that came a growing presence, one that made even her heart beat faster and seem to rise in her throat. She kept her feeling under control and stood from her seat, taking her sword and shield with her. She walked forth from the mouth of the cave and out into to waiting rain soaked forest. As she passed him, she spoke a few words to Jason.

"I shall return momentarily, if not I'll catch up once you begin movement again"

After a few moments she was in the dense forest once more, out of view from the cave and alone but for the singing birds in the treetops. Still she pressed on, not wanting to be disturbed was her main priority, her only priority right now and so she continued until she reached her destination, another, smaller cave much like the one harbouring the others but minus the company or comforting fire.

She chuckled at the irony, now she could actually stand anyone else's company, though they would not be able to assist her where she was venturing.

No-one could.

She entered the mouth of the cave and cast a minor enchantment in its enterance, one that would alert her of any incursion and stun the intruder, while remaining virtually undetectable.

She sat cross legged in the middle of the cave, closed her eyes and began the incantations. A purple mist swirled around her and even leaked out of the mouth of her cave slightly, it didn't matter. She continued to chant, a low, yet beautiful incantation, the words of which practically sung.

Her body continued to chant but her sould departed from her body, for a few moments she lingered, it was a strange sensation, watching one's self from the third person. Still she had a job to do and with a bat of her eye lids she left her physical form behind and entered the other world.

She had entered the fade.

"I have come"

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