Forum Thread

Blood for ink, Skin for paper, Bone for leather.



She ran, with every foot step, a deep thud from her chest, steadily beating faster. Her fingertips still dripping blood from when the magic forced its way out. She'd been running for what seemed like forever, never slowing always moving... Finally her strength gave out. She collapsed, stumbling towards a large oak tree. As she strained to listen for pursuit she caught a glimpse of the moon shining down, the winds were still, apart from an owl calling to the unknown. Her breathing began to slow as she brushed her thick black hair behind her. She was suddenly cold and fearful. The moonlight caught her gleaming, sweat soaked skin. She crouched down lower into the roots of the oak tree. Pulling her dark, blood-stained cloak tightly around her as she drifted into a deep sleep from exhaustion.



She was woken by the flickering light through the leaves above. She wondered why she was outside. It all flooded back. The pain of losing her thumb and index finger, the uncontrollable rage a mix of fear and the magic. It had hardly lasted a second yet it had the power to kill. Where had it come from? She'd never been told of anyone in her family who possessed magic. Her thoughts drifted to her mother. Did it come from her? Was it her dying gift? All she knew was that her mother had died when she was born, little else was spoken of her. Her father never spoke much about her even when he did it was fragmented and repetitive.



As she felt the tiredness wash away, she looked around at her unfamiliar surroundings. The dew still gripped the grass around her, the leaves rustled in the gentle breeze. As she tried to rise from her inadequate night’s sleep, she felt the burn where the rune had been seared into her. She'd been told that every female in his family had been given the same markings. She'd never seen any other females from her father's side. She was aware then that she had to place such trivial thoughts aside. As she stood taking in large lungful’s of clean air a sharp pain jolted up her arm. A burning sensation from her fingertips, realising that it was from where the magic had forced its way out. It seemed harsh, and yet it made her core shiver with excitement.



She began to wander towards the warmth of the shimmering sunlight in an attempt to get some warmth back inside her. Throwing her cloak into the vast patch of sunlight. She let herself fall. As she slumped to the ground uncomfortable questions surfaced: What did people with magic do? What happened to people who summon their magic for the first time? There had been some conversation about guardians of magical lore, but that had been when she was very young and it was hard to remember. She'd once asked her father, who'd given her a straight answer, blunt and to the point: "magic and wealth are similar, both corrupt people's souls".



Once the damp had left her, she set off through yet more trees, some she knew others were unfamiliar. Birdsong came from all around her as she pressed deeper into the forest, but she gave the wonderful sounds little attention. She was hungry and needed something to quench her rising thirst. After walking through patches of sun and shade for what she could only guess as the morning, she heard it, the faint rush of distant water. Her hopes restored, she ran, ignoring the smaller branches that tried to cling to her in a vain effort to slow her progress. She ran harder as the sounds grew closer and within moments she could see a fast flowing river. Reaching down towards the water she drank cool refreshing mouthfuls. She was relieved, her ordeal felt like a fleeting memory drifting away.



After a few moments she drifted off to sleep. She was woken by a few light droplets of rain. The heavens opened with a mighty clap of thunder. Rain flooded down instantly soaking her to the skin. She was surprised to see rain, when she had slept it had been a hot spring day. Something dark was rising in the distance, hastily she made her way towards it. As she got closer she realised that it was smoke, black and unsettling. It rose in an unnatural pattern. Increasing her pace she set off towards it in a hope that someone might be there who could help her.



Her walk took longer than expected. Finally she began to see the red flicker of flames through the many trees that were still ahead. Night was approaching fast and soon the obsidian skies would be upon her. The fires had been licking at the last few timber struts, of what she could only guess as some kind of house or hut. Quickly she searched the shadows. No-one was around. She yelled "there’s a stream not far from here, we could still save some of your building". Knowing far too well that fires didn’t just appear. A figure emerged from the deeper shadows on the far side of the building, they were wearing a long hooded cloak and even with the fire there face remained hidden in shadows of his raised hood. The figure called back "this is not my house but, i did start the fire." His voice was rough, deep and more than slightly threatening. She physically recoiled. Realising that the man was not a friend, she hurriedly turned, running away from the fire back towards the safety of the forest. Before she could even take a step her instincts screamed at her to get down. Throwing herself flat against the grass, a searing arc of fire rippled through where she had just been standing. He was a mage.



She risked a quick glance behind her. The hooded mage stood still almost as if he had wanted her to flee. The darkness was falling rapidly around her. Her progress was forced to slow. Still scanning the lines of trees, she caught a glimpse of a figure just outside the shadows. It was too dark to tell who the stranger was, they quickly answered her unspoken question. The person unleashed two quick arcs of lightning. She felt them travel past her barely leaving a mark. She felt something surge up from within her. The rune markings burning deeply, her own magic was being called upon and it responded well. This time though it wasn’t forced, deep purple lightning arced from her hand, it flew straight at her enemy. She heard it crackle as it struck, but her foe didn’t even seem to notice. Clenching her right had she threw what looked like a purple punch forwards, but again nothing happened.



She launched herself towards her attacker, throwing more streams of lightning from her left and pulsing purple fires from her right. Suddenly the branches around her gripped her tightly, binding her in place. Her magic began to recede. Another person moved in from behind a fallen tree. Thinner branches lashed out, supporting the larger branches. The new enemy said “Now we have you little girl, although it’s rare to see someone so young and so talented".



Her voice was trembling, hardly more than a whisper "What’s...going to happen to me?” She began biting her lip in an attempt to stop herself from crying out in fear. The other mage who had stood rooted to the spot where her attacks had landed moved slowly towards her. “You my dear are going to the mages fort, as yet your fate is unknown." Blood dripped from her lip, and the dark took over her. It was dawn when she next awoke. She felt sluggish unresponsive. She was still bound tightly and her magic was still dormant. The sky was clear and the air was humid. She couldn’t see much else of her surroundings, but she knew she was moving. In the distance she caught the faint sounds of people chatting, before dizziness took over and she drifted back into the unconsciousness.





drafts (future ideas)



for a second the night sky was iluminated, even the distant peaks where brighter than a summers day.Suddenly eveything was thrown back into darkness once again. Only a distant rumble broke the silence. As the heavens opened releasing there shimmering droplets, Every one was scribing into note books, unaware of the chance that presented its self.The faintest of smiles could be detected briefly flashing across her face, soon it would be her time to stike. She would be Free.She would take Savanna with her. All she need was a surge of lightning and a torrential downpour.both where steadily aproching from just beind the peaks. She rapily returned to her studdies, in case anyone detained her.The Fort shook as a bolt stuck home. She'd have to find savana, and quickly before there chance was lost to the winds.



She was already soaked from the rain whilse savanna ran behind compleatly dry.The skys flashed again and this time it was directed at her.Savanna threw her self backward just missing the faital force. As the true-lightning slammed into her fragile body. Her magic was quickly over come by the newer power.The true-lightning was like venom running through her vains. her mind and body fort back attepmting to contol and conceal this new threat.A crackling haze blocked her vision for an instant. She was tireing quickly from the mental strain, slowly but surly she forced her own magic towards the nears wall. Charing and blistering the solid stone,but it wasnt enough. The true lightning found the same path had it raged along side her own magic. A furiose eruption bellowed from her out spread hand, arching straight at the Stones. Even though they where made of magic it couldnt contain such sheer power. The stones glowed and lit up the skys as shards of stone where thrown from the wall slicing into ground, And where they could, into her soft flesh.

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