Thread: Oaths Twice Writ, Thrice Sworn (Umbrale & Erit)

It began, as it always did, with noise. A roar like crashing waves, only constant and omnipresent. Except this time, it was different the roar was muted and muffled, down-pitched as if everything were underwater, rather than an almost painful and deafening cacophony. Then came vision, of a sort as if opening eyes he did not have in this place, to an endless and seamless white void. The initial vertigo was quick to fade, though he'd long since adjusted to the oddness of that place. Again, though, it was... Different. Subtly so, in this case the brightness was somehow less, as though a tinted sphere surrounded him, reducing the intensity of the void from blinding and painful to merely uncomfortable. It took a very careful eye, and the intimate familiarity of several months, to catch the why, a large sphere, seemingly made of translucent hexagons much like some sort of honeycomb structure. He had no hands, no body, in this place, but he could yet feel, and when he felt that barrier he was quickly overwhelmed by... He knew not what. Emotions? Sensations? Thoughts? Were they his own, or something else? Why were they there, now, between his consciousness and the Will? He'd emerged, been granted a Totem, he was certain! Why was there something between him and magic, still!? ----------------- Chase's awkward eyes snapped open as his lips parted in a quiet gasp, his consciousness snapping back to his body and feeling alive from the steady thrum of magic in the air. The first thing he thought of was, naturally, Alisia, and his torso jerked upwards as he took the first step in rising for a panicked search before stopping dead at the sight of her sprawled sleepily in a chair. Then, rather than panic, he smiled with an amused huff at just how typical the pose was of her. A smile quickly wiped away on hearing a voice he was fairly familiar with. Every Cadence, of course, knew their Master, Brivear Memoiri, at least by name and sight but Chase's position as the son of Lucian Wyrmwell Cadence, Brivear's personal confidante and envoy, meant he was far more familiar with the man's presence. His childhood as Alisia's playmate doubled down on that to this day Chase cringed at the memories of his referring to the man who controlled two immense families as Uncle Brave because his name had tripped the little boy up. So he gave a nervous, sheepish smile to the patriarch who controlled his life so long as Chase bore the Cadence name, and sat up straighter on the bed, swinging his legs over the side to rest his now-bare feet on the floor. A part of him wondered who'd taken his shoes and socks, before being hushed by the need to pay attention to his boss. Even if he was there for the three stated reasons, Chase didn't let his guard down. There were protocols to observe when dealing with Brivear Memoiri, especially as his next chief of staff. The word of his father's coming was a surprise, though a small one Lucian had been away acting as steward for the various businesses the Memoiri family controlled, a decent trip away by helicopter. Of course, his son's emergence as a full mage was special enough occasion to return, especially considering Chase's unique situation undoubtedly he would be there within an hour of getting the news. Which brought Chase to wonder how long had he been out? His hands folded in his lap, Chase lowered his gaze as he thought on the answer to Brivear's inquiry. I feel... He reached out to that hum of power, spirit grasping the flow of magic as his azure eye came aglow with inner light. Whole, sir. As though some part of me long numb has at last regained some feeling, a sense I never knew I lacked come to life... He extended a finger, and a tiny ember of flame came to life at the tip, crimson and gold tinged with silver-blue. The rhythm and pulse of magic in the air, in the earth, in my own blood, it is... Entrancing. The flame winked out, light fading from his eye as a genuine smile lit his face. It feels amazing, really. The sound of footsteps at the door kept him from dwelling on the question of his Totem, as three pairs of feet approached in a controlled rush and the door opened hurriedly to reveal three men with hair of varying shades of blond and eyes varying hues of grey. At the lead was, of course, the head of the mage family clad in a more business-like double-breasted suit and tie, with wild sun-colored hair and a gunmetal gaze, Lucian Wyrmwell Cadence was a man taller than his son by a head and shorter than Brivear by a hair, lean with a posture of invulnerability and power more at home on a noble than a servant. Flanking him were his own uncles, dressed in medical fatigues under the iconic white coats of physicians and scientists, with straw hair and steely eyes, one having aged rather gracefully and the other seemingly not at all. Brivear, Lucian nodded to the Memoiri patriarch, addressing the other man with a voice at home amidst a hail of gunfire, thank you. Sorry for imposing on your time. Though there was very little real work for the Memoiri head to do, as the extended Cadence family dutifully handled the regular administrative duties for the various businesses and operations under Brivear's family name there were benefits to having an entire house of loyal mages under one's wing. Lucian himself served as seneschal for the House such that the Memoiri family could afford to treat their holdings more as a hobby than business, in addition to overseeing Road Camelot's deployments it was the main reason he was rarely present at the manor after Chase turned fourteen. Thomas, Lloyd. Lucian said simply. The other two men nodded and stepped forward to examine Chase. Thomas, the elder looking of the pair, immediately began testing the young man's eyes Lloyd, the younger, took one of his arms and measured his pulse. Chase, having been subjected to these tests numerous times when it had seemed he would not develop any sort of magical ability, cooperated in mechanical silence and tuned out the pairs' mutterings and musings over his condition, letting them come to a diagnosis unmolested. When his great-uncles stepped back and Thomas extended a hand towards him, iron-colored eyes alight with argent luminescence, Chase held his breath and grit his teeth as silver-blue tendrils as fine as fishing wire extended towards him, touching their tips to his skin where hair-thin lines spiderwebbed out from every point of contact. Being subject to kenning was always an uncomfortable experience that made his skin crawl, but he set his jaw and kept still anyway. This is most unusual, indeed. Thomas muttered darkly, the light fading from his gaze as the tendrils faded from the world, and Chase shivered and writhed the dregs of that invasive sensation off. He has been granted a Totem, but I cannot perceive it. The elder man directed his gaze to Chase himself, You have one, clearly. But there is interference somehow. The young man leaned forward, eyes widening in concern as he struggled to keep his tone level. What do you mean, uncle? Interference? But that was ridiculous, he could sense the flow just fine, reach out and touch it, which he did for emphasis an orb of gentle light coalescing in his palm as his blue eye began to shine again. I can work magic just fine now. See? He missed the looks of befuddlement, with his attention focused on the feeling of finally having his own power, but not the small mirror Lloyd produced and placed in front of him, nor the sight within that he knew to be so very wrong. His eyes were supposed to have changed from the robins-egg blue he'd been born with, he knew, but not like he now saw they had. And his one eye certainly wasn't meant to glow like a bolt of lightning. No sooner did the mirror disturb his thoughts, though, than the sphere of light winked out and the offending reflection crumble to dust. Lloyd pranced back as if Chase was a hissing viper, and the youth's face twisted in the kind of scowl reserved for cruel twists of fate. Or so I thought. Thomas gave a sharp cough, bringing attention to him rather that the mirror. This is... Certainly a unique situation, but rest assured we will figure it out in good time. For now, it seems you at least have enough control to avoid causing random phenomena until be better understand the nature of your Inheritance, I suggest keeping your usage of magic to a minimum. Still, there's good news! Lloyd chimed in with his languid drawl, bending eccentrically at the waist, Since you're no longer a walking hex, you can resume your regular duties! A pointed glance at the still-sleeping Alisia said the rest, and Chase looked over at the girl in question, unaware of the soft little smile adorning his face. Really, she Would be impertinent enough to be asleep when he woke up rather than patiently waiting at his side. would ruin her back and posture, sleeping like that. Chase sighed in resigned bemusement at the sight. Then I suppose I should get the young miss to her own bed, shouldn't I? Along with some proper breakfast. He stood, finding his shoes and socks on the floor beside the bed before bowing politely to Brivear. Thank you for gracing me with your time, sir, but I must beg my leave. After settling his old friend onto his back in a piggyback rideher wings made bridal carries too uncomfortableChase allowed himself a slow pace as he moved through the manor. For many reasons, really, among which was an instinctual aversion to go near Alisia's room, equally matched by a desire to reminisce about the good old days before the dangers of his awakening forced a separation. Even before then, he'd found himself simply too preoccupied with study and work to spend time with Alisia outside of what she could manage to wring out of his father's schedule Lucian was a strict man even with the heiress, and had been firmly set on Chase succeeding in his academic pursuits even if it meant limiting the time that mage and maiden could be together. I can't, you know how dad is about this. I'm sorry. Thankfully, carrying her wasn't that much of a challenge despite what popular media might lead one to believe, mages weren't predisposed to fragility. Certainly, the study of the arcane took priority over becoming a bodybuilder for most, but the Cadence family was very strict about health, particularly if one was younger than fourty. The domestic staff were, at minimum, proficient in self-defense techniques and very physically fit, and the full-time security detachments from Road Camelot... Well, it was an informal private military corporation, owned and operated by the Cadence house in the service of the Memoiri. Chase himself was a rather good boxer, and as the next chief executive of Road Camelot he had a bit of firearms training as well, though he'd been practicing neither during his instability for obvious reasons. To say the estate was more heavily defended than most government seats of power would not be an understatement there were reasons beyond magic that nobody could even try to steal from the Memoiri family and get away with it. The halls were oddly silent, lit through the windows by the late morning sunlight streaming in, as the young man carried his friend through the house, his family somehow absent from any hall he traveled. It would be eerie, considering that they were supposed to be easy to find if one of the Memoiri required a service, but it wasn't when one accounted for the reason. Any mage's awakening was big news that warranted celebration, like a particularly auspicious birthday in a way, but Chase in particular had many things about his situation that would draw in the entire family for the festivities his position as heir, obviously, but also the unique nature of his instability and awakening, and his being generally well-liked by his extended family. He'd been a bright and kind boy who grew into a sharp and reliable young man, and while such were common traits in the servant family Chase stood out for his exemplary nature of it. A Cadence lives to please, after all! Alisia's room on the second floor wasn't that hard to find. It hadn't moved, after all, and he had spent much of his time as a pre-teen playing in there with her, though he hadn't so much as stood in front of that door in years now. At first it had been because he was too busy, but then he had felt like it had simply been too long apart for him to visit as a friend, then it was simply too awkward to try bridging the gap he felt had come up between the two of them, and then he'd turned unstable and... He sighed and shifted his burdensome young Miss a little to free up a hand, turning the knob and stepping over the threshold for the first time, that he could recall, since they'd entered high school. Instinctively, he wanted to backpedal and flee, but he didn't. What was hers was his, after all. He shook the sudden cobwebs from his head, instead, and laid his charge gently onto her bed, even going so far as to tuck her in and brush an errant lock of hair from her eyes. A smile adorned his face as he did so, the kind of expression one gave towards a person they truly trusted it was a smile he had used to always wear around her, when they were smaller and bore fewer responsibilities. But years dulled such gentleness, even good years devoid of suffering it was the kind of innocent expression one simply stopped making as they grew older and changed their expectations of the world, the kind of openness that was lost in exchange for a wider lens through which to view life. With that youthful, childlike smile on his lips, Chase took a seat beside Alisia's bed and waited for her to awaken. Like she should have done for him perhaps she simply needs an example of proper etiquette. The haze was shaken from him by the sound of a trolley, trundling into the room behind him. A quick glance over the shoulder revealed a familiar tease of a cousin at its helm, along with a tray of tea, snacks and the breakfast they'd been waylaid from taking. Hello, Anna. He said quietly, Thank you. Oh, don't mention it, Chase. The coquettish smile she returned was somehow frightening to behold on Anna's pleasantly-proportioned face. After all, it's the least I can do for you... Well, perhaps not here, unless you're feeling particularly brave. The boy gave a good-natured scowl in response and shooed the flirt away, Enough of that, this isn't the place for your antics. I turn eighteen tomorrow, Chase just this once, indulge me? She gave an audible pout back, but spared him further trouble. With a grateful sigh that, today at least, he could get his way with his family, Chase poured himself a cup of tea and munched idly on one of the cookies, settling into chair he'd requisitioned from Alisia's desk and waiting for her to return from... whatever state the Memoiri's fey blood took them in their dreams. The void and the roar, infinity within nothingness and nothing within the infinite. That might make a useful piece of research, actually the Cadence archives were utterly bare of any studies on their keepers. If he had to guess, it would be because of the perception of such a request, but surely there was no suspicion at this point that the Cadence family would turn traitor? It had been dozens of generations by this point, and there had been plenty of systems laid in place for those who wished to live separate from the debt and the duty of the Cadence name. Last edited Jun 26, 2018