Vlindrel:Hound to T-8

Day 3, 5:00 PM
Sentinel's Ruin Bonfire

**Caspian crawls from the bonfire, cinders and ashes pouring off of him as he he does. His blue clothing and chainmail are gone, as is his bequested sword-spear.**

Caspian: **He stands up and looks himself over, realizing that much of his equipment is gone. A glimpse of determination passes over his face as he turns and looks at the bonfire, thinking of what to do for a moment.**

Ahiga: **The bonfire suddenly flickers and bursts with sparks as Ahiga begins crawling out of it, missing his shirt and shoes. He gasps for air a few times and grabs at his back, then over his chest, panicing.** GET IT OUT-GET IT OUT! **He grabs at his heart repeatedly, where one of the arrows pierced.** I CAN'T BREATH!! I CAN'T *BREATH*!!

Caspian: **He quickly moves to bend down grab Ahiga's shoulders firmly, looking down at him and shaking him a little.** Ahiga! You're alright! There's nothing there! **He looks Ahiga in the eyes.** Look! You've been healed! Please calm down Ahiga!

Ahiga: **He looks around, realizing where he is. He's still gasping for air, and he's quickly broken out in a cold sweat as he tries to slow his breathing, feeling his heart pounding in his chest.** Caspian? **He looks up to Caspian.** ...The bonfire, did it...? Ressurect me...? **He grabs at his chest again, still feeling the psychological wound of the bolt through his chest.** It got me... Shot me in the back... Then through the heart. **He grabs at the nape his his neck and whispers.** Maybe in the back of the neck too... **He lets out a shaky breath and shivers a little.** ...Then there was... Just... Fire... Smelled like when we burn old hay back home.

Caspian: **He lets go of Ahiga and sits back a little, looking Ahiga in the eyes.** The first death is always one of the worst.

Ahiga: **He pulls his knees up to his chest. Staring at nothing for a moment. He takes a few deep breaths and has a solemn look on his face.** I don't think anything's ever hurt that bad before...

Caspian: **He stands back up and moves closer to the bonfire.** Perhaps you should wait here. **He reaches into the bonfire and pulls a sheathed longsword from it. It's nothing fancy, just a simple weapon he likely found off a typical soldier.** I must retrieve my Sword-spear before one of those creatures runs off with it. If I find your clothing and other equipment, I'll be sure to retrieve it.

Ahiga: You're going to leave me here? **Ahiga looks up to Caspian, he almost looks like he's about to start crying. He's obviously so shaken up by what's happened that he's scared.**

Caspian: **He looks down the path ahead, seeing one of the far walls of Reformatory just between the trees. It's obvious that he really wants to go get his weapon.** ...I... **He looks back to Ahiga.** I'll stay for as long as you need... **He sits back down and crosses his legs, looking across the bonfire at Ahiga.** If you don't want to be alone.

Ahiga: **He puts his head down into his knees.** ...Thanks...

Caspian: I haven't traveled with others before... I've never had friends before... I'm used to acting on my own. **He lays his sword down on the ground.** But it wouldn't be right of me to leave you here by yourself... A knight is supposed to be loyal, so it is my duty to be loyal to a friend. **He smiles a little.**

Ahiga: Thanks Caspian... **He feels a little better. He takes a really deep breath as he continues to try and calm himself.** That feeling... It was like I was drowning... **He looks up at Caspian.** ...I'm not sure I can take that again...

Caspian: **He stays quiet for a moment before speaking.** The first time I died... **He looks down as he remembers.** It was years ago... I was younger then, smaller, and I was not yet experienced enough to wield my sword-spear effectively... Food may be plentiful where you come from, but it is difficult to find here... So I frequently hunt through the Nabalwald... **He looks to Ahiga.** During one of these hunts I tracked down a large beast... Too large for me to defeat... It gored me through the chest and though I was mortally wounded, I persisted for a time... Feeling it chew through my innards... When I was restored by the bonfire, the first thing that came to my mind was that it could happen again... **He looks to Ahiga.** ...And I was beset by cowardice...

Ahiga: **He lets out a quiet sigh and takes another deep breath, still feeling like he can't take a deep enough breath to clear his lungs, even though he's physically fine.**

Capsian: Knights are meant to be brave. The Knights of Loyce did not become legends by being cowards... If I was to be like them, to become a Knight of Loyce and embark on my quest, then I must overcome my fear.

Ahiga: ...You're so driven to become a knight that... You would risk pain like that again?

Caspian: ...I trained harder, got stronger, and I swallowed my fear... **He looks to the sword next to him.** Months later I tracked down the creature again, and I killed it... **He smiles a little.** Orma prepared it as a feast of celebration, and the three of us ate it. **His smile fades as he looks back to Ahiga.** The whole experience felt... **He trails off.**

Ahiga: **He speaks in a quiet voice.** ...Cathartic?

Caspian: I'm afraid I don't know that word's meaning.

Ahiga: ...It means... That it felt good... You felt relieved.

Caspian: **He nods a little.** ...You must choose a goal and make an effort to achieve it. Overcome your fear, overcome the pain, and eventually you will succeed. This is the mindset you need to keep, if you are ever to see you home again Ahiga.

Ahiga: You're right... **He looks back down.** ...I just need some time to clear my head... I... You can on ahead if you want. I'll be OK now.

Caspian: You're sure of this, Ahiga?

Ahiga: **He nods quietly.**

Caspian: **He stands up.** If that's your wish... Try not to give into despair Ahiga. **He picks up his sword and walks to the edge of the ruin before stopping and looking back at Ahiga.** We've only just met, and I enjoy your company! **He turns and heads out onto the road.**

Ahiga: **He smirks and little, then turns his gaze to the dull flame, the fire reflecting in his eyes.** ...I bet you'd be making fun of me if you were here Tate... **He sighs.** ..."It was just a little arrow, you're fine... Stop being a baby..." **His eyes start watering again.** ...Fuck you Tate... That *hurt*. **He lets out a quiet sniffle and wipes his eyes with the back of his hand.**

**Meanwhile, at the Aurelion Estate...**

**Tate has been sparring with the knight for over an hour and a half now, and even though he's improving, the Knight's stone form is keeping Tate from doing little more than scratching its surface and slowing it a little.**

Tate: How the hell am I supposed to beat this thing? **He takes a few steps back and flings his chakram at the Knight's head.**

**The Chakram clangs off, chipping the old stone harmlessly. The Knight breaks into a run, it's heavy footfalls shaking the floor as it quickly closes the distance and slams into Tate with its shield. Previous to this the Knight was slow and did little more than slow swipes.**

Tate: **He Flickers backwards about ten feet and raises his hand, mana flows into his fingertips and they glow dimly with blue light, a barrage of water blasts that make a series of dull thuds as they slam into the Knight's upper body. As his chakram clangs off one of the walls it flies back into his hand.** It's made of stone!

Barlowe: **He lets out a quiet wheeze.** This is just training, you're not supposed to beat it. **He coughs quietly into his hand.** You've already improved quite a bit. **He wheezes a little again, watching Tate.**

Tate: Good because I'm running out of mana and I'm getting tired! **He runs away from the knight, throwing his Chakram down at the ground, it bounces up and into the knight's helmet, ricocheting off of it and hitting the ceiling before it bounces back down and into Tate's hand.**

Barlowe: If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a bit experienced in this kind of activity. **He looks to Loki.**

Tate: I played baseball in middle school and water polo in highschool, so I can throw- **His eyes go wide as the Knight reaches him and he flickers twelve feet to the left.** -shit pretty good! And I have hundreds of hours of of action games to draw from! **Loki is sitting at the edge of the area, almost like a dog does. His head keeps moving back and forth as he watches Tate spar with the Knight.**

Barlowe: Action games, eh? **He looks back to Tate.** Let's take a break. *Arreht-Sey*! **The Knight suddenly freezes mid-swing, then quickly returns to its starting spot before turning and standing at motionless attention.** Since you're picking this up rather quickly, I'd like to enlighten you to some of the other abilities of your equipment, especially your Chakram.

Tate: **He throws the chakram at the knight one last time to score a free hit, before catching it and turning to look to Barlowe. He's breathing pretty heavily and has a sheen of sweat on his brow from the exertion.** You mean this thing does even *more*?

Barlowe: The Rajani Chakram is no pauper's weapon my boy. The Rajakhan ruled the seas with its versatility. **He wheezes a little and coughes quietly.** Some marauders were so proficient with it that they could cut every rope on an enemy ship's sails with a single throw, stopping it dead in the water.

Tate: **He tosses the chakram up a little and it flips over a few times before he catches it again.** So what you're telling me is that Xena was based on historical fact?

Barlowe: **He raises a bushy eyebrow at Tate.** Well I don't know of any Xena, just what I've read and seen for myself.

Tate: It doesn't matter- never mind. **He smirks and looks to Barlowe.** So what else can this thing do?

Barlowe: The Chakram is magically linked to the gloves you are wearing. This is called Harmonic Enchantment. By feeding a desire into your gloves, they will issue your will to the Chakram itself. **He clears his throat and pulls himself up in his chair a little.** For this exercise I want you to throw the Chakram and then impose your will to collapse it. Many people find that balling your hand into a fist, it can help with this technique. **He motions to the Knight.** Try it now.

Tate: Collapse it? ...Umm, alright I guess. **He turns and looks back at the Knight, he takes a second to pick a target on the knight, then throws the chakram at it. He balls his hand into a fist and lets out a quick breath as he watches the chakram fly through the air, as if he were trying to mentally crush it in his hand.**

**The ring-like configuration of the Chakram suddenly pulls inwards and reconfigures into a flying saw-blade like formation that slices through the air. It bounces off the stone knight, breaking a few small chunks off rock off the side of its helmet, before it flies back towards Tate and reconfigures back into its ring-shape just before he catches it.**

Barlowe: Well done, well done. **He takes a wheezing breath an his marble servant pushes him up onto the dueling floor, next to Tate.** You are quite willful, so I expected you'd get that your first try.

Tate: **He flips the ring over, looking at it.** So it transforms into a sawblade?

Barlowe: The two configurations have different uses. **He holds his hand out to Tate.** Lend the Chakram back to me for a moment and I'll explain and demonstrate.

Tate: **He holds out the weapon to Barlowe.** You weren't kidding when you said mastering this thing would take a while, sounds like it can do all kinds of nifty shit.

Barlowe: **He takes the Chakram from Tate.** These are all basic lessons that I'm teaching you here. You will find that the applications for this weapon are far and wide -Now observe closely. **The ring floats up out of his hand and hangs in the air by itself.** Whilst in its ring form a spell can be channelled into the ring. **A dim green light begins to dance across the Chakram.** This isn't unique to the Chakram, but the nature of this weapon gives more versatility than most others. This manor of spell casting is called "Christening". The spell I've christened within the Chakram is a typical Earth Blast spell. Let me demonstrate the effect of this technique- **The Chakram suddenly flies forwards like it was shot from a cannon, at a much higher velocity than when Tate throws it. As it hits the stone knight the Chakram explodes with a green spiked light and an expanding ring of dust, accompanied by a loud distored "Boom". The Knight's entire upper-half is blown apart and chunks of it are sent rolling over the floor. The Chakram quickly flies back and stops just in front of Barlowe, hovering in the air once more.**

Tate: Holy shit! **He watches the debris of the knight come to a stop.** That was awesome! Teach me that! **He looks at Barlowe.**

Barlowe: Unfortunately that is an earth spell, and its potency lay outside your current ability. **He clears his throat.** If we had suffcient time I might be able to teach you how to cast it, but I'm afraid we don't.

Tate: Yeah I figured as much... **He sighs a little and looks back to the remains of the knight, which he didn't even scratch.** So I can basically use the Chakram to cast a spell on-hit? But only while it's in its ring form.

Barlowe: Correct. However, that may not always be the best course of action. **The Chakram transforms into its saw-blade configuration.** This form is considerably better for simple offense, it's sharp pointed edges slice through flesh and perforate light armor, inflicting deep wounds and lacerations that will bleed out, given time. **It transforms back into a ring and floats towards Tate.** Try christening the blade with one of your spells. Water Blast, Brine, or Flicker, each will have a different effect. **He grabs his cane and taps it against the floor loudly.** Rhey-doub-ley! **A spark of white light races out from the end of his cane, across the floor, and into the knight, causing all of its pieces to rush back together into its complete state, though its still heavily cracked.**

Tate: Well I'm curious to see what the hell Flicker will do... **He holds the chakram up in front of him.** How do I go about... "Christening" it? Do I just... Will the spell into the chakram or something? **He looks at Barlow.**

Barlowe: To put it simply, yes. **His servant backs him up a little, to the edge of the checkered floor a few feet from Tate.** Though there are other ways, you seem proficient at mentally willing the Chakram to do as you wish, so that may be the most effective for you.

Tate: Alright... **He looks at the Chakram, staring at it for a few seconds.** Let's Flicker this shit up... **A few more seconds pass, but nothing happens.**

Barlowe: Keep in mind that at your magical proficiency, it will take a moment to Christen the Chakram. As you get stronger and more experienced, the effect will come more naturally.

Tate: **He nods a little, concentrating.** ...Flicker. **A few more seconds pass before the chakram starts to glow with a dim violet light. He smirks a little.** Alright, let's see what happens! **He turns and throws his Chakram at the statue's chest.**

**The Chakram flies through the air and hits the knight. As it does a flicker of purple light flashes around Tate and he appears at the knight two feet off the ground, holding the Chakram, falling and landing in front of the Knight.**

Tate: **As he lands he stumbles and falls before quickly getting up and looking around, obviously disoriented.** The fuck just happened? **He looks around again before he figures out what he did.** It lets me teleport to where the Chakram hits? **He looks back to Barlowe.**

Barlowe: Indeed. I must say, you are quite the student when you apply yourself.

Tate: Well this shit is actually awesome, not like Morganstern's boring bookwork. **He smirks. Loki's ears perk up seems to sense something, and he lets out a loud squeak as he runs over to Tate, up his leg and back, before standing up tall on his shoulder and looking around.** Something's coming? **Tate looks around.**

**There's a loud thud somewhere in the walls of the room, followed by the wooden panels quietly popping and creaking, as if something is pressing against them. Barlowe immediately feels a demonic pressure imposing itself over the room.**

Narak: **A deep course whisper, similar to a grow, sounds in Tate and Barlowe's heads.** Here you are... **At the entrance to the room a black and red dog-like demon rises from the ground, seeming to grow out of the floor itself, like it was smashed flat. It slowly begins to walk into the room, it's head kept low and level to the ground. Unlike when he first appeared, Narak has a red slash up the right side of his face that crosses up his eye, it looks like a fresh wound that hasn't fully healed.**

Barlowe: What manner of creature would be foolish enough to dare invade the sanctity of the Aurelion Estate? **He sits up and readies his cane, his statue servant pushing him head of Tate.** Stay behind me boy!

Narak: I'm here for the potato-witch. **He stops and eyes Barlowe, his silver eyes turning crimson red, as does parts of his body.**

Barlowe: You'd best retreat to your master demon-ling, for you will not have him! **He clacks his cane against the ground.** *Cree-Sey*! **The Stone Knight immediately animate and turns, leaping a foot towards the demonic hound and then slashing down powerfully with its stone sword.**

Narak: **He moves slightly, then thrusts his mane of dragon scales into the sword as it slashes down at him. The blade shatters apart harmlessly.** Is this the pedigree of Aurelion? **He leaps backwards about twenty feet, and then launches forwards, slamming through the stone knight, shattering it utterly, and landing on the other side of it. He glares at Barlowe.** Playing chess and wheeling around at the speed of *senility*? My father could teach you *real* magic, old man.

Barlowe: **His bushy eyebrows furl in anger.** Queen to D3! **Barlow slams the end of his brass cane onto the floor, and it makes a loud boom. A tile in front of Tate and Barlowe lights up, and an eight foot tall black statue of a woman in a gown rises up into place. She's carrying a scepter-like great-hammer made of black metal.** *Cree-sey*! **The stone queen slams her scepter-hammer down onto the ground, and a line of crackling blue lightning streaks towards Narak.**

Narak: I will relish this... **He leaps over the streak of energy and slashes both of his front paws down into the queen's chest, tearing huge chunks out of it, before he leaps backwards.**

**Even though Narak rips apart her upper chest, the Queen responds quickly enough to swing her scepter-hammer and swat him out of the air like an oversized bat hitting a baseball. Narak is launched to the side and sent smashing into the wall, denting in the panels. The Queen wastes no time, immediately gliding over the floor and slamming her weapon into Narak again as he begins to recover, crushing him against the wall and bashing it in farther. Tate can hear the sounds of some of the gears and springs that help transform the room break and clang inside the wall.**

Barlowe: *Mah-nee-hla*! **The Queen reaches out an grabs Narak by the tail, ripping him from the wall and then swinging him around in the air before slamming him down into the checkered floor hard enough to crack it. She then spins her scepter-hammer and pierces the sharp bottom of it down into Narak's back, impaling him and pinning him there. She leans down onto it with both hands to leverage her weight.** ...Now. **He wheezes, breathing heavily. This is obviously a bit too much excitement for him.** Who is it that sends a demon to stalk this boy?

Narak: **He lets out a haggard growl as blood begins to slowly flow outwards from him in an expanding pool.** ...Hunter sent me to find him... I already happened upon the other two, but apparently that wasn't *good* enough, and so I was sent here again to find the Potato Witch... The bag around my neck contains proof of this... **He scratches at the floor a little, struggling to move his head a bit more. They see a smashed black and green fanny pack around Narak's neck.**

Barlowe: **He raises a bushy brow.** Retrieve it for us Pierreux. **His stone servant lets go of Barlowe's wheel chair and walks across the checkered floor, bending down and grabbing the bag, unclasping it from the demon's neck and looking at it.**

Narak: **As the stone servant bends down, Narak's tail whips around and cracks like a whip at the stone queen's wrists, breaking off her hands. Despite being impaled, he pulls himself up and rips the bottom of the scepter-hammer from the floor, grabbing onto it with his tail and pulling it out as he stands. He then leaps in the opposite direction, tumbling to the floor before standing and growling at the servant** I have been commanded to give this to the Potato Witch and *only* the Potato Witch. It is not for you or your toys, *old man*. **He limps backwards and growls at the stone statues a second time. Thick red blood is starting to drip from his maw.**

Barlowe: Queen to D8! **A second stone queen rises into place where the stone knight stood. This one is exactly like the first queen, only made of white marble and carrying a scepter-hammer made of polished silver.** I will have you smashed into a pulp before I let you near this boy! *Cree-sey*! **The white Queen quickly glides across the checkered floor and raises her scepter-hammer above her head as she moves.**

Tate: Wait-wait! **He takes a few steps ahead of them.** I recognize that pack!

Barlowe: **The queen swings down at Narak.** *Arreht-Sey*! **Her scepter-hammer taps the top of Narak's head lightly as it freezes to a sudden stop mid-swing. Barlowe wheezes loudly and coughs a few times, looking to Tate.** You're sure of this?

Tate: ...Umm. **He looks from Narak to Barlowe.** Like sixty/forty? I guess? So Hunter sent Ahiga those sodas?

Narak: Yes... **He limbs away from the second queen's hammer-scepter.**

Barlowe: Demons are cunning and malicious. It would be better to kill the thing than risk going near it.

Tate: Well he can't really *kill* me anyway, right? **He looks back to Narak.** I'll just rez at the fire. **He takes a few steps towards Narak.** ...So umm... It's not a big deal... I guess...

Barlowe: I suppose you're right in that regard. **He lets out a hacking cough. This is far more excitement than he's used to.** You had best be quick about it though. **He looks to Narak.** You make any kind of move, demon-ling, and the queen will turn your innards to paste, demon-ling.

Tate: **As he nears Narak the demonic hound looks up at him, then turns its head away so Tate can get to the fanny pack, which is around his neck like a collar. Tate unclips it and quickly steps back a few feet.**

Narak: **He lets out a quiet growl.** I've done what was asked of me... **He looks to the statues and leaps backwards, turning and moving back towards the exit. His tail whips out and snaps against the white queen's head, shattering it in a final outburst of rage before he runs through the door.** Pray that I don't return, old man, because next time it will be when you're asleep! **Despite his threat, it's obvious that Narak is too wounded to put up a very good fight for the moment. The demon lowers himself against the floor, flattening until he almost disappears into it as he leaves the room.**

Barlowe: **He waits until he can no longer feel Narak's presence before he relaxes and looks to Tate.** What is it that would be so important that someone would send a demon as courier? **His servant walks over and pushes him nearer to Tate so that he can get a look at the back.**

Tate: **The black fanny pack is partially smashed due to the queen crushing Narak against the wall, but it's mostly fine. There's a green marijuana leaf pattern on the strap that Tate knew would be there.** He said Hunter sent it, he's a friend back in my own world. **He tries unzipping it, but the zipper's stuck.** Maybe he just wants to know if I'm alive or not.

Barlowe: Do people in your world frequently send demons in their place?

Tate: **He smirks.** Nah, but I don't think the average person from my world can come here themselves, so he probably used some friends in low places to send that thing. The trip almost killed me and Ahiga, the guy that fell down here with me. **He finally gets the zipper open, and all that's inside is a paper bag full of smashed home-made tater tots, and two small plastic bottles of Dr. Pepper. Tate smiles a little.** Hunter really did send him, heh.

Barlowe: **He coughs again, wheezing loudly.** I am glad that demon meant you no harm... Dangerous things, demons. As I said earlier, any witch with sense keeps far away from them, even Morganstern. We were lucky it was only a lesser creature, and not its master. **He Lets out a hacking cough.** Let's stop for the evening. That was more excitement than this old man can take, I need to rest -and you should be getting back to your room. Noxalas does the nightly rounds in about an hour. **He takes a deep breath and leans back in his chair.** Meet me here tomorrow, when you are free. We will discuss how we're going to get you free from this place.

Tate: **He zips the bag closed and looks to Barlowe.** If it's all the same to you, I might want to stay. I've learned more here in a few days than I did on my own for the last year.

Barlowe: If that's you're choice, you will be here for quite a while. We have limited window of opportunity to take your freedom. **He lets out a hacking cough.** The longer you stay here, the more dangerous Morganstern will become.

Tate: **He looks down.** I didn't know that... That sucks... Alright, well I better head back to my room then... Seeya tomorrow. **He looks around for a moment, then heads for the exit.**