Inspiration: Bystander and Dragula
Months before…
“Charlotte.” The man’s gruff voice spoke.
“Yes Master Vaul?” The woman spoke as she sat down his lunch next to his lab table.
“I have a mission for you.” He spoke without looking up from his research.
“What is it?” She tilts her head to the right, her blonde hair slipping past her shoulder.
He paused and set down his quill, folding his hands as he looked to the food she brought, “There is a magistrate that I wish for you to capture and bring to me. His dark magic would help further my project.”
“Where can I find this magistrate, sir?” Charlotte blinked, her cheeks burning pink as she felt pride for him choosing her for the mission.
He unrolled a scroll, pointing to a village marked in Storm Peaks. “Here. Be warned though, do not look into anyone's eyes. They are the fallen San’layn and will do anything to lure you into their coven.”
She peered at the map, memorizing the location then nods before bowing at the waist, “It will be done, Master.”
She grabbed her snow gear and moved to leave the safety of the lab for the last time.
Wandering into the snow covered village of Nelfiem, north of Dun Neffelem. The mountains shielded the poor town from the harsh winds as a large bonfire crackled in the middle of the village. Men, women, and children wandered the cobblestone streets, all whispering to each other at the new comer. Fighting against the cold, Charlotte strode to the bonfire, pausing to pull her hood down and let out a frosty breath as she warmed by the flames.
“My my, you must be new around here. Not many dare coming all the way here.” A man’s voice of silk spoke out to her, grabbing her attention.
Her gaze turned to his but she quickly looked away. His raven hair tied in Vykrul braids down to his back. His leather armor dark as night and attached to blades to assist in moving through the snow.
“I am looking for the local Magistrate.” Charlotte’s voice was soft and alluring.
The man chuckled, his elven ears bouncing a bit as he pulled down a mask to reveal his ash pale skin. “Well you found him. What brings you to town?”
“My Lord wishes for me to speak with you and train on magic.” She spoke, still averting her gaze.
“I see.” He grew silent in thought for a moment before a grin passed his lips, he leaned forward to take a strand of her hair between his thumb and index finger, rubbing and twisting it, “Then how’s about a deal?”
“A deal?” She glanced at his hand, watching it began to drip with shadow magic that caused her heart to race.
He dropped her hair before taking a hand and planting a kiss on her knuckles, “Become one of my court for a month.”
She blinked, “What’s the catch?”
“Simple. You will join the court as a lady-in-waiting for my daughter.” He kept his grin.
“Sounds reasonable.” She murmured, though felt her suspicions growing.
“Excellent. Well, let us head to the manor and introduce you.” He held his arm out for her, which she gingerly took so he could guide the way.
Back in the present…
Charlotte’s ruby gaze opened to see the man holding her in his arm, the bracelet in held aloft in his free hand as he inspected the magical item.
“Master Ver-” Charlotte began to speak.
“Rest now.. I will deal with the intruder.” The dark haired man spoke, setting the bracelet on the nightstand table.
Peering around, she found herself in a familiar room. The white satin curtains of the canopy bed obscuring her vision of the rest of the room, but it was easy for her to tell, this was the Magistrate’s room.
“Master..” She began to speak as he stood, summoning his blades to his side with a snap of his fingers.
“Don’t worry, My Snowlily.. Everything will be okay.” He planted a kiss on her forehead before heading out of the room to confront Aayan.
Locking the door behind him, the Magistrate melted into shadows before reforming into his elven form before Aayan.
With a lavish showing of drawing his blades, he pointed one towards Aayan, “Turn back now, or perish here and sustain my monsters.”
“You think I’d simply back away when you’re holding one of my dear friends hostage? I think not. Return her to us, or I will plaster these halls with bits and pieces of you.” Aayan kept both of the swords close ready to fight off this new threat, a determined look on his face. He was not going to back down, not when she was just incapacitated. “Ru’amoth, Taleliel!” Aayan’s swords bursted into fire, a deep blue. The fire crackled with arcane energy.
“What pitiful magics. You think that you can slay someone that is thousand years your elder?” The man sneered, “Human arrogance is quite something.” Shadows began to descend over the halls, blocking out any sight of anything or anyone else.
Aayan took a step back and smiled. “You know, San’layn, I’ve always wondered a question for your kind, and maybe you’d answer being a gentleman. That question being...How much do you need to drink?” Aayan kept his senses up waiting for a strike.
The man peered at Aayan, “Hm.. Depends on how far you’ve descended.. I merely need a glass while others need a full body.” He gripped the leather hilt of his blades, “Now tell me, why ask such a personal question?” His eyes began to glow violet with wisps of shadows.
“Why you ask?” Aayan aimed his water sword and blasted in the direction he heard the voice and sees the eyes. “I have my reasons, and keeping you talking will give away your position.”
His violet eyes turned ice blue, freezing the water that rushed at him. He raised his blade and cut it down as he took a step towards Aayan, “Is that so? You’ve come to take my people? My bride and daughter?”
‘That all depends on what Charlotte is to you. I’ve come to take her home.” Aayan kept his swords at the ready, and twisted the Hydraxxian hilt, causing the ice to shatter out in a flurry of hail. “You seem to the be the creeper type, be a shame that anyone would even go near you!”
His brow twitched at the remark of being a creeper, “I beg your pardon? Where does
firehead get off to tell a Magistrate such things? Charlotte is my bride and will remain here with the rest of our family, as it has been deemed.”
Aayan gave out a snicker. “Creeper type it is. You’re what a thousand years old than me? How much older does that make you than Charlotte? You sure are into young girls!” Aayan said and charged the man, his stormforged fist arcing energy into the Hydraxxian hilt.
He twists his blades together and sends a flurry of Icecrown wind rushing at the man and his blades, “Hm, don’t think I don’t know about you and your elven wife.. Iza was it?”
Aayan smiled along. “Oh, everyone’s heard of her legendary beauty, frankly kicks Charlotte out the window...well mostly, the white hair is a nice touch.” Aayan then scowled, the cold wind drift off his warded cloak that was specifically designed to ward against the elements. He slashed upward with Thoringdir’s Rest and downward with the hilt blade in a vertical scissor motion.
He turned into a gloop of shadows to avoid the scissor cuts, reemerging behind the young human. He moved to plant his leather boots into his back to kick him forward, “Then how’s about I kill your wife so you will learn to watch your tongue?”
Aayan got kicked forward, his body and face dragging against the sharp ice that laid on the floor. “Trust me….” Aayan got up and turned to face his enemy, the Hydraxxian hilt running out of water for its daily usage. He pocketed the hilt. “Over the years, do you know how many people have tried to kill my wife?” Aayan gripped his runeblade with both hands. “Do you know how many people I have beaten into a pulp who have threatened that?” Aayan charged some magic into his hand and into his blade, using the tip to draw a powerful rune. “Dinir.” Aayan said a bright Vrykul rune, the one Aayan uses to completely immobilize foes to lock down the -thing- that dared threaten his beloved.
A grin danced along his lips at the sight of the man using runes, “Cute.” His eyes would glow with arcane energy as out of the shadows would lurch ghouls to try and get between him and Aayan. His body seeming to endlessly move out of reach, but just barely.
“Ward of my wards, protector of this world. Bind this evil, so he may taste my sword!” The Rune rocketed forward into the ghouls, binding their movements. But stopping short, Aayan fell to a knee drained of magic. “Well, that’s just cheating.”
“No such thing when defending one’s home and family.” He threw his blade towards the human, imbuing it with necrotic magic that if connected would eat away at his flesh.
Aayan raised his runeblade to defend against this thrown blade, the necrotic magic, causing his left gauntlet, the non-magical one to wither away, causing blackened veins to shoot up his arms, melting away the cloth and copper he wore. “Gah!” He threw the sword away with a deflection. “She’s...my family too.”
“Is that why you all abandoned her during the avalanch-” The ground began to shake as his shadows faded away and the barrier began cracking, “What is that?” His eyes look towards the ceiling as the barrier fell.
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