NationStates Jolt Archive

Those Invited:
Tarlachia
Gorgamin
Ericadia
Valient
Roania

OOC Thread (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=380132)

A Little Background Info on Khadrim (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=310352)
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Butah stood above the cowering child, a grin far too sadistic for a 16 year old plastered across his face. The boy below him was a street urchin, nothing, he wouldn't be missed. Wiping his daggy blonde hair out of his eyes, Butah reached down with a muscled arm and yanked the boy onto his feet, slamming him against the brick wall behind him. Sqealling like a rodent, the boy closed his eyes and began to whimper, unable to defend himself against the older boy.

Butah liked it when his victims resisted, but he couldn't always be so picky. Unfortunately, not everyone was as brave as him, or as smart. So he thought. Pulling back his fist, Butah slammed his meaty knuckles into the boys face, breaking his nose and splattering blood all over his face and fist. The whimpers turned into cries of pain as Butah continued to pound away with his fist until they finally stopped. Heaving with the effort, Butah released the boy, what was left of him anyway, and stepped back. His face couldn't be recognised. Chuckling to himself, Butah wiped the blood of his fist before it dried. Spinning around, he moved out of the dark alley and into the main street.

Happy with himself, the teenage boy strutted down the street, heading towards the blacksmith on this side of town. He was the apprentice for a burly man named Jordan and was becoming quite the smithies apprentice. Butah didn't really like Jordan, but there was little he could do about it. Once he learned his trade, then he could get away and be his own boss. Walking into the smith with a vile grin on his face, Butah's expression soon changed when he saw the scoul cross Jordan's face.

"Butah! What have I told you about fighting?"

"I haven't been fighting! Honest!"

"Then what is that?"

Jordan pointed a massive finger towards Butah's face. Rubbing his hand down his cheek, Butah gulped when he discovered blood upon it. He hadn't been so smart after all.

"I... I... I just tripped over..., it's nothing."

"Don't lie to me boy!"

Butah could do nothing to prevent the forceful fist of Jordan collecting him in the stomach and knocking him off his feet.

"I've told you not to fight over and over... and yet you never listen!"

Becoming more furious with every moment, Jordan unleashed a few mighty kicks into Butah's side, not hard enough to break ribs yet leave the boy with some big bruises for some time.

The other source of fury within the room belonged to the boy upon the ground, furious that he could do nothing to stop his master from beating the hell out of him. Butah heaved more in anger than he did in pain as the rage took control of him, blocking out the pain. Rolling to the side and gaining his feet once again, Butah spoke in a fury never seen in a young boy such as he, a murderous fury.

"I've had enough of this. I HATE YOU!!!!"

Jordan was momentarily startled by the boys rage and didn't notice until the last minute that a giant wave of flames had soared out of the furnace behind him, completely engulfing the blacksmith. Not a scream escaped Jordan's lungs, he didn't have time before the flame had turned him to ash. Butah new that wasn't possible, there was something different about that flame. It was more intense... it was his.

Hatred. God, she hated him. Superstitious pricks, the lot of them.

Sandra thought all this and more as she finished packing her bags. She knew she had to flee, after poisoning that one bastard. He had come to her in the night once, and it had taken her years to work together her revenge. But they had no idea of listening and had to come to her with violence and fire.

She wasn't even sure what had happened next. The Earth had opened, and they had...vanished? Then it had closed again. And her mind was suddenly filled with knowledge.

She was going to find a place where she could be in peace, and use her powers. Hopefully to make a profit...

"Come on sissy! Show us your awesome powers!" cried the fifteen year old boy at Travis O'neill. The punch across his jaw connected squarely. Travis's head spun to the side, blood spewing freely from his mouth.

Travis collapsed to the ground, holding his jaw and mouth with one hand, the other propping himself up. Blood seeped past his fingers and onto his scarlet robes, the robes of a mage-in-training, as all of the apprentices owned in the school.

Travis looked up as the boy leered at him. The boy egged him on with another taunt, "Let's look at this now. You cannot perform even the basics of the arcane, so why on Earth are you still in the school? YOU ARE COMPLETELY UNTALENTED AND STUPID!

An authorative voice suddenly boomed in their midst, "Richard Rochs! Cease your actions immediately!"

The boy backed away quickly, "I...I was trying to help him. He fell and hit his mouth, Master Giovan!"

Master Giovan turned sharply on the boy, "You lie. I heard every word you said. You are hereby sentenced to a week of hard cleaning labor using absolutely no magic! Now go!"

The boy began to stammer a cry of dismay, but another almost fiery stare from the master silenced him quickly. He turned and left angrily, his footsteps echoing down the halls.

The master reached down and held a hand out to Travis, "Come, let's get you cleaned up."

"Yes master." replied Travis sullenly, blood spittling with each breath. He left behind the small puddle of blood, the only remnant of the bullying. There was now a decently sized bruise on his jaw, making his face appear deformed.

___________________________

"Come on Rich! Just leave me alone!" Travis begged as he was herded away from the path heading to the dormitories.

"You owe me for getting me in trouble last week, stupid!" Rich declared, brandishing his fists, but suddenly he stopped. A mischievious grin spread across his face. "Let's go somewhere out of range of the masters. I want us to have a friendly display of our magic."

Travis had no way to decline as he was herded by Rich's minions. They led him to the back of the school down into the fields that spread out for acres. Travis looked up at the forlorn looking clouds and sighed. It looked like it was about to rain. Rich, catching his gaze, looked up as well.

"Perfect! We can practice water attacks and defenses!" he declared as he squared off opposite of Travis.

Travis merely stood there, suddenly afraid that Rich might hurt him with his magic, even if they were "training". What was worse was that this "training" was allowed, so long as it was in moderation. Rich pulled out his magic wand and spoke a few words:

"Activus aquadus!"

The wand commanded the water in the clouds to suddenly release and fall toward the ground. All across the fields the quenching rain drenched the parched earth. Rich looked back at Travis with a triumphant grin.

"Come on. It's a simple spell. You can do it, can't you, sissy?"

Travis did not respond.

"Well?" urged Rich as he shoved Travis in the shoulder with his free hand.

Travis had enough of this. "Leave me alone!" he cried as he looked up at Rich threateningly. The older boy stepped back in slight surprise.

"Boys! What did I tell--" the voice of Master Giovan was heard demanding as he came down from the school. He never got to finish his scolding as he witnessed something he'd never expected.

A powerful wall of water descended from the clouds as the rain fused together to create a powerful wave that swept across the fields and hit...no, hit was an understatement. Slammed into Rich and his bullying minions.

Giovan's eyes went wide as he blinked rapidly several times. He sought for the bullies and found that they had been swept nearly three hundred feet from their original places. Travis, however, was perfectly fine and standing. He also held a look of surprise on his face.

"Travis...come with me right now..." Master Giovan stuttered as he looked toward the other boys. "You boys, get yourselves inside right now!"

Giovan led Travis away by the shoulders toward the school once more. The rain had returned to normal, now gently caressing the walking figures.

Back on the fields, Rich lay on his back, staring up into the sky, ignoring the rain that splattered onto his face and body. His face still held a dazed look, as he had only one thought running through his mind,

What the hell was that?"

Anya shivered and pulled her heavy cloak tight around her as she ran through the forest, an icy rain pelting down through the trees.

He's dead, she thought. He's dead. I killed him. And I'm not even sure how.

It had all been so sudden. Liam came home drunk for the umpteenth time and had beaten her for not having supper waiting on the table. It wasn't unusual. He beat her almost every night now; there was always some excuse he could find.

This time had been different, though. Before, Anya had taken the beatings quietly. He was her husband after all, it wasn't like she could stop him. For some reason, though, today she got angry.

Each time he hit her, her fury increased. She could feel something rising within her, some kind of power. The sky went dark as it filled with stormclouds, and Anya, not really knowing why, broke away from Liam and ran out the door.

Looking up at the sky, she spread her arms wide. Suddenly, a fierce wind began to blow, whipping her skirt about her legs, and making her long black hair stream out all around her. Liam staggered to the doorway and yelled "Get back in here you stupid whore!" It was the last thing he would ever say.

Anya turned to look at him, her blue eyes flashing, glowing with inner power. Suddenly the clouds opened. A bolt of lightening crashed from the sky and struck Liam dead center in the chest. He flew backward into the house.

Suddenly, it began to rain, bringing Anya violently back to her senses. She ran into the house. When she realized Liam was dead, she packed a satchel, threw on her cloak, and ran out the door into the forest. She had no idea where she was going, she just knew she couldn't go back...

After Jordan had burned, the smith quickly caught on fire, spreading the intense flame at a rate Butah had never seen before. He couldn't understand how the fire had done that, but he knew it was his fault. Something within him had done it, something had burned up inside him until it finally escaped, controlling the flames. Either way, Butah knew he had to run. And so he did, far out of the village. He'd spared a little time to grab his possessions, an old dagger, a few silvers and decided that Jordan's purse of gold would be his as well. Unfortunately there hadn't been enough to time grab a decent blade, but that didn't matter, he would get by.

Butah now sat within an inn at the next village. It was about a day's travel but he'd run the whole distance, almost collapsing upon reaching Kolus. He didn't really know what he would do from now on, but that wasn't important at the moment. What mattered was how he had killed Jordan, how the fire had attacked him. Sitting within his simple room, Butah watched the candle in front of him. He knew Jordan hadn't been a freak accident and he knew he could do it again, he could feel it. It was just a matter of trying.

Watching the flame intently, Butah spoke.

"Move..."

Nothing happened.

"Move!"

Nothing. Concentraing until the point where he thought his brain would explode, Butah willed the flame to move.

"Move!"

The arced off the candle and landed upon the table he was seated at, igniting the rag he had placed there. It worked, he couldn't believe it. Although he had expected it to work, it still surprised him. Trying again, he willed the flame to jump onto the table, setting the wood alight. It was easier this time, it didn't hurt his head so much.

Happy with his progress tonight, Butah moved for the bucket of water but stopped. Turning around once again, he willed the flames to stop. The table went out, as did the rag and the candle. Butah was left in darkness, an evil grin upon his young face.

The shifting of chairs was the only sound as the master mages sat in an closed emergency council. Outside, the storm continued to rage, but no longer by Travis's control. The boy now sat solemnly in Master Giovan's study, a decently sized room full of books from ceiling to floor. Unfamiliar arcane objects were situated about the room, either suspended by some invisible force, or simply lying upon a table, often surrounded by ancient dusty books and wrinkled parchment. On several of the tables, he saw were piles upon piles of parchments, obviously the assignments of the apprentices. He never dared to step closer to see if his work was among those piles of rough papers.

Inside the mage's inner chamber of his study, the masters all consulted amongst themselves of the event concerning Travis and the bully.

"I've never seen such a powerful attack in my entire life coming from just an apprentice, especially one that has been known to fail every single basic arcane spell out there! It's as if the boy has suddenly revealed that he's been holding back!"

"I doubt that, Giovan. If he were indeed holding back, someone would have noticed him practicing."

Another voice spoke, from an middle aged woman, "But we've all seen the boy borrowing nearly ten books at a time from the library almost weekly. Surely he's learned something and hasn't shown anyone...till now."

"So, what are we going to do with him?"

The woman spoke up again, "The same as we've always done. We'll nurture his skills and he shall learn to harness the spells he's learned."

Giovan looked up from his downward stare at the floor. He looked at each of them with a troubled look on his face, "That's the thing...he never said anything to initiate the spell..."

The resulting gasp was collectively shared by all, except Giovan. He continued.

"We'll do as Talia has suggested. Keep an eye on the boy, all of you. If you can spare the time, let's help the boy catch up to the rest of the students in his studies..."

What none realized at the moment was that Travis had been keeping up with the studies. He had studied the spells and incantations given as assignments by the masters to an exhausting degree. But up until now, he had never been able to even summon so much as a small ripple in a puddle.

The council ended and the heavy oaken door swung inward and allowed the masters to exit the inner chamber. They all looked over to where Travis sat and stepped closer to him. They fanned out and faced the boy, Giovan in the center. He called attention to himself by speaking first.

"Travis. I've told the others here of what I saw in the fields. We have decided to help you catch up on what you've been missing for the past year and a half at this school. We want to help you become the best you can be, and learn to harness the spells you've apparently learned."

Travis, still quite at a loss for words as to the events earlier, said nothing. Yet his mind raced with a single thought, I never used a spell though...

"Travis...did you hear anything I said?"

The thirteen year old boy looked up at the mage and nodded with small jerks of his neck.

"Good. Now, off you go. And Travis...keep this to yourself if you can will you?"

"Yes Master Giovan." he replied quietly and departed.

Gramnok sat completely still, fist clenched, eyes fixed on his prey. Only inches away, the elusive creature had not noticed him; It’s lack of vigilance would be it’s downfall!

Trying ever so hard not to breath, Gramnok slowly raised his fist to a striking position; still the creature was oblivious to its peril. The world around Gramnok froze, it was all in this moment, nothing else was important. But he took a breath as excitement and anticipation overcame his concentration. The creature moved, it was about to escape! Gramnok’s fist fell with great haste but not enough to catch the swift annoyance. The fly displayed the property that its name suggested and flew away, leaving Gramnok with anger and a very hurt nose.

The disgusting little devil had taken a liking to Gramnok’s nose, plaguing him since the sun made it’s fiery exit to the realms below the Khadri horizon… In minutes it would return, and Gramnok would make it rue the day it decided to chafe his patience.

OOC: Here be Gramnok's Pretty Smile (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/Ericadia/Grammock.jpg)

The wind swirled softly around master and student as the sun wore itself across the skies, as if it were a pheonix crashing to its doom in the west.

"Repeat after me, Travis."

The master stood before the lake and held his arms out horizontially in front of him. Travis had to stiffle a laugh, as the greying haired man appeared to be a sort of zombie. He watched as the mage completed a series of somewhat difficult movements that connected the spell to the waters and to himself. He spun his fingers and wrists about his body, almost like one would turn a shawl around their neck and give it a flick to send it over their shoulder.

Travis watched as the water rose from the lake and formed a ribbon and spun above the waters in the exact same moves that the master had done. Once completed, it held still, appearing as if there were an invisible person under the shawl of water.

"Go." the mage beckoned with a flick of his wrist toward Travis.

Travis knew the spell completely and successfully did the moves. But...something was different. He not only completed the water shawl as expected, but he used up the entire remaining basin of water in the lake to create a humongous ribbon in the skies.

The mage's mouth dropped open in shock.

Travis looked up at the mage, who seemed awestruck. "Master?" He prodded him on the elbow, "Master??"

The mage looked down finally and blinked as if to make sure Travis were indeed real. "That spell was meant to only harness a certain amount of water, Travis... How in Moricini's name did you do that?!"

Travis winced at the mention of the one man who was considered the greatest mage of all time.

"I...I don't know master..." he replied as he looked at the water and finally released it. Strangely, not only did his ribbon of water collide heavily into the earthen basin once more, but so did the master's. The master looked at him in surprise once again, "You took my hold on my water spell away!"

"I..I didn't mean to master!" Travis attempted to apologize.

A moment of hesitation before the master spoke again, "Right...let's continue...and...try to harness the spells some more Travis..."

Travis nodded and thought darkly to himself, But...that's just the thing master...I've used NO SPELLS!

The next day Butah had continued onward, aquiring himself a flint and steel and some food for his journey. That morning had had attempted to light the candle with sheer will, but had failed. After regaining his temper once again, the boy had accepted his limits and decided to move on.

Speaking to a stall owner in the markets, Butah had learned there was plenty of oppurtunity in the city called Knossoss, the capitol. It was a trek of about two weeks by foot but Butah didn't mind, he wasn't in a rush and he had no where else to go.

Now the boy sat on the side of the road under an apple tree, overlooking a wheat field. He had just consumed the remainder of his food and would have to wait until he reached the next village, about another five hours away. First it was time to practice though.

Placing some small rocks in a circle, Butah quickly lit up some grass and allowed the fire to grow on a few twigs until it wasn't in any danger of going out soon. Standing back, he placed a hand forward and called the fire. Watching in amazement as the fire arced out towards him in a straight beam, settling into a ball directly in his hand, Butah recieved even more of a shock when it didn't burn him. The flame was practically touching his skin and yet it didn't burn. It was under his command and would not harm him.

A grin full of intent plastered across his face, Butah backed away from the tree and launched his arm towards it. The fire rocketed towards the tree, faster than he had thrown it. It moved by his will, not his physical force. With a thunderous clash the fireball met the tree and exploded, spreading intense flames all over the tree. Within minutes it had spread to the nearby field.

Gathering his belongings, Butah was about to put the fire out when he stopped himself. Grinning once again, he turned his back on it and continued on his journey.

Sandra entered the village, a smile on her face as she made her way to the mayor's office. Without knocking, she walked inside. "1000 gold or I destroy this village." the pretty woman bluntly stated, putting a hand on the mayor's desk.

After she had been expelled, she smirked and went to the outskirts of the village, raising her hands. The Earthquake destroyed almost the entire village before soldiers got sent out to stop her. She frowned and backed away, before instantly coming up with an idea. Sharp spires of earth shot from the ground and killed the soldiers as they came. "I warned them..." she told herself, laughing.

After attaining the gold, she walked off, whistling merrily.

OOC: Warning: Grotesque scene to follow...
IC:
His footsteps could be heard as they tred the hallway of stones, each footfall slapping slightly with the uneven stones beneath his feet.

A blast of water smacked into the back of his head, causing him to fall to the ground. He rolled over, and looked up at his attacker.

"Rich! What the hell was that for?" he demanded, a slight anger rising in his voice.

The older boy scowled at him, "For that attack the other week, you cheater!"

"I didn't cheat! I just did what I did--"

"Shut up. You've been holding out on the rest of us, just to get the favor of the masters! Do you not think I see your little ploy, you sniving bastard?!"

"I wasn't holding out!" Travis defended, getting up to his feet once more. He squared off against Rich, adrenaline now fully flowing through him. His hands shook with fury.

"Bullshit!" cried Rich, as he released a spell that drew water from the river that flowed just to their left, which was on the other side of the school from the fields.

The following events seemed to suddenly slow down as Travis homed in with his mind on one thing:

Water...

The water suddenly spun in the air, forming into a ball and expanded in size. It stopped as it filled the hallway and hovered inches from the ground. Travis could see Rich's image distorted in the water orb. How he hated the bully. How he hated his arrogance. And how he hated the torture.

Travis screamed at Rich in his rage, suddenly hurtling the orb toward the boy, who was unable to avoid the massive water that spun toward him and enveloped him completely. His eyes opened once more as he realized he could no longer breathe.

Rich choked, involuntarily drawing in more water to flood his lungs in a vain attempt to draw precious air. He thrashed in the orb, to no avail. His eyes looked up at Travis in pleading pitifulness. Travis merely stared back in hatred, his eyes watching every move of his fellow student now at his mercy.

His rage inside wasn't done with Rich. The orb suddenly moved again. Rich was bound by the water as it did so. Slowly at first, and gained momentum. It rose up into the sky.

Travis moved out from under the canopy of the hallway and continued to direct the orb upward. It rose higher and higher into the sky. Until it stopped.

The asphyixiating boy ensnared within looked down and screamed in futile effort, releasing the last bit of air that he had managed to keep a hold of.

The orb plunged downward...

Travis snapped out of his rage and felt full horror. He turned and ran as fast as he could...

________________

Master Giovan was in his study within the tower. He suddenly heard a sound as if a waterfall were hitting rocks. The mage looked up at the windows, surprised to see water running down them. He was about to look back down, having dismissed the water as rain, when he suddenly stopped. He looked out the window once more.

The windows were becoming stained with traces of dark red liquid. He looked beyond the water and saw another startling fact.

There were no clouds...

Standing up suddenly he fled the room and out of the tower. He ran across the tower's shadow and stopped as he saw something was oddly wrong with the shadows. A suspended shape was seemingly connected to the spire of the tower. He turned his gaze skyward and felt his blood run cold as shock set in.

There lay Rich, his mouth agape, his eyes full of frozen horror as he hung there with the spire through his chest. His heart remained impaled upon the point of the spire...

OOC: I warned you...

This was a bigger village. Perhaps over a hundred people lived here with several buildings being erected and a full time militia. Butah was a little more cocky these days. He had a relatively good command of his fire now and was confident in using it against anyone that crossed him. Of course, the only problem being that there had to be some fire nearby for Butah to do anything. That's why he carried a flint, steel and a few leaves within a pouch on his belt. If there wasn't fire nearby, he would have to create it.

After finding himself a place to stay the night, Butah deposited his belongings and decided a night on the village would be worthwhile. Perhaps he could attempt to gain entrance to a tavern, or perhaps not. It probably wasn't a good idea to bring any attention to himself. By all appearances it seemed most of the town was out tonight as the main road was crowded, causing Butah to take calculated steps to avoid being struck. Unfortunately, he efforts failed.

Butah didn't even see the little man as he walked directly into his sturdy chest. Looking down, the teen scowled at the man attired in rags. Before he could speak he was bombarded with apologies and kind words. Normally Butah would have taken the time in making sure that never happened again, but there were far too many people about. Nodding to the little man, Butah allowed him to pass. Taking a few more steps down the street, Butah noticed something different. His tunic was lighter. Spinning around immediately, the boy barged through the people behind him as he attempted to locate the thief.

Forunately most people got out of the massive teen's way and Butah was just able to spot the tiny man dodging through a group of people and down an alley way between the tavern and militia station. Barging through the people at the entrance of the alley, Butah stopped halfway down as he watched the thief near the end of the stretch. Muttering curses under his breath, Butah extended a hand to the lantern hanging off the militia station and thrusted his fist toward the thief. As he intended, the fire arced through the air at lightning speed, continued over the thief and landed directly before him, spreading across the alley to form a wall of flame taller than Butah.

Keeping the intense flame ignited, Butah approached the startled thief, frozen in surprise by the raging wall of flame before him. Coming up behind the little man, Butah placed a painful grip upon his shoulder and shoved him against the wall. The thief wailed and pleaded for release but Butah wasn't listening, he merely withdrew his dagger, examining the firelight through it.

"You will pay for stealing from me, swine."

"Sir, take the money back... just leave me be!"

Butah ignored the screams of witnesses and the snivels of the thief as he drew back the dagger and plunged it repeatedly into the tiny man's chest, puncturing his lungs several times before finally plunging the blade into his heart. The thief crumpled to the ground and Butah reached inside his tunic, retrieving his money and a few other purses upon the man. Cleaning his blade upon the rags, he sheathed the weapon and stood up to discover the six men, armed to the teeth pointing blades at him.

Edging back slowly, Butah kept a calm face. He hadn't noticed anything around him save for the thief, he shouldn't get so absorbed in a public kill next time. With the fire only a few feet away, Butah grinned. The militia were slightly puzzled but still advanced upon the young man. Raising his arms into the air, Butah commanded the fire to form a ball above his hands. Watching in disbelief, the men could do nothing as the flaming ball of flame turned into a massive wave, flowing down the alley and engulfing all the men in a firery fate of death.

Sliding out the back of the alley, Butah kept a small amount of flame within his grasp, just in case he would have to use it. The thing he loved about fire was how it expanded so easily. A tiny spark could become a roaring blaze at his command. It was true power. Gathering his belongings once again, Butah made his way to the other side of town. He couldn't stay here now unfortunately. As he rounded the corner to follow the main road, the boy stopped dead in his tracks to find almost every male old enough to bear a weapon was standing before him, all armed with some sort of weapon, whether it be sword or scythe.

Another grin crossed his face, that same grid that graced Butah's face whenever he was about to kill. Bringing his right arm out towards the crowd, Butah opened his palm and let the tiny spark shoot forward. Many couldn't see it and those that did stood still, not fearing the ember. They had no idea what happened next, it was just too fast. Within seconds the spark expanded into a wall of moving flame that rushed forwards and simply passed straight through the men, igniting them all before stopping just behind them.

Butah smiled at the men as he walked through the screaming crowd of burning men, using his ability to intensify the flames upon these villagers. Approaching the wall, Butah didn't even consider what he was doing but managed to pass through the wall of flame unharmed. Shrugging it off, Butah expanded the length of the wall to spand the length of the village. The height raised to that of the tallest building. Satisfied with everything, Butah turned his back as the wall approached the village once again, burning everyone in its path and the buildings around them.

Butah laughed as he heard the screams of burning women and children, the roaring town ablaze with flame and agony as Butah walked off into the darkness...

Branches and vines snapped toward the fleeing figure, in their attempt to stop his flight. Yet, he pushed past them in haste as he sought distance...much distance between the school and himself. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he replayed the murder before his eyes.

He could see Rich's eyes, a look of disbelief and horror to the brutality of Travis O'neill rage. It was almost a look of sorrow, for in that moment Rich regretted his conflicts with the prodigy. Yet, destiny would not release him of his fate, and so he plunged forth to the spire and died his last breath in a shallow gasp that drained water at long last from his lungs.

The trodden path ended and was replaced by packed earthen dirt mixed with the leaves of golden hues. Each footstep stirred the leaves in swirls of disrupted balance and settled long after the boy had fled.

Dirt and leaves turned to sand and salt as Travis finally emerged on the beaches that lay nearly ten miles to the south of the school. He ran forth and collapsed into the ebbing tide, dropping first to his knees and finally onto his face. Damp sand clung to his face and the salt dried his tears as the boy wept in sorrow of his deed.

In the distance a deep rumbling noise was heard as the waves slowly gathered and communed their resounding voices to the monster that rose high on the horizon. It raced forth to the shore, its roar growing by the moment...

The breakers began, releasing the long awaited cry of resounding thunder, sending plumes of water down upon the sands of the beaches and covered the sobbing boy in its treacherous floods.

As the waves receeded at long last the boy was gone, for he had grieved of his crime, and had escaped into the bowels of the ocean...

All was silent within the fields outside Butah's home town. No animals chirped, no wind rustled the grass and no people were even on that side of the town. They had been warned of an impending arcance arrival and wanted to stay clear of any such things. The population of this town was simple, with almost no magically talented amongst them.

Without any source, wind began swirl around over a patch in the fields, surrounding the now glowing runes enscribed into the hard earth that normally sat below inches of dirt. Now glowing in full brightness, the runes were responding to the magical flow beneath the surface, the flow carrying someone. Seconds later the glow erupted into a blinding flash, leaving any that watched from the town momentarily blinded. Once the effects of the light wore off, the presence of a man covered in a dark blue cloak wa evident. He was completely concealed behind the cloak and held a long blue stave, constructed from a material never seen by normal men before.

Several people watched in awe as the mage moved faster than it seemd human legs could carry someone yet he appeared to only take shorts strides. Most had never seen an established mage before, let alone the human member of the High Council. Finally the mage stopped at what appeared to be the burned remains of a once sturdy building. Scraps of metal, wood and other materials lay within the ash. All was destroyed save for the furnace and a single, large anvil. This place had been a smith.

Turning to a nervous looking man behind him, Thor spoke in a calm voice that didn't spread fear as the people would assume but sounded just like any other man.

"This is the place? You are sure the boy was responsible?"

"Yes, this is it. Well... none of us actually saw him do it... but I knew Butah. He was a strange kid, this is the kind of thing I would have expected him to be doing when older. I guess he started early."

Thor strided through the ashes, looking around for several silent minutes. His eyes took on a light blue hue as he muttered something under his breath. The crowd continued to watch until the mage stopped and nodded to himsel. There was no magical reosnance within this place, but it just didn't feel right to Thor. A boy wouldn't have been able to create a fire so intense to burn down the smith and other items so quickly, especially with his master in the building. It didn't add up.

Not sure what the mage was thinking, the man spoke up once again.

"There have been reports of fires towards the North. Even word of a whole town burning to the ground. But I suppose you would already know..."

Thor nodded.

"Thankyou for your help."

Thor dug into his robe and withdrew a pouch heavy with gold and tossed it toward the man.

"Two golden pieces for every town member."

The now shocked man merely stared at the pouch in surprise and said nothing as Thor disappeared down the road once again and was soon gone with another birlliant flash of light.
_____________

If those with a keen eye looked up into the clouds, perhaps they would see a shadow of one of the most magnificant and graceful creatures within Khadrim. Of course, to most humans they also represented one of the most fearsome creatures within the nation.

Descending swiftly, the massive body of a gold drago glided through the air, huge wings outstretched to catch the cool air as it descended towards the nearby mage school of humans. Those that lived within the magical capitol of Khadrim were used to seeing such things and some may have even recognised the golden beast as the High Council member, Ryath.

Those at the mage school watched in excited anticipation as the massive creature came rocketing towards them, not concerned about their safety at all. When it appeared that Ryath had but a few metres before she collided with the ground, a dull golden light engulfed her form and when it had subsided, a young, beatiful woman stood upon the ground before the mages and apprentices. Ryath possessed a naturally tanned looking skin with long black hair cascading over her slender shoulders. Thin golden robes flowed over her perfect human female figure and deep brown eyes regarded the awestruck men before her. She replied with a smile that left them feeling happily intoxicated.

Stepping forward, Ryath spoke to the closest mage master.

"Master Giovan, nice to see you once again."

Looking around at all the boys, Ryath smiled again and began speaking in her heavenly tone.

"Perhaps we should discuss the issue at hand in private?"

Master Giovan smiled and clasped Ryath's hand with both of his.

"It is good to see you again, Ryath. But I'm afraid recent events have shadowed this school...Come, we can continue this within my chambers."

Giovan ushered the apprenti away with a wave of his hand, sending them scattering to their lessons being studied on the lawn.

"Master Traylon, take over my class."

"Yes, Giovan." replied the woman as she turned to the class and began to instruct them.

Soon, Giovan and Ryath were in the inner chamber in his study. He turned to her and sighed, rubbing his eyes with his hands. Finally, he turned his bloodshot eyes back to her.

"It concerns Travis O'neill. Your reports on the existence of the Roses was correct, but their strength is incredible. I've never seen such raw power come from an apprentice! However, soon after his powers came into effect, he murdered another apprentice here at this school. Rich was gored up onto the spire above my study, just above the window... I suspect that he tried to drown the boy, but decided that this attack was necessary to execute..."

Ryath nodded. It had been confirmed by her peers that some had been born without a link to the magiks of Khadrim. It was also known that these people possessed some strength not seen in Khadrim. That strength was finall confirmed a few days ago. Elementalism.

Whilst any half apt mage could create a magical substitute for the elements, none could control the real thing. Until now. It appeared there were some that had elemental powers, but nothing else. Either way, one of them had existed within this very school. Due to their rare talent amongst humans, these rare ones were dubbed the Roses.

"Tell me master. Did he cast spells? Did he mutter incantations or use any other form of magical implement that your race uses? Since these Roses have no magical ability, I am curious as to how their power works."

The female dragon spoke in a calm tone filled with pure curiosity. She had been following certain events over the days and concluded these Roses needed to be found before something drastic happened. Unfortunately, she was too late. The boy here had already died, Thor was investigating an odd fire in a small town not far from here. Another village further west had its population swallowed by the earth and not far from there was an incident where a man had been struck by lightning. She was definitely too late.
____________

The school students were distracted once again by an intense flash eminating from the courtyard at the front of the school. They all knew it was also the site of a magical current focus point and were curious as to who had used the lanes of energy under the crust to travel.

The subsiding flash revealed the familiar blue robes of Thor, the human representative of the High Council. He was a common sight at the school but many students still held him in awe. He was a mysterious figure, always hidden behind his blue robes. Few could say they had seen the face of Thor, human magician of the High Council.

The mage navigated through the maze of halls that made up the school until he found his way to Master Giovan's chambers. Not bothering to knock, the mage walked in, closed the door without touching it and sat down before the pair already in conversation.

"It's confirmed. That Blacksmith's fire was defnitely no accident. Neither was the burned down village a few days travel away. It was burned to the ground, one hundred people included. We're going to have to find these things quickly."

Giovan shook his head, "No, no incantations, no spells, not even a whisper. It was as if he owned the elements with pure will. In fact, during one lesson with him, I had a spell manipulating water above the lake not far from here. He did what I did, using more water, and to top if off, when we disengaged the tricks, he took control of mine and wrenched it from my control."

Giovan stood and looked out the window, crossing his arms behind his back, "The boy is more powerful already, than even myself...and I fear he may take this much further than a bully's death."

Thor walked in moments later and reported his investigations. Giovan turned and looked at them.

"How many of these Roses are there?" he asked, mulling over Thor's reports.

"Perhaps we ought to set up some collective to round these Roses up and put them under our supervision?"

Thor nodded in agreement as Giovan suggested the roses be rounded up.

"From what we know, there are four. One for each element. By the looks of things, the fire one is heading north. I don't know about the others."

Ryath contemplated this knew information for a moment.

"All these incidents occured in villages relatively in line with eachother. On the far east are dense elven forests and the far west lead to the Dwarven foothills. I think we can assume they are all heading roughly towards the capitol."

"Agreed. Giovan, do you think it likely the boy will head north?"

Giovan thought momentarily then looked apologetically toward the others.

"I'm afraid he's quite an unpredicable child. He always kept to himself around here, and noone got to know him that well...except for one. I'll be right back!"

Giovan left the room in a hurry, heading to the female quarters. He strode down the hall, past a group of young female apprenti who were talking amongst themselves but stopped to watch the master stride past purposefully.

A knock soon was heard as Giovan's gnarled knuckles pounded upon a door. Moments later, the door creaked open, and allowed him entrance.

"Cara, come with me, immediately please."

Hardly a minute later Giovan and Cara rushed past the group of girls once more. Their voices passed between each other quickly,

"Oh, Cara's in trouble now..."

"What do you think she did?" asked another.

"Probably put a spell on that David boy for that little frog trick..."

"Heehee, she's gonna get it for sure if that's the case..."

Their voiced faded into the background as Giovan led Cara down the hall and toward his study. Soon, both entered the chamber and Giovan closed the door behind her. He turned to Cara.

"Cara...what we're about to ask and tell you must never leave this room. Are you understood?"

Cara's head nodded, a look of confusion on her face.

"We know that Travis O'neill was a very secluded individual in this school and spoke to no one but you about anything but your assignments. We know he's fled the school in the wake of the death of another student. We need your help to find him. Do you know where he might have gone?"

Cara looked around at the faces watching her carefully. Her eyes rested upon the drawing beauty of Ryath and had difficulty pulling them away.

"I...I know he always like water. It's possible he ran south..."

"To the ocean?" Giovan prompted.

"It's possible. He always found peace in the sound of water. He was strange like that...but...I have to ask master, are you going to hurt him?"

Giovan smiled slightly, "Of course not. We're simply trying to provide the boy with guidance. In fact...I think it's a good idea that you come along with us, no?"

Giovan looked over to Ryath and Thor expectantly.

Ryath and Thor rose.

"Master, do you know a location by the ocean well?"

Giovan nodded.

"Good, let's go then."

None save for Thor was sure what Ryath had in mind and grinned slightly, even though it was hidden under his hood. The group moved swiftly down the hall, passing the gossiping girls in a rush. As Thor moved by them he turned to face the girls and illuminated his eyes with a brief blue glow. They jumped back in shock but remained silent as Thor, Ryath, Cara and Giovan moved outside.

"Master Giovan, picture this place near the ocean clearly in your mind. Everyone make some form of contact."

Ryath placed a hand upon the shoulders of Giovan and Cara whilst Thor completed the circle. Giovan felt the presence of another within his mind as he concentrated upon the seaside location. Identified as Ryath, he didn't raise any barriers. Ryath took hold of the image within her own mind. Confident she had a good grasp upon it, she engaged her dagonic magiks.

A golden glow surrounded the group before disappearing seconds later. As the group opened their eyes, they were bombarded by the sight of the sea. Stunned into silence momentarily, Giovan was finally able to speak.

"But.. how?"

Ryath merely smiled, allowing Thor speak for her.

"I know what you're thinking Giovan. How can one teleport to another location without a becon? Ryath here has taken the image of how you remember the place and erected a shield in the area. She then transports us safely within that shield so we don't encounter any people or rocks or anything else. Quite clever don't you think? Unfortunately it's not so easy for a human to do, but we may get the hang of it."

Nodding, Ryath turned to the ocean, looking for any sign of Travis.

The clouds overhead rumbled and rolled toward the shore as Giovan, Ryath, Thor and Cara stood there searching the ocean and the beach.

Yet they saw nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Giovan suddenly asked, pointing in front of them straight to the horizon, "What is that?"

The eyes of each of them turned to focus on what had captured Giovan's attention. In the distance, just barely noticeable on the horizon, a wave had begun, but strangely it stretched across the entire horizon, over many miles of ocean, until it stretched beyond the range of sight. The waves rolled onward, slowly, steadily as they built power beneath its rising menace.

Eleven feet high...

Cara's eyes went wide with fear as she realized what was happening. She began to whimper slightly, but more from the awe of the power being displayed. Higher and higher it rose across the horizon. The distant sound of a massive roar began to reach their ears as the ocean swallowed itself, turning much of the seas into shallow waters as the waves rose high.

Thirty seven feet high...

Giovan began to utter a counter spell/shield that he began to erect around the group. A pale green glow spun about his feet and expanded and soon curved upward to form the dome.

"Ryath, Thor, Your help will be needed to sustain this against the force of the ocean..."

Seventy three feet high...

The young girl looked up to Giovan, "What about me?" she asked pleadingly.

Giovan looked down on her and patted her head, "You stay close, child." He turned to behold the monstrous wave that amazingly continued to rise higher. It appeared that the entire ocean would swallow the land completely and cast Khadrim deep under the sea.

One hundred and six feet high...

Giovan was heard muttering, "That's...impossible to summon..."

It was as if the ocean intended for another fate similar to the city of Atlantis...

Ryath and Thor both watched in a calm manner as the water rose before them. Both seemed confident in their abilities and weren't worried about the impending wall of liquid death. Thor raised his staff, igniting a bright blue glow within the gem atop the staff whilst Ryath's hand flared into a bright golden aura of light. Both council members had the idea of physically taking hold of the water and letting it down but to their amazement their attempts failed. They could not gain control of the water.

Acting quickly, the pair contributed their power to Giovan's already established shield and watched as it brightened in aura and strength. It would be able to hold back the water, yet the force of the collision would still be huge. Thor sighed as he took his attention away from the shield for a moment.

"Prepare yourself girl, this will be a hard impact, yet your life is safe."

The night was cool, the air was fresh, and an array of nocturnal sounds gently washed through Gramnok’s ears. He was sitting cross-legged staring into his camp-fire, watching it’s chaotic whippings and occasionally glancing at the glowing red string on his mace. Every time he looked at the string he could hear his father’s clumsy basso voice telling him how his great granddad take enchanted string from Ravon musan’s ins-tru-ment after big battle at Stelkla; he always shook his head though, trying clear away the memories of Ericadia, and how he longed so badly to go back to it.

One day I find emblem of tribe… my honor be restored… He tilted his head up to watch the stars..

The behemoth waves roared toward land with a deep voice of despair that caused Cara to stiffen with abject fear, only one thought on her mind.

They were going to die...

Finally, the waves slammed into the shore, sending huge shockwaves inland as the ocean puked its contents on the small defensive dome that seemed to be the only thing defying its power. Tons of water roiled about, finally succumbing to the power of gravity as it raced further inland to cause further havoc and destruction.

Cara's voice finally was heard as she stood screaming at the top of her lungs. Her voice was shrill and laced heavily with fear. Giovan felt the strength of the waves hammer into his shield, and struggled mightily with its power.

The sunlight finally broke through the wall of water and shone down upon them through the drenched shield. Finally, Giovan released the shield, sensing no further serious life endangering effects. He knelt down to hold Cara closely, which she finally broke from her frozen stance and gripped him as she sobbed fearfully.

She remained like this for several minutes, losing herself in his comforting embrace. Her sobs slowed and grew quieter until she finally pulled away, not wanting to look at her Master. She looked out toward the ocean and suddenly gasped.

"Look! Something's out there!"

Giovan stood and peered into the distance. The body floated closer faceup... His eyes widened as he recognized the person's hair, and face. "There he is..."

To their surprise, the boy sat up, and then stood atop the water, walking closer. His face was full of sorrow and anguish. He stopped several meters from them, calling out, "Leave me alone! I wish to die!"

The group sat in stunned silence for a moment. It was hard to believe that a little boy like the one before them could empty so much water out of the ocean. Ryath stepped forward to approach the boy but Thor's staff moved into her path.

"It's my turn. Remember what happened last time we tried it your way?"

Ryath recalled the time a little girl had accidently tripped a ward of protection around a potent colony of other-world creatures. She had approached the girl calmly, trying to comfort her. Before Ryath could get to the girl, she got up to run away and was cut down by several magical bolts. That image still burned within the mind of the ancient dragon.

"Agreed."

Thor moved right up to the shore but did not step into the now vacant ocean. Instead he merely stood there, watching the boy. The pair stared off at eachother for several minutes until Thor made his move. The mage disappeared without any warning and it was far too late before Travis noticed the robed human floating directly behind him.

Bringing his stave around, Thor unleashed a purple beam of power into the child. Travis was not harmed, but he found that he was physically unable to move. His will was blocked from his body... he couldn't will anything to happen. Smiling from under his hood, Thor transported himself and the boy back to solid land and set him down before the others.

Obviously scarred witless, Ryath approached Travis in an attempt to calm him. Thor allowed the boy his ability of speech. The slender figure of Ryath kneeled beside Travis and smiled.

"It's alright young one. We're not here to hurt and we don't want to see you dead. I realise you're going through some trouble at the moment and we haven't come to punish you. We're here to help."

Thor nodded, even though he appeared menacing from behind his hood.
___________

Butah strolled through the cool night air. He had become used to travelling at night after deciding it would be safer for him to stay out of sight. And so the boy would relax during the day and travel through the afternoon and into the night. He found it was much cooler as well.

As Butah moved down an sparsely travelled path, he noticed a lone fire not far off. Feeling cocky after his previous encounter with other people, Butah didn't bother being subtle as he walked directly up behind the figure at the fire and gave him a kick to the face as he spun around.

Butah had never seen this kind of creature before and was quite startled to see the teeth and fur as it rose, standing well above his height. The creature was about to attack when Butah held up his hand. The creature stopped, allowing Butah to call a sizable ball of flame out of the campfire and into his hand.

"Time to die... whatever you are."

Butah unleashed the flaming mass towards Gramnok.

Gramnok raised his mace to shield himself, it’s string flashed red, and the ball of fire crashed into Gramnok bursting out into several different directions. Gramnok, now enraged, charged through the rapidly dispersing mass of flame and swung his mace with terrible force at the small human before him.

BOOM!

Gramnok’s mace shattered the ground as the teenager had managed to dodge it. He redrew his mace back into striking position with a professional speed that betrayed most first impressions and started to attack again.

Fortunately for Butah, he was a fit and agile youth, barely escaping another swing from the ferocious looking beast. Butah couldn't believe his lack of luck. Out of all the people upon the road he could attack, this one had some sort of anti-fire magic.

Jumping back several paces, Butah called more fire into his hands and arced his arms in a circle. The flame jumped onto the ground and formed a tall circle of intense flame around him. He needed a few moments to figure out what he could do. Even if that thing had some protection, Butah wasn't exactly powerless.

Smiling to himself once again, Butah willed the flames forward, spreading the fire toward Gramnok. Before the foreigner could do anything, a flaming circle had surrounded his position and was quickly closing in. The flames rose, far taller than Gramnok as they closed on his position, hungry for the fuel his fur would provide to the ravaging flames.

Happy with his solution, Butah started to back away slowly, keeping an eye on things for pure enjoyment.

Anya ran as fast as she could. She didn't stop. She didn't think about where she was going or what she would do when she got there. She just ran through the forest blindly.

It wasn't long before the farmer's wife was completely lost. Her dress and shoes were soaked through and ruined by the mud, and her face and arms were covered in bloody scratches- she hadn't even noticed the branches when they hit her. She stopped in a clearing for a moment to decide what to do.

Anya looked in all directions. Everything looked exactly the same. Scared and cold, she picked a direction and continued to run. She made it about three steps when she tripped and fell in the mud, cutting her foot on a sharp stone.

She cried out in pain, but pulled herself up and limped as fast as she was able. Some time later, she found an old trail and began to follow it, hoping it would lead her out of the forest.

As the sun started to sink, Anya spotted the edge of the forest. She picked up her pace. When she emerged from the trees, she was relieved to find herself in front of a small cottage. She made her way to the door and knocked.

When the middle-aged woman answered the door, Anya opened her mouth to ask for a place to stay the night, but no words came. The physical and emotional stress of what she had been through hit her all at once like a brick wall and she collapsed unconsicous on the cottage doorstep.

Gramnok looked around frantically for an exit to no avail. The bright red glow of the string began to wane, and things started getting hot… hotter… burning! With eyes widened and mouth screaming he lunged backward through the flames, clearing it, and hitting his head violently on a small tree. He was now unconscious, parts of him still burning.

The tree snapped, bottom half leaning in the direction of the heavy creature’s fall, and top half declining into the fire.

Moments later all that was left was silence, smoke, and pseudo death.

Satisfied that the odd creature would now be burning to death, Butah turned around and continued down his chosen path.

OOC: BUMP... *awaiting post from TARL*

Travis hated the feeling of immobilization. He felt...distant, as if he were viewing the scene from several feet away. He hated it so much. The striking woman, Ryath, knelt down in front of him, looking him dead in the eyes. Her calm look helped to calm Travis, and he lowered his mental guards a little. Ryath's voice was strangely melodic to his ears.

Like the ocean...so calming...yet can hold great power...If only I could just drown myself... he thought to himself, as he listened to her voice, her words.

He didn't reply right away as he looked into Ryath's eyes. They held a sense of understanding, as if she understood how he felt. As if she could relate to his...freakness. And in this, he consoled himself and spoke at long last, speaking somewhat bitterly.

"I...I didn't mean to kill him...he tried to hurt me...I..I..."

Despite the spell that Thor had in place upon the boy, tears still managed to slide down his cheeks, tears of woe, of anger, of suicide...

Ryath engulfed Travis in a comforting hug and nodded to Thor, indicating he should release the boy from his arcane hold. Thor complied and Travis fell into Ryath's grasp, crying on her shoulder. Thor merely stood back, ready for action if the boy did anything.

"It's alright Travis. I know you didn't mean to hurt him. Sometimes these accidents happen, when we don't understand our talents, when we can't control them. I would like to teach you how Travis, so this never happens again. So you can be safe and in control. Will you let me help you?"

Ryath pulled back from the hug slightly to look Travis in the teary eyes as she waited for a response.

Travis looked into Ryath's eyes and nodded. He dried his eyes with a hand, and looked at her again. Finally he spoke, but in a cracked voice.

"O..ok..."

Ryath smiled. Travis wouldn't be running loose anymore, haunted by his inability to control his strength. Thor smiled as well. They had done it. They had convinced the boy to submit to their instruction without having negative effects...

Travis looked between the two, and finally had hope in his heart...

Thor turned to master Giovan and nodded.

"Thankyou for all your help. We'll be sure to take good care of Travis and it's likely you'll see him again, soon if he learns to master his power quickly. It shouldn't be too difficult."

Giovan nodded and took hold of the other student's shoulder. Ryath smiled at the pair before blowing a slight breeze between her soft lips. The air took on a golden hue and swirled around the pair, lifting them into the air and flowing back towards the magic school. Within a few minutes, the pair was out of sight.

With the others gone, Thor and Ryath turned to Travis, indicating he should come with them. Ryath spoke in her melodic tone.

"Come Travis. We must investigate other occurences of those like you. Then we'll head to the Dragonic Mountains where we can work on your powers."

And so the trio began their trek North-West, towards the village Anya had recently departed.
____________

Butah was quite happy with himself as he strode through the woods, occassionally setting fire to the odd tree or bush. He didn't want to burn down the forest as it might attract too much attention, but it was always good to practice.

Moving deeper into the woods, Butah wasn't concerned about any dangerous creatures or thieves. He was more than able to defend himself these days. Afterall, he'd just rid the world of some odd beast earlier on without much difficulty. A normal human would pose almost no threat to him.

Arm halted in midair, Butah restrained himself from setting fire to a small patch of berries when he noticed the house standing behind it. Moving forward, he pulled out his flint and steel once again, starting a flame that he used to surround the house and keep a ball of plasma within his left grasp. The young man entered the house and found himself face to face with an old woman bearing a pitchfork and a young, unconscious woman. Not even hesitating, Butah launched his flame at the old woman and scorched her to ash within seconds.

As for the younger woman, Butah merely grinned as he approached her, a look of lust within his firery eyes.

Anya's eyes fluttered open and she moaned a little.

"What..."

Suddenly she felt rough hands grab her and tear the bodice of her dress. She tried to struggle, but her physical strength was drained. She couldn't move, but she could see the man fumbling with the fastenings of his trousers.

She had to do something, and fast. But what? Suddenly she remembered Liam and the lightening. Could she do that again?

Anya closed her eyes and felt power running through her. After a moment, she opened them again. Dark stormclouds filled the sky, as they had before. Just as the man pulled Anya's skirt over her head, the lightening struck.

Butah stumbled backwards in complete shock as a bolt of lightning burst through the roof and struck the floor, directly between his legs. The foce had knocked him off his feet, smashing back into a nearby shelf. Managing to land on his feet once again thanks to the shelf, Butah spat as he withdrew flint and steel once again, creating the single spark he needed to harness his ability.

Something was not right with this woman. Lightning did not just strike random places like that. Butah knew they hit things like trees and metal poles, not floor boards underneath his feet. Something told him this woman was at the source of it, there was just something about her that did not seem right. Perhaps she was like Butah, yet she controlled... the weather?

Either way, Butah decided it would be best to get rid of her before she tried something like that again. It wouldn't do to have others around that could threaten him with their own power. Butah was to be the only one, the one with the power and the willingness to use it. Stepping forward, Butah kept his eyes upon Anya as a massive ball of flame grew within his right hand. Upon reaching a clear view, Butah hurled the sphere of fire at Anya...

OOC: We're not dead yet!

IC: Ryath stood by a large fountain in the village centre whilst Thor went to speak with the villagers. The boy had warmed up to her and she was beginning to enjoy his inquisitive company, even if the guilt of murdering another student still weighed on his mind slightly, Travis realised he wasn't going to be punished for it.

Lounging comfortable in the sun, Ryath swirled the water behind her with an eloquent finger and splashed it towards Travis.

"Tell me Travis, what do you think makes your power work?"
______________

Thor stood within a circle of town elders, all attempting to give him details at once. Raising a hand, he indicated for one to speak at a time. The chief elder puffed out his chest and looked proud to give the simple explanation. None of the villagers had seen a mage before and so his presence was significant.

"No one witnessed it. We all knew he could be a bit violent when drunk but never pried, it isn't right. But one night, screams could be heard from their cabin and was quickly followed with a swift storm. Yet this storm wasn't really a storm. No rain, just dark clouds, some strong wind and a single bolt of lightning.

As the screams had stopped, we imagined she it had been resolved yet the morning revealed Anja to be gone and her husband dead, struck by lightning. No one has been able to explain anything or pursue Anya. We found tracks heading north-east, but no one was willing to go after her."

Thor nodded and gave his thanks with a small pouch. The greedy elders grabbed for the pouch as Thor made his way back to Ryath and Travis.

Travis watched the water hurtling and spinning wildly about toward him. He lifted his hand and watched as it gravitated toward it and formed a ball. He opened his palm and held it outward, the sphere of water still holding together. He smiled at Ryath, "Pretty cool huh?"

He returned to her question, "I don't know. I guess I just have a natural affinity to it. Kinda like how dragons can breathe fire, though they have those strange looking organs at the back of their throats that eject those chemicals that are inflamed upon contact with air."

He thought for a moment while bouncing the water up and down on his hand, "I guess there's something about me that is like that."

He looked up to see a few of the elders on the ground scrambling for a small sack of coins. He smiled as Thor approached.

Ryath smiled as Travis played with the water. He was a good child in her eyes and hoped that he would flourish with his abilities under her guidance. She still couldn't quite pin what made him different, yet at least he was gaining better control of his ability and unlikely to have any more accidents.

Raising her palm, Ryath formed an orb of water upon her own hand. It wasn't naturally occuring water, but an identical replicant induced by magiks being woven together under her guidance.

"Try this..."

She was curious to see just how far Travis' power extended...
_________

Thor nodded to Travis and his dragonic companion.

"It seems there was one here, a woman named Anya. She's gone north-east, towards the direction of other reports."

Travis watched as Ryath demonstrated the spell. He tossed the water-ball toward the fountain, listening as it splashed softly into the waters. He held his hand open concentrating.

Nothing.

Exasperated, he looked up at Ryath, and resolved to try once more.

Nothing.

He swallowed visibly, then looked up at Ryath a second time. He spoke, "I...I can't feel the connection with the arcane like I can with the water..."

He tried once more. Still, the same result occurred...

Thor watched in silence as Ryath smiled and patted the boy's shoulder. This was quite odd indeed. It seemed he could control elements with an unrivalled skill, yet he could not create them. It was as if there was no magic involved and he were merely calling upon the energies of nature.

"It's alright Travis, we're merely learning what your power can and can't do. It appears you cannot create an element, yet you have other unique abilities."

Raising her hand once again, Ryath called upon a ball of water once again and sat it before Travis.

"Try and take this water off me."

Ryath remained still, interested to see if Travis could take the water against her will.

Travis looked up at Ryath, seeing the challenge in her eyes. Naturally, he smiled in return and held his hand out to her, palm facing her.

At first, nothing happened, and then suddenly, the orb of water shattered from her control and flew to his hand. He tossed it up and spun it on a finger, "Easy." he stated with a slight grin at her surprised look.

Ryath was quite surprised indeed that Travis was able to snatch control of the water she had created with relative ease. It seemed as though his powers were limitless save that he could not create water. Smiling once again, Ryath patted Travis' shoulder.

"That's quite remarkable Travis, you have a very unique power."

Thor nodded before changing the topic.

"We're only a few days behind the girl from this village, we should be able to catch up with her if we keep a good pace. It seems she may of gone into the forest as she supposedly enjoyed the atmosphere. Let's go."

Ryath nodded, took Travis' hand and the trio began their trek out of the village and towards a dense forest almost two days travel from the village.

As they walked, Travis continued to toy with the ball of water, bouncing it around on various surfaces such as trees, the ground and once at the backside of Thor. However, Thor's look in his eyes told him to not try that again, and so he complied, keeping himself indulged with the ball of water that fluctuated in various shapes upon his open palm, a human, a dog, a dragon, and a tree. Through the changes, he showed them to Ryath with a giddy joy, like a child with a new toy.

Anya screamed as the ball of flame rocketed towards her. It moved far too quickly for her to dodge and so all she could do was place her bear arms across her face and hope for the best. The next moment passed so quickly Anjya wasn't quite sure what happened. She felt a strong gust of wind burst through the house, then the searing pain of fire. She knew she had been burned, yet... she still lived. Slowly she fell into darkness, no longer able to ponder recent events.

Butah found himself flowing through the air thanks to the intense gust Anjya had unknowingly unleashed. He never got the chance to see if his fireball finished the job since he was launched through an already broken window and passed several metres into the forest before colliding with one of the massive trees, resulting in a loud thud and Butah falling to the ground.

Attempting to rise once again, Butah found his head was far too unstable to permit such an action and so the young brute also plunged into the darkness of sleep.
_____________

As the trio continued upon their journey, Ryath entertaining Travis with new tasks to apply his powers to, Thor kept a look out for any signs of what they were looking for. On the fourth day of their trek, he spotted massing storm clouds concentrated over a patch of forest, a single lightning bolt arced towards the earth.

Stopping in his trakcs, Thor tapped Ryath and pointed out the odd oocurence.

"What do you think of that?"

"I'd say one of our roses is over there."

Nodding in agreement, Thor led Ryath and Travis along the windy path of the forestm using his staff to produce an eerie blue glue, lighting the path for them. None of them knew exactly what lay in wait for them, yet the ominous storm clouds ironically held promise of another rose.

Travis followed behind the others, suddenly weighing the presence of the other Roses with himself in his mind. Was it possible to gather such strong entities together without calamity? He did not know, and he feared the unknown.

"Ryath, I have a bad feeling about this." he conveyed to her as he kept close to her unconsciously, like a child would its mother.

Obviously in a hurry, Ryath beckoned Thor and Travis towards her, taking both within her arms. Immediately a bright golden hue surrounded the trio as Ryath invoked her dragonic powers and levitated them clear off the ground. Seconds later and they were outside a burning cabin after racing through the forest, dodging and weaving between ancient trees like they posed no threat of a collision.

Looking up at the storm clouds, Ryath smiled as she set the other two upon the ground.

"Travis, would you care to help us out? There is water in those clouds, why don't you use it to put out the fire."

Thor nodded in agreement yet was prepared to quench the flames by his own means if things did get out of hand.

Travis nodded and focused his attention on the clouds. Suddenly, the clouds seemed to rend forms from the skies and lower rapidly to the earth, casting a dark mist all across the earth. As much as the clouds had built up the rain in their bowels, they were pregnant and ready to deliver their watery loads unto the fires that raged.

At first, it seemed that the water did nothing. Travis merely gravitated the water toward the fires, feeling the droplets rush past them and suddenly smother the fires with ease...

Happy with Travis' progress and control over his newfound powers, Ryath led the way into the steaming cabin, noting several scorch marks all over the interior of the building. It was obvious that the fire rose had been present here and certainly left his mark.

At that point a low grain eminated from a blackened corner, drawing the attention of all three. Thor made it to the bed first and after peeling away black sheets discovered a young lady, burned quite badly upon her hands and face. She seemed to be flickering in and out of consciousness, unable to bear the pain of such intense burns.

Kneeling besides the young girl, Thor made a quick assessment of the injured woman before turning back to Ryath.

"It would be best if you didn't see this Travis. Do you mind waiting outside?"

The concern and warning in Thor's voice was evident, this girl's life was in threat of extinction and he would need Ryath's combined aid to heal her. It wouldn't be pretty.

Travis gulped and felt the bile making every effort to rise up his esophagus and spew forth from his mouth. He didn't need to be asked twice to leave. As he stood outside, walking around, studying the destruction of the place, he couldn't help but keep remembering the melted flesh, the exposed bones of the poor girl. He cringed as his overactive imagination brought the image to his mind's eye over and over again.

**************************

Alice walked along the path, far from where the others were at, her mind focused on those that had hated her, that had tried to kill her. She laughed as she remembered their faces as they were swallowed into the earth.

With Travis outside, Thor and Ryath immediately turned their attention upon the horribly burned Alice. Thor's mage vision allowed him to witness the life energies of other creatures, in this case of Alice. For several moments he watched, discerning how badly her essence was depleted. If she lost too much, Alice would lose life beyond their ability to restore.

Ryath moved to the other side of the young girl, placing her slender hands slightly above her chared body. Before the skin could be healed, they had to remove all the burned flesh. Third degree burns were quite predominant and even with the aid of magic would cause quite a deal of pain for young Alice. A soft hue eminated from Ryath's hands and engulfed Alice, working upon her skin. An ear shattered scream escaped from her lips as flesh pealed off her arms, taking portions of muscle with it as well.

Ignoring the screams of pain, Thor began drawing runes within the air above Alice, attempting to reset the current of her life energies. At least twenty minutes passed before Thor ceased his efforts. Alice was now covered in newly formed skin. The white flesh glistened with sweat and still possessed a slight pink tinge of the red muscle beneath.

"Physically, she will live. But I don't think her essence will be able to recover on its own. Too much of it was burned away in the shock."

Thor nodded, still slightly spent from all the magiks he'd invoked.

"We may have to replenish her energies."

At that point Alice's energies began to fade once again. The effort of healing her body had taxed what little life she had beyond measure and was soon to be snuffed out of existence. Without hesitation the pair took up positions beside the young woman and fell into a light trance as they focused their own power. They were going to fragment some of their own energies and lend them to Alice.

Energy crackled around the room, filling the windows with an odd glow as it reacted differently with the atmosphere. Arms crossed, both council members arched their backs as their very life force flowed out of their mouths and into the free air. Before the force could dissipate, sigils flared into life and guided the power into Alice's body, into the current of her own life forces.

With the deed done, Ryath and Thor fell to the floor, their energies depleted enough to make them both exhausted. Alice merely continued her deep sleep, unaware two mages had just saved her from certain death.
___________

A searing ring of fire within the active sub-concious of the young Butah yanked him from slumber and set him back into the real world. Still dazed, the brutish teenager opened his eyes slowly to find himself laying under a massive oak, a slight dent upon the stem of the tree where Butah's head had made contact.

The stench of chared flesh still hung in the air slightly, yet the odours of a wet forest were dominant. Unaware of where the rain suddenly came from, Butah stood and began to stumble back towards the cabin. The girl.... he wanted to see if she was dead.

At that point Butah came across a lone boy sitting outside the cabin. Travis.

If there was any way to describe the initial moment when both Roses caught sight of each other, it would be like one of those old western movies. It seemed the world shrunk to a narrow range, so held to its borders by the optical view in front of each of them.

Butah's nose crinkled slightly. Travis narrowed his eyes minutely. They knew the other was a Rose...

Travis could see that evil stench in Butah's appearance. It was bad, real bad.

In seemingly slow motion, the two suddenly gathered their elements and blasted them toward each other, fire and water impacting in a terrific clash between them...

Butah had no idea who this kid was, yet one thing was certain. He was just like Butah, he had a power no one else had. It seemed Butah wasn't so unique afterall. Of course this could not be allowed as Butah would not rise to one of the most powerful men in Khadrim if there were others like him, others with powers of the elements. There was only one solution. This kid had to die.

Buath didn't hesitate in making a small spark with his flint, allowing him to take control of the small flame and expand it into a flame the size of his palm. He also watched as Travis called upon his own powers, yet it was not fire. The very air around them grew dryer as Travis pulled upon the moisture from the air, the clouds above and the dew upon the ground. No words were needed to signal the time of attack as both Roses launched their power forth.

Butah snarled as he watched his flame jet across the grove towards Travis' water. Even he knew that water and fire didn't mix very well and was straining to think of a way he could defeat the younger child. The flame and water collided in a massive clash of forces, cancelling eachother out until all that remained was steam.

Already angered, Butah broke the standoff by making a run towards Travis, launching several balls of flame as he went. If he couldn't beat the boy with his powers, he would have to physically pummel him.
__________

Ryath and Thor could hear and sense the commotion outside, yet they still didn't possess the strength to rise and come to the aid of Travis. All they could do was hope the young child could handle himself.

Travis seemed to become a whole new person as he watched Butah run toward him, firing several fireballs toward him. One slammed into the building next to him, but was put out with a blast of water from a nearby puddle. Butah was still a bit of distance away but gaining ground quickly as he ran.

Travis looked up to the clouds that hung low overhead and watched as a wall of water suddenly dropped and moved sideways. It hit the Fire Rose like a concrete wall, lifting him off his feet and throwing him hard into some trees nearby with a resounding force. The flint and steel flew from the other boy's hand, landing several feet from Travis.

Travis ceased the wall's movements and directed it with a glance of his eyes to surround the other boy with several feet of water around him. Granted it was only water, but it was an effective prison.

He knelt down to pick up the flint and steel and pocketed it. He watched the other boy slowly move on the ground, the trees having knocked the wind out of him.

Unfortunately for Butah, Travis had the upper hand with his power. Not only was Travis of a much more inventive mind, he had also recieved some training in his talent. That combined with the common fact that water extinguished fire left Butah on the short end of the deal.

As the wall of water emerged, Butah merely thought his weight and force would be able to smash through it, yet unfortunately this was not the case and the young man was sent flying backwards as the aqua wall advanced upon him, knocking into several large trees with a bone cracking thud.

Stunned and winded, Butah used the trees behind him to stand once again. He had dropped his flint and steel, yet fortunately he still held and ember within his palm. Not wasting any time, the young man unleashed several waves of roaring fire towards the trees, grass and plants in order to give him an ample supply of the lethal flame.

At that point the wall of water advanced once again until it had fully surrounded Butah. In his fury he attempted to kick the wall to no avail, discovering it was far too strong. And so he resorted to the only thing he could thing of. Pouring flame upon flame towards the water, becoming even more infuriated as they disappearing with a slight sizzle and steam.
________________

Ryath had recovered enough to make it to her feet, even if they were unsteady. Moving towards the doorway, the female dragon willed it open to discover fire spread all over the place whilst Travis had another boy pinned to a true with a massive wall of water. In a weak voice Ryath questioned Travis.

"What is this?"

Travis kept his eyes on Butah, noticing the fireballs casting rapidly into the wall of water. Unfortunately for Butah however, Travis kept a constant supply of water, courtesy of the weather. He heard Ryath appear beside him, questioning as to the proceedings. He didn't bother to look up at her, as he kept the pressure on Butah.

"He's the one who hurt her...I know it. He tried to hurt me too."

He shifted his eyes to the top of the wall of water, and watched as it closed off into a tight, thickly walled dome around Butah. It was strange, and even seemed to be like a protective shield. Yet, all present realized that Travis's power was deadly. He blinked, immediately doubling the massive amounts of water that defied gravity around the other Rose. Then, at last, the dome closed completely, sealing all air out and extinguishing any flames that were left to the other boy's powers. Travis watched as the water surrounded the boy like an inescapable mold, seeping into every pocket of air, and into the lungs of the boy. He watched as Butah's eyes turned to him, his hands moved to his throat in a sudden change of action. Butah was drowning in the water, and Travis held no pity...

Things were looking dire for the young Butah was water completely surrounded him. He could feel the heat sapping away as his flame was extinguished and the overwhelming body of water finally engulfed him, preventing oxygen from reaching his now burning lungs. Butah tried to scream in horror yet to no avail as only bubbles emerged from his wide mouth.

There was nothing he could do about it. This other kid was going to kill him and he couldn't stop him. Butah hated the feeling of helplessness, hated the fear of death and more than anything hated Travis. It wouldn't be long before Butah passed out from lack of oxygen, but those last moments would be spent glaring at his young opponent.

At that point Ryath realised just what was about to happen and called upon her own powers. With a force greater than Travis' powers, Ryath yanked Butah through the wall of water and back into breathable atmosphere. Still concious, Butah coughed and spluttered for a few moments before rising to wobbly feet and making a start for Travis. Not in the mood to put up with such trouble, Ryath promptly release a small charge of power into the back of Butah's neck, causing him to crumple to the ground.

Turning to Travis once again, Ryath displayed an expression of disappointment and anger.

"Would you care to explain why you attempted to kill him?"

As she spoke, Thor also emerged from the cabin, still quite unsteady.

Travis returned Ryath's glare with a surprisingly cold look in return. He spoke harshly, his words lined with icy tone.

"He would have done the same to me. To all of us. Better that he die instead than to see him kill innocents!"

His eyes were glaring furiously now at Ryath, almost daring her to prompt him to attack her with his full force of his abilities.

Ryath was shocked. She had never seen such a cold side in the child before and it took her completely off guard. She knew how he felt but he was allowing his feelings to dictate his actions, not his thoughts. She could also see the danger in his eyes, daring her to try something, to stop him. Whilst Ryath could do such a thing, it was not her nature to enter every argument with force.

With the words on the tip of her tongue, Ryath began to scold the young boy.

"Travis! You are not the..."

Suddenly her sentence was left midstroke as a dull beam of blue energy thumped into Travis, completely engulfing the young boy from sight for several moments before fading away once again. There were no screams, no grunts as Travis was robbed of conciousness for the moment and dropped to the ground.

Working out of her surprise, Ryath turned to find Thor standing against the cabin, right arm pointing towards Travis with his mage stave. Ryath had no words yet thankfully Thor filled the uncomfortable silence.

"It was necessary. He is a spirited one and needed to be put to sleep. Hopefully he will be in a better mood when he awakes."

Still shocked, Ryath did nothing but look upon the hooded figure of Thor. She was evidently unhappy yet could not deny his logic. Thor matched her gaze.

"Come, bring him inside and we shall await for them all to awake."

Travis was the first to awaken after being knocked out by Thor. He started to get up when his arms refused to cooperate. Looking down, he saw that there were arcanic bonds holding him down to the bed. Next to him on his left was Butah, also strapped down by similar means. To his right, the girl lay unconscious, and also strapped down.

Glancing between the two other Roses, Travis looked around the room, searching for Thor and Ryath. They were in the other room, their voices low.

"Let me go!" he demanded and waited.

Thor and Ryath ceased their hushed conversation as Travis screamed to be released. A few hours of peace had allowed the council members enough time to recover their strength and gather some food for the night. The sun had recently plunged into the horizon, leaving them in darkness save for the light provided by arcane lanterns.

Striding into the main room of the cabin, Thor checked on the roaring fire across from the three roses before turning to Travis. Ryath closely followed the human mage and took a seat upon the bed near Anya. Ryath remained silent and so Thor spoke first.

"Travis. You have to realise a few things here. Just because you are unique does not mean you can do whatever you wish. We are here to help you and so you must do as we say, whether you like it or not. As for your bonds... I'll let you go when you prove to me you can be mature."

Ryath didn't particularly agree with Thor's choice of restraint but could not argue it's effectiveness. At that point Anya emerged from sleep for the first time during the day. She was still quite weak and disorientated and yet Thor had insisted on restraining her as well. Completely in disagreement with such an action, Ryath removed the bounds and helped Anya to sit up slightly.

The memory of that searing ball of flame surging towards her kept playing over and over within her mind. She had attempted to protect herself yet it had not been enough to stop the burning, the pain. Opening her eyes, Anya found herself still upon the bed where the attack had happened, yet she was alright. She could feel her skin, she still had it. Now very confused, she began to sit up and was startled when a young looking woman aided her.

At first there were no words, just wide eyes taking in her surroundings. The burned walls, the odd woman, the robed man beside her and the two boys upon the ground. Her attacker. The first sound to escape Anya's lips was a distressed scream as she looked upon Butah, fearing for her safety once again.

"No! Don't let him...."

"Calm yourself. He is restrained and cannot harm you..."

Ryath's soothing voice seemed to be helping Anya calm down and finally form coherent words.

"But... he burned me. I thought I would die. Who are you?"

Ryath smiled and offered the young woman a waterskin.

"You would have died if we hadn't intervened. I am Ryath and that is Thor. We are High Council members and here to help you."

Anya was stunned once again. High Council members were the leaders of their nation, the four most important people in Khadrim. The fact that two of them were helping her now was amazing. She was merely a farmer's wife and now in the presence of these people.

Before she could open her mouth in reply, the furious grunts of Butah interrupted as he shifted into conciousness and began spitting curses at his captors.

Travis looked over to the other boy and scowled before turning back to Ryath. His eyes flashed with a primal danger, but his reasoning took over.

"Fine. But if he tries anything, do not try to stop me."

He narrowed his eyes slightly at her and Thor.

Ryath glared down at the younger boy. She didn't like this other side of Travis and was beginning to wonder whether the dead boy back at the school had been more than a mere accident. Taking on the role of a scorning mother, Ryath spoke to the young boy.

"I will stop you. You are to leave him alone as he is to leave you alone. If you kill this young man there will be dire consequences Travis. Consequences beyond your ability to handle."

As Ryath spoke her last words the air shimmered with the very power eminating from her form. There was no denying that Ryath was the most powerful figure in Khadrim, even if she possessed one of the kindest natures. She didn't usually enjoy having to act stern but realised that it was sometimes necessary.

Taking in her surroundings, Anya noted the angry little boy and moved back from him slightly. He seemed just as bad tempered as the other one, still screaming curses upon his two captors. Thankful to be alive and well, Anya sat up fully and cast her eyes upon the robed man. She couldn't see his face due to his hooded blue cloak yet she wasn't scared. There was a certain air of power around him, yet he wasn't intimidating. Getting the man's attention, she spoke.

"Good day. I'm Anya. Thanks for saving me."

Thor took his attention of the fuming children and turned to Anya, giving her a smile from beneath his hood.

"We're happy to help. I'm Thor. I know this has been a bit confusing lately, but we've been looking for you in regard to your powers."

"My powers? How do you know...?"

"It's our business to know of something like this."

"I see."

"Yes. Do you mind coming with us?"

"I guess not... I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Alright then, please excuse me for a moment."

Butah was yelling as loud and as much as his lungs would allow him, hoping that if he made enough noise his strange captors would release him. Unfortunately all he recieved for his efforts was the end of Thor's staff in the face, knocking him senseless for a few moments.

"Keep quiet boy..."

Travis took a deep breath, making every effort to block out Butah's incessant screaming. As Ryath was forced to exert some of her aura against him, he had finally come back to his common sense.

"I'm sorry...I just don't like being attempted to be killed...." he said softly, keeping his gaze down. Butah, at last, finally shut up upon recieving Thor's thwap of his staff.

************************

Alice walked amongst the mountains, the earth beneath her trembling under each footstep,a little trick she had been toying with for the past half hour. She liked its effect, for it would make anyone think that something big and ferocious was approaching.

She laughed as she felt the powers surge as she shook the nearest mountain, sending great cascades of rock and boulder down its slopes. A rock-climber suddenly screamed in fear as he plummeted. His scream and cry of pain afterwards was suddenly silenced with a resounding thump as a three and a half ton boulder slammed over his body.

Alice paid the man no heed.

Ryath smiled at Travis, happy to finally see he was thinking logically and had calmed down. He did indeed have quite a temper and she could see it getting him into undesirable situations in the future. With a single nod the bounds around Travis were released, allowing him the freedom of movement around the cabin.

"I understand Travis. Just try to stay calm."

Jumping for the oppurtunity to interrupt, Butah began his own series of heated questions.

"Who the hell are you people and why am I tied up? You can't do this to me! I'm very important and you will pay!"

Thor's overwhelming figure took up Butah's vision, his blue robes becoming the only thing the young man could focus upon.

"Listen boy. We know you are no one but a violent brat and are full aware of your abilities. You are now within High Council custody and shall remain so until we deem necessary. Understood?"

Whilst Butah hated being talked down to and wished nothing more than to be free so he could unleash his meaty fists upon the robed man, he realised there was something not quite right. Then the words High Council flowed through his head. He wasn't dealing with just anyone... these were two of the most powerful people in the nation. Looking down to the floor, Butah could not help but cry. He had no chance.

Travis sat back against a wall, sitting atop a chair. He had watched as Ryath and Thor had begun their interrogations into Butah. Butah however, was unresponsive in addressing the two's questions. Travis sighed as he rested his head back on the wall.

_____________________________________

Alice watched as a rockslide suddenly began near the peak and began to rush toward a little village at the base of the mountain. She smiled as she heard the screams of innocents.

Thor snapped out of trance and immediately began gathering his items whilst also ushering the others to prepare for a departure. Ryath rose and gathered her own cloak whilst also asking what had happened. Thor merely replied in a rushed fashion.

"There has been an incident not far east from here, the last Rose I think. We need to get over there and capture her before she does anything else. She's just destroyed an entire village."

"Right."

With both their belongings gathered, Ryath and Thor ushered Anya, Travis and Butah out of the cabin. Butah remained silent, still magically bound by Thor whilst Anya questioned every order.

"Where are we going? What Rose?"

"Anya, you can ask questions later. We must move quickly."

Within a matter of minutes the small party had left the cabin behind and began following a seemingly random path through the forest, Ryath at the lead.

Two days travel had taken the party far from the forest cabin and burned trees of where Butah and Anja were found. Thor and Ryath seemed not to tire but the other three were obviously running on empty, even though Butah attempted to act like it didn't phase him, the three roses were dead tired. As they moved through fields and passed hills, the signatures of the last rose became more evident.

Massive gaps in the ground were becoming more common and more than one hill had been collapsed. The worse example had been when the party passed by what had once been a village at the base of a cliff but was now merely a pile of rock, dirt, bodies and buildings. The scary fact about this rose wasn't her power but her personality. She was willing to use her power to harm others without another thought. Afterall, one does not collapse a cliff upon an entire village lightly.

A day after passing the village, the party found themselves winding through the narrow pathways of rocky mountains. It was obvious the Roses wanted to stop, despite the determination of Ryath and Thor to find the last Rose before she did anymore damage. With the sun now at it's peak, the heat was becoming too overwhelming and finally Anya gave in, falling to her knees. Butah snickered but took the oppurtunity to rest againt a large boulder. Looking behind her, Ryath noticed the collapsed Anya and the motionless boys.

"Thor, we must stop. They can't go any further without rest."

Whilst unhappy about the fact, Thor realised there was nothing to be done about it and so he turned around and took up a seat of his own.

"We shouldn't be far from this one by now."

Suddenly the ground beneath them rumbled as a strong female voice replied from above.

"No, you're not far at all."

Alice came walking down a steep hillside, the solid rock forming stairs for her to descend.

Travis and Anya exchanged worried looks as Alice made her presence known. He inadvertently stepped closer to Ryath, not liking the absolute coldness of Alice's demeanor as she approached them with a sneer upon her face.

Suddenly the earth rumbled as Alice laughed wickedly. Sharp jagged rocks rose upward around the group creating an effective prison of stone. Travis looked over to Anya and both nodded to each other. They knew what they had to do. Ryath and Thor wouldn't be able to deal with this other Rose by themselves. They looked over to Butah, who merely glowered at them.

Overhead, Anya pulled in clouds from afar with strong gusts. Travis pulled the moisture together, causing the clouds to clash together rapidly. As the clouds built tremendously, some lightning bolts could be seen resonating within the clouds, a natural effect of the combining forces of nature. The wind howled, and the rain condensed rapidly, before falling to the earth in pattering rain that quickly escalated to hail-sized raindrops. Travis directed the rain to pummel Alice, driven faster in its ferocity by Anya's winds. Suddenly, several bolts of lightning struck with purpose at the ground around Alice, shattering rock, turning sand to glass, and creating deafening cracks of explosive sound. Travis and Anya, thrown back by the nearness of the attack, looked over to Butah who merely gave them a steady gaze. There was a slight change in his eyes, as he had seemed to realize what was necessary.

Travis and Anya rose to their feet once again and took their positions next to Butah. Alice scrambled to her feet. She snarled in anger and the earth shook violently once more. It took one more combined attack from the remaining three Roses to knock her powerfully against a rock wall, knocking her unconscious.

As soon as this was done, the weather disappated rapidly, and the sun came out again. The earth lay in shambles, and in towns surrounding the area, people emerged from their homes, staring in wonder up at the skies around them. They did not understand, but attributed the phenomenons to the wrath of the gods.

Meanwhile, Travis was staring at Butah, trying to figure the other boy out. He glanced over to Ryath and Thor, whom had been surprised as much as he was to not only see Butah assisting them, but the combined power of the three Roses.

Three graceful Roses, far outclassing the normal weeds that even Ryath and Thor belonged to, despite their immense powers of their own.

Ryath and Thor both stood in stunned silence as they gazed upon the three roses and the single unconcious rose. They were prepared to deal with Alice yet her counterparts had beaten them to it, combining their respective forces in order to crush their enemy. Finally Ryath spoke.

"I must say, that was impressive. It seems you three have a strong grasp of your powers. Come now, it's time we got out of here."

Thor nodded and pointed his stave at Alice, causing her to levitate into the air and follow the party as they moved out of the rocky passes and back into the grassy plains.

"Ryath, how do you suggest we transport them all?"

"I'll take care of it."

Thor grinned slightly, understanding what she was about to do. Taking a few steps back, Thor guided the others to follow him so that Ryath had enough space. Once she judged there to be enough room, a golden aura of soft light bathed her body, her eyes taking on a crimson glow and a deep roar emerging from her throat. Finally the light became bright to the point where the others had to look away.

Once the golden power faded, the others unshielded their eyes to find a massive beast before them. Spanning the length of several carts and the height of a two storey building, Ryath stood proudly in the sunlight, her golden scales reflecting the light to give off a glowing appearance. Massive white teeth could be spotted within her open mouth as she turned crimson eyes upon them. It appeared as if she wanted to speak yet nothing but grunts and growls emerged. In order to compensate for such, Ryath's voice appeared inside their heads.

"Don't be concerned. I'll be taking you to the dragonic mountains, my home."

Thor's smile was evident from under his hood as he moved forward and levitated Alice's body onto the dragon's back. Although still shocked, Thor managed to move Butah, Travis and Anja all onto Ryath's back as well.

"Don't worry about grips, Ryath will make sure you don't fall off."

With everyone upon her back, Ryath sprung into the air and extended her massive wings, flap after flap pushing them higher into the sky, adding more speed to their travel. Within minutes the dragon was soaring above the clouds to the point where the others had to lie down and close their eyes to avoid being blinded by the sting of icy cold air. It would not be long before they reached their destination.

With a solid thud, Ryath pounded up a cliff outcrop high upon the dragonic mountain range. The air was thin and icy cold yet the presence of the massive dragon seemed to bring enough warmth into the area to keep them all content for the moment.

Another flash of golden power saw Ryath revert back to her human form, now clothed in thick wools. It was evident she didn't appreciate the cold in her human form. Waving an idle hand, Ryath caused the rock wall before them to fade into nothingness, allowing the passage into the darkness of the mountains. Anja could barely speak as she took in the recent events. A few days ago she had been a young wife to a drunken farmer, now she was one of four people unique in Khadrim. Essentially she had been wrenched out of her simple life and plunged into the world of magic. It was intimidating.

Buath remained silent for two reasons. First he was stunned at the magical feats being performed before him. He thought he would be able to conquer Khadrim with his firery power. Only recently had he learned there were powers far, far beyond him that could crush him in an instant. Secondly, the young man found that whenever he seemed to speak, the robed man would get angry and he had already felt the undesirable effect of that once.

Ryath didn't hesitate as she plunged into the cave and disappeared into the darkness. Thor gave the Roses a moment to take in everything before ushering them into the darkness as well, Alice still unconcious and now slung over his shoulder.

And so Roses disappeared into the depths of the Dragonic mountain range, the rock wall behind them present once again.

OOC: Since we lost most of our participants in this RP, Tarlachia and I have decided to call it quits earlier than intended and move onto bigger and better things.