Blood for ink.
*(Elle Azuel)
She crouched low, anticipating the next strike. A flash of steel, danced towards her. Her mind quickened, she knew this wouldn't last, he was stronger. Her teacher was a drunken mess, enraged by the strong beverages, but he was still a master swordman, his experience would eventually win out. Yet she was nimble, quick, but weak. The sword caught the candle light as she ducked, rolling to one side, But it wasn't enough. A split second was all it took for the blade to bite deeply into her pale flesh. A momentary pause, a second of silence, a wordless scream. Blood dripped from her absent forefinger. Her eyes flashed an intense purple, her teacher screamed and quickly collapsed, a look of terror etched upon his face. The room seemed brighter than ever, if only for a second. A thought stuck her: Was he dead? Even before her sword clattered to the ground she was off, sprinting hard. Bursting through the worn oak doors leading to the main hall, as she increased her speed she caught a glimpse of her father before tearing outside. The night engulfed her, heavy rain stung her eyes even as her senses attempted to adjust to the faded moonlight, the darkness of night.
She ran. With every footstep a heavy heart beat. Rain hammered her face as she ran into the gloom. Running hard she covered the short garden and headed into the Shadowed forest. Branches grabbed at her cloak, desperately trying to cease her hasty advance. Fear kept her moving, adrenaline kept the pain and blood at bay. The moon disappeared behind thick grey clouds, blocking out the pale silvery light, she ran ever harder. Exhaustion crept up on her. Her breathing came in harsh, short, ragged breaths as her last ounce of strength vanished. She collapsed into a sprawling heap, hitting the soft mix of autumn leaves and drenched mud. She staggered into the shadows of a grand oak tree. Sheltering near the trees formidable roots, trying to avoid the worst of the cold. The moon appeared from behind its shadowy prison. Silvery rays of light illuminating her soft, sweat soaked skin. Slowly her breathing receded back to a near normal level, her heart stopped hammering in her ears. Her long black hair was knotted, fragments of braches and leaves where mixed amongst her hair. Her body gave out, her energy spent. She plunged into a deep sleep, pulling herself close to the surrounding roots, nightmares plagued on her fragile mind, till the early sun started warming her tired limbs.
A warmth she hadn't known stirred her restless mind. Faint sounds and odd smells flooded her senses. In one blissful second everything felt perfect, everything forgotten. Her nightmares swam back to her, forcing reality upon her. Everything that had transpired, in such a short time someone she knew, even admired had died. Maybe even by her own hand. Her Fathers words came back to her "clarity is all that matters, with a clear mind, a clear soul". She had to think rationally, how could she have killed her former swords master. She'd never come close enough to scratch him, to have killed him was unthinkable. A dull pain broke her daze, her left hand felt odd. Shock took over, her fore finger was just a stump, hastily bandaged. A puzzling thought crept through her mind, why was the bandage so clean? There should be blood. Gingerly she removed the bandage. Taking a deep breath expecting to see the worst. Instead there was a neatly rounded stub, new skin was already growing over the existing wound. Just like before she'd always healed quickly, even small cuts, bruises as a child healed within a week at the worst, it was like something wanted to sustain her. She couldn't fathom why or how she healed so fast, but for once she was glad of it. Her body still felt drained, as if something had sapped her strength. Her legs shook, the cold wasn't yet fully forgotten. Her mind was still struggling with reality. She pushed to her feet determined to keep moving. Standing had taken whatever energy had remained, but she had to move, to get away before someone, anyone came looking for her.
She knew the forest well, but her panicked run through the night had left her without any idea upon the direction she should head, it all seems the same. The sun was her only guide. Even the sun would betray her in the end.
Once the tiredness had left her, she set off through the trees, some she knew others were unfamiliar. Birdsong came from all around her as she pressed deeper into the forest, but she gave the sounds little attention. After walking through patches of sun and shade for what she could only guess as the early morning, she heard it, the faint rush of distant water. Her hopes restored, she ran, ignoring the smaller branches that tried to cling to her in a vain effort to slow her progress. She ran harder as the sounds grew closer and within moments she could see a fast flowing river. Reaching down towards the water she drank cool refreshing mouthfuls. Even water gave her hopes, for she knew of only one river running through the forest, but she couldn't be sure which way would lead here where, one to a nearby timber hut, the other to the ragged cliffs of Mian, the far most peak.
She walked hoping that her path was true. The sun had long faded behind clouds, casting even deeper shadows. Finally she began to see the red flicker of flames through the trees that were still ahead, as if unending. Night was approaching fast and soon the obsidian skies would be upon her once again. A fire in a forest was almost unheard of, and something that could threaten the very forest itself. Moving swiftly towards the fire, even the most dangerous of fires would offer warmth as the night enclosed. The fires had been licking at the last few timber struts, of what she could only guess as the timber merchants hut. Quickly she searched the shadows. No-one was nearby, but the shadows could hide foes. She yelled "there's a stream not far from here, we could still save some of your building". Knowing far too well that fires didn't just appear, people didn't just disappear. Someone had to be nearby. A figure emerged from the shadows on the far side of the building, they were wearing a long hooded cloak and even with the blazing fire there face remained hidden within shadows of his raised hood. The figure called back "this is not my house, but I'am looking for you" His voice was rough, deep and more than slightly threatening. She physically recoiled. Realizing that the man was not a friend, she hurriedly turned, running away from the fire back towards the safety of the forest. His voice beckoned to here "I know what you have done, and we can help, it will be alright".
His voice was so forceful, It almost cut the air. The tiniest of doubts sat at the back of her mind encouraging her to trust him, to just look back before it was too late, to see the stranger. To maybe even trust him. She had known the feeling of being alone, the pains it left her to be without friends or family to support her. The stranger was worth the risks. She gazed back once again towards the Stanger, who had by now moved closer out of shadows. He beckoned her towards him. Althought she now knew where she was, she was still alone. With only minor reluctance she walked to his side. When he pulled his hood back his face was caught by the fire light, he looked solemn, younger than his voice would have portrayed. His hair was unkept a dark shade of brown. His eyes looked like the fire, but calm almost relaxed. He must have been a good head maybe two taller than she was. The next time he spoke his voice had lost all the command it once had, it was gentle like when a parent talks to a child. "I'am XXXX I have been sent to take you with me, all I can say is do not worry, I know how you must feel, it will be alright". I was dumb stuck I couldn't seem to form the words I needed, seconds pasted. Finally I just looked at the ground and nodded. I felt as if I had done something horribly wrong, but at the same time I had done something right, but I couldn't explain myself. He didn't even know my name, and when my voice returned it was a weak whisper of its former self "Iam Elle Azuel". This seems to make him happy for a smile crept up his face, "well Elle, we have a long days travel tomorrow, I'd suggest you get some sleep, but I fear you wont quite trust me yet till Iam asleep first". I slept on a simple bed roll, nothing fancy, whilst the flames nearby began to drop and burn out. I was woken by a voice, it wanted to know why I was crying out almost screaming. The sun was low in the sky. He was there looking anxious. I felt embarrassed to tell him that it was just a nightmare, something I still thought only young children had. A thick chunk of bread was forced into my hands "it's the only food we carry whilst away, iam sorry if its not much, but eat up, we move shortly". With that he walked off into the forest, I debated making a run for it, but what would that really achieve. He returned leading a horse, it was taller than he was but it looked fast and sturdy. He had to help me mount it with the aid of a tree and his clasped hands, whilst he simply lept up in a single bound. He chose to sit behind me, in what I was sure must have been a much more uncomfortable passion but he promised me that sooner or later I would be grateful for his decision. With out another thought we set off away from the now smoldering former house. I was unaccustomed to riding long distances, aches and cramps flared during the day. The steady trotting whent on till the sun was high, yet still the forest flowed around us. We rode in silence, until he started to hum a tune, it sounded like an old tavern song. I had questions to ask. but I was to nervous to voice them. The forest began to break, larger trees dissolved into sparse clusters of saplings. Shortly even they vanished. Rolling hills swamped our view. " its going to get tougher on us from hear on, and slower" his voice startled me, I had almost come accustom to the silence. We dismounted to stretch are legs for a few minutes before once again clambering back onto are faithful steed. It proved a much more taxing to stay on the horse as it climbed the first of the hills, even with him behind me. Goind down was just as hard bracing with just my legs caused cramps, it didn't take me long to adjust to the accent, I just lent back on his but the descents where hard. We pressed on in this manner for most of midday, only reaching open pastures and distant mountains late in the evening. Even as the sun began to set we still pushed on, the horse seemed as determined to rest as I was. He explained that we would reach are destination if we keep going for another few hours. The night returned as the skys faded from a red glow to dark black, only the stars and moon kept us from total darkness. When I asked how he could possibly know where we are going he just responded back that after doing this journey as many times as he had he felt as if he could do it blind.
to draw poison from the body requires magic beyond the threashold of a single mage... even the guardians would take days to draw each droplet out. But it was almost liek healing a wound or fixing a bone to her, even tho the physical pain she suffered was great and the strain took its toll.
Thunder clouds rolled across the horizon bringing the smell of rain upon the wind. The sweet smell filled the air, electricity in the atmosphere coursed around her. This storm would be long and powerful. Wind whipped around, cutting through the thin cloak she wore. Her magic sensed the coming of her freedom.
To knit flesh was easy, but to draw out a single drop of poison was another matter. The effort to even identify the poison made her body shake, it was then that she knew that this might kill her, she might not have the strength to fight it off. She began to screen the body searching out every trace of the deadly toxin, drawing it into herself. The poison began trying to paralyzed her, but she fought it. She had to do this and deep inside she knew she could. Tears rolled down her cheeks silently as the last of the toxin was pulled into her. A smile crept across the archmages face, but sadness shone in his eyes. It took him moments to order everyone away, my subconscious was taking over and in doing so it protected me. My magic was fading fast, but my mind turned my reserves of magic outwards, creating a barrier of electricity. I was defending myself from nothing. If I had not been paralyzed, I'd have screamed at the pain, It didn't take long before the pain overrode my mind and my senses. I shifted into a coma, another cage where my nightmares would taunt me.
For how many days, weeks even I will never know but, there was a presence with me the whole time, it was comforting and warm, it made the darkness bearable. Greatfuly I let it take hold. Slowly as if coming out of a long daze I steadily started waking. I was hungry and weaker than I had ever felt. I could feel my magic just on the edges of nothingness it had taken everything I'd had to keep myself alive. For hours I just lay still, building my shattered strength, just looking around at my surroundings. It did'nt take me long before I figured out I was in the infirmary.. but not a section of it I had ever seen.