Ramona stares into the eyes of the Inferno Elemental that stands before her. Her staff is gripped vertically in her hands and she pushes back against the flames. She struggles to keep it from reaching her person. She can feel her silver locks becoming singed by the flames. If Ramona doesn't act fast, said staff will snap in half allowing the flame engulfed beast a clear shot at her head, chest, and stomach.
Biting her lip she pushes the staff forward hoping to throw this one back so she can counter attack. Though it appears to work, the staff crumbles in half. A pair of crimson orbs widen in fear with little time to avoid the attack.
The Mage furrows her brow and raised her hands to her face bracing herself for the pain. But the hand of the Elemental never touches her. In front of the girl a Paladin stands tall. Artix's sword blocks the attack. "Need some help?" the warrior asks, showing smile. She nods and quickly grabs the upper half of her staff off the ground in one sweeping movement.
"Is this the last one?" Ramona manages to spit out. He gives her a reassuring nod.
Closing her eyes she begins building up her mana quickly. She can feel the frozen power rise within her at a speed that can put the Wind village's ninjas to shame. "Glaci crystallo.*" The unnerving and chilling feeling of the pale blue energy leaving her body spirals down her spine; She shudders at the motion.
Ramona peeks her head over Atrix's shoulder to watch the Inferno disappear as the ice melts away the flames. The energy surrounds the beast almost too quickly. Why, she can't pull her eyes away from the sight. But it isn't the speed that catches her attention. It's the strange black discoloration of the usually pale blue energy that holds her gaze captive.
Her eyes flick to Artix's face in panic. Has he noticed the strange black tint? Artix sits down and starts to remove the outer amour in his usual routine with no hint that he has seen her worry. She quickly scans the face of her other comrades. No one seems to notice.
Letting a sigh escape her lips, Ramona plops on to the ground next to Robina. "That last bunch was tough wasn't it?" the green clad girl chirps. Ramona grabs her arm and starts to repair some of the simple wounds.
"Yeah, I thought that last one was going to get me for sure," she mumbles with a small chuckle and continues to bandage the arm in front of her. Robina clears her throat. "Is something wrong?" Ramona asks curiously. She watches as Robina's hand casually points in the direction of a certain sullen Paladin.
With a jolt Ramona's head snaps up. "Artix!" she squeaks. She's flustered with the guilt of forgetting her manners and blushes.
His brown eyes lock on her and he swallows a chuckle. "Uhm yes?" Honestly, the man tries his best to keep from laughing at her 'wonderful' expression (She is what he would call, the definition of awkward).
"Thank you" she breathes, just enough for him to hear her, "for, you know . . . saving me back there." The heat in Ramona's face increases a few degrees and she gives another awkward smile. "I owe you again, hah."
Artix rests a hand on the back of his neck "It was no problem really, my pleasure actually. I prefer it that my friends don't fry to a crisp!"
Another smile and a quiet "thankyou" fall out of the mage's mouth before she returns to the task at hand.
Fumbling through the leather pouch attached to her hips she finds an ointment for the burns that run up her friend's forearm. Ramona gently grabs her wounded extremity and examines the damage. "What an interesting injury" she mumbles, "you'd have to be pretty careless to let one land one of these on you."
Robina flinches at the stern tone in the-oh-so quiet voice. She then sucks in a gasp of air when Ramona swiftly twists the arm to further inspect the wound. Robina whimpers a little at the treatment but keeps her mouth shut. She knows that Ramona is only acting so brash to show she's upset with Robina's lack of carefulness.
Ramona begins to dig through the satchel attached to her hips and pulls out a small bottle with a pasty green liquid. After pouring the mystery fluid on her hands, she applies it to the charred skin with ease. Once the liquid absorbs into Robina's arm, she hands the rest of the bottle to Robina.
"Apply this tonight before you go to bed and it should be healed by morning." Ramona pulls out some bandages from her bag and wraps it tightly, ignoring the small whines from her patient. "But please use it sparingly, it was very expensive and I'd like it back sometime." Robina gives a grunt of understanding and Ramona lets go of her arm
Though before Robina can gather her things Valencia decides to get a word in or two about the expensive and rare salve now in her hands. Valencia being the treasure hunter she is always has an eye out for the rare items that pop up from time to time and never wastes an opportunity to gain another collection. What first starts out as a calm discussion - 'Oh my, that rare salve you have there must be wonderful!' - 'Uhm yes, it does feel pretty good."- Turns into a heated argument of who needs it more as per usual with these two.
Ramona quietly works on healing Zhoom, and tries her best to ignore the playful bickering going on around her. It takes absolutely no time seeing as it is simply a small scratch (one of the things she likes best about Zhoom, he never came back beaten almost to the point of no repair or beaten at all for that matter.). So they sit and watch.
"Five dragon coins it will escalate to a fist fight in no time." Zhoom chides gaining a small giggle from the frown the young woman has been wearing.
"I don't bet against the obvious Zhoom. And I defiantly don't gamble with you," replies Ramona. Politely she takes a sip of a red potion she brought along. Her thoughts drift to the strange impurity in her magic.
A pleasantly rich voice tears her from her thoughts "It's getting dark out, its best we head back to Falconreach before the other creatures begin to show up." Ramona feels a smile slip on to her face as the Blue mage speak, and he returns the favor. "So I hope you two don't mind but we need to move this quarrel back home."
The group has packed up rather quickly for once, and was leisurely making their way back to town. There's simple chatter between them and the current topic leans towards the battle today and who had beaten the most elementals.
Even though Ramona loves to join in with her claim on the top hero of the day, she has her brain racked with curiousity over the black tint. As much as she hates to admit it there was absolutely no good outcomes with any of the possibilities that come to mind. Poison? That means she's dying. Loss of control? Her powers will be weakening to the point where she can't even defeat a snevil. Curse? Self-explanatory. The list goes on.
Artix walks next to the mage for quite a while now, and notices the silence that settled over her. "Mona?" he calls. Her brow creases and she looks fairly distressed. Or at least more distressed than usual. "Ramona? Hey, what's going on with you?"
Ramona shakes herself from her thoughts at the man's words. She looks over at him apologetically. "Sorry," she says, "Nothing's wrong, I'm just . . . thinking about a lot of things, that's all." He slows his pace down to walk beside her, and throws her a pitiful expression.
Artix raises his eyebrows in question, not taking her answer seriously. He knows her better than that. Ramona senses her friend's disbelief and smiles softly "Everything is fine Artix, you worry too much."
The paladin sighs in defeat. "Alright. But if you ever need to talk about it . . ." He doesn't need to say more, Ramona knows he'll lend her his time whenever she needs him.
"Thank you."
Artix grins happily though the concern still shinning in his eyes. "How's your hand been? It didn't seem to be acting up today, right?" Ramona peers down at the bandaged appendage that casually dangles at her side.
"It's getting better, I think. But you know how the old battle wounds are." Ramona muses. She raises her right hand for Artix's inspection.
Technically, she thinks, it isn't a lie. The scars left on her hands can be considered battle wounds. When the people of Falconreach had noticed her palms that were always under wraps, they simply assumed she had suffered a horrible injury that still ailes her from time to time. Ramona decided it is in her best interest not to correct them.
Artix reaches for her hand and with ease she evades making any contact. With her magic on the fritz, it's best not to take any chances of letting him break her protection hex. He gives a small sigh that she assumes he thinks is out of her hearing range. "Geez, you're such a worry wart Artix," she teases. Her attempt to gain his smile back is in vain.
"Well if it calms your nerves, it has been fairly well for once. The wound hasn't re- opened." Not a lie, she tells herself. There isn't any wound to reopen anyway.
"Do you think you'll get to take the bandages off soon?"
Ramona can't place her finger on why it annoys her that his voice is laced with hope. And honestly, she knows Artix is only trying to have a nice conversation to quell her troubles but the mage finds she's acting very unlike her at the moment.
"No."
Ramona allows her feet to catch up to the other members of her party almost as quickly as she replies and throws herself into conversation.
She does her best not to care when Artix decides to speed up and stick himself by Valencia instead.
Once she's home and in the inn, Ramona's mood lightens up from her initial panicked thoughts. She and the rest of the troupe joke and unwind themselves with a round of ale. She even apologizes to Artix for her foul mood after a cup or two.
The stress of the day is lifted off of their shoulders as the friends laugh and share stories. Warlic brings out a couple a magic tricks from his sleeves and manages to get a laugh from Zhoom.
Soon enough each person heads towards their separate ways and says their good nights. "Mona!" slurs a lingering Valencia. She swings an arm around Ramona who's never been good with personal contact. Ramona can't help but notice the strong smell of too much ale hanging around the other woman.
"I . . . I'm goin' to train tomorrow. . . . You shwould come. Okay?" slurs Valencia again. Ramona chuckles at her graceful companion acting anything but.
"Sure, that sounds great. But are you sure you'll be able to do so with such a hangover?" she quips. Even in her disorientated state Ramona receives a dry look from the treasure hunter. She slips out of her grasp and begins to head towards the stairs of the inn.
"Okay, okay, I get it. I'll come get you in the morning though, okay?" Valencia nodded. Or at least attempt to nod.
"Goodnight!' Ramona shouts from the entrance of the inn, and she waves as Valencia yells something that sounds somewhat similar.
She lets out a heavy sigh and strides into the inn; something she does a lot lately. Ramona would have loved to have a good night of sleep for once. But insomnia wrecks her nights, and she finds it best not to mention it to her fellow adventurers (its best not to mention at lot to them actually). The rare nights when she takes a sleeping potion, or just naturally falls asleep, are plagued with nightmares and she often wakes up crying, screaming, and things are broken.
Ramona turns corner and glides up the stairs to the room that Serenity has kindly offered her for a permanent stay, free of charge as long as she keeps the ghosts away.
When she opens the door, Ramona notices the pile of laundry folded on her bed. She'll have to thank Serenity in the morning.
She changes into a simple nightgown, brushes her teeth, brushes her hair, and washes her face. Ramona flops onto the bed, exhausted. She stares at her right hand; thoughts drift into her mind again of what the cause of the black in her magic might be.
And thus, the beginning of her nights of trial and error begin.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: HEY! Looks who's back! :) Sorry it took forever and such, But I promise it won't happen again! I hope you like the rewrites I have done. So the story will continue, and I am going to let you know about some of the re-writes in case you didn't notice:
NAMES! Natsumi has been changed to Ramona.
Personality! Ramona's personality is a bit different. She is still a shy and quiet mage who is bashful at sudden contact and is very awkward, but I have made her a little more comfortable around those she knows quite well. And the stuttering will be gone, but don't worry; it will have a place from time to time, just not everywhere. She is also supposed to be known as a healer.
Romances! Even though in all of my rough drafts and re-writes of this, Artix and Ramona are always the couple, and they are in this one. But I have taken out the conflict of romantic feelings for Warlic. They weren't really going to be that important anyway (she realized she loves him more like a brother. . ), so I took it out to avoid confusion and such.
Plot! No more Xan, this deals with a completely new enemy and such. I've removed the prologue for now, I may post it later but right now it is scrapped. It's still similar but slightly different.
Well thank you for reading! I'm glad for all of those who will still read this even after my abandonment, I promise i will not let it happen again.
~Ranelly
* Latin for Ice crystal
