THE SECOND CAPTURE

"Sir, are you looking for something, sir?" Amirie had just opened the door to head back into the inn when she found a man dressed in blue and gold on the other side of the door. She looked at his hand where it hovered at doorknob level and then looked up. "This area is my home, sir, which is why there is a 'no admittance' sigh posted on the door."

"I'm sorry," He paused, taking his hand back. I was hoping I could find the owner of this fine establishment." He clasped his hands together in front of himself.

"I am the owner. What is it you want?" Amirie didn't like the character of the man.

"Yes, of course you are, being in the back and all I wanted to know if anything strange had been going on lately some unexplainable things, perhaps?"

This man was much taller than Amirie, and his outfit reminded her of flames. Amirie's suspicions were getting stronger. "Siefoth!" she called over to the bar, "This man would like to know if we've seen any strange things around here lately Have you seen anything?"

Across the room Siefoth looked back and forth from his wife to the man. Thankfully Siefoth was stronger built than the stick thin man that was looming over his wife. "Nay, I have seen nothing!" he responded, but went over to the two of them anyway. "What is it to you anyway, traveler?"

"I have heard tales that this area was pointed out by several mages to have some rather unique elemental qualities. I was hoping that you fine people would have knowledge of such stories." The man smiled in an attempt to break the mood.

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Aariah had been prepared for this encounter. At least she had memorized the chant to release the air from herself for the time it took to capture the water. Of course, she also needed the air's help during the capture. She first started with the chant to release her staff. "I call upon my own might, to release the staff of my right!" Her dagger pendant, that was dangling from her out-stretched palm, floated in front of her and extended its handle out to it's full magical length. She quickly took hold of it, knowing that the water elemental was now aware of her presence. The waters began to swirl faster, moving higher and higher up the inner walls of the chamber. "My strength resides in my own heart, but there is a foe out there that I must fight. So outside me there will be a part, to help me battle with all my might!" Aariah quickly stabbed her dagger staff onto the floor causing her magic circle to appear. Upon her lifting the staff from the small hole it made in the wood, the ribbons of air once again took flight. Also, to her astonishment, a pair of white-silver wings graced her shoulders like she had transformed into an angel.

The water raged up the sides of the reservoir, only parting where the balcony had been in the way. On some sort of instinct, Aariah flew into the middle of the well only to find the water curling into the center of the room above her. She was plunged into the depths of the water down deeper than she thought the actual reservoir was. She started to beat her wings furiously forcing herself up and out. At what she thought was the last of her breath, she broke through the surface of the water and quickly landed once again on the balcony. "Air! Quickly! Make this room freezing cold!" She curled her wings around her sopping wet body in hopes of protection of the soon to be buffeting cold. The wind picked up, entangling itself with the water. The entanglement became faster and faster, swirling round and round creating a banshee howl so loud that Aariah struggled to stay aware.

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People screamed as a harsh, cold wind blew up from behind all of the wooden walls. It was so cold in fact that the wind was actually visible to those who were unlucky enough not to blink in time. "What is going on here!!!" Siefoth boomed in an attempted to get above the howl of the wind.


"I do not know, husband!" Amirie tried to answer from her crunched position next to the door. Her eyes were tight shut, as was everyone else's. Unfortunately the man in blue felt his way through the doorway and into Amirie's home.

**********

The storm of air and water began to build a layer of ice upon Aariah's delicate wings. It was thin at first, but quickly grew to be several feet thick. Eventually the howling stopped reaching her ears. This troubled her, but also seemed like a sign that the water was getting weak. She decided to try the spell. "Powered by my might of will, I challenge you to show your face, there will be no need to kill, my power will take your power's place! What I see will become mine, and in my eye I see Water!" Aariah's eyes flared with determination as her magic circle once again appeared beneath her. The ice cracked as beams of light formed from her sentry position. It eventually shattered and became tiny shards of snow before it swirled into a blizzard at the tip of her lowered staff. There was still the hint of youthful eyes within the snow. They were so sorrowful. It wasn't long before the snow turned into the same lightening as the air and ripped up her staff. "Not Aaaagain!!!" she cried as she realized what was coming. The lightening made contact with her power and instantly her world went white.

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On a far distant slope a single traveler heading for Amirie's place saw a large gust of snow and wind erupt from the fissure that he was heading for. The sound of screams both of horror and of confusion could be heard floating on top of it all.

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In some strange suddenness, the cold wind stopped. No more did it howl above their screams and blessed silence filled their ears. The man clothed in blue and gold stopped. He could tell that whatever had happened had finished and would not return again. Instead of heading back to the inn where the somewhat rude woman was, he decided to leave out the back door, for he was done with this place.

"Siefoth?" Amirie hesitated, opening her eyes slowly.

"I believe it's through, Amirie" he consoled his wife.

"So does Aariah have it then? The water?"

"Aye, I believe so" he paused, "Where was she?"

"In the reservoir"

"I'll go check on her" He answered and helped his wife into their home. Another bartender was already starting up the fireplace and wood stove once again.