[IC] House Of Rejects

[Cerces22]

@Lady Nex

Thortan smiled wistfully as darkness played around Liz, he knew she was lost in memory, and his shadowed forms mind wondered back to when he had learned she was coming to court.

"I am bringing in a new court member soon. A Lycian assassin, she has made quite a name for herself. Seems she can use shadow magic." The queen said to Thortan right after a tense war council meeting. It seemed the humans had began attacking the other races, jealous of their inability to use magic and trying to find a way to gain some for themselves.

"My lady, are you sure you should bring one them into the court, they weren't exactly a contributing force in the war with Lumina's, why bring one in now??" He said walking down a corridor.

"This is a threat as dangerous as her, they are slaughter ex allies. They will not stop with us, they will eventually raze the Lycians forests to the ground." She said matter of fact.

"Yes, but still they are a highly secretive bunch, how ever did you convince one, let alone an assassin to join the court??"

"I offered her training in the shadowed magic, she will become my hidden blade. Just as you are my most trusted advisor, and my shield, as a queen I need more than one weapon." Thortan had stopped in front of the kitchen and mused over the Queen's words.

"I suppose if things escalate, she would be useful. But I won't take her for walks!!" He said jokingly.

"Now you know better than anyone else that they are not dogs Thortan Masters. This woman is coming a long way to learn under me, you will be on your best behavior, do I make myself clear?? Her people are not tolerant of their own leaving their kingdom, she could be excommunicated from her people, never able to return. So be nice!!"

"Is the warrior queen demanding I be on my best behavior?? My, my, I dare say." A young gaurd came running around the corner and bee lined straight for them.

"My lady, a woman is here, with a note she claims is from you, that you are to teach her." He said through his breaths.

"The queen smiled at Thortan, well looks like she is here. Shall we greet our student??" She walked off down the corridor as the dark elf looked on flabergasted.

Wait I am teaching her too??" He said chasing after the queen. They made it to the greeters all and the young woman stood out against the others. She was dressed in traditional Lycian clothing, and her piercing eyes made her stand out amongst the others, who gave her a wide berth. She wore a stoic look that seemed permanently etched into her face. The moment Thortan saw her, he knew she would be a sour lot. He deciedes if he must deal with her, than others would be his main mission to make this woman laugh once. He and the queen walked up to introduce themselves.

Back to the present moment Thortan looked down to Liz. They had become comrades over the years, and she was an amazing student. He even thought of her as a friend now, though he never was able to get the laugh he wanted.

"You know, Liz, we have known each other a long time now. The day we met, you were so serious and almost petrified rigid, that I thought you took life way to serious. I know you never could understand the Queen's and my lesson on the importance of relaxing. I know your guard is always up, but I swear to you as I did after the second day we met that I would get you to laugh. You will learn to relax one day, my friend. And I think after the events of today, we should try, what say you pup??" He said looking down on the woman.

[Lady Nex]

The mention of when they had first met sent the woman back a second time, though only long enough to recall that initial meeting. Standing in the palace of a foreign kingdom, surrounded by elves she did not know. The tension in her form had likely been palpable that day, moreso than usual. She could imagine herself standing among these graceful beings, twisting icons of shadow, sticking out like a sore thumb as a wolfish, near barbaric Lycian. She was more graceful than her kin, and over time less attention had been offered to that consideration.

The rigid posture, the stoic gaze...that had never changed. Years of training and incessant work had left the woman on guard the majority of her life. If there was one thing people could not question, it was her discipline.

She had considered Thortan for a moment, perhaps the barest flicker of a smile...the tiniest twitch of her lips suggesting a minute amount of humor had trickled through. She leaned toward him a touch, and though a true smile never appeared, there was an unfamiliar melody to her voice. "A mission destined for failure, I'm afraid. I am Lycian, Thortan, I do not laugh. I bark."

[Cerces22]

The dark elf looked over to his long standing counterpart, utter disbelief on his face. His mouth opening and closing like a dying fish in the beach. Than he became to roar with laughter. He laughed so hard his concentration broke and his doppelganger faded in fits of laughter.

"Oh thank the Fates!! I think this woman really does have a sense of humor!! It only took forever indeed!!" Thortan grabbed his side for it started hurting from the laughter, after a moment he composed himself, snickering all the while. "I believe there is hope for you yet my dear."

As they neared this a young nondiscript man stood on the back porch. Thortans next remark dying in his throat as he saw him. In the dark elves hand was a rolled parchment with the Queen's seal upon it.

"Master Masters, you should ward against the Will-O-Wisps, they almost lead me to my death three times!!" The man said in a huff.

"Calm down soldier, they will protect the house, but give a moment before you leave I will write a letter for the next you show up." He took the letter from the disgruntled man. He cracked the wax seal easily and unfurled the parchment. He recognized the Queen's swirling loopy script right away.

Thortan, dear, I pray this letter reaches you safely, it is enchanted that if any but you open my seal, the parchment will burn in a quick flash. I am safe here in the hidden library, I have yet to find the answer we seek in dealing with the humans. I fear we will have to take more extreme measures than when we dealt with Lumina's. And I know the terrible cost placed on Erebus's that was. Please stay safe, train all who come to you, we may need their talents. I have had reports of troops and bounty hunters scouring every inch for you Liz and myself. Now please hand the letter to Liz. Thortan reread it twice to make sure he read all of it before handing it to the Lycian.

"She's trying to be discreet while giving us information, she's worried about something and I don't think she is going to tell us anytime soon what it is."

Liz, my trusted blade, and exceptional student, I am happy to know you made it to Thortan safely. I know you two don't see eye to eye on almost anything. And I apologize, as always for his jokes. I had him summon you, so you can keep and eye on him. You know as well as any other that trouble just sits in that man's lap where ever he goes. I know you are not much for emotion but I would lose my will if anything were to happen to him. This world needs him to keep it safe. I am getting close to answering all the questions on how to deal with the humans. Be patient with him, and stay safe my dear friend.
I need my best friend as well.

In my own hand,
Queen Selexnia.

[Faerah]

Lia and Aziza sat in quiet companiable silence, waiting for the show to start. Kia was still reeling from the feeling of playing with Aziza so well, and her sleek black form lounged at Lia's side, licking her paws like she had just felled a gazelle. Her mind began to wander while the two on re field procrastinated. She could see Liz beginning to zone out into her own thoughts, and Lia took the opportunity.

the hearth was warm, the embers still crackling happily. Samir looked over his bowl, his dark almost black eyes staring kindly at her. When Lia found Samir, she was a volatile cranky guarded feisty desert elf raging at the word.
Samir, while he couldn't control her power or help her wield it, did start to calm the inferno in her heart, showed her the way of modern technology, and became a friend in all things except the training field.
Samir flicked a piece of food at Lia from across the table, a mischievous grin lighting up his tanned face.
"We need to work on your customer service. You can't throw things at everyone who asks a dumb question. Even if it is hilarious."
Lia huffed, rolling her eyes as she put down the spoon she had been about to chuck at him before he said that.
" They shouldn't ask stupid questions then. They will eventually get the hint and both of our lives will be that much easier. Your too soft sometimes."
"And your a firecracker, pretty and dazzling, but you tend to go off when no one is expecting it. Also, you screech ikr one too when your mad. " the humor in Samir's eyes was undeniable, as well as the love hidden in their depths. Samir had been taken with Lia since the first fit of rage, and had taken it upon himself to try and glad her ire as much as possible without actually getting himself killed. The problem was that Lia wasn't ready to hear it. She was like a dog with a bone trying to find a teacher for her abilities. He had been devastated when he realized her power was too great even for him, knowing she would take off as soon as she could. But she had surprised him, and chose to stay for a few months. They became good friends but Samir knew she wouldn't be ready until she had control of her gifts. He hoped it would happen soon, but it showed no signs of improving. He knew she got the same later he did, and it was only a matter of time before she told him she was leaving. He was waiting for it, she was savoring the last remnants of their shared time together.
Lia's eyes snapped up to Thornton at the sound of the whistle. She guessed the show wasn't starting after all. Getting up from her seat, she and Aziza, totally in sync, began walking towards the house together.
Thorntons laughter filled the yard, his shadow twin popping out of existence. Aziza growled playfully at the will-o-wisps that invaded the lawn ahead of the messenger, but Lia paid him no mind. The only messenger she would be expecting would be a tall dark handsome Desert elf with an affinity for nutella and snoring. Crossing her arms, lia called up her earth power and created a small clay likeness of Samir in the palm of her hand, letting her mind create an exact likeness of Samir. When Aziza swung her Amber eyes to the clayfigure she began purring. " I guess you liked Samir too. Hopefully soon he will be here." Aziza harrumphed in impatience and began walking again, her smoke tail blurring a little as she waved it lazily in the air. They entered through the back of the house and sat in one of the many living rooms, and sat down on a giant couch. Aziza climbed up as well, and played her head on Lia's lap. Petting Aziza's almost to warm head, Lia relaxed and waited.

[Lady Nex]

Even for Liz, it was exceptionally difficult to avoid the contagious laughter bursting from Thortan. Her lips twitched, a smile just barely forming before she cleared her throat. Was there a chuckle hidden in there? Perhaps the woman at this rate was hiding her humor just to irritate the dark elf. Whatever brief essence of amusement lingered in the woman's stature or features faded as they reached the porch. It took Liz less than a split second to recognize the wax seal on the parchment he bore.

She waited as Thortan read, though her gaze was fixated on his features as if she were reading his reaction. As the parchment was passed she took a moment to find her own spot on the letter, head canting as she took in the words. A faint hum rose and the parchment was folded over and returned to Thortan.

"Being discreet is smart, it even further limits the chances of information falling into the wrong hands. Though sometimes I wonder if she isn't being vague about her concerns intentionally for her own good as well. She has been through hell and back, afterall." She paused and then gestured to the parchment. "She also has a point. You do have a way of attracting trouble. Causing it... instigating it. Asking for it."

Her eyes flicked over their surroundings, drawing upward as she peered toward the sky. "Do you have anything other than the wisps protecting this place? Enchantments? Magical barriers? Protections against scrying and such, at the least, I would presume." She looked at him expectantly.

[Cerces22]

"My dear, did you forget who you are talking to?? Of course I set more than the Wisps as defense. They are just the visible ones. Trust me, no one is finding this place without one of mine or the Queen's letters. And trouble is not something that is inherently attracted to one person versus an other. It's just a mechanism that is run by it's own laws of statistical probability, which doesn't mean that it fancies a certain person more than others. We are high command, without us the queen would suffer a huge morale loss, so of course we are sought after targets for our enemy. That lends the illusion that trouble hunts for me." As he finished his speech a piece of parchment floated down to his feet. Curious he reached down and read it.

"This is one of my summons, that would mean a new guest has arrived!!" He turned and started walking to the front of the house when an arrow stuck itself in the wall before his face. Thortan took a surprised step back and regained his composure. He turned to look at Liz a stern look set in his eyes.

"You know this doesn't make you or the queen right." Human men charged out of the woods to his side. Two short swords made of shadow appeared in the dark elf's hands as he ran off to meet the enemy.

[Faerah]

Aziza began growling on the couch as Lia's head whipped to the door from where she came through from the back lawn. Grunts, roars and clashes could be heard from the open door. Standing quickly, Lia and Aziza came bounding through the back door, breaking into the lawn to the sounds of battle and the smell of blood singing in the air.
"Humans" Lia whispered in disgust. She turned to Aziza and smiled. They got to play again today. Aziza took off running, her sleek form moved like water, her Smokey form now solid, they both coursed with power. Lia's tattoos began swirling and moving, turning black to leak smoke like a cloud around her.

Aziza launched into two men, her jaws wide and sharp. Upon impact with her touch, the men burst into flame. She whirled to the next man, wielding a sword. He swung down to cleave Aziza in half, his eyes filled with hate. His sword came down hard and fast. Aziza swirled into smoke at the intrusion of the blade, but quickly reformed and lunged at the man trying to free his sword from the dirt where Aziza's neck was. Lia chuckled and turned her attention to the group still emerging from the woods. Her hands flew up and the black smoke that sprang from her finger tips were solid black, inky curls. They sought out every orifice of the 4 men charging from the nearest copse of trees, forcing their way into the lungs of the men, before igniting into white hot flame. The men fell to their knees, unable to scream in agony, as terror wrapped their faces in a death grip. They would expire soon, and Lia turned her attention to 2 more men coming at her quickly, screaming their war cry with their ugly ruddy faces contorted in rage. She smiled and blew sand at them, covering them head to toe in a block of sand, she lit it on fire, slowly bringing the temperature of the sand up until it melted, cooking the men now encased in a block of clear solid glass. Steam bubbles encased in the glass forever from the moisture escaping the withered corpses where men had stood 2 minutes before. Their death was excruciating, and Lia relished in it. Aziza was now toying with her opponents across the field, slicing fire down one side of a man, then disappearing in a puff of smoke while the man swung wildly, fear replacing rage on his face, before she re-materialized mid swipe with her long claws turned toward the man's stomach, her body mid lunge as it solidified again. She let his cooked entrails spill to the ground before happily lapping at the her claws. The battle had died down by this point, her fellow elves holding their own. Her tattoos stopped swirling and her and Aziza plunked down together, Aziza grooming herself happily, her belly full with death. Contended as well, Lia began re-braiding her long black hair.

[Cerces22]

Thortan charged into the fray, roughly a hundred humans had charged on to the open field. He saw the rage and hatred burning deeply in their eyes, he sighed inwardly. They hated his people because they had something different than humans. He met the first with gritted determination, normally he hated taking lives, but he couldn't let one leave this groove else he would bring more with him. His blades a blur of fury, his speed unmatched to any other, he was a wild hummingbird amongst stiff flowers. No stroke was wasted, every time he struck someone stopped breathing. A row of archers had taken refuge in the edge of the forest, drawing and aiming at Lia, as they released their arrows Thortan summoned a gust of wind and deflect the arrows toward a small group of humans. Blood and screams filled the air as the men fell, before the arrows could notch an other volley Thortan made the Earth below them to throw them into the field. One of his swords morphed into a ball of darkness that Thortan tossed at the recovering bowmen. They died in a blaze of shadow fire, Thortan cut down more humans, stabbing the last in the foot. The man fell screaming, Thortan griped him up and pulled him close.

"Where did you get on E of my letters?!" He screamed, the man whined clutching his foot. In anger the angry dark elf threw the man halfway across the field. "You will talk, else I promise you a fate worse than death!! I will leave you alive!! I will take your finger, eyes, nose, tongue. I will scar you to such a state that you will forever live in agonizing pain!! I will leave your ears, so that whilst you beg for loose change on the street you will be able to hear the screams and crying of those that pass you!! And to top it all off I will spell you so that you age slowly and won't be able to kill yourself so you will suffer for a good long while!! Where did you get the letter?!"

"A water elf!!" The man cried out. "We found her at an In on her way here. We took the letter and my commander sent us to kill your and all fugitives you harbored."

"These are innocent people!! You humans are just jealous because you control no magic!! Are there more with you??"

"No the commander took men to the king, to give him an update. More will be coming, more than even the master of darkness and his prized pupil could stop." The man laughed at Thortan, tired of it he drew on Earth fire and water, masterfully combined them into a concoction that he force down the man's throat.

"That you filthy human is my own special poison, it will freeze your muscles, and will make your insides fell like they are on fire and freezing at the same time. You will die a slow agonizing death lasting several days." Thortan stood up leaving the man on the ground, he surveyed the destruction to the field sighing at the bodies.

"Lia, be a darling, when Liz has had her fill with her chew toys over there, can you incinerate the bodies?? Leave this one alive though, he annoyed me." He than turned to Liz pitched in her own battle with humans. He knew she would be upset if he intervened. "Liz be a doll and put up more protection?? Seems I didn't place enough, and again, this does not mean I attract trouble!!" He turned to the elven soldier who had kill a few humans himself and suffered a relatively minor wound.

Thortan healed the injury quickly for the man.

"When you tell the ladies about this latter, add twenty more men, and how I was unconscious. They will eat it up." He said with a wink. "But don't tell the queen, she worries enough as is." He walked into the house and made his way to his room, he had things to do now.

[Lady Nex]

Though a snarky quip had very nearly rolled off her tongue at the sight of the arrow flying through the air, it never quite made it to the point of verbalization. The Lycians had viewed humans as enemies for some time before the war began, and the near ancient feud was nothing short of second nature now. To see them charging so openly toward the house Liz presently inhabited alongside the others made that wolfish blood in her veins boil with rage. There was a near feral snarl that tore from her throat, but rather than charge forward, her form had dissipated into what appeared to be nothing more than black smoke.

The disappearance wasn't without purpose. Throughout the crowd of humans the darkness would condense into her form, a shadowy blade striking out at everything within reach. Her cuts did not need to be precise with generic footsoldiers, they had no defense for the magics she had been taught. Every cut she made resulted in immediate reaction. The shadows that lingered over a wound seemed to slither into the opening, working its way through their target's veins. The black lines that wriggled over their flesh eventually made an appearance in their faces, though it was the heart that truly saw the final blow. As the corruption she fed each body reached that point, it gathered around the organ, withering it away to nothing more than an ashy husk. The men effected fell, bodies pale and tattoed with the woman's chosen 'poison'. They looked as if they had been dead for weeks, each face frozen to bear that death mask.

It was as the battle neared its close that her true brutality shined through. One blade had been discarded, and now the mixture of blade, nail and tooth was utilized. Her very body was an instrument of death and she tore fiendishly at her enemies with little regard for the mess it made or the lack of grace it showed. Every scream, every cry of pain only seemed to fuel the woman more. Once the last of her targets were dead she shifted focus as if nothing had occurred, only the intensity of her gaze offering the clear indication she'd just been ripping her enemies to shreds.

She had taken a moment to retrieve her discarded blade, placing both daggers in the grip of one hand. They would need to be cleaned before they could be put away. She had neared the others, pausing to listen from a distance as Thortan interrogated one of the survivors. A small smile curled her lips. More were coming. Good. They would collectively devour them too.

The moment she was asked to fortify existing protections there was a nod from the woman, and she set her blades down, turning to face the outer perimeter of the property they utilized. There was a moment her eyes were simply closed as she focused on the existing enchantments protecting them, feeling out the boundaries and noting where the reinforcement was needed precisely. Shadows gathered around her as she concentrated, furling and roiling at her feet in such a highly concentrated form it appeared almost as if it were a pool of hot tar bubbling where she stood.

Strands of blackened magics curled up from the 'pool', winding up along her limbs. She raised her arms slowly, and as she did the slow trickle of magic rapidly shifted. It was pouring from her arms, streaming out to taint the air. It darkened the sky briefly, heavy enough that had she concentrated on it she might have been capable of changing day to night in the immediate area. There was a sound in the distance, like an explosion had taken place as her magic collided with Thortan's existing barriers, and it feathered out filling the space behind those existing magical protections until the entirety of it was lined in Liz's shadows. For a few brief minutes the property was cast in darkness, and then as her hands retracted and her arms rested at her sides, the shadows faded from sight. Though they were visibly no more, the fortifications were no weaker.

A faint smirk rested at her lips. She looked forward to watching humans try to run through that. Their deaths would be much like the one she had inflicted upon the men that were unfortunate enough to meet her blade. It would not last forever, but it would certainly spread fear like wildfire. With that, she turned to head inside and find Thortan. Planning for a fight was, after-all, her favorite pastime.

[Cerces22]

Thortan heard the booming echo of Liz's magics colliding with his, the sky darkened as the spells became intertwine. He sensed the promise of death in the new wards, his face locked in a grim position. He walked into his room, beakers filled tables, some filled with fluid, others waiting for use. Along the walls were books filled with every subject imaginable. He got to the last shelf and pulled out several rolls of parchment. Walked back to a semi clear table and began to lay them out. Maps of the surrounding area decorated the scrolls, the dark elf had surveyed the land himself.

"I would hazard a guess that they sent a runner to the king, from this distance it would take a week at a good pace to reach Valsera, maybe two days to condense his main army, a month to return with that many men. I am sure the natural dangers of the forest would prevent them from entering the rear side. But just in case, I must warn the hidden denizens all the same. I should have Liz lay traps through the front of the forest, to slow and thin the men. Lias training will have to accelerate if she is to help more efficiently. And I should begin brewing my potions. There just isn't enough time!!" Thortan flipped the table angrily. Than he threw a ball of darkness at some of his science supplies, the glass shattering as it came into contact with the spell.

"This is ridiculous, if I was at full strength none of this would matter!! The war would be over in days!! I just want this to end." He said to himself. "Is this what you wanted you old crone's?? Just sitting up there, looking in your pensive, weaving your bloody tapestry!! Lap it up while you can, have your fun, we will figure this out. And we won't need your help this time!!" He smashed an other vial in anger, than he sat in his bed, the energy leaving him.

[Faerah]

Lia exhaled slowly, her task given to her by Thornton done. She trudged into the house with Aziza by her side. She heard crashed coming from deeper into the house. She let Aziza run ahead to check out the noise, watching from within Aziza's jagged amber eyes as her feline body wound its way down a small staircase. Aziza peered through the bars of the stairs to watch Thornton overcome and heaving himself onto a massive bed. Lia gasped softly, not understanding the depths of emotions she was unwittingly watching. Aziza retreated slowly, knowing without a doubt that Thornton knew Aziza had seen him. She retreated, letting him bring it up should he want to. She would pretend she didn't see this private moment if that's what he desired. Lia began looking for a bedroom to bring her things to. She searched upwards, being drawn to the west tower, up a black spiral staircase to a suite of rooms that were separated by landings on the spiral stair, each landing a different room. The first, a greeting room and foyer. The second landing she came upon was a small dark wood library. Recessed book shelves graced the walls and large windows flooded the space, contrasting with the dark wood to create a cozy reading area. The third landing was a work room, daggers and broadswords dotted the walls along with wicked looking spears and blades she had no names for. Her breath was stolen from her as her eyes ate up the well lit workout space, lined with mirrors and a springy mat floor. In the corner of the room a smaller set of spiral staircase led her to the final floor, a modest bedroom tucked into a loft, brightly colored wall tapestries hung from the ceiling and cascaded down the walls, giving the room a cozy vibrant nod to her home. The pillows on the bed were trimmed with delicate gold and silver thread that shimmied in the light of the room, and the dressers were painted a bright orange gold and blue dizzying patterns sliding over rough hewn wood, a modest dresser with an immodest soul. Vibrancy and love drifted from the room, calling Lia. Aziza bounded onto the bed, her tummy turned upward as she began to wriggle and scratch her back on the bed. Lia's mouth perked up. " You like it too, huh?" Lia put her hand on the panthers belly and pet her strong stomach and sides. Her mind had drifted to Samir briefly, knowing he would love this room when he got here. A noise from the lowest staircase alerted both to someone entering her rooms. The stood still as they waited for the intruder to come further...be them sinister or friend.

[Lady Nex]

As Liz moved through the house there was a mild interest offered to her surroundings, but the prospect of future fights didn't have her wandering the halls and appreciating the upholstery. Sensitive ears caught the sound of a crash, and honed in on the sound of footsteps and paws padding across the floors. Out of habit the woman faded into the shadows, wrapping the magic around her with little effort. It lasted only a few moments before she was visible once more, her head tilted as she listened to the following yells.

She was still too far to make out every word, but the gist of it was gathered at the least. Cursing the fates was something she could understand, it was something she had done on a number of occasions. It was something she had witnessed even the Queen herself doing. There was a moment she could recall one such occasion, a brief time that Thortan had been on the road and in his absence the battle at hand had shifted. The human village nearest the Queen's sight had been consumed by that rage--decimated.

Liz paused as she neared where Thortan was, momentarily unsure if she wanted to bother him at first. She hovered outside for a moment before rounding the corner and heading through the door. She hadn't gone far, hovering just within the doorway and leaning against the frame. She didn't say anything at first, simply hovering as if she were offering support by nothing more than being present.

[Cerces22]

Thortan laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling, he was dimly aware that Aziza had come to investigate the noise for Lia. Following that Liz began to hover in the doorway. He stayed unmoving for a few moments gathering his thoughts, he knew if he didn't talk Liz would eventually leave, it was just who she was. But he also knew that as the Queen's second in command it would do him no service to stay quiet, lest the Queen's Blade start to doubt his stability. He also had to think of the young student who had just finally harnessed her gift.

"Did we ever tell you the story of the deities?? I know there is a recorded history, but that's not the real version of how things went down." Thortan stayed laying down staring at his ceiling, knowing Liz wouldn't respond until he finished his soliloquy. "You see before everything existed, there was one Supreme Being, so long ago nothing remembers it's name. It was neither alive, nor dead, it did not exist but at the same time it was there. It floated through nothingness for countless eons, pondering what to do. One day, if we can call it that, this Supreme Being decided that it needed company. So in it's infinite power it split itself into two beings. The resulting energy from the separation is what spawned the universe as we know it. Imagine that, this plane of reality coming into existence because one creature was lonely." Thortan have snickered.

"Anywho, the two beings created from this, big bang if you will, became the God's as we know it. Erebus's, the God of Darkness, and chaos. Luminas, the Goddess of light and order. Brother and sister came into being, they had a few millennia of exploring the cosmos until one day they came across a most beautiful brown and blue planet. Awe inspired they came in the atmosphere to explore it's secrets, stricken with care for the planet, Lumina's decided to gift it life. So she created plants and animals that could grow and play, and frolic in the sun she created for the planet. Erebus's, created the moon, and the creatures that could play with him at night. Together they spawned care takers of this planet, elves and dwarves and so forth. But they each wanted their own specially choosen people, with whom to be their voice. So Erebus's created the Dark Elves, and Lumina's the Humans." He sat up and looked over to Liz, his face a mask of unusual seriousness.

"But as with all things in nature, order and chaos ruled for balance. A great cataclysm was building as the two Deities powers battled one an other for dominance. So together they created three women, whom where unaffected by chaos and order, their job was simple, to maintain the balance of this world, and to record every individual creatures life on a huge tapestry. They were called the Fates, they are bound to a special place that only the Deities can enter to converse with them, so no living creature can interfer with them." Thortan began cleaning his room, still not done talking to the young Lycian.

"The problem started with a flaw in the races, see they were given free will, every single one of them. Meaning that essentially they were going to do as they please. Luminas, displeased with this seemingly disbalance to order approached the Fates, demanding that while Free Will should be allowed, that as goddess of order she should be granted the ability to control living things as she saw fit. When the Fates told her that she could not have her wish due to problems that could eventually spawn from it Lumina's began to resent her brother and their creations. Fearing that things would grow out of hand is what drove her to insanity and began plotting the removal of her brother from this world." He tried to pick up the table he threw but it collapsed as he did so. Thortan sighed heavily.

"At the time Erebus's became to preoccupied with a beautifully powerful Dark Elf we know as our queen. Some how the God of Chaos fell in love, and that's what pushed his sister over the edge. She created a new race, using light powers so bright that the creatures were made from the shadows. They succeeded in killing the Queen's mother and tearing apart the Dark elven kingdom. For two hundred years, Selexnia hid under the disguise of Lady Nex, and infamous bounty hunter. Erebus's kept his distance, waiting for the moment the queen would be ready to take back her thrown. And most of the rest the world knows now." Thortan had finished sweeping up the broken glass strown about the room.

"Somewhere out in the universe Lumina's is bound by powerful magic, banished from this planet. But again, this world loves its balance and exacted a price on Erebus's as well. Now the Queen's bloodline will forever be called to the front lines as it's hero whenever there is a great stride, and as well as giving up his omnipotence. Just as Lumina's was banished from this world, Erebus had to give up his godliness. No one has seen him since than, so be thankful for your powerful gifts. He taught the woman who taught you, no we must use that to teach the next generation, who has the power of an elemental spirit within her, the fire element to be precise. We got her to learn to control it, now we must teach her to focus it. Lest she suffer the consequences of this fools transgressions." He looked at Liz, waiting to hear her response to his story.

[Lady Nex]

Liz listened without so much as a wavering look, hovering where she was, leaning against the doorframe like a statue. She had heard variations of the story, and each time she heard it she wondered if she was closer to or farther from the truth. Her eyes followed him as he cleaned, though the visual observations were nothing more than absentminded. Her attention was on the topic more directly.

Eventually the woman shifted, pushing away from the doorframe and straightening as she paced inside. "I wasn't just taught. I was born with it." She moved toward the nearest piece of furniture she could lean back against, almost sitting on its surface if she could manage it. "When I was a little girl, I would beg my brother to play the simplest of games. We were six years apart, so it was often my childish games irritated him... or bored him outright. Hide and seek is where I truly shined, or perhaps I should say I didn't shine. Quite the opposite really." She smiled a touch, almost wistful. "He would search for hours at times, refusing to give up too easily. I was never far from him. I simply had this uncanny gift for stepping into the shadows, so smoothly I hovered between realms. Some complain that the shadows are a maddening place. Too quiet, too eerie, too omnipresent. By the time I was seven I saw them just as a child might view a security blanket. They were my comfort. My home."

She pursed her lips, her arms unfolding so she could reach for the flask hidden under her cloak. She unscrewed the cap thoughtfully. "I was raised on a slightly different story, and it was of course more vague. Our focus was so heavily placed on the god that granted us our unique abilities... we didn't call her Lumina. We called her Aethia. Most often her name, regardless of whether it was accurate or not, was spoken with contempt."

She paused to take a long drink, fidgeting with the flask as it came away from her lips. "Our people believed we were cursed by her, believed our constant misfortune was a result of our nature. Wolves are nocturnal. For millennia our people worshiped our wolf god, and as such we held a unique respect for the shadows. Very few were gifted with the ability to work shadow magic...very, very few. The more our people leaned into the shadows, however, the less we were concerned about the concept of perfect order. We were humans, originally. Creations of Aethia--Lumina as you call her. The belief was that upon accepting our gift and becoming the nocturnal 'beasts' we are portrayed as, Aethia saw it as a betrayal."

An almost bitter laugh escaped, a quiet hum rising afterward. "You'd expect with the Light turning its back on us, our people would turn toward Erebus more heavily. Even then, their focus was largely on the wolf deity. The Magna Lyceum. Some believed the 'Great Wolf' was simply a manifestation of the greater deities. Most didn't. An even smaller few believed it was a hierarchy, that Erebus was above this wolf god we worshipped. I was among the small population that looked to Erebus for comfort...but of course, from a young age his realm felt more like home than my own did. He may be in hiding, but he is still worthy of prayer."

She was quiet for a few moments, perhaps reflecting on the piece of herself she had offered in her response. Ebony locks hid her face for a moment or two as she turned her head to dig out a cigarette, though she didn't yet light it. She simply rolled the little smokable between her fingers. "The few of us that did turn to Erebus had something we considered to be the equivalent of what the humans deemed holy water, though ours was called shadow oil. The herbs I use in my blend are dipped in this oil. They offer a sense of tranquility..of calm. A disconnect when it is most needed. The effect seems to shift based on the need of the consumer at the time. You should stick your nose in the air less and try one sometime."

A faint smirk lingered as she brought it to her lips, and though the tip flared to life he'd note she was kind enough to utilize magic and ensure the second hand smoke didn't taint the air. It simply furled up and dissipated into wisps of shadow. It was scentless now, because she willed it, and no cloud hung in the air to irritate the elf. "If anyone can teach an individual to harness their power to its full extent in rapid fashion, it's you, Thortan. We will be ready when the humans return. More than ready, I would even dare to say."