Bert Macklin

Of Blood and Magic

A vulnerability for a vulnerability. That much did cause Ben to hesitate even if it wasn't entirely intended. He had been eager to test his might but now he wasn't entirely sure it had been the right call. While he would be the first to admit his rush to freely take advantage of his regained sight had come from good intentions, maybe he should have considered there be another way to test his might. It was disappointing, he would have much rather resorted to combat than stand around contemplating the 'true' meaning of might. As if constantly picking apart a vampire's words weren't enough, The bitter thought crossed his mind.

That being said, every thought had to be put aside as the beast decided to act once more. Its actions were certainly contradictory to its words, but that could have been the point? Ben was just a touch confused.

Dropping the arrow for the moment, he decided to take a gamble to decipher its first statement. He did deflect the hit to the head, not entirely fond of getting his face smashed in or desiring to know what it was like to rearrange his face. However, he would let the earth aimed at his chest to hit as he decided that he would show vulnerability in hopes that the beast would get some sort of vulnerability for him to take advantage of. Getting hit square in the chest was quite the experience, his lung and ribs unappreciative of the action. To his credit, he somehow remained standing for all of two seconds before the pain set in, his posture betraying his calm demeanor as he let out the smallest of groans.

"Might is strength. Might is power. With power in hand, you're granted the ability to do as you please," He said, his grip on the sword tightened as he stood straight. "Would you disagree with that?"

Of Blood and Magic

That the beast was not only sentient but also able to speak was not a possibility that had crossed his mind. Ben would have shown remorse, but seeing its transformation did little to deter him from his original decision. Of course its accusation that he didn't think of consequences was completely absurd; Ben went into this knowing full well that there was a battle to be had. He could take whatever was thrown his way with confidence.

As he reached to ready a second arrow, he watched as the beast threw the harp. To his abject horror, he realized it wasn't heading for him. How hypocritical and predictable, so quick to call him on his haste when it acted exactly as Ben expected. The nerve of some creatures! Dropping the arrow, he brandished the blade with his right hand and backed up several paces. As the harp neared, he narrowed his eyes as his stance went low. He swung once with the broad side of the sword, sending the harp away from Lilie. He kept the sword in hand as he readied another aarow, eyeing the beast warily. The idea of close combat wasn't one he was fond of, but this could prove difficult if he wasn't careful.

"I'd ask for your forgiveness, but I believe I'll save it for the end of this skirmish," Ben said. "A test of might calls for action, you'd have me stand here and do nothing while you attack my defenseless mage?"

The question came as he stood his ground. It was more of a formality and a minor apology than anything, and he sincerely doubted anything would come of it. But if he did get an answer, perhaps he would get a hint at its weakness.

Of Blood and Magic

The cloud from his eyes lifted and the world was revealed to Ben once more. There was much surprise to been seen when he saw nothing but blue waters all around him. Before he could properly access his surroundings, however, he laid eyes on the creature across the way. It rang all sorts of alarms for him, its ghastly features contrasting the gentleness of the plucked strings. He was a little uneasy approaching such a thing, slowly backing away. This must be the test of might, but why was he alone?

His question was answered when he backed into the coffin, a gasp escaping him as he looked at his mage. "Lilie," He said as everything else was forgotten at the moment. She did not move nor open her eyes to his dismay, her appearance only furthering his confusion. As he looked at the weapons within, however, everything fell into place. This was the challenge's way of testing her faith. The monster clearly had eyes on her; it fell to Ben to protect her. It should have been reassuring but the idea of having to protect a solitary target wasn't going to be easy, especially with a creature of that size.

Surely they could have accomplished this without putting her to sleep, Ben mused to himself for a moment before realizing the thought was incorrect: the riddle specifically mentioned her faith would be paid in sleep. Of course, Lilie completed the first half of the challenge and it now fell to him to finish their test of might. And with bow and sword in accord; the tools were given to him with only one thing left to do. So be it, then.

"Rest easy and wait here for me," Ben said despite unknowing if she could hear him.

With the sword at his side and the quiver on his back, he stepped away from the coffin with much confidence. He tested the string of the bow as he watched the creature for a moment. If it was waiting for him to make the first move then far be it from him to deny it. Readying an arrow, he stretched the string as he pulled the arrow back, a smirk playing on his lips. Aiming at the creature's left eye, he released the arrow, watching it fly into the air before pulling out a second from the quiver.

Of Blood and Magic

The extremely jarring sound had also startled Ben, however, the small bump of their faces together had definitely surprised him more. He touched his chin and withdrew his fingers in disgust as he felt something sticky on it. What in the world had Lilie done to him? But the stickiness felt familiar, and Ben grimaced as he recalled that the girl's lip 'gloss' (why something meant to accentuate the lips and draw attention to it would stick was beyond him) had felt the same. He had to admit the scent was alluring as his tongue instinctively passed over his lower lip. He wasn't proud to admit he gagged at the taste as he quietly wondered why he bothered.

"I feel when this exam is done that we need to discuss your makeup choices," Ben said as he wiped his hands on his coat and let her clean his face. "I can't say I approve of such a thing on a proper young lady. The scent is much too alluring, there are those that would get the wrong idea. The smell is too sweet. It is as if the gloss wants attention and I don't like that."

His complaints would be put aside for the moment as he felt the rock pressed into his hand. At the very least he did admit to himself that he greatly enjoyed the sense of accomplishment done by working together. His enthusiasm muted slightly as she announced that there would be more challenges. He was proud that his mage had every intention of succeeding, of course, but he was less keen on remaining dependent on her. Not to mention if this challenge commanded some minor inappropriate behavior than what would be next?

"I will follow your lead," was all he could muster as his response.

Of Blood and Magic

There was little in the way of responding to Lilie’s comment as Ben believed one needed more than an emotion to get through the night. What concerned him more was that his new mage was painfully and obviously a romantic. It could have been adorable were it not for her position as a noble’s mage. He may have been reading too much into her statement, but relying too heavily on emotion seemed to be a glaring weakness that he could not ignore. Of course this was neither the time or place for that nor did he want to risk further argument at the moment, so instead he stood there quietly.

A melody sang through the air from a voice he did not recognize, speaking of ‘love’ once again. It must have been expected but the entire idea did make Ben roll his eyes slightly. The thin line between dedication and obsession did ring true at least. He did not, however, expect that the test would reveal itself in the form of demanding something in order to ‘win’. There was something that came to mind right away and it seemed that for once, both vampire and mage were of like mind.

“How troublesome,” Ben said. “I can’t say I approve the idea of asking for something from a pair that can be seen as intimate to some.”

Oh no.

Lilie bit down on her lower lip, nervously messing with her ponytail. So much for hoping he came to a different answer, he thought the same thing she did! Or did he? She turned fully to the count, frowning. Maybe she should just say what she thought it was on the off chance that she was just jumping to conclusions.

Except she didn’t really get what he said. “What do you mean?” She asked.

Ben tried to face the direction he heard Lilie’s voice from as he would address her. “The voice asks for a gesture to be ‘given and taken in willing exchange.’ I believe this calls for a kiss,” He explained. “There is a time and a place for such things and I do not believe an official examination from an academy of prestige is one of them.”

Lilie would have laughed if the dread in her stomach didn’t just swell up to her chest and choke her a little. So he thought they needed to kiss, too! At least he wasn’t happy about it. That was definitely a good sign. She exhaled a breath she didn’t know she was holding, approaching him slowly.

“So...you think it wants a…” Her voice trailed off as she cleared her throat. “Well, I thought so, too, but…” She trailed off, scratching her cheek.

Ben nodded as he made an attempt to straighten his collar. They were on the same page, then. He extended his hand to where he assumed she was. “So it would seem. Shall we, then?” He asked.

Lilie’s eyes widened, darting from the hand stretched out to her right to the willing count. How could he agree to something so quickly?! Couldn’t they talk about this?! Well, they did, but she felt like he was a little too eager to do this! She barely had time to register his intention, cautiously taking a step to her left.

“W-Wait, you can’t be serious,” She shook her head hastily. “We can’t just…do that!”

Ben heard the hesitation in Lilie’s voice. “Ah, my apologies,” He chuckled. “Shall I let you take the lead?”

“Take the--n-no!” Lilie protested. “I just...this is all happening way too fast! You can’t just go around kissing people randomly!”

Ben had to wonder what sort of impression he was giving for her to jump to that conclusion. He thought he was clear when he had stated that this is what the exam asked for. He even voiced his own disapproval. There was also the fact that he was just a touch offended that she thought so little of him.

“I must have misunderstood when we came to the same thought process and misinterpreted that as an agreement. My sincerest apologies,” He said. “What do you think we should do?”

Lilie tried not to be annoyed as she covered her face with her hands, suppressing a groan. She actually felt like their first hunch was right, but just the thought of it made her question herself. As she really thought about it, though, there wasn’t really any harm in trying. It wasn’t like Count Ben was a complete stranger. And it was a one and (hopefully) done deal.

Taking in a deep breath, she calmed herself down a little. “No, I...sorry, I think that a kiss is as good a start as any,” She said slowly, fiddling with her fingers. “So…”

Ben nodded once again in agreement, pleased to hear confirmation that they were in proper agreement. For the better, it would be rather uncomfortable if they weren’t. He repeated his gesture from before, extending his hand.

“Alright then. Only take my hand if you are absolutely sure,” He said. “Given and willingly taken, after all. Just think of it as a simple transaction, done once, and then over.”

Lilie matched the count’s nod, stopping as she realized he couldn’t see her. He was right about one thing, if it wasn’t genuine, it wouldn’t count. Okay, one little kiss and then they would just move on. She still found it kinda weird that Count Ben seemed more comfortable with this than she did, but then again, he was really handling it in a matter-of-fact kind of way. She supposed she was more nervous because she always did associate that type of thing romantically. And so did the magical singing pot!

“Yeah. Okay,” Lilie agreed, feeling ready as she would ever be as she placed her hand on his, closing her eyes.

With consent, Ben felt more comfortable with taking the next step. There was the possibility that they were both wrong, of course, but they would cross that bridge when it came. He put those thoughts away as he felt Lilie’s hand in his, deciding to focus entirely on the task at hand. The height difference did present the slightest challenge, but fortunately he learned from before. Once he was certain of their respective positions, he decided not to hesitate in case Lilie turned skittish, taking the plunge.

Of Blood and Magic

Ben did find roses more aesthetically pleasing than dandelions, especially considering their connection to stubborn weeds. Lilie chose wisely in his eyes. However, the exam would prove that even the simplest of decisions meant little to the will of the examiners. The foreign footsteps followed by the sound of what appeared to be a small child's laughter confused Ben immensely. He was not aware they had company. He frowned to himself but offered no response to Lilie's confusion.

The shrill and surprisingly loud scream set off every alarm Ben had, his arms searching for something. Was that Lilie? For such a tiny thing, she had great lungs to produce such volume. It was shameful to admit he jumped when he felt something crash into him, the following thud letting him know that whatever it was fell to the ground. The lack of sight certainly didn't help manners, nor did Lilie's panicked explanation. She had been clearly frightened by something but her words made very little sense to him. The child had been a little girl and she had been snatched away by a...tree. A distressing image indeed, but not one he could made any sense of. He was then pulled along, the girl's shaking evident. "That seems like the right call," He said. Not that he had a say in the matter.

"Do keep your head, fear tends to lead us astray," He added.

Of Blood and Magic

While Ben understood the insistence on concentration, there was no escaping the nagging feeling that the practical was being used as an excuse not to talk properly. He would much rather insist, but that said, the more he pushed the more he risked alienating Lilie further, that much he was sure of. How troublesome. That said, there was one possible solution: continue to push whenever there was a lull in conversation after solving the steps. She couldn't refuse his conversation if she didn't have any excuses.

Mercifully Lilie did read out loud the instructions given as well as everything in the vicinity. He agreed with her proposed course of action and decided to think on the riddle. A comfort at night was the moon, or at least that was his initial reaction. The dark was terrifying to all, the moon and stars offering comfort to all. As to how the moon correlated with the bushes, that much he was unsure. "I'd say the moon is most comforting to those in the dark," He offered his interpretation of the hints given. "I can't say I have much knowledge in botany, but maybe one of the flowers is connected to the moon. I've heard of a flower that blooms at night, but I can't say I remember what it looks like or what is it called."

As limited as the information was, he sincerely hoped it would help in some shape or form. If he needed to regain her trust then this was the time to do so. He shuffled in place as he crossed his arms, fingers flexing for a moment as he waited for something to happen.

Of Blood and Magic

The aversion to speaking was not a good sign. Opening communication during the practical was likely a mistake on his part, but unlike most people who would take the hint, Ben felt that he couldn't leave things like this. For one, the lackluster response didn't convince him in the slightest. Lilie was a poor liar, and while her sincerity was endearing it showed that this was something that needed to be worked on in the future. He could see the expression even without his sight: a small frown, an aversion of eye contact, and a tiny bow of her head.

Would it be impolite to insist? He silently wondered. He had to. If he left it to her they would never address any problems and loathe be it for him to willingly let a potential issue stew needlessly.

Ben decided to say, "Forgive my forwardness but I can't help but feel it's to the contrary." He hoped it wouldn't be seen as pestering but he wouldn't wait for the blood to cool to find out. "The once open conversation between the two of us has iced over since we returned from our break. If there is something I have done wrong, I would like to know." There was the temptation to add that it was a little juvenile to avoid his question, but he would keep that to himself for the moment.

Of Blood and Magic

The noise around them died, a queer sensation on his skin alerting him to a change in scenery, and at that point Ben had to let out the chuckle that had been building in his chest. The satisfaction of getting the last word in on both Count Sinnenodel and Mr. Samael had put Ben in relatively high spirits. Now, if he could get this spell lifted and see again, the night would be right as rain. He could hear Lilie moving, the scent of dirt and plants around them giving him the impression that they must have been taken to the woodlands. He didn't need eyes to confirm his thoughts; years of hunting for sport practically marred the scents into his memory for better or for worse.

He listened with interest at the soft mumbling of his mage, waiting patiently as he fully expected Lilie to speak to him when needed. She instructed him to stay close, but he wasn't exactly sure how close or far he was from her. Not had he any idea on what she was doing. Presumably, she was reading, but from where or from what, he hadn't a clue. He honed his listening as she finished speaking, but the gentle pull as she led them away let him know that she had apparently made up her mind on what to do next. It seemed she didn't need him after all. It did present a chance to see what had caused the minor drift, though.

"Well done," Perhaps the praise was premature, but he hoped it would soften her some. "I do hope if you find yourself lost that you would think to ask. Even without sight, I can always offer some insight if need be."

Ben cleared his throat as he decided to broach the topic. "That said, I can't help but notice that you have put some distance between us. Have I offended you any further?" He asked.

Of Blood and Magic

Ben was delighted to hear Aaron's response. He decided to focus just a touch more on the mage in front of him, however, especially as he felt her shuffle closer to him. There was no need to ask why: Count Sinnenodel's complaints could be heard across the entire forest with how he raised his voice. It was amusing, especially as he remembered their only interaction some days ago. The doubt in the Starag was wholly unfounded and he couldn't fathom why Count Sinnenodel would think that openly airing his grievances was the equivalent of a petulant child throwing a tantrum. Perhaps he expected the other nobles to chime in with agreement.

There was the slim chance where Ben was mistaken and it was not, in fact, Varis Sinnenodel yelling to the winds about the supposed incompetency of their princess, but he felt safe with the assumption.

Mr. Starag's token agreement with his count did earn him a chuckle from Ben. He cautiously moved his hand to Lilie's shoulder, still facing her as he decided to entertain the other count. "For shame, indeed. Courage amongst the superior race seems to be lacking at the moment," Ben said as he could hardly contain his smile. "Would you like the rest of us to join you at this time? I'm certain despite the lack of sight we could rally, assuming you would permit some stumbling in our last stand."