Shertul had almost been tempted to launch himself on the second Nephilim. He couldn't control it. An impulse. An instict. Then he felt the girl's small hands around his claws, and knew it would be wrong to risk her life for his anger. She led him away in silence for a good time, heading all the while for the east woods- right back where he had come from. Only deep into their walk did someone break the silence.
The young woman finally released the Fleshspinner's hand as she turned to him, a puzzled look on her face. "
Why were you in Wellborough anyway? Everyone knows that magic has no place there."
"Of course", the Fleshspinner replied,
"of course, but Fleshspinning is a complex art. I had no way of knowing whether it would impact me or not. We absorb the magic into our skin and bone and muscle and... well, our flesh, so much so that it becomes a part of us. Literally. Unsurprisingly, we're immune to many anti-magic techniques. I asumed this would be no different. Arrogant of me. But I'd say I've paid my price." He hung his head a little.
"Unfortunately, you've paid it as well..."Anti-magic techniques? Sophia wondered, her brow furrowing into a small frown. She didn't even know that such a thing would work - she knew that there were magic
boosting charms to counteract Wellborough's runes (although she'd only seen one or two in her lifetime due to their rarity). In her extensive travel, Sophia had made note of the few places that such a rare trinket could be found in Terra:
Firstly, there were few elves hidden in the deeper Terran forests who would actually conjure up such a charm, though they were few and far between. Closer to the capital, there is also an
unearthly old fae woman in Norione Village who's life work is to create these trinkets. However, due to her age, the availability of her charms is dwindling as she can only create a single charm every few years. The
hardest location to obtain the charm was in Raziel's Insitute. It sounded simple enough to just travel to the Institute and request one, but due to the power that one could obtain from one little trinket, the Nephlim will blatantly refuse anyone who isn't among their ranks.
Sophia had to suddenly raise a brow at the flesheater's comment: It was the second time he'd made a comment on (what she could only assume was) her birthmark: She could only expect that such assumptions could be made about it, but the truth of the matter was that she'd never actually
met Alithe, or even knew who she
was until years after she arrived in Terra. "
Paid what?" was all she could ask.
The Fleshspinner frowned.
"I think you misunderstand me." He stopped to wrap the cloak back around himself.
"Allow me to rephrase. Because you took the chance to save my life, you paid the price that Nephilim and neutrals will always suspect you. It's not right, but it's a reality you'll have in for my mistake. Fleshspinners are viewed as Revenant allies: you may be thought as such because you had mercy. I am so, truly sorry."Sophia had to chortle at the Fleshspinner's final comment; "
Please, people who've seen this already think I'm a Revenant ally," the girl said, hitching up her skirt a few inches to reveal just how
large her scorching birthmark was: The crest took up the entire inside of her left thigh; it was difficult to cover, hence why Sophia took to wearing longer skirts. The young woman had unwittingly caused herself to remember the first time that someone had discovered her mark:
She was
much younger than she was now, only being around 8 or 9; Sophia had taken shelter with a small elven settlement in the northern forest, and when the young girl had prepared to bathe with the rest of the children, her birthmark had come into full-view: And this was when she'd discovered what her mark actually
was - it was the Revenant crest, the mark of Alithe herself. Needless to say, the reaction she recieved wasn't a good one.
Since that near-death experience, Sophia took it upon herself to make sure that no-one could
ever see that mark again.
The longer his third eye was open, the more pronounced it became: something was insidiously wrong with this girl. You couldn't see it on her surface, but it was bubbling right underneath.
She possessed a faint darkness, or it possessed her. Shertul's third eye saw it as an ebony smoke, gently slipping out.
Shertul sighed: his way of bracing himself before saying something difficult.
"Please don't take this the wrong way: you need help. That sign on your thigh, it is much more than simply a sad birthmark. There's dark magic on you. I can see it." He pointed to the now blood-red eye on his forehead.
"It's faint, but it's everywhere. Most worringly, it's coming from you. It's closely a part of your being."But of all people, Shertul knew he should understand that your body is your business only.
No, no, he told himself,
I shouldn't try to get information out of this girl. She doesn't owe me any explanations; I owe them to her. His third eye dimmed out and closed.
"
I find it strange that you say that," Sophia chimed in, forcefully dropping her skirt, "
someone once told me that it was the mark from Alithe, but I don't understand how I would have gotten it; I don't remember ever seeing her, let alone meeting her to get this... thing." She sounded frustrated by the fact - she wished it only
were an unfortunate birthmark, but deep down she knew that it was something a lot more worse: No birthmark would burn in the presence of Nephlim influence, no birthmark would send dark thoughts and feelings into her mind, ruining her friendly and sweet reputation.
I've never seen or met Raziel, yet his Runes nearly killed me a moment ago.""
I just want to know why," she admitted, her voice lowered and her face slowly dropping into a saddened look. She wanted to know why
she was the unlucky one to be cursed with such a mark, she wanted to know why it made people view her with distain and want to
violently remove her from the living world.
Shertul thought deeply for a few moments.
"The form you see before you..." He spread his arms about,
"...much of it was unintentional. I meditated for an entire twenty years. When I at last emerged, I was no longer human- I had been shaped like a predator, like a killer. It was as if another had sculpted me. I know for fact that every part of a Fleshspinner's body is in their control at all times, yet it felt unintentional; subconcious. I was casting magic without ever knowing it. Perhaps... perhaps your mark is a similar phenomenon. You have a gift for dark spells, and it's expressing itself without your knoweldge or consent." He did not want to offend her, so he added:
"That's just a theory, of course, and even if I am correct, it's not your fault- and could perhaps be fixed."Sophia's eyes widened at his explanation - it certainly
was a strange phenomenon, but she certainly knew that she needed to know more: Could
anyone do it? Or did they have to do something special? Could they
feel their body change when they meditated? Sophia just
had to see it happen; although she'd only just heard about what Fleshspinners actually
were, but she was absolutely
fascinated by them.
She was pulled from her racing thoughts as the strange creature suggested that
she had a gift for dark spells.
Her? Sophia had no affinity for magic, beside the strange thing that happened at night, so how could she possibly have a gift for
spells of all things. She couldn't help but let out a chuff of a laugh. "
Me? I can't cast a spell no matter how hard I try: I'm a physical kind of person."
The Fleshspinner shrugged.
"I can't perform spells either. That's why I need strength, claws and speed. In fact, it was dwarven apprentices were a common sight at the monastery. Magic can cast itself, if your soul wants it badly enough. Or at least, that's what my life as a flesh-mage has taught me."Though the suggestion of her...
condition being fixed intrigued her - could they really make it go away? She found the thought of being normal quite appealing: She wouldn't have to wear long and
hot clothes every day; she wouldn't have to hide her body, and visiting Wellborough wouldn't
hurt her.
"
I've gotta say, the thought of being able to cast magic is certainly attractive..."
He nodded.
"You've saved my life today. I wish I could help. As it were, Fleshspinning is intertwined irremovably with dark magics: if I even touched that mark, it would only steal a small bit of my power to add to it's own. These entities have their own minds. The only place I can recommend you to is the Monastery of Flesh, where I learned my powers: yet, they are allies to the Revenants, and may only "cure" you by encouraging your dark powers. If that is what you want, it is your choice, but if not..." His voice trailed away. He tried with all his mental might, all he could muster, but could remember nothing to help her.
"
But... I've always been told that this is bad..." Sophia said quietly, tracing her fingertips over her marked thigh.
"I certainly think it is bad. Yet it is your choice. You saved my life, do you really expect me to tell you not to expand your power if it is your desire? If you want to remove it, I know of nothing to help you, except..." he tried to say "the Nephilim", or but it wouldn't come out. A shudder ran through him: his jaw locked up, his tounge stopped closed. This had never happened before. It was terrifying. He attempted to say "users of Light magic" instead, but even that was apparantly not allowed.
Shertul thought back to the Raziel's runes. Could they have done this? Is he cursed?
Concentrating all his might, pumping magic through his veins, he only scarcely managed to blurt out:
"Nevermind... I... I can think of nothing. I hope you the best in finding a cure, my friend. If there is ever a way I can help, simply tell me."Sophia remained silent for a moment, deep in thought. There was no way that she could go back to the Nephlim anyway, their cure would to be to kill her. The Nephlim Archmage already suspected that there was something dark about her, and she supposed that he too had caught a glimpse of her mark: If someone already thought you were evil, there was no point in trying to convince them that you weren't until you're blue in the face.
She hesitated, and she bit her lip with a frown: Could she
really succumb to whatever dark power that resided in her? She'd lose her place in the living Terra, she'd never see the farms again, she'd never be able to freely explore Terra. But she supposed that she couldn't now anyway, it wouldn't be long before the news of the incident spread among themselves and the settlements - her life in the open was over regardless.
"
... I'll do it."
Shertul's third eye slid slowly open. This time it was even more intense than before. He stared into her for what seemed like the longest time.
"Think about this carefully. Are you certain? I can grant you a little power now, but then we'll have to go to my people's home, the Monastery. Once they get their "hands" on you, there's no going back. You're sure?" He already knew what her answer would be. He could see the gaze in her eyes.
"
I just have one thing, though: I don't mean offense by it, but... I don't want to... pysically change."
His response was short and grim.
"Very well. You won't." He allowed his hand to bring itself to her, guided by the dark magic inside him. It touched her briefly, and he could feel the corrupt power slipping from him to join with her.
Member
