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Post by northy on Aug 29, 2019 23:10:03 GMT
It hadn't been long since she'd run away from Bram, or since her talk with Talion. Blythe had thought hard about how to approach this, and in the end, she'd sent separate letters to Talion and Bram. She wasn't sure how else to approach such a delicate task, and decided on hoping Talion could figure out on his own how to invite himself with Bram. It occurred to her she wasn't sure how Bram would react to her knowing Talion. Hopefully her magic didn't turn him into the jealous type. She'd offered to meet him on his land this time, instead of him having to bring his great dragon to the castle. Honestly, she wanted an escape route if Bram reacted too badly. She didn't think it would get too of course, but it didn't hurt to be careful. She moved slowly from the back of her white mare, her favorite steed. For once, Sashka was at they're side. The red and white dog rarely left the castle, but Blythe knew she'd feel better with her there too. The air felt heavy, but the young mage pushed the negative thoughts aside. This would go okay, she knew it would.
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Post by Elvander on Aug 30, 2019 0:33:36 GMT
Talion hadn't bothered to confer with Bram. He was perfectly capable of getting himself here. No need for them to come together. So he approached, dressed in his general's armor, looking serious and determined. He hoped that everyone would walk away from this with some feelings of peace and resolution, but he wasn't sure it would be possible. He would do his best, but if things got too tense or out of control, he knew he'd lose his own grip on his beserker nature.As he arrived in their agreed upon meeting place, he gave Blythe a tight smile and a small nod. "Lady Blythe," he greeted her.
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Post by eragon on Aug 30, 2019 17:17:07 GMT
Bram hadn't been particularly surprised to receive a letter from Blythe asking him to meet her in the forest; it was often how they communicated, and they often met in obscure locations so as not to be seen together. Since the journey was so short, he had left Freya and taken a horse instead. It wasn't his preferred method of travel, but it sufficed.
As he approached the meeting place, he heard another man's voice, one that sounded familiar. He dug his heels into the horse's sides, urging the animal forward more quickly. As the trees began to thin, he was able to see Blythe and Talion, which seemed odd and immediately stirred something in his chest. What was Talion doing here?
His horse had slowed to a walk now as he approached the other two. "What is this?"
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Post by northy on Aug 30, 2019 21:54:14 GMT
She stilled when Talion approached first. She wanted to greet him properly, with a snide remark and a smile. She'd grown fond of the strict guard, and she realized she liked having him around, even if he was a bore sometimes. But she knew now wasn't the time for her personal feelings to get in the way, so she returned his polite greeting with a single nod. She remained quiet, turning as she sensed Bram nearby. Sure enough, a heartbeat passed and he appeared, nearing them. It seemed Talion had not spoken to him beforehand. Great. She flashed Talion an unreadable look before approaching Bram, her eyes warm. "Bram. I just... needed to talk to you. About something."
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Post by Elvander on Sept 1, 2019 22:08:25 GMT
'Bram,' Talion greeted the mage cordially, dismounting from his horse. He held the reins casually, leaning against a tree. He wasn't particularly pleased to have to observe this, but he felt responsible for Blythe in an odd way. He just hoped things would go smoothly. And though he looked casual, Talion was ready to spring into action if things went poorly.
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Post by eragon on Sept 2, 2019 16:39:32 GMT
Bram slowly dismounted from his horse, looking between them warily. "Right. Would you care to explain why one of my mages is here? Has he done something?" Perhaps Talion had been running amuck like Blythe's mage several months ago; there was no other explanation for the man's presence here, and knowing what Talion's ability was, he wouldn't have been surprised. Still, a business meeting hadn't been what Bram was expecting, and it was clear that he was a little irritated.
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Post by northy on Sept 2, 2019 20:51:42 GMT
Up until now, it hadn't even occurred to Blythe that Talion was a mage. Huh. She frowned briefly, looking over her shoulder as she too dismounted, Sashka at her side. She paused to look at Talion, though she didn't meet his eyes, instead almost seeming to look through him, feeling for the magic she had never realized was there. Now that she was aware, she could feel it, a heavy presence the stoic guard kept locked up. No wonder she'd never felt it. She had kept out of his head this far, that along with the strict hold he had on himself, his magic was hard to detect. She couldn't help but feel a bit more. His magic felt angry, chained, contained and tense. A dark red energy molding into a harsh sensation. Blythe pulled herself out, quickly turning her back to Talion to face Bram, shaken on the inside. What did he have inside of him? None of her mages felt like that. She pushed that thought to the side, trying to focus on what they had come here to do. "No, he's done nothing wrong," she started, beginning to near him. "Actually, it was me who has done something wrong." Her words were laced with her pulling her spell from him, beginning to eliminate traces of her meddling in his mind.
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Post by Elvander on Sept 6, 2019 4:11:59 GMT
Talion didn't feel the need to interject with an explanation. This was Blythe's show, he was just here... well, really, he was here to protect her. He watched Bram warily, tensing a little as Bram revealed his guild status to Blythe. It wasn't really something Talion wanted as public knowledge. He watched Blythe, his gaze burning through her. Had she rummaged around inside, just for a second? Talion was chagrined that the idea alarmed and excited him simultaneously. It had been so long since he'd just let go... As Blythe spoke, Talion focused his attention on Bram. Perhaps this would go well. He gave the man an encouraging nod, which was very unusual for the stoic warrior.
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Post by eragon on Sept 25, 2019 0:53:36 GMT
As Blythe spoke and began approaching him, his head began to hurt, and he felt oddly dizzy and warm. He pressed the fingers of his right hand to his temple, though otherwise didn't physically betray what he was feeling. "What do you mean you've done something wrong?" Bram muttered, clearly not very focused on what she was saying. "Blythe just get to the point. Why is he here then?" He snapped and gestured toward Talion. Afterward, he paused for a moment, perplexed because he never snapped at Blythe.
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Post by northy on Sept 25, 2019 1:14:05 GMT
It was her own fault this was hard on him. Well, harder than it should be. Blythe was always a little proud that her magic was so subtle. Unfortunately, after prolonged exposure, this probably felt less than comfortable. Oops. She really did feel bad, and it betrayed her in her pale blue eyes. A flash of hurt, not just for herself. He was angry, justifiably so. It was quick though, the change in his demeanor towards her. That didn't bode well with her, and she couldn't help her flinch away from him that followed. Angry might not cover what he was about to feel. She'd need to tread carefully. She sighed a little, stopping short of him. "I used my magic on you," she spoke, her voice small and quiet, ignoring his question about Tallion. One thing at a time. She'd sucked out her influence on him by now, and had retreated back to herself, closing up her magic, scared to feel his wrath that was soon to follow.
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Post by Elvander on Sept 28, 2019 17:15:53 GMT
Talion leaned against a tree, busying himself by checking his horse’s tack. He ignored Bram’s question as well. If the mage couldn’t put it together after Blythe’s confession, he likely wouldn’t understand it any better if Talion said it.
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Post by eragon on Dec 28, 2019 0:15:57 GMT
As her magic continued to recede, the pain in his head grew and the dizziness increased until Blythe seemed to be swaying back and forth in front of him. He stopped moving, unable to walk toward her without stumbling now. It took a moment for what she said to sink in, but as the last of the magic faded, he could feel inside that he knew it was true; she had manipulated him. Still though, the memories of how he had felt toward her were vivid in his mind, and he struggled to differentiate this from how he felt now. As the last of the magic faded, the headache and dizziness began to subside.
He was unable to conceal the betrayal that flashed across his features. "You promised, Blythe. We promised. We promised we wouldn't use our magic. How could you?" He sounded hurt, almost, but this was quickly replaced with anger. "If you choose not to play by the rules, I suppose that means I don't need to either." As Bram dipped into his magic, Blythe's surroundings shifted so she was wholly wrapped in darkness and him and Talion faded. He fingers began to snap, breaking one after the other, and she could heard vague voices laughing all around her. "Why is he here, Blythe?" Bram said. "To protect you? You think he can protect you?" A realistic image of Talion appeared in front of Blythe and pulled out a knife. Blythe was suddenly unable to move, and Talion began slicing the knife across her skin, creating small cuts. All of this, of course, was in Blythe's head, but it felt as real as anything else she had ever experienced.
Bram directed his attention now to Talion. There was no empathy in his eyes, only coldness. "What shall we drum up for you? What's your worst fear, Talion?" He whispered, then smirked. Talion's world shifted, and he suddenly found himself submerged in water, waves churning above him and slamming him back down whenever he attempted to surface. He was able to grab a breath of air each time, enough to keep him alive, barely, but not nearly enough to be comfortable.
"Is this what you wanted?" Bram shouted, and they both heard his voice echo in their minds.
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Post by northy on Dec 30, 2019 4:31:46 GMT
Blythe felt horrible. She watched the revelations flashing across his face, part of her wanting to take it back, re-enter his brilliant mind only to make him happy again. But that would be wrong. She frowned, looking down in shame when he turned, angry and cold. His magic overwhelmed her senses in a heartbeat and she threw her head back as she screamed, her pity and guilt replaced by anger. How dare he? The pain shot through her body, though part of her was able to cling to the reminder this was fake. His magic wasn't real. It didn't soothe the pain, however. She didn't respond to his snarky comments, eyes widening when she realized he was targeting Talion too, and reacted defensively, pulling out a magic she rarely used. A weak blast of energy aimed in the dark at Bram, only to stun, hopefully to end the horrible reality he had placed her in. "Stop it! Leave him alone!" She shrieked, eyes full of fury now. Tears stung in them, raw and exposed. At her side Sashka began to snarl, pulling her back into reality.
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Post by Elvander on Dec 30, 2019 4:50:57 GMT
Bram should not have done that. Talion's inner beast unfurled in a white hot rage and his eyes completely glazed over as he was drowned again and again. But Talion was not present, it was his beserker nature. The nature that when it took over, it was a force nigh unstoppable. Talion had slaughtered entire armies and villages in this state. And it was the combination of Blythe being threatened, combined with the threat against his own life that forced him to react. As Blythe's blast stunned Bram momentarily, Talion used the moment to strike. In a trance, he grabbed his sword and attacked in a sudden whirlwind. The monster inside could not be controlled, and the part of Talion that remained human could only pray that someone stopped him before he killed one of them.
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Post by eragon on Dec 30, 2019 5:22:08 GMT
It took Bram a moment to shake off the shock of Blythe's sudden blast, and he had only enough time to leap away from Talion's first few strikes. Quickly, he realized his mistake, and he dug his way deeper into the man's mind. He erased any knowledge, any memory, of Talion's berserker state. It was as if Talion's powers had simply never existed. The monster was erased.
The other Talion, the one inside Blythe's new version of reality, shook his head sadly. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, you shouldn't have done that," he said. He stabbed the knife into Blythe's stomach and twisted it, leaning over her and smiling.
The clearing that they were all in wasn't a part of reality for Blythe and Talion at the moment; they were separated from it, unaware of it, as if what was actually real no longer existed.
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