Doctor Doctor, I need a checkup! I'm all cold! (Chstorms!)

[Anonymous]

So this was interesting now wasn’t it?

After a brief foray at some military academy, the need to explore and wander struck, and so, it was high time that he left, destined for only fate knew where. Without a map, without a care, and without any particular sense of direction, he was going to find what was out there. It didn’t take him long of course, until he found himself at a strange country, one that he himself had been warned to stay away from. They didn’t like his kind that much apparently.  Not wraith though, just magic users, people who used magic, or had certain traces of magic to them...and well, as a Wraith, he was a being that was completely comprised of magic.

It started with a skeleton of any dead person. From there, the essences were added. Ice, Life, and of course, there was the soul. All of them had to come together and attach themselves to the core of the skeleton. With a soul, a mind, consciousness, thought and idea, it would all form and create a new being, a Wraith. Once a man, woman, now just a being who walked the land as a skeleton. They covered themselves of course with a living robe, one that would respond to their thoughts and simply do what they wanted. The cloak would form a symbiotic bond with the host, getting the energy it needs to live, and providing the Wraith with some sort of cover.

A match made in a strange hellish process.

Fitting really.

This particular Wraith was special. He could change himself BACK into a human.

Grasping at the last bit of his humanity, he could form skin, cover and meld the strange gauntlets of metal and ice that stuck to his hands, and form an actual human body. It was a strange to see, as the Wraith would lose the robe’s symbiotic powers and it would become a simple cloth. However, that wasn’t the most amazing thing about this Wraith. He wasn’t destined to be of ice, fire, death, or any other element. Instead, he was destined to be...bad luck. Bad and good luck really, but mostly it was bad luck that would become of this being. A field of energy able to influence luck itself...

He was a karmic slap to anyone. Good people would be struck down, but in the act of fair balance, if they received bad luck from him, they would also incur good luck. One might break their leg, but they might also meet a very cute healer who was into them. It was all about balance.
Now this Wraith had been practising for many years, trying to hone his powers and focus it in one simple place, stopping him from doing any real harm to anyone. He was good at it, but there were times when he forget himself and there would be a lot of trouble then.

Warily he entered the small town, it was dusk, slowly the light was fading in the horizon, and he was slowly able to relax more. He hadn’t dared stop in any town during the day. People would get a much better look at this man, and then, well, it would just be trouble, now wouldn’t it? Right now he was in his human form, and dead on his feet. Had he stayed in Wraith form, he could have just hovered, but no, he had to do this damned thing on foot. His once groomed hair was a mess, covered with a bit of mud and sweat, sticking up at odd angles. A pale face was flushed as he huffed along, trying his best to keep going. His mind said to keep going, but his feet told him to just drop and sleep.

His crimson red long sleeved shirt was like someone had cut a robe in half, keeping the upper half as a shirt, hood and all, while discarding the lower half. His pants, a forest green were covered with a bit of grime and dirt, a few rips and snags here and there from the forests he travelled. Luckily his hiking boots stayed intact, that was always a good thing. He looked down to them, his eyes, each a different colour, one being a bright and cheery red, the other being a soft grey, almost white colour stared at them carefully. Dirty, his boots were dirty. He felt like a mess. A bath could really help.

Making his way to the nearest inn, he burst in quickly, leaning heavily on the wooden counter as he caught his breath. Oh thank Vec, he would be able to rest! “I need...I need...a bath.� He spoke between gasps, his voice a breathless mess and naught more than a loud whisper as he tried to conserve strength. “Yes sir...upstairs, take this key. Last door on your left.� Money and keys were exchanged, and the young man was off, heading upstairs to get a bath going. At least they were kind enough to put a nice long plumbing line up here to pump some water. After a while of getting water, heating it, and filling the tub, he relaxed in it. Of course, the hot bath only served to make his flushed face even redder.

By the time the young man left the tub, it was almost frozen. Indeed one could see that there was ice trying to form on the dirty water. He trekked back downstairs, handing the key over and demanding, nicely of course, a meal. Ah. Something other than...hell...what had he eaten over the past few days? Must have had something...he couldn’t remember and he really wasn’t sure he wanted to either. Must not have been that good for him.
With a voracious hunger gnawing at him he dug into the simple meal of roast, a bit of gravy, half a potato and some bread. It wasn’t much but for him it was a feast. Damn this whole sticking country. No magic, no wraith form, nothing! He had to get out of this human body, and he had to get out of it now! After finishing his meal he escaped out to the alleyways, where instantly he pulled the hood of his shirt up over his head. The skin would melt away from his body, letting metal gauntlets form where his hands were, his face seeming to disappear, leaving only pure glowing eyes, one red, one grey, staring without pupils. Small wisps of fog began to seep from around the hem of his pants, as if they were leaking from his body itself, which they technically were.

“Ah by Vec this is wonderful.� His was in euphoria, his voice full of pleasure and ecstasy, and after a few minutes of loitering in this form, he slowly slipped back into his old human self. Good. Now it was time to see if he could find a healer still open. His leg was hurting at the back, he was almost sure that he had hyper extended it or something, but maybe a healer here might have a good tonic or even a pressure wrapping. As he stepped from the alleyway he began to look about. It had finally slipped to night, or at least, it was trying to, and he had to find a healer that was still open. They must have been...it wasn’t that late. So he began his trek, asking a few people in the streets who still lingered for directions. Something about a doctor, Pal had been paying more attention to their clothes than anything. But they pointed the way, so he was off. Hopefully he’d be able to find this...doctor person before it got too late.

[Anonymous]

"...A minor infection, he'll be better in a week or so- if he doesn't do anything remarkably stupid," the doctor remarked, leaning back in his chair. Honestly, these people. If it wasn't some reckless child falling out of a tree it was a pathetic little cough that would go away on its own. Granted, there was the occasional bout of a real challenge to his skills, but by and large the village used him just to assuage their own fears of something greater. As such, his job tended to be mostly limited to reassurances and placebos. Nonsense, really.

Looking over at the worried faces of the mother and child opposite him, Kleos stifled a sigh. "Just keep the brat out of harms way," he elaborated. "If you don't want his burn to get any worse than it is already. That does mean keeping him out of the kitchen- well, if you so want to let him in-" The stupid boy had decided to play with the pretty fire, and what he got throughly served him right. Much as he would have liked to say that, though, there were at least some standards that he had to maintain. Blatantly criticizing the living habits of his patients, although hugely enjoyable at times, wasn't exactly professional behavior. "-it's really your problem."

"But he will-?" The (far too concerned, in his opinion) mother started, a questioning look on her face.

"He'll be fine," Kleos snapped. "Now, look- it's going to be dark soon, and we all need our rest. You've paid, he's been treated, go home." Standing up, he strode over to the door of the small hut and shoved it open, waiting for the woman to get up. "There really isn't anything else I can do for him."

The boy scrunched up his face, ready to let up a fine bawl.

"And I am not giving him anything for the pain," he added, before either of the two worried faces could start on some new complaint. "Painkilling drugs tend to make one either nauseous or drowsy, and knowing your household I'd wager it'd be better if he had his wits about him."

With a murmur of thanks, the woman and her son edged their way out of the small hut and started on her way back to the main areas of the village. It was a short walk- only a few minutes or so, the doctor estimated- but night fell fast in this place. At least it meant that he'd be left in peace for the rest of the evening. Any other patients could wait until tomorrow, only an idiot would want to come out at this hour for some little ailment. Leaning against the door frame, he watched the woman as she disappeared into the darkening road. A cool wind started up, and he absently tucked a few blond strands back.

Oh, to heck with this. It wasn't as if he'd be seeing anyone else today.

Reaching behind, Kleos tugged at the leather cord that held his hair back in a neat braid until it came loose, letting it hang free. A slight smile played across his face as the breeze seemed to toy with his hair. The well worn clothes he had on provided little protection against the wind, but after the years of living here he had accustomed himself to it, and it was little matter to him.

The smile disappeared as quickly as it had come, though, when he caught sight of a person- difficult to tell whether it was man or woman in this light- making its way up the path. "Oh, don't," the doctor muttered, eyes narrowing. "Go away, get lost," he continued, more to himself than the figure, even as he took note of the limping gait. "It's late, damn you, and I want my sleep."

[Anonymous]

Maybe this land wasn't the right one for him. The realm was nice but...this part of the world seemed a little hostile. He had seen a mage get taken down, beaten good, and then strapped in manacles and chains. He wasn't sure if that man was alive or not after that, and he guessed he was dead by now. After that, he had been oh so careful with his other form. Though, in this land, he might be able to pull off being a tormented spirit, but if those...people came back, he didn't know what happen. They had this power, the ability to stop magic, whether they were hypocrites and used magic to stop magic (Fighting fire with fire) or if it was technology or perhaps something else, some other strange power of some sort, no one could ever be sure, at least, he wouldn't. People probably knew, someone had to know something.

However, in this town, he hadn't been careful. He changed, only once in the alley, but that no doubt had been enough. Someone had spotted him in the darkness, it had been an accident, a woman had been looking out her window, dumping some trash into the large bins below, and they had just seen him changing back, the woman had covered her mouth to muffle a scream of surprise, and Pal had been much too tired to even know what was going on. Already the woman was running to go tell some people, people she trusted, head of the town watch and what not.

The Wraith however, Palzerus De Netari, was just on his way to the doctor, trying to get a pressure wrap or anything to help with his poor leg. His limp wasn't too bad, but it was more the fact that the whole back of his leg was in pain. Sure, had he spent more time in his wraith form, he would have been perfect actually. It would have healed almost instantly, the magic would have coursed around his body, and the 'skin' would have been healed. It was a great plan, but right now he had to get actual, physical help from this doctor.

An actual person who didn't work with magic.

Instead they used homoeopathic medicines, things made from leaves and chemicals that were either synthetically created or found in nature.

Of course, Magic was technically natural but...

They didn't seem to think so. Oh well. He wouldn't get caught, oh no, he was much too careful for that! Hah! The apes would never be able to capture him anyways, he had something they didn't. Fog. He could simply become fog, and disappear. Hopefully before anyone that held one of those...magic blocking thingies showed up. He could be a hundred miles away at the nearest river before they even knew what they hit him. And of course, those who ran away, would get the chance to run away again and again. He liked that.  He was a lover after all, not a fighter, and also a coward, a very big coward!

Being alive was much better.

Oh. Speaking of lovers and fighters...

The man who had just seen off the woman and her kid didn't seem to be all that happy. That must be the doctor. Oh he looked like a fun fellow! Continuing up to the man, he gave a friendly wave and a large smile. No need to be unfriendly to the man of course! Then he wouldn't get healed and there would be some trouble, there would be some really big trouble.

"Hi there! You must be the Doc! I'm Palzerus De Netari. Just call me Pal though, it's much better, much easier to remember! I won't take much of your time Mr. Doctor, I've just a bad leg, and I was wondering if I could get a pressure wrappin' or maybe a tonic of some sort, just something to help relieve the pain. Usually I'd be able to do something about it but this land is unfamiliar and I don't know the herbs and plant life, so you think you can help me? Of course you can, you're a doctor after all, and doctors usually help people, sort of like a healer or a cleric I suppose but better because you know all the gritty little details of a body and what not." Alright, so if there was one thing this Doctor could learn, it was to wait for Palzerus to finish talking, but at the same time, not let him talk too much, as he had this bad habit of simply rambling. Not that anyone could really blame him though, he had been alone for a while now, with no one to talk to.

No one but his own mind, and that got very tiresome after a while.

He had talked about everything he knew in the end.

But now he had someone new to talk to! A doctor!

[Anonymous]

Kleos frowned.

One overly talkative traveler, seeking treatment at this hour? Just his bad luck, he supposed. "It couldn't have waited, could it?" he muttered, a slightly petulant look crossing his face for a brief moment as he crossed his arms, staring at the still-chatting man. "I certainly wish it could have," the doctor continued, too soft for anyone but him to hear. A particular phrase, though, made him blink in surprise. Sort of like a healer or a cleric-

But healers and clerics... in Connlaoth? Not that Kleos had never heard of such people before, but stories of them were always accompanied by a healthy dose of suspicion and fear, as were all stories that ever dealt with magic. A land such as this was anything but conducive to tales like those, and to hear words alluding to magic being mentioned so casually by this man was something of a surprise, indeed.

Keeping his thoughts on that subject to himself, though, Kleos shrugged. "Resting instead of coming up here would've probably been of more use to you," he remarked, his tone lightly sarcastic. "Of course, it's your problem if you want to make whatever injury you've got worse."

He turned from the man, pushing the door further open as he stepped back inside the hut. Going to the shelves of herbs he kept, the doctor opened a few drawers and started to rummage through them, murmuring quietly to himself. After a few moments, he turned back to the traveler. "Well, come in," he beckoned. "Don't make me inconvenience myself on your behalf."

Now he wished he hadn't been quite so hasty in untying his hair. It wasn't exactly messy, but he had to reach back every few minutes to push it back and couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed. Naturally it wasn't his fault- he wasn't the one who had barged in near nightfall, nor was he the one who would just be sitting around and waiting for treatment. Debating to himself as to whether he should charge the man a higher price, he gathered a few herbs and looked at them for a moment. Boiled and brewed into a tonic, they'd help to dull the pain.  

Leaving them on the small desk, he walked back over to the man. Black (or was it dark red) hair, a decent enough face, skinny- not much to look at, frankly. Pity, he could have asked for better. Gesturing to an empty chair, Kleos leaned back against the wall and raised an eyebrow. "So tell me," he started, "what foolery did you undertake to get yourself in this state, then?"

[Anonymous]

"Nope! Gotta be gone by Moon's Zenith, or close to it y'know. Can't stay too long here!" Though he had just thought the man was asking a simple question, Pal had barely caught that he was actually slightly...angry, no doubt because the sun had gone down. Ah well, that's what you get for being a Doctor then isn't it? Pal didn't catch the second part, mostly because he was barely paying attention, he was more or less just looking around and trying to figure out what was going on here. It was a simple looking house, perfect for a single doctor with a simple practise in a small neighbourhood. Pal hadn't really seen any errors in his ways at this point.

He hadn't noted that saying healer or cleric was a bad thing. Because in his world, Healers and clerics still used natural medicines as well as magic. Still.

He had just said doctor.

A lot less trouble.

"Oh no, much more trouble if I stayed at the Inn." They would have no doubt seen him as a wraith or something like that, and then he would be in a whole lot of trouble wouldn't he? They would know, and he would be in so very much trouble. "Well, I'd rather have it get a little worse and then get a doctor to at least look at it than stay where I was and no doubt have it get much worse." The man wasn't REALLY mad at Pal, he couldn't be, he was just mad at the fact that he couldn't close early was he?

Oh well! He'd get over it!

Pal gave a large grin as he stepped in after him. What a nice man. Sort of. "Thank you Doc!" Oh, that was a good nick name too. Doc. It sounded...simple but neat. Like Pal! Hey, that was pretty good wasn't it?

Pal just stood in the front hallway, wondering where he should go. This was a strange place, that was for sure...He liked it kinda though. He wondered where his doctor got off to, he was starting to wander around the world. Living room? Who knew. Though, his doctor suddenly found him and Pal grinned at him as he crossed his arms over his chest as he took a seat where Kleos showed him to. "Me? Oh. I've been walking for two weeks through forests and stuff like that. I didn't plan on coming here but i like a new place and a challenge so...I came here. Though, I walked too much and didn't rest and tripped here and there so...yeah." That was about it. He wouldn't mention anything else that happened on his trip, just keep it really...well...short.

"So Doc, ya married? Got a girlfriend or anything like that?" Pal was a curious creature, and he wasn't limited to being a heterosexual. The Doc looked like he'd be an interesting fellow in bed, all robotic and stiff, very...well, it would seem like it would be very strange. He would be down to business and what not, guy looked like he wouldn't loosen up one bit for that matter. Shame really, still, no harm in seeing what the doctor was all about right? Maybe he could even get out of paying the bill! Oh that would fantastic really...really fantastic! He didn't have that much money, and he really didn't...want to pay but if he had to then he probably would figure a way.

"Oh, and what's your name anyways Doc?"

[Anonymous]

Walking for two weeks, was it now? Kleos was hardly surprised. If nothing else, Palzerus- if that was really his name- certainly looked the part. He'd cleaned up somewhat, certainly, but his clothes were worn and there was a tired, road-weary look to him that the doctor knew too well. He'd borne the same look himself, in a time long past. Shaking his head slightly in a gesture of resignation, he walked back to the desk, starting to grind up the herbs to boil.
 
Only half-listening to the traveler speak, he focused instead on what he was doing. Say what he might, but this man could certainly talk a lot. Sweeping up the ground herbs into a small kettle which he set to boil, the doctor turned back to face Palzerus, the edges of his lips quirking up in a slight smile. "Do you know," Kleos remarked, "I was rather under the impression that you were here to do something about your leg, not inquire about my personal life."

"Although- no matter," he shrugged it off with a wave of his hand. "It'll take some time for those to be ready, anyway..." Absently, he started to tie his hair back. Braiding it again would be far too troublesome, although certainly neater. "If you're that interested, I'm known as Kleos."

No great secret, that. Certainly, the villagers were very proud of their doctor, although he had never been quite sure why, and he'd some small renown outside it as well. Blatantly ignoring the other questions, the doctor settled down in another of the small chairs, wondering what else his patient would find to say. He glanced over the man again, staring for a moment at his eyes- one red, one almost white. Blind? He certainly didn't seem so, but colors like that were, although not entirely unnatural, certainly unique.

Kleos was about to mention that when a sudden knock sounded at the door.

His eyes closed in a sudden look of irritation, before he got up. "At this hour..." Making his way over to the door, he undid the latch and kicked it open, before staring into the face of the leader of the town watchmen.

[Anonymous]

The robe shirt and pants would never seem anything more than tattered cloth that flashed bare skin here and there. At least in this form, his other form showed something far from skin, it showed essence, pure and natural, raw and unwavering, oh it was a glorious sight to see, if you were into seeing such a thing. More than likely it would just scare the town folk here, pity really, they might like his little show that he liked to put on. Pal absolutely adored attention, good or bad it didn't matter, maybe that's why he had changed in the alley way...

He wanted to get caught.

Wouldn't have been the first time of course.

The doctor was boiling herbs and what not, but he began to speak to him and Pal grinned. "We can do both at the same time don't cha know? I'm very good at multitasking, 'cept when it comes to juggling and dancing, never very good at that one." Pal spoke quickly, like he had to say everything all at once before something bad happened to him. Something bad might just happen too, because his aura wasn't under all that tight of a control. Pal was getting better at keeping it at bay, but sometimes...it was trouble. A lot of trouble.

Trouble always found him.

"Kleos? Very nice name. Nice and short. I like Doc though, but I guess we shouldn't be called after our professions should we, cause then I'd be Wanderer or I suppose Annoyance. So Kleos for you and Pal for me. I like the sound of that." No one had really bothered to tell him the Doctor's name when he was asking about, they only really had told him how he good he was, if only a bit irritable during the nights. How could one possible be irritable at night, it was absolutely fantastic. Usually got colder, the moisture was thicker, that's when you could live!

Palzerus noted that Kleos was...looking at his eyes, and so Pal just stared right back at the doctor. He seemed like a comely fellow, the hair was a bit long but that could always be fixed. He gave the doctor a wink before suddenly there was a knocking. A knot formed in Pal's stomach, and he was sure that was for him. Bad luck had come knocking, he knew it...the sound of the knocking had been rough and forceful. Crapohcrapohcrap! Please don't let it be for him. Carefully he followed his doctor who opened the door. There was a bit of a mob outside, and led by one man. Oh. Shit. No!

"We're looking for the traveller. The one with the blind eye." Oh crap! That was him! He wasn't really blind but his eye did indeed look blind. Pal nervously gulped as he slipped back a little bit to hide about the corner. "We heard he was asking around town for you, and one of the townsfolk said they passed him on the way down your steps." Ah! This wasn't good at all. They were going to find him, turn him into those mean mage hating people, and he'd end up dead. Hell! Where was he going to go?! How was he going to get out of this one?! He had to stay calm, think of a way. Back exit? Maybe. Pal placed his hand on the wall, and slowly, ice began to creep over it, slowly heading to the door. Suddenly, a wall appeared in the door way, one of thick ice between the town watchmen and Kleos. Pal quickly rushed around the corner, pulling his hood up.

The change was instaneous, his eyes filled and glowed, his skin melted away and he began to float. The tears and rips in his clothes would no longer show flesh but instead strange white and red energy as it shifted under his robes. His hands once more were large, thick, icy cold metal gauntlets. One couldn't see under the hood of the robe, just darkness, and those two glowing eyes of his. "If you have any decency and love for helping you're patients you'll get me out of here." In retrospect, the energy he wasted on the ice wall to stop the angry townspeople, who were currently using pitchforks to chip away at the strong ice, could have been used to turn into mist and simply float away. No such luck now. Damn it! He never thought these through.

"Please Mr. Kleos. I don't want to die. I didn't think I'd get caught." Pal's voice was strained, on the edge of crying almost. He was a teenager basically, a child of sorts, and he was scared witless of being tortured and killed. Mostly tortured...no...killed. He was scared of both. That playful demeanour he once had all but vanished, leaving a frightened young man. "I'll do anything, give you all my cold, I'll even offer myself to you, just for the love of Vec help me!" He was desperate, and he would do anything. Once a coward, always a coward. If the doctor wouldn't help, Pal could always jump out a window and simply escape that way. Hm. It might work. Might lead him right into a trap...or...maybe not.

[Anonymous]

The smile on his face had grown a touch amused as Kleos listened to Palzerus (there was really no other word for it, he'd decided) prattle on. It had been a long time since he'd heard a supposedly ill person talk this much, and a part of him couldn't help but find it strange, if not downright quirky. Still, it was some variety in an otherwise boring day and for that much, Kleos had decided that perhaps he wouldn't tell him to shut up just yet.

That sentiment had lasted up until a minute ago.

As the head watchman (Lenard Gray, Kleos thought to himself, frowning, suffers from a weak stomach at the worst of times and a chronic cough in winter.) started to proclaim his search for a blind-eyed traveler, the doctor had glanced back over his shoulder. Breaking the law? Suspicious he might have been, but for him to be a fugitive was something else entirely. He had raised a hand, about to mention that particular issue.

And then the wall of ice had seemed to appear from out of nowhere. Eyes wide, Kleos took a step back, surprise registering on his face. It can't be- he's a magic user?

Things seemed to fall into place all of a sudden. Palzerus' behavior, the way he'd seemed in such a hurry to leave the village before midnight, his appearence and his eyes- turning to confront the traveler, Kleos found himself at a loss for words. But then, it wasn't the traveler whom he'd talked with a moment ago any more. As his eyes darted from the heavy gauntlets to the hood and the glowing eyes, the doctor's face took on a slight cast of fear.

"I don't-" he started, breaking off as the sound of the men chipping away at the ice came at his door. Disgusting, the lot of them. This was his own place, and simple though it might have been, he would hardly stand for other people barging in like this. But to harbor a magic user- and there was no way now that he could claim that he hadn't known Palzerus wasn't one- was treason to the state. If he could just hand him over, now, then everything would-

It wouldn't be right.

"-By the King, you are a moron." Kleos hissed, closing his eyes for a second. "Just pray that the idiots outside haven't thought to cover the kitchen door." Looking over the room quickly, he headed over to a small cupboard and slid the door open, pulling out a sheathed sword and buckling it to the belt at his waist. Chances were he'd be needing it, rusty though his skills certainly were.

There was a bag by the bed with a few essential herbs in it too, saved for the times when he'd had to visit a patient too ill to come to him. Slinging it over one shoulder, Kleos moved over into the hut's one other room. He pulled the latch on the door back and kicked it open, all too ready to see more hostile faces outside.

No one. "They really are idiots," he murmured to himself, before looking back to where the being- where Palzerus- was. Kleos sighed, for a moment unsure of himself, before he forced himself to concentrate on the situation. "You'd better hurry up if you don't want the both of us to end up dead," he snapped, motioning to the exit.

[Anonymous]

Palzerus just liked to talk, and sometimes his mind wandered, but his mouth kept on going. Some, maybe not many, found it endearing, while most just found it annoying for that matter. It was just Pal though, harmless for the most part, and overly talkative. He only wanted friends, and he only wanted to be able to share his stories with people. Stories like what he had for breakfast two hundred years ago or how many rips and tears his robe has had. Inane things really, but they seemed all the more important to Pal. Mostly because someone was listening, someone was taking the time out of their day to actually listen to them.

Might as well give 'em a show for their penny.

Pal wondered idly why they hated magic users so much. It didn't make much sense to him. Maybe mages had caused a lot of trouble in the past, killed their leaders or some such thing like that. They couldn't just have blind prejedice to people who had innate magical abilities, could they? Were they really that uncivilized? Damned apes! Ruined everything for him. That's why he had to act fast, and act he did.

The wall of ice would serve to keep them at bay only for so long, before they found some way to fight it with whatever they had available at the time. Blasted farmers and townsfolk.

People on his planet feared the Wraith openly. Not only because of their spooky appearance, but because of their reputation. They openly condoned strict and controlled lives, murdering villages and town, laying waste to all living things, not very nice stuff. Pal of course, wasn't like his brethren, oh no, he could barely stand the sight of blood! That's why he was here, in this world, because he wanted to get away from them and their...ways of evil.

Pal's hands clenched tight as he looked toward the wall of ice, hearing the sounds of people trying to chip away. That ice wouldn't last forever, it was thick, but it could be broken. Damn it all! They were going to get him weren't they?! This doctor probably hated magic users and he'd help turn him in and then Palzerus would be no more! Everything was going wrong, he had to fight his way out but he couldn't. Pal began to prepare some sort of attack to hurt Kleos, but that's when he spoke, and Pal stopped in his tracks. He was going to help him.

He...was going to /help/ him.

Glory days were back again then!

Kitchen door. Kitchen door. Had to go to the kitchen door. Pal decided simply though to follow the doctor, who had a better knowledge of this house and where they were going. The kitchen! Safe so far. When they got to the back door, Palzerus prepared a spell. Nothing there. No one. They were still at the front. It was clear back here! Heh. Palzerus focused on creating some special little surprises as he started moving with Kleos. In his hand, four strange balls of fire. Pal took a deep breath and began to...juggle them.

"Hold on. They deserve a present." One. Two. Three. Four. He started chucking the strange fiery balls over the house, hearing with glee the surprised sounds as they started to call for water. While the fire balls weren't really all that dangerous, they could bounce around and light a goodly number of things on fire. Let's see them want to chase Kleos and himself while there was fire EVERYWHERE in the town. "Right! Off we go!" Pal picked up the pace, not seeming to walk beside Kleos, but glide alongside. He was floating technically on a small column of air and fog, leaving a strange trail that disappeared quickly behind him. "Thank you so much Mr. Kleos. Thank you really." Pal cast one more glance over his shoulder at the town, where a bit of smoke had started to rise, before he decided he shouldn't look back again.

Focus on ahead of them.

On getting away from it alive.

[Anonymous]

As he strode down the path from the back of his house, Kleos paused only once to look back. "Hold on?" he questioned, before he saw fire arcing from Palzerus' hands into the village. A chill of fear ran down his spine, he'd never thought that something like this would happen. And to be involved in it to this extent-

There was certainly no going back now.

Biting his lip, he turned back to the path and continued walking, trying to ignore the fact that Palzerus was floating just behind him. No matter how much he'd tried to convince himself in the past that everything would always turn out alright, he had a sinking feeling as he listened to the shouts behind him. Suddenly, Kleos wished he'd thought to bring along another cloak, or something to ward off the cold. Even so, to head back to his house would be near suicide.

He said nothing as the path turned into the woods, concentrating on keeping himself moving. How long had it been since he'd been forced to sleep out in the wild? At least a good few years, and then some, the doctor recalled wearily. He'd once been fitter than this, too, but that was a regret he'd have to get over quickly if he wanted to live the next few days out.

Once they were a good distance in, he stopped, allowing himself a chance to catch his breath and think. He'd aided a magic user who probably wasn't human at all and whom he'd seen manipulate fire and ice. He'd run from the village watchmen. He'd run with the magic user from the village watchmen. He was-

"Crazy. I've got to be crazy," he muttered darkly. "This, all this-"

This has to be the worst day I've ever had.

[Anonymous]

"Yeah, I got a present for the village idiots." Pal did love to cause trouble, and though these bouncing balls wouldn't do much damage, it would make the villagers think twice about coming after them. After all, would you rather track down a dangerous magic user, or stop your town from burning up? Usually people picked that second option, and he hoped these people did too. It had been such a nice looking place, he didn't want them to lose their homes and such because of him. Heh.

Then again, one person already /had/ lost a home because of him.

Pal turned his head slightly to go look at his new companion. A doctor none the less! How neat was that? It would help when Pal he got into trouble, you know, when he got hurt and what not. PLUS he could /talk/ to the man as well. How awesome was that going to be then? Pal was really going to enjoy this trip to...um...wherever it was tehy were going! Yeah! A new adventure without a set place to go then! Ah this would be absolutely terrific!

Really it would be absolutely normal for him as well.

He never knew where he was going, just...he knew that he was going.

"Nah, you're not crazy Doc. You're just really nice." They had stopped finally, quite a good distance from the small town, inside the forest once more. The Doctor...right...needed to breathe and couldn't go on forever now could he? Poor fellow. Had to eat as well. At least Pal wouldn't be too much of a bother. He could always stay in wraith form after all and feed off what magic there was. Kleos would need actual food, but they could worry about that later! Slowly Pal dropped his hood, changing right back into his human form again and stretching his leg.

"Ah, much better! Don't need a pressure bandage or a tonic anymore." Pal said happy as he tested the leg, putting a bit of pressure on it by walking about. Yep! Good as new!

"I'm um...really sorry to drag you into all of this Kleos. I didn't think I'd get caught...I probably shouldn't have come here cause I've ruined your life now since I'm sure people will talk about how their doctor ran away with a magic user...er...magic being. I wonder if they think I'm just a magic user and not an actual magical being. You humans get that mixed up all the times."