In higher spirits [M] (scythe nova)

[Anonymous]

It was snowing outside.
Attracted by the playful music of a flute, locals who had the time to spare and money to spend had been pretty constantly gathering inside the few inns present here.

Christina was no bard though and having spent almost a month cooped up in this place harbored that desire for a change in scenery.
Appropriate attire for the occasion was pretty much the only mandatory reason for staying and so her time here had been spent getting properly attired and enchanting these winter clothes. The wild yeti and snow cat leather had pretty much cost a small fortune but that investment would be well worth any prize.
She had obtained enough of it to make very flexible gloves, yeti hide boots and a pretty well trimmed white coat to repel harsh winter cold. Even enchanted them with patterns of heat and wind for that extra protection whenever she would require it. By now she was only distinguishable from the rest by virtue of being taller, having darker skin, long blonde hair and pointy ears.
Chatting and pulling returning hunters to side of the table with a few drinks and minor spells of persuasion had become commonplace, giving them incentive to talk about their hunting tracks around those areas where she desired information.

She had maps too but they were larger than what is useful once out and about.  
Her fortunes where not that great either, every day this week the cards said for her to wait and every day she. Today's prediction was that her fortunes would change but most of the day had passed already, staying put at the inn, sipping brew and playing dice with herself seemed to be what would take place until nighttime. Plow the cards, she would leave tomorrow even if the prediction was death.

[Scythe-Nova]

There were many things that annoyed Marius but not many that annoyed him as much as this goddamn weather, Much to Cold and way too windy. Luckily he had ways to counter theese things, Namely Ignis who were providing him with a personal shield of warmth. And since he had Ignis help him with the cold and the wind he had not bothered to put on Appropriate clothings for this enviroment and instead wore his normal clothes. He had recently gotten to the village where upon entering he had gotten many wierd glances for his choice of clothing, he had of course just ignored the people and marched straight towards the village inn where he stopped right outside the door.

-"You sure that your sibling should be around theese parts?"

He said and looked sideways at Ignis who appeared in it's small form besides him. Ignis nodded briskly and gestured towards the door with smiling eyes. Marius glared at Ignis briefly before putting out his hand and slammed the door open and walked into the inn looking around himself with an searching gaze and then stopped when he reached the counter and looked at the bartender standing behind it.

-"You there, Do you know of any highly spiritually areas or places in theese parts?!"

He said with an strong and loud voice to be heard over the sounds and alike.

[Anonymous]

"Highly spiritual?" The short yet buff innkeeper Valtera had come to know as Duval stroked his mighty beard and had a curious expression on his face. The man like every owner of an inn ever, had a mouth and loved using it.


The warlock found herself wondering what he might say to the young mage. Because only mages would ever wander in this cold weather with clothes that gave no obvious protection.

How did this man keep warm? and could he do so indefinitely? Only some really advanced spells could throw away such basic principles. Must have been taxing if he arrived by boat. A standard trip usually takes two weeks and then there was teleportation to circumvent that but as many mages often find, they cannot teleport to places you have not seen before.

The teleport stone slab she had used was an ancient contraption circumventing that but then he would have arrived at the basement of this inns cellar.

"Always a pleasure to see new guests arrive at me inn. Tis fine establishment in fact is a highly spiritual place. For just five Pips I could even share some of my finest brew, that can lift the spirits of any fellow regardless of what unfortunate circumstance he might find himself in.


Afterwards you might fancy that there Madam Sacqaws hot spring. Many a monk or paladin doing some spiritual journey take a bath there before headin out in the wilds. Must be something highly spiritual within the water."

" I tell you all off that fer free, but If non oh dat strikes yer fancy. You might try yer luck in the left corner. Reserved for returning hunters and fools lookin fer highly dangerous spiritual places. Though they usually charge for their information."

He had pointed to the right side like the Oaf he was and directly at her. Clearly he meant Christina Valtera Aard, Sixth generation Warlock and escaped Heir of Glass Charon was one of those fools but he meant no harm.


The man saw no good in having people of higher standards chase their fortunes in these lands. Dangerous enough for common folk he had said when the warlock had burst up from the basement and explained her situation to him.

He was almost like a worrying father trying to keep his silly boy at home rather than have him off soldiering.

[Scythe-Nova]

Marius waited patiently for the innkeeper to start talking but when he actually did Marius sighed heavily with an annoyed expression and started to tap with his foot on the floor impatiently.

-"..."

When he started to actually say what he wanted to hear he nodded briefly and turned towards the woman who sat in the corner and walked towards her without giving the innkeeper a second glance and stopped in front of the table the woman sat by.

-"Unless you're deaf i asume you heard that, so answer my question Are there any highly Spiritual Areas around here?"

He said with an monotone voice and expression while he sat down on a chair on the opposite side to the woman. a faint wind blowed when the hot air around Marius dispersed and spread out in the large room. He calmly leaned back at the backrest of the chair and looked at the woman with an slightly bored expression.

[Anonymous]

It was expected that this punk show up at her face with an attitude as if he was king of the world. Magic can do such things to mages, unless you humble them early in their development.  

Chewing on some really tasty meat that she had found in the bowl of stew
It was hard to do so, he stood out and was practically waving himself at her face so it did not take long before she glared back at him.

" How long can you hold that heat shield?"

A stack of large intricately designed cards landed on the table. The design was simple, a red background with the white skull of a goat weaved into a tribal pattern that ended up in a set of black dice spread across the edges. Her hand now above the deck as it shuffled itself.  

Three cards flew out.

 The magician represented this idiots past, confident and born with mastery of his own fate. Then the Fortune wheel representing present time. Two of cups signaled a relationship would form in the future. A union of two people.


She sighed and uttered a silent curse while truth dawned on her. As a result the door slammed into the wall. Snow and wind entered the small Inn and many got up from their seats struggling for some minutes to lock the door again.

Finally the door was shut again and things quieted back down.

"There are several places I could guide you to, give me more specific." A snap with her fingers, drew the barkeeps attention. Like a hawk he was in regards to the hunters. He held everyone here in high regard but this corner especially. He only served stew and Vodka here and she had already eaten.  Hopefully the point got across.

[Scythe-Nova]

-"...Long enough"

He simply answered and looked at the woman calmly, when the cards started to move he looked at them loosely and had an non caring expression. He raised his eyebrows when the woman sighed and when the door flew up he simply glanced over at the door and the people tring to close it.

-"I'm searching for The Great Spirit of Ice Glacialis"

He simply said and leaned towards her and looked at her calmly while his aura went back on again. He smiled slightly and looked at the woman sizing her up.

-"You think you can Find the place where it is?"

He said with a calm smile and a somewhat expecting gaze. "She looks capabel enough, I hope she is" He thought for himself and smiled a bit more.

[Anonymous]

"Long enough to do what? survive one of the many blizzards here while fighting off a few frost wraiths? Many a mage have perished in this cold. What makes you so impervious to it that you can spit mother nature in the face and think yourself the victor? This place is paradise for hunters of many kinds yet so far only fools or experienced tomb raiders have ever bothered trying. "

Valtera put the cards back in the chasing before pulling out the map from her bag. Everything on the table was quickly pushed to the sides and picked up by the innkeeper as he placed that nice bottle of vodka next to her.

Angry as she was at her future prospects, she gulped this mind numbing liquor to make a deplorable situation slightly more bearable. Gently while sipping more of this vodka her hand moved across the entire map.

First in the pattern of a hexagram then in the pattern of a whirlpool and back into the hexagram. Practiced movement from years of recital, she could do it in her sleep flawlessly. The map began glowing and her scribbles popped up on the map like weeds.

"There are plenty of ruins where Greater spirits could make a home for themselves. Do you know more than his name?"

[Scythe-Nova]

-"...I can hold it however long i want to... Because i have a force of nature at my disposal."

He simply answered and smiled somewhat amused at the woman. He looked at the map where woman started to preform some sort of magic, probably some divination type of magic. "That could be usefull later on..." He thought to himself and smiled wider and looked at the woman.

-"Not much is known about Glacialis except it often take a snow white wolf like form with three tails."

He explained with a somewhat friendly tone and smiled calmly at the woman. "Her powers are needed, i should get her to follow me through this journey" He thought to himself and continued to smile and looked at the bartender who were at their table.

-"I'll have one of those bottles too, I'm parched from this tedious travel"

He said and looked at the barkeep somewhat neutral and waited for him to response.

[Anonymous]

A force of nature on his side? Perhaps this idiot was not so useless as she first had assumed. One would wonder why such a thing would ever side with this kind of mage though.

"you intend to draw power from your spirit for weeks just to stay warm? Seems like a waste of his powers."

Powerful entities usually demand more of their host than other alternative methods. Insight into what he had done to have such a spirit serving him would be interesting to hear if only to pass time but now was not appropriate. They would have to get more comfortable with each others company first.

Her finger landed on the map, giving her goose bumps and sending chills down her spine. Apparently this great spirit was at the epicenter it all. Inhabiting what had once been a great city but was now in ruins.

 The intention had been to explore that place by herself but now there was a reason to have this bafoon tag along. Sure he might prove incompetent or really nice to have around, given the magnitude of what was currently under his control.


She shifted her weight, imposing herself more in his direction.

"Two weeks by horse into no man's land, If the weather is great. Only one village between us and your spirit, where we can fill water and get more food. I could get a more accurate location if you wish but then we need equipment that currently resides within my room."

"That is unless you plan on heading out with no guide and just a vague sense of what direction you should head in." She took another mouthful of Vodka, extended her hand out to Duval with coin for his hospitality and the vodka.

Packed the map back inside her coat and took both his bottle and hers towards the second floor where she had rented his biggest private room. A natural swagger in those hips as the alcohol took hold of her.

 Valtera was many things but not a heavy drinker to say the least and the men naturally avoided her, giving way fast and not sending a single comment her way. They did fear her presence still.

[Scythe-Nova]

-"..."

He seemed to pay no mind to the womans comment but instead looked at the map she had before her. He looked straight into the womans eyes the whole time smiling sligtly, His Hawkish yellow eyes followed the womans movements when she packed down the map and rose from her seat.

-"Heh... No i think your company will be quite entertaining"

He said and rose from his seat slowly following the woman casting a glance to her swaying hip and grinned somewhat. "Hmmm strong will and a sexy sway? I think this woman could prove to be very entertaining" he thought to himself and looked back up now with his normal smile again.

-"...What is your name?"

He then asked looking at her with a curious smile and looked at her waiting for an answer and an reaction.

[Anonymous]

Valtera stopped thoughtfully before turning halfway around so she could see his face. No matter his name he had shitty timing on everything except showing up in time to fulfill a prediction. Not at all well versed in manners was he?
Hopefully he would prove to not a brute in every sense of the word.

"Your name first."

This game could continue out of range from prying ears so she carried on up the stairs and opened the door to her room with speed and grace befitting those of fae ancestry before he could utter a response.

Her room was just like she had left it. Like a small study a few open books and paper scrolls lying on both the large bed intended for two people and some half more mess spread across the table.

 A compass, some drawings of various monsters and whatever books or scrolls with written information of the land lay spread across the fairly large room. It even had two giant shelves obviously meant for books and a rack to put scrolls yet it seemed empty for some reason.

The giant carpet had been rolled into a corner revealing various patterns carved into the wood, patiently drawn over with charcoal. The pattern almost like one giant complex entity and yet pieces of it looked separate enough to be used on its own.

A large royal staff of oak, enhanced with a large and several small dark green jade crystals gave its greetings when a prematurely placed spell of security faded. Like the deafened screams of a thousand angry souls.

She put her coat on the coat hanger next to the staff, placed the bottles of vodka on the table and headed for the wardrobe to fetch three giant copper tinted mirrors for a spell of accuracy she would perform later this night.

[Scythe-Nova]

-"Ah..."

He were taken aback somewhat by her reply and smiled somewhat more intruiged and followed her up the stairs.

-"I guess that's only fair, My name is Marius Wynter the current head of the House of Wynter"

He said with a wide smile as they entered her room, He looked about the room noticing the many books, scrolls and general mess in the room. He closed the door behind them and turned back to the woman looking at her with his usual smile.

-"So Now what is your name?"

He said while his cape lifted from his back and were hung on the coat hanger as if a ghost had done it. Some seconds later A small flame appeared in the air besides Marius and formed into the small form of Ignis who made itself visible. Ignis simply floated in the air looking at the woman with it's large green eyes while small cinders floated in the air around it making it look like Ignis had a glimmering aura around itself.

-"This is The Great Spirit of Fire Ignis my Spirit Champion"

Marius Simply said and gesticulated towards Ignis who looked at Marius slightly before looking back at the woman with an empty glance.

((Hehe Ignis can't show much emotion XD))

[Anonymous]

Focusing on the task at hand, she hardly batted an eyelid his direction until he insisted so rudely. He could not even wait for a lady to take her time?
Whoever raised him to become head of their house must have been the most airheaded folk in the world. So she abandoned the mirrors almost like a dancer abandons a partner to once again stare into the eyes of Lord Marius Wynter while smiling at the thought of her being the tallest of the two.


" Elen síla lumenn' omentielvo* sire. I am Lady Christina Aard, heir to house Valtera of Jadenshine. May I inquire where the lands you govern are located?" She finished the sentences with a slight courtesy. Showing him the proper etiquette he had denied her.

She gave him his bottle of vodka back before acknowledging the spirit too. Inspecting it more closely but quickly lost interest in just observing. "so you are championing the Great Spirit of fire Ignis? What are his intentions with this travel?"

Did they intend to bring back Gaia the elemental overlord? She wondered once again what kind of deal had been made between the two and to what exactly Marius knew about these spirits. She took another mouthful of the alcohol. Each sip making the situation more tolerable and pleasing to the mind.

* =A star shines on the hour of our meeting

[Scythe-Nova]

-"Pedich Edhellen?*, Ah in La'Marri."

Marius said somewhat suprised by Christina but shook his head briefly and looked at her with a somewhat friendly smile and took the bottle of vodka she offered back to him.

Marius:"Hantale,** Then i guess Chris will do for a nickname?"

Ignis:"Don't you think you should at least show her some respect?"

Marius:"Oh will you shut it?... Fine Christina then"

Marius and Ignis argued and looked at eachother before looking back at Christina when she talked to Ignis who looked sideways and looked somewhat annoyed and embarassed while Marius laughed a bit at Ignis reaction.

-"Ignis has no reason other than following my path and will"

Marius said with a twisted smile while Ignis gazed at him with a somewhat angry look but quickly looked away when Marius looked at Ignis. He shook his head again and took a sip of the vodka he had and looked back at Christina with an almost friendly smile.

-"So what do we have to do to locate Glacialis?"

He asked and put away the vodka bottle on the table while looking at Christina with an intruiged expression.

*=You speak Elvish?
**=Thanks

[Anonymous]

" Tancave*, I have not had the pleasure of venturing that far west but I am sure you could tell me all about it if we ever end up taking shelter from a blizzard.".
Valtera almost spat out her next mouthful of alcohol when he shortened her name but managed to restrain herself elegantly and then wished she could hide surprise when he outright admitted to enslaving a Greater spirit. To her this was unheard of and rather silly.

He had to have been starving for more power to even debate fighting one and now that she had been caught in surprise there was no reason to remain civil. She put the bottle away for now, with news like this there was no need for more drink. Less would actually be preferable. This drink was the devil in disguise.


"You enslaved a greater spirit of fire?"  
It was absurd was it not? Was he a master magician? "How on earth did you manage that?"
She wished to shake the answers out of his corpse right now, but was met with that half smile and an impatient voice asking for how she would track down the other spirit. Glacious so she went back  to her mirrors and circles of power.

." Most spirits are connected through the realm of energy, that energy can be directed to find and track down its every inhabitant." So she danced and weaved patterns of light that lingered on in the physical realm before being drawn into the mirrors.

The dance was pretty complex so she had closed ears, ignoring anything on the outside until everything was finished. The circle now ablaze with light as if it was the sun. She  as the only darkness here, an intruding Moon. Snowflakes and harsh wind rushed out of the mirrors threatening to break the spell but she held her stance

 "Now you may enter the circle and grab hold of me while looking into the light! if you wish to confirm its existence with your own eyes!"

It was a sight to behold that was certain.


* = Yes.

[Scythe-Nova]

Marius smiled even wider when he saw the suprise in her eyes and he even laughed a bit. She she stated what he had done and then asked how he did it he smiled more slyly and looked at her.

-"Well i guess you'll se how when i enslave Glacialis"

He said and gaze at Ignis who turned it's head away from him, Whe she started to talk about how to locate Glacialis he looked back at her with a very interested gaze.

-"..."

When she started dancing and weaving a spell he looked at her with an amused expression and tried to measure her curves with his eyes. "I think i could get used to this woman, Maybe i should take her with me on the two other trips as well" He thought silently and looked at Christina with an very intruiged gaze. When she told him to enter the circle he smiled wickedly and took determined and bold steps into the circle and grabbed hold of Christina and held on tight while looking into the light.

[Anonymous]

All around Christina was an illusion of the real world. The angry wind and the cold snow. An impressive sight that she let linger waiting for Marius and when their hands met a warmth of sorts could be felt.
 Yet it was just physical warmth, she had wished for a warmth that could penetrate this chilling darkness falling directly upon her exposed soul as it followed the strings of another soul.
That of the spirit named Glacialis.


This was not the first time she had brought with her an observer, many times during her stay in The Furnace she had been subjected to milder forms of torment and pleasure while finding the soul of her choosing so it was not like she worried too hard about him interrupting the process.

"before the curse of Fell ravaged the lands this might have been a great city once. Nature now tears at it with every waking hour. A sight to behold if you ever take the time to watch these decades of her work."  
She moved her around observing from a distance. Getting used to the feel of this place and the cold before descending into the ruined city.

It was a ghost town in every sense of the word. Wraiths even gathered out in what could only have been a courtyard or marketplace to howl with the wind and shriek their damned hymns.
They did not dally around for long, quickly they where guided into one of the few towering buildings left standing and then a set of unstable stone stairs. On the bottom of those stairs an endless set of icy corridors greeted them.


They could see large lumbering Yetis wandering the place, sleeping in a few of the corridors or vanishing behind corners and spent more than a moment wandering around trying to locate their prize.

 There He was, a large three tailed wolf playing with the Yeti offspring.
Blessed by the spirit realm itself this beast should eventually notice them and so her mind began entering an unbreakable trance while slowly moving forward.

"This is Glacialis and its essence is being conveyed through these mirrors. Our souls will merge and we must fully connect to track him down in the physical realm." Was the few last words she could afford to speak before completing this mental preparation that was mandatory in order to perform a proper soul collision.
 
A state of mind had now been formed where mere seconds would feel like hours and the world as we know twists until your very own soul can be freely manipulated, only connected to the real world and the physical self with a set of overly complicated magical chains.



She could see every detail in all of its splendor. The whiteness of Glacialis and his fur flowing in the wind, while playfully tackling one of the yeti children. The impact shaking the very foundations of this ruin and the two creatures shaking along. Like watching an earthquake.
The spirit eventually rose back up and barked playfully, obviously paying her very little heed but that would soon change.

[Scythe-Nova]

-"..."

Marius looked about in the "Illusion" with a slight amazement of the size of the ruins and their carvings. His open mouth soon curled into a wicked smile when they started moving towards the ruins. "So this is where we will be going? Looks like some good fun." He thought to himself and looked about on the many Yetis before a chill went down his spine and he frowned irritated. He exhaled heavily and a strong heat surrounded them both as blue transparent flames started dancing on their clothing and skin. The flames did not burn but they were warm, not too warm but pleasantly warm.

-"Ah, thats better..."

He stated and looked at Christina for a moment when she talked again and then looked towards Glacialis and now again a wicked smile crept upon his face. He stared at Glacialis with a frightening gaze and let go of Christina with one of his hands that he reached out with and held it so that from his point of view it looked as if Glacialis stood on his palm.

-"Hold your freedom dear as long as you can, because i'm comming after you, and i wont fail in enslaving you"

He said with a very frightening voice almost as if he were possesed by an evil demon. He lowered his hand and took hold of Christina again while still keeping his eyes on Glacialis.

-"Wait.. Connect? oh well if you say so, well then will this do?"

He said and looked at her when he remembered what she had said and shifted himself a bit placing himself before her and then placed his lips on hers kissing her in a experienced manner.

[Anonymous]

The two souls had circled each others like a whirlwind until ending up in the eye of the storm. His soul like a white desert landscape filled with raging storms and hailstorms. Nature in her full glory faced her head on and she plunged into it like an arrow sent from a longbow.


Glacialis howling at her had begun breaking past the point of insanity, but the crash was inevitable and she was merely observing it happen. The world exploded in the full spectrum of a rainbow, a breathtaking scene where she became a drop of rain plunging into the vast ocean, causing ripples large and wide enough to flood the lands of this monstrosity.


She was drowned in his greatness and could not help but awe while the world around her exploded, shattering into tiny bright rainbow fragments.
The world around her grew dark when she grabbed hold of one such fragment, like ice it melted into her, they both now shared parts of each others.


Having done the deed a return to the physical realm was forced upon her by the strength of a long forged magical rope. Pulling the soul back to its body with quite the speed.

Coldness was her first sensation as the trance began fading.
It was unique in a sense that her body felt incredibly cold so the room felt burning hot. Obviously smacking her soul right into a frost spirit with this immense a power would leave more than the usual markings. Their souls crashing had given her part of his powers or at least she sensed a wildness rummaging inside her that had not been there before.

She felt like an icicle, melting away in the warmth of another body.
"Mmm??" Instinctively she had tried draw breath but instead nearly bit off her own tongue, battling for control over it with an intruder.
What was going on?


Nostrils ablaze with sudden desperation for air she shoved him away while tripping backwards. Not wanting to fall she kept dragging Marius along for a weird tumble.
Twisting like a snake, even with these weak knees, refusing to give into gravity when every ounce of it called the both of them towards the floor.

The smoothing kiss broke but rather than let go in an attempt to regain balance a pincher hug clamped his head into her chest like a cat not wanting to get wet. "What in the reapers name is going on?"
Heaving for air the warlock finally caught her bearing somewhat and managed to utter the sentence.

Gravity finally decided enough was enough and sent the pair towards the ground with no way to escape. A crash landing ensued.

[Scythe-Nova]

Marius held the kiss a long time before he suddenly were shoved back by Christina, He instinctly tried to turn in the fall to reduce the fall but he were pulled back again by Christina but this time he fell with her instead. He now found himself with his face buried in Christina's breast and despite it being a quite comfortable place to be he found himself trying to free himself from her grip, but as he realized the comfort in her chest he relaxed and before he knew it they were lying on the floor with him on top of Christina still with his face buried in between her breasts.

-"Don't know but i find it Comfortable"

He said with a grin on his face and tried to look up on Christina but decided not to and just stayed as he were.

-"So do you know how to get to Glacialis? ...I don't mind if you wanna stay like this for a while though"

He then said and nuzzled himself a bit closer between her breasts. Ignis who still floated about looked at the two when they fell out of the light and tilted it's head to the side in confusion.

Ignis:"So did you find my Siblling?"

Marius:"I think she did."

He smiled when he heard Ignis voice before slipping out of Christina's grip and now sat astride her looking down on her with a amused smile on his face.

-"They're Nice"

He simply said and looked at her for a reaction still with the same smile on his face.