The Magic Within ((Brisinger!))

[CastlesInTheSky]

Ali nodded again to show his understanding. So he was quite a powerful mage then if he could summon such things. He was glad he didn't have to see one of these 'Shadows'. A zombie now seemed a lot less threatening. He hoped it didn't bite or maim anyone; he was fond of mortals.

"Okay." 40-70...As he began looking for a grave marker suitable, he found something odd. One of the graves was already torn up, dirt out of place and when he looked down into it the coffin was in pieces. He could feel some sort of magic there, but no idea about what kind.

"Was this your doing?"

[Brisinger987]

The grave had been ripped open. But dug out completely. An amateur mistake, one Xerordir knew to never make.

"Zombies only claw their way out so that they can fit out. This was an intelligent action. Not intelligent but deliberate. An amateur necromancer perhaps. Or a grave robber. LE us follow the tracks. Whatever they took was heavy, as they have left deep tracks." Xerordir pointed to the tracks. They lead away.

[CastlesInTheSky]

Ali peered cautiously into the hole before heading off with Xerodir to find gods know what. If it had been his choice, he'd probably be having a drink right now at the local tavern and entertaining. Not to say he didn't find this interesting, he just wasn't sure what they'd find or if it wanted to tear him limb from limb. Then again, Xerodir had two wishes left; therefore, he'd probably protect Ali to an extent. The tracks seemed to lead on for quite a while.

"So, Xerodir...how long have you been practicing magic?"

[Brisinger987]

How long HAD he been practicing magic? Xerordir had forgotten now, he had gotten hold of that book at around 6 years old.

How old was Xerordir? Xerordir didn't count his own birthdays or annual festivals around him. He simply did the only thing he knew how.

"I first picked up magic at about six years old. A basic elemental magic book, mostly offensive. No wards or resistance spells. Just point and shoot ones. Then when I was about 9 or 10, my mother became the sacrifice for a demon. The demon didn't accept the offering, and I ended up getting stuck with a magic book. Then I practiced necromancy, shadowmancy and demoncraft till my sister made me break, at which point, I failed to summon a demon, and I had to leave home. I can successfully summon demons now, and I still practice basic elemental magic and all forms of dark magic since then. So a long while. I don't count the years. It reminds me that I am mortal."

[CastlesInTheSky]

Ali nodded in response. Six? Well, he supposed he'd been using magic just as long. However, Ali could not use attack spells. There was usually no reason for him to fight with anyone, and he didn't like to anyway. He knew just enough to defend himself and be on his way. One part of Xerodir's story he found unsettling.

"You sacrificed your mother?"

[Brisinger987]

"My mother had a habit of going out and picking wild berries, me and my sister loved them. She was gone for an abnormally long time, so I was made to go and look for her by my sister. I came across her sacrificed body in the woods, getting a glimpse of the man that killed her. At the time I did not know how much of an honour it was to be a sacrifice for a demon. Now I do. The man fled, leaving behind a book of dark magic and necromancy. My mother was dead as I arrived, and nothing could save her. I sacrificed my sister though. Witch..."

[CastlesInTheSky]

Alright, so he wasn't a murderer of mothers. That made him look slightly less corrupted, ignoring the fact that he sacrificed his sister. There was no positive comment he could think of regarding that, so he decided to leave it be. Best not question the morals of a man he'd have to follow around for who knows how long.

"When you summon a demon, why do you do it? Do you ask them for assistance, favors, what?"

[Brisinger987]

There were hundreds of reasons he summoned demons.

"Mostly for my clients, those who wish to know dirty secrets, want assassinations done in an intimidating way, want to extort people. Any situation where a demon is needed to make sure the plan succeeds. I also make some of my clients eligible for my necromancy service." Veraxitoc studied the tracks.

"I wish these tracks would lead us somewhere of importance in the next 5 minutes."

[CastlesInTheSky]

Ali looked at the tracks himself, annoyed that they had been taking so long. "Yes, they have been going along for an awfully-" He ran smack into a tree that the tracks seemed to lead to. He backed up, feeling idiotic but too confused to care. "What...why do they lead to a tree?" He stared at it blankly. He looked up, but there was nobody in the tree. Where did they go? He looked at Xerodir for answers.

((OOC: haha you called him Veraxitoc in your post))

[Brisinger987]

Xerordir examined the tree. It was perfectly solid. "Perhaps the roots will give us some indication. There must be something." Xerordir put a hand on the ground. Nothing. Then he sniffed the air. Nothing...

Then he put an ear to the ground, and, hearing nothing, hit it. A hollow thud resounded.

"Something under the grass. Or perhaps the grass isn't real..." His hand traced for an edge.

[CastlesInTheSky]

Ali couldn't help but wonder what they had stumbled upon. Was it...some bandit place? Some storehouse? What? He kneeled down, poking at the grass to find where a door could be hidden. Nothing. Curiously, he walked to the other side of the tree. Suddenly the ground fell out beneath him.

Managing to grab onto the edge of the trapdoor that met the real ground, he called for Xerodir.

"I found it...sort of!"

[Brisinger987]

Xerordir ran to help Ali. He pulled the genie up, and looked down the hole.

"I think we should take a look. Don't you?" Xerordir jumped down the hole, to find a cage. And he was in it.

[CastlesInTheSky]

Ali had jumped along with him, and it appeared to have been a bad move. They were surrounded by bars that made up a somewhat roomy cage; in fact, they shared it with a couple other occupants.

A couple dead occupants.

Fortunately (as fortunate as sharing a cage with a couple of corpses could be), they were freshly dead and therefore didn't smell quite as bad. Ali wasn't particularly concerned about getting out. If Xerodir could melt a chicken, he could most certainly melt a cage. Or, Ali thought so.

He peered cautiously into the darkness surrounding the cage. Quietly he asked his companion, "What should we do?"

[Brisinger987]

"We wait. Whatever killed these people will come back for more. And we kill it." Xerordir took his knife and cut the arm off one of the bodies. He set it on fire and used it as a torch.

"We're alone."

[CastlesInTheSky]

Ali grimaced at the arm-torch. He couldn't say it wasn't resourceful, but...it reminded him all too much of something his brother would do. He couldn't help but think again it was a blessing that they hadn't met instead.

"What killed them, then?" He peered out the bars cautiously, not getting too close. He was reminded that he'd gotten in the middle of this just by bumping into some odd mage in Cerenis. Funny how fate worked.

[Brisinger987]

"If I knew that my dear djinn, I would be unlocking the cage. But I feel it is best if we wait for this threat to come to us. Bide our time and energy. Just keep a light on." Xerordir took his arm-torch and lodged it on a spike on the cage.

"I hope it isn't immortal. I just want it to be something normal. Or killable at least."