Call It Luck, Call It Fate [M] [NotSarcastic]

[Imperfect_M]

Fate, chance, destiny, call it what you will. It has a funny way of its machinations, if you're inclined to believe that there is an order to this madness called "life."

The Winter Knight Taernichanthach had been looking for something to boost her spellcasting: A meeting place of ley lines. The natural lifeblood of a world flowed beneath its surface like a vast and complicated root system or the blood vessels of some great and mighty creature. To drink from these rivers of magic was a common practice among mages, but tracking down and taking from a meeting of these rivers... That was a different thing entirely. Taernichanthach sought power, and taking from a confluence of ley lines would be quite the boon to her inherent magical might.

Finding the place was easy. While most of the folk of this plane had very few ways of perceiving the natural magic that ran over their world, a Faerie could easily track it. Being a creature literally made and bound of magic, Taernichanthach could see, hear, and feel the ley lines running beneath her feet as if she was stepping lightly along a gently-flowing creek. Following that flowing creek through the verdant forests of Northern Serendipity was a simple, perhaps even relaxing walk. The Fae Knight was fleet of foot, and light of step. Vegetation parted and made way for her passing, and her footfalls produced no sound nor left no print in the dirt. Here, in these wintry woodlands, she was most at home. She finally reached a cave entrance at the foot of the mountains to the north.

Finding the place was easy. Dealing with its jealous warden would be the hard part.

A Giant, practically aglow with magic lumbered from the cave mouth, wielding a small tree fashioned into a club. Ten feet tall, heavily muscled, eyes and veins glowing blue with the power of the wellspring he guarded. His wandering out was no accident... He knew Taernichanthach was here.

The Fae knight approached, silvered mithril longsword in hand. The Giant responded by doing what any territorial, magically-hyped-up Giant would do upon seeing an intruder: He tried to kill her.

"Little Faerie..." the Giant rumbled, "Eat... Faerie..."

Taernichanthach was expecting this Giant to be stronger, tougher, and hardier than his kind, but what she wasn't expecting was for the Giant to unleash a barrage of ice shards in her direction before lighting his tree-club aflame. The Faerie twitched a brow and the ice shards stopped short, floating in the air as she re-assessed... This fight would be tougher than normal.

The shards were returned to their sender, and they struck true in the Giant's chest; not that he noticed. His thick hide had done well to catch those icy splinters... But they froze in his chest; even if they only made it into him a little, the shock of frozen blood would hurt.

The Faerie and the Giant clashed, the Giant's massive, fiery club sundering the ground where it landed. Taernichanthach gracefully danced out of the path of the Giant's swings, dealing cuts with her sword with each retreat. Magic had proven frustratingly ineffective against the Giant's warded flesh, hexes of slowing or curses to slow the great foe down or at least slow its attack did all of nothing. The Winter Knight opted for something more direct: She lashed at the Giant with her wind magic, winds so focused and sharp that they cut like razors. The Giant's hide was strong, and its wards only made it stronger. Taernichanthach clenched her jaw in irritation; no matter how many times her blade bit into his flesh, the creature refused to fall. She had had enough.

The Giant swung, and once more did the Fae evade. But this time, she latched onto the Giant's outstretched arm. Her swiftness and agility carried her upwards, past the wrist, to the shoulder...

Silvered mithril sang, and the thief stole one of the Giant's eyes.

The Giant roared, and Taernichanthach tumbled to the ground with feline grace. She landed and redoubled the attack as the Giant recoiled. But she had hyperfocused. An errant swing from the Giant's other arm caught her mid-step and sent her dazed and reeling. She landed in a heap some distance away, her vision blackened with stars as she tried to catch her senses. She had come up just in time to see the Giant's attack, that flaming tree-club already descending by the time she saw it coming. It was nothing her reflexes could not handle.

Call it cruel fate, call it horrific destiny. Centuries of training, honing one's senses... But even an apex predator can fall victim to simple, terrible luck.

Taernichanthach's heel caught a stone, and rather than move out of the arc of the Giant's swing, the Faerie tumbled onto her back, staring up at a Giant about to crush her beneath the swing of a salvaged, burning tree.

"What are the chances," Taernichanthach humorously wondered, "That I would end like this..."

[NotSarcastic]

Eiden had to admit, he was bored. He trudged through the rocky ground. He wanted adventure, this was why he came here. Yet all he seemed to be able to find was rowdy taverns and the occasional bandit camp. There was something about this place though. Something that made him feel invigorated, his innate magical ability felt like it wanted to get out. He just knew his spells would be stronger, and he could cast more before his mana got depleted. His blood felt warmer somehow in his veins. Since he had nothing better to do he let his intuition guide him, he followed this feeling of strength to where it would grow stronger.

He must have trekked for a day or two through Northern Serendipity; usually he would have tired to find some paying work but something inside him pushed him to keep going. He couldn't help a nagging voice wondering if all the time was worth it. He was getting close. The northern mountains were in view. Upon his approach he could hear the crashes and grunts of battle. When he narrowed his eyes he could see a faint orange glow dancing in the distance. This could be exciting!

With a spring in his step and a slight smile on his face he strode to the mouth of the cave. He observed a tower of a giant battling with... was that a faerie? He could hardly believe it, he had only seen fae a few times and only then from a distance. To see one in battle was something to behold indeed. However she seemed to be having some trouble with her foe, he sensed the giant's hide; tough and magic resistant as it is; had additional protective wards. A tough foe indeed. He noted the dark splashes on the ground and the giant's empty eye socket with something of a smile.

As he got closer the scene became clearer. Immediately, his body tensed up. The faerie had fallen. What shitty luck he thought to himself. The giant was side on to his position as he broke into a run. It was moments from crushing the faerie beneath its club, if Eiden didn't do something then a terrible waste of immortal life would partly be on his shoulders. He focussed his energy, and felt his power increase with each step toward the cave. He shaped the bright purple, crackling energy into a long, vicious spike. The gian's wards had weakened with the battle and loss of its eye, and it was now channelling more of its energy into his swing.

He lept skyward, and formed small platforms under his feet, 'stepping' upward through the air toward the giant. He thrust his spell toward the giant, and it struck true. The spike sank into the giant's skull, temple to temple. As Eiden landed, the flaming club dropped harmlessly to the ground. The huge creature stumbled stupidly for a few moments, the spike still crackling in its head before its remaining eye rolled backward and it fell to the ground.

He approached the fae. Despite the raging battle she only seemed slightly bruised and out of breath. 'This seems almost too much of a coincidence.' He smiled, and offered a hand to help her to her feet.

[Imperfect_M]

All the stages of grief assessed and experienced in mere fractions of a second. Taernichanthach reached acceptance and closed her eyes, waiting for that baleful, fiery tree to fall and crush her into powder.

    To be brought low by such a simple opponent... How droll...

    But the strike never came. Instead, she opened her eyes to the cacophony of magic. An unknown caster drove a crackling purple lance through the Giant's head. It shattered the ambient wards surrounding the great creature and impaled his head, in through one side and out another. The Giant convulsed and dropped its club, the magical fire wreathing it extinguished as it thumped against the earth. Like a tree that had been cut down, the Giant stumbled to a side before crashing to the ground with finality, his body finally stilling and the glowing blue of his magic fading from his form.

The unknown mage approached and offered the Faerie a hand as she sat there dumbfounded. Chestnut hair, blue eyes, a facial scar inflicted by some kind of blade... And he, too, was practically glowing with magic. Taernichanthach twitched her long ears is suspicion; she could physically see his power, hear the energy crackling like electricity around him. She suspected that the glowing, humming mote hidden underneath his tunic and the crackling, arcing thing around his wrist may have had something to do with her perceptions. She felt tingling along her flesh as her own ambient magic felt a distinct pressure against it. Little blue arcs danced across her form as the meeting of two fields of magic created a physical effect.

"This seems almost too much of a coincidence," the mage commented with a smile. His hand was still outstretched to help her up.

Taernichanthach evened her breathing and simply stared at the Human standing over her, her pupils narrowing into cat-like slits. She was alive, and that was surprising... But the shock of reality quickly set in as the Fae realized that perhaps there was something truly terrifying:

This Human stranger had saved her life, which meant she owed him something. Anything she could offer he could compel her to give. The supernatural Laws demanded it.

It must have shown on her face, as her eyes widened, her brows raised, and her ears perked with the shock.

"Curse it all..." she mumbled.

Without taking the mage's offer of aid, Taernichanthach rose to her feet. In an eerie display of just how light the Fae are on their feet, she went from laying on her back to standing on her feet simply by... Pushing off the ground. No getting one's knees underneath them, no rolling onto a more stable position, simply up from the ground to a stand.

"Too much of a coincidence indeed," Taernichanthach grumbled, her voice like a winter breeze, "You have saved my life, Human. Make your wish and be done with it. What would you have? Riches, power, knowledge?"

Taernichanthach had assumed this stranger already knew at least some of the Fae's Laws. She owed him a debt in exchange for her life; and she hoped that his wish would be simple and easy to fulfill. As an Archfey, Taernichanthach loathed someone having power over her... And she knew that if he demanded her True Name, he would be able to compel her forever. Oh how disappointed the Pale Queen would be...

[NotSarcastic]

The feeling of power grow ever stronger as he approached. He felt the magic crackle in his veins. He had a feeling it's only because of his increased power and the giant's weakened wards that his strike had killed it. This faerie was lucky, very lucky indeed. His eyes widened slightly as he saw their two auras interact in the air. He had never seen magic act in this way, he didn't know it could dance in the air like this, could manifest of its own accord without the use of a spell. Eiden was still young and studying magic, there were many things he didn't know and magic never failed to fascinate him.

His expression faltered as he noted her frown and blatant refusal of his outstretched hand. Now he's close up he realised just how different the faeries looked to most other races he'd come across. Pale skin, a demeanour which is graceful without trying. Pure white hair and finely crafted, ageless armour. He could feel the power pulsate in her proximity. it was a different kind of power he;d sense in other beings. It was more part of her. There is a difference between magic one learns and is born with, and magic which is inherent to one's species, Eiden smiled, always loving to learn.

At her response, though Eiden barely suppressed a scoff. He'd heard from others on his travels that faeries had a superiority complex, were aloof and intentionally kept themselves separate from others so as not to mix with the common rabble. Eiden hated to stereotype but right now, she was making that easier said than done.

Her next phrase however, caught him off guard. A simple thank you and maybe a few coin would have been fine. But a wish? He had to admit his knowledge of fae culture was limited and this was something he was unfamiliar with. If Eiden was going to make money, increase his knowledge or grow his power he would do so himself and on his own terms, not exploit a faerie who needed help. Cutting corners was not Eiden's style.

"I didn't know a wish was on the card. All I did was help you out". He sort of blurts his words. He was truly taken aback. If anything he needed a companion. he'd been wondering almost aimlessly for a while now and having a faerie by his side, a powerful one at that would certainly not go amiss. "Sorry, could you explain to me what's going on." he caught himself. He was always taught good manners. "My name's Eiden, and you are?" His voice is amicable enough, he hoped to defuse the situation. This faerie didn't seem to appreciate his actions at all, not even a thank you. It seemed petty but he didn't have to save her. It's all her can do to stop himself scowling.

[Imperfect_M]

Taernichanthach brushed past Eiden as she moved towards the mouth of the cave, her silent footfall barely even disturbing the grass she tread upon.

"I didn't know a wish was on the card. All I did was help you out," the Human blurted out, "Sorry, could you explain to me what's going on? My name's Eiden, and you are...?"

This one didn't know...

The Archfey stopped mid-step, sword still in-hand. She sighed a puff of mist as she looked over her shoulder at this "Eiden."

"... Tay," she said flatly before turning to face the Human. No Faerie in their right mind would surrender their True Name to someone, even that of a close friend or family; nicknames, epithets, or plays on their True Name's meaning stood in instead. "I am indebted to you, Human," she explained.

Her facial features became still, and her gaze drifted off as if she was looking through Eiden instead of at him.

"For a favor performed, or a life saved," Taernichanthach explained. Her voice seemed... Distant; as if she was reciting some ancient poem. The truth was that this recital of the Laws was something each and every Faerie knew instinctively. From the moment they are born to the moment they pass into the Hereafter, these Laws are as familiar to them as their own bodies. "Whatever is in my power to give shall be granted." As the Archfey spoke those words, there was a gentle resonance in the air, as if even simply reciting the Laws invited their nigh-unbreakable power.

Animation returned to Taernichanthach's visage and she shook her head as if to rouse herself from a daze. "So do not waste my time. Make your wish!" she barked, "My life may be endless, but my patience is not."

It was the young Faerie's hope that by rushing Eiden and pushing him, he would make some inconsequential wish of her and she could be on her way. Nothing good has ever come from giving Mortal folk time to think about what they want. But... In truth, each second that passed only made Taernichanthach more and more nervous. Mortal indecision invited chaos, and uncontrolled chaos is a terrifying force. She thought and mused on what he could possibly want; the hamster ran on the wheel and each time the Archfey turned her thoughts over, her nerves only strained further with anxiety. Though she did quite well to hide it...

In some vague attempt to mask her intentions, Taernichanthach turned on a heel and continued on into the cave. She had things to do and waiting on a Human's indecision was not going to stop her from achieving what she set out to do.

The cave's entrance reeked of death. Scattered bones and rotting meat littered the place. Clearly the Giant had been living here awhile... Whatever trinkets it had taken a passing fancy to were just as scattered as its meals. A destroyed cart- once laden with goods it looks like- lay destroyed at one side of the entrance; its unfortunate driver and guards having been clubbed to death and turned to meals for the Giant's near-insatiable appetite.

But this cave was not simply dark and disgusting... Towards the back of the cave glowed a soft blue light from somewhere in the cave floor. It bathed the cavern with a comforting glow like that of a lantern. And even back here, the stench of death and rot fell away.

Taernichanthach could feel her strength surge with each step as she approached. The light came from a pool in the cave floor; the water therein thrumming with power. Here it was... The confluence of the leylines. The Giant must have been drinking from this font of magical energy for years for it to have developed the power to cast spells... The poor fool. Taernichanthach looked up to the cavern's ceiling; crystals of all sizes lined the walls and ceiling, refracting the light from the pool into a dazzling array of colors. The pool emanated with primal magic, and yet despite the sheer volume of mana saturating the air, this font of primal magic felt... Comforting. The gentle vibrations in the ground, the slowly dancing lights, the quiet hum heard in the air...

"Here it is..." Taernichanthach sighed, "This will prove useful."

[NotSarcastic]

They made eye contact as she moved past him. He had to assume this was an ancient Faerie custom, he could understand. If a human saved another human they would likely try to repay them. Life seemed to be a lot more scared to the Faeries. Eiden guessed with there's being everlasting and not knowing what waited for them after death, it would be. Hence the offer of a wish.

His brow furrowed. Her eyes seemed distant and lacked the same sense of connection Eiden was used to when making eye contact. There was a lot about this Faerie which made him feel uneasy, not someone he could see himself forging a long term friendship with if it ever came to that. At least at this point anyway.

A wish was not to be taken lightly. He didn't want to keep her waiting but there was no way he would rush his decision. This might be the first and only chance in his life he could use something like this. He would not waste it on material things. He pondered this and found himself following the Faerie. She couldn't exactly just abandon him, her oath prevented her.

Eiden found himself feeling rather lost. Many humans dream of a chance like this and seem to have clear ideas of what they'd do with it. Now that Eiden had the chance, his usually sharp brain was drawing a blank. The smell doesn't bother him too much, he was too lost in his own thoughts to notice the crunching of bones under his leather boots too.

He's brought out of his stupor by a rush of power in his veins. Many times stronger than before. His hands glowed with energy waiting to be unleashed. This is what has guided him here, the source of the feeling which led him to this spot. It's only now Eiden realised the beauty of the place he was in. The crystals making the multicoloured light dance on the walls, which weaved beautifully with the light from the pool. He traced a small sign in the air with a hand absentmindedly, which would mark this location on an enchanted map in his bag.

This pool was meant to be drunk from. It practically begged Eiden to drink from it. He knelt next to the pool, and cupped his hands. "Best hope it isn't poisonous to either of us" he joked with a smile. Without another word he scooped up some of the water and gulped it down. He instantly felt a surge of power. He felt changed, the magical energy within him was different, bigger, stronger. Arcane energy arced from one hand to the other. He felt like his spells would be more potent, last longer and cast more easily. He could hear his own heart beating, see the individual grains of dirt on his boots, taste the buzzing energy in the world around him, the slightest breeze from the mouth felt like a gust and despite the magical energy cleaning the air, the faint smell of death still invaded his nostrils. This was amazing. He'd never felt like this before!

He couldn't just leave it here. Eiden clicked both fingers and a glass vial from his bag appeared in each. He unstoppered both and filled them with the liquid. It looked light sunlight in liquid form. His breathing was shallow as he replaced the stoppers,  he couldn't suppress the wide smile on his face. The vials glow purple and vanish, back into his bag. These would be very useful indeed. He turned to Tay, curious to see if the impact would be any different if she drunk some.

[Imperfect_M]

Eiden drank from the font, and its effect on him was immediate. He recoiled from the surge of strength- both physical and magical- and the rush of euphoria was clear on his expression. He hurriedly went about bottling some of that liquid mana in a vial, grinning like a child on a holiday morning. His excitement was obvious as he looked back at Taernichanthach, still standing at the pool's edge and staring into it with those pale, cat-like eyes.

She slowly sheathed her sword in its scabbard on her back and unbuckled the sword belt across her chest. Given how the scabbard and belt ran -through- her cloak, if she was to remove it, she'd need to get through her own layers first.

Without taking her eyes off the font, Taernichanthach doffed her sword and cloak, the heavy mantle of lynx fur and snowy owl feathers falling around her ankles in a heap. The mithril scales of her armor glinted and glimmered in the dancing lights as she stood staring like one hypnotized.

"Turn away," she breathed. The remark was aimed at Eiden, though she gave no indication of it other than the context that he was the only other one present.

With a simple twitch of her ears, the Fae conjured a screen of light between herself and the mage. Her form blurred to nothing but only a vague, pale silhouette; like that of someone with extremely poor eyesight. With her screen in place, Taernichanthach undressed.

Rather than drink from the font, the Archfey descended into it. It wasn't very deep; having submerged Taernichanthach to about mid-thigh. But even from there, she had to acclimate to it. She was a creature made of magic, created by it, bound together by it. The Fae folk perceived the lifeblood of a world in such a way that it was a living part of them. Just standing in this confluence of the leylines set her blood alight with a glowing blue beneath her flesh. The glow in her blood slowly rose from her legs, permeating throughout her form.

Taernichanthach crossed her hands over her chest. And like the act of crossing from the Fae realm to this world... She took a deep breath, and let herself fall backwards into the pool. She exhaled, sinking to the bottom and laying there for a few moments, taking in as much power as she could stand. She felt a surge of... Everything. She was at home in the cold, and yet even still the gentle cold of the water sent quiet jolts over her body. The chill sank into her flesh and into her blood. She felt everything around her. She felt the resonance in every stone, every crystal, every surface of the cave. She felt all that power turn to prana in her own blood, surging with an ancient power, a power older than even the eldest of her people. The Archfey didn't just feel power; for just a moment, she and the lifeblood of this world were one.

So this... This is a taste of the Pale Queen's might...

She finally rose from the pool, her blood still alight with blue beneath her pale flesh. Her eyes glowed with the same magical energies around her. She stood and tilted her head back, letting out a slow, breathy laugh that carried both euphoria and relief. This... This was to drink from Life Itself.

She stepped out, the water on her body freezing and sloughing off as she redressed in her garments and mithril armor. With her cloak and sword belt buckled and fastened, the Archfey dropped the magic screen she conjured between herself and Eiden. Her eyes and blood still glowed with prana, and somehow her demeanor seemed... More. She was no different, but she seemed to be more of herself as she- for the first time- looked at Eiden instead of through him. Energy and lightning raced across her form and danced in the space between the two of them.

"If not power, wealth, or knowledge," said she Archfey, her voice echoing and reverberating like that of a winter gale trapped in a mountain pass, "Then what, pray, do you desire?"

[NotSarcastic]

He obliged her request to turn away only too soon. The good manners he was taught growing up still held strong in his mind. He used this small amount of time to himself to ponder what his wish would be. The only thing that kept coming up in his mind was companionship he wanted adventure, to do the right thing but he felt like he needed someone to share that with. Who could take him on adventures, and whom he could travel with. It didn't have to be permanent. But since striking out on his own, Eiden had been lonely.

He looked up; not in Tay's direction; when he heard the splashes, and Tay's laugh. So she does have a sense of humour he thought to himself exhaling through his nose and smirking. She was bathing in the font. It hadn't occurred to Eiden that he should do that. It felt wrong, like he'd bee tainting it somehow. I guess as a creature born of magic, Tay felt right at home.

Tay had dressed and in her gaze, he noticed that she actually seemed to be acknowledging him, and, probably for the first time realised what he looked like. His eyes occasionally following the sparks between them, he replied "I guess, just someone to go on adventure with" He felt stupid saying it. "Ever since I came here so I could practice magic without prejudice, I've searched for adventure and knowledge. It's just I hadn't considered how lonely that could get."

"So if anything, it doesn't have to be a permanent arrangement, I just need a companion. You can refuse, of course." His voice trailed off and he became more engrossed with the sparks between them. To be honest he didn't care that much about his wish anymore. He thought it'd be stupid to waste it, but the ability to get whatever you wanted in a heartbeat seemed to defeat the whole point of this joke we call life.

[Imperfect_M]

Eiden explained his desires to Taernichanthach. The Archfey blinked. Slowly. She held her silence a moment after the young mage was finished, pondering his words and most importantly... His intent.

Companionship? Taernichanthach mused... Of all the things a mortal- and a Human- could wish for... It was a companion. And not simply a lithe, pleasing body to warm him, either. No, this Human did not want that kind of companionship, but rather the genuine trust of a friend.

The Fae Knight suddenly tossed her head back and let out a laugh that rang like chimes in a gale. There was no malice in it, but genuine amusement. She was not laughing at Eiden, but laughing at the fact that her expectations had been so blatantly defied.

Finally, the Faerie caught her breath and focus returned to her glowing gaze. She looked into Eiden's eyes with intent, like that of an owl staring down a field mouse. She evaluated him, sized him up, weighed her options, and finally came to a decision when she spoke.

"Then wish for companionship, Eiden," she declared with finality, "Believe the words in your heart and speak them aloud. So shall it be that your wish is made."

[NotSarcastic]

He looked down awkwardly as she laughed and frowned. He didn't appreciate being made a mockery of. He knew it was stupid but he couldn't think is anything else.

He met her gaze, his expression still a little sour. 'I wish for the companionship of the Faerie Taernichanthach and her expertise, knowledge and battle prowess to aid my on my adventures when she chooses to accompany me' He paused 'And, if it suits the Faerie, her friendship'.

His voice trailed slightly off at the end of his wish. Was something supposed to happen? He wondered.

[Imperfect_M]

He didn't just want any companion.

He used the nickname she gave him.

That wish targeted her.

All of Taernichanthach's humor withered. She was hoping to abuse the wording of Eiden's wish to shackle his fate to some other mortal, or perhaps give him some kind of intelligent or magical animal to be a companion. She certainly wasn't expecting him to designate her for his wish! They had only just met!

"Wait-!" she called as blue energy suddenly wreathed her body, masking her form in a blinding display of white-blue light. The crystals around the cavern refracted and caught the light in a dazzling display of color and glimmer.

Taernichanthach's shrieked like a gale, the cavern walls echoing her banshee cry as the Laws of the Fae pulling apart the threads of fate and weaving them back together, hers intertwined with Eiden's. To say it "hurt" was not quite an accurate statement... Quite the opposite, in its own way. She felt no physical pain, but she felt herself shackle to a true, unbreakable destiny.

The light faded and Taernichanthach stumbled to the floor at Eiden's feet sucking in heaving breaths, her snowy hair fallen in a mess about her head.

"I am..." she said between breaths, "Bound to you... Mortal."

[NotSarcastic]

He frowned as she was lifted off her feet by blue crystals. And winced as she shrieked. He looked around in confusion what had he done? "Wha-" He felt something in his chest shift. Not physically, not part of his own body. Something altogether separate from that, but very much still a part of him.

"You're what?!" No, this is not what he wanted. Not a Faerie he could tell to do what he pleased. Not something which was forced to bend to his will. This wasn't right.

"No. That's not what I wanted, I just wanted a travelling partner, nothing more. Can we just undo it?" He was rambling, sweating. He know he'd hate to be in this position of powerlessness.