Silent Storms

[DragonSong]

Five seconds.

He's not pulling away.

Ten seconds.

I...I feel fine?

Lily jerked away from the kiss, still gripping the fabric of his shirt, and stared up at him, panting slightly. It wasn't from faintness this time, but rather- well. She'd rather not think about that just now, her cheeks were red enough as it was.

But she was still standing. And she still had her magic.

She dropped her hands and sort of reeled back, brow furrowed as one hand reached to press against her lips. "So you lied about that?" she hissed between her teeth, staring at the ground.

[Wycliff]

Jace gasped for breath, his eyes wide and his face as red as a beat. He scrambled backward a few feet, staring incredulously at Lily. "You... you... that was my first kiss!" It seemed the blood required for rational thought was gathered in his face for the time being, but behind him, Lily could see a tall, golden figure, made solely of light. He looked a bit similar to Jace, though his smile was gentler, his eyes soft and caring. The figure noticed that Lily spotted him, and he smile a bit wider, giving her a wink, before fading  into the light.

Jace, completely unaware, was still trying to recover from the shock. She... stole my first kiss... why? The memory of what he'd said to her surfaced, about not touching him too long. She'd been trying to kill herself... with a kiss. He responded shakily. "I d-don't lie unl-less it's for the sake of others."


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[DragonSong]

Lily's blush went several shades darker and she found herself unable to quite look at his face. "Well how was I supposed to know that!" she snapped, arms wrapped around herself again.

She blinked, sending a few more tears trickling down her cheeks, and swiped at them angrily with the back of her hand, sniffling. When he spoke again she managed to lift her eyes to glare at him. "Oh? So you lied for my sake then?"

She was supposed to be dead. Why was she still breathing?

[Wycliff]

Jace angrily turned about face, like a child pouting. "It wasn't a lie. There's something that keeps saving your life, this odd light creature. It uses holy power, I can tell, could be an angel or something." He glanced back, finally a constructive string of words popping into his head. "Maybe it's saying you shouldn't throw your life away so quickly."


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[DragonSong]

An angel?

So...she hadn't been imagining that light? She'd just assumed it was some side effect of emotional turmoil and- and whatever the hell was going on with her magic.

Lily took a shuffling step back and shook her head, eyes fixed on her feet. "But why? Why would- I'm nothing! Why should...whatever this thing is care if I live or die?"

God, was it so much to ask to just slip away peacefully? It wasn't like she had any sort of real life left. She'd just wanted to- to go. A kiss seemed like as gentle a way to die as any.

[Wycliff]

Jace looked back at Lily, his eyes darting to her lips unbidden, before he blushed again, and faced the opposite direction once more. "How should I know?" The heavy, rhythmic thump of his heartbeat rocked his chest, and he cursed inwardly. He couldn't believe that girl. "You're not nothing," You're a good kisser, that's for certain, "You still have plenty of life left in you. Why throw it away, just because life is hard right now?"


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[DragonSong]

Lily shook her head again and backed up another step. Her heel caught on a raised root and she gave a rather undignified little squeak as she started to topple backward, then managed to catch herself against the trunk of a tree.

A whole new wave of tears burned behind her eyes and she pressed her face into her hand. "I don't have a life anymore," she whispered. Everything she was had been for her family, for their sake. Now that they were gone- no, she was gone...what was left?

[Wycliff]

Jace stayed with his back to her, unable to look her in the eyes without blushing. "Then... come with me." He hated to admit it, but there was a part of him that really wanted her to stay. "I'm leaving this country, heading for Serendipity. You could make a new life there, surround yourself with people who accept you for who you are, through and through."


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[DragonSong]

"Go...with you?" Lily stared at his back, still shivering slightly though it wasn't really from chill.

Could she?

Did she have any other choice?

Still sniffling, she wiped at her eyes again and nodded slowly. "Alright," she whispered after a long moment.

Silence.

"So..." She sniffed again and nervously brushed her curls behind her ear. "What- what happens now?"

[Wycliff]

Jace got up, walking over to her and putting his face level with hers, trying his best to be intimidating, though the red on his face all but ruined the effort. "First, you apologize for stealing my first kiss. Then, we go grab supplies from town, and start the trek to Serendipity."

He couldn't help but glance down instinctively at her lips again. They'd been so soft and warm on his, he wanted to feel that aga- He cursed inwardly again. What was wrong with him?


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[DragonSong]

Lily's cheeks went very red, standing out starkly against her naturally pale complexion. "I'm sorry," she murmured, eyes fixed on the ground. "I shouldn't have kissed you like that- at all, I mean. I-"

She had been hoping it would kill her. Or at the very least drain of of whatever cursed power she could still feel pulsing beneath her breast.

With a sharp exhale she shook her head and just repeated, "I'm sorry. It was improper and impolite and rash. It won't happen again." She swallowed and chanced looking up at him, though she was still blushing furiously.

[Wycliff]

She's really cute... Jace cleared the errant thought from his head. A smile spread across Jace's face, doing no favors to the red hue of his cheeks. "I forgive you, Lily, thank you." He spun and begun walking into town. The smile was a tad fake, though, stemming from confusion roiling within his mind. Why am I disappointed? Everything worked out fine! He tried to mask it with a chipper call to Lily. "Follow me into town, we should grab provisions."


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[DragonSong]

Lily breathed a soft sigh of relief as her apology seemed to smooth his ruffled feathers and she nodded slowly, starting after him.

His first kiss too, huh?... She shook her head quickly to chase that particular thought away and let her arms wrap around her torso again as she walked. She was still shivering, though now it really seemed to be from the fact that she was under-dressed for the brisk chill in the air.

[Wycliff]

They walked for a good thirty minutes along the outer wall. On the way, near the town gates, Jace made a backwards glance, noticing a slight shiver in Lily's demeanor. He stopped, and placed his hand on the bush next to him. Closing his eyes, a complex seemingly magical circle appeared on the ground around it, and blue light shone from the circle as the bush disappeared. In it's place, a white, woolen robe, with golden fur on the various hems materialized. He tossed it back to her. "You're still weak from earlier, keep yourself warm, Lily." He began walking once more. "First lesson of magic: everything is connected."


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[DragonSong]

She skittered back from the offered robe as though it might bite her. She stared at the fabric bunched on the ground, eyes wide as she could almost feel the magic that had created it.

Then, with a sigh, she bent and picked it up, shrugging it on around her shoulders. "Thank you," she murmured, huddling into the welcome warmth.

Of course, she didn't realize a lot of the chill surrounding them was her doing; cool air currents that responded to her agitation and curled around her as he magic absently sought for some sort of control of the situation.

[Wycliff]

The guards paid them no heed, luckily not having been extremely attentive to the wanted posters. Indeed, as they walked down the road, Lily might catch a glimpse of a few posters with Jace's likeness, listed as 'Dangerous Mage: do not confront, alert authorities immediately.' He spoke while facing forward. "I'd give us about thirty minutes before the guards find me. Pretend you don't know me if that happens, and meet me back where we first teleported. See if you can find a few water skins, and unleavened bread. I'll take care of the protein." With that, he tossed her a small sack of coins from his pocket, and upon inspection, she'd find them all gold.


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[DragonSong]

"Wait- what?!" She clutched the coins to her chest and stared at him. "Guards- but I'm not- what?"

[Wycliff]

Jace sighed, and looked back at Lily. "I'm a known mage, therefore I'm wanted. So, go off and find waterskins with that money while I distract the guards, and I'll pickup some dried meat on the way. Jerky stays edible on long trips like the one we're embarking on, Serendipity isn't just a hop, skip, and a jump away, you know."


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[DragonSong]

Lily swallowed, and her expression was absolutely terrified. "Okay," she squeaked out, clutching the coin purse so hard her knuckles went white.

He was a wanted mage. She would be traveling with a wanted mage. Hell, she was nearly one herself!

It was a lot to try to wrap her head around in a handful of seconds.

[Wycliff]

Jace wandered off, stopping at various butchers and street stalls, buying a large travel sack and enough meat to last a small caravan. To be frank, a side effect of his metabolism was a greatly increased appetite, a trait he shared with his father and sister. He munched on one tender piece of jerky as he strode along, ignoring the increasing amount of activity around him. They were preparing to capture or kill him, no doubt.

He sighed. Maybe, he should have had Lily wait outside the City: he was becoming increasingly worried about her getting into trouble, and with his hands full, and his magic reserves dangerously low, there wasn't much he could do to help.


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