Bonds of Magic [M] [Archive]

[DragonSong]

So serious. "Well, if you can fix it we're square," Hanako said brightly. They'd reached the inn now and she knocked once, sharply.

[Medievarad]

"I hope I can." He nodded curtly. The door was opened by Cassandra's mother, who smiled brightly at the two. "Gan I help you two with anything? And do come in," She said with the same, unwavering smile.

[DragonSong]

Hanako nodded and smiled in thanks as she slipped inside. "We came to check on the girl," she said quietly. "But we'd like a room, too, if you've any available."

Her eyes flicked to her companion, waiting for him to speak before she offered more information.

[Medievarad]

Ronin ducked slightly to evade the rather low door, it obviously wasn't build for him. The woman smiled. "Roald. Prepare a room for Cassandra's saviours." She said with a gentle voice, before looking back at the pair. "She is currently sleeping.. The poor girl needs the rest."

[DragonSong]

"Of course." Hana smiled and nodded. "Ah, how much for a room for the night then?"

[Medievarad]

The woman chuckled. "I wouldn't dare to think of letting my daughter's saviours paying. You're free to stay." She smiled and turned around, waving to follow her and starting to walk on a flight of stairs.

Ronin traced the footsteps closely and followed the woman up the stairs.

[DragonSong]

Hana started to follow after her, then paused on the stairs. Shifting closer to Ronin, she murmured, "Six more steps, then there's a left turn."

She didn't want him to think she was being patronizing, but she also found herself wanting to look out for him.

[Medievarad]

"Hanako," Ronin let out a slow chuckle. "The gesture is appreciated, I am blind, but my ears are without a doubt sharper than yours. I can hear your footsteps, the direction you go and the creaking of stairs.. Or creaking of wood. I know where I am headed." He smiled warmly. "Again. It is appreciated. But unnescessary."

[DragonSong]

"Oh." She flushed. "Right. Er, sorry." A nervous chuckle and she practically fled after Cassandra's mother, rubbing uncomfortably at the back of her neck.

More because she felt awkward and wasn't comfortable with silence than anything else, she tossed back over her shoulder, "You can call me Hana, if you want."

[Medievarad]

"Let's keep the courtesy of pet names untill after we fix this mistake." He said with a slow nod as he stepped up the stairs and followed the woman into the room.

It was a fairly small room. Only one larger bed with nightstands to each side and a cupboard. "I'm sorry," the woman started with an awkward laugh, "but this is the only room we had. The others are already rented to other patrons. I hope you do not mind sharing." Ronin snorted slowly. "I'll sleep against the wall." Was what he answered in response. Too serious to be able to actually kid around.

[DragonSong]

Giving the warrior an exasperated look- then remembering he couldn't see it- Hana turned quickly to the woman with a bright smile. "It'll do fine. Thank you so much for your generosity." When she left, the kitsune turned to her companion with an ached eyebrow.

"You will do no such thing," she said briskly, pacing around the edges of the room to get a feel for the place. "The bed's perfectly big enough for two, doesn't make sense not to use it."

[Medievarad]

The female warden left again, closing the door behind her.

Ronin sighed slowly. "Are you comfortable enough with that?" He let out a slow chuckle, "I take a lot of space." That and he didn't feel nearly comfortable enough around the woman to spend the night with her in the same bed. He had gotten a good feel for Hanako's personality. So admitting that would cause her to most likely tease him with it.

[DragonSong]

She shrugged. "I'm fine with it. I've shared bed space with worse," she joked, though...honestly, it was probably true.

Lips curling up on one side, she probed, trying to get a reaction from the taciturn man, "Why? You worried I'm gonna steal your virtue or something?"

[Medievarad]

"How would you even attempt such a thing?" He turned his head to the roof. Coughing shortly. "Let's try to get this magic ward dispelled." He said hastily, trying to avoid the subject for now.

[DragonSong]

Aha. She'd hit a chord. Filing that mental note away, Hanako nodded and moved toward him with an emphatic, "Yes, please. Being human so long is making me itchy."

[Medievarad]

Ronin nodded and sat down, taking a piece of paper and the pot of ink. He pulled the cork off and dripped some on the paper, pressing his fingers down in it and starting to srcibe strange runic symbols on the paper, he did the same to his arm, the exact same pattern running up his arm. "It's actually just disenchanting the magicka my body absorbed. Wich should only be dangerous to me," he folded his legs and pressed his hand against the paper. He started to concentrate.

And the paper and his arm slowly light up in a blue light, growing brighter and brighter each second, before the entire room was engulfed in a blinding, blue light.

The paper was completely charred. Yet Ronin's arm was still pulsing with the blue energy. He frowned slowly and closed his fist. "I.. Didn't manage to disenchant it. However." He opened his fist again. It seemed like he had.. Control. "Try using your arcane powers now."

[DragonSong]

Clenching her eyes shut against the light, Hana blinked to clear her vision when it faded and shifted warily closer to Ronin, kneeling in front of him.

"Okay," she said slowly, looking him over. "You alright though?" He didn't seem to be hurt.

Even as she asked, she reached for the fire in her core and cautiously tapped into it, willing her human form to fade. Her ears shifted and grew, moving toward the top of her skull, and she felt her canines lengthen, tails sprouting from the base of her spine.

Now in her "half" form, as she called it, Hanako gave a delighted laugh, beaming. "It worked! Oh my gods, thank you!"

[Medievarad]

"Hmm..Soka.." He murmured to himself, resting his hands on his knees. "I did not manage to.. Disenchant the magic. Though I managed to reduce it to a limit where I can control it. Now, you are completely free to use any ability. And I will most likely never change that." He slowly sighed. There were some bad sides to this aswell. And if her life didn't depend on his survival and vice versa. He would've already tried ritual suicide.

[DragonSong]

"Still, this is a hell of a lot better than that collar." Calming herself a bit, Hanako reached out and laid a hand on top of one of his. "Thank you," she said gratefully. "Really." She grinned, pulling away and saying lightly, "Guess this means you don't have to kill yourself, right?"

Okay, maybe a joke in poor taste, but she couldn't seem to help herself.

[Medievarad]

Ronin looked ather and sighed. "If you'd be free from the influence if I killed myself, I would have. But. Your soul is linked to mine. If I die. You die. And the other way around." Ronin sighed slowly, before he got on his knees, pressing his hand against his chest and looking at the floor.

"Hanako. You are my master now. I have made a mistake even suicide can't cleanse. I am under your command for as long as you will." He seemed so serious and genuine.