To Slay A Giant... [Wycliff]

[TheHopeseeker]

Dawn soon turned to fully fledged day as Ignis walked, the Connloath landscape passing by. He stopped only once to eat, keeping his face to the sun so that his shadow would fall out behind him. Evening was soon drawing near, and as the sun began to sink beneath the small woodland area he had found himself in, Ignis began looking for a place to make camp for the night.

[Wycliff]

Aven ascends from Ignis' shadow, yawning loudly and stretching. "What a rest! It's been a week since I was able to sleep, I really needed that." He scans their surroundings quizzically, realizing it was late evening. "Gods, how long was I out for?"


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[TheHopeseeker]

Ignis suppressed a shiver, sending the silver haired man a dry look as he crouched down near the small fire he had begun coaxing to life, "All day." He replied blandly

[Wycliff]

Aven's eyebrows shoot up. "Really, now? Well, that's embarrassing, hopefully I didn't put you out too much. Regardless, we still have a ways to go, now that I'm rested I can walk through the daylight." He sits down next to the fire, the blaze reflecting off his eyes eerily. A few of the black specks that float around Aven are consumed by the fire, casting a pitch dark shadow behind the each of them on every occurrence. On one of them, something catches Aven's attention, and a shadow tendril springs from the ground and strikes at the bush behind them, pulling out a decently large rabbit, struggling against the fierce construction of the shadow. Aven smiles. "Dinner?"


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[TheHopeseeker]

Ignis did little more than raise an eyebrow as he settled himself down near the fire, legs crossed and hands resting on his knees. Giving the rabbit a distasteful look, he merely shook his head, as though he didn't have an answer, and proceeded to unbuckle the strap around his chest holding the long, red handled sword on his back in place

[Wycliff]

Aven shrugs. "Fine, more for me." The shadow tendril brings the poor creature over to Aven, who grabs it by the throat. Black particles gather around the small beast, and sink into it, causing black veins to appear on it's hide. The veins spread quickly, and after about ten seconds of struggling, the rabbit goes limp, becoming pitch dark in complexion before bursting into millions of particles, which swirl into Aven's waiting maw.
The last of the particles disappear into his mouth, and he closes it, licking his lips and letting out a sigh. "A bit gamey, I'll admit, but not bad. Could've used some spices, maybe a bit of nutmeg and basil." He glances at Ignis, taking closer note of the sword. "You naturally reached for your dagger before, is there a reason you would not draw that sword?"


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[TheHopeseeker]

Ignis watched him devour the rabbit with a half disgusted, half bemused expression, shaking his head again when he finished and looking to the sword draped over his knees. At Aven's comment, he snorted and drew the dagger from its sheath on his thigh, leaning it towards the light and watching the flames dance across its surface. It was clear that the blade was not meant for battle, the design curved and beautiful, but not the strongest. "I could see you weren't going to attack. Otherwise I would have drawn Harbinger."

[Wycliff]

Aven leans back onto one hand. "Harbinger? A rather grandiose name to give to such a small weapon, don't you think?" His eyes glance along the hilt, observing the intricate metalwork and design. Enchanted, maybe? Quite possible, seeing as Ignis can selectively nullify magic.


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[TheHopeseeker]

Ignis chuckled and shook his head before slipping the knife back into its sheath, "Harbinger," he began, lifting the sword from his knee and drawing it from its case with a loud shring, "Is this."

The sword was a pure silver colour, engravings running down the middle in intertwining white and black. The tip was razor sharp, filed down to a tiny point, while the cross guard was a fine curl of golden metal, melded together in a swirling pattern, with a fiery sun engraved in the centre, a dark ruby coloured gem imbedded in the middle of it. The pommel was wrapped in finely dried leather of a dark black hue, thickening as it neared the cross guard and thinning as it went the other way.

[Wycliff]

Aven's brow raises once more, a subtle bit of surprise layered within his expression. "Well, that certainly does deserve its given title," His eyes run along the engravings. "What do those markings mean? Is it a magical blade?"


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[TheHopeseeker]

Ignis smirked and ran a hand down the length of the blade, fingers featherlight on the deadly weapon. "That, and the opposite." He replied, offering no further explanation as he merely rested his hand on the hilt and lifted his gaze to Aven's, meeting the man's eyes for a moment with a look that could not quite be named, before dropping blue hues to the fire once more.

[Wycliff]

Aven's eyes harden for a moment. "Do tell, Ignis: do you mean to say it is a magic devouring weapon? Or perhaps shares your power of nullification?" The silver irises flash in the firelight, a dangerous look crossing the young man's face. It occurred to Aven for the first time in a long while that he could actually perish, in light of their discussion. It was not fear that sparked within his chest, however; it was a certain thrill, one he'd believed forgotten.


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[TheHopeseeker]

"Harbinger is a vessel," Ignis replied slowly, his gaze transfixed by the crackling fire, it's flames growing ever brighter in the swiftly descending darkness, "Whatever energy you feed into it, it amplifies, be it magic energy, or the opposite." His eyes lifted then, scanning Aven's face for any sign of comprehension of what that meant. What potential Ignis truly had.

[Wycliff]

Aven lets out a deep chuckle while their eyes meet, dark particles bursting along the silver irises. A flash of greed darts across his face, but it gone as quickly as it came, replaced by what Ignis could infer as contentment. "I see now. You truly are what I was looking for, after all." As their gaze lengthens, Ignis' vision will start to darken, the flickering light from the fire seeming to grow ever distant. Ignis will not sense any magic being used should he search, only a deepening sense of dread. "I should warn you, though; be careful the depth of which you seek into my world. It does not give quarter."


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[TheHopeseeker]

Ignis felt a shudder run up his spine, a cold hand curling around his heart, lingering just off the edges. His face showed no expression in reaction to Aven's actions, only a slight tightening around his eyes showing his discomfort. He would not allow this man to indimidate him, not now, nor any time in the future. If it ever came about that it seemed like Aven was trying to force him, or scare him in any way, he would not hesitate to use Harbinger, "I'll admit your world is a dark one," he leaned forwards, an unbridled shadow darkening electric blue hues to a deep navy, "But so is mine."

[Wycliff]

The light of the campfire vanishes from Ignis' vision, leaving only Aven and the black particles, the feeling of dread morphing into a dull pain in his head. The black particles around Aven begin to slowly gravitate toward Ignis, as if inviting him in. Aven's expression becomes wry. "Do not test this, Ignis. You are of no use to me transfigured."

[[OOC: Should Ignis continue to keep eye contact for two more posts, he will be transformed. Just a warning, as I read in your wants and limits that you want to be told beforehand.]]


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[TheHopeseeker]

Ignis refused to budge, ignoring the pain that lanced through his skull, the darkness that engulfed him, the shadows wrapping around him like welcoming arms. He would not back down.

The solid wall that slammed into place between them was as hard as any iron, crashing down with enough force to literally blow the two apart. The fire flickered and died with the shockwave, Harbinger flung from Ignis lap to skitter across the grass. Clipping his shoulder on the sturdy lines around their makeshift camp, Ignis cursed loudly before dropping to his knees, light flooding through his vision and nearly blinding him. "What the fuck."

[Wycliff]

Aven hurtles backward, tossed like a rag doll by the force of impact. Taken utterly by surprise, the mage has no time to react, slamming sideways into the trunk of a nearby tree, breaking his right arm. Aven grits his teeth, a trickle of black blood running down his cheek as he searches for the source of the attack. "Who DARES?"


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[TheHopeseeker]

Ignis grunted hoarsely as he raised himself upright, one knee still bent as he held a hand to his shoulder, "I think," he began tensely, "That was me." There was no mistaking the force of negative energy that the now dissipated wall had been made of, and if any Mage or Mordecai had been near, he would have known. "Self preservation I didn't know I had. Heh."

[Wycliff]

Aven struggles to his feet, straightening as a sick cracking noise echoes from his arm, as if the bone and tissue were repairing themselves. "Self-preservation is correct. Ignis Snow, do not throw your humanity away over something as little as pride." He sighs. "Believe me, I was not challenging you, merely warning. You told me of your interest in 'figuring me out', and I promise such will come with time. It is simply in your best interest that I tell you rather than you experiencing it yourself, don't you agree?"


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