Rise of the Fifth
The Hidden College Part 1
Pages 106 to 120

Everything was red - the grass which he stood on, the tree he was walking towards. Different shades of red. Some were deep and some bright and vibrant. The whole scene pulsed too, the red slowly changing from dark to light. Korius looked up at the sky, across it shot a bird. Small and highly feathered, it was blood red. Korius felt the will to stop it and with a simple look the bird plummeted from the sky. On hitting the floor it disappeared. Korius felt the power around him, he felt the power within him.

He continued towards the tree, with every step it grew bigger and bigger. Waves of power emanated from it. Korius placed his hands on the bark expecting it to feel cold. Instead it was warm and moist. The tree continued to grow, its branches towering over him. Korius thought of toppling the tree and it bent to his will - it swayed to the right, then to the left. He suddenly moved his hands from the trunk and the tree was catapulted away from him.

Korius was being shaken. He looked around confused, unable to see anyone. Then his eyes shot open and took in the dark room around him. It was still how he left it, furniture flung around. He looked up at Jonak and realised that he had passed out - for how long he did not know.

"Are you all right?" asked Jonak. An air of worry was in his voice, and he was staring straight into Korius' eyes.

"I’m fine now," replied Korius, "I can feel the power." His eyes were wide and bright red and he had just accepted his first dose of Fifth mana.

~*~

In the confusion that followed Joibri's first instinct was to abruptly grab the elderly mage's arm, letting her battle tactics reawaken in the moderate amount of strength she found herself with. Easily she twisted the frail but strengthening arm behind the mage's back with an angry yell, toppling them both back to the ground.

"Get off me, you blind failure!" the body beneath her, aura surging red, growled. Under normal circumstances Joibri would have snapped his neck by now, but she held a vain hope that Youlvi was in there somewhere.

Meanwhile, the Shadows leapt from the undergrowth and consumed the area, metal talons gleaming in the firelight that they didn't seem to like very much. One of their numbers, strangely, waved the arm of its cloak over the small blaze and it died instantly.

"Shit!" Joibri heard one of the others say as darkness consumed them. Metal rang on metal and high-pitched guttural noises echoed from the arrivals. Once or twice as she held the mage to the ground Joibri felt the shadows' cloaks hit her, and every time it was that cold she dreaded like she had experienced on the horse. Blindfolded, she found that these creatures had absolutely no auras at all - only voids where they should have been, and every time they crossed over the bright auras of her friends they appeared hazy.

"Get off of me!" Arithmus' voice rasped over a cough. His hands clenched around her own, surprisingly strong, trying to prepare a spell in the distraction. Joibri's foot moved away from her body, hitting what she knew instinctively was her kichida.

That foot slipped beneath the small chain that joined the pommels together, and in one swift move dragged it to her side. One of the blades was at the mage's throat in a second.

"Cast and I will kill you yet again," she intoned firmly. There was a brief chuckle,

"I don't need to." One of his hands struck upwards and tore the blindfold from her eyes, letting the searing pain engulf her sight. Her grip slackened and the mage hit the weapon out of her hand and she was pushed to the side, feebly fighting the hand that closed around her throat, just like in the vision. "You will accept the mana!"

'I will not kill him...I cannot...Youlvi...' she thought desperately.

Kane’s mana-augmented vision was helping, but still the creatures appeared from every direction. His mage blade in one hand, a dagger in the other, he tried to make his way over to Delenar, the elf firing arrow after arrow into the would-be assassins, elven eyes cutting the gloom easily. He had managed to pin four to trees through shoulders and legs, but they were quickly pulling themselves along the shafts to freedom. Kane turned from his attackers and ran, managing to take out two of those wounded by Delenar. As he reached the elf he turned so they stood back to back, both with twin blades after the Shadows came too close for the bow.

"Pen, Gasta, I need a little time to focus a LightGlobe over here!" Kane yelled, fending off a twin-Shadow attack. He was answered by a guttural roar and a battered Shadow was thrown from across the clearing, signalling that Pen had decided against trying to fight as a mere human. Gasta was trying to force his way across to the seemingly injured Joibri, who was struggling with the being that was now Arithmus. The Xeteskian's blade work was a wonder to behold, and Kane's apparent lack of attention led to a nick high on one arm that drew both a line of blood and his full attention immediately back to the closest Shadow.

Two more Shadows were struck by the heavy club Pen was now swinging, the mere glancing blows sending them spiralling through the air to land on top of their Kin. The creatures moved away from the raging creature that was now Pen, and as he made his way towards Kane and Delenar the mage finally had enough time to send his glowing orb some ten feet above the tallest head. It was nowhere near as bright as the spell Youlvi had cast before, but it gave enough light to distract the Shadows a little, fearing the same outcome as their departed Kin. Each member of the band hoped it would be enough for the time being, as they fought to make their way to their female companion and their other enemy, Arithmus.

"Failure!" the distinctly evil voice resonated from the elderly mage, his face backlit by the LightGlobe that had just been thrown into the sky. Joibri kept her eyes squeezed as tight as she could, causing her ears to ring.

'Focus, focus...' she told herself repeatedly in her head.

Her body obeyed, ignoring her stinging vision. Her thin leg came up to her chest and kneed Arithmus in the stomach, causing him to double up and lose his grip. She took the chance and catapulted him off of her into the bushes nearby, yelling her frustration as she let her eyes open. The world was red and pulsating, as she expected.

A swift kick knocked the mage's skull against a hidden stone and he fell, unconscious, against the roots of a tree. Angry and looking to kill something, she span around and dropped to her knees, avoiding a Shadow swooping over her head. In a matter of seconds the blindfold was back over her eyes comfortingly and she had kicked the same Shadow, sending it back in the direction of the others, unfortunately.

The Shadows had been told of her. She wasn’t as weak as they had been told she’d be. Oh no.

She had been unleashed.

Joibri’s old mercenary days came back to haunt her and she found her body arming itself without remembering having told it to. Weakness, quite simply, would have to wait. With Arithmus out of the way for the moment and out of her head she was free to attack...

"Duck!" she yelled, raising an arm. Not knowing quite what to expect the others obeyed, still managing to injure the legs of their opponents and distract them. Nearly-invisible stepping-stones of some obscure mana were formed all over the air of the clearing, and Joibri, though blindfolded, set to work, long and thin sword drawn.

"Sever the heads!" Kane advised. Joibri nodded vaguely in his direction. She leapt up and used the first stepping stone, using her own momentum to carry her into the nearest fray, severing a Shadow head as she went. Then the next stone, and the next, practically dancing through the air over their lowered heads.

"Go!" she shouted, coming back down to earth in a twist of battle prowess and elegance, and the others sprang back up and into action again. Her sword pierced a Shadow arm, and she dragged it nearer, leaping up again to pull the sword from its arm at an awkward angle, her foot landing on its shoulder to push it to the ground. Gasta was there to deliver a powerful chop through the neck.

As soon as Gasta went to help Delenar and Kane again, Joibri spun on the dark body, slicing through the midsections of three Shadows who came too near her. As they recollected themselves she had jumped up in the air again, sheathing her sword and bringing out her kichida all in a single breath, detaching the twin blades. She darted up against two of them with her arms extended, slicing the heads off as cleanly as if the necks were just blades of grass. The remaining Shadow behind her looked unsure.

With the most astonishing force Joibri took hold of one of her large throwing stars and threw it horizontally. The Shadow saw it all in slow motion, but could do nothing. By sheer force the head was severed from the body to fall into the undergrowth. Joibri simply collected the star and looked for something else to take her anger out on.

~*~

Arithmus smiled at the efforts of the small group. They had killed several of the creatures he knew only too well and actually expected to come through it alive. The Shadows were growing accustomed to their techniques and were quickly adapting. It would only be a matter of moments before they were all killed.

The problem with that was that Arithmus was amongst them. He coughed heartily before returning his focus to the hordes of Shadows.

"The Master," he said with a cruel smile. "So these are your minions."

He felt for his immense mana reserves and held his hands outwards. Pure mana engulfed him and shot out at the Shadows. Where the strings of mana touched them, they exploded into light before fading away. It was almost too easy. The creatures screamed in panic and focused their attention on the newcomer, ignoring the small group completely.

"That’s right, I am back. Be sure to send your master my regards!" he screamed in manic ecstasy.

The Shadows were desperately trying to reach him but each one that did exploded into light. Pure joy was the only way to explain his feelings. He felt far more powerful than he remembered being. His spell was taking almost no effort at all! It was while contemplating his greatness that the spell wavered, the strings of mana shrinking.

Panicked, Arithmus felt for inner control but found himself coughing trickles of blood. The spell was weakening with his focus but attempts to regain control sent him convulsing. He couldn't understand it, but he suddenly felt so weak! He fell to his knees and sent his ManaForm through the body.

It was only now that he realised what was happening. The body was poisoned! He focused his mana on the ruined lung tissue and the heavily infected liver. It was no good, he felt the body refusing him and had nowhere to turn. He saw his spell fail and the Shadows ready to attack even before it actually happened, but he had no focus - there was no way out.

"Damn you Youlvi!" he screamed as a metallic claw punctured his chest.

The Shadows paused at the death of the mage, each one looking to their brothers. They cackled in glee, already sending the news to their Master. Then they turned on the small group and circled slowly. Some eighteen Shadows had survived, too many for such a small band. The Shadow leader couldn't believe his luck! He had killed his Master’s biggest enemy and was now about to kill the Skalah-man - his gaze focused on this prize as well as the blindfolded fury of an elf. He would be rewarded well.

"Move, creature, and it will be the worst mistake of your life," said Gailen from behind the circle of Shadows. From the trees came the rest of his fifty Wolves.

~*~

Dystran called the remaining Circle Seven together. He had seen that....thing and wasn’t happy at all. A new species of Julatsan warrior, or was it something else.

"I suppose you have learnt of the news," he said to the six mages that sat around the large table. All nodded but kept silent. None had seen the head but all knew what it represented. "I am sure this is our link to the Fifth College. And all this time the Julatsans were behind it."

"But sir," objected Helva, a young Circle seven mage, one who would bring the new ways to the head of Xetesk. "Do we know it was them?"

Dystran shot him a quick look. Helva was young and impressionable but was a good man, a man Dystran hoped would be Lord of the Mount one day. Helva's friendship with the current Lord of the Mount was the only reason someone so young was on the Circle Seven. Had he been another member then Dystran would have chastised him for the interruption.

"I do not know, to be fair," continued the Lord of the Mount, "But this war is moving quickly, we have just chased off Dordover and Lystern. But how long before they regroup? We don’t have the time to ask questions, if indeed it is Julatsa then we need to see them off swiftly." Dystran paused for what seemed an age, "Summon the Protectors. Tonight we march on Julatsa."

~*~

Pen saw the claw of the Shadow enter the old mage’s chest and thought for a moment on how he would now cope with his condition without the man, even though he had gradually begun to use it effectively. But on realising what thoughts were within his mind he shoved them away, shocked at his momentary selfishness.

He saw a similar reaction on Joibri's face. She turned to him, in shock, but Pen noticed her expression change beneath the blindfold, staring not at his face, but his chest. He frowned. Why?

It suddenly dawned on him; he had been in demon form to beat the Shadows and she could now sense it in him, could see the mana of Xetesk within his body around his organs. Though not having such a powerful hold on him as it had had - the mana being broken and Pen gaining some form of control - but she could see it none the less.

Joibri, the last of his older friendships, now knew what he was, but how would she take it? He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came from his lips.

He saw Kane slicing at the neck of a Shadow, another silently advancing towards the mage's back. Forgetting his friend's realisation of his condition momentarily, Pen roared, flying forwards, and sliced through the throat of the Shadow as it turned in horror seeing Pen for the first time.

~*~

"Come, we must find the boy's body." Karil walked through the village towards the fields on the northern outskirts.

"From what the lad’s father was shouting I doubt we'll be finding much of a body Karil." Karil stopped and stared at his companion, eyes narrowing.

"Naris, I do not find your comments helpful. You may have failed to notice but this situation is serious and could potentially cause a lot of panic within the village. I will not have matters such as this made light of, particularly when it concerns a 16-year-old boy. Are we clear on this?" Karil waited for the shorter man to nod before continuing his walk towards the fields where he had been directed.

Half an hour later they found what they were looking for.

"By the Gods, what could have done this to the lad?" Though Karil had seen many a death in his time, there was nothing he could compare with the fate of the young lad.

"What indeed."

Karil turned to find his companion no longer willing to jest on the subject at hand. Whatever had done this was dangerous, and it was on the outskirts of Karil's village. Many women and children were within the village and they would be the most vulnerable, as there were no trained mages or warriors within the village that were female, and thought there were a few male warriors, they would not be enough to protect everyone.

Karil scratched his close-cut black beard. The subject would have to be approached sensitively and carefully.

~*~

The small meeting in the dark dank room contained but three people.

"Today is a grave day," said Benru, addressing only the highest members of the Fifth College. "The surge in mana has told us of the death of our beloved leader. It seems he managed to take a body which shortly afterwards was killed, finally placing his soul at rest."

The room was silent as heads were bowed, each member remembering their master. It was not only sadness though but despair. Without Arthimus it was not known how the Hermetic College would cope. Benru continued his address,

"I will take emergency power over the college, as I was second in command." The others agreed with a nod or an aye. "We need to elect a new leader. With Talo-eran’s disappearance,” there were glances and mutters of alarm. “I feel we must continue with Arthimus' wishes - Korius will become my student and at a suitable time will take over from me."

"But my lord..."

"Yes, Jonak?"

"He has gone mad, we can’t let him lead this college. His acceptance of mana and recent events has left him a little... disturbed."

"How so?"

"I feel partly responsible - he is haunted by visions of the mages he tortured."

"He is strong, and a powerful mage. It would be what Arthimus would want."

Jonak paused; he didn’t doubt Korius' power or that he could be a leader. It was the way he had been acting recently - Jonak feared he could destroy the college. But Jonak did not want to create an argument, the last thing they needed now was a rift that would pull them apart. The college needed to move quickly, the Master was getting too powerful and one of their most powerful mages - Talo-eran - had simply vanished. Now they were considering Korius in a new light? But it seemed only Jonak realised that this decision could bring glory or ultimately start the fall of the college.

~*~

The Dordovan side of the Dordover/Lystern army had not slept on their march back to Dordover. There were few remaining mages and warriors after the slaughter outside Xetesk, and those that survived had little spirit. They had not heard from their master for days but expected to return to Dordover and be consoled.

They expected the armies that had been holding the borders to Julatsa to have returned for a second push at Xetesk. Coming over the hill they saw something they never expected - the flag flying from the college of Dordover was not the usual one.

It was black and in white embroidery was a rose with two wings, so desperate had Dordover been to stop Xetesk and find the Fifth College it had left its borders with little real defence. And now, with the war turning against them and few soldiers to make a difference, their city was controlled by the Blackwings.

~*~

Putting a hand to his forehead Talo desperately motioned for him and Lena to land. Lena, curious and worried, did so much more gracefully than her companion, who hit several tree branches in his decent so strong was the distraction.

"What's wrong?" she asked genuinely, walking to stand in front of him as he leant against a tree,

"Arithmus is no more. This is good. But I know that it will lead to bad things."

Lena gaped - the leader, such a powerful one, was dead? Neither of them could know how, unless Talo had some other inherent abilities that she didn't know about - she shuddered.

"If I had stayed, perhaps a little longer," Talo continued, rubbing his head, "I could have eventually gained control - Benru will be the one in charge now, and who knows who he has taken as an apprentice."

"I think I know who," Lena said quietly, shakily. Talo opened his eyes fully and urged her to continue. "A new 'recruit', as it were, like me. His name was Korius."

"Gods falling..." Talo remembered the mage. He also remembered the screams. Lena nodded,

"If he becomes the leader of the college, I don't think he'll be the sanest of leaders... You could go back? With you in power there might be a chance that all this -"

"No, I cannot go back now. I wish to, but I cannot." And then for a moment he turned...wistful, it seemed, looking around Lena's shoulder to the forest beyond, "She is close, so close."

Lena didn't press the matter, but it was becoming all too apparent now that Talo knew this Joibri far more than just by researching reports of her mercenary habits. Hesitantly she came to the suspicion that he was either a lover or a brother.

"We should keep moving," she advised. Talo nodded, straightening his crimson and gold robes and the pair of them reforming their ShadowWings.

~*~

The horsemen charged at the shocked ring of Shadows. At first they seemed likely to turn and face their new foe, but a combination of arrow support and spell casting left them running for the woodlands. Arrows tore into the strange robed enemy but seemed to cause them no concern. The spells however were a different story. A combination of Hellfire and FlameOrbs were released at the fleeing assassins, burning each one they touched and leaving nothing but ash. The result was an utter panic from the strange creatures.

The leader of the Shadows saw their chance of victory fading and stared hard at the human leader. Gripping its word two-handed, it charged at Gailen. The speed of the move caught the Julatsan captain by surprise. He rolled from the saddle in time to avoid a deadly slash to his face. Drawing his blades as he regained balance, he attacked.

The Shadow responded well and aimed several deadly cuts to the captain’s chest, each one only narrowly parried such was the speed of the creature. For a time Gailen came to believe the cloaked attacker had no weaknesses, but then he found a break and launched his own attack back. He aimed several cuts in quick succession to different sides of the creature, his two short swords given him the advantage to the single blade. The Shadow parried each blow.

Gailen changed his tactics and dived to his left while snaking out with his right blade. The Shadow swayed aside from the blade but was off-balance as a result. Gailen had no trouble lancing his left-hand blade into the creature’s side. The blade sliced deep and burst into light, seemingly taking the creature with it. Gailen leapt backwards, unsure of what happened, but of the Shadow there was no sign. He gazed down at his blades lying in a pile of ash where once the assassin had been. Once again they shone a blue-silver.

"Your spells seem to have paid off sir!" Gailen turned his astonished look on the young rider ,Veygan.

"I don't know what happened..." he replied.

"It must be the spells you have had placed on your swords sir, I cut one of those things to pieces, but it just kept running." Gailen picked up his blades reverently but soon remembered himself. He scanned the pursuit of the robed ones but found most of his horsemen returning empty-handed.

"Veygan! Put out a wider perimeter and check any wounded," Gailen ordered, "And find out who they are and if they can explain any of this," he said, looking towards the small group of relieved fighters. Kane nodded back at the troop leader before turning back to the group.

"Now that is what I call a timely rescue," he said.

"Rescue? I had the whole situation under control Kane. Still I have never been a glory hunter, so I am pleased they can take some of the credit," said Delenar. Gasta laughed heartily,

"Are you saying you could’ve taken on a whole troop of Shadows alone?" Delenar smirked,

"No, of course not! I would’ve expected you and Kane to take at least two or three. Still, all’s well that ends well." Delenar’s happy smile suddenly dropped. "Youlvi!"

He ran towards the body of the old man followed by the rest of the group and hugged the ruined body close. Lifeless eyes stared towards the rising sun and Delenar's eyes filled with tears.

Joibri watched the others' auras gathering around the body of the mage, no longer possessed, now just an old man fragile and dead as a crumbled leaf. Her gaze was loaded with so many emotions, if only it could be seen. The mage's death....it meant...She turned her head in Pen's direction, sensing the alteration of his aura again - did that mean he, essentially, was gone too? Both these things meant...

....they meant she was alone.

Silently, trying to distract herself, she cleaned her blades as well as she could on the grass, stepping away through the gathering newcomers but still facing where they walked to. She felt threatened, lost, grievous and tortured.

How in the hell would she cope with the mana inside her - that poisonous, invading, hellish mana - now that the guiding light was gone? She had been abandoned in the dark, and now a metaphorical gradually swelling tide of red was going to engulf her, perhaps tear her apart. And she could do nothing. No one, now, could do a -single- -damn- -thing-.

"I want out," she whispered fearfully, fear over anything else culminating in an acidic weight in her stomach. Each step took her farther away, all the while her blind gaze trained on the dead mage. Darkness came over her features, hiding her.

"I need to return to Julatsa. If what you say is true, we are all in bigger trouble then we could even know," said Gailen staring hard into the small, rebuilt camp fire.

"It’s true, the Fifth will be reeling now that Arithmus is dead, but they were never the larger threat. This.... Master, he now stands unopposed. Only two mages in Balaia knew of him and his power and they are both, both dead now," replied Kane.

Gailen shook his head in disbelief. Too much had happened over the past few days that just didn't make sense. It seemed to the veteran captain that the whole world was going mad. Nothing was more surprising then when he had spoken to the small group and noticed the scarred face of Gasta amongst them, Gasta the Savage! Gailen had almost drawn his blade in challenge when he noticed the evil Xetesk man, only the Dordovan’s steadying hand had stopped him.

"He is our friend now," he had said, "His enemies are mine."

Gailen did not doubt it and he quickly realised how remarkable this small group of warriors must be. If their story was true, they had already been through hell to prevent the rising of the Master and his enemy Arithmus. Now it seemed that by putting one man down, they had given the other a huge advantage.

"What do you plan now?" Gailen asked.

Kane sighed and looked to the elf archer next to him who seemed lost in thought. The elf didn't venture an opinion, he stared glumly into the flickering flames of the fire. It was the large man who spoke next,

"We should continue looking for the Fifth, we may find answers about the Master there, and Heaven knows Joibri needs their help."

"I can't imagine they would be glad to see us," said Gasta.

"True, but we have to try. Joibri's alone with her magic now and we have no idea where the Master is anyway," Pen responded.

"He’s right," said Gailen. "If what you’re saying is correct, that college is the last thing this...Master... needs to bring down."

"It's what Youlvi would want," whispered Delenar without so much as blinking, "I'm in." With that he rose from the fire and set off towards Joibri, who was standing alone some way away from their fire, experimentally taking her blindfold off. Kane watched him leave,

"We have already taken loses to this cause, we could really do with your help Gailen." The Julatsan smiled,

"I know, but I am needed in Julatsa. They need to hear what you have told me and I have enough weight to be trusted." He called over his second, a grim warrior called Kumonai who saluted neatly. A few words were spoken and the warrior disappeared into the Julatsan camp. A few moments later a young swordsman approached,

"Sir!"

"This is Veygan, he is the fastest of my Wolves and has already proven himself a capable horseman. He will help you in any way he can. When I am done in Julatsa I will seek you out and bring the rest of my men. Veygan meet Kane, Penrold and Gasta."

The young man looked unsure for a moment then nodded at each of the group.

"Sir, my loyalty is to the unit, I am needed." Gailen smiled. He was well-pleased with the reaction but hid it well.

"Your loyalty is to Balaia and these men intend on saving it. You WILL do your best,” he ordered.

"I always do sir!" he responded, saluting neatly. Gailen smiled as Kane stood and introduced himself properly.

On the other side of the camp Delenar approached Joibri. She had obviously sensed him coming and hastily retied her blindfold, but Delenar gripped it gently and pulled it away. She stared up at him, her scarlet eyes betraying the fact that she was as vulnerable as the rest of them.

He had not noticed before how attractive the girl was, even when he had been following her and Pen under the employ of Kelthan.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.

"He died saving me, I know that now. I am alone with this and I can't see a way out." He took her hand and pulled her around to face him.

"You are not alone. Youlvi did what he knew was right, it’s the kind of person he is - was. But he knew you wouldn't be alone, we're all with you. Pen especially, he worries about you constantly."

Delenar had to admit he felt a pang of jealousy towards Pen, looking at her. But the mention of his name made a smile creep over Joibri's face and a new glimmer shine in her eyes. He returned the smile and released her hands.

"Now go and tell him you’re okay," he said, perhaps more happily than he intended. She smiled more firmly and kissed his cheek, leaving a brief blush there,

"Thanks Del." Then she walked towards the giant warrior, her own confidence back in place.

Delenar turned towards the sun, his own sadness and melancholy settling in. His thoughts wandered to the night he had experienced with Kirelle, and the seductive look she had left him remembering.

"Where are you when I need you?" he whispered into the wind.

~*~

The tiredness was settling on Lena’s shoulders and she felt numb from the cold air. After the talk with Talo earlier on, they had flown steadily through the night and she knew that her mana reserves were dangerously low. She slowly started falling back and she realised that if they didn't stop soon, she wouldn't be able to hold the wings anymore. Just as she wanted to say something to Talo, he turned around and gestured to a point in front of him. After concentrating her gaze towards the place he was pointing at she realised she could see a small fire with people around it in the distance

"We are nearly there," Talo shouted, trying to make himself heard, "Only a few more minutes, hang on a bit longer!" Lena nodded in answer, saving her strength for staying upright a few minutes longer. She felt awake again, excitement of finally meeting the mysterious elf-girl giving her an extra bit of strength.

After a few minutes Talo slowly started gliding downwards, aiming his landing a few meters away from the group that was gathered around the fire. The reaction to their presence was immediate. Within a few seconds four men had their swords out and made to attack Lena and Talo. Lena shrank back - she had no experience with sword fighting and she doubted Talo did either; her only hope lay in casting.

‘That is if I even have any strength left,’ she thought to herself. Just as the men went to start their attack a female voice rang out,

"Stop."

Pen looked over his shoulder at Joibri, now standing confidently behind them, her blindfold tied neatly over her eyes again.

"You know them?" he asked her, his sword's accuracy never wavering, held towards the throat of the elf before him. There was something in the elf's eyes he did not like. He was suspicious, even if Joibri did know who he and his exhausted-looking female companion were.

Joibri was the only one of his original friends left now, and he was damned if he would let anything happen to her, especially if someone could trick her into friendship and then betray her. He looked back at the two who had just landed, the elf man looking him dead in the eyes, his stare increasing Pen's suspicion - his own eyes narrowed at the elf.

He would watch these two, the elf more so, but they wouldn't have any chance to hurt his Joibri; he'd watch them all day and night if he had to. He blinked.

HIS Joibri? Had he just thought that? She wasn't his. Sure, she was a very special old friend but why had he thought that?

He snapped back to reality when he heard someone speak.

"Joibri'dan," Talo said smoothly and with a hint of relief mixed with another unnameable emotion. Joibri looked confused. Some far off, barely accessible memory had told her to stop them from being harmed, that she knew the male. But she didn't, she reasoned. Silence floated around the camp.

"Who are you?" Joibri asked. The others looked considerably baffled as Talo only gave a soft smile, as if remembering something,

"Someone you should have known very well." Lena glanced to the male elf beside her, noting that his expression was something she hadn't seen in her time with him. It was...pained, yet grateful. Her earlier suspicion arose.

"That doesn't answer her question," Pen reinforced his grip on the sword. Talo's eyes flashed back to him, dangerously so,

"I wouldn't be so threatening if I were you," he warned very calmly - the sort of smooth civility one gets from someone who thinks they have the upper hand, venomous and icy. "My name is Talo-eran, and this is Lena," he gestured to the side where Lena stood, trying not to show her exhaustion. "We mean you no harm."

"You're mages, which college are you from?" Kane asked, somewhat dropping his defensive stance.

"I was trained at Julatsa, but for certain personal reasons I went to the Fifth, the Hermetic College. The same applies to Lena, here, but you were with Lystern before, am I right?" he looked to Lena and she nodded, trying to get herself into the conversation and help Talo out - she felt she owed him that,

"But we're friends - we left the college to find you, Miss Joibri'dan," she found she had no other term of politeness to address the she-elf. Joibri waved a hand with an unsettled smile,

"Please, not Miss. I'm just Joibri." Lena took the opportunity to assess she-who-they-had-come-for. Tuning into the mana spectrum she was shocked to find that this seemed a very confused playground for all sorts of bizarre mana. And certainly the blindfold over the she-elf's eyes was baffling too.

"We have information that will be useful - stole it from the college - I was chief spell researcher and developer there," the others knew that he was using that to imply his great skill as a mage. "And so had the opportunity to do so."

With a poisonous sideways hazel glance at Pen, Talo took off the satchel he had been carrying and held it out at arm's length for someone, anyone, to take. Lena did the same, and Joibri walked over and took the leather bags. Talo turned his head in her direction,

"I can rid you of the red sight," he offered, taking her hand gently as she took the satchel strap. Joibri jolted in her tracks. Even though the move had been gentle Pen moved a step closer to where the blade was pointed horizontally across Talo's throat.

"Please Pen," Joibri urged, her hand on his shoulder as Talo took the cue and released her other one. Pen looked across to her and noted she wasn't facing him, but rather the elf mage.

Finally he stood down, and the others took it as a cue that everything was somewhat safe now. But Talo was very quickly catching on to how the social relationships worked here, and he didn't like it. His glare refocused on Pen.

"I believe we owe you some names as well," Joibri said, walking back in the direction of the fire and trying to use the subject of introductions to distract her from her larger, more looming problem.

Talo was disappointed. The small group of misfits were nothing more than capable swordsman and some accomplished mages - it amazed him that they were capable of avoiding harm for so long. He had thought to aid the group in return for their aid in ensuring the Master could not come to power. And with Arithmus dead....

Now it was obvious that the group were nothing special; they had already lowered their guard against a strange man who fell from the sky. He lowered himself by the fire and listened to the introductions. The group made general small talk for some minutes while they shared a meal of venison stew with soft white loaf. Talo was impressed at least with their cooking skills.

"This is delicious, but how did you bring down a deer? I see no bows," Talo pointed out innocently.

"That’s because our bowman is damn near invisible when he wants to be. Though right now he is in a large oak behind you with an arrow aimed at your back," replied Joibri, equally innocently.

Talo felt the hairs on his neck raise up and a small chill flow through him. He also realised he had dropped the bread he had been chewing so quickly. Pen glared at the man with a malicious grin,

“You didn't seriously think we would trust you just like that did you?" It was Kane who spoke next,

"I think you had better tell us why you have tracked us."

Talo smiled inwardly. So this is how they had overcome the joint forces of the Fifth and the Master.

There was hope yet.

"The majority of my reasons, I'm afraid, are personal." Joibri fidgeted visibly as she felt his gaze linger on her. "However, as I said - Lena and I are not here to harm you, in fact, we're here to help."

The group stared at him. It was very clear from their unamused looks that he needed to continue. Pen in particular didn't look very pleased about the first part of his explanation. Talo sighed fakely,

"No doubt you know of 'the Master' as he calls himself. Well, we need to stop him, to put it bluntly and simply. I would not suggest going back to the Fifth College just yet."

"Why not?" Gasta demanded. Nonchalantly Talo picked up the piece of bread he had dropped and dusted it off,

"Hello General,” he mentioned, then continued, “Because there are things going on there right now that would prove unnecessary dangers. Now that our - their - leader, Arithmus, is gone," he gestured to the shrouded body some ways away, "There is going to be a power struggle, even though it is likely their second in command has taken over. However, I know that this second in command's apprentice is not going to intend to remain an apprentice for long. And what with his current mental state, I do not think we should hope for his interests to be our safety."

"But you can get us inside the college, can't you?"

Talo smiled that same venomous, icy smile, the one he seemed to use constantly save for when he smiled at Joibri.

"I can, but I will not do so by force. You'd have to...persuade me first." Clearly that implied fight. Lena shifted visibly. "And don't think of getting Lena to either. You wouldn't like the outcome."

"Right..."

"Anyhow. I suggest we replenish our supplies and -"

"WE?" Pen objected. Talo's cool demeanour snapped briefly,

"Whether you like it or not dark-touched, we are going to be allies in the interest of protecting her," he pointed to Joibri, "and in the interests of keeping Balaia from becoming less than a patch of dust in the greater scope of the cosmos! Do not trifle me with petty squabbles when I am the one who is dangerous to have as an enemy and vital as an ally!" The atmosphere soured, Delenar and the others coming back to full alert at Talo's outburst. His snake-like smile and calm voice returned, "Now, as I was saying - restock, and only then will we go to the Fifth College. Hopefully by the time we get there the power struggle will have at least settled. I warn you though, the Fifth is not necessarily an ally at present."

"So what if it isn't -"

"I wouldn't be so dismissive if I were you, considering the most potent weapon you have carries their mana." Joibri stood up angrily,

"I am not a weapon, damn you!" Talo slowly stood up as well, the flickering firelight melting onto his same-colored robes and turning him into the visage of a demon that she couldn't see. Everyone's hands went to their weapons.

"Not yet, but unfortunately you will be. I did not say I liked that prospect," his smile changed to the soft, caring one, "Please, let me rid you of the red sight." He took a few steps nearer but Joibri stood still, fists clenched by her sides. Pen unsheathed his sword and for the second time that evening and pointed it in Talo’s direction, blood boiling,

"Another move and you lose an eye to Delenar and a head to me." And again for the second time that evening Joibri intervened,

"Please Pen, let him try - I want to get rid of it so badly." There was obvious hurt in that voice, and Pen lowered his sword.

"Thank you," Talo had the courtesy to say, moving to stand less than a few inches away from Joibri, silhouetted to the majority of the group by the fire. Carefully he reached behind her head and undid the blindfold, letting it fall to the ground. "It will hurt, a little."

"I don't care," she murmured.

Talo breathed deeply and placed his hands either side of her face, thumbs placed over her closed eyelids. The silhouette made Pen jealous, though he didn't understand why. There was a brief flash of golden mana from his hands and Joibri called out as she felt a stabbing pain. Her hands shot up to his wrists, latching onto them. Pen and the others were instantly on their feet, and Lena had to stop them from making any aggressive move, holding out her arms.

Talo pressed his forehead to Joibri's as the spell began to flush out the stain, the pain making her grit her teeth and drop to her knees, bringing him with her.

"A little longer, that's all," he intoned. He breathed deeply again and there was another flash of golden light, and he carefully removed his hands, sitting back on his knees. Joibri fell back to one elbow, her other hand brought to her head. "Open them - they will only turn red now when you use the mana. They will be green again."

Joibri felt a pang of alert - he knew her eyes had been her father's much-treasured green?

Still, she opened her eyes, and let out a loud sigh of relief when she found that there wasn't a single trace of red to her normal vision at all. She refocused on Talo,

"Thank you."

"No trouble at all," he smiled, getting back to his feet and helping her up. Then he looked around at the others, "Gods burning do you really think I'd harm her?"

"Wouldn't put it past you," Pen mumbled, stalking off a little ways to try and distract himself. Talo gave another narrowed glare at the stocky man's back before turning back to Joibri as she spoke.

Pen snatched the bag from the ground stuffing in a cooking pot and some old clothes. His anger flared up again when he turned and saw Talo speaking softly to Joibri. He didn't know why but he felt anger and jealousy when he saw the elf talk to her in that way, standing so close.

Then it struck him - the elf had known about his condition, or at least known something of it. He'd called Pen "dark-touched", and in front of Joibri. Panic began to mix with the anger and jealousy making him feel sick. He'd poured some cold water over his head and felt a little better for it.

What if she asked him why he had called Pen that name? Talo was hardly the type of person to hold back from informing her.

She'd never stay with him if she found out. She'd be as scared of him as everybody else was.

"Seriously - who are you? You knew my eyes were green. You said that you were 'someone I should have known very well' - what does that mean?" Joibri confronted Talo. He smiled warmly,

"It means that we need to have a little private chat, if you'd oblige me." Joibri laughed quietly - a rare thing that felt alien. She didn't notice Pen watching them as Talo took her to the opposite side of the camp, disturbingly near Youlvi's body.

Pen looked over to where they were talking, Talo smiling that caring smile at Joibri, making Pen's flesh crawl and anger grow as Joibri responded with an equally warm smile and breaking into a laugh.

He'd never got her to laugh in all the time they'd been travelling. What powers did this bastard have over her? What was he trying to do?

Joibri’s smile faded as they approached the shadows,

"What did you mean when you called Pen 'dark-touched'?" Her voice was stern, and he looked back at her in disguised surprise - she didn't know. She had barely a clue at all. Quickly Talo struggled to decide whether to use this to his advantage or to respect common courtesy. He and Pen locked gazes, panicked, as Pen heard the question. Still looking at him across the fire Talo chose to reply,

"I am not in a position to tell you, I'm afraid." Pen looked away, and Talo's smile returned. "As for your other questions. I knew your father."

"You did?" A glimmer of hope and curiosity.

"Yes, from when the pair of you first went to Julatsa. I am...not surprised you don't remember me. Your father didn't mention me to you before you disappeared, but I knew who you were, what you looked like, before you ever knew who I was. This is how I knew your eyes were green.”

"And the other question?" Joibri shifted feet, dumbfounded by this new information. "Why did you and my father know one another?"

"Because....bec-" Talo faltered. Now that it actually came to revealing all, he was finding it extremely more difficult than he had expected and played out in his head. He took her hand as if to draw strength from it. Joibri looked confusedly back at him - she saw two possible answers, along the same lines as Lena had suspected, though she didn't know it. Talo only smiled, "Perhaps it's best for you not to know yet."

He released her hand. Instead of the innocent, cute reply he expected Joibri's face showed a hint of anger.

"It seems there are lots of things that need to be kept from me all of a sudden. That and the fact that most of them are about me when I don't even know them myself," she turned swiftly on her foot and stalked back across the camp, past Pen and Delenar in the tree and out into the gloom. Talo didn't follow, just watched her despairingly before going to sit back down beside Lena.

~*~

Korius sat meditating in his room - it had been cleared from his outburst and set back to its original design. He felt much more content with his condition. He had been told that the acceptance of the Fifth mana was causing his fear to be personified; that explained the visions and voices. Benru had told him that he was now second-in-command and the new master’s apprentice.

And so here he sat, trying to control his anger. The death of Arthimus had gotten him into a rage which Benru had managed to calm slightly. Mana had flared from Korius and there were still scorch marks on the wall where strands of red lightning had escaped his body. Had he been further through his training it could have been fatal, even a day later he could have caused fatal damage to the college with the speed at which he was accepting the mana.

"Murderer," came a voice. Korius opened his eyes and looked around.

"I know what you are," he stated plainly without emotion. All of a sudden the one eyed mage appeared, covered in blood and with the spike still protruding from one eye.

"And I know what you are." It paused. "A murderer."

"I did my master’s bidding."

"You mean the dead one."

Korius screamed, it was a low rumbling one as if he was about to enter battle. He leapt from the bed and launched at the mage. He fell through him and collided with a large band on the far wall. He then turned and stood, and in a loud voice he said,

"You died because you were not needed. Now you kind has taken my master I will destroy you all!" his voice rose to a battle scream at the end of the sentence.

His eyes flared a deep red. Quickly he raised one arm and a red orb shot from his hand. In an instant the bed was on fire where it hit and Korius was shocked at how easily he had created the spell and what little mana he had used. He smiled to himself, indeed he was powerful and every enemy of Arthimus was now his enemy. He would take them first, and then destroy Xetesk.

~*~

Pen walked over to where Joibri sat on her own away from the camp, finding her easily in the dark. She sat gloomily on a large boulder, knees up by her face and her arms straddling them. She glanced only briefly at him.

"You could try being a little more sociable," Pen suggested testily, sitting beside her. "You aren't like I knew you."

"Ye gods, Pen, I wonder why!" she snapped. She waved a hand and brought her knees down, "Just, don't go there."

"You don't always have to be on the defensive like that. These are good people, you can trust them - come on, you can trust me - and this whole thing isn't so bad..."

"I said don't go there!" Joibri restated angrily. Pen began to grow angry as well,

"Well if I don't point it out to you who will? Just adapt!"

"Just adapt? Just adapt?! How the hell can you expect me to 'just adapt'?!" she sighed, toning down her voice with a strange, pitiful look on her face, "This isn't how my life was meant to be." A pause. "I was meant to stay with my father, marry a good man and inherit the apothecary on my father's death, and maybe have children and die at a healthy age in a peaceful, normal death. That promise is gone."

Another pause, and her expression grew angry again,

"But instead, I ran away, became a mercenary, signed my own death warrant it seems with a single assassination and missed my father's death entirely. And when I try to have a normal life, I find that everyone seems to know more about me than I do, get swept into the confrontations of people I've never heard of, the only men that find me attractive are drunkards, I find that essentially I'm nothing more than a tool, a vessel for some alien, poisonous power that forces me to leave my business and accept a lifestyle that I'm beginning to hate more and more as time goes on! By the gods what the hell am I meant to feel?! Elation?!"

She hadn't realised it before, but there were tears brimming in her eyes, angry ones and sad ones all mingled together.

"If you'd just -" Pen began, trying to sympathise.

"No, Pen. This is how it is. But don't worry," she stood up, wiping her wet cheeks and starting to walk off, "You guys won't have to put up with me for much longer. In the process of completing this fucking 'destiny' I seem to have brought upon myself I'll probably kill myself."

Pen shot to his feet and grabbed her by the arm, spinning her around,

"Don't you dare say things like that. Don't you realise just...just what you mean..." he trailed off, stunned at where his own thoughts had taken him. He didn't know if he could form words to finish. "You've got so much promise beyond the whole of this mess, so much," he managed to continue, avoiding the tender area he had found within himself. Her face looked hopeful for a moment, then it clouded over in self-protective blankness,

"What's the point in holding such promise," she slipped out of his grasp again, walking backwards a few steps before turning around, "If there's no one there to..." she hesitated a moment, breathing quickening as she stopped in her tracks. What had she just uncovered?

Pen watched as Joibri went further into the woodland away from him.

He shouted loudly, punching a tree and knocking off part of its bark whilst trying to ignore the pain. It wasn't pain from his punch though. His chest felt heavy. What had just happened? His longest lasting friendship was about to fall apart and he couldn't see a way to stop it.

It was not this however, that made him feel so worried; he knew he had feelings, feelings he'd never felt for Joibri before - he also knew his feelings for her were increasing, but now he actually had to admit it to himself. He could feel himself falling for her.

Slumping into a crouching position he rested his head in his hands. How could this happen? Why now? Why Joibri?

He hadn’t meant to say what he had in the way that he had and hurt her. He wanted so much to tell her what was wrong with him but if he did he knew he'd loose her forever. His only true friend left. And Talo, that bastard had almost told her. How did he know? He had to find out.

He searched the camp to find the elf, and saw him sitting some ways out on his own. Walking slowly behind him he stood behind the elf, his arms crossed threateningly.

"You," he said, his voice low so no one else could hear. Talo turned, a slight sneer on his face, but did not seem surprised at Pen's appearance. "How do you know of my condition?"

"What does it matter? I'm not going to tell your precious friend," he replied smoothly.

Pen had him by the collar in under a second, and held him roughly against a tree. He noticed just a flash of surprise in the elf's eyes before he returned to his generally cold state.

"You will tell me Talo, or you will regret ever landing near this party," Pen threatened venomously, placing extra emphasis on the elf's name.

At that moment he heard a twig be deliberately snapped and turned slightly to find Joibri glaring angrily at him, her head cocked to one side and both hands holding the broken twig.

~*~

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