Previous: A Light Con, Post 6
(Content Warning: Implication of Xenophobia, Lycanthropy)
"I'll admit, it's a fancy piece of transmutation, Big O, but it most definitely is not the abjuration ritual you should be working on."
"Oh, shut up, Bird...I know that. That's not the point, anyhow! The abjuration working is too advanced--"
"Excuses."
"--and it's missing half a dozen runes--"
"Laziness."
"--and this, will you be quiet? This clever--"
"If you do say so yourself."
"--I say, this clever little transmutation working is just the stop gap measure I need until I can figure the rest of the negation spell." The broad shouldered dwarf fussily drew his long, stark silver hair away from his heavily scarred face and went about tying it in a ponytail as he spoke. Glaring over the rims of his dull golden spectacles, he added, "And stop calling me 'Big O' or anything else of the sort. I am your master, by all the gods above."
"Stop calling me 'Bird' and I'll think about it," the snowy white owl returned, ruffling its feathers just so and readjusting its perch. "Stop gap measure, Orion? Really? Sometimes your skull is as thick as your ruddy dwarven hide."
"Hey! I don't think you can say that..." The dwarf paused, distracted by the thought.
"I'll say what I please. Now, listen, I'd hardly call your stop gap measure clever, by any stretch of the imagination." The owl watched dispassionately as its master gently cupped the floating cerulean ball of energy in his hands.
"And why not?" As he brought the ball closer to his own chest, the silver dagger on the edge of the desk chose that moment to hurl itself away and implant itself into the opposite wall. Orion allowed himself a small smirk as he watched the knife's pommel vibrate from the impact.
"Well, for one, it only has an eight hour duration, you braid-bearded dolt. If you want to ensure it lasts a full day, you'll have to cast it here." The owl spun its head all the way around to indicate the small entrance cavern they currently occupied. It was located in the rock just behind the roaring rainbow waterfall outside. The area was a renowned and wondrous boon for transmuters but the bird had already made known what he thought of it.
"So? I'll cast it here every day." The dwarven wizard distractedly poked at an errant strand of energy which had wriggled free of the core magical binding.
"Fantastic. I'm sure your...condition won't make staying in any one place very difficult. Especially once those hick villagers down on the other side of the grove catch wind."
The dwarf blinked, a blank expression crossing his features. "You do realize that this is specifically made for them, don't you?" He lifted the complex ball of energy as evidence.
"Correction. It's specifically made for you. I doubt very much it is going to do anything nice for any of them."
"Oh, bah! You know what I meant."
"And you're, what? Fine with that? Have you created a spell that will help you control it? Give you some presence of mind when it takes over? How many people are going to get hurt, do you think, because you're up here diddling around with that thing instead of working on something that will make a difference to our situation?"
The dwarf looked doubtful for a moment and rubbed absently at the top of the clawed scar that ran obscenely from his right temple all the way down to his left jawline. "I mean, you said it yourself...they're just a bunch of dumb hicks..."
The owl let out a surprised screech. "Shame on you, Orion Silverbeard! They may be walking wastes of good air but they're still people!"
The wizard sighed tiredly and sat heavily back down at his desk. "I know. I'm sorry. I just don't know what else to do. *Yevo ni kar."
The pair stayed in silence for a few moments before the beleaguered wizard spoke again, a fire rebuilding in his eyes. He clenched his fist and thumped it lightly but firmly on the desk's top. "But it's about more than just me, Bird. I have an obligation and my work is too important. I can't very well stop this thing at its source if I am dead."
"I'll grant you that," the owl said after a moment's reflection. "Fine. Do it. But promise me this is the last of the tinkering and procrastination. We do this thing, we go full force and get it done. We'll work out the timing and the duration later but, tomorrow, we head to Corlesai and seek out the Avendriel's help. Agreed?"
"Agreed. The elves won't be happy to see us, though. Not after last time."
"Almost certainly. Maybe we bring them a gift."
"Come on, Bird, that's a Xysman Lord you're talking about screwing over! No. No way."
"Full force, remember?"
The dwarf let out a bone weary sigh. "Ugh," he grumbled, "Fine. We'll do it your way. As it happens, I might know someone who can help. Won't be cheap, though."
"Needs must, Big O."
The wizard glared at the bird as he stood and adjusted his glasses, left forefinger and thumb along the outer edge of the rim, as was his habit. Grasping the swirling, bright blue sphere of energy in his right hand, he raised the magical working up and level with his chest, arm outstretched. The master and familiar each nodded at the other. Then, Orion slammed the ball into his chest. It sank through his shirt and flesh before virtually exploding outward, every thread of magical energy wound up in the working knot unraveling and arcing away from every other thread at speed. The tendrils of azure power danced through his body, lacing themselves into his veins and spiking like a needle and thread through his muscles, literally binding his being to the spell. It was a brutal affair but wholly effective.
The dwarven wizard sank to the floor and didn't stop screaming for some time. The snowy owl looked on.
(Content Warning: Implication of Xenophobia, Lycanthropy)
"I'll admit, it's a fancy piece of transmutation, Big O, but it most definitely is not the abjuration ritual you should be working on."
"Oh, shut up, Bird...I know that. That's not the point, anyhow! The abjuration working is too advanced--"
"Excuses."
"--and it's missing half a dozen runes--"
"Laziness."
"--and this, will you be quiet? This clever--"
"If you do say so yourself."
"--I say, this clever little transmutation working is just the stop gap measure I need until I can figure the rest of the negation spell." The broad shouldered dwarf fussily drew his long, stark silver hair away from his heavily scarred face and went about tying it in a ponytail as he spoke. Glaring over the rims of his dull golden spectacles, he added, "And stop calling me 'Big O' or anything else of the sort. I am your master, by all the gods above."
"Stop calling me 'Bird' and I'll think about it," the snowy white owl returned, ruffling its feathers just so and readjusting its perch. "Stop gap measure, Orion? Really? Sometimes your skull is as thick as your ruddy dwarven hide."
"Hey! I don't think you can say that..." The dwarf paused, distracted by the thought.
"I'll say what I please. Now, listen, I'd hardly call your stop gap measure clever, by any stretch of the imagination." The owl watched dispassionately as its master gently cupped the floating cerulean ball of energy in his hands.
"And why not?" As he brought the ball closer to his own chest, the silver dagger on the edge of the desk chose that moment to hurl itself away and implant itself into the opposite wall. Orion allowed himself a small smirk as he watched the knife's pommel vibrate from the impact.
"Well, for one, it only has an eight hour duration, you braid-bearded dolt. If you want to ensure it lasts a full day, you'll have to cast it here." The owl spun its head all the way around to indicate the small entrance cavern they currently occupied. It was located in the rock just behind the roaring rainbow waterfall outside. The area was a renowned and wondrous boon for transmuters but the bird had already made known what he thought of it.
"So? I'll cast it here every day." The dwarven wizard distractedly poked at an errant strand of energy which had wriggled free of the core magical binding.
"Fantastic. I'm sure your...condition won't make staying in any one place very difficult. Especially once those hick villagers down on the other side of the grove catch wind."
The dwarf blinked, a blank expression crossing his features. "You do realize that this is specifically made for them, don't you?" He lifted the complex ball of energy as evidence.
"Correction. It's specifically made for you. I doubt very much it is going to do anything nice for any of them."
"Oh, bah! You know what I meant."
"And you're, what? Fine with that? Have you created a spell that will help you control it? Give you some presence of mind when it takes over? How many people are going to get hurt, do you think, because you're up here diddling around with that thing instead of working on something that will make a difference to our situation?"
The dwarf looked doubtful for a moment and rubbed absently at the top of the clawed scar that ran obscenely from his right temple all the way down to his left jawline. "I mean, you said it yourself...they're just a bunch of dumb hicks..."
The owl let out a surprised screech. "Shame on you, Orion Silverbeard! They may be walking wastes of good air but they're still people!"
The wizard sighed tiredly and sat heavily back down at his desk. "I know. I'm sorry. I just don't know what else to do. *Yevo ni kar."
The pair stayed in silence for a few moments before the beleaguered wizard spoke again, a fire rebuilding in his eyes. He clenched his fist and thumped it lightly but firmly on the desk's top. "But it's about more than just me, Bird. I have an obligation and my work is too important. I can't very well stop this thing at its source if I am dead."
"I'll grant you that," the owl said after a moment's reflection. "Fine. Do it. But promise me this is the last of the tinkering and procrastination. We do this thing, we go full force and get it done. We'll work out the timing and the duration later but, tomorrow, we head to Corlesai and seek out the Avendriel's help. Agreed?"
"Agreed. The elves won't be happy to see us, though. Not after last time."
"Almost certainly. Maybe we bring them a gift."
"Come on, Bird, that's a Xysman Lord you're talking about screwing over! No. No way."
"Full force, remember?"
The dwarf let out a bone weary sigh. "Ugh," he grumbled, "Fine. We'll do it your way. As it happens, I might know someone who can help. Won't be cheap, though."
"Needs must, Big O."
The wizard glared at the bird as he stood and adjusted his glasses, left forefinger and thumb along the outer edge of the rim, as was his habit. Grasping the swirling, bright blue sphere of energy in his right hand, he raised the magical working up and level with his chest, arm outstretched. The master and familiar each nodded at the other. Then, Orion slammed the ball into his chest. It sank through his shirt and flesh before virtually exploding outward, every thread of magical energy wound up in the working knot unraveling and arcing away from every other thread at speed. The tendrils of azure power danced through his body, lacing themselves into his veins and spiking like a needle and thread through his muscles, literally binding his being to the spell. It was a brutal affair but wholly effective.
The dwarven wizard sank to the floor and didn't stop screaming for some time. The snowy owl looked on.
*Literally, "I am set apart." Borrowed from "Races of Stone" by David Noonan, Jesse Decker, and Michelle Lyons
Next: Forever Guardian, Post 8
Next: Forever Guardian, Post 8