Arn listened to the young lady.  He even closed his eyes and took in the sound and the knowledge.  There was nothing that he enjoyed more than knowledge and being delivered by the voice of the lovely Eilis seemed to be calming.  It was more than what normal people would call magnetism.  It felt like the two of them shared something that went beyond the material.  Arn had always wondered if mages shared some sort of familiarity.  He seemed to feel when other mages where close.  He often forgot the feeling because as part of a mage battalion, he was always surrounded by them.  However, the stronger the affinity, the stronger the pull.  Could this be because of the belief that a mage is a living part of Gia.  

His mind processed and analyzed the information that the young lady was telling him.  An insider’s look and experience at the inner working of the Viemese empire would be invaluable.  But those old fools at the Academy would try to exploit her knowledge rather than directing it.  No, he could not let her fall into their hands. 

As if to cement his musings into protecting the girl, her candor in the recounting of their plight brought a fervent claim, or was it a plea? 


[color=ec008c]"I refuse to die for rich bastards who simply crush those lesser than them beneath their boot." [/color]

The battle mage took her hand and squeezed.  He gasped as his mind was filled with images inside Eilis.  He onslaught was as if being plunged into a freezing cold lake.  His insides tightened as his mind almost burned with pain.  He almost felt h is own finger being snapped.  The images were so vivid.  

When the connection was broken he took a deep breath.  Arn was more or less used to pain.  Indeed, his body was a tapestry of scars that meant the mage was a far cry from the delicate royal mages.  True they wielded great power and that meant the they could destroy whole squads of soldiers with merely a word, but eventually even their bodies would be subject to the rigors of Magicka Shock.  Yet, even he had been caught unaware by the potency of the mind meld.  

In all his research he had read of this before but there had been no record of it in the modern age.  This sort of “mind meld” could only be accomplished by someone whose affinity was at an incredible level.  A question stabbed at his mind.  Where the Viemese perhaps trying to find those with vast affinity?  The implications of that were catastrophic.  

He cleared his throat trying to regain composure.  [color=0054a6]“Miss Eilis.  I am not sure if you were aware but for a second just now, I saw a memory of yours.”[/color]  He said his words slowly, wondering how they could be taken.  He hated that he was so matter of factly.  He wished that he could just have enjoyed his time with her.  Letting her tell him of all her readings but he knew that the mutter must be addressed. 

[color=0054a6]“From what you have told me, and what I have seen and heard.  Your affinity for magic is quite strong.  I don’t believe the Viemese were targeting the refugee vessels by chance.  If I was them, and a person as valuable as you was trying to flee to my enemy’s hands, I would be concerned”[/color]  he sighed and instinctively place another hand on hers comforting and protectively.  “[color=0054a6]I fear that Belasio May act rashly in having such an asset be found in their midst.” [/color] He gave her hand a pat. 

[color=0054a6]“We must not reveal your true identity to many.  Though I fear we may not have much success seeing as you single handedly saved a whole ship of refugees but we should try to keep your abilities as secret as possible.”[/color]

His mind was already formulating his list of possible allies.  At the top were a certain silvere haired Knight Captain and a battle crazy Spider.  

Tobi had been waiting outside their room as a sort of self appointed guard.  He had been cleaning Arn’s armor.  The junior mage would probably receive grief from his senior but he did not care.  Tobi knew that Arn just tried to act like that to keep people at bay.  The senior battle mage took every Shooting Star loss personally.  That is why he was often the first in the fray.  Sometimes clearing a whole deck by himself.  Odds were if you survived first contact, or were not picked off as you jumped in, then your chances of survival were better. 

Tobi had been recruited from one of the many orphanages in the slums of the city when his magic aptititude was discovered.  He had been taken to the Cauldron and began his training.  It was there that he had heard the stories of the Hell Spawn.  Tobi had all but revered this person who had risen so high.  He even respected Arn’s decision to turn down a position as a royal mage.  

That infatuation only grew when he actually met the man and followed him into combat.  He had inspired Tobi to be the best he could be.  The junior mage was gifted with the manipulation of radiation.  He was able to glow brightly and even disable electronics.  He could also, to a small extent, charge batteries.  As a last resort he was able to glow hot the same as a nuke.  

Tobi was toiling with a particularly blood encrusted area of Arn’s armor when he looked up and saw a knight clad in his armor.  His eyes went wide.  Just because the young mage though of Arn as an inspiration, there was no boy alive who did not dream of becoming a knight.  The mage’s velvet and multi colored robes were not match against the knights in their gleaming armor in parade.  It was hard to play fight as a mage when it was easier to build make shift swords and shields.   

Also, everybody knew that knights always got the ladies.