Arn just stared back at the dark haired witch.  His eyes were even but there was nothing in them but a deadly promise to any who dared to harm the sleeping form of Eilis on his lap.  His feelings had been strained.  Not only from the things he had witnessed but the effort of controlling the Aether in such a manner.  It made him wonder who both women managed to do so with seemingly little effort. 

The battle mage had been praised for his great capability for magic as well as the strong aptitude for magic by many in the Cauldron and the Academy.  The Vice Archmage had even had a few talks with him to measure him up.  This potential had allowed a bastard lowly birthed nobody to be invited to the prestigious Academy and offered a job at royal court. 

All of this was naught in the sheer power that the mage had witnessed.  He was not sure how much he would have been able to oppose them should they had truly been of the mind to snuff him out.  A dark anger welled up inside him.  He had fought all his life to never feel useless again but here he was ignorant to the power that rested in his lap. 

That power had stirred something inside him that made him feel ashamed.  Witnessing such raw power had made Arn feel….lustful.  But not in the carnal way that is quickly satisfied with the pleasure of the flesh.  Instead, he wanted that power.  He wanted to control that power.  He wanted to awaken that power in Eilis merge it with is own and share it with her.  Dark currents of desire like cold sweats still ran down his spine and fueled his dark anger. 

This was further aggravated by the declaration that somebody had already successfully tapped into hat power and was greedily draining it away.  The battle mage’s mind searched desperately for a plan of attack.  Ironically, it was not in the volumes of books that he had the pleasure of reading in the secret place of the Academy.  In fact, his answer came in the most rudimentary of practices taught to all magic recruits-Thread Cleansing.

A mage’s connection to the Aether is necessary to draw from that power.  However, due to inadequate casting or prolonged use, that connection can weaken or suffer in some manner.  Via deep meditation and a sort of astral projection where the person travels the Thread and repairs any damage, Thread Cleansing is possible. 

Arn had also discovered that with enough practice and skill, one could actually enhance one’s thread to be able to draw even more power from the source.  This was extremely dangerous because if unregulated and unpracticed, the flow of power could burn a mage out.  There were many applications of this simple procedure he was still trying to learn.  Who was to say that a mage of the old hero’s level was not capable of forming bonds with the threads of other humans.  

Had the dark haired woman in front of him not tried to kill them all, Arn would have loved to learn from her.  Her insight and teachings were so dangerous and so forbidden that there was no doubt that they were powerful.  Mage’s often have many restrictions due to the dangers the Aether poses to those with the lack of power or experience.  Certain techniques are painted as forbidden but are not inherently bad.  The way that one uses those techniques is what causes that distinction. 

The powerful will often feel themselves above such trivial matters of good and evil.  To them, there is only power.  This was evident in the secret retelling of what history recorded.  Arn had always had an inkling that the stories that were promulgated to the masses held half truths and revisions.  After all, the weak need only be told what the truth is.  However, he also knew that digging too deep would lead to your own grave or the discovery of a dark pit so endless, that you would loose yourself in it. 

Arn met the gaze of the woman. [color=0054a6] “Then what is your purpose of coming here?  If what you say is true, then Eilis could run to the ends of Ith and still not escape her prison.  So why chase her?”[/color]  His eyes narrowed.  [color=0054a6]“If you wanted her dead, you could have easily killed her.”[/color] He gently laid his proteges head down and stood up.  [color=0054a6]“IF all you said is true.  Then I will shoulder the burden of the lives to be lost by her staying alive.  Eventually she will perish, from what you have said, so why deny her the simple life while it lasts.”[/color]

 
His tone turned dark.  [color=0054a6]“IF however, my assumption is right, I think that like all prisons and all chains, there is a way to break them and your master is afraid that will happen.  Either way, you have no claim over her now.  Remain and I promise to end your life if its the last thing I do.” [/color] He stared at her.  Controlled death in his eyes.  To any even minimally attuned to magic, there seemed to be a sudden increase in Arn’s  projection.  He had opened a second gate to the Aether.  He had not used this very often and would mean he would tire out much faster.  But it also meant, that the power that now flowed through him was immense almost reaching that of the Vice Archmage.