AlexStarsion

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Zander stopped his decent into the hull and sighed at Nymira. What did she think he would do? Light fire to the ship itself and leave it to burn into the river bed? That actually wasn't a bad idea, part of him agreed. Lack of a torch and flint and steel held his idea in check though. His mind also processed Ethan's harsh remark towards him. Ethan didn't know him, and vice versa, so he did not hold it against the boy. He was younger than Zander, and part of him scoffed raging against keeping his mouth shut for once.

When Ethan realized how his words affected Cecil, he decided then and there to let bygones be bygones. Cecil had done what Zander himself had tried to do, get Ethan to realize his harsh tone was doing more damage than anything else. It felt wrong, to praise the young Magi. To him, it felt so terribly wrong even in his mind. Magi had caused his family to shun him and cast him out. Not, however, before branding him and causing his wandering to start. That was a summer ago, but felt like a lifetime.

He was lost in memories, some bitter sweet, some making him long for the temple's overall warmth. The guards had called for them to come down, to follow their lead and to not cause trouble. He tensed, guards meant that soon the Church would be called. Zander scorned himself, for not leaving a day earlier, to have avoided all of this trouble. Geoffrey though, had pleaded for him to stay one night as they had been together. Begged him to heal his mother with his magics. That had been the cause of all of this, and Zander somewhat wanted to box the Innkeeper's son upside the head.

Shaking his head, it felt light and airy, somehow he had followed the others off the platform. When Nymira had pulled Amuné and stated she was a princess of such and such tribe he sighed. There went his idea to lie his way out of this, bringing his own family name into it and using some excuse like this was the Church's experiment.

He paused. Would that actually work!? Bernadette fought for them, stating they were children caught up in this, and then the word Magi had been passed around. The mayor had been spelled asleep, and fingers were being pointed at them. He could see the underlying tone, if none of them spoke up on his behalf, he would be off towards the Church. His death. His mother would be sure to gloat as well.

To lie. To tell the truth. To bring up his own family name into this and use it. He had the family crest branded on his left arm, his father's parting gift against his mother's wishes. Sighing and crouching down, he plucked a blade of grass and placed it to his lips. Thistle Whistle, or so Geoffrey had showed him how. Blowing against it, a softer tone escaped it and he let the tone hold. He ignored the looks the guards shot him, and just hummed with his Thistle Whistle.

When Lazlo arrived to spread his good cheer about finding his items unharmed and now unstolen, Zander gave a pained smile. This would take more than trying to cheer them up and he doubted the Mayor would help them anymore since Zander had knocked the man out in his need to hide his last name. Sighing finally, he dropped the reed in his fingers and walked away from his small group and towards the guards.

"I am they one who placed the sleep seal upon your Mayor," Zander stated bringing them to a silent impasse. "These people had nothing to do with that. The job to retrieve the items was done, also by this group. If you must shackle someone look no further." Zander didn't have his staff, it was still in the bushes. The staff he had borrowed from the bandit's still upon the deck. He was tired and wanted to rest and pump more of his power into the wound upon his chest.

He didn't look at the group he had gone to this ship wreck with. For that was what would become of it, and he kept his eyes no the Mayor's Secretary. He didn't plead, he didn't bargin, he simple handed himself over. He was older than all of them, he would handle this for them and if they crossed paths again, or didn't he was okay with that somehow.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

I'm getting one up tonight. :D sorry for the delay T.Tb

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

@shylarah yeah he's a jerk. I'm also fighting my normal make a character that gets a longg with everyone so if he flip flops a bit its natural writing trying to take over haha

@Mogtaki i like the picture as well, wish i cpuld draw haha

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

>.<" hopefully that's better than what I have had... And I can't seem to pin Zander to a single personality... then again what human has a single personality strain... if any gets what I mean... Gah...

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Zander lay there dazed for a moment. His team mates if you could call them that, were all Magi it seemed. He hadn't seen anything special about Amuné, but perhaps the moor cat was her power. A gift over animals to control them and bend them to her will perhaps? Nymira could control fire, Ethan seemed to have the wind at his beck and call and for all Zander could make out, Cecil with his Machina more then made up for lack of magical prowess.

Watching the events unfold from a distance, Zander pondered his own move. Calling to Amuné had been rather silly on his part, it took the help of her cat to release her from Cecil's heavy grip. When Ethan emerged from bellow deck, snuffing out the flaming sword and knocking the last two enemies out. Zander let out a sigh of relief and exhaustion. Hearing the cold tone and the iced stare sent a chill down Zander's own spine. So Ethan had a backbone, Zander tutted himself. He knew nothing about this group of people.

"So why are you killing people, huh?! We're the good guys, we don't do that!"

Zander let himself laugh outright at that statement. Oh it hurt to laugh like he was, but he pressed his free palm to his chest. He had so little magic to help speed the wounds sealing, but that was okay for now. The laughter was painfully wonderful at this moment. Hearing the other two plead for the two to back down, made Zander's laughter return anew. This was just too rich! To add the cherry on top, Cecil stuttering out an apology would have made Zander keel over from laughter if it didn't hurt even more. The chest wound was sorely ruining his fun at the events transpiring.

With laughter tears on his face, he slowly made his way over feeling a slight charge to the air as he approached. He still chuckled here and there, as he slowly made his way over to the downed males who hadn't been killed. Poking one with his borrowed quarterstaff he tried to get the weapon away from the man. He refused to learn Ethan's want to knock out the enemy wouldn't be their deaths.

"Forgive me for the laughter," Zander's voice was raspy from the pained giggling. "Would you not kill in return if they had slain your princess? Perhaps if they had used the flaming sword to slice the young lady in twine." Zander chuckled a little more and groaned. He needed to calm himself before he opened the wound further. "Perhaps if I had been pierced by an icy shaft, then it would be all the more reason to kill. Do you not kill wild beasts? They mean only to defend their homes. What of the food you eat? Do you spare it a passing thought?"

Zander's laughter had subsided and in it's place was a questioning logic. He headed towards the two and didn't slow his pace. Cecil seemed to have regained control of himself, Ethan was staring daggers still and Zander let out a sigh. Placing his hand on Ethan's clenched one, he used his bloodied fingers to try to pry the digits in Cecil's clothing loose. Still he lectured.

"Mayhap if we had asked nicely, by their leave, to spare our lives and continue on their way, you could spare your friend here from the blood now on his hands. He SAVED the brat and the lady and yourself from death by their hands. Fully trained in their Demacite to annihilate all in their path, or are the fallen pirates beyond your view?" Zander looked at Cecil's frightened face and didn't smile in reassurance.

"To take a life is easier," Zander stated. "Then to save one. To spare it. You do him no good, Ethan, crying to him about the death he has caused. His act did more good than harm. We have a job to finish, and perhaps, a ship to burn down."

Giving up on trying to free Cecil, he headed towards the way Ethan had come upwards. He was shaking his head now, the self righteous would always find a cause to gather round. Whether they be Church members, or whether they be adventurer's who had picked up a healer who had been through something very much like what Ethan was setting himself up for.

Before heading down, he nodded to Nymira as if to convey he meant no harm, but to rather get Ethan to see their was no reason to lay fault on Cecil's already trembling shoulders. Stopping just out of paw range he looked at Amuné from top to toe of what he could see. She was probably slightly bruised but with the Moor Cat growling at him he wouldn't take a step closer.

"I'm going to look for mead and silk. When you have gotten over this... Impasse, you are welcome to help me in the search. I have a patient in the Golden Coffer Inn, who I won't keep waiting much longer."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

@Mogtaki I will post tomorrow after work, got distracted with RL things sorry >.<" i get off at 230 est so ill have something up no later than 330pm

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

@shylarah Not knowing we were going into a major fight, I had written Zander healing people of the town since the morning. The Seal Papers are mostly for show. They act as his conduit, its partly to keep him from being a "Cleric Touch Healer" which is sometimes a pain in the arse since he's wearing cloth, with no REAL armor on. Also, putting people to sleep... think about it, you're alert and someone drugs you, you're going to instantly fight back as best as you can to keep yourself from falling asleep. Thus the magic/drug has to be a higher dosage to take effect. Puts more draining. Now if Zander was a Ninja and doing knock outs on unsuspecting targets, 1-hit KO without worry of a higher drain.... If that doesn''t make sense i'll try to explain like this

Alert More Sleep Magic to put target to sleep

Not Alert Less Sleep Magic to knock out target.

ALSO @AngelKitten PPPOOOSSSTTTT T.T"

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Zander would have thrown a barred insult at Nymira, but the words were taken from his lips. He couldn't help himself, he watched Cecil crash through the deck and into the air. Amuné grasped tightly to keep her from being thrown off, and then the air born Cecil struck. Zander couldn't tell which man Cecil's hand grasped, but he did wheeze when he saw what the youngster did.

"We wanted a miracle..." Zander left the rest of the sentence unfinished. Nothing else needed to be said. Clutching a Seal Paper to his chest, and feeling the wound slowly heal, it would take time since his own magic was a simple ember compared to the raging fire it was this morning. It purred contently under his skin, expended and well used. He moved slowly, trying to put some distance between himself and the enraged Cecil, he moved closer to what had to be the captain's cabin. His eyes focusing on and off on the two suited men and on Nymira as well.

Sliding down the door frame, back propping the door open, he let out a ragged breath. He wouldn't have much time to dodge if that ice maniac threw another spell at him. He would be able to tumble one way or another. For now, he was content to rest and not jar his chest too much with deep breaths and make the wound worse. If needed too, he could throw himself back into the brawl but he was no warrior.

"Amuné," Zander called to the girl. "This way!" He tried to not make much motion, but to get the young girl into the cabin. He would help keep her safe, even if the little brat hadn't returned his staff to him. He would retrieve it afterwards. Zander was letting his guard down, but his body ached, his chest felt like it was afire and right now sleep sounded wonderful to him.

"Haven't been around or used so much magic since I left the Main House," Zander muttered to himself. Still he stared at Cecil's back and gasped in shock when he saw the mechanical hand return to Cecil's wrist. Was that NORMAL!? That couldn't possibly be, he was sure if something like that had been achieved the Church would use it to the extremes. His Father at least would have mentioned something like that to his once heir, wouldn't have he?!

Where was Ethan in all of this, Zander's mind wandered. Shaking it free from the thoughts he couldn't help but smile oddly. If he was going to help these people like he felt his Saint pushing him towards, it was going to a rough and bumpy ride. For now, he'd sit back and regain some of his strength before he attempted to rejoin the fray.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Zander stood in a slight daze, Nymira was crazy. Stay and fight when they were running on fumes? Utter maddness. Watching her cast the fire from her hands, his dislike for the Dimira escalated. She was a Magi, and though he himself was one as well, he would have fought harder to not join them on this reckless mission if he had known then what he knew now. Focusing back on the battle at hand, he watched the gauntlet clad member grip the back of Nymira's short, flinging her across the hull and into the ships side. His hands moved without him thinking about it, a Seal paper flung over to her; gripping around her ankle as she crawled out of the icy death trying to impale her.

His signature green aura wrapped around her, soothing the burn in her throat from the earlier chains and attempting to pump vigor into her system. He was no attacker. He wasn't like the Healer Magi he had once read about in his father's study. Able to heal and defend, some even able to use their magic as an offensive weapon against opponents. Gripping the quaterstaff tighter in sore hands, he brought it in front of himself ready to leap at the gauntlet clad male, only for ice to be come speeding his way.

His thoughts went quicker, he could cut off the spell to Nymira, weak as it was and defend himself. He could die here leaving the last of his power to heal her enough for Nymira to escape which she wouldn't do. What if they cut them both down?! Ethan was alright, Amuné could go perish for not getting his staff to him and Cecil was helpless. If the young man had just accepted his want to help him, they wouldn't be in this predicament, would they!?

Pulling out three of his last premade Seal Papers he cut the healing going to Nymira, held the quarterstaff in his left hand, and the papers in his right. He was already tired, he wanted to flee and recover and tell whatever the peddlers name was that the pirates had burnt down the ship when they were assaulted.

Strange thoughts to have when one is defending one's life... Zander forced the thoughts away and focused on the ice coming towards him. "Bariarae!" He spoke the word of command and watched the ice stop inches from the Seal Papers held out from his chest. He had to hold off this spell long enough to move and hide himself. His green aura pushed against the ice trying to get to his heart, and Zander's eyes widened. He would not be able to fully hold off this assault on his life. He could push the icicle in a different direction, but not fully enough to fend off injury. Scowling at the ice, he grit his teeth and watched two papers burn up in his hands the last one slowly burning as well.

Demacite... Should not... be this... strong... Sighing and pressing what little power he had left in him he turned himself sideways dropping the last Seal Paper as it turned to ash and felt the gash from the ice spell cut into his chest. His shirt ripping as well and sending him stumbling backwards. It burned and yet it was freezing! The stolen staff clattered to the ground as Zander attempted to retreat backwards. He wished with everything in him, that Geoffrey was here with his bow skills. Just so the man could give him some cover on his escape.

Zander wouldn't be able to hold off another ice spell from that rats gauntlet, and his power was slowly, at a snails pace trying to mend the wound he had gained. Gritting his teeth more, he bent his knees to grab the staff from the ships wooden floor and stood tall once more. Oh was he tired, he held the staff in the ready position and placed himself between the crates and the enemy.

He was going to die here, he was going to die protecting a Magi Princess who hated the air he breathed. Zander loathed her even more now, she was a Magi, forget the princess part. She was the whole reason he had been disinherited from his family. Deciding to leave her to his fate, yet still keeping an eye on the false ice mage, he leaped behind what few crates he could find. Taking a shallow breath, in his gut, he knew they needed a miracle to get out of this. If only some of the bandit's were still around to cause a distraction.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Zander had gathered just enough energy to heal the broken nose, when a shard of ice pierced the skull of the bandit. His Seal paper attached to his chest went up in flames as well. He was so beneath their league when it came to magical strength. He knelt there stunned for a few moments, ignoring the well dressed man's comment about killing him and said a silent prayer to the Nine to get him away from this battle.

His prayer was answered, when Nymira called out to him to move and the fog that surrounded his mind lifted. Fire helped purge it away, and Zander took a deep breath. Exhaling and standing whilst turning towards the boat, took off at a run for the gangplank. As he reached the top, he ducked under the bandit from early and hollered for him to push the gangplank off the boat.

"They wield magicks," Zander gasped out. "Forget what is down there, cast off and get away from them!" He was slightly panicked, the tug on him screamed out for him to flee back to the port city, to hide for a few days from these men. He was shaken, never before had a ward fallen so quickly. Was he truly this weak!? Shaking those thoughts away, and restating in his mind he was one of the strongest healers in the land, grabbed a quarterstaff from a dazed bandit and ran up the deck.

Nymira was being choked, straining against the chain around her neck, which if Zander was honest with himself, which he usually wasn't. It thrilled him to see the Dimura in trouble. His magic would be little use for a few days, he was tired from the forcing sleep, the ward draining him and the sprint up to the deck.

Gripping the staff near the bottom, he pulled back and swung with all his might at what had to be the captain's head. The best that would happen would be dazing him enough for Nymira to escape. He wouldn't not like seeing the woman dead, not until after he had the chance to scold her for calling him a buffoon! Not only that, but they needed to grab the silks and mead. They were running out of time, and needed to use the bandits as their escape plan.

Where the bleeding hell is Cecil and Ethan, Zander thought as he brought the staff around again for another swing. "ETHAN, CECIL WE NEED TO LEAVE, NOW!!!"