Marrakt

The Genesis of Ansolera (Guardian Angel Haruki / Marrakt)

The trees, despite their attempts at closing the distance, they remained impossibly far away. Leading Callie, Merrill shook his head.

”We do what we have to do. I have my part to play in this, as do you. Nothing in the world can change that.”

And then it came. The vision

She stands before me. She looks me in the eyes as she steps closer.....closer.....she.....

He saw. And the vision came.

Lying on her back, her eyes stare up at me sightlessly. And I stand there, knife in my hand. Blood, her blood drips from the tip of the blade, falling to the floor.

Merrill’s mouth drops open in shock as he runs, whispering the words, ”No. Gods no.”

Hair of auburn, heart stealer,
I see you, I kill you.

The roar from behind shattered the vision, destroying his train of thought. Looking behind, Merrill stared in horror as it exploded out from the night sky, bearing straight towards them. Claws outstretched, fangs gleaming, its eyes burned with malice and hatred.

”Move!”

Pushing Callie to one side, Merrill rolled to the other. He felt claws scrape across the back of his leg and cried out in pain. Coming back up to his feet, he saw Callie on the other side.....beyond the twisted creature that stood between him and her. The creature advanced on her slowly, its face twisted into a grotesque smile, leering as its sharp teeth reflected off the light of the moon.

”You belong to ME,” it intoned, stepping towards her, claws reaching for her.

Climbing back to his feet, Merrill came towards it from behind, limping slowly as he favoured his injured leg.

”HEY YOU,” he shouted, reaching into his pocket, drawing forth.....something.

Something that he didn’t want to use unless it was an emergency.....and this certainly counted as that.

Laughing, the winged creature turned to face him.....as Merrill threw something into its face. There was a bang and an explosion of white light. The creature screeched as it clawed at it’s face, tearing at its eyes as it swiped at him with its free hand.

Rolling to one side, Merrill yelled as his leg crumpled, yet he was lucky....the momentum taking him underneath its taloned claw. Rolling onto his back, he climbed back up, ignoring the pain from his reopened injury as he looked to Callie.

”If you have any tricks left, I suggest you use them NOW!”

He called out as he looked at her, and once more he saw her, lying on the ground on her back, eyes staring at her killer accusingly.....

@Guardian Angel Haruki

The Genesis of Ansolera (Guardian Angel Haruki / Marrakt)

The roar sounded closer. The unicorns horn glimmered once more, and Merrill looked down to see his outline begin to fade along with the nine year old Callie’s.

”Thank you,” he said, then looked at Callie. ”No time,” he said, grabbing her hand and running.

And run they did. Across fields and open grasslands. Behind them, the roar sounded once more as the creature came closer. Overhead the moon shone bright and there was nary a cloud in the sky.

It was the perfect conditions for hunting.

Behind them, a second explosion of light could be seen echoing faintly against the night sky, and the creature roared again, although this time there was a tinge of pain to its voice. Merrill shook his head, hoping that the unicorn had managed to escape the grasp of the enraged demon.

”We need to get out of the open,” Merrill gasped, his lungs burning from the running.

Dark eyes scanned around desperately, looking for something.....anything that would allow them some sort of cover from the marauding creature. And then he saw it.

”There,” he pointed to the side.

In the distance, very faint but there nonetheless were the shadowy outlines of what looked like they were trees. Lots of trees.

”We can seek cover under the trees,” he panted, breathing heavily. ”Hopefully there we can find a hiding place.”

And then she exploded into bright white light. A white light that started out as a spark from Callie but grew larger and larger, first encompassing her body and then expanding to consume him. Shielding his eyes from the light, Merrill cursed.

”Callie..we really, really need to find a way of controlling your magic. If I didn’t know any better I’d swear that it was deliberately trying to get us caught.”

As they continued to race towards the shadows of the forest, outlines that although close seemed so desperately desperately far away, he continued.

”Callie, if it catches us, you are to run and you don’t look back,” he breathed heavily. ”You are of the most importance. You have to survive no matter what. I’ll do what I can to give you that chance, do you understand me?”

His face was flushed red from the exertion.

The Genesis of Ansolera (Guardian Angel Haruki / Marrakt)

And not all the visions in the world could have prepared Merrill for the sight of Callie shrinking......transforming into a nine year old child standing in front of him.

He stared at the child, his eyes widening in surprise and shock.

”Your magic....” he began to speak, before shaking his head. ”We need to find out how to control it, find someone to teach you....”

His voice trailed off at his own ridiculous statement. There was no one else left alive to teach magic. Those few who had survived the ravages of the plague had been hunted down and brutally murdered by the many magic haters left alive. Wizards, spellcasters alike had all been exterminated by those who had believed, rightly or wrongly, that they were responsible for the plague.

Between her unstable magic and his own abilities of divination.....the two of them would be killed for what they had and what they knew.

Merrill’s brow creased in fear and frustration. They were alone. Both alone now. They could turn to nobody, trust nobody....and here he was standing in front of a nine year old, looking up to him. He held his head in his hands. Things were spiralling out of control. He didn’t know what to do....where to go.

Despite everything, despite the visions.....he wasn’t ready for this.

And then the roar could be heard. Emanating from the village, yet it was getting closer.

In the distance Merrill could see a winged silhouette against the silvery radiance of the moon, blotting out the smoke that billowed upwards from the ruins of Edhel.

”We.....we don’t have time,” he held his hand out to her.

”We must run!”

His voice had a slight tinge of panic as he looked to the unicorn, his eyes reflecting his desperation.

”Can you do anything to help us?”

The Genesis of Ansolera (Guardian Angel Haruki / Marrakt)

When the unicorn came over to him, Merrill was transfixed by its magnificence. With a small smile, he reached up, touching its white mane.

”Hey there,” he whispered, and for a second, the years seemed to roll off of him — the weariness that belay his young age.

It was, perhaps, a small sight of the person that Merrill could have been under different circumstances. It’s horn began to glow....its radiance pure white. Watching, unable to move even if he wanted to, Merrill could not tear his eyes away as the unicorn placed its horn on his leg. And there, torn flesh mended. His flesh knitted back together, and the blood lessened, first to a small trickle.....and then it stopped bleeding altogether. Stroking its mane, Merrill nodded.

”Thank you,” he whispered simply.

When Callie whirled to face him, her eyes blazing with fury, Merrill turned his own dark gaze to meet hers.

She is so beautiful.

He heard her accusation. Heard her anger. Watched as the energy coalesced in her hands, and Merrill bowed his head for a second, remaining on his knees despite the healing of his injury. Then he looked up, meeting her gaze once more, expecting her to strike him down.....destroy him.

It was not an unpleasant thought....to be free from all of this.

He shook his head. ”No,” he said simply, letting the words hang in the air for a second.

Swallowing, he maintained his gaze. Dark eyes met auburn and held them..... For a moment, he felt his own soul shrink under that gaze.....under the hatred that radiated out from them.

It was time. Time for his own truth.

”I saw it just after you left. The village...burning. I saw the creature, the winged creature. I saw you run into the house. I watched it.....you....”

Swallowing again, Merrill broke eye contact, looking down. ”I.....I can see echoes of the future Callie. I can’t control it.....it controls me. I see things....”

His fists clenched together. Fingernails bit into the palm of his hand as he closed his eyes.

”Some would call it a gift,” he almost spat his contempt onto the ground before he opened his eyes, looking to her once more.

”A gift.... to see people you care about die in front of your eyes, knowing there is nothing....NOTHING you can do to stop it. To be hated and turned out by your own kin because they fear you. To be chased....always chased because dark things desire your....your gift.”

Trembling now, Merrill looked down. A sharp pain in the palm of his hand made him look down....down to where his fingernails had pierced the flesh, drawing blood once more.

”This is no gift Callie. No gift....” he sounded tired now. So tired.

”I have been running now for longer than I care to remember. Running from village to village, never being able to stay in one place for long, afraid that I will bring the dark things chasing me to them. I’m tired now Callie. I just want.....to rest.....for one day.”

Tears formed in his eyes, and for a brief moment, Merrill looked very much the scared and frightened teenager caught up in circumstances he could not possibly understand....for a second the burden forgotten.

Only for a second.

Wiping his eyes, he stood now, coldly looking to Callie as he whispered.

”I saw, in my visions, a girl who could use magic. The first I have ever seen.....the only one alive for all I know. I knew she would....play a part in fighting the dark. A darkness from the north. But not this....”

He gestured towards the smoke in the distance.

Shaking his head, he whispered.

”.....never this. I am sorry Callie. For everything that has happened. For everything that will happen. One thing I learned to my cost.....”

He turned away from her.

”The visions. They are never wrong, no matter the cost. No matter how much I wish it to be.”

@Guardian Angel Haruki

The Genesis of Ansolera (Guardian Angel Haruki / Marrakt)

It was there in seconds, not long after her reappearance. The Will o’the Wisp. The floating globe of light hovered around her, zipping in and back out, almost as if from curiosity.

Behind, coming out of the brush, Merrill saw her, floating above the ground. Regarding her, his expression twisted slightly in a look of sorrow as he came slowly forwards.

I’m sorry girl, his voice echoed to him, inside of his own mind. I’m sorry for what you have seen. I’m sorry for what you will see.

The colours swirled around her, a veritable cacophony of blues, of reds, of pinks, of yellows, and of oranges. Butterflies and petals.....they blew around her in the breeze.

Merrill came forward slowly, painfully, wincing from the waves of pain as they shot up and down his injured leg. One of the butterflies, the colour of amber, came towards him. It was beautiful. Despite himself and despite the situation he was in, Merrill found himself holding his hand out slightly to touch it. His hand came out slowly.....ever slowly, as a wistful expression came over his face.

It occurred to him that in all the years.....he had never seen a butterfly. He had, for all his travels, not seen much, other than death and decay.

Trembling fingers reached out, looking to touch it.....they passed through the form of the butterfly as it dissipated, fading back into the nothingness from which it had been formed.

And then his leg gave out, and Merrill fell forwards, landing on his knees and screwing his face up as another bolt of pain shredded through him. The little globe of light, flying over to him from Callie, hovered over him, almost as if it was concerned. Head down, on his knees, Merrill looked up to her.

”There can be no doubt,” his voice was soft as he gazed to her. ”You are the one. I’m sorry Callie. I’m so sorry.”

And there he knelt, gazing up to her, transfixed and unable to remove his gaze from her.

@Guardian Angel Haruki

The Genesis of Ansolera (Guardian Angel Haruki / Marrakt)

Name: Merrill
Race: Human
Profession: Ranger
Age: 18

Personality:

Merrill is a grave young man that carries the world on his shoulders. He rarely speaks, and when he does so, it is with the barest minimum words that he can use to convey his meaning. He is a thoughtful young man, who takes the time to think about every situation from every possible angle. He is very hesitant to take action, and will only do so when he has considered the action and its possible consequences as far as he can.

One thing that he takes great pains to conceal from others are his abilities as a seer. He is very, very painfully aware that such abilities of divination and foresight, if discovered would lead to his instant execution with no questions asked because of the fears of magic. Because of this, Merrill is well aware of the fact that he is not just in danger himself, but he is also potentially a danger to everyone else around him, if his talent was to ever be discovered. Only a select few trusted souls know of Merrill’s secret.

Merrill’s goal and driving obsession is to learn more of his abilities as a seer. Primarily, he needs and wants to learn to control the talent, so he can tap into it and use it at will rather than have the ability take him at the most inopportune moments. On the odd occasion, he will go into a trance and seemingly lose control of his body - at these times he will speak in riddles and rhymes, often telling of an event still to happen, predict the weather, or divine some other obscure bit of information about another person that nobody else would know. When this passes he has no memory of the event afterwards. Merrill’s biggest fear is that this will happen when he is around the others as something like that would cause his own imminent doom.

That is why above all else, he needs to learn to control his ability.

In addition to this, there is a certain amount of bitterness inside of Merrill in regards to his ability. Whereas most people would see an ability to tell the future as a blessing, to Merrill it is a curse. There is no worse fate in all the world than to know what is about to happen and know that you can do nothing at all to change it. To speak to a man and know he will die in the week, to know that two lovers are fated to split and be apart. To know your own destiny and have no control over it - there is nothing worse than that.

However, it is not all secrecy and gloom for Merrill. He is very loyal to his friends, and although he can count the number of his true friends on the fingers of one hand and still have fingers left over those friends he does have he will die for. But because of his secret, he will not learn to trust easily, and will not trust anyone unless he has absolutely no reservations of their intentions and believes that they will not betray him. In that way, he is perhaps overly cautious and maybe, just maybe, a tiny bit paranoid.

Background:

Merrill was born in a small village near to Edsel, off the coast. Merrill was born the son of a travelling band of gypsies, and until his teenage years he was reasonably content with his life.

Until his latent "talent" manifested itself.

Over the next couple of years, Merrill’s abilities became more and more prominent, and it became difficult to hide them. Eventually, it was Merrill’s elder brother, Onlaron, who discovered the truth first. Onlaron did not share Merrill’s fascination with it, and was in fact horrified. Although he did not tell anyone, he tried to swear the young Merrill to an oath of secrecy, impressing upon the impressionable youth how important it was to keep his ability secret. Merrill, not really understanding his brother's urgency, nevertheless agreed anyway, wanting to keep the peace.

However, some things would not be kept a secret, no matter how hard one tried. Merrill’s family discovered the truth. His father turned the boy out, with nary enough food to last a week. Such was the fear and prejudice that one was met with in these times. And so it was that young Merrill left his home, friendless and alone, with no place in the world.

Fate would bring young Merrill to the village of Edhel, chased by dark shadows that he did not understand, but that he suspected wanted him for his strange power, and it was there he met Callie.......

Strengths:

• Expert Hunter and Tracker
• Physically Strong
• Swordsman
• Stealthy

Weaknesses:

• Cold and distant - having been turned out by his kin has changed Merrill. He does not trust and he keeps himself distant from others.
• Paranoia - In that it’s not paranoid to think everyone is out to get you when, in fact, everyone is out to get you
• Fear of magic
• Out of his depth. Merrill is, to be polite, out of his depth. Despite his outward demeanour suggesting otherwise, he is not ready for the world to be thrust upon him.

Powers:

• Mental Alarm (upcoming danger - limited by range)
• Animal Handling
• Animal Friendship
• Animal Companion
• Augury
• Seer Sight (divining an objects past by touching it)
• Foraging (inhospitable terrain)
• Endure harsh conditions
• Endure deadly conditions
• Limited Foresight (1/day)

The Genesis of Ansolera (Guardian Angel Haruki / Marrakt)

Callie didn't listen to Merrill as he called after her. She was too focused on the fact that the people she cared about, the people who raised her, are in danger!

When she managed to reach the outside of the ruin, and get to the point where she could see all of Edhel, she gasped. All of it was aflame. This only spurred her to run into the village and see how many people she can get out of there. As she down the hill, she saw a creature flying above Edhel, and it unleashed a breath of ice, before hurling a ball of fire.

By the time she got to the bottom of the village, she found that it was too late. Many were already dead, and the destruction was all around her. As she took in the destruction and the screams all around her, Merrill's words come back to her.

"So now it comes....Death"

Did...Did Merrill know this was going to happen?

...Did he cause this?

She then heard laughter and a wicked voice speak, while baleful eyes looked upon her.

"You. I recognize you little one,"

How could such a creature recognize her?! She never saw such a thing before. Now wasn't the time to ask such a question though. She knew that she needed to take cover before she gets killed. She ducked into a hut that remained intact despite being on fire. The creature threw a ball of fire at the house, and it explodes.

At first it would seem as though Callie's demise was imminent. However, when the debris, smoke, and clear, the creature would be able to see that Callie is still alive. She was indeed hurt if the small burn on her arm was of any indication. But now, her eyes were obscured by white light, and she was now floating above the ground, with an aura, similar to a rainbow, surrounding her. Her magic had gone beyond a simple surge. It was as though all of the times she hid the magic from everyone around her, had come back in full force.

Callie could be heard, clearly struggling against this impressive force of magic that is currently lashing out, "No...! NO...! NOOOOOO!!!!"

A pink spark appears first, and illusory butterflies and flower petals appear around Callie. Then another spark appeared. This time, this spark seemed to match the aura and caused said aura to intensify and grow stronger. Then a third spark appeared. This time the spark was white and when it landed on the ground it seemed to bring forth a creature. The creature resembled a horse with a pure white coat, but it had a horn on its head.

While the aura continued to shine around Callie, the horse looked to her and the creature. Despite the pain and the surge of magic coursing through her veins, she can hear a different voice. It was coming from the horse! But the mouth wasn't moving.

"Child...you cannot save anyone here. The least I can do, is protect you from this blight,"

Then horse bowed its head and the horn began to radiate a light. This light engulfed Callie and said horse, before it disappeared. Callie and the horse were no longer in the same spot.

The unicorn had teleported Callie and itself a mile from the village, back onto the hill where Callie had once stood. Not far from the ruins Merrill led her too.

Despite being away from the creature, the magic surge continued. Callie is still floating above the ground and the colored aura, along with the illusory butterflies and flower petals, are still surrounding her.

The Genesis of Ansolera (Guardian Angel Haruki / Marrakt)

Callie turned to run, back the way she came. Merrill started to shout to her.

”Callie, wait! Not like this! We need to know what we are up against!”

But she was already moving away. ”Goddammit, impetuous girl,” Merrill cursed as he took a step forwards.

His vision was flooded with images, images dizzying with their intensity.... As he stepped forwards, he lost his balance, falling to one knee even as Callie jumped out of the exit and began running towards her own village.

He saw a colossal winged creature. It flew over Edhel. As the terrified villagers ran, it laughed as it opened it cavernous jaws..... From its breath it came out, a sheet of the purest cold. As it engulfed those poor victims that it caught within they froze, turning blue as their forms became nothing more than statues of pure ice.

But ice wasn’t it’s only power. It opened the palm of its hand as it unleashed a ball of fire. The fire streaked through the village, striking.....exploding in a gout of flames as the people died, caught within this crescendo of fire and ice.

Into this chaos she came.....Callie. She ran through the streets, trying to block out the horrific screams. Trying to ignore the creature as it turned its baleful eyes on her.

“You. I recognise you little one,” it’s voice is both deep and terrible.

Callie....she ran into a house. A house that was on fire. Seconds later, the terrible creature laughed again as it threw a ball of fire into the house. It explodes into a fiery inferno......

Shaken, as the dizzy spells hit him fast and hard Merrill fell, landing hard on the floor. On his leg, the stitches tore and blood started to pour from the reopened wound. Next to him, the globe of light bobbed up and down.

Merrill looked to it in desperation. ”Go,” he hissed. ”Go to her. Light her path. I will follow......go NOW!”

The globe of light suddenly shot through the air, heading out of the ruined vessel, travelling after Callie as fast as he could.

Merrill leaned over, gasping as black spots exploded over his eyes. He reached out....grasping fingers scrabbling to grab the black object he had liberated from the skeleton.

”Gods help us,” he whispered to himself as he tried to drag himself down the narrow metallic corridor.....

The Genesis of Ansolera (Guardian Angel Haruki / Marrakt)

Callie raised an eyebrow at his unfinished sentence. What did he want to say about himself? Instead of continuing, he just turned the chair around, and the sight caused Callie to gasp and take a step back. She looked back to Merrill when he apologized and she started to ask, with skepticism lacing her voice "What the heck? This is what you wanted to show me?! Why-?!"

Then he brought out a small black rectangular object and held it out to her. Before he could finish his statement though, the outside night sky suddenly lit up. That wasn't starlight, that was fire! Her eyes widened. She realized it.

Those flames where coming from Edhel.

With that realization, Calle shouted "NO! Aunt Jenny! Everyone!!!"

With the object forgotten, she started to dart out of the ruins. The object remained in Merrill's hand. She was intent on heading back to Edhel. She needed to save Aunt Jenny and everyone down there!!!

Bruenor, Freya, Guy!

Her heart pounded with fear and adrenaline,

Please! Please be okay! Don't die!"

The Genesis of Ansolera (Guardian Angel Haruki / Marrakt)

Merrill shook his head softly. ”I don’t think any of us ever have that when fate comes for us. I.....”

He shook his head, never finishing the sentence. Slowly, Merrill turns the seat round.

The corpse that was on the seat was in an advanced state of decay. Whoever it was had once been human, butnthat humanness had long since disintegrated with the passage of time. Now there was nothing but bones. The man, or woman, whatever they were, stared at Callie and Merrill with two gaping and empty eye sockets. It’s lower jaw was snapped off, leaving the upper jaw and row of teeth only. The grotesque sight was completed when a centipede crawled out of its empty left eye socket and dropped to the floor.

”I’m sorry to show you this Callie, but it was this I needed you to see,”

Reaching slowly into the tattered and torn blue shirt that the skeleton was wearing, his hand went slowly into its pocket. He winced as his hand touched....things that he likely did not want to know what they were. Finally, he brought something out. It was a thin, black rectangular object. There were large, hair-line fractures running across its surface.

Looking to her, Merrill started to pass the object over, ”Here,” he said softly. ”Tell me it’s......”

The night sky outside the window suddenly exploded into flames in the distance. Merrill looked back as orange fire illuminated the night sky.

It came from where Edhel was......