Chatterbox: Inkwell

RIP BeastTamer Single Writer

Here is what I had before the thread disappeared.

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Kilia sat in the library. The books that lined the shelves gleamed a bright orange. Strange. There was no chance of a fire elemental, of course. The Bann had stopped them. But still…

It was a dark, misty night, and Kilia remembered the other misty night that year. It had been the night her brother had been Taken: the night of the Bann. He had been only a year old, and with the tradition of the village, had not been named. Kilia had called him Blaike, but the older members of her family, and those creeps who called themselves her cousins, had called the child “it” or “that thing”, because even before the Bann, those with elemental powers were the pariahs of the kingdom, and Blaike had show the tell-tale red swirls of the innate pyromancer.

Kilia was stirred from her meditation. In the fog, a fire burned. No, not a fire…

A beast the size of a field oxen lunged from the fog. It was a chalky grey, but fire burned from it’s back, and on it’s head, two burning horns stood. It pawed the ground, then lunged. Kilia ducked, but she felt sick. A wave of nausea struck her, and she collapsed. Then sheed stood up. Her anger took control, and she ran at the beast. Then her arms became etched with swirling blue lines. Her arms hurt as if the lines were being carved by invisible knives as she stumbled forward until her hands burst into a torrent of water. The fire beast was hit. It stumbled until it collapsed into a pile of charred stone.

“Kill the water mage!!” Someone yelled. A crowd had gathered around Kilia, her arms still dripping water. A priest pushed his way towards her.

“You are a vile demon. Die!” He yelled as he swung a heavy broadsword.

“Ahh. No, please.” Kilia yelled.

“Die!!!” The crowd yelled.

Kilia threw her arms up to shield her from the blow, but none came. When she looked, all she saw was the priest clutching a bleeding arm, his sword shattered. Kilia ran.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Selena White, escaped slave, ex-farmer, was in trouble. Her pale skin was cold to the touch, and a icy mist swirled around her head. She was running from a mob, lead by the local high priest, that had formed during a brawl with a arrogant baron. He was a rich man, and a stupid one. He had made the mistake of insulting Selena, who had retaliated with a blast of ice.

“Who are you?” A voice asked. Selena saw a figure wearing a cloak and a blacksmith’s apron.

“Stop right there.” Another voice says. Selena turned around. She saw four different people surrounding her. A definite leader stepped forward.

“Halloooo,” He said, pulling of a spotless green cloak to reveal full plate armor. His hair was short, and his eyes were dark. “I am Alex. You are a elemental, nay?”

“Uh, yes.” Selena replied, rolling up the sleeves on her brown dress. On her arm were faint ice blue lines.

“So you are an ice elemental?” A new voice cut in. Selena turned to see a small girl with harshe green eyes and black hair. “I am Klia, Klia Kirota.”

“Hi, I’m Selena White.” Selena said.

“Great, now that we have spent ages here, we are being chased by a mob.” A younger girl cut in. “Since we are doing the whole name game thing, I am Elysia. Now, Alexander, why don’t you put the freaky powers you have to good use.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While Alexander ran off, Selena talked to the remaining unknown figure.

“Hi.” She said.

“Hello. I am Florle MacEdwards. You should go see Alex fight. He has creepy powers.” The other girl replied.

Alexander stood on a small dirt trail, looking at the blaze of torches coming forward. Then, with one sweep of his arm, he made the trees bend into a wall of twisted branches. The mob stopped, and set the trees on fire. Alexander countered with a chopping motion, and a gaping chasm opened in front of them. The mob stepped back, then ran headlong away.

“I am Alexander,” Alex said. “Life elemental.” His arms glowed black.

“But life. Aren't you supposed to be… less powerful?” Selena asked.

“I am an elemental of life and death. I don’t just make flowers grow. I control the life force of the earth.”

“Uh, we have a group of Bann Enforcers. They look deadly. We should get outta here.” Florle side, shooting a blast of air. Her limbs began to become invisible, then she snapped back into focus.

The group of white-garbed executioners ran forward, only to meet with Elysia’s fiery temper. She shot a blast of fire that chopped through rock and dirt. The Bann Enforcers dodged, and Selena, instinctively, thrust her hand out and shot a wall of ice. To say the Enforcers were enveloped in ice would be an miscommunication. Rather, the ice slammed into them. Alexander looked down at the armored body at his feet. The Bann Enforcer was moving, but the front of it’s helmet was covered in ice fragments.

“Come on. Let’s go.” Alexander yelled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The king sat in his throne of gold, a bloodstained helmet lay at his feet.

“So.” He growled. “Inquisitor Dhampir is dead. How, may I ask?”

The High Priest sat in a corner. “Ah,” The priest began. “It was a… elemental savage. Her name was Klia. She has the curse of water that runs through her veins.”

“Send me to the HuntMen. We march on the city. We burn the city.” The king yelled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the priest left, the king grabbed the dented helmet. He threw it across the room, where it hit a wall.

“Yes, my liege?” I hissing voice echoed from a shadowy corner.

“Qienun, oh demon lord, tell me were these elementals are.” The king whispered.

Out of the corner the body of a humanoid slithered. A human head and chest was attached to a serpent’s body. It’s eyes were in white eyelids, and they flashed open to reveal eyes completely black.

“Yessssss,” Qienun hissed. “They are in the woods. They are with a prince of mortals: a vampyre. He has the will of an ox, and the sly wit of the assassin that seeks the head of a traitor. We demons know him well. He is a pupil of Avin-Avina, daughter of Rogerouse the Vile One. He is Alexander.”

“Good,” The king murmured. “Kill them all.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alexander lead the small party through the woods. He led them to a ruined castle. The battlements had long fallen prey to the elements, and a great part had collapsed. A solitary figure stood at the gate.

Elysia held a small flame in each hand. Even without the aura of cold around Selena, the place was cold.

THe figure at the gate swung a longsword from hand to hand. She had dark skin, and her eyes burned a vengeful red. She hefted the sword, then jumped into the air, landing before Alexander.

“You have come back: Master Klyn-Ezra.” The woman said. She wore a blood red toga, with long sleeves, and a black jacket. Her hair was long, and fell unbraided on her back.

“Indeed, Master Avin-Avina. The Bann is growing in popularity. I have brought more elementals. This is no longer a fight for our kind alone.” Alexander replied.

“Great. But why are you called Klyn-Ezra?” Florle cut in.

“That is my true name. Alexander is a nickname.” Alexander replied.

“It is the truth. Now please enter the stronghold of the the Night.” Avin-Avina requested.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Qienun was dead. Captain Wynnesaill, High Inquisitor, had made sure of that. The king looked horrified at the demon.

“Thank you, captain.” He had said. “I have no idea what I would have done without you.”

Wynnesaill pulled her double-bladed sword out of the demon’s chest.

“Well,” She replied. “I am amazed it got into here. You really should have better guards.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Klyn-Ezra stood in the woods. He sensed the horses and riders coming closer. He ran back to the ruined castle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You need control, Ely-Sia,” Avin-Avina murmured. She had just watched the girl destroy a scarecrow with a flick of her arm.

“Yea right.” Elysia was unconvinced.

The door exploded open. Klyn-Ezra stood in the crater where a wall had stood. He motioned, and a vine slid back to the ground. He stood in a dark cloak, his full-plate armor gleamed.

“The HuntMen are coming. Ready your blade.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Klyn-Ezra pulled a silver WarBlade from the tomb it rested in. He swung it, and ghosts, shimmery and translucent, appeared around him. He slid the blade into his belt, and walked into the sunlight. And there were the HuntMen. In silver armor, with their battle axes. This would be a fight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Captain Wynnesaill, High Inquisitor, Leader of the HuntMen, looked just a little smug. Not too smug, just the faintest trace. Her troops spread out, running or riding towards the ruined castle.

Then… noise. Survivors swore that the blast of flame came slightly before the wurm smashed the ground around them. Some would say a jet of ice blocked the castle from an ExplosionMage’s blast. Most of the HuntMen survived, but it was clear the forest was no place for a few hunters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The elemental mages returned to find a demon. A spider demon was in the courtyard, and it did not look happy. All around, spiders were crawling. Klyn-Ezra grabbed his sword. Everyone else prepared to shoot their elemental powers. Avin-Avina was the first to move. She tossed a jet of what looked like tar. But it didn’t stick to the exoskeleton of the spider demon: it went straight through. And when Avin-Avina pulled her hand back, the spider demon scuttled away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Klyn-Ezra sat across from Florle. More accurately, they both levitated across from each other.

“Florle,” Klyn-Ezra began. “You lack the true capability of power. You could be very powerful, but you send drafts and warm breezes. You must learn true emotion as you cast your power.”

“Hmmm. I see. But how are you levitating?” Florle asked.

“The elves of this land are gifted in many respects. We train in the ways of multiple powers. I am trained in Aeromancy, and Pyromancy as well as Life and death Magic. I am, in short, an elf.” Klyn-Ezra looked dark and gloomy as he spoke those words.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Solos, my friend. How have you fared?” Avin-Avina spoke.

The boy, apparently Solos, had appeared at the gates earlier that day. Klyn-Ezra had let him in.

“Yes, I did. I have found something that will interest you. Few enforcers came our way last night, but they were carrying these.” Solos gare something to Avin-Avina that Klia couldn’t see. Klia had been standing by the door, when she heard the conversation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Avin-Avina stood at the crossroads. She held a long, gilded, iron rod, with a curving spike at one end. She pointed the curved horn at the Inquisitor, who was backing away.

“Why are you in the elvish sector, Inquisitor? You know the treaty. Elves have the forest. You broke the treaty. I will let you go, but you will not return.” Avin-Avina pointed at the end of the forest, then she strolled rapidly away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The king slammed his gauntleted hand in the table. All around him, his generals stood. Enough Bann Enforcers and Inquisitors had been sent to a lonely castle in Elf Territory, and they had been defeated.

“You don’t understand.” Wynnesaill yelled. “We shouldn’t send priests. There are vampyres there. The blessed magic does nothing. The only way we can win is by sending steel, steel and iron and blood and sweat. That is the only way.”

That is why the next morning a party of High Knights, High Inquisitors, and a mob of armed civilians made their way towards the castle were Avin-Avina and the elementals dwelt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Klyn-Ezra was dead. The falling battlement made sure of that. Wynnasill and her men had charged at the castle. They had hurled rocks and explosives from trebuchets, and the walls had crumpled as if they were cards. Avin-Avina was gone, and Selena had hurt her leg.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The woods were dark, and Elysia was angry. How dare those inquisitor mutts act like that. Her hands burned with a white and blue flame.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Captain Wynnesaill stabbed the WarBlade of the vampyre warrior into the table. The king backed up. Wynnesaill threw the front of Alexander’s chestplate on top of the ephemeral blade.

“You,” she growled. “King. I have lost good men. Good men will never see their families again. But it is done. I have killed the vampyres.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack was in trouble. Of course that blacksmith was an idiot. Anyone who thought they could beat Jack in anything was. The blacksmith ran out of his smoking shop, carrying a heavy hammer. Jack noted with glee that one side of the hammer’s head was misshapen and ugly.

The townsfolk saw the lines on Jack’s arm and head, and the aura of menace that surrounded him. The blacksmith saw a bear, with brown fur and a scarred face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack ran through the forest. His stolen sword swung from his belt. He stopped and pulled it from his belt. “Hmmm,” He thought. “Stolen… Owner was murdered. Wait, many owners were murdered. WarBlade. Enchanted silver.”

Jack swung the sword. A shimmering ghost appeared.

“You,” Jack ordered at the spector. “Find the nearest living elemental.”

The ghost was an elf. He had shimmering armor and red warpaint. The fangs of a vampyre shimmered in his mouth. He shimmered more brightly, then disappeared.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I,” The girl said. “Am Elysia. What are you doing in this forest?”

“I know. I have already mapped your mind. How are you, fire elemental. I know your friends are in the woods nearby. Bring them here. Also, you need more control of your powers.” Jack replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Florle swung a jet of burning air, and a tree was thrown high in the air. Jack walked in, and without preamble said: “You, Florle, have powers over wind. Selena, you have powers over ice. Klia, you have powers over water. And I have already met Elysia. I am Jack, telepath and BeastTamer. Human changeling.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Volkshard, sword for hire, had a target. A telepath. He swung a battle ax over his shoulder and set off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack was almost alone. It may have seemed foolish, but he had left the camp for the day. Behind him, a snake rested. The snake had blue eyes, and they blinked very slowly. Jack was gathering firewood. He sat in a tree, and he let the firewood come to him. Every so often, he would send a stick at a squirrel or bird.

Volkshard startled Jack as he crashed through the forest. Jack slid off his branch and drew his sword. Alexander appeared.

“You,” Jack commanded. “Find the hunter who is near me. He wishes to do me harm.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

Volkshard threw his ax at Jack. Jack put his hand in front of him, and the ax head shattered. Volkshard grabbed a handful of enchanted silver daggers and threw them. Jack couldn’t block, but he retaliated with a wave of sticks. Volkshard chopped the sticks in midair with a hatchet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Klia heard the noise. She ran out into the forest, and saw Volkshard. She threw a wave of ice, and another, and another. The large hunter flew back as Klia slowly shifted into a vampire, and a wave of black water flew from her arms. Volkshard clawed his way to his feet and ran away.

Klia shifted back into a girl and fell to her knees. Her arms were dripping water, and she had a nasty gash on her forehead were a shard of ice had hit her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Volkshard, my dear, please tell me everything.” Wynnesaill was leaning on a table opposite the man, and she looked ominus. In her hand, a bronze curved dagger twirled.

“Uh, I was attacked by a shapeshifter.” Volkshard was confused. That was the truth.

“But what kind? You are killing me, man. Tell. Me. Now.” Wynnesaill threw the dagger just above Volkshard’s head.

“It was a frail girl, with water powers. Then she turned into a vampire, and started throwing black water everywhere.” Volkshard replied.

“I will send a party there. Black water?”

“Yea, it was black, and sticky, like tar.”

“I see…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“She will be alright.” Jack said.

“And how do you know?” Elysia asked.

“Because she hasn’t experienced that much shock. She is just tired.” Jack replied, looking smug.

“Ah, I see. Now please tell me how you know that?” Elysia was unconvinced.

“I can’t explain.” Jack replied.

Thankfully Klia woke up at that moment because Elysia looked ready to strangle Jack.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

The HuntMen walked through the forest. They saw the lights of the elemental camp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“Eat rocks, scum!!!” Jack yelled. Rocks flew into the air, but the landed on the ground and started stacking themselves. After a minute, the rocks had formed a small beast. The small beast instantly glowed blue, and started charging at the HuntMen. This was repeated and soon a stampede of rock-beasts were charging at the HuntMen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Florle tripped. She barely managed to hover before a HuntMan found her. She started to run away, but the HuntMan managed to catch up. He put a sort of rock shackle on her, and carried her off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Florle was thrown in a cart. She was told that she was to go to Captain Wynnesaill.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack sent a shower of sparks at the remaining HuntMen by tipping over the fire. He turned, and ran after Florle. Klia ran towards Volkshard. He turned just as she shot a blot of freezing high-pressure water. He was pushed backwards, and fell in a small creek that lay in a little clearing.

Selena and Elysia ran with Jack at the captor of Florle, before he ran out of sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Yes dear. Where are the elementals. Ahem!” Wynnesail pointed her curved dagger at Florle’s throat. Florle backed away slightly.

“I have no idea.” Florle replied.

“No idea!?” Wynnesail replied.

“Yes. No idea.”

“Insolence!”

“I repeat that I have no idea.”

Wynnesail pushed Florle to the ground. “You!” The inquisitor  screamed. “Rot in the dungeon!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack lead the remaining elementals to the castle.

“This,” he said. “Is the start of my plan.”