Blood of the Dragon IV

[Prehysterical]

As Stark comes back with the scorched, unconscious body of Celeste, Vaex jumps in place in horror. "By the Nine Hells! What happened?!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark chuckles. He sets the girl down gently. "Don't mind me. Just giving my new student her first lesson. Lux, do you mind? Celeste is going to be joining us on our journey. She will be learning the art of arcane from me."

[Diachronos]

Lux looks up at Stark. "What are you talking about? Are you saying you did this? And what do you mean she's your 'student'?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark nods. "...Yes. I did it. And unfortunately, the power I received from the tower just now activated without me meaning it to. I had no idea that the difference in power between normal spells and mythic spells was this vast...or that my own arcane power had shifted so violently."

[Prehysterical]

Vaex flails his arms in rage. He has no special fondness for the monk, but the mage's nonchalant attitude irks him. "Are you ****ing kidding me, Stark?! What did you try to teach her? That being on fire hurts?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark's gaze meets Vaex's. "...That is not your concern. Needless to say, my own power almost overwhelmed me and if I had not regained control at the last second, I probably would have killed her. This may not be an ideal result, but the experiment needed to be performed before I engaged in a real life or death battle. ...Now I know not to use this power if any of you are nearby. That's what matters, nothing else. She's alive, after all, and wounds can be healed."

[Diachronos]

Stark feels a massive pain in the back of his head as something hits him. When he turns around, he sees Tiana standing there, though from the look in her eyes he may as well be looking at a balor. It's the same look she'd given him when they'd first met back in Ixenpab. (Abyssal) "Why did you attack my sister?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark winces in pain and rubs the back of his head, cracking his neck as he turns around to face Tiana. "(Abyssal) Because she was going to listen to you, even though it hurt her. Because she was going to stay here and let you run off and fight for the world even though she'd just gotten you back after so long. And because I'm not going to sit back and watch another family be torn apart when we can help it, just because the two of you aren't smart enough to realize that you need to cherish what you've got while you've got it."

He shows her his amulet. "(Abyssal) My mother has been dead for a long time, and I'd give anything to see her again, even for just five minutes. I'd trade every gold coin to my name, I'd turn away from magic. That's what family is. And you don't know what you have until you lose it. Tiana, it's entirely possible you could die on this mission, and if that happens it would kill your sister. For her to have let you go out on this dangerous mission alone for months or possibly years without seeing you, only to find out some time later that you didn't make it...the worry, the stress, the waiting would be bad enough, but then to hear that you hadn't survived, it would break her."

Stark shakes his head. "(Abyssal) She's trying to do what you want because she loves you. But you are making a mistake because you can't remember what love feels like. So I'm bringing her with us, no matter what either of you says. Got it?"

[Diachronos]

Tiana is silent for a moment before she turns to leave. (Abyssal) "If you hurt her again, I'll tear your head off like I did with Arnen's."

Lux scowls at Stark as Tiana walks off. "You talk about how it would destroy Celeste to find out Tiana died while trying to save the world, but did you stop to think about how it would affect Tiana if you, the person who saved her from a life of slavery, killed her sister?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark sighs. "No. I didn't think of that. Because I wasn't trying to kill her. I'll apologize to her when she wakes up."

He sits down and looks down at his gloved hand, staring into space, completely silent and unmoving.

[Diachronos]

Lux finishes tending to Celeste's wounds. "She'll wake up before too long." She stands up and starts walking away as a couple of monks take the unconscious aasimar to her room. (Ignan) "You better get yourself under control, Stark. If you're going to let Cinderhulk or your new power control you like this, then... I won't have any choice but to ask Angela or my mother to deal with you before you hurt anyone else."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark is silent as Lux walks past him. He is deep in thought. Mythic magic is...destructive. Stark had been taught his entire life that magic was not a tool for war, but this power seemed to be only good for hurting people. This was the power the World needed him to have....so that he could fight the Void. But if this was the strength he was intended to use against them, how could he save Xinia and Vale without killing them in the process?

[Prehysterical]

Strangely, Stark's silent contemplation does not tempt Vaex into lecturing him further. At a loss, Vaex wanders to the garden, trying to get some fresh air.

[Diachronos]

Teisa nearly knocks Stark over as she runs into the smoldering garden, immediately conjuring water to douse any remaining flames and starting to mend the damage to the foliage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vaex enters a different garden, where he finds Forseti searching around the garden for something.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark raises an eyebrow as she runs out there. "Evocation magic doesn't work that way, the only magic that could leave an actual mark on the environment is conjuration or transmu- sigh...what's the point?" He goes back to moping.

[Diachronos]

"Tell that to the poor plants that got burned by the fire!" She bends down and carefully lifts the singed branch of a small bansai tree, visibly wincing as she looks over the damage. "You poor thing..."

She doesn't seem to be angry at him, just distraught over the damage to the garden.

[Prehysterical]

Looking at Forseti curiously, Vaex asks, "What are you looking for? Is there a jewel in the garden?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark watches her tend to them and sighs. "Plants getting caught in the blast, huh? ...Another unintended side effect. Maybe I'm the one who needs a few days of meditation?"

[Diachronos]

"No, I'm looking for Killian. I know she's around here somewhere, but I haven't been able to spot her..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Teisa looks over at him. "Maybe you should try meditation. Mages who specialize in fire magic are drawn toward Lord Ashler's chaotic nature, and they tend to lack the restraint necessary to avoid harming those who they have no quarrel with."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark nods. "I guess I'll ask Celeste to help me with that tonight while we're on the road. Maybe it will bring some peace to my heart."

"Like hell! You've only gotten more and more reckless since I woke up inside you! You're becoming the perfect vessel..."

[Diachronos]

"I wish you luck with that. From the sound of things, she might not want to help you with anything. I'd offer to help you myself, but I doubt that my sort of meditation would be of much help."

[Prehysterical]

"Is she hiding in the bushes? Is it a game?" Vaex grows worried at the mention of a missing Void servant.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark nods and goes back to silent contemplation in his corner.

[Diachronos]

"Hide and seek. One person looks for everybody else who's hiding somewhere. She's really good at it though... probably because she's small like you and Nyktox."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Teisa finishes with the garden then comes over to sit beside Stark... though she's towering over him when she sits because of her flower. "I know you didn't cause the damage intentionally."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark glances sideways at her. "And? It would be better if it was intentional. Then, abstaining from repeating the behavior would be as simple as making a conscious choice. But it wasn't intentional. That means it could happen again. I mean, if that had been Taalia or Lux instead of Celeste...you're not going to make me feel better. I don't want to feel better about this. I want to hate myself. This fear, this anger, this is the only thing that will make sure I don't mess up again. I can't get complacent again."

[Diachronos]

"...Stark, do you know what is causing you to be reckless like this?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark sighs. Oh, right. She didn't know yet. He nods. "Yeah. Something happened at the second tower, I was possessed by Ashler's son. He's furious at his parents for the way they have treated him, and he wants to show that he's more powerful than the Keeper by killing his avatar, the Dread Queen. Taalia's mother. So, while he's inhabiting my body, I can hear his thoughts. They are...dark, murderous, lustful," he admits, his eyes slipping from hers down to her breasts for only a moment, before he looks back up to her. "It's been getting harder and harder to keep my own personality separate from his as I grow stronger."

[Diachronos]

Teisa listens quietly to his explanation. "Do you think consulting Lord Ashler would help your situation at all?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"I will roast her alive. Give me your body for ten seconds."

Stark gasps in pain and grabs at his wrist. He shakes his head, but the birthmark around his wrist begins to creep up his arm, snaking its way towards his elbow. He stands up and runs out of the garden, shooting past the others, out of the monastery, past the waterfall, before finally letting go of his arm. Cinderhulk growls as he looks around for something to expunge his anger on, and finally decides on torching a few wild animals.

After thirty minutes, the demigod finally runs out of steam and Stark collapses, unconscious.

[Prehysterical]

With Forseti's keen senses, this girl must be good at hiding. Vaex wants to track the girl down himself, but he reluctantly recognizes the importance of Forseti doing this on his own. Instead, he hangs back and watches the young dragon seek.

Spoiler: Perception

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