Travels Through Time: The Wizard and the Paladin IC

[Annalia]

Fezim Aulm - By the Power of Maths!

Fezim let out a sigh, and glanced at the wasted wine. "I knew when I saw her." He replied, voice tight. "Tell me, Celdur, when you asked me to become better.. you had no intention to lead by example, eh?"

[Parrallathan]

Celdur Hanicen

"No example could teach you. You have no idea what you've done to the world through your actions, and yet you continue to do as you will, happy with everything you've ever done and all the lives you've ruined. I came back with a vague hope that I could find something salvagable within you, but you turn around and prove me wrong by purposely baiting me into action with manipulative evils." Celdur replied angrily, spitting on the ground at the end.

"The worst part is, you don't even care. You know what's going on, what you've done, who I am, and how I came about, and you'd continue to cavort about, neglecting every responsibility lay before you. You're worse than scum."

[Annalia]

Fezim Aulm

"Ah! How can you ask me to care for who you are when you would not even tell me the whole story? You pride yourself on being a paladin, on being better than I am, but did you ever stop to look at your own actions? You lie with the same ease than I, and used manipulations freely to try and change me."

"But it's all for the cause, eh? For Pelor, for the Greater Good." He scoffed, shaking his head. "Beautiful words those are, Celdur, but how true do your kind holds to their own ideals? You claim to withhold peace and non-violence, tolerance and generosity. Paladins are the epitome of goodness, after all, and should be considered as heroes."

"But where were those just a moment ago, Celdur, when you started punching me? Where were they when Jessana ran a sword through me? Gone with the anger. How can you claim to be paragons of virtues if you cannot control your emotions? Ironic as it is, at least I could do so."

He let out a heavy sigh, and changed subject, finishing in a soft voice. "And if I cared so little, Celdur, why would I be manacled now? I have one means of escape on me, yet it remains unused. Perhaps you should ask yourself why."

[Parrallathan]

Celdur Hanicen

"Wow, let me just start by saying sorry for not telling you 'I'm your unloved and neglected son from the future come back to try and change your ways'! I forgot that at a moment's notice I was to reveal such an eternal secret to you!" Celdur returned angrily

"I didn't use manipulations, I told you the rules and enforced them. Your foul abilities you've used have subdued many and ruined too many lives to allow you to run rampant in a stage of attempted redemption." He began.

"And while my desire for a peaceful solution was overwhelmed by anger, I have every right to be furious. You ruined my life, just like hers. The pain you've inflicted upon me can't be healed by any light, cannot be soothed by any spell or magic trick you possess. You robbed me of parents, by not caring for your own responsibilities and by sending my mother on a murderous rampage of vengeance from which there is no turning back."

"The reason you are manacled now is because you chose to be. Your actions have made it painfully clear you don't care about anyone here but yourself." Celdur concluded, folding his arms - more to keep them in place than anything else.

[Annalia]

Fezim Aulm

"And why are you here, Celdur? Certainly not for me, you have proven that often enough. For Jessana? Maybe a bit, but would you truly have gone back in time if her story hadn't had an impact on your life? No.. You have done all this for one, single person: you. You've chose to solve your 'life problem' instead of working on more large-scales ones. So, please, no teaching me lessons about altruism."

Once released from Celdur, Fezim leant back on the cave wall. He most likely would've crossed his own arms, had it not been for the shackles holding him. "I agreed to your terms. I agreed to follow you - without my Enchantments - to act in what you consider a 'good fashion', and you cannot deny that I have so far held true to it. How easy, Celdur, would it have been for me to run away when Jessana's father rushed uphill, to where you were fighting? How easy would it have been to keep the holy symbols, or to destroy them? How easy to steal all the magical items held in the two thieves' shack, to sell them, and to get both Mark and Curse removed? I am not here because I lack the ability and intelligence to break out of your hold. I'm here because I chose to be."

[Parrallathan]

Celdur Hanicen

"How dare you. How Dare You! I'm here because of what you've done to us!" Celdur shot back.

"How can you claim to be trying to better yourself? Compliance is no sign of learning. Just because you choose to do as told now doesn't mean anything later. And do not confuse my desire to eradicate your evil ways with selfishness - I would do the world a great service in destroying you. And yet.."

Celdur turned away, rubbing a forearm over his eyes briefly.

"I can't."

[Annalia]

Fezim Aulm

"I have seen far greater evils than I am." Fezim replied, but he then shrugged. "But that is beside the point. No matter how much I try, you would never give me any credit. Your opinion of what I am or could be is set in stones and has always been."

[Parrallathan]

Celdur Hanicen

"If it was set in stone, you'd be dead." Celdur replied, not yet looking back.

"The day I arrived back was never originally intended to save your life - it was to insure the assassin's success. Little did I realise that I would be the one who stopped the original attempt." Celdur sighed, not in the least proud of what he'd just admitted.

"Rather than just kill you like I wanted, I found I couldn't. I had to know you - I had to know the father that had destroyed my mother's faith, and see if you were truly as evil as you are. I begin to see that while you are evil, my mother may be overzealous in her desire to defeat you.. so much so she goes beyond her right of duty."

"I just.. don't know what to do anymore."

[Annalia]

Fezim Aulm

Fezim remained silent for a moment, looking silently at Celdur. "Celdur.. there is only one way to save your mother. I have to die. But if it is by her hand, it will have been done solely for vengeance. You realised that when you came back to kill me, and it still stands today."

He smirked. "I wish you hadn't knocked that bottle of wine... You visibly need something." With a slight shrug, he came back to the original topic. "What you told Jessana earlier, Celdur, still makes perfect sense. If she intends to hold true to herself, it's not her role to choose my fate. It must come from a neutral being."

"That's why I am shackled now."

[Parrallathan]

Celdur Hanicen

"But.. why can't you just repent? Turning away from evil actions is an option never denied anyone. Paladins can make mistakes as easily as anyone. if you are truly sorry for your deeds, the gods will forgive you if you make amends. Jessana will never forgive you, but... you don't need to die."

[Annalia]

Fezim Aulm

"No, at least we agree on this... Celdur, if there is one thing I learned from my own.. parents, it is that only appearances matter."

"It so happens that I am quite talented with illusions." He remarked idly. "If Jessana believes it, I could as well be truly dead to her."

[Parrallathan]

Celdur Hanicen

"You're avoiding my point."

[Annalia]

Fezim Aulm - Maybe?

"Yes, I am." Fezim looked away, shrugging. "What would be the point? At the moment, it would be a lie."

[Parrallathan]

Celdur Hanicen

"Why does it have to be a lie? Why?

[Annalia]

Fezim Aulm

"What do you want, Celdur? To hear me say I regret what I did with Jessana?" He smiled vaguely. "I'm afraid I do not! Certainly, it would have been far more pleasing had she agreed to it but..." He glanced down the path and sighed. "I did not mean to mock Jessana when I said she was beautiful. She is, was, and will probably always be."

[Parrallathan]

Celdur Hanicen

"Why are you so remorseless? You genuinely don't feel a pang of regret for your actions? You robbed an innocent woman of her virtue for your own desires. You are a charming individual - you could have tried to woo her, to be a respectful individual. I just.. how can such a smart man be so ridiculously dumb?"

[Annalia]

Fezim Aulm

"Because you think I haven't tried? Please!" Fezim scoffed and shook his head. "I wooed her times and again, to no avail. One would say she is too wise to fall for me."

[Parrallathan]

Celdur Hanicen

"You could have been more persistent. You didn't have to give up hope and resort to that!"

[Annalia]

Fezim Aulm

"Aah, I have never been very patient." He said. "Besides, how was I to know if I would see her again? It was a chance meeting.. although I am not sure she would call it that."

"Everybody make mistake, no? You should worry about Jessana first, and whatever I feel second."

[Parrallathan]

Celdur Hanicen

"Jessana masks her pain with anger and vengeance, and she thinks if you're dead, it'll go away. I can't make her let go of something like that, even if I'm her son."

[Annalia]

Fezim Aulm

Fezim smirked. "Which brings us back to what I was saying!" He walked past Celdur and to his pack, quickly taking out his spellbook. "There is no way I can make her believe I am dead without your help, however." He commented, as he searched through the magical tome.

"Ah!" He let out a heavy sigh, biting down his lower lip as he grabbed a page firmly. He held the book down with his knees - slipping more than once - and closed his eyes as he firmly tore out the first page. He truly had a sickened look as he repeated the operation twice, tearing out a grand total of three pages from his book.

That done, he stored the book back in the sack, and handed the three pages to Celdur. "You must keep those."

[Parrallathan]

Celdur Hanicen

"Hm." He said, watching the process. Not having a spellbook of his own, he didn't much know of the anguish it caused a wizard to deface his spellbook. He took the pages, then looked upon them.

OOC:

Spoiler

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Spellcraft - (1d20+14)[27]

[Annalia]

Fezim Aulm

When he noticed Celdur was looking at the page, Fezim offered an explanation. "An illusion spell. And Invisibility."

"If they remain on me, Jessana will no doubt find them. Keep them safe, for I cannot cast spells without studying them beforehand." He once again glanced down the path. "All we need to do is wait for the last moment possible. No doubt a fair trial will condemn me to death, and as such I believe the best would be to wait for the night preceding my 'execution'. With invisibility, I should be able to remain around undetected... and use the illusion to make Jessana believe I'm walking up to the rope."

[Parrallathan]

Celdur Hanicen

"And how does the noose give way for the illusion?"

[Annalia]

Fezim Aulm

Fezim frowned. "I - erm.." He reflexively tried to run a hand through his hair, only to partly get blocked by the shackles. "Good point, I guess."

"Another illusion, perhaps? Or we simply hope they choose another method. Dismemberment by horses, for examples. Hmm, but the lack of tension would be noticed..." Fezim shrugged, concluding "We'll figure it out. If things come down to it, I can always simulate suicide." He'd said the last with quite a fair amount of distaste, as if even an illusion of that option bothered him greatly.

"The important thing, Celdur, is that as long as I know I can count on you..." He paused, shaking his head slightly. "We can do this."

Spoiler

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I blame the -5 Int!

[Parrallathan]

Celdur Hanicen - Deals with the Devil

"I do not approve of this, but.. what you said is right. You need to die - or be believed to be dead - in order for Jessana to cease chasing you." Celdur admitted, sighing.

"I will help you."

[Annalia]

Fezim Aulm - Devils? Those Are Lawful!

"I believe in this, Celdur, we are well past what you would approve of." He brushed off some sweat from his forehead, before smiling weirdly at Celdur. "What are, in your opinion, the chances we travel on foot?"

[Parrallathan]

Celdur Windrider

"Chances are slim - unless we arrive back in town before the day is up, we will likely mount up to make up time." Celdur explained, retrieving the pair's various items scattered around the area - including the wine mug.

[Annalia]

Fezim Aulm - A Day?

"Aah." An uneasy look crossed Fezim's face at the thought of riding again. As his mind correctly understood what Celdur had said, however, the uneasiness transformed into outright fear. "Celdur, we need more than a day! If I am brought back that quickly, I will have no spells prepared!"

He had raised his voice, and quickly glanced down the path Jessana had gone. "I can't be brought back to the nearest town... it would ruin everything."

[Parrallathan]

Celdur Hanicen

"I will convince Jessana the nearest town is of no use." Celdur replied simply. "Thanks to your earlier actions, that should not prove difficult."