WoS Chapter 4

Radu turned and blinked. rather calmly he stopped any of the other villagers from moving. he shook his head at malkuthe, then in a flash radu was in his elven form which even malkuthe had yet to see by now. he was tall and surprisingly handsomer than normal elves. purple hair with golden streaks where tied back in a long pony tail, and a lock of hair fell over one of his eyes which shined blazing gold. his clothes where normal but his cloak changed as well, his cloak hung from around his neck and stopped a few inches from the ground, it had turned from simple brown to vibrant purple with the same gold designs as he had bore on his fur in ceree form. radu stared at the possessed ceree which he knew was only just barely malkuthe, memories buried deep in his mind and untouchable

his expression remained serious "malkuthe, my old friend. it saddens me to see you reduced to a mindless pup whose soul pupose is to serve a evil master who betrayed you... but tell your master that i will stop her, and make her pay dearly for what she has done" with that he turned slowly, his cloak catching the wind a bit "come" he said to the highwind "do not go near malkuthe, we must continue" he planned to go to one of the other clans first and see if the highwind could gain refuge their while he went out on his own "see you soon malkuthe" he said as him and the can walked away

The words that Radu had said meant nothing to Malkuthe. All that was important was pleasing 'master'. He hummed merrily and took off, pleased that the plan had gone exactly as 'master' had wanted it.

When he got back, 'master' was frowning over the book again. Malkuthe imitated her, in hope of getting her spirits up. 'Master' smiled a bit, amused at Malkuthe and patted him with an aleron, Malkuthe mewled happily. 'Master' was pleased.

He then went on to tell her what happened. 'Master's' ears perked up and she smiled merrily, patting Malkuthe almost adoringly. "Good, Malkuthe. Now, there's something I want you to help me with..." said Saffyre, glancing at the book.

Malkuthe eagerly nodded his obeisance and Saffyre pointed at a page in the book. Malkuthe looked questioningly at Saffyre when he saw a blank page. He yelped when she nicked his cheek with a nail, drawing a drop of blood. He put his tail in between the legs, whining, thinking he did something to offend master.

Saffyre reassured him that he had done nothing to displease her. She smeared the drop of blood and to Malkuthe's eyes a conuncrum appeared on the page.

MHAMAAUAAHARNMLKAHHN, ENIRTABYELRRLA

Radu lead his clan onward, they wandered for a long time until they met with the Brightscales clan. Radu conversed with the clan's cheiftan, and both the clans elders. he told them that he would be going out in the morning to try and get malkuthe back and asking them to take care of the highwind clan for him... after nearly an hour of argueing they constented

that night radu was still in his elven form, occasionaly brushing a purple and gold lock of hair out of his face. he silently thought of how much he had changed himself in just the span of a day or two since malkuthe had given him this postion. now radu was more self confident, had started his path to being a true leader, and even out argued another cheiftan and the elders of two clans inside an hour, so he was devolping at politics, which he still didn't like. he sighed and now he was no longer planning on finding malkuthe just so malkuthe can lead the clan, now radu just wanted his friend back

Saffyre had glowered at Malkuthe when he said that he did not understand the conundrum. Malkuthe had mewled like a child at that time, tail between his legs for hours.

Malkuthe sullenly sat on his haunches, poring over the book. He wanted to please 'master' who was disappointed in him. He had to get 'master's' good wills back. He had been doing so well for 'master', and now he had blown it.

He copied the runes on the ground in a random pattern. He didn't know how to write anymore, but he had to try to get 'master's' favor back.

MHAMAAU
AAHARNM
LKAHHN

ENIR
TABY
ELRR
LA

Malkuthe gave a start when he noticed that 'master' was behind him. 'master' looked over his shoulder and gave a start at what he had written. "Good boy Malkuthe! You did it, you solved it!"

Malkuthe made a low purring sound, suggesting that he was pleased to have pleased 'master'. 'Master' took the stick and with it drew the runes on the ground in a different manner. Now it said

"Mal'hak'ahama har'hannum" Eternal Library.

'Master' pecked Malkuthe on the cheek and he blushed. He purred loudly and 'master' smiled.

that morning Radu awoke just as the sun was starting to peak over the mountain tops. he was back in ceree form and began to walk out of the brightscale's village. he took one last look at the highwind, sleeping in tents about the brightscale's village. he sighed and turned, and continued walking

Radu only wanted to save his friend but there was this nagging doubt that he couldn't. that malkuthe would simply either attack radu or sit back like a good pet while saffye destroyed Radu, then ask for a since scratch between the ears. not showing any signs of knowing Radu. Radu shook his head and continued to hold onto that little sprig of hope tha he would find a way to help his friend. even if Saffye could move mountains, which he felt she could at this point... he would try

Saffyre was rubbing Malkuthe's chin when she noticed a shift in the wards she had set around the island. She already knew who it was that had passed, his soul told him as much. It was Raducan.

"The idiot!" she muttered angrily and Malkuthe whimpered. When she smiled at him ruefully, his ears drooped and his frantic tail wagging subsided. Saffyre petted him, smiling at his complete obeisance, and Malkuthe looked at her with thankful eyes.

The flapping of wings carried over the wind just as she had known beforehand. Before they could even stop to buffet against a landing, she had lashed out with her otherworldly powers.

She stepped out from where she and Malkuthe were and walked up the Radu who was now frozen in time. The other had a visible sign of struggle in his eyes, but he couldn't move. That was how powerful Saffyre was, and she believed she hadn't even tapped into a fraction of her power.

She saw the marks glowing and knew that they could repel magic, but the power she used was not magic. It was something more. She clacked her tongue against her teeth and slowly, a cage of crystal solidified from the ground up.

It was a beautiful cage that glittered in the sunlight. It was carved with vines, thorns and roses. She smiled at her handiwork and noticed Malkuthe behind her in a reflection on the crystal, staring blankly at Radu. She wanted to laugh, the fool wasn't even recognized by her pet.

She pointed a talon at one of Radu's markings and part of it lifted off and covered her talon. She dragged it across the crystal which began to shimmer and change color. It settled at black. Only then did she release Radu.

"Stay put like a good boy until I come back and turn you like Malkuthe." said Saffyre. "And don't even try escaping with magic. Your own blessing is what will curse you to stay in there until I undo it." said Saffyre. "Good boy Malkuthe, although you could have waited for me in the clearing. What's with that look? Oh, fine." she sighed. Malkuthe was asking to be petted, but she did so anyway, it was strangely relaxing.

"We fly to Malleithen!" declared Saffyre and took off. Not far behind her was Malkuthe. The other Ceree on the island was forgotten completely.

Radu was still stuck in his massive black crystal prison, he struggled for what seemed hours, but this could of been minutes or days from all he knew. He sighed giving up hope, never give up hope! part of his mind argued, why should I? It's a lost cause, malkuthe didn't know who i was, I was defeated in seconds...

He sighed, saffye planned to turn him into an agdor, he doubted she would provide the curtisy of making him look like a ceree... What a terrible curse... Wait a curse, he could repel curses. He then became to generate and store energy into that single ability. He figured he would have alot of time

he could only hope his power would work

(discussed this with Malkuthe so it's ok :] )

Liara couldn't help but follow Radu at a distance. He was the only ceree who'd really tried to welcome her, and she was curious about his markings.
Plus the fact he's flying towards danger doesn't bode well....
She was slower than him, having to run instead of fly. When she did catch up with Radu, however, he was encased in some sort of black cage.
'Radu!' Liara ran over, hissing as she noticed the substance was darkness. She had a lightsoul, and although it made her small and weak in body, her magic was harnessed from pure light. 'I'm going to try something - anything - to get you out!' She yelled, unsure of whether Radu could even hear her.
Touching the tip of her snout to the cage, Liara breathed out, a frosty-white mist curling from her mouth onto the black substance. It spread, white cracks criss-crossing across the cage.
That should have weakened it, Liara thought, concentrating harder on pouring more light onto the cage. But Radu still has to break through some of it.
She just hoped he could.

Malkuthe and Saffyre were trotting along the moonlit landscape of Malleithen when Saffyre stumbled. Malkuthe whined, panicking, not knowing what to do because Saffyre remained on the ground after that, gasping for breath. "What fool can do that much damage to a cage of that kind of substance!" she barked.

Malkuthe yelped and sat down on one side, watching. Saffyre's eyes began to glow and eight rocks started to revolve around her. She wrote one glyph on each of them and an image of the cage appeared to her. There were cracks that emitted bright light.

Every time she would send one of the stones over the horizon in a different direction, the cracks would subside. When the last was blasted into the distance, the cracks were now dim. "That should hold him for a time!" she snarled.

Malkuthe purred happily. His master was now happy and that was all he cared about. On the island where Saffyre had left Radu, the cage now had eight hovering points over it.

Radu noticed several changes in his prison's strength, first it became weak but it regained some of it's power. He felt small cracks in it as well. Now he rechanneled his stored power. All his stored power began to move out of him and push against his prison

as he did so the prison began to take some damage. The already existing cracks deepened and spread, and light from his energy began to shine through. He stores of energy where starting to dissipate. He struggled on, pushing with all his energy

"Ugh this thing takes most of my energy. Hopefully I don't collapse after the incantation." Seraph continued the incantation. He was breathing heavily now. Soon enough, the bushes near the lake were opening. What seemed like an empty patch of dirt and leaves was turning into something different. " Finally. The incantation in complete." Seraph managed to mumble before fainting from exhaustion.

Three hours later, Saffyre again collapsed with a grunt. The pathetic attempts at breaking through the prison were becoming less pathetic. Radu was really making himself an annoyance that Saffyre could not afford. The Library meant everything right now.

Malkuthe was whining, evidently panicking, eyes in an anxious frenzy. His eyes darted around, looking for anything that might have harmed Saffyre, she appreciated the gesture, but she doubted that he could do anything.

She wove the air in front of her into a mirror that showed what was happening on the island. She saw Radu and that other accursed Ceree that was helping him. Her magic was like playing on the board of the game of the fayett, but didn't really have to follow the same rules. Nor did it have to be like that, she just favored it that way, rather than like weaving a carpet.

For this occasion, though, she would weave the magic. She took thick flows of time and wrapped them around the two. It was completely closed around Liara, but it met resistance around Radu. She fought against the force that was repelling it, although weakly, and forced it tight. She tied off the flows and decided to add another wrap.

She took threads of darkness and firmly bound and gagged the female. For the purple, she took thicker threads of ether, earth, iron and crystal and forced them shut on the other Ceree.

After that, she was able to walk without further concern. Flying when the risks were so high would be too dangerous. She petted Malkuthe, smiling.

Rafu stayed dormant under his new bonds... For about ten seconds. Then he pushed outbonce again with every last ounce of his power. He growled with strain, grey fire frothing about his mouth. Then in a sudden new wave of incredible power, radu began to change slightly

his claws extended growing larger and sharper. His marks glowed gold and his eyes red with rage. The thicker hair on his neck and base of his tail stuck up in such a way it looked like spikes. On each side two fangs poked out over his lower lip. His entire body seemed to grow slightly and gain muscle mass... In this more feral form he began to push against his bonds with renewed physical and magical power.

... A area of his prison cracked off completely and the cracks around it spread more. Light glowed from it one could see purple fur if they looked into it

Saffyre did not notice the cage breaking. The flows of ether were doing their job nicely at preventing the backlash of power from the cage.

She kept walking, with Malkuthe right behind her, wagging his tail like a half-deranged idiot. She liked that, though and appreciated his slinging her over his shoulder when she had fallen.

"The book says nothing about how to find the Eternal Library except for Follow the moonlit road. Stay not on the beaten path." Saffyre growled and much to her surprise, Malkuthe suddenly was beside her, purring with curiosity, as though trying to comfort her. She smiled.

Then all at once, radu's prison shattered into a million peices. Radu burst from itand roared. It was clear to see the changes his form had taken while stuck in the prison. He growled and slowly became less feral, until he was normal again . He stood there panting heavily until he noticed another cage much like the one he just destroyed, he somehow knew liara was underthere. "she mustve come to help me.... Liara!" he said as he began to claw at her prision. He didn't know why, but he cared about this ceree, and she was different like him. As he continued to hack and slashhis claws started to glow with energy and he began to cut throughliara's prision of ether

(Sorry, looooonnng post! ^^; )

Liara gasped as a crack appeared in her cage, the vacuum of stopped-time disappearing. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Radu had escaped, and pushed forwards with light on the walls surrounding her. Both Radu and Liara's combined efforts let her get out. Panting, she turned to face him.
'Thank you, I...' she shook her head, 'why did you fly off like that! You're supposed to be a leader for your people, and you go nearly getting yourself turned into one of...of...'
Liara grit her teeth, breathing out. 'I'm sorry, I..I didn't meant to yell at you. It was just frightening, seeing you inside that cage, I thought Saffyre would really change you.'

-------------

The wind was bitter, tinged with salt. Caleth stood at the edge of the cliff, watching the sea churn and crash against the rocks, saltwater flying.
That darned feeling again... He glanced down at his feet. Ever since Malkuthe had ceased to exist as a ceree, the magic he'd performed seemed to be weakening. The black was no longer confined to his claws and was already seeping up his legs once more.
'Nnngh...' Caleth closed his eyes briefly, the cold sensation curling across his back and throat. It was happening all so quickly. Though that wasn't what was troubling him -
147 years. I have lived for 147 years, he winced as the darkness reached his left eye, the sight disappearing from it. I've trained so hard, for so long...and when war finally arrives, the enemy is so strong, and there are many others - young, powerful, leaders and warriors alike, some even flighted, who surpass me. Why?
Caleth twisted his face to the sky, roaring. 'Why taunt me so? I've waited this long for revenge and now you deny me it?' He couldn't help but laugh, the black now covering all but his right eye.
Something seemed to whisper in his ear, through the howling wind, which dimmed to silence. Leaping forwards, Caleth launched himself into the air. For a split moment he felt weightlessness, like flying, then plummeted down towards the sea. Smiling, Caleth crashed into the water, sinking down into the deep as the waves closed over him.

Radu smiled when liara was freed. He looked at his feet after she told him off "I know I'm supposed to lead my people, but malkuthe has been my friend for as long as I could remember... I wanted to help him" he paused "it's okay I know you didn't mean to yell... " he blinked in surprise... This girl had been worried about him? No one had ever felt that way about him. Rafu cared about her as well, when he seen that she was Also trapped her could only think about freeing her. He shook his head slightly to keep himself from directly showing his affection to liara, he asked a question instead "why where you following me anyway?"

'I,' Liara looked away. 'I guess I was worried that when you flew off without telling anyone, since...' She avoided saying Malkuthe's name. 'Since you were told those things yesterday. I thought you might get yourself killed, or worse - turned into something else.'
Liara shuddered. 'Come on, maybe we should go. I don't want to be here when Saffyre comes back.'

The Ether was keeping the backlash of severed magic from hitting Saffyre, but she knew that the cages were weakening. She had told Malkuthe that their trip to the Eternal Library would have to wait.

Immediately, she placed a lattice of illusion over them, so they would appear to be little more than larks flying in the distance. They sped back towards the island, Saffyre grumbling under her breath increasingly. The two annoyances were becoming too much for her. Perhaps it was time she turned Radu and his pathetic little friend.

Malkuthe looked at her worryingly, but Saffyre reassured him "Don't worry, you'll always be first in my heart"

Radu nodded "your right, we should get moving" he would've made his aura wings appear... but he only got a few purple sparks at his shoulders. he sighed "i guess i'm walking then" he looked at Liara "come on lets go" he said starting to walk back the way he came... he looked up and throught he saw two larks in the distance

'What's wrong?' Liara frowned as she saw the sparks at Radu's shoulders. She was secretly happy he'd be walking next to her, instead of in the air above, though.

---

So cold...so dark...
Caleth could feel his lungs burning as he tried to breath, but only water flooded in. He panicked, not sure what had driven him to jump off the cliff, then remembered the voice. Kicking out, Caleth tried to swim back to the surface, but the black encasing him prevented him from doing so, and a strange feeling swept over him before he fell into an unexplainable sleep.

Saffyre and Malkuthe sped towards the island with all haste. The wind howled past their ears and whipped their alerons about. They came to a running halt and kicked up some clouds of dust, but that was concealed by the lattice of illusions.

Slowly, they walked towards the two who were walking. Smiling like the fools they were. Saffyre stopped right behind them and untied the lattice. To make her grand entrance all the more fearsome, black flames shot out from around them.

To the eyes of the two, there would be two larks being surrounded by black flames, while their bodies were twisted and contorted. It was all the more wonderful if they would just turn around and show horrified expressions. The flames roared and Saffyre's voice seemed to boom out from every direction. "And where do you think you're going?"

Radu spun around, surprised. he growled and is markings glowed feebily... he was still rather sapped of power. he extended his talons and his alerons floated menaclingly. he jumped at saffye without hesitation, his rage suddenly filling him with power, though his marks didn't glow... it was like they where hiding the power they where storing.

he roared and slashed at saffye with his talons, and tried to whip her with his alerons

'No!' Liara yelled, trying to grab Radu as he leapt towards Saffyre, but she was too late.
We'll need a miracle to get out of this alive... She couldn't flee, she was not about to become a coward - and she would not leave Radu behind. There was nothing else she could do but help attack, but she didn't want him to come to harm.
Liara snarled, snapping her eyes shut. She began humming, the tone of her voice growing stronger until she began to glow white. Concentrating, Liara sent the light forwards to Radu, wrapping it around his talons. After all, the thing darkness hated most was light.

"Foolish girl, I am not darkness. I have a fraction of the mighty powers of the Astrailun. Your petty magic will have nothing against me." Saffyre smirked.

She looked straight at Radu, and he flew twenty paces back. Malkuthe walked up to him and stared straight into his eyes. A creeping black started to spread around them.