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Theodore couldn't help but chuckle as the man got away and said he'd let his master know about this, finding it amusing as he let his flames flicker out. He wondered what the look on their faces might be. "You're welcome, Danielle... I came to say goodbye though. I don't know if I'll be coming back anytime soon." He glanced off the way the man had retreated to. "How often does he bother you? I guess that's a silly question.. he's sure to come back when I leave." He sighed, looking up at her with a smile.
"I have to leave here for a while... I'd ask for you to come along too, but it's not safe out there either. I don't know when I'll be back, or if I'll ever come back. " He looked down a little bit, looking a little sad. |
Danielle sighed in response. "He's not the only one to bother me so...but I've grown weary. Sir Percy is without a doubt the most persistant."
Hearing this, she moved closer to him and hugged him. "No, come back well and soon, my friend." She rubbed his back reassuringly. |
Theodore sighed and nodded, bringing his arms around her in a hug in return. It was strange that she reminded him of Aidan, but when he'd been a woman, their bodies definitely felt similar. "I'll come back then." He looked at her and smiled. Theo was getting taller over the past few weeks, and he looked a little older with the lost innocence.
"You're kind, Danielle. Haven't you ever found interest in anyone?" He asked off-handedly, curious. She was pretty and kind, surely there was someone on her mind other than the weariness the men whom bothered her brought. |
She expressed a soft giggle from her lips at his innocent question. "I'm afraid I've been more occupied with work than fantasizing over the boys," she replied with a small, shy smile.
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Theodore laughed a little and smiled a bit more. "I suppose you're right. He glanced at her again, his smile softening a little with surprise and he felt his cheeks flush over a bit. She was rather cute when she smiled like that, he couldn't believe he was blushing!
"I... I should probably be going. I have to travel back home, I'm going to assist Arturo against the Raiders there." He stammered a little, a bit embarrassed over the emotion he was showing. He feared it was just because she was Aidan's sister. |
Danielle touched his hand. "Wait here just a moment. Let me get you some food to take with you."
Before he could respond, she had hurried off to the kitchen to pack him enough for his travels. She included a pouch of coins stuffed discretely to keep them from jingling or being sighted immediately. Hurrying back, she handed him the food. "Do you have a mount to travel upon?" |
Theodore parted his lips to stop her but she was already off in the kitchen. He waited there patiently for her to come back, smiling at her as she handed him the pack of food. "Mm? Well... no." He sighed, shaking his head. He could have said he had and walked anyway, but if he could get one, it would be nice. Walking would take so much time and energy.
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She led him to the stables immediately. With soldiers and the mages dispatched, the stalls were emptier than usual. She found the mare Aidan had brought when he first brought Theodore to Caer Elise. Carefully guiding the gentle beast out of her stall, she handed him the reins.
"There you are. Take care, Theodore." Danielle smiled. |
Theodore blinked, looking the mare over as he held the reigns, smiling a bit more. He recognized her, though he had never seen her so clearly. "Thank you, Danielle. I'll come back soon. Don't let those guys get to you, okay?" He said softly, leaning forward to give her a soft kiss on the cheek before making sure everything was ready to go. He was sure the man would just be waiting for him to leave.
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Danielle giggled at the boy's affections. She watched him go and waved. Once he faded off into the distance, she returned to her chores.
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Theodore waved back briefly before he returned his attention to where he was going, smiling at her one last time as he took off. He was glad he knew the way now, riding for a while before he decided to pull off of the path some and set camp for the night, tying the mare where she could graze and rest and he found a place to set up a fire and bed, taking the pack of food to see what she had packed him. He pouted a little at finding the money she'd stowed away in the pack, sighing a bit. She hadn't needed to do that.
The boy ate and slept peacefully through the night, leaving early the next morning to head out, petting the mare's neck with a chuckle as they took the path slowly for part of the day, not looking to push her too much. He wasn't in a hurry until he saw the smoke ahead, and he could smell the stench of blood and burning flesh. It was still some ways away--he wouldn't camp out that night though. Murmuring a soft apology to his mount, he prodded her to hurry, rushing into town. He was afraid to know what he would see... It had been days since the attack started, though he could only assume the Raiders were still around. |
The soldiers had barricaded themselves into some of the largest buildings in the city to defend the townspeople. The mages were out in the front, exerting all of the energy they could to take out some of the most powerful of the Raiders, all of whom were clearly magical in nature themselves.
The rider upon the destrier brought down a fatal blow to Deodar. The sound of his cracking skull was resounding. With one last attack, he had managed to send shoots of wood at the leader, tumbling away his helmet. The destrier threw its head about before furiously trampling its heavy hooves upon the fallen wood mage. Arturo froze as he gazed upon the face of the rider. There was a stream of blood separating his face in half. Glowing orange orbs where his eyes should be, reflecting the man was under a spell. He shouted, unable to pay attention to the other Raiders drawing their attacks. Were his eyes deceiving him!? "Tobias!" |
Theodore dismounted into a sprint, attacking some of the raiders with his flames. He gasped as he heard the name "Tobias" yelled out, his eyes widening as he looked around. "Arturo! What are you--" He cut himself off as his eyes finally settled on the Raider, feeling his body go rigid.
"T-Tobias?!" He could tell he was under a spell, and he felt his chest tighten. He didn't want to believe it, why had they taken him? "Oh my god..." He barely snapped out of it in time to avoid being killed, recieving a gash to his shoulder. "Arturo, snap out of it!" He yelled, he'd seen Deodar take that fatal blow and trampling, he didn't want the same to happen to Arturo. |
After conjuring a quick spell to blast the attackers away from him, Arturo bolted away to safety. He needed a moment to consider what to do from what he had just seen. With Deodoar dead, he was alone until he could get to the soldiers.
The voice he heard made him wonder who that was. He shuddered in the loft of the barn he hid in, shuddering. |
Theodore grunted and quickly took off after Arturo, unable to fight completely on his own, crawling up into the loft. "Arturo.." He whispered, trying to keep from startling the shuddering man. He sat there a moment and tore at his shirt so he could bandage his wound with it, gasping softly at the sting.
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Arturo looked in Theodore's direction. His voice, despite being but a mere whisper, was recognizable.
"Theodore? What...what are you doing here?" |
Theodore moved closer to Arturo once his arm was bandaged, smiling slightly at him, though he was otherwise serious. "I came to help... Are you hurt at all?" He asked, looking the man over a bit. He grunted a little, pushing his hair from his face--he'd lost the ribbon in his run to attack. It wan't exactly ideal for fighting--the pale curls getting in his face.
"Do you have a knife?" He asked while tugging his hair back on his head. |
Due to the nature of what was happening outside, he did not pause to ask questions. From his waist, Arturo produced a blade and handed it to the boy.
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Theodore took the blade and tugged his hair back tight, slicing it right off. It left him with an 'A'-line cut, the curls making it look rather cute. It was out of his face though, and he glanced down at the long inches on the ground of the loft. "....Are you hurt Arturo?" He pressed, worried about the man.
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"Some internal injuries, that is all," he responded softly, holding his sides and leaning against the wall. He wasn't concerned over them with his life in danger with the hoardes of Raiders swarming the small city.
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Theodore shifted to crawl to where he could see out at the Raiders and fighting going on outside. He glance at Arturo a moment and sighed, grasping the wall a bit. "What're we going to do about Tobias?" He asked finally, keeping the knife with him still.
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Arturo lowered his eyes. "Without an Elite's assistance...I'm afraid...there's nothing we can really do but..." He almost blurted out the option of killing Tobias. Knowing how close the boy was to mage, he just frowned.
He was bitter about the limitations of his abilities. Elementals lacked the capabilities of using magic beyond their element. He closed his eyes. Why why why...was life so cruel? |
Theodore bumped his head lightly against the wall, sighing out. He knew the option that Arturo left out. "Is.. do we not have any way to break the spell on him?" He asked, trying to contain his emotions. "If... there's no other way--I'll do it..." He whispered, choking on his words. "I'll take Tobias out... if there's no other way."
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Arturo looked at Theodore, his lips pursed. When he finally relaxed some, he sighed. "Oh Theo..." He touched his head and felt over his newly cropped hair.
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"He'd probably want that, right? Tobias.. he wouldn't want to be left like that... right? You probably know him ... better than me, but... ngh..." He felt the tears coming on, his hands fisting, one still holding the blade. "I want to do it if we can't free him.. please... do you know if there's another way?"
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