The Magician's Apprentice ((Kuro and Vivid))

[Vivid Fizz]

It was a cold and blustery day. The smell of a snowfall was in the air even though the darkening sky didn’t spit out any flakes yet. Everyone was holed up in their little homes or bustling to their houses from the market. The weather had descended suddenly and without warning; just half an hour before hand the whether had been standard for a fall afternoon.

As the first flakes began to flutter down a lone figure steps outside of one of the larger buildings of the town. In the person’s arms were many worn, quilted blankets of various colors. The only thing that protected the figure from the elements was a thin dark brown cloak.

Gilloleth whimpered as the wind blew through her clothes, sending a chill through her body. The guest’s horses needed to be protected from the elements and, as the daughter of the loud and obnoxious owner of the Inn, she had no choice but to do it. Another gust of wind had knocked off the hood revealing thick dark brown hair and violet eyes squinted against the stinging gusts.

She did not like doing such tedious chores. Mostly because she thought that things like this should have been taken care of by the animal’s owner. But there she was, out in the cold, getting ready to throw one of the old blankets over the horses. Though she did not even know if she had enough for all of the beasts in the stables. On days like this, with sudden weather changes, they always had more business. She cursed beneath her breath. The mundane tasks of this current life grated on her. Gilloleth had magic. It bubbled beneath her surface. But no one wanted her for the task. So she knew that all she had to life was doing things for her parents.

Even though their town wasn’t very large it did have a lot traffic go through it. The borough rested on the main road to the castle and it was only natural that those traveling would stop there. Her father had been very fortunate to be the owner of the only inn in town.

When she got to the stable she set to work to cover the horses. Though, to her horror, another person had began to set up his horse in one of the few remaining stalls that they had.

 

[Kuro__Netsune]

"well that's just perfect, it seems like we won't be making it to Levidi by tomorrow with this weather..."

"well Master, perhaps we should settle down in this little town, if you see fit"

the voice of the couple was hushed, nearly dulled out by the gentle stride of the horse, the wide streets seemed to be empty, giving the couple a sense of security

riding on the front, a tall, lean man, seemingly in his mid to early 30's, his features where mostly concealed by his heavy traveler's cloak, but from what could be seen, his factions where sharp, a pointy elegant nose and what seemed to be little glasses rested gently close to his eyes, behind him, a very short and chubby woman, anyone who where to look at her would inmediately label her as a little kid, but in fact, she was a halfling, wearing a similar cloak than his own but her's was clearly more worn down.

finnaly, after asking directions to the few townsfolks, the couple had arrived to the only inn in town, once the halfling hopped off the horse, the man climbed down, adjusting his glasses as he began taking his cloak off, simply holding it to the side, allowing the halfling to take care of it
"yes Master"

was all that was heard, once she folded the cloak nicely, she removed her own, she wasn't wearing much more than a little short, strappless dress, and on her neck a heavy purple collar rested, that, and her lack of shoes or other jewlery inmediately gave away her situation, she was left to set the horse in place as the man began walking to the front of the inn.


on the way, the man noticed a young lass, for a moment, his brown (seemingly almost red if the light was right...) eyes crossed gaze with the lady, giving her a polite smile, it was now obvious by the way he dressed, a pure white button up shirt with elegant accents and black silk pants, white bright shoes and a few ornamental rings adorning his almost delicate hands, that he was no mere peasant, and he spent a moment, gazing straight at her, until finnaly, he broke the gaze, giving a soft chuckle


"pleased to meet you, miss, could you direct me to where your father is...?" with that, he gave a quick wink, starting to walk already in the direction of the door "we'd like to spend the night as peacefully as possible..." casually, he looked over his shoulder "Molala, when you're done, go and get me the usual, you saw where the store was, right?" he gave a smirk, then turned his gaze away from the two women

 

[Vivid Fizz]

Gilloleth was used to being looked at. The young girl was no slouch in the looks department. Even in the brown chemise and dark red burlap like material dress, she garnered the attention of many of the men that passed through. Though she chose to keep a level of innocence about it and pretended not to notice. Though right now she couldn’t help it. There was something about the man that caught her attention.

She studied him for a moment, taking in the details of his clothes. It was obvious that he was well to do and he was handsome, with nice features that weren’t too powerful. But that wasn’t what was grabbing her. There was something else. Though she pushed that aside. Business as per usual got in the way of her probing.

“He is inside,” she replied. Her voice was soft and gentle. “Just off to the right is the front desk where you can get a key for your quarters.” The wink caused her feathers to ruffle a little. Attractive or not, Gilloleth was a lady. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked to the woman with the horse.

At first she thought it was a young girl but upon further examination she realized that it was a Halfling. A smile crossed her lips. It wasn’t very often that beings other than humans stayed at the inn and it always pleased her. To her they always had so much more vibrant personalities than the vanilla men that she usually did. Though her smile did fall. Snowflakes dotted her rich chocolate brown hair as she stared at her horse.

“Are you in need of a blanket for your horses?” she asked. “It is getting chilly and the cover will prevent any frost from forming on their fur.” She shivered visibly and pulled the thin cloak around herself tighter. Not that it helped any. “I can run inside and fetch one for you.”

 

[Kuro__Netsune]

( ooc: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://arcadiamas.com/vidurmolala.jpg">http://arcadiamas.com/vidurmolala.jpg</a><!-- m --> quickie concept sketch, by the way, I was peeking around and I noticed you have an art thread, your art is very very beautiful :O I'ma go and give you some C&C later on, I pulled these quickly a while ago x3 )

with that, the man moved away, by the time she had finished the direction he had been already turning away from her, as if he knew the answer

on the other hand, Molala looked over at the human lady talking to her, with a nearly exagerated bow, she greeted just in time as she had finished securing the horse to the stable
"thank you miss, but it won't be necesary, Goldenrod is a strong boy and he's used to the cold, just like me" she gave a smile and looked up, her skin had a slight hint of a tan, and her hair was an unusual aqua blue hint, matching with her hazel eyes "besides, Master takes very good care of us, he alway...." she took a hand to her lips, covering them, looking startled before she shook her head "n-never mind" she gives a little courtesy "if you excuse me, I have to go and run errands for him" with that, he gave a few bouncing steps next to her, oddly enough, by how skimpy her outfit was, she didn't seemed to mind the cold at all, come to think of it, even her master seemed to be lightly dressed and he had not a single hint of cold, once Molala was closer to Gilloeth, where the gusts of air where stronger, it was... strange how her skin was so relaxed, not with the usual signs of cold "excuse me, Master likes to drink mineral water, is there any place in town where you can get some?"

even for her condition, the halfling lady seemed to be fairly happy, and not just as a racial trait, she seemed to have a certain affection for her master

 

[Vivid Fizz]

Her eyes narrowed on the Halfling. It wasn’t a menacing look but rather one that showed how curious she was. Why had the woman stopped herself mid sentence. Gilloleth wanted to press the matter further but decided against it. Her father had warned her about pestering the customers. Well, warned her with a quick lash to the back from his belt. Never before had he actually used the belt more than a warning; Gilly knew better than to press him.

Instead she was just going to help the cute little Halfling. She smiled and nodded her head, pointing in the direction of the shop. “Sometimes Mister Devin gets a delivery of it from his cousin in the North,” she told Molala. “I can’t remember exactly where it is at but his store has a sign that has a maple leaf on it. We don’t have very many stores so it should not be too difficult to find.”

She gave the Halfling a bow similar to the one she received and waved her off. There were other chores she had to attend to and, frankly, there was some intrigue to the man that had arrived with the small woman. Quietly she walked back into the inn. Molala had a very blatant affection for the man. Gilloleth wondered if that they were, silly enough, lovers.

Her father was addressing the man. She winced. He was not as well learned as some in the village and with his lack of sophistication made it a miracle that anyone ever decided to stay. Even if they had no choice on the matter, his demeanor had to be very off putting.

“So what type of room will you be wanting?” he asked the well groomed stranger. “We haven’t got many left due to the weather. Makes for good business.”

((Cute sketches and thank you. I normally draw my characters so I will likely draw Gilly.))

 

[Kuro__Netsune]

the conversation with the owner had been, to put it simply, very amusing for the traveler, he did enjoyed to have contact with some of the more common people from towns, so diferent than the overly elegant city folk

"well good sir" he curled his lips in a smile "your daugther had mentioned something about 90 silver pieces a night, is that correct?" as he finished the sentence, he gazed over, Gilloleth was just walking in, he gave a little bow to her, almost ignoring her father for what seemed to be almost ten seconds "thank you, miss Gilloleth, for your help, and for sending my aide in the right direction" with that, the traveler turned to the man again

"but you see, my aide is, oh, you know" he chuckled and picked out a small pouch from his pocket "those halflings, she is such a cute little one but she can be so noisy when she decides to burst in song and dance" with that, he picked out two gold pieces and fifty silvers, setting them on the counter "and I would -hate- to disturb your other guests, so, tell me, do you have a room that's more, shall we say, noiseproof? if not, just one that's at least not as close to the reception, as for the acomodations don't worry, I'm a traveler and I can sleep well anywhere"

gazing over to the girl, he brushed some of his blue hair away from his forehead, seemingly, his eyes gave a bit of a reddish tint as words echoed on Gilloleth's head "you may call me Vidur, miss Gilloleth"

with that, he returned his gaze to the man "but with such a nice place you own, sir, I know it's a fact I will be comfortable anyways, so, what will it be, got somewhere safe for my companion's little artistic antics?"

 

[Vivid Fizz]

Gilloleth had told him no such thing. She tilted her head and watched the blue haired main closely. There was something very strange about that man. Something that she couldn’t quite put her finger on but something she recognized all the same. Without a word of acknowledgement she walked closer to the pair, letting the door close behind her. In the warm of the Inn her cheeks took on a bright pink hue, though the rest of her skin remained as pale as the winter snow.

Things only became stranger. How did he know that she had pointed his servant in the direction of the store? Her father looked up at her with a pleased look on his face before turning back to the new guest. He sucked on his teeth for a second.

“That sounds about right. It’s a good thing Gilly informed you. Normally she has a problem with being a little snooty with the guest. ‘Speically if they are men. Anyway, yeah, we got a nice big room still available on the third floor. The people ‘neath you won’t be too happy but if she starts dancing and singing but there really isn’t much they can do.”

As her father spoke, the man turned his attention to her. A strange rush happened in the pit of her stomach and before she could say anything a voice resonated in her head. Vidur, huh? The man was a magician or some other magically inclined person. A powerful one at that. She took in a sharp breath as an idea formed in her head.

Maybe he was her ticket out of that place. Despite her completely obscure background and lack of magical ancestry, this man could have been her chance to show the world how powerful she could be. Gilloleth had large dreams. She wanted to use her magic to help people but she never had been able to hone her skills.

Quickly, before her father could respond, she walked up.

“There is also a stage in the bar,” she told him quickly. “If your Halfling wants she can entertain the guests. It’ll also stop people from getting mad at her.” Her eyes narrowed on the man and she held out her hand for the keys. “I can lead him to his room, father, while you tend to the guests. I will not mind.”

The man behind the counter threw a pair of keys at her. “You sure are being helpful. More helpful than normal. I guess you are learnin’ to enjoy this.”

She took the keys and walked towards the stairs. “Right this way, Mr. Vidur.”

 

[Kuro__Netsune]

"from the way she handles herself, sir, if I may say so, I can tell she has a lot of spirit, maybe her time for maturing has just arrived, but of course, I'm sure a lot of it must have to do with you raising her properly"

as he said those last words, his gaze fixed on her's, obviously bordering on a very sarcastic behaivor

with that, he nodded, picking up a slightly worn gold piece, he slid it at the man over the counter "... just in case she gets noisy, my apologies in advance" he gave a firm nod before he turned away, only to smirk and glance over his shoulder at her, then over at her father, the corner of his lips forming a little sly smile

"oh, it is a tempting offering, but, I'm afraid I would have to decline, after all, this seems like a mainly human populated inn" he gives a slow nod and glances at him "but if we decide to stay a few more days, I guess it would be okay for her to perform once or twice, she has a lovely deep voice and many... talents for entertainment" he grins "and after all, it's not in her nature to deny if I where to ask her to perform, no matter the request"

that said, Vidur gave a nod and reached over, once they where at the stairs and away from the father's sight, he gave a soft chuckle as he looked at her, starting to walk right behind her, the diference of height by the steps gave him the chance to whisper near to her ear "you are bold, miss Gilloleth, but what makes you think of me as such a good charitable samaritan?" smiling, he reaches over and gives a pat to her shoulder before he takes his distance again, letting her walk ahead "however, one has to admire your quick wit and perserverance..."

 

[Vivid Fizz]

She smiled as Vidur addressed her father. The sarcasm did not go unnoticed or unappreciated. If she had said something like that with that tone, it would have been one quick and painful lash against her back from the leather belt. When a paying customer did it there was nothing her father could do but grumble something under his breath but thank the man for choosing (like there was much of a choice) his inn to stay at.

To Gilloleth it didn’t matter if the person performing was human or not. If they could sing and dance and do it well; why should their race matter? She was not naive enough to think that everyone thought the way she did. She was, however, naïve enough to think that people would change their minds. As she listened to the man speak, she took off her thin cloak and put it on the rack that housed her parent’s garments. This revealed the swell of her breasts incased in the chemise and the rough and firm garment of her dress. The girl had no idea how beautiful she was. Yes, she thought she was attractive, but nothing more than that.

With a nod she lead him up the stairs, though as he got closer she sucked her breath in. There was such a thing as a personal bubble and when he leaned in to whisper in her ear, she nearly tripped over a stair. His words left a red stain on her cheeks. He was right though; how was she to know that he was a kind man? He was also right to tell her she was bold. It gave her an extra boost of confidence. Once they were in his room she could talk to him about the magic in her and him taking her on as an apprentice.

“I don’t know you that well, sir,” she replied in hushed tones. When they reached the landing she took a right to lead him down the hallway. There was another set of stairs on the other side, which would lead him up to the large private room on the third floor. “I am sure that there is something different about you though. I can sense it.”

She wondered if her little clue as to what she could do was caught or if it fell on deaf ears. As they passed the doors of the other rooms, it is obvious that there is a lot of activity going on behind each of them. People freshly came in and adjusting themselves or preparing to go down to the tavern inside the inn to sample some of Gilly’s mother’s delicious cooking.

They make it to the end of the hall and she takes a sharp left to reveal a stairway almost hidden. The beautiful young maiden swallowed harshly and began to lead him up the short stairs. It was well used; the third floor was also the floor where her family took residence and was only four rooms. Though these room were large and much more lavish than the ones on the first and second floors.

His room would be the first one they happened upon after climbing the stairs.

 

[Kuro__Netsune]

nodding softly, Vidur gave a glance over at her "so do I, Gilloleth, and while we are being sincere..." he gave a smirk, for a moment it seemed as if one of his fangs had given off a glint and his eyes glowed slightly "I apologize for how rude of me it was to have read you in such a blunt way" he gave a nod before he began walking trough the concealed staircase.

"Sometimes temptation can be a double edged blade, don't you think?" he gave a soft chuckle, then a nod "and when I saw your father, well, I can tell you have been seriously repressed in your.... gifts" he shook his head, finnaly, they had arrived to the door to his room, he could even sense the scent changing from that old wooden furtniture to a subtle flowery scent, setting a certantly more homely mood

"now, Gilloleth, I do enjoy your company, and for your kindness and interest, I will grant you a little... shall we say, gift" elegantly, he turned around, wrapping one arm around her waist, he pulled her close, his other hand wrapped around her head and caressed her soft dark hair, with an overwhelming security, he brought himself close to her, rubbing his lean body against her smooth curvy body, brushing his lips on her forehead as he whispered a gentle "ehane, yaunav"

across her forehead, a strange sensation spread, like a warm tingly sensation, but followed quickly by an inmense sensation of peace, he grinned and gave a step back, caressing on her cheek with his cold hand "it is a spell of my own creation, it shields your mind from being read or even percived, it works only on those pure of heart, and as long as you remain pure, not even the high spirits will be able to sense your thoughts" he gives a little nod "I do this because I feel you diserve it, but, don't think much of it..."

he stepped to the side as if clearing the way for her to open his door "I can be your friend, I know I will enjoy your company, but, a lass like you? I'm sure there are others who might be willing to train your talents and teach you the arcane arts, you do have potential, miss, but I'm not the kind to stray from their path just to take on some hatchling"

 

[Vivid Fizz]

The idea of being read without her knowledge sent a chill up her spine and she shifted her weight uneasily as she moved up the stairs. If he could dip into her mind so easily there was a chance that he saw that she thought he was handsome or how much fun she had at the idea of him and his Halfling being a couple. A blush of shame crossed her already rosy cheeks.

Gilloleth knew very little of temptation. She never really felt it towards anyone in particular, though many had tried to tempt her before. Whenever the Inn became busy there was always the chance of some unsavory characters coming in. They normally made passes at her, tried to steal kisses from her, and sometimes they even attempted to grab at her. Due to these experiences she had decided that any sort of temptation was to be stayed away from.

Though that was quite hard as he wrapped an arm around her slender waist. His hands were in her hair. It was strange but his touch had made her mouth go dry. Before she could say anything about it a feeling of utter safety and well being fell over her. Their bodies were close and his scent filled her nose. His energy had seemingly demurred her and it resonated inside of her. It only grew stronger as his lips brushed against her forehead. It was as if something was incasing her head.

She gave a soft little sigh as he stroked the side of her face. There was no describing the sense of security she felt from the action. Though, as he eyes opened, she realized that she had allowed herself to be touched by a man she scarcely knew. Even if it was for magic, and a powerful bit of magic at that, she knew that it could have been done in a less intimate fashion.

The lovely young maid cleared her throat and began to open the door. Though with her hands trembling the way they were, she was not able to do it as quickly as normal. Finally she was able to open it though his answer did not please her.

“No one wants to take on an apprentice like me,” she told him bitterly. “Both of my parents are non magical. Everyone who I have tried to speak with about the matter laughs at me. Apparently my blood is dirty to most and it is ridiculous that I even ask.” Gilloleth walked into the room. It had been recently cleaned by her that morning and still had a fresh scent to it. The bed was made neatly and there was even a separate room for cleaning and other things. On the floor was a rich red carpet and the walls had lovely blue paint. “I do not wish to spend the rest of my life in this place.”

“Here you are, sir, our best room.” She changed the subject with an annoyed sigh.

 

[Kuro__Netsune]

frowning, he rose his hand, the door slammed closed, slowly, he gave a deep breath, the lights in the room flickered before he whispered in a barely audible voice, three words, followed by a swift spread of his fingers, the walls seemed to shimmer, as if behind of a courtain of hot steam, they gave a slight waving effect, with that, he stood tall in front of her "miss Gilloleth, I take great offense in that" he gave her a stern look


"Do I really look like... one of -them-?" he began breathing faster "do I seem amused in the least?" he rose his other hand, a silvery glow began forming around his left hand "oh, believe me, and again, I promised sincerity to you, I mean it when I say I recognice your talent" he gives a slight glare "and if I have learned something from my pet, is that there is no such thing as dirty or pure blood, it is our actions and our heart that determine our fate and our success in life, those who are quick to put a label on people according to their blood are no better than mud"

his breathing went faster, the lights in the room dimmed, now there was no mistaking, his eyes had an unnatural red blood glow to them, the only noticeable lightsource in the room was his raised hand, the silvery sphere growing slightly larger "but what I said holds true, lass, a mere hatchling in magic would just hinder me, and I must be totally blunt, though I may have my skill for magic, I make my living as a commerciant and dealer, and as such I ask, what would I get from spending time and effort in teaching the arcane arts to a child?"


slowly, the silvery sphere began to shrink, much like a supernova, the glow the sphere gave increased the more it's size reduced until it was almost unbearably bright, as it reached it's peak, it silently exploded, spreading outwards, covering the walls in a very fine glowy mist, the carpet aquired the same look than the sea as it reflects the sunset and the walls swayed as the serene morning ocean

"I-if you think you can provide...." he gave a deep breath, he was starting to sweat, seemingly that had taken it's toll on him "... what is fair for my time, I may think it over, but listen..." he looked around the room, his breathing still troubled "you're not leaving this room until you show me... your true self, you may unleash the power that has been swelling inside of you, your inn, and every object in here will be protected from harm, and nobody will hear a thing, you're in my little world now, so it's up to you, Gilloleth, will you make your offering and show me your true self? or will you accept the fate that your people have imposed on you?" he gave a little grin "... still, I must admit I like you enough... even if you can't summon the courage or if you can't reach a worthy deal, I may consider referring you to one of my friends and see if they're interested in teaching you the basics, of course you and me know it just.... won't be the same"

 

[Vivid Fizz]

Of course she wasn’t making a comparison between him and the others. The fact that he was even considering her for apprenticeship told her that. It was simply a little pent up frustration she let out on the stranger. Already she felt comfortable enough with him to show part of her true feelings.

Though that quickly changed as the door slammed shut and she whirled around. The unnatural red shine to his eyes that she hadn’t noticed before now had her full attention. A fear started to spread through her body. His magic was powerful and when it was directed at her in such a menacing way, she couldn’t help but feel suffocated by it.

The lights in the room began to fade and she found herself backing up from the man who had intimately held her only moments before. Despite all of fear she could not help but take offense to the ‘child’ comment. She had reached the age of adulthood earlier that year. Seventeen was hardly a little anything. Somehow she managed to take a defiant posture with her arms crossed over her chest.

The silver of his aura began to rescind back inside of him. Though he looked far worse for wear after that little show of power. Gilloleth studied him for a moment as she took in the weight of his words. Either she show him what she could do or she could return to the world that she was born to. A lump rose in her throat. What if she wasn’t going to be able to raise enough power for him? In that regard it would be easier to go back as the maid, bar wench, and stabler at her father’s Inn. To marry without consequence or care; to have children that may have the same gift as her but, like her, be forced to keep it inside.

That prospect didn’t seem too appealing at all and only deepened her resolve to show him that she would not be a hindrance.

The beautiful young woman closed her eyes and began to pour her energy outward. The lights once more dimmed but not as much as they had when Vidur pulled out his power. In fact, if you didn’t know she was doing something, the slight difference might not have even registered. A faint purple light surrounded her whole body, occasionally it would crack with tiny and faint gold sparks.

It was obvious some sort of immense power laid within the girl but it had been thoroughly repressed. She whimpered after a few seconds and all of her magic withdrew back into her all at once. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face as well and she sunk to her knees.

“I-is that what you had in mind?” she asked in a whisper, looking up at him. Her violet eyes still had a slight glow but she blinked that away.

 

[Kuro__Netsune]

blinking, the tall gentleman gave an amused "hmmm?" at the display, he was about to make a despective comment but soon as he was about to part his lips, he gave a low gasp

"... the colour of royalty..." was all he could whisper, looking up and down at her, he gave another deep "hmmm" and he stepped forward, there was a moment of silence before he reached down with both hands, caressing on her cheeks, tilting her up, leaving her in a ... quite compromising pose, however, with the same tingle than before, a warmth rushed from his fingertips to her cheek and seemingly lingered down on her shoulders, all while he held the young lass, and there was no hiding it, he loved to see her like that, and it didn't took long for a noticeable buldge to form on his silky pants mere fractions of inch away from her face, if someone where to walk in on them, it would surely be a very compromising situation

"we each have an inner strenght, we can channel our magic power in ways to conform to certain spells, thus altering our auras" as he spoke, the flow of energy continued to travel down her body, replenishing her magic power, no, more than that, next time she used it, she'd notice she could maintain it for a little longer, a little stamina boost, so to speak... "but to someone untrained such as you, you will always show your true, pure strenght, purple is the colour of the divine flame, it cleanses over all that is impure while preserving the rigtheous-"

suddently, the silence broke, someone opened the door from the adjacent room... wait a second... how did she...? what's more, hadn't Vidur claimed to have placed a protective spell on the room, his spell making it impossible to teleport in or out, so how....

as the door opened, Molala walked in, naked, huffing, casting a ... quite cold glare at the two
"Oh, so this is why the door was locked, Master?"


Vidur took two fingers to his forehead, okay, unexpected turn of events...
"Yes, now, I will deal with you later, Molala, but not in front of our guests, besides, what are you doing here without my supplies? how am I expected to work on our... dinner..."

Molala gave an angry huff, her pleasantly rounded, (humans would say chubby, but by halfling standards, she was perfect, and he certantly loved it) figure swayed slightly, she knew her master was strict, but she also knew she could soften him up to a certain degree with her femenine charm, nodding, she knelt down on the spot where she could direct a sharp glance at Gilloleth "... I left them with the innkeeper, he was glad to hold on to them, and he said he'd have his daughter bring them personally here... by his scent, I guess I can tell who his daughter is, you know Mast-"

with a sharp cough, she was silenced, looking down, she gave a quiet nod, her fists closed over her knees, and in her position, the tuff of aqua coloured hair that addorned her crotch was easily visible

Vidur shook his head, turning his attention to Gilloleth "my apologies, but see, my pet is very.... insctint driven, and she is highly territorial about her master" he chuckled, shaking his head "in due time she will learn, but enough about her... it all comes to his, Gilloleth, I see you are adamant in this, and you have changed my mind, your talent is unique, and I would never forgive myself for wasting such chance" tilting his head, he curled his lip in a smile

"tell you what, miss, do two things for me, and I will give you a four day intensive, your powers will be beyond of any ordinary mage, but nothing more, in the end of those days I will judge you, if you are worthy, I will take you with me-" for a moment, it seemed as if an angry hiss resounded, but Vidur quickly shrugged it aside "- but if you are not, you will be left behind, however, trust me, your life will be far easier with evertyhing you'll learn

looking down at her, he gave a quite sinister gaze "first.... you must swear, on your life, to keep two secrets, a true spellcaster values secrets over everything, and from now on, you will learn to keep the secret of the arcane arts, but before that, you will have to keep those two for me, and trust me, if I ever get a hint of you disclosing them, I will swiftly end your life..."

slowly, he walked next to her, making his way over next to his pet, eventually circling her, standing behind her back "and the second request, I want you to learn, that sacrifices must be made, you will learn to bend mother nature to your will, you shall learn how to twist the world to your benefit, doubting... is not an option, I know your are kind hearted, but, I want you to do this to me, in you, now resides the power to alter the energies in the aether" he gives a little bow "courtesy of myself..." grinning, he winks "visualize your inner emotions, set them at peace.... and then shift your emotions of courage... pure courage, not anger... into your fingertips, as you do that, focus on the sheer beauty of a lightning storm, it will call in your power to channel into a discharge"

stepping back, he slowly created a small electric sphere between his fingers, only to dispell it quickly "see, Molala here knows quite a bit of magic, too, she's by far, a water elementalist, and she -hates- electricity... slowly, he looks down at her "... like I hate to be walked in while having a conversation..." shaing his head, he began walking away, only to position himself behind Gilloleth "I want you to punish her for me, make her scream until she begs for forgiveness, and I will make you my apprentice"

the halfling couldn't help but to squeal in a quite peculiar way, her eyes opened wide, she tried to speak but no words came out, scared, she looked over at Gilloleth, gulping, her large breasts began to almost bounce as her breathing became erratic

 

[Vivid Fizz]

Gilloleth tried her hardest not to notice the rising lump that was mere inches away from her face and, when that proved a futile, she tried to convince herself that the arousal was simply because of the use of magic. That the only reason he had such a sizable bulge was because of his recent use of magic. Though, as his warmth went through her, it didn’t matter anymore. A pride started to fill her. For one, he had been impressed thoroughly by her magical aura. The color of royalty was something that many people probably didn’t posses. The other reason, and this was probably the warmth talking, was that she was able to get such a response from him.

His power flowed into her and she could feel herself being replenished. As he spoke she could not help but feel more and more assured about her place as his apprentice. It sounded as if he were impressed by her. Which boded well for the young woman. Then he stopped. The door opened to the room and Gilloleth wondered what was happening. Vidur had told her that the room was protected. The position they were in was very compromising indeed! Perhaps he wasn’t as great as a magician as he made himself out to be. If her father saw her in such a way…

To her surprise, the Halfling came in. She was huffing and naked as the day she was born. The beautiful young woman couldn’t help but stare at her. There was something completely frigid about the little being that made Gilloleth balk. Of all of the nerve to come into the room in such a manner. Molala took a kneeling position beside her and shot her a very nasty look indeed. Gilloleth shot one back.

Her attention was turned back to Vidur as he spoke directly to her. Apparently the Halfling was instinct driven, which made a little sense. It also made her purse her lips. So those two were a couple. Well at least any romantic endeavors would not get in the way of her training. The four days was going to be enough for her to prove herself. It didn’t matter how much easier this life was; she did not want to spend her life in servitude to her father.

Two secrets would be easy enough to keep. Never did she speak of her gifts to anyone who wasn’t like her. Those who stumbled upon her doing so either ignored it or thought she was just dabbling in magic to make her chores more simple. She could also learn to bend the forces of nature to her will. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, Gilloleth was a very forceful girl and had a confidence in herself that would describe her as cocky. The lightening was impressive and she let out a surprised little gasp.

Though, as she watched him circle his little pet, a strange feeling filled her. What was he going to do to her? This did not make her feel secure. It made her feel uneasy and queasy. Then he dropped the bomb as he positioned himself behind her.

“What?” she asked, turning around and getting on her haunches. A shock expression crossed her face as she stared up at him. That was certainly not something she had in mind. Her brow furrowed and she turned a pitying look over at the Halfling, whom was scared out of her head. “What does torture have to do with magic?! It was an accident, I’m sure…”

Her words faltered. He was her chance to get out of here but how could she do something so vulgar? She shook her head and stood. Her own chest was rising and falling rapidly and she stared him down. “Isn’t there another way? She is positively horrified!”

Her body shook. “I… I could take her punishment on myself. I know that isn’t what you asked but I can’t hurt someone like that, though I do not mind being hurt myself. My father lashes me about twice a day for something or another.”

 

[Kuro__Netsune]

(quick fix, she came in from the door that leads the aditional room for cleaning you mentioned, I assume bath tub and all, right? )

Vidur's expression was dead serious, he stepped between the two, gazing over, he stared at the two, Molala was trembling, she -hated- electricity, whimpering, she began to twitch slightly, her nails seemingly thickening, digging on her legs as she looked up, for a moment, it seemed as if her face had became slightly diferent, her nose slightly pointier and a buldge seemed to appear under her upper lip, but it could be attributed to just fear, yet, she knew better and remained silent

"I must know if I can rely on you, if you will have a total obedience to me" he gave a look to her "and no, don't worry, you won't be hurting anyone else, I could not ask such a thing of you, this is more of a trial for you" he slowly moved over to her, his shirt seemed to ruffle and shift slightly, ... as if alive...? "when you bend the laws of nature, there are consequences, you cast a storm? you clear up the skies? you may be killing a family on the other side of the world by causing a weather imbalance" he looks over "as I casted this magical barrier on this room, I may have shortened the lifespan of the plants around this very inn, magic users have to be very responsable, but have a cold, decided heart" he reached up, both delicate hands caressing over her shoulders "you choose, you either hand her my punishment for breaking in without permission and swear secrecy, thus earning my trust and four days of training... days wich I will be generously rewarding your father, surely leaving him enough to hire a new aide..." he looks over "refuse, and not only will I hand her a far worse punishment, but we will leave tomorrow first thing in the morning, and she'll have to endure this weather for three days without my cold resistance spell"

smiling, he gives a little nod "I wish I could say that I'd erase your memories of meeting us, but the very spell I casted on you prevents me from messing with your mind, however, it would be quite horrible to know that this beautiful little miss will be crying frozen tears because of your insecurity"

 

[Vivid Fizz]

((Sorry about that. Yes, there was a separate room for the bathroom. I didn’t think for a moment. Good thing that is all cleared up.))

Giolleth’s mouth opened and closed for a few moments. She did not want to hurt anyone. Her whole frame trembled. It was not her insecurity that made her afraid. It was the idea of causing another person pain that made her flinch. His promise to give the Halfling a far worse punishment was the only thing that kept her from slapping him and returning to her work downstairs.

She knelt beside Molala and brushed her hair out of her face. Tears welled in her eyes. The Halfling needed to know that the beautiful inn keeper’s daughter did not want to harm her but was being forced to. “Please do not hate me,” she murmured to the frightened creature. She glared up at the master for a split second before closing her eyes and doing as he instructed.

The anger in her heart made it very hard for her courage to shine through. But she thought about standing up to Vidur for this crime. She thought about telling him exactly how she felt and telling him her views on the matter. Suddenly lightening appeared on her finger tips. It was faint but it sparked between her finger tips and encircled her hand. Gently she placed the hand on the Halfling’s shoulder.

It hurt her to have to cause that sort of pain to anyone.

 

[Kuro__Netsune]

Vidur's smile widened, fangs poking out as he crossed his arms expectantly, but there was more, his clothes began shifting more, almost as if they had a mind of their own

"yes...." he gave a sadistic smile

he was almost starting to blush from the excitment of the scene, when she glared at him, he really had to fight back the urge to laugh in a rather evil way, and indeed at some point a dark chuckle escaped his lips

Molala gave a soft nod "I... diserve it, miss... I..." she lowered her ears, wich right now seemed... different, slightly less pointed, more broad, actully the fact that she lowered them had some relevance... slowly, she closed her eyes

Vidur on his side, enjoyed the scene, he licked his lips, unable now to hide his smile, and then, it happend, Molala's hair stood up slightly, sparks flew across her body as the current spread and she let out a sharp squeal, lips parted wide, displaying an unusual set of buckteeth...? and yet, the squeal soon came to silence, Molala's eyes widened and she suddently rose her hands, arcs of current flowed between her fingers and she could feel a little current tickling every corner of her body, but nothing more

Vidur just pulled back, giving a single short laugh, his shirt began to tear, as if someone was behind him and was pulling at it, the cloth began to 're-form' behind him, raising up, leaving his upper body bare, showing off his very lean frame, however thin, he was well toned and defined, and unlike Molala who had clear tan lines where she usually wore her short tunic, Vidur lacked any kind of tan line

"you own the divine flame, child" he gave a short chuckle, licking his lips "by nature it cannot harm those who are pure" he straightened, whispering "me, on the other side, would have brought me to my knees" he gives a nod "but you where obedient enough... so, welcome...."

 

[Vivid Fizz]

Gilloleth jumped back as Molala squealed. Tears fell out of her eyes as she watched the scene before her. The buckteeth… the ears… what the hell was this? Was this Halfling a Halfling after all? The dark haired beauty didn’t really have time to think about it. The sound of the strange scream soon stopped and the little creature began to look at her fingers in shock.

Vidur laughed behind them and she turned to look at him, mortified that his shirt had come off of his body. This was starting to get weird, even for magic, and Gilloleth wasn’t sure that she wanted to be around for what was likely going to happen next. Though she couldn’t help but study the lines of his body. He was lean and well built, albeit slender.

His words came to a shock to her. The Divine Flame? Something was very familiar about the sound of that but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Though, knowing that her power could floor him, made her worry. If she was divine what did that make him? A lump rose in her throat.

“Well, thank you very much,” she replied. There was a slight apprehension to her tone. While she was delighted that such a powerful mage was taking her on and away from the droll life, every second she spent with this man frightened her. “I suppose that I will have to get ready. Um, I will leave you to two to… whatever you have on your mind.”

On shaky legs she began to walk towards the door. Get ready?! Get ready for what? Dinner! Yes, dinner! She still had some responsibilities to tend to that evening.

 

[Kuro__Netsune]

Molala gave a little groan, -that- is why the shock hadn't harmed her... she just gave Vidur a ... quite unamused gaze, muttering something among the lines of "... lesson learned, Master"

Vidur stepped back, he could notice Gilloleth's expression tensing, he gave a soft grin "oh, are you leaving already miss Gilloleth?" he tilted his head forward, Molala slowly stood up, shaky, gulping a little, preety much as long as she kept her lips closed, she looked fairly normal, looking up, she gave a step back, Vidur then walked towards the door "your father won't miss you much if he knows you're tending us, won't he?" he gave a lick to his fangs, placing one hand against the wall, blocking her way out

"so much power... " he reached up his other hand, breathing deep, his red eyes fixing on her's "I can't help but to feel so tempted and drawn to you...." his hand brushes directly under her chin, trailing over to the back of her neck, lowering himself so that his lips where brushing on her's "I sincerely apologize for having startled you with that test, but I had to make sure you'd be obedient, so, allow me to make it up for it" he quietly slid his fingers over her hair, while he gripped slightly on her hair, he slowly pulled his lips back "forget everything else, now there's just you, and everything you have ever desired, why fight it...?"

 

[Vivid Fizz]

Her eyes widened. He was blocking her way out. Of course her father wouldn’t miss her. Dinner was a few hours off. Everything had been cleaned to his satisfaction. The horses that were stabled had been tended to. In fact, he would probably be thrilled that he was taking so much time tending to such a customer. His hands slipped under her chin and behind her neck. He was trying to seduce her. Her power drew him towards her. His lips brushed against hers and she stopped breathing. That was her first kiss and she did not know if she liked it stolen like that.

She looked away from him as he pulled her in closer, gripping her hair. Her heart began to race and she did not know what to do. All she ever desired was to be free of that town and to train her magical ability. She wanted to help others with her powerful gift. This was not what she had desired but something inside of her wanted it.

“Is this another test of my obedience?” she asked. “Does being your apprentice also mean being your lover?” It was a silly question but one that she had to know. Would her virginity be something she would be able to easily sacrifice for this training. Slowly her gaze returned to his. She took in the fangs and red eyes once more and she swallowed harshly once more.

 

[Kuro__Netsune]

slowly, Vidur shook his head "I never said that on the conditions, I'm not -desesperate- for sex, no, I'm far from that" he gave a soft chuckle "though it is true I do feed off from the sensual pleasures humans give off...." he slowly shook his head "I am in no desesperate need to feed right now"


he glided his other hand down, softly, he slid it under her chemise, allowing his fingers to brush on her lower back, and it felt lovely, her skin was so smooth and soft, he gave a soft nod "if you refuse to have sex with me, I will honor it, if you wish to save yourself for that special man like most humans do, I won't deny your desire" his hand slowly grazed down, deep inside, it made perfect sense, with all his needs covered, he was certantly not craving "but... I want to taste your emotions... if you saw a juicy, delightful fruit, would you be able to resist?" his fingers grew delicate, sharp claws, and with no warning, those claws grazed right on the base of her spine, threathening to graze down her garments ".... your beauty is too tempting to me already, Gilloleth, but what is more.... your soul is strong unlike I have ever felt before...." he gently dug his claw on her skin, but instead of pain, a warm, tingly sensation spread trough her lower area, the feeling not all that diferent than the afterglow of an orgasm rippling over her body, but of course, in a lower scale of intensity "say 'no' and I will stand back right now" he twists his claw a little, the sensation starting to shift inside of her to a diferent type of afterglow

meanwhile, Molala snuck over, setting her little hand on Gilloleth's shoulder, leaning over, waiting for Vidur to finish "... I ... am sorry for having acted jealously, miss... but after that display of mercy, I ...." she gave a gulp, then nodded "... Master... I will start preparing your things for tonight" with that, she stepped back, her voice sounded sincere, actually back to her original cheerfulness

 

[Vivid Fizz]

His hand slid down her chemise and her eyes glazed a little. It felt so good to be touched like that. The part of her that wanted to push him away became less strong. To hear that he would honor her choice and that she was a particularly juicy fruit… she was becoming more acutely aware of the fact that she was a woman. The claws felt wonderful against her skin and when they dug into her skin, she let out a faint gasp. A faint throbbing began between her legs. He twisted and a different sensation filled her, causing her to tremble.

Gilloleth hardly noticed Molala offering an apology. Her master had certainly cast an interesting spell over her. Heavily hooded eyes took her in for a second before turning back up at Vidur. Her breathing was rough, making her chest rise and fall rapidly.

“I-I suppose there would be no harm,” she murmured softly, “in letting that happen.”

Vidur’s power was certainly seducing her completely and fully. Never before had she needed to fight her more baser of instincts. They were certainly overriding her better judgment at that moment. Her eyes fully closed and she tilted her head up, offering her mouth submissively for a kiss.

 

[Kuro__Netsune]

the tall creature in front of her did not doubted, he gently leaned down, his lips brushing on her's as the softer of lovers, he gave a quiet sigh as if reliefed that she had agreeed, however, as a male that he was, he found it so hard to resist her, slowly, he tilt his head to the side, his lips locking against her's as he very gently glided his delicate smooth tongue past her beautiful soft lips, with that, he ceased any influence over her body, from here and on, he'd take it personally, he wanted to truly savour her

moaning quietly, he kept gliding his hand down, rubbing fingertips between her lovely smooth lower cheeks, his touch was not rude however, he was truly caressing her in a soft way, worshipping the beauty of her curves, slowly, he ran his hand over her soft skin, reaching it over to caress the side of her curvy hip, his other hand reached under her arm, resting on her back, pulling her close in a tight embrace, he wanted her to feel him, he wanted her to feel embraced, wanted, because that was the truth, as he did, his kiss intensified, finnaly, as his body fed off from that sensual emotions emanating from her, he was able to attain his true form, his silky pants, much like his shirt, began to 'pull back' soon, what where once his clothes, re-formed themselves behind him, he stood there, fully naked, kissing her passionately while elegant bat-like wings began spreading, the angular parts of the wings pure and white, while the membranes where black and elegant

 

[Vivid Fizz]

The kiss was soft and gentle at first and sent fire strait to her womanhood. She melted into his body it seemed. Her mind fogged with her arousal. Never before had she felt anything so intense before. Gilloleth had rarely even touched herself. As his tongue pushed past her lips, she opened her mouth more, allowing him easy access.

His fingers worked between her firm and rounded cheeks. Her cheeks darkened once more but she found pleasure in it. Her heart raced faster and faster. He pulled her closer to him and her hands found his chest, roaming the expanse of it. Every part of him felt wonderful to her. She pulled away from the kiss gently to look at him, eyes opening widely as she took in what she saw. The wings, the eyes, the fangs…

“You’re a demon?” she asked in a whisper. One that fed off of sexual energy. She thought about it for a few seconds. There was a particular name for a demon like this. What was it? “You’re a… a… incubus?”

It didn’t deter her any in her desire. Whatever he had done before made her body still very willing. It was just the first time that she was that close to a dark creature before. It was exhilarating and a little scary at the same time.

“Is that right?”