Chapter 8: Liadrin

Liadrin woke and sat upright. She wasn't in the carriage, but rather in a very decent room. She was wearing freshly laundered clothing that had been tailored to stop at her scales - suitable attire for being out in a city.

Who undressed me? she thought as she pushed her legs over the bed. Crap! My legs! She panicked and looked back at the mattress for scorch marks, finding nothing to her relief. She glanced down at her arms and could barely make out a small movement. She reached a finger down and was surprised when she felt a rapid gust of cool air blow back in her face.

Cobalt's doing. Okay Liadrin, focus on your limbs…breathe in deep… Liadrin exhaled before taking a deep breath in, using the technique he had taught her. She felt the heat from her scales surge into her chest and remain there; constantly collecting. She exhaled and a small gout of flame came out. She cupped a clawed hand over her mouth.

That's not happened before. Does that mean the flames are stronger? She stood up and went to the door nearby, opening it to reveal a small den. A table with four chairs stood in the center with a roaring hearth burning a sweet, rich scent against the far wall. Liadrin could immediately tell what was burning - rose wood - and the smell was like a sweet perfume. There were two other doors; one across from her that was open, and another that was shut. She could make out a tuft of blue through the open door.

Liadrin walked across the room and nudged the door slightly more open. Cobalt looked up at her as she entered, remaining seated on a plush chair and holding a scroll in his hands. "You slept like a log. I told you not to spend all of your Quintessence."

"Where are we?" Liadrin asked. "And who dressed me?" As she spoke blue sparks fizzed out of the corners of her mouth.

"We are at The Crossroads. Our benefactor, Lord Arestil, has put us up in a lovely cottage on the edge of the Noble District. He is staying at the main castle of Baron Bradley as an honored guest. We have a servant in the other room - I asked for their help in ensuring you got properly bathed and had some newer clothes." He smirked, “Don’t worry, I ensured I was out of the room the whole time.”

Liadrin breathed a sigh of relief as another shower of sparks came out. She clapped a hand over her face, "How do I stop this?" She muttered.

Cobalt shrugged, "I don't know. You must be generating a lot more heat. I think you should let me worry about your limbs setting things alight. We don't want you burning down our temporary housing, do we?"

Liadrin released her control over the warmth coming from her limbs, and all of the heat exited her torso, surging back into her limbs as tiny puffs of crimson and blue flames escaped from the gaps in between the scales. The flames were quickly doused by the cooling air current of Cobalt's spell. "Thank you. Do we have any food?" Thankfully, no sparks or fire from her mouth this time.

Cobalt set the scroll down and stood up, squeezing past Liadrin and walking to the other door. He gave it a firm knock before opening it. Liadrin saw a kitchen and front entrance, as well as a small side door. In the room was a young human, late teens, with blonde, shoulder-length hair and green eyes. They turned to face the door and curtsied, "Master mage. What can I do for you?"

Cobalt gestured to Liadrin, "She is hungry."

The servant nodded, "What's your pleasure?"

"Chicken soup and a good hunk of bread, with lots of butter. I can help cook it if you get the ingredients!”

"I appreciate the offer, but I’m well-trained in cuisine. I'll have to run to the market to get fresh bread. Please excuse me." The maid began to turn away and exit.

"Before you go! What's your name?" Liadrin asked.

The maid turned back to her with a startled expression, "Well…urm…Felicity, if it pleases you."

"Thank you, Felicity!" Liadrin smiled as Felicity left out the main door.

Cobalt chuckled as he took a seat in one of the chairs, his back to the fireplace. "You could have anything a noble could desire and you choose a simple meal. Making statements already."

Liadrin sat down opposite him, "What do you mean by that?" She also saw something strange as she stared at Cobalt. His ear grew back. How did that happen? Now that she was looking at him more closely, she could see a more vibrant shade of blue to his hair as well.

"That servant - Felicity - will talk to others in the market. Word will spread that the beast-cursed mage that has scales red as blood and claws black as ink eats simple, peasant fare." Cobalt leaned back in the chair, tilting it slightly and remaining balanced. "It's going to make a statement. That you're humble despite your position."

"What position would that be?"

Cobalt grinned, "Well, I talked a bit more with Lord Arestil after you fell asleep. He has a very, very lucrative offer for us." He leaned forward and the legs of the chair gently alighted on the floor, "Do you know the ultimate fate of the beast-cursed?"

Liadrin shook her head, "I don't know what you mean by our ultimate fate, no. I thought the cursed part was this whole beast thing."

"We will die when we turn fifty years of age."

Liadrin's jaw went slack and she felt a pit in her stomach. I only get to live thirty more years? What about having a family and raising children? I would barely see them to adulthood. What can I do in thirty years? "Why are you smiling?!" She angrily asked Cobalt, seeing him grinning.

"Lord Arestil has a way around it. Remember those Miracle Seeds?" Liadrin nodded and he continued, "Well, there's larger versions that are only given to Blood Elves. They 'reset' your lifespan to the prime of your youth - in our case, back to twenty years of age." He reached up to the top of his head and pulled on the once-torn ear, "Even fixing injuries. But it can't reverse our curse…what it can do-"

"Give us more time…" Liadrin finished in a whisper. "So we don't have to die at fifty? We can live-"

"Forever," Cobalt finished her sentence. "We can live forever. But we have to work with Lord Arestil. And to do that, we have to be his sworn magi. He supplies it, we help him, rinse and repeat until we choose to die…or succumb to fate." Cobalt stood up and walked around to Liadrin, putting a hand gently on her shoulder.

She looked up into his eyes - the same color as the sky above - and felt a calmness wash over her. Not a spell of any type - she was sure of that - but a caring touch she longed for without realizing it. There was a firm squeeze of compassion, not lust as she had experienced plenty before in her barmaid job.

He continued, "I want to do it, but I have sworn myself to be your mentor in magic and dealing with your beast-curse. I'll only commit to it if you want to. It’s your choice."

That would mean leaving the continent, Liadrin thought. I…this is the farthest I've been from Ghelard. Do I dare go further? She looked into the flames across from her, seeing no answer in the dancing display that resonated deeply within her soul.

The crackling flame pulsed with her own heartbeat, growing slightly larger with each thump within her chest. What would fire do? She asked herself.

Liadrin sat there, silent, pondering the dancing flames which at this point perfectly matched with her. Fire spreads. I should spread. Move on. Stay with my mentor. She looked back up at Cobalt and nodded, "Let's do it. I want to live a long life and learn more about magic…I have nothing to go back to, anyways."

Cobalt smiled and gave her shoulder a squeeze, "You won’t regret it. Plus, now we don't have to worry about money-"

Liadrin jolted upright, "Where are my bags?!" She ran to her room before Cobalt could respond and sighed with relief as she saw them set on a small table near a cushioned chair. She went to the largest of the bunch, digging to the bottom and extracting a small, wooden chest.

"What's in there?" Cobalt asked as he walked over to the door frame, leaning against it with arms crossed.

Liadrin shook her head and put the box away, "I wanted to make sure it was okay." She turned around once it was secreted away, "It's all my keepsakes from home. Some of my mother’s various trinkets I was going to sell.”

"You won't have to worry about that if we’re sworn to a Lord."

"It's more about remembering where I came from. I have a few small mementos like my stuffed doll." She cleared her throat and gestured out of the room, "Please, I don't want to think about it right now." Cobalt nodded and followed her lead, taking his seat at the table once more. "Do you want to talk about your past?" Liadrin asked, trying to change the focus of attention away from herself.

Cobalt shook his head as a grimace crossed his face, "I don't think I'm ready to deal with that just yet. When I am, you'll be the first one I ask to listen."

Liadrin nodded and tapped her fingers on the tabletop, "Soooo…what are we going to do to pass the time?"

Cobalt grinned and held up a finger as an orb of air coalesced above it, spinning in a lazy circle. "How about we train a little? Fine control, I mean. Not the large, explosive spells you were using on the road."

"Yes, please!" She leaned forward intently as Cobalt delved into a lesson, learning more and more to enjoy his gruff voice and engaging method of instruction.

“Focus your mind, all of your thoughts, on a single point in front of you. Holding up your finger is a good start.” She followed his instructions to the letter, holding her own claw up as she focused all of her attention on the finger-tip. “Good. Next, think clearly about what you desire to happen - in this case, I want you to think the following mantra over and over. ‘Fire, focus on this point’.

“Okay,” Liadrin replied before scrunching her eyes in concentration. She focused her gaze solely on the single point at the tip of her claw.

Fire, focus on this point. Fire, focus on this point.

She repeated the mantra over and over in her mind, trying to think to the exclusion of everything else on that single thought. The heat surged from her legs and arms into her torso, before shooting down to her fingertip. The fire in the hearth behind Cobalt shot outwards, curling around him before collecting into the tip of her wickedly sharp claw. The air sizzled, popping around her hand, igniting and sparking blue.

Cobalt grimaced at Liadrin, “You are really, unfairly powerful. Being able to generate your flames due to your beast-curse, that is. I’d bet that finger could melt through anything.”

Liadrin grinned and stuck her tongue out at him in a playful manner, “You’re just jealous.”

Cobalt smirked and gestured. Liadrin felt a tightness around her raised claw, seeing the sparks slowly diminish until only the tip itself glowed hot white. “Fire requires air to exist. You can generate your fire, but if I remove all the air around you - it can’t hurt anyone unless you directly touch them. It’s contained within you. But you did very well with this lesson - if we had continued…I don’t know what would happen. Maybe something to experiment with on the road. A single point of heat could maybe even boil and burn the very air we breathe.”

Liadrin frowned slightly, “That’s not very fair. You being able to stop my magic.”

Cobalt grinned, “It just means that you have to develop alternative ways of dealing with people.” He got up and walked around to her. She ceased the focus on her finger and the warmth flowed back into her limbs. He gently grabbed her forearm and she felt herself blush slightly. “Your scales are hard - armor-like, even. You could be a formidable fighter on the front line if they can take a good hit or two - especially with those claws aflame and burning through metal and men alike. You would be lightweight and could maneuver easily.”

Liadrin shook her head, “I don’t know how to fight.”

“We should get Fort to teach you; especially if we’re traveling a long way with his company.”

“Mmm…I could try it, I guess. But you mentioned other ways of dealing with people - can you fight?”

Cobalt chuckled, “No. My alternative is running away.”

She grabbed his arm swiftly, gripping him tightly without digging her claws in. “What about like this? When you can’t get away?”

Cobalt shrugged, “Then I either give up or do something unexpected.” He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek before she could react. Liadrin’s grip went slack and she let go of him as the shock hit her. I…what?

Liadrin stared at him, confused. Does he like me?

Cobalt took a few steps back and crossed his arms, “See? Unexpected.”

“I…” Liadrin stood up, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks as her fair skin turned quite red. “Not fair!” She shouted at him. “You can’t do something like that!”

He chuckled in response, floating gently back to his chair. “All is fair in love and war.”

This gave her pause. I…what? Does he like me like that? “I-I’m going to my room. Let me know when the food is here.” Liadrin stomped to her room and slammed the door, leaning back against it. Is he interested in me?

She clasped her hands together and sank to sit on the floor. He is handsome. But…I… She put her head in her hands and groaned. There’s just so much going on so fast. She stood up and flopped onto the bed.

After laying still for a few moments mulling over the thoughts she got up, retrieved her keepsake box, and set it down on the bed next to her. Inside was her favorite doll as a child; a simple corn husk creation with a sack-cloth head. A smile was all that remained on the face of the long-worn, cherished toy.

She held it close to her chest, remembering the few good times in her life when she felt happy as a child - mostly related to her father before he became a drunkard. As she gently ran her hand over the precious memento, she reminisced about when she was held up above the stove to stir a big pot of soup.

She tried to focus on that moment and what she felt. I felt safe and content was the conclusion that she came to. She turned to face the ceiling, still clutching her doll to her chest. I feel that way around him, she thought as she remembered Cobalt’s sly grin and azure hair upon first meeting him. But there’s something else. Gah! What is this feeling?

She turned onto her side and tried to wrestle with…whatever unidentifiable emotion she was feeling. The butterflies in her chest refused to settle down.

>>>---<<<

Felicity came back after about an hour and served up a delicious meal. Liadrin devoured the soup and three loaves of bread, loaded with butter. Cobalt ate sparingly whilst the servant set about household duties. After eating her fill Liadrin sat back with a sigh, patting her overstuffed stomach. "My compliments to the chef! Almost as good as my father's cooking."

Felicity stopped their sweeping and gave a small curtsy, "My thanks. I taught myself. The bread I cannot claim credit for. We have an amazing baker here in town."

"Well, the next time you see him, give him my regards!"

"I will do so. If it pleases you, I would like to return to my duties before night falls."

Liadrin looked around, noticing for the first time the lack of windows. "What time is it?"

"Nearly dusk," Cobalt replied as he absentmindedly played with a heel of the bread loaf Liadrin had discarded. "I imagine Felicity wants to be asleep before The Night Stalker wakes."

Liadrin glanced at Felicity who went pale white at the mention of the name. "What is that?"

"An urban legend," Cobalt replied. "The Crossroads has had the myth of The Night Stalker for decades." He looked over at Felicity, "You're the local, why don't you explain it?"

The servant swallowed the lump in their throat and began to tell a tale. "Well, uh. Long ago…there was a woman who loved a man. And, uhm, he - sorry I mean she! I'm such a bad storyteller-"

"-Don't worry about the quality," Cobalt interrupted, "She just wants to know the story. We're easy to impress."

"Uhm…okay. She loved him but he didn't love her back. She pined after him for her whole life, spending every spare moment with him." As Felicity got more into the story, they began to calm down and the color returned to their skin. "He married eventually, had children, and died. When he died, she went to his grave and died as well, right atop where he was buried. Now, her ghost will get up and wander the city looking for her unrequited love. She will see any man who is awake past nightfall and fall in love with them, haunting them."

"That's it?" Liadrin stated. "Just haunting them?"

"Normally it ends up with the person being driven mad and killing themselves," Felicity added.

"Why would you be scared! You're a girl," Liadrin stated matter-of-factly. At this Cobalt began to laugh. Liadrin stared at him, "What's so funny?"

"Oh! Haha…Felicity is a man. My nose doesn't lie. I can smell really, really well."

Liadrin looked back at the feminine individual, "Eh! What do you mean! Felicity is a girl's name."

"It is…" Felicity mumbled. "My mother wanted a girl…she raised me like one since she already had a son."

Liadrin felt mortified, "I'm sorry. I'll-I'll call you whatever you want. Do you prefer he or she?"

Felicity looked slightly pleased at the question and pepped up slightly, "She, if you don't mind. I'm used to being seen and treated as a girl anyhow. Honestly, it’s my preference at this point."

"Okay, Miss Felicity. Thank you for the food. I'll leave you to do your tasks so you can get to bed before The Night Stalker…does its thing."

Cobalt chuckled as Felicity left the table area and resumed her duties. "The Night Stalker. If anything, it's just a wraith."

"What is a wraith?"

"Vengeful ghost."

"Ghosts are real!"

Cobalt nodded, "Just those who have unfinished business. They're rare ever since religions became more popular. From the books I read, only those who don't have funeral rights can even have a chance of becoming a ghost. Wraiths are even rarer."

Cobalt held up his hand and projected a small flurry of air into the center of the table, the wind whirling in a mesmerizing dance. "Elements of creation can affect them, but only if driven by a spell through Quintessence. If this entity is real, either of us could deal with it. They are immune to most weaponry unless that weapon is wielded by a truly devout warrior or one who is ‘pure of character’...whatever that means."

"How do you know all this?”

"The Magister’s Estate. Too bad his library is in ruins just like his tower. It's a shame, all that lost knowledge." Cobalt smiled, "But we will be going to Thori'din Talo; plenty will be in those ancient libraries."

"Are you sure we could handle this wraith thing?" Liadrin asked.

"I'm pretty sure. And if I'm wrong, then that just makes me double cursed." He stood up and gave Liadrin a wink, "Just to be safe, I'll head to bed. Goodnight, Liadrin."

"Goodnight, Cobalt. I'm going to stay up for a while."

He reached into a pocket and handed her a small book that could fit in her palms. "A mage should be able to read well. I got that from a bookshop here in town. It should help teach you a bit more of your letters and grammar."

Liadrin set the book down and flipped to the first page, immediately setting her mind to the task at hand.

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