The Moral Equation

A busy strip along the center of marn, including the Temple, Hospital, and Justice Hall.
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Blood Ravenous
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Name: Ryxa
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Post by Blood Ravenous » Sun Jul 29, 2007 5:37 am

Ryxa's boots thudded against the stone floor, the sound echoing and magnifying, drowning out the whispering footsteps of someone with her. The untidy pair was walking down the hall leading to the prison area of the Justice Hall. On their way past the altar and turning the corner into the hallway, the door to Judge Moryldar's office had been shutting behind the man himself. She had walked carefully past and then hurried down the hall. By the time the echo had reflected her hurried, ungraceful stomping they were at the stairs.

All of this because she knew she could get in trouble. The cells were not for her to safe-keep her toys while attending her business. They were for wanted criminals, dangerous people who upset the order of Thar Shaddin. Though he had protected a wanted criminal, just looking at him you could tell he was not a threat to order and justice. He would normally never enter The Hall. But she was doing this for herself, exercising her right over his life, and to her "rules" didn't matter.

Anyway, she deserved this treat after all she'd been through in the last few days. Mostly in service to order and justice, even. Her only worry was that the Judges would take him for themselves for questioning. Their methods were clumsy and inefficient. This one deserved punishment at her hands, and her hands only. That meant brutal pain, with no respite for healing. It was worse because it was all in their head but they couldn't stop it. Their emotions added to the mix, tumbling them down into a vortex of misery and agony. That was what satisfied her.

The situation she was putting herself in was sticky at best and life-threatening at worst. Maybe the Judge would not come to see what she was doing, but the Porter surely knew, even at this moment. He had let her in, even if he wasn't there to greet her and hadn't shown any sign of doing so. She dreaded the reason why, and his impending visit. She hated the monotonous voice and those empty eyes. For the most part Ryxa had successfully blocked him out of her head. Or so she thought. On the bridge over the Ofriyu Mar he had begun nagging her about her location. He had continued to nag her until she ignored him so completely he had stopped trying. And now he had let her enter The Hall. He would visit, she knew. And nag her more, most likely.

It was worth it. There was no chance of escape here, while if she brought him home he could slip away while she was sleeping. The idea to bring him to guard headquarters was immediately thrown away as an option because he would surely be molested by the guards and other prisoners, not to mention the likelihood of escaping there was worse than her house. Or at least a bunch of prisoners had escaped once. Impotent idiots, those guards.

After descending the stairs the battlemage looked back at her prisoner, Lucian, and scrutinized his form. All he had to his name was his clothing, it looked like. She wouldn't bother with a search. He couldn't escape, anyway.

A thought occurred to her. As she locked up Lucian, she was going to be able to gloat, once again, over the tortured form of Chrishton. And perhaps even the other strangers that Lucas had brought in. If they were alive, that is. And it was eerily quiet in here.

They reached a cell that had someone in it and Ryxa paused. It was the witch that Camulous had brought back, looking a little better but not by much. "Well, look here, Lucian. Your little witch friend. She doesn't look like she'll last long, now," Ryxa said, looking then at Lucian to see his expression. "And look, an open cell across from her. Maybe you guys will enjoy chatting about which method they'll use to kill her? And you get to watch when they take her away. Romantic, don't you think?" She smirked and tugged on the rope that bound his wrists to drag him over to the cell. Unceremoniously she pushed him in and shut the cell door. With a key at her waist she locked it and turned back around to smirk at the redhead.

Then she walked the length of the cells, seeing no one else. Blinding fury suddenly overtook her. Where was Christon? And the others? It hadn't been that long since they were put here; could they have all been tried and sentenced? Perhaps Christon was being tortured at the moment; that would explain it...

...but somewhere else than the altar. That was not likely.

Her fury exhausted herself further. She must look a mess after walking for hours and being in those infernal woods. She didn't dare take out her looking-glass to see for sure. Now it was time to go home and get some much needed sleep, food, and bathing. Lots of bathing. It was hard to decide which she wanted more, to find out what happened to the prisoners or to go bathe immediately.

Angry still, but a little weakly so, she stormed up to the cell of Lanya from the other side of the room. "Where are they? Were there other prisoners when you came in?" Lava could have dripped from her mouth such was the intensity of her voice. Her eyes glared as if it was all Lanya's fault.

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Lucian
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Post by Lucian » Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:21 pm

It had been a long walk from the wilderness back to the city. Lucian had been honest in his guiding, excepting for the part where he led them through an exceptionally muddy area that he probably could have skirted around without much difficulty. But his captor's aversion to the grime made his choice irresistible.

When they finally reached the road, the roles reversed and the woman who called herself Ryxa had taken the lead once more. Crossing the bridge, the cascade of foul and unpleasant smells that Lucian would always associate with cities came rolling back to him.

He was right back where he had run from, sixteen odd hours ago.

Down the main street, past taverns and brothels and other places of excess until he was led to a mighty structure of imposing white stone. But more than that, as he neared it, he could feel the unnatural sorcery hemming in the place. It grated against him, making his stomach turn. This was not a natural energy, but powered by magics from foreign planes.

Down stone hallways that were cold on his bare feet and finally to a staircase that led to a dungeon of sorts.

He immediately scoured the room with his eyes, even the dim light hiding little to nothing from his enchanted gaze as Ryxa led him toward the back of the room. Most of the cells appeared empty, but as Ryxa stopped, Lucian had already seen what she pointed out to him, with slight surprise.

Lanya Caliope.

He glanced back to Ryxa in time to catch most of her taunting, but he ignored it. By now he knew that his enemy loved to try to inspire fear or provoke anger. He kept the focused expression his face usually held and said nothing has she led him to his own cell across from the one Lanya occupied and shoved him into it as roughly as she could. Per usual, though, he kept his balance and did not stumble.

The gypsy walked to the bars to look into Lanya's cell, a small smile on his face. She was alive, at least, and even looked a trifle cleaner than the last time he saw her. But everything about her betrayed her disheartenment, from her slumped shoulders to her sad eyes.

Ryxa approached her cell then, demanding something, althought Lucian couldn't see what she was saying. He watched for Lanya's response though, trying to piece together the cause of Ryxa's evident anger.
Yar, says I.

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Lanya Caliope
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Post by Lanya Caliope » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:12 am

Lanya was dozing against the wall when the woman entered dragging another prisoner behind her. The woman's footsteps sounded determined and forceful - another person used to having control. Lanya opened her eyes when the woman began speaking to see Lucian behind her only a moment before the woman named him. Lanya's eyes widened for a moment as naked relief washed over her face. Even if he was now a prisoner along with her, he was alive...which was more than could be said for the last man who'd tried to help her.

Pushing Wolfhound from her thoughts, Lanya watched without comment as the woman shoved Lucian into the cell across the way. She might mean it as a cruelty, but Lanya had been alone for so long that seeing a familiar face was a blessing. Like Lucian, she knew better than to respond to the woman's taunts. It would only fuel the fire that was blatantly raging inside of the woman.

The woman tromped off for a moment, and Lanya stared at Lucian during the respite, examining him for any obvious health issues. Satisfied with his appearance, she couldn't help but smile at him. It was more relieving than he knew to see him alive and relatively well.

Suddenly the woman was before her cell again and demanding an answer. Lanya stared at the woman for a long moment, letting the silence spread, and finally just replied with:

"I don't know. I was unconcious."

Blood Ravenous
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Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 9:23 pm
Name: Ryxa
Race: Human

Post by Blood Ravenous » Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:44 pm

Like a red-hot piece of metal thrust into a bucket of water, her anger was doused and fizzled by the other's response. The scalding steam was still there, but it was less focused. The witch was useless...and feeble. A look of disgust crossed Ryxa's face. Unlike anyone with any manners, she didn't try to hide it. She let it punish the woman for not giving her a fitting answer.

Ryxa continued to look down her nose at Lanya for a moment as she thought. This was troublesome. The prisoners were gone, while she was away. Could it be any coincidence? Perhaps they had a traitor in their midst? Something was going on without her knowing it, and it made her indignant.

"Well then..." She sounded uncertain, but only for a moment. Her voice became firm again as she resumed: "Did Camulous bring you here? When did you arrive?" She was going to need to track down that Captain and make him pay for leaving her without a horse. He could be far away by this point, if he was lucky. So much to do, so little energy to do it.

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Lucian
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Post by Lucian » Fri Aug 03, 2007 3:02 am

He read Lanya's words. "I don't know. I was unconscious."

What Ryxa had asked, he still had no idea. But he guessed it had something to do with Lanya's capture, since what else could they be discussing?

With the attention diverted away from himself, the gypsy took a moment to more thoroughly inspect his prison. There were no other prisoners down here, of that much he was now certain. There was no bedding, not that he expected any, but the fact that it did not exist suggested one of two things-

This was a dungeon and your comfort was not a concern, or prisoners didn't stay here long. That these were more like holding cells, between interrogation and torture.

Neither thought was particularly enjoyed. He could still sense, with sharp contrast to his forest home, the astral-plane magic that washed through this place. It made his stomach churn. His race had such short memories- did they forget that this plane was an invader that did not belong?

Everything that bothered him about cut stone and cities seemed doubly repulsive now, since he had last been there. What had been an annoyance was now worse- like a sickening revulsion. More- he could sense the aura of death and despair down in this place, in a way outside of normal zones.

Something about his perceptions was changing, and when he thought to why, he immediately knew it had something to do with the dryad's kiss.

The thought of that brought a wash of serenity through him, and he looked back to Lanya, his face lighter and his smile touched his eyes more.

It was a perfect expression of no fear.
Yar, says I.

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Lanya Caliope
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Post by Lanya Caliope » Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:20 pm

Lanya perked up when the woman asked about the guard. She remembered his name, and how she'd found it distasteful. This same man was the one that had made the elder from earlier grumble. Just who was he?

She glanced across the way to see Lucian's calm expression. It served to leave her somewhat confused; she was terrified in this place. Why wasn't he? Did he know something she didn't? She wouldn't know until the woman left and they could speak together. But the woman wouldn't leave until she was satisfied. Lanya looked back at the mage who'd made the tree explode.

She decided to play dumb. This woman clearly regarded her as dirt, the muck at her feet, and Lanya had no pride to lose. She would play the idiot to try and draw more information from this girl.

"I'm not sure. What's the captain look like? I remember who brought me here, but not his name..."

She furrowed her brows together, looking deep in somewhat painful thought as she "tried to remember" the guard's name.

Blood Ravenous
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Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 9:23 pm
Name: Ryxa
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Post by Blood Ravenous » Tue Aug 14, 2007 12:57 pm

Exasperated, and realizing it was her fault--would Camulous tell a victim his name?--she rolled her eyes and said, "The guard that was with me when we captured you," as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The Captain, surely he would tell you that."

The battlemage put her hands on her hips and watched Lanya think. This one was so pathetic. She had no pity in her heart, or she would have been tempted to help her. As it was, Ryxa didn't even care if she was guilty. All that mattered to Ryxa was that Ryxa was on the correct side of the bars.

"Now, if you don't tell me if he brought you, you'll regret it for as long a time as you have," she urged with a dangerous tone. "I don't have the time for you to hum and haw."

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Lucian
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Post by Lucian » Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:33 am

Ryxa was still interrogating Lanya, though about what, he had no idea.

Letting out a small sigh, Lucian did at length sit down, cross-legged per his custom. After having staved it off for most of the past twelve hours, the gypsy at last gave in a little to his weariness. He was sore over most of his torso from the fight he had with his captor, and just a little weary in his limbs. He had walked far today- not necessarily farther than he normally did, but struggling with Lanya for some of the distance and the fighting in between-

Yes. Lucian was tired.

Still watching the scene as it unfolded across from him, he mentally relaxed himself, sore muscles unbinding under the gentle control he asserted over his body.

It was stronger, he noted to himself. His ability to have focus and control over his body. It was more refined and easier to do now than ever before. He again thought of his encounter with the dryad, and knew it was connected. Something elemental to him had been changed.

"Ryxa Liorysei," he suddenly spoke up, interrupting on purpose, "is there an actual written penalty for 'aiding a magic-user?'"

It was an empty question, mostly. Merely for the purpose of somewhat diverting her attention and annoyance away from Lanya, while at the same time looking for some answers he was semi-curious for, such as why magic would be a crime when he sensed such an abundance of it flowing through this place.
Yar, says I.

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Lanya Caliope
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Post by Lanya Caliope » Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:12 am

The Captain.

Lanya settled back against the wall as this piece fell into place. The Captain was the guard from before - the Captain had been the guard in the woods.

Why was she so important that they'd send the Captain after her? She could tell by this woman's demeanor that although the woman had power, she was not the power - someone commanded her. Perhaps the same person who commanded Camulous?

There was no way to find out. The woman had turned her sneer into outright scorn, and wouldn't be forthcoming with any further information. Lanya didn't let the look of thoughtful effort drop, and finally nodded after a long and painful silence.

"Yeah, he was the one."

She didn't actually feel threatened by the woman's tone. The elder from before, he'd been threatening in a way which hinted at his power within this prison. And she had angered him in the course of their conversation. A slow building anger was always worse than the bright hot flame this woman possessed. She wore her temper like a second skin, and didn't seem to mind who was burned.

Lucian's grating voice broke another pause as he spoke the woman's name with some effort. Lanya once again filed this information, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Lucian's question. She had to assume that there was a law, for there he was across from her, but she couldn't remember an explicit order to capture Lucian. Really, all he'd done was aid a fleeing woman and defend himself against this Ryxa.

Lanya feigned indifference to the question, still maintaining that she was a fool. And fools weren't interested in such important things.

Blood Ravenous
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Name: Ryxa
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Post by Blood Ravenous » Thu Aug 23, 2007 1:53 pm

Yeah, he was the one.
Before she could reply, behind her Lucian spoke:
Ryxa Liorysei, is there an actual written penalty for 'aiding a magic-user?'
Ryxa turned around slowly and stiffly, unhappy for the interruption. Intense eyes fixed on him, who was relaxing and calm. Annoying, really. "Can't wait for your punishment? Taken a liking to it, have we? Well, you're going to have to wait, anyway," she replied stoically. There was no mocking tone or anger in her voice, now.

"I don't have time to deal with stupid questions. Look around you, and you'll get all the answers you need." At that she turned her back on him again and fixed Lanya with a glare. "And you," she jabbed her finger at the redhead, "better hope that the Judges get you first and not me. I don't like idiots. For the last time, how long ago did he bring you here? If I have to find out by coming in there you'll be very sorry." Her threat was real this time. The battlemage assumed she wouldn't need Pain Touch for this one.

Kicking her in the face would do, and relieve some tension. She might do it anyway, just for fun.

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Lucian
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Post by Lucian » Sat Aug 25, 2007 5:35 am

No answer. But she did spend some of her irritation in his direction, which was at least part of his intent. He wished that he could know what she was interrogating Lanya about so doggedly, but by this point in his life he was no longer upset by the limitations of his deafness.

For the moment, he essentially shut down his senses and sunk inside himself, leaving only a little of his awareness open to note movement or indication to when Ryxa was leaving. He did want to speak with Lanya, but not in the presence of that one.
Yar, says I.

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Lanya Caliope
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Post by Lanya Caliope » Wed Aug 29, 2007 1:37 am

Lanya stared up at the woman with a blank and dumb look fixed upon her face. The woman's patience had already worn thin, and now she was fighting to stay calm. But still, the bars separated them, and in light of all the recent events Lanya couldn't help but feel her formidable temper rise. It had such a long fuse that even the redhead was amused by the slow building rage within her.

But it was pointless to lash out. She would still be trapped here, waiting for whatever new torment would visit her. Oh, if only she'd at least had Flame, to soothe her nerves with song...

It was this woman's fault their reunion had been cut short. It was she who had burned that poor tree. Lanya was less than friendly toward this woman, and the woman even less toward her.

She fought to keep her face serene and devoid of any thought, but her contempt blazed in her eyes, and her words carried more of a sneer than she'd displayed in years. This woman was a monster, and despite the words themselves, Lanya's disdain dripped from very syllable.

"Idiot, m'lady? No - only injured and tired. Not to mention hungry...and thirsty."

The mention of her body's needs caused her throat to tighten again. She really was quite thirsty, and no water had ever come. She supposed dying from thirst would hurt quite a bit. She wasn't looking forward to it.

Her caution fled with her reason as for one moment, she stopped caring. Her fears and concerns melted away to leave her simply exhausted. And oh, how she hated this woman.

"I don't see why it matters. A day ago, I suppose? Perhaps you've forgotten that I mentioned I was unconscious at the time."

Now Lanya's dumb look fell away into a scowl, and her own contempt finally lived upon her face. She diverted her gaze toward the floor, wondering which fates she'd angered so for this to have happened. She sighed. Ah, Flame...

Blood Ravenous
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Name: Ryxa
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Post by Blood Ravenous » Wed Sep 05, 2007 4:45 pm

"Oh, so the lame, old dog can still bite? Very interesting," she replied mockingly, but her manner was more guarded. She watched the weak thing in her usual predatory manner as its own anger boiled until it ended with it looking down at the floor.

It had been a waste of time dealing with this one. There were things to do, most importantly of which was to bathe. After all, she'd be back, and if the witch wasn't gone by then Ryxa could enjoy watching her suffering. She would have to bring her meal down here and eat it in front of her and gloat. Being on the right side of the bars was a valuable lesson she had learned the hard way. She knew it was precarious at best, but her arrogance masked this insecurity. After all, her life had continously been on the brink, and yet she had come out on top. Or, almost at the top. Which was good enough for now.

The battlemage huffed out anger brewed by the rebellious nature of the recent prisoners. It was getting to be a big problem. Which meant someone might actually do her job. Her aggravated puff of breath was the only response for both of them, and then she walked for the stairs.

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Lucian
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Post by Lucian » Thu Sep 06, 2007 2:28 am

As Ryxa moved away, Lucian became aware of the movement and opened his eyes again, watching her walk to the stairway. She was a volatile creature, he observed, not for the first time. Her anger and aggravation were nearly tangible to him.

Once she was gone, Lucian looked to Lanya in the cell across from him. She looked so utterly weary- beyond physically tired. The levels of stress she had been enduring appeared to be wreaking havoc on her mind and body. The gypsy, relaxed as he was, wished he could impart some measure of his own ease to her.

There was a moment of silence before he asked,

"What was all of that about?"
Yar, says I.

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Lanya Caliope
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Post by Lanya Caliope » Sun Sep 09, 2007 2:59 am

Lanya ignored the woman's words, instead focusing on the red-hot rage behind them. This woman was a spark waiting for a flame, any flame at all. She was unsteady and lacking focus - Lanya would remember this.

She watched the woman leave along with Lucian, sighing as the footsteps faded, leaving her alone with the only friend she had left. She turned sad eyes to Lucian - filled with relief at his condition and ability to walk, to be sure, but the edges were creased, and her weariness lined her entire profile. She'd dozed and passed out several times over the past two days, but she hadn't truly slept, and was still raging with hunger and thirst. With the woman gone, there was no need to actually speak any longer - she decided to mouth her words for Lucian. He would understand, and her sore throat could use the rest.

"Apparently the guard out in the woods - and the same one who brought me here - is the captain of the guard. And this seems to be a bad thing. No one has reacted well to knowing who brought me."

She shifted position with a wince. She was stiff and sore from sitting on a flat surface with no cushioning for so long, but she couldn't stand up and walk around with pain. Her gaze drifted around the sparse cell, then back to Lucian.

"There's a lot of posturing about. Please be careful with your remarks."

Her eyes gentled and the lines softened as she looked more closely at him.

"Are you well?"

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