"Magpie. Magpie." Called a man's voice softly as if afraid to stir the air. A warm, comforting feeling washed over Magpie's body and mind. She sighed and soon found the strength to open her eyes. Lush green leaves danced at the trees' branches while a soft breeze brushed them and gave a rustling sound. The air carried the familiar scents of a forest, and on a branch perched for a short moment a magpie before it flew away. Soon her eyes met a pair of friendly dark-brown eyes. "Ig-Ignatius?" She whispered and slowly reached a hand to his smiling face, wanting to touch to know is it true what she sees. Am I back home, in Bhernia?
He gently held her hand in his and placed it to his cheek. "You've been asleep for a while."
Her hand felt warm, and she blinked at him. "What happened? How did we get here?"
Suddenly a dark snigger rolled from Ignatius, and his appearance morphed within a blink to Shadow possessing Ignatius. Blood red eyes glowed with mal excitement while a broad smile with sharp teeth cut across his face. "Don't you remember, Elyza?"
Before Magpie could scream and retreat, she gasped and opened her eyes. She panted as perspiration dripped from her brow, and something warm from her left eye rolled. Magpie found herself staring at a grey strange-looking ceiling that held a simple geometric pattern of squares like on a chessboard. She can only see with one eye at the moment. Soon tears welled in her eye, stricken by fear of the nightmare. Her left eye began to sting and throb as if someone is bounding with a large and heavy hammer from the socket and forehead. A sob escaped from her lips. As she slowly reached for her left eye.
"Hey, it's ok. You're safe with me." Assured a man's voice softly, a stranger's. From the corner of her eye, she saw something yellow approaching her. A young man with spikey blond hair with orange coloured tips stepped up with a friendly smile. One of the spikes was cut off, but that detail didn't bother her, the stranger's yellow eyes were unusual. He took a step closer and before he could utter a word. His throat was met by a sharp dagger from Magpie's corset.
She glared at him with suspicion, hiding her physical pain of the eye throbbing and how exhausted she really felt. Soon her dagger at hand began to tremble, and so did her breath. Magpie swallowed. "Who are you?" The words came out as a gasp rather than a hiss.
"The name's Talon. I'm on your side." He answered calmly. "You must be Magpie, like the bird?"
"Is it that obvious?" She wondered sarcastically and managed to smile for a brief moment. "How do you know my name?"
"Your friend Ignatius spoke of you a lot; all good things rest assured." Talon winked with a smile.
"Ignatius?" Her right eye widened but quickly gathered herself and glared anew at Talon. "Where is he? Is he alright?"
Talon pointed with his right index finger towards the direction where Ignatius is lying. Magpie panned over to the pointed location. Ignatius lay relaxed as if asleep on a separate bed behind her. Magpie's hard and angered look softened. Quickly without thinking, she swung herself off the bed, sheathed her dagger as she neared Ignatius. While walking, Magpie felt how wobbly her legs were and weakness starting to pull her to the floor. She leaned on the bed while brushing some of Ignatius' dark hair aside from the eyes. "Ignatius." She whispered. "What in Great Mage's sake have you done?" A tear rolled over her cheek as she looked at his relaxed face and placed her hand hesitantly upon his cheek. It was warm to the touch.
Suddenly her eye fell to his right hand, there sat Shadow's tattoo, but it shone bright orange like embers in a blazing fire. Magpie blinked as she spotted for a second a flash of orange running down Ignatius' body. Ice cold dread sized her and made her gasp as she noticed his chest not moving. Rapidly she held a hand to his nose and mouth; there was no breath, no breathing. "No!" Magpie exclaimed shocked to the thought.
Talon sprinted over to her. "What is it?"
"He isn't breathing! He's-" Magpie couldn't finish the sentence. "No! It can't be!" Tears streamed from her right eye and held a hand to her mouth.
Talon immediately checked with a small mirror, from a nearby night table, and held up near to the nose and mouth to check. The glass remained clear. "Shit!" He muttered and held two fingers at the neck to check for a pulse; silence.
Magpie shook her head as she read Talon's expression and followed his thoughts, some of it. "He must live!" She sobbed and fell to her knees. Too weak and exhausted to stand and cope with the dreading and solemn fact.
Just as Talon had his fingers interlocked and was ready to give a heart massage near the chest's centre, Ignatius gasped loud as if he surfaced from the water after a long time holding his breath. His back arched and hands balled to fists. Another brief ghostly orange flash ran up his body before he fell back and relaxed. Talon blinked to be sure he saw it right.
Magpie gave a short laugh of relief and staggered over to unconscious Ignatius. "Ignatius!"
Slowly Ignatius opened his eyes, blinked and their eyes met. They smiled with relieved joy as Ignatius places a hand over Magpie's and squeezes it gently to assure it is no dream or illusion. Magpie sobbed silently and whispered. "You're alive." She turned her hand and interlocked with his.
Ignatius' warming smile soon vanished as he sat up and placed a hand to her left cheek near the bandage covering her left eye. "Magpie, I am so sorry. After all, you went through-" He looked down in shame with a sigh and pulled back his hand, balling it to a fist. "It's all my fault."
"I don't blame you, but once Shadow is done and dealt with, we need to talk." Gave Magpie sternly.
"She's right." Stepped in Talon.
"Talon? What are you doing here? Where's Vandal and Jayden?" Asked Ignatius.
"Well, in short, Cordis is taking the wheels of Jayden, and Vandal went to find Nu."
"By the Mage's goodness! Not Nu! Shadow intends to possess her due to her special powers! He must be stopped at all cost!" Gave Magpie shocked. "Vandal can't do this on his own, Shadow is either way too strong, and after possessing me, he knows too much." Magpie gasped as the weight of exhaustion begins to drag her down.
"Magpie, are you alright?" Gave Ignatius concerned and held her by the arms. Talon swiftly ran to her.
"Don't mind me; I'm fine. Just a bit tired with a headache," noted Magpie softly.
Rapidly Ignatius got out of bed and helped her to her bed. "It must be the eye." Carefully he removed the patch and bandage from her left eye. A few more drops of blood rolled down like tears from the closed eyelid. "Don't open your eye, Magpie. I'll try to heal it; however, I can." Before Ignatius could utter the arcane words, his right hand began to glow orange and saw how some of his magic began to heal the wound, stopping it from bleeding. He gasped of this unusual process and felt out her injury; her eye can't be saved to function as before. He bit his tongue to avoid saying it. By the Great Mage's power, I've cut so deep I've blinded her left eye! You will pay for this Shadow! Ignatius sighed and stopped the magic. "I'm afraid it can't be healed, but I can replace it with a new one. Repeat after me to complete the spell, Magpie." I'm so sorry, Magpie but I had no choice in order to free you from Shadow. Ignatius held her left hand and began to speak the arcane language slowly for Magpie to follow with pauses in between. Slowly Ignatius' right hand with the tattoo started to alight in orange and small wisps floated in the air like embers. Over time the magic began to change its colour to violet, as Magpie spoke the final word, her left eye shot open and shone near as bright as the sun in violet.
Magpie gasped of its intensity and how rapidly the pain ebbed away. As the violet light died, her left eye was visible and looked like any normal human eye, but the iris has changed to violet as her magic. Magpie blinked with both eyes and began to grin. "I-I can see. The pain's gone." She gently squeezed his hand. "Thank you."
Ignatius forced a smile. "Don't mention it." It's the least I can do after all you went through.
As Magpie looked around, slowly getting accustomed to her new eye. She spotted some strange dark fog or clouds floating about in the air of the room. As she turned to Ignatius to ask if he sees them too, she saw him glowing from within warm orange light like a flame, filled with life and magic. Quickly she panned over to Talon. His was grey like silver and somehow read from within the colour that he can create portals to travel to different locations at ease. Magpie turned back to Ignatius, from his orange light she couldn't read what powers he has, but whatever it is, it's powerful.
"Magpie, are you alright?" Asked Ignatius as he read the confusion on Magpie's face.
"The eye, I can see magic within you and Talon." She looked at Talon. "You can form portals at your will."
Talon smiled. "That's right, sweet cakes."
Ignatius scowled at him but felt Magpie's glance that made him look down to her. Their glances met. "I can sense your strong magic and see it now, bright in orange like a flame, but I can't make out what your power is."
"I'm a caster, one who uses magic a bit everywhere. I'm not specialized in a certain form of spells or magic." Assured Ignatius calmly.
"But you are. Maybe it's waiting to be discovered." Gave Magpie softly and feeling how her eyelids are growing heavy.
"Rest Magpie, I'll be right here when you wake up." Ignatius smiled and kissed her forehead.
"Thank you." She whispered with a content smile.
"What for?"
"For saving me and giving me a new eye." She sighed drowsily.
Ignatius smiled. "I did this because I love you and I know you would have done the same." He paused and placed a hand to her right cheek. Have you forgotten what you taught me all those years we went on adventures to explore and steal?
Shadow laughed to Nu's reaction as she felt his presence within her. He's been possessing her long before and let her fall into his illusion filled game. Letting her think she's only been possessed for a few minutes instead. He made himself visible to her in his dark realm in her mind. His long dark hair flowing to the elbows, his hands folded behind his back and smiled at her, revealing his sharp set of needle-like teeth. His blood-red eyes shone with malicious delight. "Welcome to my humble abode, Nuallis."427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Y6CBjKtnG
"No! Got out of me!" Cried Nu and pointed her hands to Shadow, wanting to shoot shards of ice but nothing came.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8EvGGYzDW
Shadow sniggered as Nu gasped in shock. "It's all in the mind, dearie. Here you can't conjure your magic. This is my realm and not to mention; I possess you so you can't harm me." He paused. "I'm excited to see how the Aether Spirit in you will work with me as soon Ravage will bring in the Eye of Aion. But until then, shall we play a game?" Rapidly Shadow conjured up a spitting image of Vandal in front of Nu. Vandal reached out a hand to her with pleading eyes. Before he could he take a step, Shadow formed his right hand to a long sharp knife and stabbed him in the side.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTwpJR68wW
"No!" Screamed Nuallis in dread of the sight.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHN4BrYeWM
