A Mage's Curiosity... (Eros / Roketto)
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Suiko on 09-10-2012, 20:21:08</h2>
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				Title: <strong>A Mage's Curiosity... (Eros / Roketto)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Suiko</strong> on <strong>09-10-2012, 20:21:08</strong>
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				Cien hummed thoughtfully to himself as he eyes the seemingly normal blade in front of him. It was proving a much more difficult project that he'd envisioned, even before he'd managed to find the magical item. Very few adventurers were willing to venture high into the untamed mountains even foe fairly large amounts of coin and as such the young mage had trouble finding anyone willing to make the trip with him. The allure and promise of a dragon's hoard at the end of the voyage was enough to gleam some reckless interest however once he assured the men and women there would be no beast awaiting them there.<br><br>It had been a difficult climb; steep cliffs and jagged rocks made the area impossible to navigate without a guide, and the one had no come cheap. He hazards were all worth it however, for the discovery Cien hoped to uncover once they reached the hidden treasure trove. The great dragon had long since been defeated; the tyrant of the skies that had been heroically slain by the knight Caim Heronguard was known of in legend and song, and the vast amount of gold and jewels that awaited them once they finally breached the mouth of the cave was magnificent.<br><br>Cien only wished for one thing however; the blade that had done the deed and slain the beast. Legends spoke of swords claiming the very souls of the ancient beasts upon the final cut, and if he was able to prove the wild theory, he would forever be remembered among mages and commoners alike. Still, it was no easy task. The small wooden cottage he called home was situated for from the nearest city to ensure privacy, and also to limit the problems caused by his experiments. Explosions and freak weather conditions were common around his home and this was no exception.<br><br>"Ahh, damnit this to the depths!" He huffed and sat upon a small chair next to the table upon which the blade rested, golden hair hanging over sapphire eyes that were currently narrowed at the glittering sword. Hexes, runes, abyssal chants, arcane spells. None of it had worked and he was swiftly running out of ideas. The only thing left was the most forbidden (frowned up, he preferred to say) art of using ones blood to unlock deeper realms of power. Biting his lip, the young mage lifted a tanned hand up above the sword, a small dagger held in the other which he used to pick his middle finger, letting crimson drops fall to the jewels on the pommel.<br><br>"Please... Make it work... Make it work..."<br><br>His hopes, his dreams all rested on this last resort. It had to work....
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mage's Curiosity... (Eros / Roketto)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>17-10-2012, 08:56:30</strong>
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				Drip after drip of the young mage's blood fell onto the jeweled pommel of the sword, the dribbling streaks of crimson following the contours of the jewel-studded metal.&nbsp; As Cien's blood tainted the otherwise pristine appearance of the sword, a curious thing seemed to happen.<br><br>Nothing.<br><br>No crackle of energy, no spark of magic, just pure, unadulterated, nothingness.<br><br>Of course, perhaps that had to do with the particular magics at work within the fabled hero's sword.&nbsp; Caim's legendary battle with the great tyrant of the skies was well known throughout the kingdoms, both far and wide.&nbsp; The ancient hero had trekked across the land and into the blasted mountain range where the great wyrm was known to reside.&nbsp; Making his way up the treacherous mountain paths to find the lair of the beast, he had done only to face the tyrant in glorious battle.&nbsp; They had fought, long and hard, until the great hero had landed the fatal blow, slaying the dragon, only to succumb to his own mortal wounds.&nbsp; As the beast fell, so did his lair, the mountains crumbling and erupting, burying the tyrant and the hero together in the heart of the blasted lands, never to be seen again.<br><br>That is, until recent earthquakes had revealed the ancient dragon's lair in a dangerous and hard to get to ravine.&nbsp; Where Cien and his companions found the dragon's horde, there had been a few unusual little signs that none of the treasure-obsessed adventurers had apparently bothered to note.&nbsp; Such as the lack of signs of a great battle.&nbsp; Sure, parts of the lair were crumbled and damaged, but any Dwarf could tell that was simply from the earthquakes and cave-ins, not an epic battle with a beast who's breath could turn stone into slag.&nbsp; Then there was the distinct lack of skeleton, dragon-sized or otherwise, besides the one resting within the ancient suit of armor that accompanied the sword resting with it.&nbsp; Not to mention the fact that the armor bore no damage, nor signs of even a little scorching, to show that the hero had sustained anything more mortally damaging than starvation.&nbsp; But, no.&nbsp; Not a one of the adventurers had seemed to notice those little signs that perhaps what they knew of the ancient "battle" was not as true as they had thought.<br><br>So, considering how little the mage really knew of what had happened, it was little surprise that he had misjudged the magics with which the sword had been imbued.&nbsp; It was not, in fact, some holy relic of an ancient crusader for all that was good and right.&nbsp; It was, in truth, an insidious creation of a wizard that had been employed by a greedy king to trap the dragon, body and soul, within the artifact; a far simpler task than attempting to slay a beast of such immense power.<br><br>Therefore, it took several minutes for the mage's blood to start to crack the incredibly powerful magic binding the beast, and at first, the only signs of it even working was the fact that the main jewel in the pommel rather suddenly cracked.&nbsp; The following moments of eerie silence weren't to last, however, as the cracked gem, and all the rest in the sword, shattered in a spray of glittering shards before a supernatural force got the wind in the room whipping around, the temperature rising to a fever pitch before the sheer power of the arcane energies within the sword exploded, ripping the house around it apart as a massive, dark, magic array spread out from the sword, covering the ground with a nearly one-hundred foot radius of crackling, violet, runes and sigils seemingly burned into the ground itself.<br><br>For a moment the spell simply crackled and left the air buzzing with an electrical hum, but shortly there after, one massive crimson-scaled claw shot up from the black, swirling, depths of the center of the array, slamming down onto the ground as it was followed by another.&nbsp; Dragging himself out of his ancient, magical, prison, the great tyrant himself emerged with a deep, bellowing, roar.&nbsp; As he finally set all four feet solidly on the ground beneath him, the array vanished as quickly as it had come, and the colossal beast stood above the wreckage of what once was the Cien's little home, as well as a goodly patch of the woods surrounding it, much of it left scorched and smouldering after such an intensely powerful spell went off.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mage's Curiosity... (Eros / Roketto)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Suiko</strong> on <strong>19-10-2012, 20:01:50</strong>
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				&nbsp;The silence was terrible. Even signs of a failure would mean that some vague progress was being made; any reaction would bring him one step closer but there was simply nothin. No sparks of conflicting energies, no warmth felt from a positive connection, not even a flicker of any energy at all. Cien sighed heavily and sank into the wooden chair opposite the table where the sword rested, tracing the cool blade with the tip of a slender finger. Nothing. All his efforts, the money and resources poured into the expedition resulted in nothing. Gods, how could he show his face in the academy again?<br><br>He groaned and ran the hand through his golden mane before there was the tiniest crack, and he blinked slowly, peering down towards the pommel where his blood had apparently faded into the jewel. There was a crack. The young mage gasped and leaned closer, touching a finger to the small imperfection of whatever charm he was attempting to break when suddenly there was another crack, this one louder. The groove deepened in the jewel before suddenly it, along with the blade itself shattered.<br><br>"Ahh!" Cien cried out in shock and swiftly moved away as suddenly thick streams of arcane energy course freely from the broken blade, wide sapphire eyes watching as the wind whipped up within his small home. Why didn't he test it outside? The thought came to him far too late as the temperature increased to an uncomfortable level and the boy shrugged out of the heavy robe to leave himself in a simple silver vest and white leggings. His hands lofted to brace a flickering blue shield around his person as there was an earth-shattering groan and his home was simply torn upward, symbols spanning the ground for several feet in every direction.<br><br>This was beyond what he expected and his breath echoed rapidly in some degree of fear as a great tremor ran through the ground, sending him to the ground with the force of the shudder. Another rumbled through the earth before all was still and Cien swallowed thickly before moving to his feet; only then did he look up.<br><br>He froze, lips parting in horror as he gazed upon the great winged beast that once lay dormant within the blade. He'd released it. The tyrant who would burn villagers and slaughter until it was satisfied. "Gods... No..." He breathed quietly, slowly stepping back through the rumbled of his home in hopes of moving away before the beast stopped him. His foot however, caught on a loose plank of wood that had once been his roof and he cried out in surprise as he fell back with a loud thud, promptly freezing once more.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mage's Curiosity... (Eros / Roketto)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>30-10-2012, 06:03:08</strong>
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				After centuries of being trapped within the sword, the dragon's first course of action was to stretch, not unlike a cat waking from a long nap.&nbsp; His second, of course, was to address that which had made such a small noise from beneath him.<br><br>Rearing back onto his hind legs, the great wyrm did not, in fact, bring those massive claws of his crashing down on the prone mage, instead sitting back on his haunches to look down at the tiny human.&nbsp; If one could really assign an emotion to the beast's expression, it would likely be vague surprise, perhaps even curiosity, as he peered down at the man for a moment before reaching down to grab Cien, enveloping him in the claws of one massive hand before raising him up to eye level and opening it, allowing the boy to rest in his open palm.&nbsp; Despite the creature's massive size and incredible strength, the action was remarkably gentle, leaving the mage unharmed.<br><br>"The one to break the ancient spell is but a mere child?" the dragon's voice rumbled out, a deep, resonant, sound that was quite obviously intended as a conversational tone despite how loud it was, "Who are you, boy?"<br><br>Watching Cien with slitted, golden, eyes, the great red wyrm regarded him with an air of appraisal, sizing the mage up while looking not entirely impressed.&nbsp; For such a powerful spell to be broken by someone so young and inexperienced...&nbsp; It was a wonder the spell had even managed to contain him for so long.&nbsp; But, perhaps, as the ages wore on, he had grown too tired to continue his struggle with the sword's magic, falling into a resigned slumber after so many centuries.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mage's Curiosity... (Eros / Roketto)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Suiko</strong> on <strong>21-11-2012, 19:36:41</strong>
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				His heart hammered wildly against his chest as he watched the great creature slowly unfurl itself and stretch. No doubt it was cramped inside the slender blade that now lay broken and splintered, and despitethe 'very real chance that he would meet his end in the dragon's large belly, Cien found himself unable to move from where he'd fallen. It was the instinct of a mouse caught by a cat; to freeze in a vague hope he hadn't quite been spotted, and yet like so often in the animal case, the predator's eyes were much too sharp and the young mage gasped sharply as slotted golden pupils focused on him from such an impressive height.<br><br>Then the large clawed hand raised upward, lowering at a surprisingly slow speed for a killing swipe, and when Cien's eyes shut tight in anticipation of feeling those great claws tear through his body, he was left rather surprised and no less terrified when the fingers (for lack of a better word) curled about his body to lift him into the air. He cried out loudly from within the dragon's hand, not daring to struggle in case of being dropped as his stomach churned at the ground rushing away from himself. He wished he wasn't mortally terrified of heights...<br><br>The hand finally stopped, fingers unfurling to leave the mage blinking slowly, sitting on the large palm before lifting his wide-eyed gaze to the dragon's face, now directly at his level. "O-Oh God..." He murmured again, swallowing a thick lump down his throat. Death by being eaten, dropped, burned... None were pleasant options and so he tilted his head slightly, surprised when the creature spoke.<br><br>"I..." The word was oddly high-pitched and the boy coughed loudly before speaking again, his voice still trembling. "I am... Cien Hayweather;&nbsp; a mage f-from Nomre Tower..." It was the center for magical learning. "Ahh... Assuming I'm... not going to be, ah... well... eaten..." he cleared his throat, "perhaps you could... let me down...?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mage's Curiosity... (Eros / Roketto)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>22-11-2012, 06:57:22</strong>
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				The great dragon could easily sense the boy's fear, the scent just rolling off his tiny form.&nbsp; Tilting his own head a bit in response to the terrified stammering of the creature in his grasp, a deep chuckle rumbled forth from the wyrm as he bared his massive teeth with an expression akin to a smirk.&nbsp; "You would barely qualify as a <em>snack</em>, child," he sneered, closing his claws around Cien before lowering him back down to a height where he could safely climb off, "Quite the bold request for someone so very <em>small</em>."<br><br>"Hayweather..."&nbsp; he looked contemplative, getting back up on all fours to circle the clearing at a leisurely stride, "Not a name I am familiar with.&nbsp; Tell me, boy, who is your master?"&nbsp; Though he was definitely inspecting their surroundings, the dragon never fully took his gaze away from Cien, always keeping an eye on him as he moved with a preternatural grace for a beast of such size.&nbsp; "I wish to speak with the one that trained you.&nbsp; Surely they are a mighty wizard, for their mere apprentice to break such a powerful spell."&nbsp; <br><br>When the "Great Tyrant" had last roamed the lands, wizards were almost as rare a breed as dragons, their mastery of the arcane setting them apart from the masses.&nbsp; They held positions of great power and prestige, leading great countries or serving under powerful kings, either hailed or reviled for their talents.&nbsp; In their lifetime, a wizard would traditionally take on an apprentice to train, passing on their wisdom and teachings through careful tutelage, only ever sharing their arcane secrets with their students.&nbsp; Spellbooks were guarded viciously, the secrets held within often protected by great enough force to wipe out a kingdom should the wrong person attempt to open or use them.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mage's Curiosity... (Eros / Roketto)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Suiko</strong> on <strong>22-11-2012, 19:59:22</strong>
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				If Cien didn't know better, he would have thought that the low, rumbling grows was the equivalent to laughter, the widening of the dragon's maw and glittering teeth a smirk. But no. People didn't share laughter with such creatures, and besides he was sure he had said nothing remotely funny, at least in his opinion. He coughed sharply as the beast spoke once more, looking down at his slender frame that was barely the size of one claw; the comment was true but that hardly satisfied his fear. "Still.. I wouldn't like to... be even a snack..." He mumbled quietly, shaking his head slowly.<br><br>He then found the great talons wrapping around him once more, at which point he helped softly at the uncomfortable churn in his stomach. At least he was he was moving downwards, and the young mage blinked quickly as the momentum seemed to stop, peering out over dark red scales to the ground that wasn't far below before carefully sliding free. He dropped with limited grace to his feet, staggering slightly and straightening his robes before looking up once more.<br><br>"Thank you... and Hayweather has been a magical lineage for the past seven generations... Have you been imprisoned that long?" The dragon didn't seem interested in doing him harm, and so Cien allowed himself to relax somewhat, turning as the creature slowly moved around the clearing to inspect his new surroundings. "Master? I am unsure what you mean..." He trailed off, tilting his head slightly.<br><br>"The Grand Mage of the tower is named Fanorian... But there are many teachers who instruct the arcane..." He cleared his throat softly. "I've been studying alone for a few months however... The sword was to be my... Well... it doesn't matter now." He could hardly show a dragon to his tutors. What would he do?
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mage's Curiosity... (Eros / Roketto)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>13-12-2012, 04:53:51</strong>
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				The boy's words actually had the great wyrm pausing in his casual stroll, looking over with an expression that seemed both mildly surprised and vaguely impressed.<br><br>"Teachers?&nbsp; Do you mean to tell me that there are actually some mages that have put aside their animosity to work <em>together</em>?"&nbsp; The dragon raised a great claw to rub at his chin pensively, "I'd not thought I would see the day when humans would progress so far..."<br><br>The very fact that there were mage's colleges in nearly every civilized kingdom, and that arcanists were now far more common than in the days of old, told of the centuries upon centuries that the beast had been imprisoned.&nbsp; It had been a good five-hundred or so years since the last of the great wizards of the ancient days had passed on, and with him the ancient traditions and animosities.<br><br>Tilting his massive head as he sat back on his haunches, the great dragon gazed idly off in the direction of the kingdom's center of power, a thoughtful expression on his reptilian features.&nbsp; "I will admit to a certain amount of curiosity as to how you came into the possession of that sword," he rumbled, turning back to face Cien with a cool, yet somewhat inquisitive, expression.&nbsp; "You seem to have known at least <em>something</em> about it..."
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