LJ Idol Season 9 Week 8: Yes, and
May. 7th, 2014 10:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
i_love_freddie“Watch yourself there,” the wolf-man said. Riandur's tone was mild, but there was a thinly veiled threat beneath the surface. “That was a little too close for my liking.”
“Yes, and?” the wizard retorted. “I have to practise, you know.”
“Practise what? I thought that being an idiot just came naturally to you.”
Jonas began to respond, but suddenly thought better of it. “Look, I am trying to concentrate. If you don't like it, go somewhere else.”
“I happen to be on guard duty. Much as I would like to be somewhere else, I can't see Kane or Benny being too happy if you managed to get eaten by monsters or skewed by bandits while everyone else is sleeping. Why don't you move?”
Magic happened to be a very sore spot between the two of them. Riandur's people – the wolf-men tribe from the northern swamplands – feared magical power and shunned it completely. Riandur himself took a slightly more practical view. Having travelled with the group for several months, he had grown to understand that magic could serve a purpose at times. Nonetheless he also recognised it for what it was; a dangerous, unpredictable force that was beyond the ability of man to comprehend. So he remained constantly wary and suspicious of anything or anyone that displayed any kind of magical abilities.
Of course, there was also the little fact that he found Jonas to be an arrogant, over-confident idiot.
“I like it here,” Jonas said. Sparks of yellow dancing from his fingertips. “It is warm from the fire here, but won't disturb the others.” The yellow sparks flashed again, more powerful this time. With a faint crackling sound, they whizzed in front of Riandur's nose. Despite himself, the wolf-man jerked backwards.
Jonas laughed. “Ah, is the wolf scared of the sparkly magic? There's nothing to be frightened of – look!”
Casually waving his hand, an explosion of foul-smelling green smoke exploded in Riandur's face. It reminded him of rotten eggs and decaying corpses, and did not make him happy. “I am warning you...”
“What are you going to do?” the wizard asked, his tone developing a slightly mocking note. “I am the one with the scary magic, remember?”
“Oh?” Riandur's expression suddenly changed. His eyes appeared to darken, becoming almost pools of black liquid. The temperature suddenly dropped by several degrees and a strong gust of wind blew out the flames of the fire – leaving them in near darkness.
“Magical energy?” Jonas stared at the wolf-man in disbelief. “But how... what are you...?”
“Where is it coming from?”
Riandur smiled. In a voice that did not sound like his own, he began to chant powerful words, words that the young wizard vaguely recalled from books, but had never seen in action. He sat, frozen in terror, as a shimmering portal appeared in the air. Made up of purples and blues and reds, it glowed and twisted, changing in size and shape.
A thing appeared. It was about the size and shape of a large dog, but it was not a dog. It was black all over, except for the glowing red eyes and sharp white teeth. The next thing through the portal was vaguely humanoid, but with twisted claws and scaly skin.
As yet another grotesque beast was pulled through, Jonas completely lost his nerve. Shrieking in fear, he found his feet and bolted across the clearing to the tiny hollow where the rest of the companions had set up their beds for the night.
“Help!” He cried in terror. “Kane, Benny – wake up, quick!”
Though bare-foot and shirtless, Kane was on his feet and reaching for his swords within seconds. Benny was immediately alert. Phellan pricked up his ears and lifted his head. Only Cory and Valia slept on, both exhausted from a long day of travelling.
“What is it? Are we being attacked?”
“There are demons... in the clearing... Riandur, he's... using magic. There was this big portal and all these demons came out, and they were going to attack me. They had flaming red eyes and...”
“Don't be stupid,” Phellan said immediately. “Riandur doesn't use magic. Don't tell horrible lies.”
“I'm not lying!” Jonas was almost sobbing in fear and frustration. “Look, I'll show you.”
Over in the clearing, everything was normal. The camp fire was flickering away, golden flames eating at the dry wood. The coldness in the air had gone. Riandur was sitting calmly gazing off into the woods.
“Jonas said you were summoning demons!” Phellan said indignantly. “I told him that was stupid. It is, isn't it?”
“Do you have any idea what he's going on about this time?” Kane asked wearily. “Apparently you are some expert magic user or something.”
Riandur stared at them as though they were mad. “Summoning demons? Using magic?” It was as though they had just suggested that he wear human clothes and dance in the middle of a tavern. “Even if I had the ability to do such things, which I most certainly do not, I have no wish to do anything so unnatural.”
“See, I told you!” Phellan shot at Jonas. “We don't use magic. We can't.”
“I know what I saw. There was a big portal, and hideous demonic beings and... and...”
“I think you must have been having a nightmare,” Benny said patiently. “I'm guessing there have been no signs of anything strange going on?” he asked, turning to Riandur.
“Not at all. Everything has been quiet. He was practising his spells, then suddenly he ran off screaming.”
“Come on,” Kane gave Jonas a light push. “We are all tired and you need some proper sleep. Of course Riandur isn't a secret wizard. What crazy thing will you think of next?”
The wizard went, but not before giving Riandur a wary glance. He was sure of what he had seen... surely he would have known if he had been dreaming?
“Don't worry, Jonas,” the wolf-man grinned at him, showing several teeth. “You are the one with all the scary magic, remember? Surely you don't have anything to fear.”
Sitting down on the other side of the fire, taking his turn at guard duty, Benny narrowed his eyes slightly. Although he did not believe what Jonas was saying – it was just too far-fetched – he could definitely sense the presence of some dark entity in the air.
He had no clue what to make of it, but he was sure that something had happened that night.
“Yes, and?” the wizard retorted. “I have to practise, you know.”
“Practise what? I thought that being an idiot just came naturally to you.”
Jonas began to respond, but suddenly thought better of it. “Look, I am trying to concentrate. If you don't like it, go somewhere else.”
“I happen to be on guard duty. Much as I would like to be somewhere else, I can't see Kane or Benny being too happy if you managed to get eaten by monsters or skewed by bandits while everyone else is sleeping. Why don't you move?”
Magic happened to be a very sore spot between the two of them. Riandur's people – the wolf-men tribe from the northern swamplands – feared magical power and shunned it completely. Riandur himself took a slightly more practical view. Having travelled with the group for several months, he had grown to understand that magic could serve a purpose at times. Nonetheless he also recognised it for what it was; a dangerous, unpredictable force that was beyond the ability of man to comprehend. So he remained constantly wary and suspicious of anything or anyone that displayed any kind of magical abilities.
Of course, there was also the little fact that he found Jonas to be an arrogant, over-confident idiot.
“I like it here,” Jonas said. Sparks of yellow dancing from his fingertips. “It is warm from the fire here, but won't disturb the others.” The yellow sparks flashed again, more powerful this time. With a faint crackling sound, they whizzed in front of Riandur's nose. Despite himself, the wolf-man jerked backwards.
Jonas laughed. “Ah, is the wolf scared of the sparkly magic? There's nothing to be frightened of – look!”
Casually waving his hand, an explosion of foul-smelling green smoke exploded in Riandur's face. It reminded him of rotten eggs and decaying corpses, and did not make him happy. “I am warning you...”
“What are you going to do?” the wizard asked, his tone developing a slightly mocking note. “I am the one with the scary magic, remember?”
“Oh?” Riandur's expression suddenly changed. His eyes appeared to darken, becoming almost pools of black liquid. The temperature suddenly dropped by several degrees and a strong gust of wind blew out the flames of the fire – leaving them in near darkness.
“Magical energy?” Jonas stared at the wolf-man in disbelief. “But how... what are you...?”
“Where is it coming from?”
Riandur smiled. In a voice that did not sound like his own, he began to chant powerful words, words that the young wizard vaguely recalled from books, but had never seen in action. He sat, frozen in terror, as a shimmering portal appeared in the air. Made up of purples and blues and reds, it glowed and twisted, changing in size and shape.
A thing appeared. It was about the size and shape of a large dog, but it was not a dog. It was black all over, except for the glowing red eyes and sharp white teeth. The next thing through the portal was vaguely humanoid, but with twisted claws and scaly skin.
As yet another grotesque beast was pulled through, Jonas completely lost his nerve. Shrieking in fear, he found his feet and bolted across the clearing to the tiny hollow where the rest of the companions had set up their beds for the night.
“Help!” He cried in terror. “Kane, Benny – wake up, quick!”
Though bare-foot and shirtless, Kane was on his feet and reaching for his swords within seconds. Benny was immediately alert. Phellan pricked up his ears and lifted his head. Only Cory and Valia slept on, both exhausted from a long day of travelling.
“What is it? Are we being attacked?”
“There are demons... in the clearing... Riandur, he's... using magic. There was this big portal and all these demons came out, and they were going to attack me. They had flaming red eyes and...”
“Don't be stupid,” Phellan said immediately. “Riandur doesn't use magic. Don't tell horrible lies.”
“I'm not lying!” Jonas was almost sobbing in fear and frustration. “Look, I'll show you.”
Over in the clearing, everything was normal. The camp fire was flickering away, golden flames eating at the dry wood. The coldness in the air had gone. Riandur was sitting calmly gazing off into the woods.
“Jonas said you were summoning demons!” Phellan said indignantly. “I told him that was stupid. It is, isn't it?”
“Do you have any idea what he's going on about this time?” Kane asked wearily. “Apparently you are some expert magic user or something.”
Riandur stared at them as though they were mad. “Summoning demons? Using magic?” It was as though they had just suggested that he wear human clothes and dance in the middle of a tavern. “Even if I had the ability to do such things, which I most certainly do not, I have no wish to do anything so unnatural.”
“See, I told you!” Phellan shot at Jonas. “We don't use magic. We can't.”
“I know what I saw. There was a big portal, and hideous demonic beings and... and...”
“I think you must have been having a nightmare,” Benny said patiently. “I'm guessing there have been no signs of anything strange going on?” he asked, turning to Riandur.
“Not at all. Everything has been quiet. He was practising his spells, then suddenly he ran off screaming.”
“Come on,” Kane gave Jonas a light push. “We are all tired and you need some proper sleep. Of course Riandur isn't a secret wizard. What crazy thing will you think of next?”
The wizard went, but not before giving Riandur a wary glance. He was sure of what he had seen... surely he would have known if he had been dreaming?
“Don't worry, Jonas,” the wolf-man grinned at him, showing several teeth. “You are the one with all the scary magic, remember? Surely you don't have anything to fear.”
Sitting down on the other side of the fire, taking his turn at guard duty, Benny narrowed his eyes slightly. Although he did not believe what Jonas was saying – it was just too far-fetched – he could definitely sense the presence of some dark entity in the air.
He had no clue what to make of it, but he was sure that something had happened that night.
