[Mature] A Life Worth Living [Completed]

[Katarya Frost]

Kat's heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest, as Terrence propelled her down the hall, fleeing the guards. Her mind was reeling for so many reasons but right now, they had to escape.

She managed to keep her feet as they fled, but only just. When he suggested the last stage of the plan, she turned to look at him with wide eyes. "Are you mad?" And then he pushed something into her hand, giving her a shove forward.

Kat opened her palm as she made her way onto the balcony. It was a magical token ... would it break her fall? Would it teleport her? She didn't have time to scry the thing, as she would soon either be run through with a blade, or tied to a rack and tortured by a mad Lord Mage! She hitched up her skirt and climbed onto the balcony. Below her was the beautiful gardens that surrounded the estate, and the tall iron fencing that kept the common folk out. She needed to be over that.

But what about Terrence? She shook her head, dispelling any notion that she would be able to help in in any way. Maybe if it has been one or two guards, but a host of them was beyond her. And so, with a desperate plea to Ny'tha, she let out a short cry as she jumped, gripping the token so hard it would mark her skin, and activating it.

It was the strangest sensation she had ever felt. her body shifted, and suddenly, she was gliding.

What was she, right now? She wasn't a bird ... she had fur ... but she was most definitely not falling, which was a relief.

The ground was still coming quickly though, and so she managed to tilt herself so that she descended slower. She fixed her eyes on the road beyond the fence, and aimed for it. It was only mere seconds before she was a few feet above the ground, and then she felt the magic that had sustained her form leave her.

She hit the floor hard, but not so hard that anything would be broken. Around her, the prettily dressed folk of the district all exclaimed in shock, with someone shouting for the guard. Kat looked back at the house, wandering what to do about Terrence, and that's when she saw him.

Dressed in sumptuous attire, a man in his middle years stood on the balcony staring down at her. She knew in her very soul that this was the mage who was commanding the whole thing ... this was the Lord she had heard speaking, whose orders were being followed ... who was keeping Marcy. Her eyes narrowed as she rose to her feet, her chin lifted in defiance. She met his gaze, for a short moment, and then the pragmatic side of her told her to run.

And so she did, wondering all the while what would happen to Terrence. She had been rather taken with him ...

[Artemis Black]

Terrance watched the Witch leap off the balcony and shift. That part of the plan completed, he moved back towards the doorway; he'd need a running start for the next part. The air around him sizzled as lightning arc past his head to strike the marble tiles. He roared and took a moving leap off the balcony.

The Ranger grunted as he slammed into the upper branches of a large tree. He had to be obvious and move away from the Ulna. Bracing his legs, he dropped onto the dirt, kicking up slick leaves and clumps of dirt as his boots dug into the manicured lawn. "Keep ahead of me, girl!" he shouted, moving behind shaped topiary to break the sightline of the guards coming from the ground floor.

He dodged around garden sculptures and over low hedges at a clipped run. As he neared an open gate, he threw his hand forward. Roiling fog poured forth from his outstretched palm as the guards started shouting. Terrance sprinted as hard as he could, praying there wasn't a stray wagon on the far side of the spreading fog.

Then he was through, pointed straight at a milling crowd of wide-eyed onlookers. Terrance braced his arms and shouted, "House business, clear the street!" Folks jumped and scrambled to move out of his way, and he met the alleyway still moving at full speed. All he had to do now was make it back to the Goose through the side streets.

[Katarya Frost]

Kat took a moment to smooth her hair and clothes before entering the Goose. What was she supposed to say? Should she say nothing? Should she tell them and ask them to help Terrence? Maybe he'd be here soon?

She was about to push through the door, until Nyx landed on her shoulder, with a pointed squawk. Then she realised: "Go find him, but stay clear of that mage. If he detects you..." Nyx gave a croak in protest, as if assuring her. "Come back safe." She said, as the raven took flight.

Katarya strode into the Goose, her face painted with worry. She still had the bag and the orb, but she didn't know what to do with it! Of only she could speak with Artemis. She thought for a moment as she moved towards the room they were sharing. Maybe there was a way ...

She pushed open the door and looked at the man, sound asleep. Next to him was the medicine; he'd be due about it soon anyway, so maybe a little ... push, could bring him round for a few moments, just so she could get some clarity.

Perching on the edge of the bed, she ran a finger down his cheek, the bruising on him making her ache inside. Waking him wasn't going to make him feel great, even if she managed to pull it off. She could but try.

Kat reached into the bag and placed the orb on the bed, then she put her palm on his forehead and closed her eyes. She would lend him her strength, but had to be careful or else she'd end up out of it too. But if she could just give him a little ... just enough to ask him one question ... "Echuiá" She said, the Elvish word for 'awaken', sending her magic through her hand and into him. Not so much as to put he rout, but she immediately felt cold and weak ... she just hoped it would be enough.

***

Meanwhile, Nyx soared through the city, searching for her target. Once she spotted the figure flitting from one alley to another, she cawed out to him, and after he waved at her, she seemed satisfied, dipping her wings and making her way back to her master.

[Artemis Black]

Terrance had slowed to a walk several streets ago. He adopted a high posture and moved with purpose. Just another house guard on an errand from a poncy noble. He spotted the circling raven because of its odd roaming flight. He gave the bird a wave and watched it change direction back towards the Goose. The girl was at least concerned enough to see he'd made it out. Perhaps he wouldn't charge her too much after all.

⁂

Artemis felt a forceful tug on his mind, and then he was ripped out of a rather pleasant dream. "Ugh wha-" he slurred through a spit-filled mouth. His eyes were unfocused, and he blinked forcefully to try and clear them. 'I must have finally died,' his mind ground out. He tried to feel his body. 'Everything hurts, the afterlife isn't supposed to hurt. I must be in the bad place. What was it called again?' he wondered as his vision finally started to clear.

Artemis finally saw Katarya sitting over him, her palm against his head. "You're not supposed to be dead too," he said, his voice a faint whisper. "Did I really mess up that bad?" he asked her, managing to get his features into a weak frown. He tried to move his body again and managed to flop his hand onto the sheets. "This is awful," he slurred out.

[Katarya Frost]

Kat frowned, stroking his head. "We're not dead. You're just ... recovering. You're safe, Artemis." She reached for the medicine. "And you'll be able to get up soon. Here, have some of this. No doubt it'll taste foul, but it will help." She had to be patient, though her strength was slowly depleting. She poured the liquid onto a spoon, and held it to his lips, supporting his head with her other hand. It was probably the most maternal thing she had ever done. "Slowly, now."

When he had taken the medicine, she put both hands on his cheek and kissed him, softly. You need to get better soon," she said, her forehead touching his. "There's no one here to drive me crazy." She gave him a smile, and another soft kiss for good measure.

Then she pulled back, and picked up the orb. "I know you're exhausted, but you have to tell me what this is, and if I should give it to Robert, then you can have a long, good sleep. Just try." She said, taking his clammy hand in her own.

[Artemis Black]

He felt a small surge of happiness at her words. Then the medicine hit his tongue, and he tried to sputter. All he managed was a groan of annoyance as the disgusting liquid went down his throat. The kisses were nice, they made his cheeks flush, and he tried to smile, but the medicine was making everything numb. 'At least it hurts less,' he thought as his jaw relaxed. He had only noticed the pounding in his head as it faded away.

Artemis squinted at the orb in Katarya's hand. "That- oh no. Marcy took another heart," he said, shutting his eyes in frustration. After a moment, he lifted his head, "Tell Rob, yeah. He don't need, but let him look over. Maybe fix the crack," he managed before he had to swallow the spit flooding his mouth. "More kisses," he slurred, the numbness growing stronger. He tried again to lift his hand to her face and managed to flop it onto her leg this time.

[Katarya Frost]

She smiled at his 'more kisses' demand, and one she was happy to meet. She pressed her lips against his, and then slowly let the spell break. "I'm right here ..." She said, as he slid back into sleep.

For a moment she just watched him. She thought back to all the sass she had given him, right from the beginning. If she had lost him without ever telling him how she felt ... she still hadn't! She would have lived with that regret a long time.

She took his hand off her leg, and though her body screamed for her to get back into bed, she had business to attend to.

Kat left the room, orb in hand, and walked with purpose back into the Goose. She stopped a swain by standing right in front of him, her face full of thunder. "Where's Robert?" She demanded. At that same time, someone cursed as he opened the main door and a raven flew through, flapping over the customers to Kat's shoulder, chattering about the safety of Terrence. She nodded, and then, when the swain pointed to the kitchens, she strode in, throwing open the door and moving to face him across the counter.

Heedless of the other people in the room, she planted the orb down in front of him, looking at him with hard eyes. "Marcy is being held by a Lord of House Nyshasa .. he's a mage, and a powerful one at that. She is most likely being held in a cellar of some kind, so in the lower levels of the estate." She offered the information freely, before motioning to the heart. "What is this? And why did she attack my ... why did she attack Artemis?" She demanded, her voice tense with frustrated anger.

[Artemis Black]

Robert stared at Katarya blankly for several seconds. "Idols take you. Aren't you just the queen of poor form," he said as he shook his head. "First, go back upstairs, now. You have no authority in the kitchen. I'll be there soon, so don't cause any more fuss." His eyes were hard, and his expression showed he was only just holding back a much firmer response.

Robert turned his attention away from Katarya as soon as he saw she wasn't going to fight him. He issued several quick orders to his other kitchen staff and carefully washed his hands as the team adjusted around his absence. Then he walked upstairs and knocked firmly on the door to Artemis' recovery room. He opened the door after hearing a reply.

The butcher moved into the room, plainly ignoring Nyx's chattering, and sat in the desk chair. He settled himself before speaking. "Second," he said with a sigh. "That answers a lot of questions but doesn't change the stakes over much. We still need to wait for Cook." He shrugged at the Witch and let the silence hang as he stared at the crystal orb. "Third, that's a mage's heart. As with many things involving Marcy, literally the heart of a mage. That's what she does, turn magic against its wielder, trap their power, and use it to grow stronger," he motioned as if pulling something into his own chest.

"The problem, of course, is Marcy isn't the one who controls her powers. So the hearts are dangerous sources of energy that she can't safely absorb." He leaned forward slightly as if just noticing the crack along the sparkling crystal. "I can fix that if you promise to keep it away from Marcy for at least a month. Its influence with her will fade by then."

He sat back and waited for her answer. "Oh, and stop barging in all over the place. I get that your stressed, but there's a lot to do around here, and we're not a charity. He should have taught you that, but I'm guessing things have moved rather fast," he added before growing quiet again.

[Katarya Frost]

Katarya's hand was resting on Artemis' as Robert entered. Her posture stiffened, automatically, anticipating a fight, and preparing to win it!

But he seemed ... deflated. She averted her gaze a moment, then gave a short, humourless laugh. "'Stressed'?" She looked at him. "My family are dead, my home and life gone in fire, and the man I l... Artemis was nearly gone too." She took a breath. "I am trying to respect the way things are done around here, but I am tired ... exhausted. And I don't know what is happening! For some reason, a lord - and very powerful mage - of one of the Noble Houses is behind most of this. I don't know if I was a target, or caught in the cross-fire due to my associations with The Goose." She leaned forward. "When I scried him, I could feel hatred and righteousness oozing from him ... he wants someone gone ... probably more than one person. Probably the whole lot of us." She took a breath, annoyed that she was rambling.

Her eyes went to the orb; she hadn't noticed the crack. She ran a finger over it, then looked up. "Marcy ... I don't know what your relationship is with her, but if she is so dangerous and unpredictable, then why by Ny'tha is she out on missions?! She asked, incredulously. "She almost killed the person she was partnered with!" She squeezed Artemis' hand as she spoke.

Katarya needed to keep these people on side though; she needed to talk their language. She nodded to him, and stood, giving him the orb. "Go ahead and fix it. She said. "And I can keep it safe ... as a favour, and as a way of paying off the debt Artemis owes for his treatment. She raised a questioning brow, as she spoke, wondering if he would accept her terms. "I can guarantee that Marcy won't find this unless I want her to. I might not survive an encounter with her, should it come to that, but I can keep this away from her, regardless."

She sat back down. "We also can't sit around and wait for Cook to grace us with his presence; we need to find out why this lord mage wants us all dead. Do you have any idea about that, Robert?" She asked him, simply.

[Artemis Black]

Robert sat, his expression unchanging as Katarya ranted and raved at him. When she finally stopped, he shook his head. "There are a lot of reasons someone in a noble house would want to make us go away. We help people, many of them suffering at the hands of their so-called betters," he frowned at this and then shrugged.

"We can't just act, that's how a lot of people, people who can't protect themselves, die. Cook will be back tomorrow night, and he can access resources and deploy people I don't even know exist. I'm just a butcher and an Ulna. I'm not even supposed to go into the field," he said, glaring at Kat for a brief moment. Then his expression fell again.

"Marcy isn't supposed to be active, and neither is Artemis. He turned down the position, said there was too much power to have. Cook let him keep the keys because he was one of the more restrained Hands we've got. And she, well you saw what happens," he said with a wry smile.

"Someone with that kind of power spends decades learning to control it. She just came into it suddenly, when she was only a girl. And she's my world, Frost. More than you can ever know," he said, his voice grew stronger and his posture lifted.

"You know, it gets a little easier if you just tell him you love him," he said, motioning to the unconscious Artemis. "Let him carry some of the burden, and you might actually find the time to stop and think things through."

Robert stood and nodded to Katarya. "I need to get back to work, I promise you'll be safe here tonight, try and wait until Cook returns. Have some faith, Artemis would be heartbroken if he woke up and you were dead."