The Cost of a Spell [Completed]

[Artemis Black]

When Dáire posed no objection to going to a raucous party Artemis was uncertain if he’d enticed the elf sufficiently, or if his travel had truly been so dire. His sense of the man was one more for quiet brooding reflection. He certainly wouldn’t lament seeing the elf with a few glasses of Dwarven brandy in him.

The back of the Hart was an interesting little square scattered with small gatherings of empty boxes and other signs of a busy establishment. Artemis found a place to hitch Sir Francis and hopped down from the beast. He stepped to the animals front and spoke softly. “Have care Your Excellence. We may need to depart quickly,” he said, ensuring the lead was easily stripped and the mount faced the largest back alleyway.

Following Dáire into the Hart the thief noticed the immediate sneer of displeasure at the sight of the Lady and her right hand. He slipped his hand around the elf’s back and guided him forward, not looking at anyone in the room. The travel up the stairs was brief and Artemis stood before the door to Katarya’s quarters suddenly uncertain.

“I guess I should be the one to start, please know I do not wish to cause any more trouble,” he said softly to Dáire alone before knocking solidly at the heavy door. “Katarya Frost, I, Artemis Black, must speak with you on matters of business. I have no quarrel, only business,” he said more loudly than necessary. He wanted there to be no confusion and knew the other elves would easily hear him.

[Katarya Frost]

Kat had been pouring over the book. Her powers were growing, but the almost cryptic way of her predecessors writing was frustrating.

When Artemis announced himself at the door like a courtier to a crown, Kat raised a brow. Nyx chattered at her and jumped to the windowsill. "Oh don't be so dramatic," the witch said. "If he was here to kill me I would expect he would so with less fanfare."

Nyx chattered in response, almost in amusement.

Closing the book, Kat patted her braid and composed herself. This was all very formal, so she meant to meet like with like. "You may enter." She called out, in response

[Artemis Black]

Artemis heard the reply and felt his own awareness grow distant. This had happened often in the past when he was faced with very serious matters. He gained a sense of separation, as if the things that were happening were some play and he was merely a very rambunctious audience member. His body began to both wind tight and project easy confidence as his mind started to race. His thoughts contained commentary, noted details, and pointed out potential danger, all in parallel. Beyond this torrent of sensation, he controlled himself as if he were a marionette. Despite the strange detachment, experience told him if things did go sideways he’d have no issue with his reflexes.

‘Nyx is in the room, she’s speaking to her more fluidly than prior,’ the thought flashed across his mind as he heard the muffled chatter and response. He recalled the amulet she wore, and its warning properties. He hoped it felt pleasantly cool, as he mentally checked over his inventory. Crossbow hanging against his chest inside his shirt, daggers in sheaths at his wrists and belt. The only thing of any concern was perhaps the lingering magic of his soul binding tickling at her skin.

Settling himself, he released the latch and stepped gracefully into the room. Inside, things were in minor disarray, as if she hadn’t had a chance to clean for several days. She sat at the desk, her adornment simpler than he had grown used to. Usual dark clothing, no earrings, different ring – simple, silver band – on her hand, hair in a tight braid. Her expression looked slightly frustrated and he noticed the book, the damnable thing, open in front of her.

Artemis stepped to the side slightly to allow Dáire to follow him in without crowding Katarya overmuch. He was in front of her again, and she wore none of his gifts. A strange annoyance sprang into his myriad thoughts. ‘Perhaps she’s found a rich man with a nice piece of equipment and an endless cellar of wines,’ the line of disdain wondered. Suddenly he was not entirely certain he could do this. Despite the divergent thoughts the anxious roiling in his gut remained strongly suppressed, and when he spoke his voice was professional, cold, and indifferent with none of the usual jovialness or friendly edge.

“Miss Frost, I am here on behalf of our friendship to ensure you’ve not forgotten an arrangement you made with the Velvet Goose. They’ve heard no word from you since the agreement to deliver three months of walker’s respite. They are aware of your difficulties regarding facilities, and as you know have extended the due date, however without communication there is concern you have lost track of the agreement,” he said, letting the statement hang in the air. He was here to deliver this message, judge intent, and then, as was clearly needed, after business was done recover any personal effects. It was clear from her lack of gifts that she had made some decision.

He would hold nothing against her for her choice, even if she’d chosen to simply not respond rather than treat him with a modicum of respect and consideration. It wasn’t worth the trouble to let himself get bent into knots and he couldn’t force her respect unless he was willing to use a knife. Besides, fear didn’t earn the sort of kindness he truly wanted. Thoughts of the Hall and crew flitted across his mind as he waited to judge her reaction.

[Katarya Frost]

Kat set down her quill as the knock came, and then Artemis' voice rang through the door in the most business-like manner. She'd have to have a word with him about his announcing his business in such a way - certain things were kept between their clients and their providers.

"Enter."

She turned as her guest entered her room, regarding him with her cool blue eyes before nodding her head and reaching for a spare piece of parchment. "Ah yes, the agreement." She made some notes in silence, the only sound was Nyx who warbled something At Katarya, causing the witch to pause before continuing to write.

She signed the parchment with a flourish and held it out to Artemis. A batch of 'Walker's Respite will be delivered tomorrow before noon, and a decent enough batch will be made available in due time until the end of our agreement, Mr. Black. You can tell your superiors that I will not renege on my contract, now that things have settled down"

She sat back in her chair as he accepted the writ. "The desired medicine will be delivered by servants of House Nyshasa; I hope that won't be a problem. I'm a busy girl these days; I cab't always make every promised delivery myself, but I am sure you understand; I thought your time with the Goose was coming to a close, but here you are delivering their messages. I suppose we all must do what we must, in order to get by."

She didn't smile, or gloat; that would have been too crass. But there was something in her eyes that suggested her disappointment at his playing lackey to the establishment he had sworn he was only an affiliate of, and not one to pass on messages or act as an enforcer.

[Dáire]

Dáire allowed himself to be ushered through the ground level of the hart and up the stairs to stop before Kats familiar door. He nodded solemnly to the mans words, feeling no need to voice anything further. It suddenly came apparent to him, as the thief spoke through the door to the witch, just how wide the chasm between them actually was. Guilt peppered him as he understood that he hadn't taken Artemis’ words seriously enough on their ride over, this hadn't just been a minor argument.

He shoved aside the troubles that had been swamping his mind, regaining a semblance of normalcy within himself as he followed Artemis inside his friends room following the cold, detached summons.

Dáire's eyes found her immediately. She sat at her desk, back straight and face back to the imperious facade she’d used when he had first met her, stripped of many of her adornments that she had collected these past months. He frowned slightly, taking in the uncharacteristically messy room before looking back to her, and taking an unconscious step back. Her eyes had changed colour. No longer were they the warm brown that had been so at odds with the woman in which they belonged to, but an icy blue that now matched the face she so often showed to the world around her

He hadn't noticed the mask Artemis had put on himself until he began to speak again, also detaching himself from the situation.He wasn't sure if it was just his sense of foreboding, or kat’s doing but his skin prickled as the temperature in the room appeared to drop; the two stoney humans before him having the polite version of a standoff.

[Artemis Black]

As she talked and wrote, he watched her, noticing the difference in her demeanor and pose. She had changed again, felt comfortably back in control of something. Then he noticed her eyes, no longer their delicate tawny brown. They sparkled an icy blue and terror wrenched his gut. Eyes didn't change, unless you did strange things with magic.

This was very clearly not the same woman he'd left the ring with. Whoever, or whatever, she'd made deals with after he left that day had made Katarya Frost feel powerful. 'Powerful people do stupid things when they feel threatened or ignored.' The thought came with many warnings and urges. The need to leave, the desire to end a possible threat, the fear of death. All these things in the blink of an eye that didn't crack his own cold exterior. He was suddenly very grateful to have the large elf in the room.

Artemis smirked falsely, forcing his outward projection of cold professionalism to wane ever so slightly. "With that finished, a personal matter," he said, completely ignoring her own disregard for the way he'd given his message. He’d not correct her mistaken belief that he worked for anyone; she was welcome to her own broken view of the world. 'That hasn't changed, Katarya is still rather poor at actually listening,' he thought wryly as he spoke.

"Given you've clearly made a choice to end our relationship, I ask for the return of the earring. I care not about the other gifts, but cannot allow that to be kept," he held out his hand, palm up, waiting to accept the return of the jewelry so he could leave. ‘Mages always think magic is the answer to everything. They never ask where the cost of the power comes from though,’ he mused as he kept his eyes on her. His free hand was kept at an angle she’d find unfamiliar, ready to accept and toss a knife if she tried to ensorcel him.

[Katarya Frost]

Kat turned her eyes to Dáire as he entered, her face changing into a bright smile. "Vedui', amin deást mellon!" {Greetings, my dearest friend}.

She turned to look at Nyx, the raven cocked her head, rocked, and flapped to the window. In a moment, she was gone, under some unspoken mission of her master.

When Artemis asked for her earring back, even she, as cold as she might be thought, was stung. She nodded her head and opened a box, reached inside and taking from it a single earring. She rose to her feet and stepped forward, holding out her hand. Her blue eyes looked into his for a moment, then her head slightly inclined to her hand. "Take it." She said, with more depth of feeling than her haughty demeanour and her cold blue eyes could tell. "It's yours."

[Artemis Black]

She didn’t consider him a threat, even as he held himself ready to react. He intended her no direct harm, but he would not allow her to cause him any more pain. He felt a twitch on his lips as she dismissed Nyx out the open window. That meant she felt she wasn’t in danger. 'Truly she believes she holds far more power, perhaps over me, perhaps over her magic,' the disdainful portion of his mind mused into the silence.

He watched her carefully as she took out the ring and brought it to him. She showed some hints of regret. If it was at the loss of him, or more likely the enchanted earring, he couldn’t tell. The ring fell the short distance to his hand and he nodded.

“Thank y-” he halted, feeling only the cold silver of the jeweled piece in his hand and noticing with growing fear the missing cool comfort of his mother's love. His eyes snapped down and narrowed as he concentrated. There was a moment’s hesitation and the color drained from his face as his mouth fell fully open. He looked back up at her, eyes widening in panic. “Where is it? What have you done? Where is my mother?!” His voice went from a whisper to a frantic shout in the three short questions. The magic was gone, and he could feel his instinct begging to be unleashed.

[Katarya Frost]

Katarya took a step back as he raised his voice, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What my Ny'tha do you mean?"

She could only make attempts at the answer she had drawn from the earring ... it was easily replaced. Now she had access to something greater ...

Her eyes turned almost white as they narrowed; the room temperature dropping such that even her wine had a thin veil of ice over it.

Into the trinket she poured back the power the had taken; what use had she of of it anymore? She had greater reserves ...

There was almost an audible snap, as she put back what she had taken from the earring. Her breath was a little laboured, and and she let loose a long breath when she opened her eyes. They were so cold, so distant ...

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Mr. Black."

[Artemis Black]

Artemis felt the sickening itch as the air in the room went cold. Then again, as she poured power into the earring. He felt his bile rise, the magic in the air and on his palm causing him more and more discomfort. He tossed the earring into his satchel as if it burned him, a look of disgust on his face as all other voices in his thoughts beyond disdain and fury shrank away.

“This was the last piece of my mother, her own magic lay within it. I see now how deep your evil runs,” he said, his voice matching the cold of the room. With a careful motion he reached into his satchel. From it he pulled a scroll case, and with a quick twist of the cap he removed an item he hoped to never use. It was an item even a Kerasoka could activate, the magic already instilled by others and needing only to be triggered.

The parchment he unfurled was fine and written with golden ink. On it there was a stylized rendition of a goose and six other animals prominently surrounded by dormant rune work. He nicked his thumb and planted the bloody print firmly to a ring in the center.

“I, Artemis Black, Protected of Crown Cook, act as Representative of the Velvet Goose-” as he spoke his voice resonated, the blood evaporated, and the runes began to faintly glow. A warmth radiated from them, pushing the cold of the room back as the markings scintillated. “-declare the actions of Katarya Frost, Witch of Fellsgard, to be a direct attack upon my person. The destruction of an heirloom unrecoverable is nothing less. In keeping with the contract she so swore, I find her to have broken her oath to do no harm. Thereby I name her Hatvada, Oathbreaker, and strip her of all titles given.”

The runes turned blood red and pulsated angrily, growing in brightness and fury as his words echoed. The warmth radiating from the scroll now resembled a crackling fireplace. “All kindness is rescinded, all protections removed, all access revoked. You are to be known as an enemy, given nothing but ruin and retribution. Your contracts are ended, the fines will be taken. Payment cannot be avoided, death does not absolve you.”

Artemis opened his free palm, using it to shield his eyes as the light became near blinding in the small space. “So do I, Artemis Black, Protected of Crown Cook, Representative of the Velvet Goose, declare to all.” As Artemis’ final word left his lips the parchment he held burst into flame and became seven clouds of ash. Each floated and formed, whispering his words over and over as they coalesced. Then, in an instant, they flew through the open window and out into the city.

“It is done, it is known, it can never be revoked,” he said in a choked whisper as the proximity to the magics started to overwhelm him with nausea. He stumbled backwards, trying to fall behind Dáire, hoping he could make it away before the sick overwhelmed him. If she was going to attack him, it would be now. He wanted desperately to be away from this place.