The Gamble of a Djinni

[Summerchika]

Raj felt when the mage strengthened his gravity circle because Raj was having a hard enough time standing as it was. So when Raj found himself once again on his rear on the ground, he was not all that surprised. It still hurt, though. A lot.

Bwahahahahaha! Nin gave an unladylike snort.

Shut up, Nin, Raj grumped. But Nin's laughter was contagious, even if she was laughing at him, so he couldn't quite keep a straight face. With an effort, Raj propped an elbow on his knee, grunting from the movement and the after effects of his fall. He eyed the mage from his vantage point on the ground. No matter how Raj looked at the mage, he had to admit that this mage was different. At least from the mages Raj had come to know and despise. This mage had tremendous power, Raj could tell, but he did not use it. He did not even want to be known as a mage. Nin was right. Unusually.

Hey! Nin protested indignantly, and Raj only smirked in response.

Deciding he had better talk the mage down, Raj opened his mouth to say something when a rock tumbled from above, not too far from them. "Was that you?" Raj asked the mage with an eyebrow raised right as another being vaulted from a roof top to land between the two. Hard.

Startled into action, Raj instantly shifted to his favorite form, smoke. Crap. Raj realized he would move even closer to the mage in that form, so he shifted almost as quickly back into his humanoid form and found himself once again on the ground.

"OW!" Raj finally protested aloud at the mage, annoyed more than angry. But his attention returned to the robed figure between them, preparing his magic in case the figure was a foe. "Is this your friend?" he asked the mage, trying not to scowl.

((If you change your post, Avalon, then I will also change mine, so feel free to change it if you so wish.))

[Omio]

(( No need. ))

Buren found the situation far against his liking, and sighed, drawing out a new zone of gravity for all to contend with. However, in doing so, he slightly began to glow with a bit of purple; his personal reservoir must've been too low to allow for this spell, but once the new zone encompassing the two before his was drawn, and in effect, he began to retreat out the back of the alley, and down another street. If anyone cared to try to catch him - difficult as it was going to be - the terrible purple glow was going to give him away. The odd thing, however, was that he looked slightly above the crowd as he tried to barrel past people.

Unfortunately for Buren, this also roused the guard to intervene, and seeing the glow around Buren, they assumed he was being some sort of troublesome mage. Whether Buren would lose them or not, only further pursuit would tell.

[Avalon Silvasti]

Avalon watched the mage flee down the alley way and dart off into the street. As He turned the corner out of her sight her adrenaline waned and she felt her knees buckle. Her eyes widened as she felt the full effect of the field and fell to her knees. She looked around in a semi panick trying to find the edge of the field. She cursed under her breath as her movements were now slowed and restricted. She realized her hood was also restricting her sight as it was also pulled down by the field. She fought against the field and yanked her hood from her face, letting her honey colored hair flow freely behind her long elven ears. Her ice blue eyes searched the area and seen a slight shimmer on the ground in the form of a curved line. "That has to be the edge of the field. Now if only I can gather enough strength to get to it." She thought as she mustered enough strength to get to her feet. She turned to the man trapped with her and spoke. "The field appears to only reach so far the edge is over there." Her voice was soft and sweet like a spring breeze. "I think we will be ok if we reach the edge of the field." She said as she continued to approach the edge of the field.

[Summerchika]

Wow, he really is timid. But powerful, Raj thought to himself, grumpy that the gravity circle was still in place. Raj looked up at the elf now standing over him, her honey hair and elven ears now exposed.

"Agreed," he said already forming a plan in his head. He didn't quite want to fall yet another time. It hurt.

Raj! Go after him! Nin interceded, and Raj scrunched up his nose his response to her.

Don't want to, he replied succinctly.

RAJ . . . Nin growled in warning and Raj winced. She was the ruling opinion between the two of them when it came to humans. Raj once again turned his full attention back to the beautiful elf, completely forgetting about the other elf that was here not too long ago.

I'll have to pit air against earth if we are to get out of this without too much effort. This will be interesting . . . Raj thought, and despite himself, he was quite looking forward to it.

Rajat gathered the wind around him, willing it to lift him from the ground. "Come on," he muttered to himself, commanding more air to pitch in and help. It was odd, this bit of magic. It was usually so mundane a thing to Raj and yet with the gravity in effect, it was much more difficult a thing. Within a few seconds, however, he had mustered enough air to lift him a few inches from the ground and to carry him outside the circle.

Now safely outside the circle, Raj stood and stretched out a hand toward the elf. "Here, let me help," he offered, only a bit winded from the effort.

[Avalon Silvasti]

Avalon took his hand and felt him help her to the edge and out of the field. She looked to the man that just helped her, "Thank you for the help. That was a bit unpleasant. I didn't even see it there when I was surveying the area." She tucked one of her honey colored locks behind her ear as she calmed her breathing. "Looked like you two had some sort of a vendetta. I do apologize if I caused more damage than good. It just appeared you may have needed the help." She smiled as she extended her hand to him, "My name is Avalon and again, thank you for helping me out. Sorry that he got away. But from what I seen he took a right at the end of the alley, if you wish to peruse him."

[Summerchika]

Raj snorted in amusement at her words. Yes, the gravity circle was definitely unpleasant. He took her extended hand with a smile, then looked to where the mage had disappeared. Nin was still pestering him about following the mage, but Raj shook his head with a sigh.

"I am afraid, Avalon, that the vendetta was my fault. Somehow, I don't think it would be easy to catch up to him, even if I wanted to." Rajat returned his gaze to Avalon, and belatedly realized that she was the second elf he had run into in the town. What are the chances? he wondered with a small grin. He wouldn't bemoan his luck, no sir.

"Thank you for intervening, Avalon. Please, call me Rajat," he introduced himself, bowing to her gallantly. "Did you have a particular reason to come to this human town?" he asked, then added with a dazzling smile, "And might I come along?" He forced himself to put the mage out of his mind, for now.

[Avalon Silvasti]

Avalon looked down thinking about her broken past and then looked back up at Rajat with a kind sweet smile. "Yes you may join me. I'm just looking for answers to questions I may not want to know." She reached up and started to pull up her hood, as she pulled the hood up Rajat could see the earring that was in the tip of long pointed ear. The earring was the crest of her fallen kingdom. She tucked her hair into the hood and she turned to the pub that was only a few buildings away. "I was actually headed to the pub by means of the quickest way this evening. I'm a rouge, I sometimes travel by roof top." She giggled a bit as she linked her arm with his. "So you wanna get a drink with me?"

[Summerchika]

Her first words wiped the gregarious smile from his lips, and an empathetic smile replaced it. Raj knew all too well the feeling of looking for answers he probably did not want to know. But he and Nin searched anyway. He caught a glimpse of an earring at the tip of her elven ear, but thought little of it. After all, his own ears were adorned with irons that reminded him of the weakness of his Ifriti blood. Though the emblem on the earring did look familiar, Raj would have to think on it more before he remembered what it symbolized. Raj had cared little for the world outside is Djinni home until just a few moons earlier.

Rajat's gregarious smile returned at Avalon's giggle as she linked her arm with his. "My lady elf, I would love to get a drink with you. A little elf told me that fire ale works well on your kind. Perhaps it will work on my kind as well?" he asked, a charming eye brow raised as he looked down at her. He found it charming that she traveled by roof sometimes. He would love to race her later, his flying against her roof-top travel. It would be fun to say the least.

[Avalon Silvasti]

Avalon blushed a bit at his gaze. She started to walk with Rajat while keeping her hood up. She felt a little more secure traveling with a partner now. After everything that she had been through lately, the idea of having a friend comforted her a bit. As they approached the tavern she looked around worried someone might recognize her. She pushed the door open and held it open for Rajat and briskly walked to a table when she sat down and waved down a waitress. She ordered the fire ale that Rajat suggested. "I hope this stuff works..." She trailed off as her eyes appeared lost in a memory as she waited. "I could really go for forgetting about stuff for a while."

[Summerchika]

Rajat followed Avalon dutifully, just a little lost in this human world. He noticed for the first time the stares of a few humans around him. He looked down at himself as he joined Avalon at the table that the waitress just leaving.

You look weird, Raj. Admit it. I'm the pretty one and you're, well, you. Nin poked fun at her twin then informed him in a sing-song voice, Bored, now. Have fun!

Raj caught Avalon's last words and nodded in agreement as he looked into the tankards placed hastily in front of them. "At home, our "ale" is black as the deepest shadows of the night. This, well, let us just hope for its oblivion together, hm?" Raj raised his tankard to her with a welcoming smile. He wondered just what had happened to her that would make her wish to forget for a while. He couldn't exactly complain. He could use some forgetting himself.

[Avalon Silvasti]

Avalon took a drink of the fire ale, closed her eyes and smiled as it warmed her to the core as it went down. She opened her eyes, pulled down her hood and locked eyes with Rajat. "I have traveled this area of the world and I have never seen ale like that. Where did you say you were from?" She raised her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Oh that came out all rude. I'm sorry." She shook her head and took another drink, she felt her self relax a bit more with the help of the fire ale. "I'm not use to people being ice to me after what happened to my Kingdom." Her eyes widened as the last words left her lips. She averted her eyes quickly and hoped he didn't catch it, but she was ready to explain if he did.

[Summerchika]

Rajat laughed as Avalon pinched the delicate bridge of her nose. He, too, drank the fire ale, but only felt a slight stinging as it made its way down. His blood could not even be bound, did he really expect it to react to ale this light in color? He shrugged and chugged the ale a bit more. Perhaps in excess he would find it sufficient.

Raj, be careful. Don't forget you are surrounded by humans while the closest Djinni to you is far into the desert. Nin warned in a low voice.

I thought you were bored, was Rajat's only reply, since he was more interested in the words Avalon was saying.

Eyebrows furrowed, Rajat studied Avalon carefully. "If you tell me what happened to your kingdom, I'll tell you where I am from. Deal?" he asked with what he hoped was a caring smile, then added hastily, "if it would not be too painful a thing, of course. I can think of a few experiences I would not like to relive again."

[Avalon Silvasti]

Avalon took a deep breath and scooted her chair closer to Rajat, so close they were almost touching. She peered around and leaned heavily into the table as she spoke. "I had just barely turned old enough to take my place on the thrown if something were to happen to my mother and father. Me and my twin sister Kasandra were celebrating the MoonTree festival with our mother that morning in the town square. Mother sat under the MoonTree While my sister and I gossiped about some of the local guards. One in particular, Iori. He was my personal guard, my escort. I was not allowed to go anywhere that might cause me harm with out him. He asked me that day to go to the dance that my mother and father was holding in my sister and my honor for our coming of age." She stopped talking for a moment and flagged down for another ale once she realized that she had drank all of hers. "We were all in attendance, my mother, my father, my sister, hells the whole kingdom was there. After sometime a man came in with his hood drawn up, He had jet white hair and skin as dark as coal with eyes of purple. He walked right by me as I danced with Iori and straight to my mother and father. He threw his hood back and proposed peace between our people and his. Grabbed two chalices and approached my mother and father offering them in peace, no one saw what he did until it was too late and he was gone. My mother and father took the drinks and drank to his peace they were dead before they hit the floor." She paused and took another drink of her ale while wiping tears from her eyes. "That next morning we sent them back to the manaflow. Our people believe the waters near the MoonTree will take us home if we die. That same night we sent our parents home they attacked again. Swarming upon the castle in search for me and my twin sister. You see we hold the blood of the ancients, I am water, she is fire. They captured us and started to take us, my sister, Iori and myself. they made the mistake of needing to water their horses they used to transport us. I got away then. They took us off the horses and chained our ankles to a tree. Iori broke the shackles, I ran along with my sister to the river. As we ran they caught my sister who screamed at me to run and not look back. As I got to the waters edge...." She absentmindedly raised her right hand to rub her left shoulder as she trailed off. "As i got to the waters edge I felt this terrible searing pain rip through my left shoulder that faded my world to black as I hit the water. Apparently they couldn't find me and I floated down river to a quaint little farm where an older couple took me in and nurtured me back to health." She hung her head in shame at the fact she left them behind. "I do not know if my sister or Iori is alive..."

[Summerchika]

Listening intently, Rajat had no chance to miss the description of the one who had torn Avalon's life apart. He froze, his joints locked in place, and a chill ran through him. White hair, skin as black as coal . . .

Oh. Oh no, Raj. Nin said faintly in his mind. He listened to the rest of Avalon's story grimly, then forced his muscles to unlock so he could down the rest of his weak ale. Taken all at once, Raj felt more of a fire this time, but he really wished there was more of a punch to it.

"Oh, Avalon," he whispered finally, not knowing how to ease her pain. He massaged the corners of his eyes, suddenly feeling very old.

There were numerous questions that vied for his attention, some about the MoonTree, some about his sister's connection to fire. But there was one needed answer he found himself unable to deny himself. "Do you remember what race that man said he was from?" he asked, his voice coming out in a forceful whisper. He really hoped she would not say what he was thinking just now.

[Avalon Silvasti]

Avalon turned to him her ice blue eyes shimmering with tears and bit her bottom lip. "Don't worry i know that you are worried that your race is the one that did it. I know that it was not your race it was the Drow we were at war with in the north of our Kingdom." She smiled weakly at him and with in seconds she crumbled at his side. The tears slid down her face and before she realized what she was doing she had moved to bury her face in his chest silently crying into his chest. She realized what she had done and muttered from his chest, "I'm sorry I broke like this but I have stayed strong for so long... I tried so hard... Gods I tried..."