Parley

[Sage]

Cambria was relieved that his terms were accepted so amiably. Pendaran was in a position of power in the negotiation process, and he had easily allowed Cambria the loophole necessary to get out of the spell barring him from hostility if necessary. Though the cost would be high, he could manage, to keep from infuriating his Master by having his soul marked. He was nevertheless nervous as the mark was placed upon him; not because he had never experienced such magical contract, it was commonly seen even with mages much less powerful than his Master or Pendaran. But because of what the consequences might be for allowing such a pact to be made without consent.

As for the effectiveness of the spell, he dare not test it. A spell placed upon someone willingly was much more effective than a hex, place against one's will. He felt was very much in Cambria's best interests not to try and have Sieg remove the geis, just as Pendaran would be unable to rid him of the visual bond between the two. He grimaced slightly as the mark was placed upon him, feeling a cold chill in his lungs as he inhaled sharply, catching another sampling of Pendaran's magical presence. He stood unflinching until he felt that the thing was done, and bowed his head slightly, before returning an eager gaze to the King of Winter's court.

He hadn't even considered whether or not Pendaran would expect him to live in the Unseelie. He had his own lodging and food, and would have to return to it sooner rather than later to check in, but he could return and stay wherever was necessary were it the will of these fae.

" If it's not too impertinent...where would you have me start? "

Offtopic: Sorry for the delay, I assumed Jen would want to post as Amara before I went again.

[Paroxysm]

Offtopic: Yeah, that's what I figured.

--Of course, there was always a loophole, wasn't there? That, too, was part of the game, after all. There was always a path, hidden or obvious, straightforward or nonsensical, that would lead the bedeviled--the magically cursed, or blessed--to freedom, though there were also usually unforeseen consequences too. There was good reason so many heroes died in tales involving the blessed curse. A path, a choice, and a price; it was all very important to Pendaran and his ilk.

Hhn, Pendaran breathed.

Truth be told, the Unseelie king had never needed to teach someone this particular subject matter before. The sidhe--no, even their servitor races were born into their power, weak, perhaps, at first, but it grew in strength over time; it was as natural to them as breathing. To be cut off from that power, to be ignorant of it, even, was an impairment. Fortunately, Cambria’s birthright had manifested, though however long ago this was, Pendaran did not know, but more than refining Cambria’s power, perhaps Pendaran needed only find the proper catalyst.

“That is the question, isn’t it?” Pendaran asked.

“Normally, someone in my position would start you at the entry level, is that correct? Teaching, bah. Our children strengthen their skills with glamour, parlor tricks that delude and befuddle. With the right hand,” he smiled, “it is even a marvelous weapon, but glamour is closer to mortal magic than what you are after."

Cambria had given a short demonstration of what he could do, though Pendaran doubted that was all the boy could do, and, true enough, it had harmonized well enough with the Unseelie. That was evidence enough to believe Cambria’s abilities were genuine. He had the potential to navigate through the Faelands and if he could do that, there was so much more he could do as well.

“Entry level . . .” Pendaran repeated, “I will not start you with a child’s lessons on illusions, but I will have you learn the same way a child does. You will have to experiment,” the king said, satisfied with his conclusion.

"You can already travel between the folds of reality and your presence here tells me that you have, at least recently, given thought as to the how of your power. For the sake of your education, I will start giving you simple tasks, tasks that will be completed, successfully, and perhaps some friendly competition, “ Pendaran spared a momentary glance at Trydian before returning his gaze back to Cambria, “but while you are busying yourself with whatever I set you on, I want you to also deconstruct your powers. Consider the stages your powers, those that come most naturally to you, must go through before they can affect you or the world around you. Consider, too, your thoughts, try and utilize symbolism, colors, and shapes. There is nothing linear about what you are attempting to learn and there is no all inclusive curriculum either.

"Now then, I will give you your first task soon, but I really must see to her ladyship, the Queen of Ulster. Until then, I suggest you give some thought on what I've said. Amara can show you to the room that will be yours. Amara?"

[Igraine]

Amara shifted uncomfortably but bowed crisply once she was addressed by King Pendaran. Her eyes wandered to where Cambria was standing and she gestured for him to follow.

“Certainly, King Pendaran, I will make certain he knows where he is staying.” She moved toward the door leading out into the hallway and glanced over her shoulder to make sure Cambria was following. She shook her head and smiled somewhat ruefully.

“Well, you survived at least. Your quarters will be near mine. I will be a few doors down the hall. The room will be yours for the duration of your stay within the Unseelie realm, and every time you return you will have the same room.”

There never seemed to be very many twists and turns though they had taken several in order to get to the reception hall. They quickly stopped in front of a door with ornate carvings. It looked like a scene from a hunt, though the prince of the Hunt had been gone for some time. The Unseelie realm was known best for its wild and carnal hunting party.

“If you need anything I will be two doors over.” Amara gestured to the door that was ornately carved to represent some wild creature free in the woods. It was then that Amara stepped close and pressed a tentative kiss against Cambria’s lips.

-------------

Igraine glanced up from the sleeping Bocan child when Pendaran mentioned her in his speech. She rearranged her skirts and stood slowly, taking care not to jostle the child in her arms. She walked toward Pendaran with the baby tucked protectively against her body. She stood nearby without speaking to him until Cambria and Amara left.

“What would you like to discuss?” They were alone now, save for the Bocan child. Igraine was obviously drained from the events that had transpired and ready for nothing more than sleep. She steeled herself for whatever demand King Pendaran might make, however. She pushed her hair back from her face where it had fallen in her scuffle with Vylrath. With her eyes on the child in her arms, Igraine waited patiently for Pendaran to acknowledge her presence.

She was nothing if not patient.







OOC: Sorry, I kind of wrote myself out of it for a while. Then got really busy >.<! Please note that I've already removed Caela and Sebilla as well. They're currently in Xexoria.

[Sage]

In terms of the supernatural, Cambria was actually very young. He appeared to be less than 30 in human years, and in truth, his memory only went back 20 or so years, where he remembered being a child. If nothing about him had been hidden from him by Sieg, he appeared to age at the same rate as humans. But in terms of the fae, it was likely he was still in his infancy. It was impossible to tell what rate his powers had developed at, not knowing how long his own life was, but he was disinterested, always resigning himself to being fodder for Sieg's meteoric rise to Godhood.

" Understood. I learn best by doing, but I have been taught academically, and can absorb information fairly quickly from texts, if there are any to be had on subjects you might deem important. "

He stated his case matter-of-factly, Cambria was a sponge, that was what he had been raised to be. He would pick things up faster than others, simply because he had to, to survive; to be useful. Effectually, everything he know was tied back to some lesson or another he had needed to learn to benefit one man, but the things that needed doing that were put on Cambria's desks were never anything less than monumentally difficult missions, unfit for anyone short of him. And he had always succeeded.

Cambria nodded, as he was pardoned, mentally consigning himself to a series of exercises he thought might be useful, and along the lines of the type of thing Pendaran wanted him doing. As he turned from Pendaran, however, his vision was flooded with Sieg, speaking to him from inside his own mind. His appearance had changed greatly, and he did not seem to be as furious as Cambria assumed him to be.

"I've seen all that you have done behind my back, Cambria. You know that I watch, and yet you defy me willingly. But I do not disapprove of your studies, and so I offer you a compromise. I have a job for you. In return, I will give you one year of leave, taken out of your lifespan, to do with what you please. You have until the end of your current leave to complete the task. "

In an instant, he was gone again from the boy's mind, and he stared at Amara with a worried expression as she lead him to their rooms. He memorized the archways, and what he could about how to get to them. He waited in silence, thinking about the heavy price Sieg had offered in exchange for a year of freedom.

Then, she kissed him, and he allowed it despite his troubled mind. He embraced her tightly, then held her away slightly, staring at her to study her reaction as he broke the news. " Master has given me an opportunity to stay here for a year. In exchange...I will be consumed by him one year sooner. If I accept, I need to steal an artifact and present it to him in the next forty-eight hours. "

[Igraine]

Amara’s eyes narrowed as Cambria spoke. Consumed one year sooner? What an interesting master Cambria worked for. How effective was it to consume one’s servants? All of these thoughts raced through her mind for a few seconds as she registered them. Her attention snapped back to Cambria and she nodded. Her body shifted in his hands as she assumed her most natural form, the one with the very wickedly sharp teeth, though that would be a brief affair.

“Where are you required to go in order to obtain this object?” Amara kept her amber eyes on Cambria, letting her clawed hands rest on his chest gently. She toyed with the fabric of his shirt with one razor sharp claw as she spoke. “I am free to choose my own pursuits when I have not been given an assignation. I can go with you if you would like me to. Two sets of hands are better than one. Not to mention…”

Amara’s body began to shift again as she rolled her neck to the side. Cambria would feel the bones shifting, cracking and reforming, skin moving and tightening in places, filling out in others. The Bocan rolled her shoulders and lifted her arms high over her head in a lazy cat-like stretch. Standing in Cambria’s arms was the very same woman that had come to him several nights ago in Lydia’s stead. A slight woman with an hourglass figure and long silver hair and delightfully purple eyes – her eye color seemed to change on a whim with any figure she assumed more than once.

“It’s always hard to pinpoint exactly who they saw with me around.” Amara grinned, looking very impish, and leaned closer to Cambria. She kissed him one more time, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“So, can I come with you?” It was less an inquiry and more a way of saying she would go with him even if he said no. He’d be hard pressed to stop her for very long at all.

[Sage]

Despite the grim news he had been given, and without betraying exactly what Sieg had meant with regards to Cambria's vows, the newly-designated Fae smiled genuinely. He squeezed her idly as they spoke, winding down from the tension of the events that had unfolded at the Parley.


" I'm not exactly sure. My connection to the Master is tentative at best in this place, I only understand that I am to go back to the mortal world where I'll receive further instruction. " He stroked the back of her talon-like hands gingerly as she rubbed the cloth, enjoying the reprieve, however short. " I'll need you to take me back, and I'll need to hit a rendezvous to resupply. At that time, my target's location will be made more clear. "

He frowned, slightly, as she changed. He much preferred her more primal form, and yet she still retained the personality that so attracted him, even with her human appearance and exotic eyes. His own wounds seemed to have healed on his face, and the swollen tissue and scarring began to recede as his Master seemed to have relinquished his grasp on Cambria's vision for the time. Taking advantage of the break from the strain, he rubbed his temples slowly, wiping some of the fresh blood from his face.

" You can come, but I'm not sure this isn't a trick, with Master lying in wait to punish me. If I say it's too dangerous, you must promise that you'll go. Preferably back here where he can't follow. I don't won't his ire to fall on you for my actions. He seems...to have changed. I'm not even sure if he could be stopped, were he to pursue us. "

[Igraine]

Amara listened with the patience of a saint. Orders were orders no matter the master involved. Without orders from the man that owned her life, the Bocan was free to do as she pleased, and if that meant taking orders from a new master of sorts – then she would do it. The woman had a hard time sitting idle waiting for things to happen.

“I can take you back easily. I cannot promise you that I will run like some enfeebled woman. If it is my time to die then I will die. I am bound to King Pendaran so your Master would be unable to bind me. My soul is King Pendaran’s…if that is what your Master uses for the binding process? I don’t know how other creatures go about such things.” Amara reached up and brushed some of the blood off of Cambria’s face. She brought the rich red substance to her lips and tasted it. She smiled and winked.

“You’re lucky I like how you look and how you treat me. You taste like a spring breeze, just after the last snow of winter.” She licked her fingers again, a smear of Cambria’s blood remaining briefly on her tongue before she closed her mouth. Her eyes closed and she smiled, remembering some far off memory that Cambria was not privy to.

“Well, let’s get to it. The last thing we need is for both of us to have an assignment. We’re better off together on this mission of yours than we are apart.” Amara took Cambria’s hand then and hurried toward the end of the hall. Once they were outside she sharpened her appearance, refined it, and picked up the pace. By the time they reached the wooded area they had entered from they would almost be running. Time was, after all, was of the essence.

“Where do you need to go?”