STARDARK
Brightflame K'Treva grunted, both from the weight of his bondbird, and the strain of creating a gate. When he got through, he was going to have to talk to Sharyl about perching elsewhere while he performed the major magics. Having a crested eagle on one's shoulder was difficult enough, but having her on your shoulder while performing magic was just a bit too strenuous. She was the biggest bondbird in the vale, and his family had all thought him insane when he bonded her. Sharyl was of good bondbird stock though, and exceptionally intelligent. Brightflame had never regretted his choice.
The gate was almost complete, and not a moment too soon. Another minute of this and Brightflame knew that he'd collapse. As soon as the murky black of the gate began forming Brightflame got ready, and when the destination appeared in the portal he was through in a heartbeat. It was an odd feeling, going through a gate, as though the ground had been pulled out from under you and you were falling towards a ground that didn't exist. There was a brief moment of disorientation, and then he was through.
He looked around, searching for something familiar around him. Finally, he found what he was looking for-a large boulder, overgrown and in the rough shape of a gryphon preening. He smiled, for this part of the forest was far more overgrown than he remembered it being. If he was not mistaken his new home was not very far from here. He began walking, heading vaguely east, towards his new home.
:Where we be?: Sharyl sent to him, in her form of mindspeech. Brightflame grinned and stroked her behind the crest, causing a nearly audible sigh to be issued from Sharyl. She was too inquisitive for her own good sometimes, and this time she was going to get that perching lecture for her inquisitiveness.
:We're going home, birdbrain,: Brightflame sent back smugly. : But you knew that, didn't you. And since we're having so much fun mindspeaking, I might as well take this time to talk to you about perches and magic. My shoulder is not a perch while I'm casting major magics, dear. You're weight is just too much. You'll get me killed someday like that. So, when I'm casting major magics, find another perch, alright?:
:No perch on shoulder while magicking. No, no, no. Not ever. Not get Brightflame killed.: Sharyl began toying with a piece of his hair. It was amazing how much affection bondbirds could show, and the crested eagles were the most affectionate of all. Brightflame sent a quick mental reassurance to her, and focused on the magical energies around him. :Me hungry. Hunt now?: Sharyl sent, rather suddenly. Brightflame yelped in surprise, and turned a look on Sharyl.
:Go, before I blast you for surprising me.: If a bird could chuckle, Sharyl surely would have, Brightflame sensed. He braced himself just in time, as the eagle pushed off from his shoulder and caught a thermal. The force of her takeoff still drove him back a few steps. Now he returned his attention to the ley-lines around him once again. Most of them should eventually lead to the heartstone, and if he followed the general direction of the ley-lines, he could find the vale quite easily.
The ley-lines seemed to go in the same direction which he traveled, however, there were a large number of ley-lines leading to another node. But something was different about those ley-lines. Brightflame gingerly dipped a mental finger into one of the ley-lines. As his finger touched the energy, the line writhed, and sent a pulse of energy back at him. The energy bolt hit him, sending him flying backwards. He landed none too gently, smashing down in the bed of leaves that covered the forest floor. Brightflame shook his head groggily and stood up, brushing himself off. That ley-line had gone rouge...maybe worse than rogue. Could a ley-line be corrupted? It was an interesting, though dangerous, possibility. Perhaps there were more important things than getting to his new home.
Brightflame sighed, and changed his direction. The vale would have to wait. A corrupt ley-line was more important, and he wouldn't be going more than five leagues out of his way. Brightflame sent a little message to Sharyl about where he was going and began on his way. Right now, he was tired, and in no position to win a mage-battle. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.
The node was nearer than he had thought, barely three leagues away. It was rogue, as he had suspected, and would require a healing adept, which he wasn't. He toyed with the idea of training as one for a few moments, but dismissed it. He probably didn't even have enough talent. There was something more, though; a presence of some type. It seemed to be localized and individualized, almost like a person, but not. He turned around, and saw the shimmering mage-energies coalesce into something vaguely human. The being smiled, and hit him with a mage-bolt like sizzling lightning. As the bolt hit Brightflame's chest, he saw the being smile, and begin to dissipate. With a final sigh, Brightflame blacked out.
***
:Brightflame hurt? What happen? What now?: Sharyl sent. Brightflame woke with a start. He looked over, searching for Sharyl. Sharyl was perched precariously on his knee, and her talons were digging into his skin a little bit. Right now Brightflame was just glad of her presence. He tried to speak, but found his mind-magic channels blasted raw. Brightflame began panicking. His channels had been closed off. He tried to mindspeak Sharyl again; and again, nothing.
"Sharyl," he spoke aloud. The eagle looked up, surprised that he had spoken instead of mindspeaking. "Sharyl, I have no mind-magic. I don't know about my mage gift, or my bardic gifts though. I...I don't know what to do." The bird chirped, alarmed. Brightflame stood up, dusted himself off. "That being...we have to destroy it, Sharyl. I have the feeling that the creature was actually the node. Something's very wrong here."
It didn't make any sense. Nodes are not alive, and they cannot form physical manifestations. This node had done just that, though, and it must have something to do with those strange energies. This required a healing adept, and he was not that. Nor was he strong enough to actually defeat a node in mage-battle. He had to try, though, and die trying if necessary. He reached out, as far as he could, to an untainted ley-line, and slowly absorbed the energy, refilling and healing himself. At least his mage-gift was still good.
Brightflame looked around, trying to think of what had triggered the being before. Touching the ley-line had done it, perhaps. Slowly Brightflame left the area covering the node. Only then did he once again touch the ley-line. This time he was ready, and shielded the bolt easily. Now, he slowly re-entered the area. There, the shimmer of the node's manifestation. Brightflame let out an almost feral growl, and unleashed the full strength of his mage-gift on the manifestation. The bolt of energy crackled and hit the manifestation, driving it back. At least the thing could be hurt.
The strike left Brightflame exhausted, and his shields barely held as the manifestation's mage-bolt hit him. His shields were almost deteriorated, and another strike would surely hit him, and probably kill him. Brightflame K'Treva prepared for the worst. He closed his eyes, his strength sapped, and prepared for his final moments. He waited for the bolt of energy that surely must come, but strangely did not. He heard the hunting scream of a raptor and looked up...Sharyl! The eagle dove down at the node manifestation, crying her rage, and having no chance. As the manifestation pulled it's power together and shot at the bird, Brightflame could not help but cry out. As the energy struck Sharyl, Brightflame felt her pain, and within moments knew that she was dead. The magnificent eagle's body crashed down, through the forest canopy, and came to a halt as it hit the ground not far from him. Finally Brightflame understood.
Brightflame got up, his body fueled by rage. He turned his glare on the manifestation, and let all of his penned up anger spill out, in a bolt of energy almost as strong as a Final Strike. The bolt hit the node manifestation, and Brightflame felt the real node shudder. As Brightflame shot bolt after bolt at the manifestation, he began to realize that he was winning, and that the very earth around him now shuddered. His energy spent, Brightflame collapsed to the ground. The node manifestation dispersed, and as the manifestation was destroyed, so too was the node. The ley-lines reconnected around the place where the node had been, and finally reverted back to normal ley-lines. As the battle ended, Brightflame finally allowed himself to cry.
***
As Brightflame, formerly of K'Treva, arose from the ground, he knew that he would require a new name, but that he must keep his old, in memory of Sharyl, who gave her life for him. Brightflame looked up, to the stars above him, the stars under which this dark chapter of his life would be born. Brightflame Stardark stood up, and resolved to bury his beloved bondbird, and after that...after that he would go home.
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