Illusions and Lies

“Of course not.” She handed her back to staff, smiling softly. “Humans always deserved magic, something Avizandium condemed them for-”

She got up, opened a bag on Virizon’s side and pulled out a bow, woven metal beams glinting in the light as she knelt down and took and lined up an arrow. “Now I remember saying I was going to teach you to hunt, would you like to learn now that we aren’t lying to one another?”

She had worked with young elves before, ones with zero experience and so she had the patience to.

“We’ll start with a target on the tree.” She drew back the bow, looking down the arrow and released, lodging it into a tree across the lake.

She smiled softly, Virizon happily resting his head beside Claudia and cooing at her, he was content at the compliments he heard, making Cynder chuckle softly.

“So, you said your name was Arlo correct?” She had picked up the staff, looking it over, she’d seen the staff before, when it was uncorrupt, she had been visiting someone in Lux Auria and had the pleasure of meeting the queen and her court.

“Is that the truth, or are you hiding it from me because you’re afraid?” She looked at her, a gentle expression on her features as she smiled. “I can tell you’re a dark magic user, he can smell it, and your hair is a bit of a give away-”

Cynder ceased her petting, Virizon laying down behind them both as she sat down.

“When anyone goes missing, just vanishes- it’s never for good reason- no matter where you are in the world.” She sighed listening to her questions, she was a curious girl, and Cynder wasn’t stupid, this girl clearly wasn’t everything she said, the staff was corrupt, how long had this girl been a practicer of dark magic? She was curious.

“Startouched creatures? They aren’t as common as I’d like them to be, they’re rare, but utterly gorgeous.” Saying that had Virizon purring, clearly taking it as a compliment. “Elves of that kind are even more so-” She leaned back into Virizon’s side, making him purr happily.

“So, you said your name was Arlo correct?” She had picked up the staff, looking it over, she’d seen the staff before, when it was uncorrupt, she had been visiting someone in Lux Auria and had the pleasure of meeting the queen and her court.

“It isn’t” she sighed softly, her ears seeming to drop slightly, showing the clear dismay that was witheld from her expression.

“He’s been gone for years now, I wish I knew how or why, but he just disappeared-” Virizon clearly could understand what she was feeling, the large dragon pressing his head into her chest and closing his eyes.

“He’s not really smelling it, he thinks he is, like when you think you see someone you know in a crowd, the mind plays tricks to bring you out of a state of server emotions, but in Xadia, those illusions can be used against you-”

She didn’t look up from running her hand over the purple dragons head, her eyes down cast as the stars on the dragons skin glowed with an apparent softness as a low hum resonated in his throat.

“When anyone goes missing, just vanishes- it’s never for good reason- no matter where you are in the world.” She sighed listening to her questions, she was a curious girl, and Cynder wasn’t stupid, this girl clearly wasn’t everything she said, the staff was corrupt, how long had this girl been a practicer of dark magic? She was curious.

“I’ve actually been looking into magic alot more since I stopped, I’ve met alot of interesting people” she gave him as she walked towards her home.

“I’ve actually been looking into magic alot more since I stopped, I’ve met alot of interesting people” she gave him as she walked towards her home.

The forest was quiet around him. 

Young Ethari gave a breath and closed his eyes, steeling himself for what he planned to do next. Once he opened them again, they were filled with determination and a sure almost-coldness, or at least a good mockery of it. Taking the pale green bow he had recently received after his last one was destroyed from this very same task, he rushed through the trees, moving as fast as he could, yet still trying to urge himself faster. 

Through the bushes, around the taller trees, duck below that branch-

He jumped over a stray log in his path, then nocked an arrow and took aim at a hidden target as fast as he could midair, and truly it was faster than any time before, but just as he let go of the arrow he hit the ground. 

The bow flew from his grasp and he slid into the mud. 

He layed there for a time, until the stinging from his shoulder at least numbed to a dull ache, then with a quiet groan he sat up, holding onto his arm.

He glanced over to the bow he had just gotten, frowning once he saw how truly destroyed the poor thing was. Already…

With a sigh, he leaned his head onto the log. Sixteen and yet he could still barely manage to shoot like the others. Sword fighting was worse. 

There was a look of concern that overtook her gaze, she watched for a moment, scilent as ever, simply watching him, waiting to see if he would get up, she decided to decend from her tree top reading perch, the book tucked under her arm as she approached the younger elf.

It wasn’t uncommon for people to hear Ethari comparing himself to Runaan, they were in the same assassin training group but while Runaan was the best Ethari was considered the absolute worse in the group. It didn’t damper his will to try though, instead Ethari constantly watched Runaan and tried to copy even with rather… disastrous consequences.

Like his shoulder.

“Well I’m afraid to say that you aren’t Runaan, infact no one is” she smiled softly, picking up the broken bow. “You should never compare yourself to your fellow elves, you’re an individual, you’ll learn at a different pace, preform at a different speed, you’ll get there, but the more you try to be someone you aren’t the worse you will feel”

The forest was quiet around him. 

Young Ethari gave a breath and closed his eyes, steeling himself for what he planned to do next. Once he opened them again, they were filled with determination and a sure almost-coldness, or at least a good mockery of it. Taking the pale green bow he had recently received after his last one was destroyed from this very same task, he rushed through the trees, moving as fast as he could, yet still trying to urge himself faster. 

Through the bushes, around the taller trees, duck below that branch-

He jumped over a stray log in his path, then nocked an arrow and took aim at a hidden target as fast as he could midair, and truly it was faster than any time before, but just as he let go of the arrow he hit the ground. 

The bow flew from his grasp and he slid into the mud. 

He layed there for a time, until the stinging from his shoulder at least numbed to a dull ache, then with a quiet groan he sat up, holding onto his arm.

He glanced over to the bow he had just gotten, frowning once he saw how truly destroyed the poor thing was. Already…

With a sigh, he leaned his head onto the log. Sixteen and yet he could still barely manage to shoot like the others. Sword fighting was worse. 

There was a look of concern that overtook her gaze, she watched for a moment, scilent as ever, simply watching him, waiting to see if he would get up, she decided to decend from her tree top reading perch, the book tucked under her arm as she approached the younger elf.

It wasn’t uncommon for people to hear Ethari comparing himself to Runaan, they were in the same assassin training group but while Runaan was the best Ethari was considered the absolute worse in the group. It didn’t damper his will to try though, instead Ethari constantly watched Runaan and tried to copy even with rather… disastrous consequences.

Like his shoulder.

“Well I’m afraid to say that you aren’t Runaan, infact no one is” she smiled softly, picking up the broken bow. “You should never compare yourself to your fellow elves, you’re an individual, you’ll learn at a different pace, preform at a different speed, you’ll get there, but the more you try to be someone you aren’t the worse you will feel”

The forest was quiet around him. 

Young Ethari gave a breath and closed his eyes, steeling himself for what he planned to do next. Once he opened them again, they were filled with determination and a sure almost-coldness, or at least a good mockery of it. Taking the pale green bow he had recently received after his last one was destroyed from this very same task, he rushed through the trees, moving as fast as he could, yet still trying to urge himself faster. 

Through the bushes, around the taller trees, duck below that branch-

He jumped over a stray log in his path, then nocked an arrow and took aim at a hidden target as fast as he could midair, and truly it was faster than any time before, but just as he let go of the arrow he hit the ground. 

The bow flew from his grasp and he slid into the mud. 

He layed there for a time, until the stinging from his shoulder at least numbed to a dull ache, then with a quiet groan he sat up, holding onto his arm.

He glanced over to the bow he had just gotten, frowning once he saw how truly destroyed the poor thing was. Already…

With a sigh, he leaned his head onto the log. Sixteen and yet he could still barely manage to shoot like the others. Sword fighting was worse. 

There was a look of concern that overtook her gaze, she watched for a moment, scilent as ever, simply watching him, waiting to see if he would get up, she decided to decend from her tree top reading perch, the book tucked under her arm as she approached the younger elf.

“No no, you didn’t do anything-” she smiled sincerely, picking up the staff and holding it out to Virizon.

“Look, its not his okay, theres no way you’re smelling his scent on this” she huffed at the defiant grumble from him.

“Sorry about him, again, I don’t know what’s gotten into him so suddenly-” she set the staff back down kneeling down by the water once again, watching Virizon carefully as he stayed stood.

“He thinks he can smell my friend on your staff, his magic more so than a smell, the one I mentioned that went missing, but he’s just being silly” Virizon’s reaction of scrunching his nose and sticking his tongue through his teeth was borderline childish but he did then settle back down.

“He’s been gone for years now, I wish I knew how or why, but he just disappeared-” Virizon clearly could understand what she was feeling, the large dragon pressing his head into her chest and closing his eyes.

“He’s not really smelling it, he thinks he is, like when you think you see someone you know in a crowd, the mind plays tricks to bring you out of a state of server emotions, but in Xadia, those illusions can be used against you-”

The shudder from her elicited a low noise from Virizon, making him lift his head from his resting place and sniff her over some more, taking interest in sniffing at the staff that had belonged to the sunfire elves.

“Virizon lay back down, you’ll spook everything thats hanging in the bushes-” she got up, setting her hand on his back as he continued to sniff at it relentlessly.

“Damn dragon, only time you get like this is when we visit the archmage’s old library-” she pulled him off slightly, and in response got a very low, unamused growl. “Oh shut up, I feed you and house you, you won’t do anything-”

“Look, its not his okay, theres no way you’re smelling his scent on this” she huffed at the defiant grumble from him.

“Sorry about him, again, I don’t know what’s gotten into him so suddenly-” she set the staff back down kneeling down by the water once again, watching Virizon carefully as he stayed stood.