Syred

This book was foul.

Yelena agonized for hours after she and Syred returned to his home, cracking open the book for a moment before snapping it closed. Whatever inside of those black leather bound covers contained.. it was a different kind of darkness that she wasn't sure she liked.

It was a kind of darkness that set an unnerving chill down her spine, the kind that threatened to swallow her whole.

"What you want to do.. there will be no going or coming back."

"I know, mama. I'm ready."

"No, baby. You are a fool. What you seek to do now took me years of.." Juliana trailed, a distant look glimmering behind emerald eyes.

"Father told me of his trials.. briefly." She protested, and Juliana tsk'd, flicking her forehead.

"Ha.. his were a far different pain than mine, Lena.. I wouldn't subject my worst enemy to that kind of conditioning, much less my own flesh and blood. I towed a dangerous line.. one misstep, and I would have been crucified. Your father knew it, and your aunt knew it. Do you know what kept me going?" A loud silence filled the clearing as Juliana studied her daughter.

"Faith. Their faith in me, my faith in the order.. and eventually, you." Juliana said quietly after a moment. Her hand cupped Yelena's tear-stained cheek. "Use your faith to keep you centered. Forget the bullshit about 'there cannot be shadow without the Light', Yelena. Yes, there can. There is. Bottomless and endless darkness that the Light refuses to tread. You are a smart girl, baby.. keep your head." Juliana said with a smile as she swiped more of Yelena's tears away with her thumbs.

"Would that it were me teaching you instead.. I would refuse to see you rot to madness by yourself." She sighed, and Yelena scoffed after sniffling.

Blinking away the memories, she wiped away the tears that had rolled down her cheeks. Would that it were her mother here instead..

"Father would sooner burn this place to ashes than entertain the idea at all.." came distantly with a half-smirk that didn't quite meet her eyes. The soft azure flame of the hearth fluttered at her side as she slowly pulled the book back into her lap. Taking a steadying breath, she wiped her eyes dry and cleared her throat. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Syred's methods were effective, and she appreciated his forward methods. She said she wanted to learn how to get into someone's head.. he delivered.

Delicate fingers curled around the cover once again. Flipping it open, she stared at the first page.

Chapter I

Shadow Word: Pain

Right... here went nothing.

Countless times he could remember others had asked to study under him. Wether they were his memories or someone elses? Problematic. Everything blended together. Xyn'rael knew enough, more than he let on. "She's kind of out of her depth." He coughs out a puff of smoke, using his free clawed finger to pick at his nose. "Depth is a matter of perspective. She won't die." Syred continues to look through a series of books and pages. "She gonna wish she was." Xyn'rael puffs out another bit of smoke. "I didn't take you for such a pessimist." "When was the last time you did something fucken' normally? No shadowmagic or nothing? I think you forget what just...Being a person is like." "People don't come to me looking for a person, they come looking for a monster. " "That's a special kind of self loathing, ain't it?" Syred squints at Xyn'rael, the imp just shrugs and continues to puff away.

"I thought you were watching the children." "They're asleep." " You should go watch them sleep, not critique my curriculum." "From what it sounds like the girl doesn't know -what- she wants." "We've narrowed it down." "Ya threw a book at her." "She has to take an active role in her development, it's cognitive reminder of her choice." "So....It's not for learning." "Something can have more than one use."

"Right, like knifing a broad." "I'm not justifying my approach to you. " "Okay Okay fine, you wanna tell me what's next then?" "Practice, control, she's already forgotten some things...Perhaps it's my fault for skipping steps. " " Oh yea, the nuances of verbal and nonverbal components. A -Great- topic for the first two lessons." Xyn'rael mumbled sarcastically. "It would have helped leaps and bounds in the long run. But...Apparently we have the time." "Weren't you supposed to take the Toots to the Dragon Isle." "You were listening?" "I'm always fucken listening." "......" Syred closes the books and sets them aside for the time being. He turns and seemingly wanders from the study, on his own, headed somewhere. Xyn'rael takes another puff and lounges there.

This book was foul.

Yelena agonized for hours after she and Syred returned to his home, cracking open the book for a moment before snapping it closed. Whatever inside of those black leather bound covers contained.. it was a different kind of darkness that she wasn't sure she liked.

It was a kind of darkness that set an unnerving chill down her spine, the kind that threatened to swallow her whole.

"What you want to do.. there will be no going or coming back."

"I know, mama. I'm ready."

"No, baby. You are a fool. What you seek to do now took me years of.." Juliana trailed, a distant look glimmering behind emerald eyes.

"Father told me of his trials.. briefly." She protested, and Juliana tsk'd, flicking her forehead.

"Ha.. his were a far different pain than mine, Lena.. I wouldn't subject my worst enemy to that kind of conditioning, much less my own flesh and blood. I towed a dangerous line.. one misstep, and I would have been crucified. Your father knew it, and your aunt knew it. Do you know what kept me going?" A loud silence filled the clearing as Juliana studied her daughter.

"Faith. Their faith in me, my faith in the order.. and eventually, you." Juliana said quietly after a moment. Her hand cupped Yelena's tear-stained cheek. "Use your faith to keep you centered. Forget the bullshit about 'there cannot be shadow without the Light', Yelena. Yes, there can. There is. Bottomless and endless darkness that the Light refuses to tread. You are a smart girl, baby.. keep your head." Juliana said with a smile as she swiped more of Yelena's tears away with her thumbs.

"Would that it were me teaching you instead.. I would refuse to see you rot to madness by yourself." She sighed, and Yelena scoffed after sniffling.

Blinking away the memories, she wiped away the tears that had rolled down her cheeks. Would that it were her mother here instead..

"Father would sooner burn this place to ashes than entertain the idea at all.." came distantly with a half-smirk that didn't quite meet her eyes. The soft azure flame of the hearth fluttered at her side as she slowly pulled the book back into her lap. Taking a steadying breath, she wiped her eyes dry and cleared her throat. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Syred's methods were effective, and she appreciated his forward methods. She said she wanted to learn how to get into someone's head.. he delivered.

Delicate fingers curled around the cover once again. Flipping it open, she stared at the first page.

Chapter I

Shadow Word: Pain

Right... here went nothing.

“Rosemarri, wait I...”

“I could see the decorations from Southstone, they look lovely. The red flowers just flow like lava down the keep’s walls. So that must mean the druids are here - perfect. Where are they settled?”

“Rosemarri…..”

“I cannot feel my backside, not even a little bit. Titans save me from these stairs.. - my bones ache and if you could just get the big bath going, scalding and some– “

“ — ROSEMARRI.”

“Lyric, what?” She huffed the building tension and then repeated in a calmer tone. “What?” Rose paused on the stairs, one hand holding her left butt cheek as if that would stop her entire lower half from protesting the fact she was standing.

“Guests have begun to arrive.” Lyric took a step forward, hands cupping the noblewoman’s elbow and she gingerly pulled its connecting hand away from the obscene hold on herself.

“I am glad, but do you know what I would be ever so thankful for? A bath. A bath where I become akin to potatoes in stew and float in bubbles and oils. The pack can take over the enterta–”

“-- Syred arrived with his family June 21st.” Lyric interrupted again, though just saying his name soured her tone. 

“Alone or with his family?” Rosemarri allowed the hand to be moved to an appropriate place.

“His family is here, it seems he has added another to his brood.”

“Very good – lovely in fact. I shall meet them at dinner - no, we have the main hall feasting to celebrate the winners.” She resumed taking the stairs one step at a time. Where was Burrich, she could use a lift. 

“After dinner, but make sure that Ceri is seated next to me and Syred across from me during the feast.

“Or in the well?”

“He is here because I need him..”

“No one -needs- him, Rosemarri.”

"We do."

Character 1: hey can you pass me the (demonic screeching)

Character 2: (visibly disturbed)